The word barely registered, but the small circles his thumb rubbed above her knee left her more keyed-up than calm. The ten-minute ride both went on forever and didn’t last nearly long enough. And she felt the loss of his hand in more places than just her thigh when he pulled away as the car stopped in front of the restaurant.
The place was on the bay, and in the summer, it must have been gorgeous. Even in December, the moon danced off the water behind the glass and stone building.
Aly was barely on to the sidewalk before Lily was calling out to her.
“Hurry up. You need a quick touch-up.” Lily bounced in her heels, rubbing her arms, her sleeveless dress doing little to keep her warm. Her trusty makeup case was open and in the hands of the dark-haired man beside her.
“She doesn’t need anything,” Will growled, resting a palm on her lower back, the warmth radiating through her thin dress.
Lily huffed. “Nother. I made sure she was perfect. You.”
His eyes widened comically as he moved away in three quick steps, leaving Aly blocking him from Lily and the makeup brush she was pointing his way.
“Don’t be difficult. Otherwise, they’ll put a filter on you. Do you really want to glow again?” Lily smirked.
Although there was plenty Will could have complained about in regard to the show over the last few days—especially since the producers were playing hard into the idea that there was something going on between Aly and him—the only thing he grumbled about was the “glow.”
The pressure on her arm as he tugged on it had her spinning toward him.
“Are they filming this?” His jaw was locked.
Aly instantly regretted not making that clear. Then again, she hadn’t asked him to come with her. He’d demanded he be her date. Regardless, she still wished she’d explained.
“Per my contract, they can film anything they want. Andy is the only exception. When he’s with me, there are no cameras. Unless we’re on set.”
Will’s eyes narrowed.
“I’m sorry. It makes my life a hassle sometimes.”
He brought his hand up her arm and over her shoulder so it rested at the back of her neck. Inching closer, he brought his mouth to hover over her ear.
“Anyone who cares about a little hassle isn’t worth your time, Aly.” He kissed the side of her head and pulled away, turning to Lily. “If I look like I’m wearing makeup in any shot, I swear you’ll live to regret it.”
“Does that growl work for anything besides making the panties of every woman in a ten-foot radius wet?” Lily tilted her head and grinned.
Will scoffed but stepped up and let her add a bronzy flush to his skin. Twenty seconds later, she moved over to Aly.
“Just a small smudge.” She fixed Aly’s red lips before leaning close. “Have fun. And then go home and let him fuck you ten ways to Sunday.”
Aly snorted.
“I’m serious, girl. That Roman warrior of a man just put on makeup for you. If that doesn’t deserve the sexy-time payback, I don’t know what does.” She gave Aly a quick shove toward Will before turning back to the guy holding her case. “I’m officially yours for the evening. Better make it worth my time, Stew.”
Will chuckled as they watched Lily and her date head up the paved walk and inside before they followed behind. “You two might be the most unlikely pair of friends I could imagine.”
Aly shrugged. “I’m still not sure why she picked me.”
He paused midstep and grabbed her arm so she was forced to stop too. “I can’t imagine anyone not picking you.”
The intensity of his words rocked through her and flipped her stomach. His hand stayed firmly on her lower back as they walked through the doors to the restaurant. Two cocktail servers greeted them with trays of red drinks in long-stemmed glasses.
“Those look fancy,” Aly said as Will snagged one of the glasses rimmed in crushed candy canes and passed it to her. “You don’t want one?”
“I’m more of a beer guy.” Will shrugged before he added, “I wouldn’t mind tasting the peppermint on your lips though.”
“We’ll see, I guess.” She took a small sip as he guided into the over-Christmasfied ballroom.
Garland, half a dozen trees, fake snow, staged presents. Christmas had definitely thrown up in this room.