“You don’t have to get up, but I have practice, and I didn’t want you to wake up to find me gone.”
The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. “I wish you could stay.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a crimson blush rushed to her cheeks. “Or, uh—”
“I wish I could stay too. Trust me. I’d kill for a repeat of last night. Maybe five thousand repeats.” He trailed a finger along the bare skin of her collarbone before he dipped it to her full breast.
She arched up automatically, and he groaned, dropping his mouth to hers again. He shifted, pressing his weight into her soft body. Maybe he could get her off before he had to leave. He deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue.
In the back of his mind, he registered the sound of a door opening, but Aly’s kiss was a drug he couldn’t turn away from.
“Will!” Thumps moved up the stairs.
He pulled back, recognizing Andy’s voice. But his bedroom door was open, and there was no stopping the kid now. Aly’s gaze bounced around frantically, her panic growing by the second.
This was not ideal. But they were going to have to roll with it.
“I forgot my swim bag, so Uncle Marc just dropped me here—Will?”
He peered over his shoulder, finding Andy in the doorway. He’d shifted so he wasn’t on top of Aly, but still—fuck. Aly sat up, pulling the blanket with her to keep herself covered.
Andy took two more steps in, his eyes narrowed to slits. “Aly? What?” A horrified expression crossed his face. “I told you not to mess this up, Aly.I told you.” The words poured from his lips before he spun and ran from the room.
Aly flopped back against the mattress and groaned. “Why?” she said to the ceiling.
“I’ll talk to him.” Will stood up.
“No, I should.” She scanned the room. “Where are my clothes? Did youclean up?” She shook her head. “What am I saying? Of course you cleaned up.” She waved her hand his way. “Utterly perfect.” Then flicked her hand at herself. “Total freaking mess.”
The way she saw herself was so wrong. She wasn’t as neat as Will was, but most people weren’t.
She shook her head against the pillow. “Remember how, a week ago, I said I wouldn’t do anything stupid to upset Andy? What happened to that—”
Will cut her off with a hard peck to the lips. “We arenotstupid.” He growled when he pulled back. Then he stood and moved to the dresser and pulled out a T-shirt and sweats. “Put these on and then come talk with us,” he said and strode to the door. He closed it behind him and pulled his shoulders back.
Now to deal with Andy.Communication and consistency, Will reminded himself. But he wasn’t sure where to go with this. Will consistently wanted Aly in his bed but probably couldn’t phrase it like that to an eleven-year-old. Putting off the conversation wouldn’t help anyone, though, so he took a quick breath and knocked.
“Andy?”
“What?”
“Can I come in, or did you manage to booby trap the door that fast?” Will wouldn’t put it past him. Mad Andy wastrouble.
“Ididn’t do anything. After you messed with my phone, I told you I’d stop.”
Will cracked the door slowly, not totally trusting the statement. But nothing jumped out or fell on him, so he walked in to find Andy lying on his bottom bunk, staring at the ceiling.
“She. Is. Leaving.” Andy gritted the words out.
That was ridiculous. There was no world in which Will would kick her out. And honestly, he couldn’t imagine that Andy meant that.
“Dude. You like having your sister here.”
“Not as much as you,” he snapped and threw his pillow.
“Watch it,” Will warned. “Pick that up.”
Andy glared, and Will calmly stared back until he finally grabbed his pillow off the floor and stuffed it behind him with a huff.
Will moved to sit on the bed next to the angry kid. “You’ve hinted around at the idea that I like your sister, and you never seemed pissed about it. I get that this wasn’t the best way to find out that I want to date her, but the reaction is a little extreme, don’t you think?”