Chapter 15

Dallas

A soft snore escapes her lips as I fight back my laughter. Willow passed out shortly after I ate her pussy like she was my last fucking meal, and barely stirred all night. But my sleep was scarce as the storm passed over us, even though it was mostly my brain keeping me up. I managed to doze off for a few hours, but honestly, knowing the woman sleeping next to me was Willow made it hard for me to fall asleep and afraid of what dreams might come alive if I did.

Last night was…affirming. That attraction and electricity that I've been feeling for the past month combusted the second our lips touched.

And even though I know this will make our circumstances more complicated, right now, I really just don't give a fuck.

Willow stirs beside me, slowly opening her eyes to find me watching her. "It's not polite to stare," she murmurs, her voice groggy.

"Well, you were snoring and woke me up."

Her eyes widen. "I was not!"

"Sorry to break it to you, Willow." I tap her on the nose. "You snore."

She pulls the covers over her head. "Ugh, that's embarrassing."

I whip them right back off. "I don't know, I found it kind of sexy, Goose." I lean down to kiss her lips, and she pushes me away.

"I think you can stop calling me that now."

"Never." I grin down at her.

Willow blinks, our eyes still locked on one another. "You slept here."

"Was I not supposed to?"

"No. I just…" She takes a deep breath. "What happens now, Dallas?"

"Well, I need coffee and probably some breakfast…"

Her lips part and her eyebrows draw together. "I meant…with us. I still plan on selling this house, you know…"

The reality of our situation slams right back into me. But last night, that was the last thing I was thinking about.

I was just worried about her—her safety, her fear, her being here all alone.

"Last night wasn't about that, Willow. And you know it."

"I mean, I wasn't really sure what your motives were…"

I cup the side of her face. "I was worried about you, and I wanted you. That's why I came here. And tomorrow, I'm gonna take you on a date."

Her brows pop up. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"What if I wanted to say no?"

"You don't."

Her face falls. "This is complicated…" she trails off, biting her bottom lip.

"You know, at first, I thought so too. But honestly, it's not." Cupping the side of her face, I wait for her eyes to meet mine again. "I've felt drawn to you since the second I saw you, and for once, I'm tired of overthinking shit. If you're only here for a limited amount of time, I think we owe it to ourselves to enjoy each other's company."

A no strings attached agreement sounds easy, but the truth is, there are several strings tethering us together. But all I know is, for the first time in a long time, I want to be around a woman for more than just one night. So, consequences be damned, I'm going to listen to my gut—and maybe my dick a little bit too.

"Well, I definitely enjoyed last night, crazy storm aside."

I lean down and press a soft kiss to her lips. "I did too."

"Do storms like that happen often here?"

"During the summer and fall, yes. Don't you get weather up in D.C.?"

"Yeah, but not like that."

"The best part about those storms is the calm after."

"What do you mean?"

I launch from the ground, pulling her up with me. But as she stands, I realize she's still naked from the waist down.

"Shit," Willow curses, grabbing the blanket from the ground to cover herself.

"No need to be shy, babe. My tongue was all over the sweet pussy of yours last night."

"Dallas…" Her cheeks turn pink.

I reach for my jeans that are still damp. "I'll let you get dressed. Meet me in the kitchen."

As I leave the closet under the stairs, reminding my dick that now's not the time to get excited, rays of sunshine cut through the remaining clouds, bathing the inside of the house in an iridescent light. The windows are still intact, but I see shingles from the roof scattered on the ground outside. Good thing Penn hasn't replaced it yet, although I'm curious if there are any leaks after all that rain.

I head toward the kitchen, searching for coffee and start a fresh pot just as Willow comes around the corner.

Her hair is wild, but down around her face the way I love it, her skin glows in the sunlight, and she actually looks the most unsure that I've seen her since she walked into my bar that first night.

Our eyes meet and then she turns her head toward the window, gasping as she stares at the ocean.

"Wow…"

The coffee pot beeps, so I pour two cups for us. "How do you take your coffee?"

"Just a little bit of cream, please."

I fix her cup and then carry them both over to the front door. "Come on. Let's go outside."

Willow opens the door for us, and then I hand her the cup of coffee I made for her as we lean against the railing on the front porch, watching the ocean glimmer in the distance.

"It's so quiet," she murmurs.

"I know." I cast my eyes to the right. "After the rain, the waves calm down, almost like they've exhausted all their energy in battle."

"I can't imagine growing up here." She takes a sip of her coffee, looking out to her left.

"I'll tell you this—when I was on deployment, the thing I missed the most about home was the ocean. Every time I was away, I felt like a part of me was missing, a peace that was grounded in me only when I was here."

Willow turns to face me. "How long were you in the service?"

"Twelve years."

"And your dad?"

Her question catches me off guard. But she was there the night of the veterans' dinner, so she knows about my family history now. "Ten years."

"So you beat your old man, huh?" She bumps her shoulder into mine, but my body instantly grows tense.

"Yeah. He wasn't happy about it either."

I don't need to get into the shitty relationship I had with my father right now. That's not exactly how I like to start my mornings.

