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I closed my eyes. That deep voice murmured in my ear, taunting me: Do you know what it’s like to just give in to pleasure? Do you know what it’s like to get exactly what you want? Don’t you want to come, Andie?
“Andie?” My mother’s voice, now.
“Welcoming.” I cleared my throat. “You could say that.”
“I’m so glad.” Relief filled my mother’s voice. “That boy is beyond spoiled. I doubt he’s ever heard the word ‘no.’ But I remember you getting along when you were kids.”
Right. At my house, we’d climbed trees. At his house, I’d gasped at all the toys, overwhelmed, while he looked amused and even curious about my reaction. We’d gotten along fine on family visits, as long as I’d overlooked Will’s calm, total assurance that everything would go his way.
“He’s working most of the time.” I drummed my fingers on my bare knee. Seeing those unsettling green eyes, hearing those soft crude whispers, made my fingers itch to slide up my leg and into my wet panties. I stroked my thigh, shivering, then squeezed the smooth flesh to keep my hand from going further. “Or partying. I have no idea. I hardly ever see him.”
“Working at Richard’s firm, with a job all lined up after graduation.” My mother sighed. “Andie. Your aunt, uncle, and cousin live very differently than we do. Please, I beg you, don’t get caught up in it.”
And who the hell was “we”? My parents and I didn’t make a family anymore. I’d moved out; my dad had moved out. I wasn’t sure where home was, these days.
“I won’t ever.” I kissed the phone, like I always did when Mom and I talked. “Love you, Mom.”
Chapter 7
Sunday night, I came back to a large, dark, and empty house. My feet ached from too much walking. My date tonight had been lackluster, ending when he tried to give me a goodnight kiss and I turned my head so it landed on my cheek. When he said I’ll call you, we both knew he wouldn’t.
The house stretched open to me, an invitation.
Tiptoeing down the thickly carpeted hall, I swung doors open, peering into room after gracious room.
Will’s room was dominated by a huge bed in the middle. Mahogany headboard, snowy white sheets, pillows piled high. The mountains of toys I remembered from childhood visits had been replaced with rowing trophies, an oar hanging on the wall, and a full-length pivoting mirror. I didn’t have to open the big closet to know it held twice the number of clothes I owned.
A deep blue rug cushioned my feet. The antique globe on the desk was smooth and bumpy under my fingers. Next to it lay a stack of finance books. Why bother, I wondered. I could only guess the size of the trust fund my uncle had set up for him.
I pulled open the top drawer of the matching mahogany dresser and rifled through perfectly folded, stacked briefs straight out of a clothing store. Did Will put away his own damn underwear, or did the maids handle it all for him?
Photos clustered on one end of the dresser: Will at his prep school graduation, seducing the camera; Will between Spence and Pax and other beaming, back-slapping boys; Will with countless shiny-haired girls, different in every picture but looking the same. Will hurting my eyes with that dazzling smile in every photo. Will, Will, Will.
Climbing onto the bed, I pressed my face in a pillow and picked up his scent. Male, crisp, fresh. A hot flush ran down my body, chased by an uneasy curl of need. Suddenly I wanted to squeeze Will’s plump pillow between my thighs. I tossed down the pillow and hurried out.
In the master bedroom, I eyed the four-poster bed and the wall safe and touched the few exposed pieces of my aunt’s jewelry curiously, running a finger over heaped pearls and sparkling gems and gold outlines. Paintings hung from the walls. The gleam of marble beckoned from the bathroom.
My jaw dropped when I saw the tub. Black veined marble, enormous, big enough for six people to relax on the curved bench running around the inside. Gleaming gold faucet and knobs. Jets inside. The whole bathroom was black and gold.
My body ached from traipsing around the city in thin-soled satin flats. No one else was home. My aunt and uncle were still in Nantucket; Will was in the Bahamas; the house staff was enjoying a much-deserved day off. Soon, the tub was bubbling and my gauzy yellow dress lay in a heap on the shining counter.
The bath salts I poured in smelled like luxury and release. Twisting my ginger waves into a bun, I sank into the hot water, letting out a sigh of pleasure. Minutes passed. My eyes drifted closed as my muscles loosened in the fragrant bath.
The door pushed open. I sat up frantically, then scooted backwards to hide my nakedness in the foaming water.
“What are you doing in here?” My cousin stood in the doorway, leather jacket slung over his shoulder, his hair tousled.
“I didn’t know anyone else was home.” My voice dropped to a whisper.
“Just got in.” His smile was bright. He came in, closed the door with a soft click, and dropped his jacket on the counter next to my dress and underwear. He looked like he’d been dipped in sunlight. “The beach was nice. You would have liked it, Andie. Why are you home so early? Weren’t you going to have fun this weekend? You had that date, right?”
“Yeah.” I tried to breathe normally. “Fun didn’t happen so much. He was boring.”
“Boring.” Will shook his head. “I’m so sorry.”
“And cheap.” Green eyes traveled over my freckled shoulders to the tops of my breasts, swelling above the steaming water. I shifted, sinking deeper into the tub. “He refused to get on the subway, and he didn’t want to pay for a cab, and we walked everywhere. I mean, I like walking, but this was crazy. I’m so sore now. I wore the wrong shoes. That’s why I…” I gestured at the tub, flushing hotly under Will’s gaze. I was babbling. I should tell him to leave. “And I would have just paid for the cab myself, but…” I trailed off. “I’m trying to save up.”
“For what?” He looked at me curiously.
