Series: Willow Winters
Total pages in book: 14
Estimated words: 13294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 66(@200wpm)___ 53(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 66(@200wpm)___ 53(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
“Do I need to help you up?” he asks in a rough timbre that sends a sweet shiver of want down my shoulders. I’m trapped there, between the truck and his tall frame. His scent wraps around me as the wind blows and I get up on my tiptoes, giving him a peck on the lips before climbing in.
BENNET
The dim light from the projected screen casts down on her shoulders.
It’s a picture-perfect setting, apart from the awful movie.
It’s some comedy action and I lost the plot as soon as she cuddled up next to me, her hand resting on my leg… very close to a body part of mine that doesn’t need to be a part of tonight. All I can think about as we lay back in the flatbed of my friend’s truck, under a white cotton comforter, is how easy this is.
How comfortable it all feels. How she fits perfectly next to me, the pillows behind us, half a dozen of them, a box of sour candy and a bucket of popcorn in my lap.
“Is it alright if I move the bucket?” Bree asks and it takes me a moment before I catch on to her making light of what happened in the office.
Just as my expression shows the realization, she lets out the sweetest laugh.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to tease,” she says with her shoulders shaking gently.
“I don’t think for a single second that you didn’t mean to tease.”
“Okay maybe I did. Maybe I also wanted to move the popcorn so I could do this…” she starts and then I watch as she moves the bucket, placing it on the other side of her and then kisses me. A hand on my cheek, her soft palm against my five o’clock shadow. It’s soft and sweet. It’s just like her.
She nuzzles down next to me, leaving a warmth to spread through me.
Something flashes across the screen and catches her attention before I can make a single comment.
Aubrey is … unexpected. I keep thinking I need to be careful with her. That I can’t fuck this up. Yet here she is, just having fun.
And there it is. She’s just having fun.
The realization dawns on me as she watches the scene play out ahead of us. It’s an anxiousness that comes over me as I glance down at her wondering if this is just a good time for her, or if she’s interested in more.
“Movie is awful,” she murmurs, and then glances up at me.
“I’m so glad you said so,” I comment back and stretch my arm above my head before laying it on the pillow so I can rest my head on my hand.
“So what did you do after high school?”
She smirks at me, “Small talk?”
“Or we could watch the movie,” I offer with a grin.
She gets comfortable beside me, telling me about how she’s an editor for a publishing house.
The conversation carries on easily as she updates me on how it happened and the stories she’s been a part of. “A couple were turned into TV shows.”
“No kidding,” I comment without thinking, letting my brow raise with surprise.
“That’s right.” Pride shines in her eyes but there’s still a shyness and vulnerability about her.
“Look at you, fancy editor.”
“I mean I’m not a fancy doctor.”
“Me neither, just a regular doctor.”
She chuckles at my cheesy joke and I wish I could shake off the nerves. I’d like to tell her how lonely it was. Studying and working, interning and all the sleepless nights. I missed this town, I missed out on so much.
“I’m just happy to be back home and that the family practice had an opening.”
She smiles shyly, seeming to debate on what she wants to say next but she settles with, “I’m happy you’re back too.”
God damn, she’s so beautiful, smart and funny. I just don’t get it. “How are you single?”
“You know you’re not supposed to ask that question,” she comments with a somewhat serious tone.
My throat tightens slightly, thinking I might be messing this up but also… that there might be something I don’t know.
“I just never clicked with anyone I guess,” she comments off handily.
A beat passes and I gather up the nerve to just fucking ask her.
“So … the two of us…” I prepare to ask the obvious question. Is it serious? Or just messing around? I haven’t told a soul what happened the other night. If we’re on different pages, which could very well be the case, the town would catch wind of it fast and I don’t need to come back home to be the center of gossip.
“What about us?” she asks.
“I’m just wondering…” I start and then readjust, moving the pillow behind me as I clear my throat to get comfortable. As I do, I wrap an arm around Bree. She fits there perfectly, taking the opportunity to scoot closer.