Page 23 of Trade It All (The Barrington Billionaires 3)
Thomas added, “Friends don’t let friends drunk text anyone. Come on, buddy.”
Willa returned just in time for all of them to walk out of the bar together. After his friends left, Lance looked down at Willa and thought about what Neil had said. He understood how Neil felt more than he cared to admit.
Losing Willa a second time . . .
Right there on the street he pulled her to him and kissed her simply because he couldn’t hold back a moment longer. Her mouth opened eagerly to his, and her hands were in his hair while his ran boldly over her curves. He pulled back, gasping for air. She went to kiss him again, but he jerked his head away.
Not like this.
He hailed a cab.
She searched his face for a long moment then went to open the door of the cab that had pulled up. He blocked her entrance with an arm. “Willa, we’ve both had too much to drink . . .”
She kept her face averted, but he could see that she was embarrassed. “Good night, Lance.”
With a hand beneath her chin he turned her face until she was forced to look at him. “This isn’t easy for me. In fact, knowing what I’m saying no to is damn near killing me.”
Pride flashed in her eyes. “What you’re saying no to? I kissed you. That’s all.”
His hand tightened on her chin. God, she was so fucking sexy. When she said yes. When she said no. He pulled her against him again. His swollen cock stretched the limits of his jeans. “You and I both know how little it would take for us to be screwing in the bushes, not caring who saw us.” He kissed just below her ear. “I’m not ashamed of how you make me feel. I want you. But not like this. Not because we’re both buzzed. I want to take my time. I want to fall asleep inside you because we came so many times we couldn’t move. Then I’ll wake up and start my day by tasting that sweet pussy of yours again.”
Her breathing became as deep and labored as his. He whispered in her ear. “Yes, that’s how I want to fuck you. Not like this. Go home, Willa. I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon.”
She sank into the cab, biting her bottom lip, looking dazed, turned on and so damn confused. He couldn’t send her off alone in a cab that way. Swearing, he slid in beside her and closed his eyes, praying for strength. “I’ll see you home, but I won’t come in.” The cab pulled out into traffic and Lance gave the driver directions to Willa’s place.
The air of the cab was charged with sexual tension even though he and Willa were neither looking at each other nor touching. They rode in silence.
She folded her arms across her chest and said softly, “I’ve never even had sex outside. Your impression of me is way off.” Her chin rose. “And I’m not drunk.”
It might have been the alcohol lowering his filter with her, but he put his arm along the back of the seat and leaned in. “Never?”
She blushed and met his eyes briefly before looking away. “I don’t see the lure. All you’re doing is giving a cheap show for perverts.”
He lifted her long blonde curls and tucked them behind her shoulder, exposing that glorious neck of hers. “I don’t know if anyone plans for it to happen.” He spoke closer to her, letting his breath on her ear be its own caress. “And I’ve never seen the lure either. Until you. When I’m with you all I can think about is you. Talking to you. Holding on to you. Kissing you. And yes, fucking you. I don’t care where we are or who sees us. I want to go slowly with you, and it’s driving me mad. How do you do this to me? How do you make me forget everything else and just need you?”
Their eyes met and held. Her mouth parted slightly and that delicious tongue of hers licked her bottom lip nervously. “You make me feel the same way.”
“Thank God.” He kissed her shoulder. “We could blow off the tour tomorrow, but Emily’s feelings might be hurt.”
“We have to go.”
“I’m on schedule at work. I could take Monday off. We could go somewhere. Just you and me.”
Willa blinked slowly as she thought it over. “I have to work on Monday.”
Lance kissed his way across her collarbone and to the sweet curve of her neck. “Your boss won’t fire you. Pack a bag. We’ll leave from my parents’ house.”
Willa shook her head as if doing so would help her think. “I want to . . .”
He kissed her jaw and loved how her hand found and clenched on his thigh. “Say yes.”
Willa ran her hand up and down his thigh. The back of her arm brushed across his cock and Lance shuddered from the pleasure of it. “Yes.”
It took all he had not to come just from the sound of her voice. They pulled up to the front of her building. He walked her to the door but didn’t kiss her. He knew he wouldn’t leave if he did. Only after he knew she was safe inside did he return to the cab and give the driver directions to his apartment.
On the way there he leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes with a pained moan. Why the hell are we spending tomorrow with my family?
Chapter Eleven
Hand in hand, Willa and Lance followed Emily through her museum as she explained the origin of each piece. Now and then she stopped and put her hand on her back as if it were aching, but her smile was bright. Although Willa was far from bored, she was struggling to pay attention to what Emily was saying. She wanted to fast forward through the tour, through dinner, and give herself over to the pleasure she knew the next couple days promised.
She’d spent half the night asking herself if agreeing to go away with Lance had been a wise choice and the other half imagining how good it would be with him. It was about more than just sex, although she was looking forward to that. Everything was more vivid when he was at her side. Colors were brighter. Food tasted better. Willa’s face hurt from smiling as much as she had these last couple days. Simply holding his hand feels so damn good I don’t want to let go.
She glanced at Lance and her breath left her in a whoosh when their eyes met. He winked and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He’s finding it as difficult to concentrate as I am. He wiggled an eyebrow as if checking that her mind had wandered to the same naughty place his had. She tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn’t. She let out a loud laugh.
Emily stopped the story she was sharing and turned toward them. She placed a hand on one hip as if she were about to reprimand the two of them, but she smiled instead. Her eyes danced with humor. “You did ask for this tour.”
Lance and Willa exchanged an amused look then both tried to look contrite. Lance chuckled. Willa joined in. They might be in trouble, but they were in trouble together. Together. Willa looked down at their linked hands and marveled at how open Lance was about being with her. It took how good she felt to a whole new level.
With an indulgent shake of her head, Emily said, “I’ll show you one more section, then I’ll release you two lovebirds back into the wild.”
As if he just rea
lized he could be offending Emily, Lance said quickly, “We’re not in a rush, Emily. This place is truly incredible.”
Emily waved for them to follow. “Don’t worry, I totally understand. I’m just not sure what we’re doing here. Am I a chaperone? Because I feel like that parent at a school dance whose job it is to remind the kids not to maul each other in public.”
Not liking that they might have repaid Emily’s kindness by making her feel uncomfortable, Willa dropped Lance’s hand. “Emily, I feel awful. You have no idea how much I admire you and what this museum represents.”
Emily looked modestly pleased by the comment. “Coming from a fellow artist that means a lot.”
Willa shook her head. “I’m not an artist.”
“Asher told me you were,” Emily countered, looking puzzled. “Weren’t you an art major in college?”
“I studied art, but I’m not talented. I simply appreciate it.”
Lance frowned. “That’s not true. Kenzi was always talking about something you’d painted or the sculptures you created. She’d send me pictures of them. They were quite good.”
Willa couldn’t even remember the last time she’d picked up a sketch pad. “That was a long time ago and Kenzi would have loved anything I made.”
Lance looked certain he was right. “Didn’t you win a scholarship with one of your paintings?”
He remembers, Willa thought in awe. “I did, but there wasn’t much competition that year.”
Their eyes met and held. “It was more than that. I saw it. It had humor and emotion. I was amazed at how you’d been able to portray a real tension between two squirrels facing off over one acorn. It made me laugh and feel sorry for them at the same time.”
Willa looked away, unsure of how to handle how much it meant to her that she’d mattered to him back then. Believing she mattered to him had died when Lexi told her about their kiss. Yet now it was cautiously coming back to life. She caught Emily watching her reaction and blushed. “Thank you, but they were nothing like what’s here.”
