Undressed Read online

  He eyeballed the bill, and then gave me that narrow-eyed gaze again, but he wasn’t about to turn down the money, and he came sniffing back. Before he could snatch it from my hand, I withdrew it, just out of his reach.

  “One more,” he insisted, never taking his eyes off the bill.

  “If they give you the money you’ve been asking for, then what are you offering them in return?”

  His small decayed teeth made a slow appearance as his lips parted in a sickly smile. He reached up and tugged the hundred from my fingers. “Then, when I decide it’s enough, I’ll sign the papers giving Billy guardianship.”

  I closed my eyes. This wasn’t the kind of guy who’d ever be finished with them. He’d continue extorting them until Tess reached her eighteenth birthday and they didn’t need his signature any more, and hopefully he wouldn’t have bankrupted them in the process.

  He turned to leave again, and this time when I stopped him, it wasn’t with a hundred-dollar bill. “What would you say if I made you a deal?”

  LAUREN

  After my run-in with Tess’s uncle Camden, I felt like I needed a long, hot shower to strip away any residual skeeze he might have left on me. He wasn’t exactly the kindly uncle who bounced you on his knee at family gatherings. I suspected he was more the type who would sell his own mother for a nickel given half a chance.

  So when I came home, I must have somehow missed that Will’s truck was parked on the street out front, because when I came rushing through the front door, he was there, standing square in the middle of my living room. Frowning at me.

  I stopped short, caught totally off guard by his presence. “Um . . . where’s Em?” I looked around nervously, my pulse picking up as I took an involuntary step back toward the door, my mind actually trying to convince me I’d walked into the wrong house by mistake.

  But I was definitely in the right place. Our stuff was cluttered around the living room—the blanket my mom had crocheted for me was spread out on the couch, the panda Em had slept with since she was a little girl was sitting right on top of it, and a laundry basket filled with both of our clothes was by the front door, waiting to be taken to the Laundromat.

  Our stuff, our place.

  “She’s not here.”

  Confused, I blinked. “Then . . . what are you . . . ?”

  “She let me in. Before she left.”

  There was something off in his tone, but I couldn’t quite read him. He wasn’t thrilled to see me, which was obvious. But it was more than that. I’d done something to cause the black look he was pinning me down with.

  What could it be?

  I’d only just left the rec center, so there was no way he knew about his uncle or our newly forged arrangement. Camden might be repulsive but he wasn’t that stupid, was he?

  Was Will mad that I’d helped Tess with her résumé? Was that what this was all about?

  “Why?” I asked, not sure whether I wanted clarification about what offense I’d committed, or his reason for being here.

  “I told you,” Will stated flatly, as if he’d never been glaring at me in the first place. “I do maintenance around here. Your roommate called the owner about a flickering light—said it was driving her crazy. Landlord asked me to come check it out.”

  I nodded. Sort of. And swallowed uncomfortably. Something was definitely off.

  My chest tightened, in a way that had nothing to do with being this close to Will. Well, it had less to do with being this close to him. I glanced uneasily at his toolbox, at the tools he’d strewn around on the drop cloth on the floor. But Will remained silent, his eyes never leaving me.

  Part of me wanted to flee, to escape that probing scowl of his. But the other part . . . God, I’d wanted to see him for so long that even having him shooting daggers at me was almost liberating.

  And then I saw it.

  My airway constricted as my eyes darted from Will to my duffle bag. It was lying on the floor behind Will’s tool box. He was still watching me, and I realized that’s what he’d been waiting for: For me to realize I’d been caught.

  “What the fuck?” I whispered, the world tilting beneath me.

  “You took the words right out of my mouth, Lauren.” He took two long strides and caught my arms. He spoke from between clenched teeth, his voice low, like he was worried someone might be listening, the way I always was. “I was gonna ask you the same thing—what the fuck? What the hell is this all about?” His grip tightened, his intense eyes drilling into mine.

