“Your parents were very lucky to have such a perfect child,” Jean snapped from across the room. “But I’m sure they told you all the time how wonderful you were.”
“Not exactly.” I felt William’s hand tighten on my shoulder. “My parents died when I was fourteen. I moved in with my aunt.”
The room was engulfed by a deafening silence. No one knew what to say. I could’ve easily changed the subject and relieved the tension but I wasn’t exactly in the mood to make Jean feel better.
“I’m not really in the mood for any pity, or further insulting remarks. So I’ll just say this: Jean, I’m not here to steal away your precious little boy. I have no intention of using him, or taking his money. I care about him. I came all the way to Utah because of that. If you can’t accept that, fine. I don’t care. But you might as well get used to me because I’m not going anywhere.”
I have no idea what caused my outburst. Jean had been berating me for hours and I had barely heard half of what she said. She was an angry, bitter woman, and I had been determined not to stoop to her level. But when Cessily had started asking me about my own parents, something had snapped. So I let Jean have it, and then I stormed out of the room.
It was already getting dark outside, and from William’s room I could see the moon through the glass ceiling. I flopped back on the bed and listened to the loud thud of William’s feet on the stairs. I could hear him enter the room but he didn’t say anything.
“To the moon and back,” I said, wondering if I drank more of Cessily’s wine than I had thought.
“What?” William’s voice sounded far away.
“When I was a kid, I used to look at the moon and think that it was so far away. But up here on the mountain, it looks a lot closer.” I stretched my arms above my head and sat up. William was leaning against the doorframe, watching me with open curiosity. “Never mind. I think I might be drunk.”
“You only had one glass of wine. I don’t think you’re drunk.” William was still holding his glass of scotch. I noticed that he was drinking it over ice, something he never did.
“Maybe not drunk. Just nostalgic.” I looked at his glass and raised an eyebrow. “Ice?”
“It keeps the scotch watered-down which keeps me from getting drunk around my family and losing my cool.” William twirled his glass, the ice clinking loudly.
“I find it hard to believe that you’re ever not cool.” Even in his jeans and t-shirt, William looked irresistible. “Why don’t you come over here and prove just how cool you are?”
This time, William remembered to close and lock the door behind him. “I guess that’s only fair since you’re about to show me how hot you are.”
“You are a total dork.” I wanted to laugh at him but even when he was being cheesy, William was still completely sexy.
He very carefully sat his drink on the edge of the bed and then took my hands, pulling me to my feet. I hadn’t expected him to move me away from the bed but the smoldering look in his eyes said he knew exactly what he was doing. “I want to undress you,” he said.
He placed a finger beneath my chin and tilted it up, exposing my neck. His lips were cold against my skin, still carrying traces of his ice-cold scotch. As his lips traveled to my clavicle, his hands moved underneath my sweater. I expected him to tear it from my body but William apparently meant what he said- he didn’t just want me naked, he wanted to take his time and undress me.
His hands skimmed over my stomach and up to my bra. He cupped both breasts in his hands and squeezed them gently. After kissing my neck one more time, he grabbed the hem of my sweater and slowly began to lift it up. Now he bent in front of me, slowly kissing his way up my stomach while continuing to remove my sweater. As I lifted my arms to help his progress, the fabric covered my eyes and blocked William from view. This was part of his master plan apparently because he left it there, my arms helplessly pinned above my head.
William slipped his hands into the cups of my bra and pulled my breasts free, the tight fabric keeping them full and perky. His hands worked a gentle caress that sent a tremor through my body. His hands finally went back to my sweater and he finished removing it. Once he freed it from my body, he took his time folding it and placing it on the dresser.
I let out an exasperated sigh. My breasts were still exposed and my body still humming. William ignored me and picked up his scotch. He took a long sip and eyed me over of the rim of his glass. When he sat the glass on the dresser, it was empty. At last, he moved in on me again. He unclasped my bra and slipped it from my arms while his mouth moved over my right breast in a hurry, stopping only when it reached my nipple. His mouth was cold from the scotch and I could feel my nipple harden as he held it between his lips. Then, suddenly, I felt a shock of cold as he released the ice cube he had been holding in his mouth.