Mr. 365 (19 page)

The more my gaze wanders, the more I discover. I finally glance at Will. He’s staring at me intently. When our eyes meet he turns and looks over at the displays, then back at me and grins.

I grin back, clap my hands and yell, “Bravo!”

Will turns to Hank and shakes his hand.

“Bye, Sophia!” Hank calls out.

I wave back. “Bye, Hank… thanks for helping!”

Will walks toward me slowly, smiling the entire way. A feeling comes over me, and I almost fall backward from the impact. As my mind tries to wrap around this sudden emotion, a series of puzzle pieces take shape in my mind: the way Will shook Hank’s hand with honest gratitude, the commanding image of him on the roof when I arrived, the delight he expressed without reserve when he saw me, the joy I saw in his face when observed my reaction to what he’s created.

I have no idea why this particular group of simple events link together to create a shift in my deepest feelings for Will. Maybe my stubborn head finally just needed to catch up with my body that adored him from the start.

Regardless, this very moment is a silent explosion under my skin, a life force pulsing through me. My whole heart is opening so that his heart fits perfectly inside mine. Despite my resistance—back and forth, up and down and overthinking—my heart has stepped up to run this show.
I hope you’re ready for me, Will Saunders
.

I am in love.

As he approaches me, he’s unaware that every molecule in my body has shifted. I try to tone down my doe-eyed stare.

He’s a little worse for wear from the dirt and grime of setting up all day, and his T-shirt is torn on one side.

I raise my eyebrows and study where the fabric is torn.

“Caught it on a sharp edge of the rain gutter on the climb down from the roof,” he explains. When he runs his hand through his hair, I note his hand is covered with scratches.

“Are you hurt?” I ask and inspect the damage, running my fingers up the skin of his side to make sure he’s okay.

“Fine,” he says, brushing it off like it’s nothing to be climbing across tall roofs and setting up holiday fantasylands in your front yard.

I kiss him. “This is amazing. It’s a million times better in person than the picture in your file.”

He smiles and I wonder if he can tell yet that I’m suddenly loopy with love.

“Let me show you around,” he says. The entire yard is laid out thoughtfully with paths lined with candy cane lights leading from one display to another. It’s a far cry from the yards in my parents’ neighborhood haphazardly filled with inflatable, puffy Santas, and wire reindeer that have seen better days. In contrast, each of Will’s displays tells a story and has the quality you’d expect from a theme park, it’s put together so well.

He takes my hand and leads me down the path, past the choir of singing polar bears to the oversized train set with boxcars full of wrapped gifts.

I survey all the packages. “I’m surprised this stuff doesn’t get stolen when you’re not around.”

“People have tried, but these boxes are empty and everything is wired down.” He pulls on one of the fixed packages to demonstrate, then points to other figures in the yard. “Everything is secured. If people are really determined, they can get something, but we’ve had surprisingly few problems over the years. Grandma Della used to always say it was protected by the Christmas spirit.”

“I love that.”
Who am I kidding?
I love everything right now because I’m in love with Will.

“So, what’s your favorite thing so far?”

“It’s all great but I’d have to say the gingerbread house, the detail of it is amazing and vintage. Where’d you find it?”

Will grins. “It’s my favorite too. It was one of the last big projects Grandpa and I did together before I started getting into trouble and stopped coming over. Grandma helped us decorate it.”

“You guys cut out all this trim detail?”

He nods. “Gramps could do all that stuff. He was a craftsman although he didn’t consider himself one.”

I squeeze his hand. “I’m glad I got to see this before shoot day. Just the two of us.”

“Me too,” he says as he adjusts the top on a lantern. His eyes are constantly moving. I imagine it must be a monumental job maintaining all of this throughout the season.

From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of something over by the Hoffmeyers’. Someone is watching the spectacle from a window. I’m not sure if it’s Fred or one of his grown sons, but it unsettles me.

“Hey, I’ve got our dinner still in my car. Why don’t you turn off everything, and we’ll go inside.”

“Good idea.”

I set the table and get dinner unpacked while Will jumps in the shower. When he returns to the kitchen with wet uncombed hair and bare feet, I sigh. Combine that with his white T-Shirt, jeans, the fresh scent of soap and that grin, and I’m swooning—hard.

He steps behind me as I attempt to fill our plates. He pushes my hair over my shoulder and tenderly kisses my neck before wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer.

“Thanks for doing this,” he says softly.

“Picking up takeout?” I ask, laughing to cover my nerves. “I should’ve cooked for you.”

He rubs his chin across my soft curls. “I don’t care about that. It’s the way you’re with me, all of it. It’s how you look out for me and care about all the stuff I do, even my extreme hobby.”

I lean my head back against his shoulder. “I do.”

“You know where I came from and the shit that goes along with my screwed up past, but you like me anyway.”

“It’s not so hard to like you,” I say with affection in my voice.

He kisses my shoulder and his hands start moving over me. “No?”

I take a sharp breath when his strong hand cups my breast. “Not hard at all.”

I slowly turn to face him. The intensity in his eyes goes straight through me until my knees feel weak. A moment later he’s kissing me, his hands sliding down to my backside, as he leans into me.

“Oh God, I’m so hungry,” I say, gasping between kisses, my entire body so finely tuned to his touch.

“You want me to stop? The food’s getting cold.” He slowly grinds his hips against me as his fingers press deeper. “We really should eat.”

“Eat?” I ask, blinking, as if I’ve forgotten what that means. “No, no,” I correct him as my cheeks color. “Actually I was hoping…” I bite my lip and close my eyes knowing that the words I’m about to say will change our course. Even if I’m not brave enough to tell him that I’m in love with him yet, I can show him.

“You were hoping?” he asks, waiting patiently for me to finish my thought.