  I meant to lie, to tell him it wasn’t mine, but instead I whispered, “It’s not what you think.”

  A muscle twitched at the corner of his jaw. “And what do I think?”

  His hands on my arms were distracting. Goose bumps covered my skin and my body was double-crossing me. As much as I wanted to be indignant, I wanted him to touch me more. To kiss me. To make me melt and gasp and beg for mercy.

  His brow wrinkled and his thumbs twitched, setting my skin on fire beneath his touch. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  I looked up and opened my mouth, trying to formulate an answer, something to explain what I’d done, or to explain it in a way that would keep him out of my problems—keep him safe. But I didn’t have to.

  His mouth, when it descended on mine, was predatory. And I responded. It was as if he’d set a torch to me. I’d spent too many weeks thinking about this . . . about him.

  I threw my arms around his shoulders, clinging to the back of his shirt. He was my lifeline and I refused to let go of him.

  This was exactly what I’d wanted. Having Will against me was like holding onto solid steel. I molded to him, becoming soft and pliable. Trembling when his tongue sought mine.

  “I missed you so much,” he whispered roughly against my lips. “I thought about doing this every single second of every single day.” He caught a fistful of my hair and tangled his fingers through it, claiming it. “God, you taste insane. I can’t get you out of my head.” His voice shivered through me, rough and raw, and the second his meaning sunk in, I stopped tormenting myself over what I should do.

  I drew him away from the living room, leading him to my bedroom. Our feet were clumsy as we stumbled over each other, a tangle of limbs. I was done being the unattainable girl. I wanted more. I wanted everything. I’d never been surer of anything in my life, not even the day I left Arizona behind once and for all.

  The decision made, I kicked off my shoes and slammed the door behind us. I shoved Will away from me. I wanted him to watch.

  I reached for the bottom of my shirt and gradually, deliberately, the way I would have if I’d been hiding my identity in front of my webcam, teased the edge of it up, revealing my belly, and then my bra, in a slow, provocative display. I unzipped my shorts and dipped my finger into the lace front of my panties, giving him a peek at what was buried inside.

  I wanted Will more than I’d ever wanted anything or anyone in my life, and I knew this was right.

  He groaned and started to reach for me.

  “No. Just watch,” I insisted as I stripped for him.

  It was freeing to strip in front of a real person, for someone who knew me. For someone I was about to give myself to. I felt powerful and strong. Even more so as I watched Will’s hooded eyes glazed over.

  This was the best high ever.

  “You are sexy as fuck,” Will growled, no longer content to wait by the door. He caught me in his arms just as I’d tossed my shorts on top of my T-shirt.

  I was already quivering, but his male scent and the strength of him against my bare skin made my insides shudder. I let him lift me and carry me the rest of the way. We were still kissing as we fell on my way-too-narrow twin bed and he landed on top of me, taking up all the space. I wrapped my legs around him.

  “I have a condom,” I said breathlessly, reaching for my nightstand, because even though I was still a virgin, Emerson thought that if she gave me enough condoms, eventually I’d be forced to use them. So, I got them for b
irthdays, Christmas, and even obscure holidays like Flag Day. The first one I pulled out was glow-in-the-dark and had a jack-o’-lantern on the wrapper—a Halloween gift.

  Will grinned. “I got this.” He reached for his wallet, and I wasn’t sure if I should be offended that he was ready at the drop of a hat, or relieved not to have to dig through Em’s assortment of novelty rubbers.

  I took the packet from him. “Let me.” I’d never done this before, any of it, but I couldn’t get over the rush of power it gave me. I thought I’d be uncertain or shaky, but I reached for his jeans, undoing his zipper, and when Will whispered, “Jesus, Lauren . . .” it only fueled my confidence.

  I pushed him backward, down on the pillow and climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. I let my hair spill around his face as I kissed him. I pulled his shirt up so my hand could probe the ridges of his muscled stomach, and my fingertips slipped just beneath his waistband. I grew bolder, and my fingers roved lower until they closed around the silky skin of his erection.