"Did Penn or Parker serve?"

I huff out a laugh before bringing my coffee cup to my lips. "Ha. No, not after they saw what I went through."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you have any siblings?" I cut her off, avoiding her question for the time being. The last thing I want to do is sully our morning with the topic of my father.

She shakes her head. "No. I don't."

"You sound sad about that." Leaning against the railing, I face her head-on now. She mimics my stance, holding her mug in front of her, staring down at the liquid steaming from her cup.

"I can't be sad about something that I never had." She shrugs.

"Yes, you can," I counter.

Her eyes lift to mine and she straightens her spine. "Well, I don't want to be. I have the life that I was handed, and I've chosen to make the best out of it."

I feel like there's more to her explanation, but I'll let it slide for now.

We stay in a standoff, neither of us speaking first. I feel like walls were just erected right in front of me, but I'm partially to blame.

I don't want to dull the afterglow of our night by talking about heavy shit this early in the morning. But part of me does want to tell her, to open up to someone other than my siblings or my mom. And lord knows, she's dealing with her own emotions right now.

"Your life full of work and no fun, right?"

The corner of her mouth tips up as she huffs out a laugh. "Right." She sighs, looking back out at the water. "God, I wish I had a blueberry muffin from the Sunshine Bakery right now."

"Sorry to disagree with you, but I think the apple cinnamon ones are better."

Her mouth drops open as she twists to face me again. "You take that back!"

"Have you tried the apple cinnamon ones?"

"Well, no…but I have no desire to. The blueberry ones stole my heart and I refuse to cheat on them."

I push off the railing and head for the front door. "Then you can't form an opinion otherwise until you do."

She follows me into the house and into the kitchen where I drain the last of my coffee and put the mug in the sink.

"Why do you insist on arguing with me about everything?"

I close the distance between us and pull her into my chest. "Be honest…you wouldn't want me if I didn't, now would you?"

I practically see the cogs spinning in her head as she studies me. "You're infuriating."

"Infuriating and hot, right?"

Her lips curl in a smirk that I desperately want to kiss off her face. "More like full of yourself."

"Don't worry, Willow. One of these days, you're going to be full of me too."

***

"Mrs. Hansen saw you leaving the Bayshore house this morning. Anything you want to tell me?"

I glare at Penn over my shoulder, taking a break from the accounting I'm catching up on at my desk. "Nothing you need to know."

"Just want to make sure you're thinking straight."

I drop my pen and lean back in my chair, staring up at my brother.

When I left Willow this morning, which was the last thing I wanted to do, I drove back to the restaurant and decided to find any and everything to distract me until our date tomorrow night. But it turns out that even crunching numbers can't make me forget the way her lips felt against mine and the sweet taste of her pussy.

Fuck. I'm gonna be hard for the next twenty-four hours, I just know it.

"I went over there last night to make sure she was prepared for the storm, okay? She was scared, so I stayed to comfort her."

"With your dick?" Penn's chest bounces up and down with silent laughter.

"Not that it's any of your business, but some stuff did happen. And tomorrow, I'm taking her out."

His arms and smile drop as the truth hits him too. "Damn. You're really going for it then?"

"Yeah." I shrug, staring up at my brother. "I can't stay away from her, Penn, and I'm tired of fucking trying."

He nods, like he's accepting the circumstances just as much as I've had to in the past few days.

And this is what I've arrived at: she may own the house that I've always dreamed of owning myself, but the pull I feel toward her is stronger than that old desire.

There will be other houses.

But there's only one Willow.

And if she's here temporarily, then I owe it to myself to explore this connection that we have.

My gut tells me she belongs here, like something brought her here that is bigger than us both, and rarely in life do you get a feeling like that, so why not listen to it?

This could monumentally blow up in my face.

But after last night, I realize that I don't fucking care.

I've made choices and sacrifices throughout my life that have paid off, and some that still haunt my dreams.

But not going after Willow?

I'm fairly certain that regret could turn into a nightmare I'd have to face for the rest of my life.

"So what happens now?" Penn asks, pulling me back to our conversation.

"Now I show her exactly what Carrington Cove and I can offer her."

"And the house?"

I shrug. "What will be, will be."

"Then I hope it's worth it."

Something tells me that she is.

***

"That thing has seat belts, right?" Willow stares at my Mustang as I guide her with my hand on her lower back, down the gravel alongside her house toward my car.

I drove over to her house to pick her up for our date, and when she opened the door, my jaw nearly hit the floor.

She had on a light blue sundress with white polka dots, thin straps draped over her shoulders exposing her creamy skin, and a hem that hit just above her knees. It was the most casual thing I've seen her wear yet, but that wasn't what stopped me in my tracks.

Her hair was down on purpose.

All. Of. It.

Silk waves of gold hung around her face, her blonde hair glistening in the sunlight, and her lips were painted the same red she wore the first night she stepped foot in my restaurant.

I felt like a fucking sap trying to form words in my head for how strongly she took my breath away.

The only word I could come up with was…wow.

