Waiting for Willa (The Big Sky Series Book 3) Read online

  “That’s unfortunate.”

  “Yeah. I shouldn’t have called you. It was stupid.”

  “You should always call me. Whenever you want.”

  “I’m confused,” I whisper. “And you hurt my feelings. You don’t get sex. I’ll go find my vibrator.”

  I hang up and stumble into the bedroom, pull the box from the top shelf of my closet, and find the toy, but by the time I get ready for bed and climb in, I’m tired, so I put it back in the box.

  And my girls’ night out fun is washed away by missing Max.

  Suddenly, my front door opens and closes, and I spring up in the bed, immediately sober.

  “I have a gun!” I shout, wishing fervently that I really had a gun.

  “Don’t shoot.”

  Max walks into my bedroom, shocking the hell out of me.

  “I could have killed you!”

  He circles the bed, not afraid in the least.

  “Where’s your gun?”

  “Well, I don’t actually have one.”

  He grins, and it hits me right in the gut.

  “Why are you so handsome?” I ask, but he doesn’t answer, he just watches me. “No, really. That wasn’t rhetorical.”

  “I missed you,” he says and shoves his hands into his pockets. “And I want to climb in that bed with you, but I don’t know if I’m welcome.”

  “Is there really a blond bimbo?”

  He narrows his eyes and clenches his jaw, and I have my answer.

  “No.”

  I fold the covers back. “Then you’re welcome.”

  He’s not in a suit, or even in a white button-down. He’s in a grey Henley and jeans, and he peels them both off quickly, making my mouth water.

  We have so much to talk about, but my mind is cloudy, and he’s sexy, and I want him. I’ve missed him, too.

  “How many men do I have to kill?”

  “No one actually broke in,” I remind him, but he laughs and shakes his head as he climbs into the bed with me.

  “No, how many men hit on you tonight?”

  “None.” I drag my hands down his back and sigh in delight when I cup his ass. “I don’t give off a come-hit-on-me vibe.”

  “What kind of vibe do you give off?”

  “It’s more of an I’m with my friends, and if you hit on me, I’ll laugh at you, vibe.”

  “I can live with that,” Max says and buries his face in my neck, kissing me as his hands roam over my skin, seemingly everywhere at once.

  “I thought you were gone.”

  “I came home a few hours ago.” He kisses my cheek. “I couldn’t stay away any longer.”

  “Good.” I lift my legs as he settles between them, and his hard cock nestles against my wet heat. “Because you belong here.”

  “Right here,” he agrees as he slides back and forth, making me crazy. “And I won’t be leaving again unless you’re with me.”

  “Okay.” I arch my back, desperate to have him in me. “Max, I need—”

  “What do you need, baby?”

  “You to slip inside me.”

  He smiles against my lips, rears back, and slowly pushes his way inside until he’s buried to the hilt.

  “Like that?”

  “Yeah.” I’m panting now, gripping his shoulders with all my might. I can feel the edge just out of my reach. “Move.”

  “Bossy, aren’t you?”

  “Needy,” I correct him and arch my back again. He complies, moving in and out, slowly at first, then picking up the pace. Each time his pubic bone meets my clit, he gives it a little extra push, and I swear to God my eyes cross.

  “Jesus Christ, you feel good,” he mutters. He’s moving feverishly now, chasing his own orgasm, and I can’t control myself anymore. My hips buck, and I cry out as the orgasm washes over me. Max follows, groaning against my neck.

  “Wow,” I whisper, dragging my fingertips up and down his spine. He’s a little sweaty, but I don’t mind. I like feeling him on top of me. “That was fun and unexpected.”

  “I was going to call you just before you called me,” he mutters, still catching his breath. “And then you surprised me. Kind of pissed me off, assuming I had another woman with me.”

  “I was drunk, and my feelings were hurt.” I shrug a shoulder and watch as he rolls off me, taking me with him. He tucks me against his side. “And, a girl will overthink everything, especially possible reasons why the guy she’s with suddenly gets a hair up his ass to flee town.”

