Page 22 of Honey Bee Library
“Good night, Maddie.”
She disappeared around the corner, leaving me alone in the kitchen. With no one around, I stared at the ground, processing what she’d said. There was truth to her words. I needed to prove to Willow that she could trust me. She’d been disappointed by people in the past. I needed to show her that, no matter how hard she pushed me, I wasn’t going to go anywhere.
My phone chimed, causing me to shift my weight so I could pull it from my back pocket. I glanced down to see it was a text from Brian, my floor manager at Obsidian. I headed over to the kitchen table and sat down so I could focus on his message.
I spent the next who knows how long, texting back and forth with Brian. Apparently, Nicole Harolson, the new breakout pop star, had shown up and caused quite a stir at the club. He was having to call in more security to keep her safe.
It wasn’t until Willow suddenly appeared in the kitchen, that I glanced at the clock and realized I’d been sitting at the table for forty-five minutes. Her eyes were wide when her gaze met mine.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she took a step backwards, drawing my attention to what she was wearing.
The dark-red satin pajama top fell over her curves, hinting to what was underneath. The shorts cut off mid-thigh, revealing her slim, sun-kissed legs. She was barefoot, her light-pink toenails contrasting against her skin. Her hair fell over her shoulders, framing her startled expression.
Realizing that I was staring, I snapped my gaze back to hers. From the look in her eyes, she knew, but she wasn’t moving to leave. It was like she was pinned to her spot like I was pinned to mine.
“Everything okay?” I asked as I forced myself to stand, pushing back my chair in the process. I walked toward her, not really sure what I was going to do when I got there, but I couldn’t stop my momentum.
She glanced back toward the master bedroom. “Yeah. Jasper’s asleep.” She glanced back at me. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just...” She swallowed. “Looking for some water.”
I was standing a foot away from her now. My heart was galloping in my chest as I studied her. Then, her request finally registered in my brain. “Oh,” I said as I opened the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. “Here.”
She hesitated before she raised her hand and slowly wrapped her fingers around the bottom of the bottle. “Thanks,” she whispered.
We stood in silence for a few seconds. I watched as she twisted the cap off, wrapped her beautiful lips around the bottle, and tipped it back. Never in my life had I been so mesmerized by someone drinking water.
When her gaze met mine, I came crashing back to reality. I cleared my throat and took a step backward, desperate to put some space between our bodies. I was slowly losing my mind, but all I wanted to do was give into the desire that had grown to an unmanageable level.
It must be because it had been so long since I’d been with a woman. That’s why I was reacting this way. I’d spent more time around Willow in the last few days than I’d spent around any other available woman in over a year. I didn’t have time to date. Between Gran and the club, I was busy.
Women were work. And in my experience, it didn’t matter how much work you put in, they always ended up cheating on you with your best friend.
I cleared my throat and forced my thoughts to the present. What was wrong with me? It was idiotic to think about Yasmin while standing in front of Willow. I needed to push my ex from my mind and never think about her again.
“I should?—”
“Do you want a glass of wine?” I wanted her to stick around. I wanted to prove to her that I was the kind of guy who would go the distance. I wanted her to trust me.
I moved to pull two wine glasses from the cupboard next to me. “I was going to get a glass before you walked in.” I studied her from over my shoulder.
“I…um…” She glanced toward her closed bedroom door.
“Jasper’s asleep,” I reminded her as I grabbed the bottle of 2015 Chateau Margaux from the wine fridge. I removed the cork and proceeded to fill a glass.
I could feel her gaze on me when I moved to fill the other glass. I wasn’t sure if the bold move would ultimately dissuade her, but I was willing to take that chance. I peeked up at her to see that she was chewing her bottom lip. Her eyebrows were knit together as she stared at the space between us.
She wasn’t saying no, so I continued on like she was going to stay. Once both glasses were poured, I returned the cork and set the bottle down on the counter before I picked up the glass and handed it to her.
“It’s just one glass,” I said. I held her gaze and raised my eyebrows as if to ask her what she was going to do.
She hesitated before she wrapped her fingers around the stem. “Okay,” she whispered.
I couldn’t help the smile that emerged. Embarrassed that I was so excited for this win, I motioned toward the small peninsula on the other side of the kitchen. I got to the barstools before Willow, so I pulled out one for her before doing the same for myself.
We sat side by side, sipping on the wine and staring forward. I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to ask her questions and get to know her, but I wasn’t sure if she wanted to share, and I didn’t want to come across as pushy. I’d already pushed my luck with the wine.
“You don’t have to do that,” she finally said, her voice barely a whisper.
I glanced over at her. “Do what?”