And now that I have her next to me and the whole evening ahead of us, I can't wait to bury my hands in her hair later while I bury my tongue in her mouth.

"Yes, there are seat belts."

"I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I've never been in an old car like this before."

I reach for the handle on her door, opening it so she can slide inside. But I stop her with my free hand before she does. "The term you're looking for is classic, Willow. She's a classic."

Her brows rise. "She?"

"Yes, Goose. She is my pride and joy, so all I ask is that you show some respect."

Her eyes narrow as she says, "Then stop calling me Goose. Otherwise, your car is just plain old, Dallas."

I smack her ass gently right before she sits down. "Watch it, babe."

Her jaw hangs open as I shut her door and round the front of the car. Once I situate myself inside, she turns to me and says, "Did you just smack my ass?"

"Yeah, I did. And there's more where that came from. I have a feeling that sass of yours has never been challenged, but that's about to change tonight."

"And what if I'm not on board with that?"

I twist in my seat, resting my forearm over the back of her headrest, leaning forward slightly so there's very little space between us. "Let me ask you something." She purses her lips but waits for me to continue. "When I slapped your ass did your body warm up? Did heat flash under your skin and travel down between your legs?" She swallows but doesn't answer. So I lean in closer and whisper, "If I slipped my hand under your dress right now, would your panties be wet?"

"Dallas…"

"I think you and I both know the answer to that question, don't we, Willow?"

She lets out a growl that makes my lips curl up, pleased that I've read her correctly, and so fucking excited to show her just how fun giving up control can be.

Hell, she's already let her hair down for the evening—time to let it fly in the wind.

Before she can tell me off, I lean over all the way, gently place my lips on hers, and remind her of our connection. And when I break the kiss too soon, she groans in frustration.

Now you might understand how frustrated you've made me since the moment we met, Willow.

"So, are you ready for me to show you a night out in Carrington Cove?"

Huffing out her defeat, she tilts her head at me and says, "Fine."

Laughing, I check over my shoulder to back out onto the road. "You sound so excited about it."

"Honestly, I'm nervous, Dallas." She huffs and then slaps her palm to her forehead. "Jesus, I can't believe I just admitted that."

I cast a glance at her before focusing back on the road, heading up the coast to a spot I want to show her. "How come?"

She fiddles with her fingers in her lap. "I, uh…haven't been on a date in a long time."

"How long?"

She winces and then turns to me and says, "Since college."

I nearly run a red light, slamming on the brakes before I do. "Shit. I'm sorry." Gripping the steering wheel, I continue, "But seriously? That long? How old are you?"

"Thirty-four, and don't you know it's not polite to ask a woman her age?"

Huffing out a laugh, I say, "I wasn't trying to insinuate that you're old. Just needed a frame of reference."

"I've just been really busy." She shrugs, looking out her window as the light turns green, avoiding my eyes now. "The last thing I was thinking about was my love life."

"I get that." I don't want to give her a complex, but part of me wonders if there's another reason she hasn't dated. I know I had my reasons for keeping women at arm's length, which is why when I felt myself being pulled into her orbit, I had to fight to stop resisting it. "My time in the service kept me from wanting to grow attached to anyone, and then when I returned home, I dove headfirst into making my business thrive."

"Well, so did I."

"You own your own business? I thought you were in advertising."

Her spine straightens and then she says, "I own my own advertising firm back in D.C., Dallas. Marshall Advertising."

"Holy shit. That's impressive, Willow."

Damn. I can only imagine what a ballbuster this woman is. That explains a lot more about how she carries herself and the fact that she's always working.

"Thank you."

"So while you've been down here…"

"I've been managing things remotely. Honestly, I was apprehensive about it since I'm very hands-on in my business, but the break has been kind of nice." She stares out the window, sighing.

No wonder she's so eager to get back to D.C.

Fuck. Maybe this is more complicated than I thought.

Not sure of what to say after her admission, but knowing one thing she needs is some fun in her life, I tell her, "Let's roll the windows down."

"What?"

"See that handle down there?" I point to the handle on her door since this car is so "old" you have to manually roll down the windows.

"Yeah?"

"Turn it toward you." I do the same to my side as a gust of ocean breeze flows through both sides of the car.

"Oh my God!" Willow shouts over the sound of the wind, her hair blowing wildly all around her face. "You have no idea how much time I spent on my hair, Dallas!"

"Doesn't matter to me." I smirk over at her as her grin builds. "I like you a little messy."

Her smile drops as she stares at me. "You have no idea how messy my life is."

"Willow, there's nothing you could tell me that would make me want you any less."

"You don't know that for sure."

I reach over and cup her face, feeling something take shape deep in my gut. "Yeah, Goose. I do."

***

"This spot is incredible."

Willow and I are standing on the edge of the pier that extends into the ocean a few miles up the coast, staring off over the water. There's a reason I brought her up here, but we have a little while to wait until I can let her in on that.

"It is."

"This place—the scenery, the people, the way it makes you feel like you're in your own little slice of heaven..." She sighs. "It's beautiful."

But my eyes never look anywhere but her as I say, "Yeah. It is."

