Foolish Games(109)

“Today I figured I’d let you make your own decisions.”

Her face was baffled as she continued to stare at him.

Will sighed. “It was something your brother said this morning.”

“Stephen?” she choked out. “You’re suddenly listening to my mercenary brother?”

“No! I mean, yes.” He held his hands up. “Let me explain. Your brother’s rationale makes sense. He felt guilty that he’d allowed me to force you into a marriage. So he used the information against me to help get you out of it.”

“What?” Her eyes got all squinty as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Will stifled a groan.

“Okay, the flaw in his plan was that he didn’t ask you how you felt about the marriage. Don’t you see? Neither of us asked you how you felt. We just took your choices away from you.” Will blew out a breath. “Today, when I saw you with your friends, I realized that if I hadn’t gotten you pregnant, then forced you to marry me, you might have been happy with someone else. And I didn’t want to force you again.”

She muttered something in Italian that sounded if not illegal, at least obscene. “That has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” She was furious. Gorgeously angry. On the one hand, Will was grateful they were having this conversation upstairs, away from the kitchen and its ready supply of knives. On the other hand, her heaving breasts and flushed cheeks were really starting to turn him on.

“First of all”—she stalked across the room, ticking points off on her fingers—“there isn’t anyone else. Yes, I blurted out Nicky’s name that night, but not because we were in a relationship. It was because of some stupid crush I had on him for years. He’d been my fantasy lover for years. Until you.”

Will’s body went rigid as she drew to within six inches of him. “Second, no one forced me to do anything I didn’t want to do. It took both of us to have a baby. And I didn’t have to marry you. I could have contested you. But I didn’t.” Her voice softened to a near-whisper. “I felt a connection to you that first night on Sea Island. One that goes deeper than just our son. Something spiritual. Owen was created out of that connection.” A tear leaked out of her eye. “But I can’t risk my heart if you won’t fight for me. For us. You can’t just hide and ignore the hard stuff. You have to tell me what you want.”

Tentatively, he reached across with the tip of his finger and wiped her tear away. “All I want is for you to be happy, Julianne.”

“Prove it.”

It was all the invitation Will needed. Cupping her face in his hands, he pulled her closer for a kiss, his mouth feasting on hers as she arched her body to meet his. It wasn’t enough. He needed to be skin to skin with her. Without breaking the kiss, he reached between their bodies and tugged at the tie holding her dress on. Julianne pushed his jacket off his shoulders.

Will swore as he broke off the kiss and tore at the clothes on his body. Julianne seductively shed her dress, making him pant as she paraded toward the bed in her high-heeled sandals, bra, and panties. “If you want to be able to put those on again afterward, you’d better take them off before I rip them off,” he threatened as he stalked toward the bed. Her eyes went wide as she did as she was told with a renewed sense of urgency.

Once she was naked, Will tossed her on the mattress, a seductive smile alighting on her face as she landed. He collapsed on top of her, supporting himself on his forearms, bringing his nose down to rest gently on hers.

She traced a finger along his biceps. “You haven’t been sleeping here?”

“I couldn’t. It seems I can’t sleep without you in my bed.”

“Hmm. That’s going to make those away games awfully difficult.”

“Yeah, but I can’t think about that now. I need to tell you something before I totally lose my mind here.” His body was on fire pressed against hers. He needed to get the words out. “I love you, Julianne. I was going to tell you that day when I screwed everything up. But you have to know how deeply I love you.”

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Like I said before, prove it.”

Will kissed her then, reveling in her hot, silky mouth as his hands found all his favorite places on her body. He took his time pressing his lips to her temple, her ears, her cheeks, her jaw, her neck before exploring the rest of her body. Julianne murmured words of love in a multitude of languages, her hands stroking his skin. A sheen of exertion covered both their bodies by the time he finally entered her. She tilted her hips to better accommodate him and they both abandoned themselves to the fevered lovemaking that was and had always been the foundation of trust for them. Only now, Will understood it.