  I’d replayed our swimming pool encounter so many times that I hadn’t expected to be surprised. Yet, I didn’t remember him being so . . . large.

  But he was. Much more so than I’d remembered.

  My throat squeezed. What if he didn’t fit? Was that a thing?

  But the idea of stopping . . . again . . . would be sheer torture.

  And unlike my swimming lesson, Will didn’t seem inclined to stop either. Instead, he bucked up against me, his kiss growing deeper as he spurred me on, banishing any doubts I had.

  Then he gripped my hips, and together we rolled over until he was on top of me. He braced himself with one hand and tore at his own shirt, ripping it off. I stared at his wide chest, at his amazingly cut abs, and at the broad, beautiful muscles of his shoulders, until eventually, I found his eyes.

  “I want you,” I gasped, and he shuddered.

  His jeans were gone in a second, with his briefs right behind. I would have taken my own bra off, but I didn’t have to because Will reached behind me, and with a well-practiced flick of his fingers, it was unclasped. And then his hands were beneath the front of it, cupping my breasts hungrily as he slipped the lacy fabric out of his way. When his mouth fell to the hard tip of my nipple, I could sense his urgency. I gasped again, my entire body shivering. His tongue against my skin was like nothing I’d ever known, and I arched up, desperate to find him, murmuring his name over and over.

  Will yanked my panties down, throwing the last of my clothing on the floor with the rest. I’d meant to put the condom on him, but when he reached for the wrapper, it was buried inside my clenched fist.

  Everything was hazy, except for Will.

  His hands were on me, his lips too, and everywhere they touched, I was fevered. When his fingers disappeared between my legs, I parted them willingly, and when he shifted so he was between them too, I could feel the tension coming off him in waves. I wanted to tell him it was okay, that this was right, but my voice was caught behind a thick knot of desire in my throat.

  His fingers drove into me, first one, and then another, and it was like lightning jolting through me, in the most exquisite way. They were slick and white hot, and instead of recoiling, I strained toward them. I needed to be closer. I craved that sensation. I clawed for his hips at the same time need pulsed through me, drawing him in, knowing he was the only thing that could fill that ache.

  Will changed positions so he was poised directly above me, and I felt the tip of him, that rock-hard tip of his cock, slip just inside of me.

  It was too big. But the thought was fleeting, gone as Will stilled, every muscle in his body remaining perfectly rigid as he gazed down at me. He was so amazingly perfect.

  Now, now, now, I wanted to cry out, but I couldn’t. So I pressed my fingertips into his shoulders, and he thrust the rest of the way inside me.

  There was a brief surge of agony and I squeezed my eyes shut against it.

  Will froze. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered, his forehead dropping to mine.

  But the pain had passed by then, and the most incredible swell of urgency consumed me. I put my hands on either side of his face and rained small kisses all over his lips and chin and nose, as I rocked forward, needing him. Needing him. Needing.

  The look on his face twisted into tortured ecstasy as Will, no longer able to stop himself, withdrew and thrust again.

  “Oh my God,” I uttered. I reached lower now, grasping his hips as I slowly began to mimic his rhythm, until we were moving in sync. I locked my legs around his, and his fingers laced through mine while his lips traced my cheeks, my neck, my mouth. Inside of me, the sensation was building, and even though I’d never done this before, I knew what I was so impatient for, and I kept searching for it, letting Will show me the way.

  When I reached that crest, I squeezed my eyes shut again, but this time not in pain. This time it was because my entire world exploded in the most amazing, most shattering way. I gasped and clutched Will, while he stilled protectively around me, letting me cling to him while it was his turn to rain gentle kisses over my forehead and cheeks, as he whispered how beautiful I was.

  And when my body finally relaxed, and my breathing evened out, Will took one final thrust as he, too, stiffened. When he finally collapsed against me, I felt his breath warm against my cheek.

  “Dammit, Lauren, why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?”