And then she turns to face me, realizes I was staring at her, and the space between us grows louder somehow, like we're waiting to see who's going to make the next move.

"I didn't realize there was a pier up the coast from town." She looks around us, breaking the moment. "And those crab cakes?"

"Best you've ever had, huh?"

"Yet another food item I'm addicted to here."

Franny's Crab Shack is a Carrington Cove restaurant that survives on tourism much like my own, but word of mouth keeps her business thriving when the locals can't manage to visit. Franny opened this place when I was in middle school, and to date, she still serves up the best seafood, and crab cakes particularly, that I've ever had in my life.

"I know the feeling. This place gets overlooked sometimes because you can't see it from the highway when you're driving down the coast, but the locals make sure to point tourists in this direction, especially because of the businesses out here."

"It's amazing."

"Best date you've ever been on?"

She smirks over at me. "Well, with very little to compare it to, I'd say yes."

I shrug. "Doesn't matter how many others there were. This is the only one that matters, as far as I'm concerned."

She turns to face me. "So cocky."

I mimic her stance, leaning against the wooden railing. "No. Confident, Goose."

"What was it like growing up here?" She rests her back against the railing this time, watching the people on the pier mill around us.

"Everything you would expect in a small town."

"Well, that idea is foreign to me, so please, explain."

Pinching her waist, she squeals and then glares at me. "Watch that sass."

"You love it."

Yeah, I kinda do.

"Well, I was born here, along with all four of my siblings. Dad served in the Marines until I was four, and we stayed here even after his honorable discharge. My parents lived in the same house my entire life, though Penn and I have done some updates to it in the past five years. Mom was a teacher at the elementary school for thirty years. She retired two years ago, but still likes to volunteer there every once in a while. Our life was always here, and I guess the four of us never saw a reason to leave." I look out over the water.

"There's a comfort in knowing you have somewhere in the world that grounds you, a place that's familiar and feels like its own little world separate from everything else. I remember hearing about things that would happen in big cities, crime or fights between people, and I'd think, those things would never happen in Carrington Cove. I had the kind of childhood you'd see in old movies. Hell, Penn and I would ride our bikes all over town when we were young and only had to come home when the streetlights came on. Everyone helps one another, and everyone knows you by name, which was both a blessing and a curse, especially when I was up to no good as a kid."

"You? A troublemaker?" she teases.

"Only as a teen. My dad and I butted heads a lot, so I did some shit I'm not super proud of."

"Like what?"

Sighing, I tilt my head at her. "Drink underage, sneak out to parties, and I stole my dad's car once."

"Yikes. Now I'm not so sure I should be hanging out with a guy like you."

I pinch her waist again. "Hey, I cleaned my act up, and I have the Marines to thank for that."

"Why did you join?" she asks, growing serious again. "I mean, I can't imagine what a sacrifice that was, but I'm also curious why you made that decision."

There's an underlying tone to her voice that has me wondering if there's another reason she's asking. "Honestly, I think it went back to September eleventh. I was only twelve when it happened, but the tone of the world after that day is one I won't soon forget, nor the way my father reacted. He'd been out of the service for years, but he was devastated, wanted to reenlist but my mother begged him not to."

"Why not?" she asks, trepidation in her voice.

"Because his time overseas messed him up pretty bad. My siblings and I all knew it, but he and mom never talked about it. Hazel probably remembers that time less since she's nine years younger than me, but it became a big issue between him and me the older that I got. I wanted to serve, and he didn't support that idea."

Willow stares down at her hands, fiddling with the hem of her dress. "I'm sorry."

"It is what it is. However, you can probably gather that my dad didn't want me to follow in his footsteps because of it, and I didn't listen." I understand his concern, but I still don't understand why my father couldn't be proud of his son wanting to serve his country like he did.

"He loved the Marines, though. I mean, I was there at the veterans' dinner. I heard the way people spoke about him."

Talking about my dad is the last thing I wanted to do on our date, but I also don't want to shut down our conversation.

"Haven't you ever heard someone talk about your parents, and you've thought, that's not how they are when no one's watching?"

Willow's face falls and she grows silent.

Fuck. Did I say something wrong?

"Willow?"

"My parents died when I was two, Dallas, so I never really knew them."

Her admission makes me freeze. "Fuck." I reach out to her, pulling her into my chest and she lets me. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she mumbles against my chest.

"I know, but…"

She pushes off me way too soon, smoothing her hair from her face. "It's fine. In fact, I think we should change the subject because the night just got way too depressing."

I huff out a laugh, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, but at the same time, I feel like I just got to know you on a level you don't allow many people to. Am I right?"

Her brown eyes lock onto mine. "Yeah, you are."

I take her hand and place it over my wildly beating heart. "Then I'm honored."

Fuck. What is this woman doing to me?

"You should be," she fires back, making me laugh.

How is that one moment our conversation can be so heavy, and the next, I can't hold back my smile? How can the desire to lift those burdens from her shoulders overwhelm me so soon after meeting her?

I don't know her—not deeply, at least. But at the same time, I feel like I do, like she's meant to fucking be here.