I need him to understand. “I was hoping you’d show me your room.”

“My bedroom?” he asks, his eyes hooded with desire. He looks down and clears his throat before looking back up with a dark expression. “What are you hungry for, Sophia?”

I move close enough to slowly skim my cheek along his jaw. “For you,” I whisper.

He edges even closer, and his lips brush across my ear. “Are you sure?” He pauses. “If I take you up there…” He closes his eyes and takes a sharp breath.

I shiver and wonder for a moment if we’ll even make it upstairs. I feel like I’m going to combust. “Please, take me.”

He holds out his hand and I grab it and hold on tight.

When we get upstairs, he throws the door open and flips the light switch. I gasp as the room glows with a soft splendor. It distracts me from all the passion surging through me, but it’s distracting in a wonderful way.

“Do you like it?” he asks breathlessly.

“Like it? Wow… this is unbelievable.”

I scan the perimeter of the room where small trees, bare of leaves line the room. They’re all white and accented with tiny twinkly lights. The effect as the light shimmers from the pearl iridescent walls is ethereal. To complete the theme, the coved ceiling sparkles with mini lights imbedded in the ceiling. They subtly blink in random intervals.

“It’s magical.” I notice the silver sleigh bed with cobalt blue bedding in the middle of the room. Compared to the rest of the house, the bedroom is stark but with elaborate details and effect. It has a sexy elegance.

“I got the winter forest idea from a picture book I remembered. It’s a little over the top. I got help from my friends at the studio.”

“I like that about you. You do everything with flair,” I say stepping into his arms.

He gently pushes my hair back over my shoulder. “I try. I wasted a lot of time when I was younger; I want everything I do now to mean something.” He runs his fingers down my cheek as he gazes at me.

“I think you’re amazing.” I kiss his fingers as they graze my lips. “Everything you do, everything you say, just makes me want you more.”

The expression in his eyes grows in intensity. He closes his eyes for a moment while he takes a deep breath. When he opens them again, his fingers curl under the edge of my sweater.

“May I?” he asks.

I nod silently, biting my lower lip in anticipation. He pulls the sweater up over my head, my hair falling back feeling windswept and wild. He can’t contain his smile when he looks at the sheer bra covering my breasts.

“Beautiful,” he says softly. His hands roam over me, and I feel every touch intensely.

While I slip off my bra, he pulls off his T-shirt. When we face each other and embrace, I hum at the glory of skin against skin, the perfect contrast of my softness pressed against the hard contours of his sculpted chest. His next kiss is defining, unrestrained passion as if every moment we’d shared until now led to this one.

His searching hand moves up my torso, gliding across my skin, his powerful fingers gentle as they explore. Caressing my breasts, with each of his feathering strokes, my nipples harden. I ache with desire, imagining his tongue circling my nipple, his warm lips pressed against the softness of my breasts. I’m already undone and we’ve just begun.

Meanwhile my hand explores lower regions, making a trail along the denim at his waist. When my fingers finally rub along his fly, I discover the most defining evidence of what I do to him. I moan when I find him so hard, and he welcomes my grasp, groaning with pleasure when my fingers tighten around him.

Following, he leans forward, his forehead pressed against mine, panting as he takes in the sensation of my hand moving over him.

“I’ve wanted this so much. I need you.”

I tug his waistband with my other hand. “I need you too.”

He watches while I undo his fly. I help him push everything down until he’s fully exposed.

“Oh, Will,” I say as I hold him in my hands, slowly moving over him as he watches. My fingers explore, circling and stroking him slowly from base to tip. I’ve never seen such a beautiful man and I tell him that as he leans forward to gently take my nipple between his lips. I moan as I rub him against me. I can feel our restraint unravel.

“I need you in my bed, Sophia. Now!”

I love the urgency in his voice and stare intently at him as I undo my jeans and kick off my shoes. He does the same and pulls back the linens on the bed before turning to me. He opens his arms.

“Come here,” he whispers. When I’m back in his arms he says in a strained voice, “Do you know how many times I’ve imagined this since the first time I saw you?”

“Tell me,” I say as I ease back onto the bed. He joins me and sinks down by my feet, lifting my foot and brushing his lips along my ankle. “I imagined kissing you at our first meeting as I watched you eat that macaroon.”

I smile. “I thought so. I was flirting with you.”

He continues to kiss his way up my calf and the sensation makes me shiver. “That had occurred to me. And why were you flirting?”

I take a deep breath as I feel wet kisses trailing up my inner thigh. Every touch and kiss confirms that he is the sexiest man I’ve ever known. I fall back onto the mattress happy to surrender to his attention. “You were fascinating and just so damn good-looking.”

He laughs softly right as his lips graze the top of my thigh. “And…” he prompts me. His tongue circles over my most sensitive spots, teasing, arousing. I’m overwhelmed with the most exquisite pleasure, each spark and sensation more delicious than the last. I run my fingers through his hair.

“And sexy,” I gasp swaying my hips invitingly. I want him inside of me so fiercely that I can barely breathe.

His tongue continues to circle upward as he moves higher near my belly button. I lift my head and our eyes meet for a moment, his full of excitement.

“And you were charming,” I say rising up to my elbows. He smiles and a moment later my nipple is between his lips. I moan, not sure how much longer I can remain lucid enough to speak. I lift my foot and run it down the length of his leg as my head falls back with the sensation of his mouth on me. “So, so charming.”

The more intensely his kisses, the more undone I become until I have my legs tightly wrapped around him, intent on pulling him closer.

“Will,” I beg.

“Yes, yes,” he replies, lightly biting my neck as his body rises over me, every muscle in his body tense with anticipation. He kneels and rolls on the condom before leaning back down.

He lifts my arms over my head and holds my wrists down, pinning me to the mattress.