Dominating…
Driving her up to the brink before slowing down to start all over again. By the time he locked her hands over her head and thrust deep into her, he owned her, mind and body. And she came in crashing shocks of pleasure.
Lying in his arms, sated, she felt safe. She felt loved. But a nagging voice in her head said shewasn’tworthy of it.
The next day, she set out to prove she could be more.
“Are you cleaning the entire house?” Will asked, leaning on the island.
“Just want to get things cleaned out since we’ll be gone for a few days.” She’d done the fridge, the kitchen, both bathrooms, and everyone’s laundry. Will kept a running to-do list, so when she’d seen it on the counter early this morning. While he was at swim practice, she knocked out items one by one. She would be useful for something. “You’re going to pick up more Benadryl, and then we’ll pack the car, right?”
“Can I go too?” Andy asked. He had been climbing the walls.
“Uh.” Will looked to Aly. They’d kept him home from swim practice and school. Today was a half day—the last one before Christmas break—and Aly had said he should stay home, but in hindsight, she was probably wrong. Just like always.
“Whatever you think.” She couldn’t trust herself with the simplest of decisions at the moment.
Will nodded. “Go get your shoes.”
“Yes!” Andy took off.
“Al—”
“I’m fine. I just want to put the clothes away and make sure all the garbage is out and the water is off and—”
“Stop.” He strode toward her and cupped her cheek, making her turn to him. He watched her, worry obvious in his warm brown eyes. “You don’t have to do it all. Team, remember?”
She knew that. But they weren’t much of a team if he was always carrying the weight.
“You pick one, and I’ll do the other two when I get home.” He angled close and kissed her lightly.
“Gross.” Andy moaned.
“Don’t think a hospital stay means you get away with the shit I don’t allow.” Will shook his head but stepped back and ushered Andy out the door.
Aly surveyed the room. She should have taken things slower, because now that the list was mostly complete, the panic was returning. A family Christmas on the farm in Pennsylvania was a great idea in theory, but it meant she’d be surrounded by Will’s family for the entire long weekend. She didn’t fit in with them. They were so damn perfect, and Aly couldn’t keep up.
Every one of them was beyond nice, but they all talked and laughed together while she stared at them stupidly. After their last few interactions, they had to think she was completely inept. And now that she’d met Will’s ex-girlfriend, who was the opposite of inept, she couldn’t imagine the whole family not missing that girl and wishing she were the one at Will’s side instead of Aly.
She scanned the room again; the kitchen was clean. She’d put the clothes away, and then she’d let Will do the garbage. Andy’s clothes were the first to be put away. The green shirt he’d worn two days ago was on top, the sight of it sending her back to that day at the mall. To how his throat looked above the collar as he fought to suck in air.
No. He was fine. She wouldn’t let herself spiral.
After Andy’s, she moved on to her pile and then paused at Will’s. She might as well get them put away too. Heading up to his room with clothes, she tried not to think about anything but the task at hand. The jeans and shirts went onto hangers in the closet. Then she grabbed several pairs of folded socks and opened the top drawer of his dresser. She dropped the clothing into the drawer, but her attention caught on the little white box sitting in the front corner. It was a jewelry box—a ring box. Her breath caught. No, it couldn’t be what she thought.
Abort, her brain screamed, even as she reached for it. The box was entirely too heavy in her hand as she stared at it. Her fingers moved, and she heard the crack of the hinges before she’d consciously decided to open it.
There, surrounded by white velvet, was the prettiest ring she’d ever seen.
Genni’s comment about how they’d been ready to get married came to mind. She trusted Will when he said he never had any intention of marrying her, but that meant this ring was for Aly. She gasped for air, the knot in her throat making it almost impossible to breathe.
It wasn’t that she didn’t love him. But his words echoed loudly in her mind. He wanted family—kids. She had almost killed her eleven-year-old brother. How could she be trusted with a baby? They were so helpless. They needed a responsible adult, and that wasn’t Aly. She could tile a bathroom, and she could fix the kitchen sink or install crown molding. But taking care of another life? She’d spent the last year proving how terrible she was at it.
Her heart cracked. Loving someone meant supporting their dreams and making sure they came true. How could she live with herself if she let Will tie himself to someone as bad at family as she was?
“Aly?”
She clenched her jaw at the sound of Will’s voice, and no matter how much it hurt, she knew what she had to do.