It's a magnetic force that I can't explain, but one I'm listening to nonetheless.

"You know what would make me even more honored tonight?" I squeeze her hand that is still on my chest.

"What's that?"

"You being my plus-one on the Ferris wheel."

Willow peers up at the metal structure towering over the pier behind us, a centerpiece that catches your eye instantly. "You want me to go on that thing?"

"Yup. Believe me, the view from the top is worth the trip here as well."

Her head drops down as her eyes meet mine. "Uh, I'm not getting on that, Dallas."

I grab her by the hand and pull her toward the back of the line that's already forming. When the sun sets in the distance, people gravitate toward the ride to catch the spectacular view. If we don't get in line now, we won't make it on in time to see the sky light up in yellows, oranges, and pinks.

"Yes, you are, Goose."

"No, please." She resists my pull, but when we find our place in line, I spin her into my chest, so her back hits my front.

"Don't tell me that the badass businesswoman is afraid of heights?"

"That's exactly what I'm about to tell you." I can feel her shaking in my arms.

Leaning down so my mouth lines up with her ear, I whisper, "You don't have to be afraid, Willow." She lets out a breath. "I've got you and I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

I've uttered those words a few times in my life, but saying them to her does something to my heart.

It makes me want to uphold that promise in a different way.

I'm not trying to save her life.

No. I'm trying to get her to see a life that she could live if she stayed—and somehow, the stakes seem higher because a different part of my heart is on the line this time.

"Okay," she whispers back, and that's good enough for me.

When we get to the front of the line, I help her into our seat and secure the safety bar across our laps.

"I cannot believe you got me on this thing," she mutters.

I drag her closer to me, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. "Trust me. It will be worth it."

The seat jolts and we begin to propel up into the sky.

"Oh my God! This is how I'm going to die, isn't it?" Her knuckles turn white as she grips the lap bar. It never fails to amaze me how strong this woman appears on the outside, but how human she truly is.

And I'm honored that she allows me to see that.

I glance over at Willow, chuckling until I notice that her eyes are closed. "Don't shut your eyes, Goose. You'll miss the view."

When her eyes pop open, the gasp that leaves her lips is everything I wanted from her in this moment. "Oh my God, Dallas."

"This is how Carrington Cove is meant to be seen."

Down the coast in front of us, lights start to pop on, illuminating the town in orbs of bright white and yellow. The sun has cast the sky in a hue of pink that grows to dark blue above us as the sun dips below the horizon, letting night take over. But our town still stands out against the backdrop, like a photograph you might see in a magazine.

"I've never seen anything like this in my entire life."

"And you won't see anything else that will ever compare."

I've seen this view many times before, but with this woman by my side, it feels different. Monumental.

Purposeful.

After a few moments of silence, she turns to me, her eyes meeting mine. "Thank you for tonight, Dallas."

"Thank you for trusting me to come up here."

Our seat jolts to a stop, swinging slightly as another couple gets off below, leaving us frozen in time at the top of the ride.

"Sometimes I still can't believe that I'm here in the first place." Willow stares back at the view.

"All because of a house, huh?"

Her head dips down. "Yeah."

"Are you happy with the progress so far?" I ask, trying to distract her, but also curious about where her head is at.

"I am. Penn has done a great job. I know you didn't look around the other night, but it's such a stark difference from what was in there before. He wants to start on the floors next week."

"Sounds like things are moving along then." I gently trace her bare shoulder with my fingers.

"They are. I think he'll be done in about a month." Her phone buzzes in her purse, interrupting our conversation.

And it's probably a good thing because the thought of her leaving is making me tense all over again.

A month? Things are definitely moving quicker than Penn thought they would.

She silences the call and slips her phone back in her bag. "Sorry."

"No worries. You can answer that if you need to." I drop my eyes to her lap.

"No. I don't want to ruin this moment." She looks back up at me.

Reaching out to cup her face with my other hand, I say, "I don't think anything could." I lean in, waiting for her to meet me halfway, and she does. Her lips touch mine just as the ride jolts back into motion, but our mouths don't part.

Willow dives into the kiss just as much as I do, gently moving her lips over mine, teasing me with her tongue as the Ferris wheel continues to spin.

I pull her closer to me, lunging deeper into her mouth, burying my hands in her hair like I envisioned doing the second I saw her tonight, showing her that what's happening between us is just as thrilling as the view we shared.

When we part, we're both breathing heavily, resting our foreheads on each other's.

"God, why do you have to be so good at that?" she mumbles.

"There are other talents I possess too, Willow. Ones you haven't even experienced yet."

She leans back, staring directly into my eyes. "Care to share them with me sometime?"

"Just tell me when and I'm yours."

"How about right now?"

My heart skips a beat, but my dick jumps at the idea. "Uh, we're kind of strapped into a giant metal wheel at the moment."

Her laughter rings out as she tips her head back. But then she moves closer to me again, pressing her lips to mine before dragging my bottom lip between her teeth. "Maybe I need to be more clear."

My dick hardens painfully, but I manage to rasp out. "That might help."