  A small, satisfied smile pulled at my lips. “That’s the worst pillow talk ever.”

  “Considering what I just learned about you, it’s the best pillow talk you’ve ever had.” He rolled onto his side, propping himself on one elbow and stared down at me. He reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

  Sighing, I asked. “Would it have mattered?”

  “Yes. It might have. Hell, I don’t know.” He pulled me closer, tucking me against him. I couldn’t help noticing how perfectly we fit together. “Probably not, but you could’ve at least warned me.”

  I wiggled a little, my hip rubbing right against his thighs, and I could feel him getting hard all over again. “That was sort of the point. I didn’t want you to change your mind.”

  He drew his hips away, just the barest amount. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “Stop. I’m fine. It was . . .” I leaned up so my lips could reach his neck, and I nipped at him playfully. “It was fucking awesome.”

  His laugh rumbled against me. “Now that’s some kickass pillow talk.” He bent his head so I could reach him, and he kissed me again. My lips felt raw, but I parted them and our tongues met. I doubted I could ever get tired of this . . . of Will. He tasted like every fantasy I’d ever had, felt like heaven. I could hardly believe I’d waited so long to do this, or that it had taken me so long to find someone like Will to do it with.

  “I’ve wanted this for so long,” I sighed, our breaths lingering together.

  “Really?” He laughed. “Because the last time I saw you, you told me to stay the hell away from you. I sorta took you seriously.”

  I felt like such a jerk. How many times had I rerun that night over in my head? The way I’d drunkenly shouted at him in the bar . . . right before I’d thrown up and had to be carried out—by Will, no less—only to tell him the exact same thing again in his truck. No wonder he’d taken me seriously. He had no idea that Lucas had set me straight about Tess.

  “Things changed,” I said, hoping I wouldn’t have to explain that I’d thought he had a girlfriend. I slipped my hand to his waist, letting my fingers explore more leisurely this time. He hardened immediately beneath my touch.

  “I’m glad they did,” he said, his mouth meeting mine.

  On my nightstand, his phone vibrated, and he groaned. I released him so he could stretch over the top of me to check it, and when he gave me an apologetic look I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “I’m sorry. I have to get home. I don’t have time to explain everything, but I live with my little sister.”

  I s
at up too. “Is everything okay?”

  He leaned down again, and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sure it’s fine.” His brow wrinkled, as he tried to decide how to explain. “Just a family dispute. She’s upset, is all.”

  I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell him I’d already met Tess, and that I knew what an asshole their uncle was—there’d be plenty of time for that later. But I could only imagine that Tess was still upset over her altercation with the jerk.

  While Will tugged on his jeans and pulled his t-shirt over his head, I admired the view. I didn’t bother covering myself, and when he looked my way, he grimaced. “Fuck.” He ran a finger beneath my chin. “You are so fucking beautiful, you know that?”

  I smiled because he wasn’t really asking me. And then he planted a decisive kiss on my mouth. “If I don’t get outta here now, I’ll never go. Just promise we can do this again . . . like, a lot. And swear you won’t tell me to stay away from you again.”

  “Pinkie swear,” I told him, but instead of wrapping his finger around mine, he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and set my lips on fire one last time.

  LAUREN

  My head was still reeling when I finally got out of bed to grab a midnight snack. I was tender, but it was a good tender, the kind that kept the memory of Will with me. Not that I could have so easily forgotten him, especially with his musky scent clinging to every inch of me.

  I kept replaying every touch and kiss and stroke in my head, and I couldn’t wait for the chance to do it all again.

  But when I reached the living room, and spotted my duffle bag still sitting right next to where Will’s toolbox had just been, I realized there was so much we’d left unsaid.

  “Crap.” I hauled the bag out of the way even though there was little to no chance Emerson was coming home any time soon. How was I going to explain this to him? Maybe I wouldn’t have to. Maybe Will would forget all about the money.

  Or maybe, I thought grinning wickedly, I could find a way to distract him if he brought it up again.