  “I didn’t flee,” he counters and slaps my ass. “Now, get some sleep. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

  I yawn. I want to disagree, to insist that we talk it out tonight. But I am tired, and my eyes are heavy. I want to have this conversation when I have a clear head, and I’m not in a sexual haze of desire.

  Tomorrow is definitely the right time to talk it out, and we will. Before my mom brings Alex home. I’ll text her in the morning and ask her to keep him until the afternoon.

  It feels good to be here with Max. Safe. Like my world is back on its axis again.

  I guess Hannah was wrong. I definitely do not regret drunk-calling Max tonight. No, it turned out just fine for me.

  I stretch against him, kiss his shoulder, and tangle my leg with his.

  “Are you too warm?” I ask.

  “No, I’m warm for the first time in days. Don’t go.”

  I kiss his shoulder again and burrow deeper. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Chapter Eleven

  ~Willa~

  “I FEEL HUMAN AGAIN,” I announce as I pad down the hallway to the kitchen, where Max is scooping scrambled eggs onto plates. “And I smell bacon.”

  “I made you breakfast,” he says with a smile and leans in for a quick kiss. “Hungover?”

  “Not at all.” I walk over to the Keurig to brew my second cup of coffee and lean against the counter to watch Max move about my kitchen. He’s tall and broad, with his dark hair disheveled, wearing the same clothes from last night.

  His feet are bare, and for some reason I can’t put my finger on, I find that ridiculously hot.

  Of course, Max is ridiculously hot.

  Every day.

  Damn him.

  “Do you need ketchup or anything?” he asks.

  “Nope.”

  “Then breakfast is served.”

  He carries our plates to the breakfast nook that’s tucked behind the kitchen. The round table sits before a bay window that looks out into my backyard. Deer walk across the grass.

  “Thanks for cooking.” I take a bite of bacon and sigh in happiness. “I don’t usually get a home-cooked meal that I didn’t make myself.”

  “I’m pretty good at breakfast,” Max says with a crooked smile. “The rest of the day isn’t as great.”

  “I can live with that.” I sprinkle some pepper on my eggs and take a bite. “So, how was Seattle?”

  “It was fine,” he says, not meeting my eyes.

  “That’s good.”

  I hate this. Awkwardness has never been our thing. I get the feeling that he’s not telling me something, but I won’t ask him to talk about it again. I’ve done that. He’s an adult. When he’s ready to talk, he will.

  Or, he won’t.

  “So, you came home yesterday?” I ask lamely, wanting to fill the silence.

  “Yeah, I left Seattle around five Montana time, and it was early evening by the time I got home and settled. I had a little work to see to, and then I was going to call, but you beat me to it.”

  I nod, a little embarrassed by how I must have sounded when he answered the phone.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks.

  “I’m not usually one to drunk-dial someone.”

  “You’re kidding.” His voice is dry, making me laugh.

  “I’m actually not one to drink much, period. I have Alex.” It’s as simple as that, and Max doesn’t need me to explain further. He nods.

  “But if you’re always horny when you’re a
little drunk, we could probably schedule it in once in a while.”

  I snicker and take a bite of my eggs. “Trust me, you don’t need to get me liquored up for me to want to bang you.”

  “You’re so romantic, darling.”

  I giggle again. “Wanting you isn’t an issue.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “As long as there are no blond bimbos.”

  He narrows his eyes and carefully sets his coffee mug down. Before I can react, he reaches out, grabs my wrist, and tugs me into his lap, then cups my jaw and brushes his thumb along my lower lip.

  “There’s no one but you, Wills. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”

  I sigh and tip my forehead down to his before admitting, “I’m not good at feeling insecure.”

  “I don’t like that I made you feel that way,” he says. He swallows, kisses me, then sets me back in my chair. “We need to talk.”

  This is it. He’s dumping me.