She licks her bottom lip, eyes glittering in the remaining sunlight in the sky. "Take me home, Dallas, and give me another experience I won't soon forget."

***

I've never been in a car accident before, but something tells me I'm tempting fate as I speed back to Willows' house. And the fact that she's been touching my cock, teasing me through my pants for the past five minutes, isn't helping.

"Fuck, Willow. Are you trying to make me crash?" I ask as she nibbles on my ear lobe from her spot next to me on the bench seat.

"You'd better not. Otherwise, our night might end up in a hospital instead of with you buried inside of me."

"Jesus." I grip the steering wheel harder as her lips move to my neck, licking and teasing my skin there, her palm continuing to rub my length.

Her phone buzzes in her purse again, making her groan. And even though she moves away from me to check it, part of me is relieved since it allows me to focus on getting us back to her place in one piece.

"This must be important. It's my assistant and she's been calling me all night."

"Then answer it. I don't mind," I assure her.

"I just didn't want work to affect our date."

Grasping her hand, I bring it to my lips and press them to her skin. "It's not. I own a business too, remember? I get it."

Her soft smile hints that she appreciates my understanding, and then she hits a few buttons on the phone before bringing it to her ear. "Katrina. What is it?" I can faintly hear another voice on the line while Willow listens to what her assistant is saying. "He has a lot of nerve making that threat. Does he not remember the one hundred fifty million dollars we helped him make last quarter?"

One hundred fifty million?

Jesus, just how successful is her company?

"Well, tell Fletcher that if he wants to continue to dominate the tech field, he needs to be patient. Remind him that we haven't let him down yet, nor will we in the future. But good ideas take time." Another break in the conversation. "Yes, I'll touch base with you tomorrow and I'll be on the call to reassure him myself." I hit the blinker to turn onto Bayshore Drive. "It's okay. Just call him back and promise him I will speak with him tomorrow. Thanks, Katrina."

Willow ends the call and then breathes out heavily.

"Everything okay?" I ask as I pull into the spot behind her house.

"Yeah, just one of my biggest clients being impatient. We're designing a new advertising campaign for his company, but it's taking longer than normal, and he's getting antsy. He's talking about looking for a different firm."

"Sounds stressful."

She finally turns to me and says, "It is, but we've proven ourselves to him. If he wants to walk, I can't stop him. But I also know that he'd probably feel better if he heard from me directly." She looks out the front window at the house. "This would be easier if I were there."

"Working remotely makes this kind of thing difficult, doesn't it?"

"Yes and no. I could have called him this week and touched base with him about everything, but I trust my team, and I'm trying to take a step back. I was waiting to contact him instead of trying to ease his nerves before it got to this point." She looks back at me now. "Part of my coming down here was to help remind myself that I don't have to work twenty-four seven. Now it's coming back to bite me."

I reach for her hand again. "Look, there's nothing you can do tonight. It sounds like your assistant is handling it, and you'll talk to him tomorrow. But you are right—you shouldn't work twenty-four seven. You have to make time for fun, Goose."

"Like the kind of fun we had tonight?"

"You talk like that fun is over."

The corner of her mouth lifts. "You're right. It's not over yet."

A groan escapes my lips as I cup the side of her face and lean closer to her. "No, Willow. It most certainly is not." I bring her lips to mine again. "Now, you might be the boss in the boardroom, but I'm your boss in the bedroom. Got it?"

She licks her lips and says, "Yes, sir."

Groaning in appreciation, my dick presses against the seam of my jeans as I climb out of the car and go around to open her door for her, leading her up to the front porch. Luckily, the geese are nowhere to be found. But when my eyes land on the scarecrow in the sand, I can't help but chuckle at how far we've come since then.

"What are you laughing about?" she asks as I shut the door behind us, flipping the lock.

"Just remembering the first time I saw you on that porch, fighting off geese."

She puts her purse on the counter and turns to me. "Those birds were out for blood, I'm telling you."

My feet carry me over to her so I can wrap my arms around her waist. "Good thing I was here that day then, huh?"

"Oh, you mean when you were begging me to let you inside so they didn't eat you too?"

I tip her chin up with my fingers. "I was a desperate man in many ways that day."

"And now?" Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine. "Now what kind of man are you?"

"The kind who's going to own every inch of your body, baby. And the whole street will know because you'll be screaming for God to help you."

We lunge for each other at the same time, Willow jumping up into my arms, securing her legs around my waist. Our kisses are frantic, carnal, full of energy, need, and want.

With our mouths still connected, I head for the stairs, moving slowly to keep my balance but also because Willow moves her mouth to my neck once more, biting my skin and clawing at my back with her nails.

"Fuck."

"Hurry, Dallas."

When I step into her room, the moonlight has cast the entire space in an ethereal glow, showcasing its brightness through the open window, highlighting the waves of the ocean in the distance.

I cradle Willow's head and then let us both fall to her bed, covering her with my body as my hands roam her curves. Her dress is hiked up around her waist, giving me access to her silky thighs and her bare ass that I squeeze with my hand.

