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But the day before I left my aunt and uncle’s house and moved in with Meg and Emily, Will had won his first game.
Nearby was the alley he’d coaxed me into with soft, dirty whispers after he’d won. He’d teased me until I trembled under his hands and begged for privacy. Then he’d hailed us a cab to a luxurious hotel, where he paid for a room with a casualness I couldn't fathom.
“Remember when you told me you’d never felt champagne on your naked body, baby?” he’d whispered in the elevator. “Want to find out how that feels?”
I knew now. Champagne on naked skin was icy, fizzy, pricking and sparkling. Foaming into the pristine white bathtub, as Will licked it off me and told me to open my mouth so he could share.
That was two weeks ago. It felt like two years. My phone was still in my hand, my fingers tapping until Will's number appeared on the screen.
I hadn't meant to call. I shouldn't call. The threat had gotten rid of Spence and Pax, which was all it should do. I ran a hand through my sticky hair, twisting the long strands over one bare freckled shoulder.
Will was living it up in his senior year at college. My own graduation last May felt like a lifetime ago. The summer had been a world apart, my aunt and uncle's house a beautiful world where I never fit in.
But these past two weeks, after long days at work, in the fourth floor walkup apartment I shared with Meg and Emily, I’d tossed and turned in bed, remembering whispers in the dark. My hand had slipped between my legs, remembering Will there so many times.
I’d gotten used to sharing a bed with Will every night, even craved it. He’d gotten used to how much I fidgeted. The first few times, there were still signs of the spoiled boy who always got his way. He’d tried to order me to stop moving, lie still, just go to sleep already.
But sometimes I’d woken in the middle of the night, sweating in his arms, whispering that I felt at home nowhere and saw the future as one big question mark.
I could see him working to understand, curious and touching my bare waist with awkward sympathy. As the summer went on, Will got better at saying the right things.
It’s okay, Andie. Everything will be fine. You’ll do great. You don’t need to worry.
He’d stroke my hair and rub my back until my eyes drifted closed.
My bed felt very empty in my new apartment.
Call me, he'd whispered, that last night outside when we'd said our goodbyes. Not an order, but a plea. And a message that he'd leave it up to me.
My finger tapped his name on the screen.
Chapter 11
One ring, two...
The phone picked up.
“Andie.” Will’s voice tightened my body. “I was wondering about you.” Shouts and loud music crowded the background on his end. He must be at a party, back at college.
“Did you think we wouldn’t talk ever again?” I tried to sound light and unconcerned.
“I wasn’t sure.” With all the sound bouncing around, Will’s tone managed to be low and intimate. The noise in the background faded.
“Just wanted to hear you,” I murmured. People passed me on the sidewalk, their energy crackling in the evening air, but I barely noticed. “Your voice. It doesn’t even matter what you say.”
I heard Will exhale. “I like hearing your voice too, sweet cousin.” I clenched my thighs against a sudden throb. “Especially when you're saying my name.”
“Will—“ I breathed. Raking a hand through my damp hair, I leaned against a building, the bricks rough on my back. My nipples throbbed, aching with need. My bare arms tingled, sensitive to every waft of city air.
“Just like that, Andie.” Closing my eyes, I let Will's teasing words wash over me. Sweat dripped between my breasts. My panties were already soaked. “I’ve thought about you gasping out my name like that since I went back to school.”
“Bad idea.” I gripped my hair, trying to come back to sanity. “You should focus on studying. Though it’s not like you need to.”
A pause. Then Will chuckled softly. “What about you, sweet girl? Working hard in the city?”
My eyes opened. Staring at the storefront across the street, I blew out air. “Yeah, I am. I’ve gotten more responsibilities since the summer. It’s good. Really good. I’m just trying to forget I’m there because of your dad.”
“Who cares about that?” Will’s voice was sharper, more serious now. “You’re the one doing the work. No one’s going to look at you and think you’re only there because of Richard.”