  “You’re blinking.”

  I glance up at him. “What?”

  “You’re blinking rapidly. You only do that when you think something bad is going to happen.”

  And that’s the downside to rekindling something with the person who used to know you better than anyone. He knows all your tells.

  I never did have a poker face.

  “’We need to talk’ is not usually something that a person starts with when it’s good news. So, if you’re breaking it off, just say so.”

  “Jesus, Willa, I wouldn’t come in here, spend the night in your bed, make you breakfast, and then dump you.”

  “So, you’re not dumping me?”

  He swears under his breath and drags his hand down his face like he does when he’s frustrated. A little light of hope ignites in my chest.

  “No.” He sighs and pushes his half-eaten plate of food away, then cradles his mug in his hands. “But we do need to talk about the past week.”

  “Go on.” I clear my throat and take a sip of my coffee.

  “You were right when you said I ran away. I didn’t want to admit it, but that’s exactly what I did.”

  “Why?”

  His eyes are pinned to mine now, sober and serious.

  “I’ve been dreaming,” he says, surprising me.

  “Dreaming?”

  He nods and sips his coffee, then sets the empty mug aside and looks outside to watch a doe with her baby.

  “About Cary. They’re nightmares. I’ve had dreams about Cary, about him dying, since that day on the mountain.”

  “Max—”

  “But these are different.”

  He goes on to describe the horrible things Cary said to him, accusing him of stealing Alex and me, of killing him so Max could get his hands on us.

  My God.

  I brush at a tear rolling down my cheek as Max finishes telling me about the last nightmare in Seattle.

  “Max, I’m so sorry. I wish you’d told me about this right away.”

  “I was caught off guard,” he admits. “Like I said, I’ve dreamed about Cary off and on for years, and while they sucked, they weren’t hurtful. Not like this. And I didn’t know what to do with it. What if he’s right?”

  I frown as he turns his worried gaze to mine.

  “You did not kill Cary,” I insist.

  “No, I know that. But what if he’s right about things now? That I’m poaching his family?”

  “Max, you need to take a deep breath and think about this. First of all, Cary wouldn’t talk to you like that. He had moments of asshattery, but he loved you, and he wouldn’t say those things to you.

  “Secondly, he’s not here. You’re not poaching on his territory because it’s not his. He’s gone. Alex and I are happy and fine. If you’d rather back out of our lives, don’t use this as a reason, because it’s completely unnecessary.”

  “I don’t want to back out of your lives,” he admits. “I don’t think I could if I tried. I was gone for four days, and being away from you drove me insane.”

  “Well, I kind of like the sound of that,” I admit and reach out to take his hand, linking our fingers. “Because I hated that you left. I need you to talk to me. Don’t back away. Don’t flee. Because that just tells me that you don’t want to try, and that hurts worse than if you stayed and fought.”

  “Lesson learned,” he says, tugging me back into his arms. “When does Alex come home?”

  “In about three hours.” I bury my face in the crook of his neck and just hold on tightly, soaking in the scent of him, and the warmth of his arms wrapped tightly around me. “Do you mind running me into town to pick up your car?”

  “Why’s it in town?”

  “Because I didn’t plan to drink that much. Grace drove me home.”

  “I’ll take you,” he confirms as he stands with me still in his arms and marches back toward my bedroom. “Later.”

  “Later?”

  He tosses me onto the bed, making me laugh, and then strips out of his clothes before climbing on top of me.

  “Much later.”

  ***

  “Mom, these snow pants are too big around my feet.”

  I glance into the backseat. “I know, but when you put your boots on, they’ll fit fine. You’ll see.”

  “Where are we going again?” Alex asks. He’s been in a mood today. Ever since I told him that we couldn’t bring Rocky with us on our adventure, his attitude has been crappy.

  “We’re going out to the King ranch,” Max says with a smile. “They have a ton of land, with the best sledding hills around. There will be other kids there, and Noah and Gray, too.”