"Please." She rubs herself along my length covered by my jeans, seeking out friction, and I'm sure she can feel what's she's doing to me. My dick has been hard since the moment she opened her door earlier, and his patience is wearing thin.

Pushing myself off her, I stare down at her gorgeous form splayed out on the bed as I undo the buttons on my shirt, one by one.

"Listen to those manners." I shake my head at her slowly. "Such a good fucking girl. You're learning."

She licks her lips and then reaches up to push one of the straps of her dress down before moving to the other. With her other hand, she slides the zipper down along the side of her dress, and then slowly peels the fabric down her torso, exposing her bare chest, soft stomach, and scantily covered pussy to me before tossing the dress to the side.

"You weren't wearing a bra all night?"

"Nope." She pops the p. "Is that a problem?"

As I stare at her chest, I'm about to admonish her for not telling me until now. But then her rosy, pink nipples harden right before my eyes, and suddenly, I don't give a fuck as long as I have those breasts in my mouth right this second.

I shove my shirt off, tossing it in the same direction as her dress, and then pounce on top of her again, taking one of her nipples into my mouth.

"Yes," Willow moans as she buries her hands in my hair, panting while I nibble on her, licking and sucking voraciously. She rubs herself against my chest, squirming and moaning while I move to the other breast, cradling both in my hands.

"Your tits are perfect, Willow. So fucking perfect the way they fit in my hands."

I squeeze her breasts together and then flick my tongue back and forth between her nipples as she watches, pausing to suck on one before moving to the other.

"Dallas…I need more."

"I know, baby. And you'll get it when I'm ready to give it to you."

She tips her head back and groans. "Damn you."

"Get used to it, Willow. I'm about to show you who's the boss in this bedroom, like I said."

She glares at me as I stand up and unbutton my jeans, shoving them down while she crawls down the bed toward me. I take a seat on the edge of the bed, and then move her between my legs, so her back is to my chest. I want to explore her body as she squirms in my arms, feel her writhe and clench my fingers with her pussy again. As I reach up to caress her breasts once again, her head falls back on my shoulder and she pants.

"You're such a tease." She lets out a sigh of contentment as my hands work over her body, skimming her skin lightly, roaming and learning what turns her on.

"Makes the pleasure that much better." I nibble on her earlobe. "And for some reason, watching you squirm just makes me even harder."

She pushes her ass into my crotch. "I know. I can feel you."

"Just wait until I'm buried inside of you, Willow," I whisper in her ear as one of my hands descends down her stomach, disappearing underneath the white silk of her thong, teasing her slit and finding her dripping with arousal.

"I can't wait."

Gently, I move my finger in slow circles over her clit, holding her to my chest with my other hand as I watch her breasts rise and fall with each of her labored breaths. "You can and you will until I say it's time."

My finger dips lower, testing her wetness and moving it around, exploring her pussy that I can't wait to get another taste of later. And when I slide my finger inside of her, she lets out a moan that's fucking music to my ears.

I don't know how I was thinking I could stay away from this woman. She waltzed into my town with a suit of armor on, but in the past six weeks, I've realized she's delicate, vibrant, hilarious, and so fucking sexy—even sexier when she's about to come.

I move my hand back to her clit, circling her nub with two fingers now, building her up higher and higher. Her nails dig into my forearms as she braces herself for her release.

"Come for me, Willow. Drench my hand."

"Dallas!" she cries, pushing back against me, riding my hand while her orgasm takes over her body. Pleasure consumes her, pushing us closer together as her body writhes and tightens through her release. And when she's spent, she relaxes while I pepper her neck and cheeks with kisses.

"Good girl."

She heaves out a breath. "The way you touch me…"

"I know what you need, sweetheart." She nods against my shoulder, pressing a kiss to my jaw. "You've just got to trust me to give it to you."

She spins in my arms, facing me now, and runs her hands up my thighs. "I do, but now…I want to return the favor."

When she drops to her knees in front of me, I nearly choke—not because I don't know what to say, but because the sight of her there, looking up at me, trusting me, being in this moment with me—it has far more of an impact on me than I expected.

Her hands dig under the elastic band of my briefs, pulling them down as I lift up from the mattress to help her. When I kick them off, her eyes focus on my cock bobbing up and down, hard as steel, precum leaking from the tip.

"Willow…"

She locks her eyes on mine as she lowers her head, opens her mouth, and takes me down her throat in one smooth movement that nearly steals the breath from my lungs.

Tilting my head back, I groan. "Fuck."

She hums in agreement, and then begins to suck me in and out of those perfect lips, her red lipstick smearing all over my cock.

I think red just became my new favorite color.

"Jesus, baby. Slow down."

She shakes her head, wraps both hands around my length, and twists them in opposite directions slowly while she sucks on the head.

I'm seeing fucking stars, aren't I?

My head grows dizzy, I feel that tingle at the base of my spine, and if I don't stop her soon, I'm gonna blow my load before we get to the main event. Stamina has never been a weakness of mine, but Willow is quickly testing that, and that means all of my preconceived strengths are quickly changing.

