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“Thanks,” I say, winking at her.
I can’t tear my eyes away when the blush spreads across her cheeks. Her face is nearly makeup-free, but she couldn’t glow any brighter if she tried. Her hair is wild and curly and frames a heart-shaped face. Her lips are full and a deep pink color, matching the heat in her cheeks right now. She’s wearing one of my hoodies again. I love the way it swallows her curvy body.
This woman has the ability to wreck me.
The thought invades my mind without permission, and I turn away, uneasy with the truth of it.
Willow lifts the lid of the grill, and the smell of beef grows stronger in the breeze.
“Smells good,” she practically groans.
I check the progress and decide to give it another minute or so before flipping the steaks to the other side. I close the lid again.
Willow stands beside me, her shoulder brushing against mine. I can smell the scent of the vanilla lotion she used earlier. I shift until she’s standing in front of me, my arms caging her at thesides and my body trapping her against the railing. The softness of her round ass pushes against my groin. I move her hair over one shoulder and lean down to kiss her soft neck where it emerges from my sweatshirt. She shivers.
“Tickles,” she whispers.
“I invited Jess over later. She’s with Anita, so they’re both coming,” Wyatt announces, his eyes on his phone as he types.
“It wasn’t your place to invite them over,” I growl.
The last thing I want is Jessica here, ruining the easygoing vibe we have right now.
Wyatt scoffs out a laugh and meets my eyes with a steely glaze in his. “You never cared before when I invited them out.”
I glance at Willow and see a frown marring her expression. I lean down and rest my cheek against the side of her head. Wyatt follows the movement.
“It’s fine,” Willow says, but it sounds forced. “The more, the merrier.”
Benji tips his beer and swallows down half of it in one or two gulps. “We can change the location of the party if you two want to be alone.”
I glance at Willow, but I can’t read her expression. Her eyes are stuck on the mountains in the distance.
“We’ll see,” I say vaguely.
I walk over to the grill and flip the steaks.
About twenty minutes later, we’re around the dining table. Everyone loosens up as we continue to eat and drink, but there’s an underlying tension between Wyatt and me that’s unmistakable. And not even a few beers can dissolve it.
A little later, Willow and I are cleaning up in the kitchen while Wyatt and Benji make a fire in the pit at the edge of the deck.
“Are you okay with Jessica coming over?” I ask her.
Her eyes flit away as she worries her lower lip. She releases it with a sigh. “Sure.”
I turn off the faucet and face her, dipping my head until her eyes are forced to meet mine. “I don’t want her here. But if you want to hang out with the group, we can do that. Be honest with me. If you’d rather be alone, we can kick everyone out.”
“It’s okay,” she finally says, her breath warm against my neck. “Let’s hang out with your friends tonight.”
“Okay,” I agree.
I’m starting to feel the pinch of time as it collapses on us. Willow has a few days left. The short period felt like freedom and reckless abandonment in the beginning—two things I’m very comfortable with. A chance to have a fling with a vacationer. Now, it’s starting to feel suffocating. It’s a constant reminder that our minutes are limited. Thatwe’relimited to this small space.
There’s a knock on the door that forces another sigh from my chest. I squeeze Willow, kissing her softly before walking away to answer it. Jessica beams at me when I sling the door open, Anita by her side.
“Hey,” my blonde ex says enthusiastically.
It’s been a while since she’s been to my house.