  “I haven’t seen Jillian and Cara in a while,” I say with a smile. “It’s always good to hang out with them.”

  “Do you know them well?” Max asks.

  “I know Cara through Grace. They taught school together. And, of course, small-town living means that I’ve met everyone several times. Cara and Jillian are a few years older than me, but they come to the shop quite a bit, and Jillian is in my yoga class.”

  Max’s eyes whip over to me. “You take yoga?”

  “Twice a week,” I confirm.

  “Huh.”

  “What?”

  He shakes his head but looks over at me with mischief in his eyes, and I know his answer is not suitable for mixed company.

  I laugh and feel the heat between my legs at the same time. Max has a habit of turning me on at the oddest moments.

  It’s been one week since our time alone at my house. We’ve settled back into a steady rhythm of dinners together, Max bringing me coffee or lunch, and helping Alex with his homework.

  It’s completely normal, and it feels amazing.

  Max turns off the highway about twelve miles out of town and onto the driveway of the Lazy K Ranch. We keep going past a big, old farmhouse where Jillian and her husband, Zack, live with their four children.

  Across the pasture, where dozens of black cows are grazing, I can see the smaller house that Zack and Josh’s parents moved into several years ago. And, finally, about another mile in, we reach Josh and Cara’s home.

  This is a true family ranch, with all hands on deck. Zack returned home about five years ago after retiring from the military. His son, Seth, was already here, living with Josh.

  In the past five years, the family has grown like crazy. Cara and Josh have two young kids, both under four years old.

  Seth is a junior in high school now, and a mirror image of his father and uncle, who are identical twins.

  Zack and Jillian also have three-year-old twins, and another baby on the way any day now.

  “Looks like Ty and Lauren are here, too,” I say with excitement. “I haven’t seen her since she had the new baby.”

  “There are gonna be babies here?” Alex grumbles.

  “Max, can you please give me a moment with my son?”

  Max raises a brow but nods as he shuts off the car.

  “You bet. Just come inside when you’re ready.
”

  “Thanks.” Max leaves, and I unbuckle my belt, then turn in my seat so I can look at my son. “What’s going on, Alex?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Stop playing with your zipper and look at me.” He complies. “We can’t always take Rocky with us.”

  “But he likes the snow.”

  “Listen to me. It’s not polite to bring a dog to someone else’s home, Alex. Rocky can stay home sometimes.”

  “He’ll be sad.”

  “And then he’ll be happy when you get home,” I remind him. “Alex, Rocky doesn’t run the show. He’s a dog, and we love him, but he’s still a dog, and sometimes, he doesn’t get to go with us.”

  Alex sighs dramatically, something he’s started doing recently. The teen years are going to be a blast, I just know it.

  “Fine.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Don’t you want to sled?”

  “I do,” he says reluctantly. “But I want to ski more.”

  “We’ve talked about this,” I remind him, putting an end to the conversation. “You know how I feel about skiing.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he grumbles again.

  “There will be lots of kids here today, and Max will sled with you, too. I bet Noah and Gray want to sled also.”

  “Okay,” he says.

  “Will you please shake the attitude?”

  He frowns, but I leave it at that and jump out of the car. I open his door and hold my hand out for his.

  “Come on. I bet there’re snacks and goodies in there, and we don’t want Max to eat them all.”

  That catches his interest, and he jumps out of the car, then waits patiently as we knock on the door.

  Max answers it and searches my face for answers. “Everything okay?”

  “Yep.”

  The King household is a riot of activity. Kids and adults alike, running and laughing, tackling each other. Jillian, even more pregnant than when I saw her at yoga last week, is sitting on the couch, letting Cara’s daughter listen with her little ear pressed against the baby bump.

  Ty and Lauren are in the kitchen with Jeff King, the patriarch of this family, showing off their littlest.

  I’ll never remember all of the names, or even who belongs to whom. I just know that it feels amazing to be in the hustle and bustle of this big family.