No matter how incredible Willow's mouth feels, though, I know without a shadow of a doubt that her pussy will be my undoing, so I reluctantly pull my dick from her mouth and watch her bite her bottom lip coyly as she stares up at me. "Why'd you stop me?"

"Because I was about to come down your throat. And I want to be balls deep in your pussy when that happens." I reach out and wipe her red lipstick from her face even though most of it is gone now and help her up from the floor. I go to help her lie on her back, but she bends down to my jeans, takes my wallet from the pocket, and tosses it at me before I can.

"I assume you need this then?"

"I do." Taking the condom out, I toss my wallet back to the floor and then tear open the foil, covering myself as I lean back and Willow begins to crawl over me. "Fine, you can be on top first, Goose. Don't matter to me. I'll still own you."

"I'm counting on it."

I position myself at her entrance and watch as she slowly sheathes me with her warmth, clenching my dick like a velvet glove, and taking me to heaven in a matter of seconds.

She looks down between her legs as she keeps working me in deeper.

"Go slow, baby. There's no rush." I grip her hips, helping her move. "Adjust to me. Let me in."

When she finally takes me in all the way, she stares down at me, her blonde hair hanging around her face like a curtain. "Dallas…"

"Fuck, baby. You feel so fucking good, so tight and hot," I say as Willow lifts her hips and I thrust up into her, setting a pace as we begin to rock against each other.

I squeeze her waist, using her hips to help guide her as she moves up and down my cock, our heavy breathing filling the room.

"That's it, baby. Use me." I bury my hands in her hair and pull her lips to mine as she speeds up, griding her pelvis against mine, the sound of our skin slapping in the background, our words hitting my ears like the perfect soundtrack.

"Dallas…oh God…"

"Keep riding me, baby."

"It feels so good."

"Hell yeah, it does. Fuck…"

"Shit. Right there…"

"Are you gonna come, Willow?"

"Yes," she moans as she falls apart, clenching my dick so hard that I struggle not to follow her over the edge. But I keep my composure, letting her ride out her release until she takes a moment to compose herself and collapses onto my chest.

"God damn it, you're so fucking sexy when you come. Hell, I need to taste you." I roll us over, slip out of her, and then drop my head down to her pussy to lap up her release.

"Fuck. Dallas, I can't." She tries to shove me away, but I pin her hands down on her stomach.

"Yes, you can because this wetness right here? It was my cock that made this happen," I mumble against her flesh, feeling like a man possessed.

And I am.

I've fallen under Willow Marshall's spell, and I don't care what the consequences are.

I've never felt like this about someone before.

And it's not just the sex, even though that is fucking blowing my mind to a monumental degree.

It's her quick wit, her beauty, the hurt in her eyes that's lurking beneath the surface.

It's her headstrong stubbornness, her independence, but also her ability to let me take control when I know she wants to fight me on it.

I feel like she's the part of my life that I've been missing.

But is it too soon to know that? Or even think it?

And I wonder if she feels it too.

As I lap at her clit, I release her hands and watch as she reaches up to pinch her nipples, sighing and moaning every time my tongue flicks her sensitive nub. My body reminds me to focus on the task at hand, worrying about feelings and conversations that need to happen later, so I dive back into making this woman feel incredible and making sure she knows she's doing the same for me.

"Fuck, I could eat this pussy every day."

"I might just let you," she teases as I push back up on my knees, line my cock up to her core, and slide home.

I take one of her legs, drape it over my shoulder, and then lean forward to change the angle as I thrust, folding over her so I can meet her lips with my mouth. "Your cum is addictive, Willow. And you take me so fucking well, like your pussy needs my cock."

"More, Dallas." She cups my face and kisses me, moaning in approval and nodding each time I thrust—I'm trying to get as deep inside this woman as I can.

"Do you feel this?" I reach down and drag my hand between her breasts, feeling her heart hammer beneath my fingers, and then take her hand and place it on my chest in the same spot. "Do you feel what you do to me?"

"I do." She throws her head back. "God, keep fucking me. Please, please, please!"

"Shit, you're gonna make me come," I grate out, grabbing her hips for leverage now, afraid I can't hold back much longer, speeding up my thrusts as her words spur me on.

"Yes, please."

"Fuck. I love hearing you say please."

As I hover over her, pounding her pussy harder and deeper, she lines her lips up to my ear and whispers, "Please come inside me and fill me up."

And that's when I lose it.

I come on a groan that bounces off the walls, stilling inside of her as my dick fills up the condom, feeling like my soul has left my body. I grip her hips so hard I'm sure to leave bruises, but my orgasm keeps going, powerful and intense. And then I collapse on the woman who officially just ruined me for all others when the last drop has left my body.

Willow drags her nails up and down my back. "Dallas…"

Breathing heavily, I manage to croak out, "Yeah, baby?"

"Who knew manners were your kink?"

I lose it, laughing out loud as I roll off her, watching her come apart as well, clutching her hands to her chest.

"I sure as fuck didn't."

She turns her face to me and says, "I don't know why that was so hot, but it just spurred you on."

My hand meets her cheek, and I say, "It wasn't just the words, Willow. It was you."