Page 52 of Can't Help Falling in Love
Will couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed a day so much. Lexi made him laugh and forget about things that kept him up at night, like appeasing his parents, carving out his own place within the family legacy, hanging on to that legacy while also moving them into the future. He didn’t do a lot of things for himself. Not that he was a martyr or anything close, but his whole life had been his family, his work, and the link between the two. He’d never met a woman who uncapped something inside him the way Lexi did. She made him want to see what existed outside the office, outside his family.
He didn’t want the day to end but he didn’t want to push too hard either. There was a very real possibility he could fall hard for this woman and he wasn’t entirely sure of where she stood on the topic of them.
He drove through the University District, heading for the Ship Canal Bridge that would take him back to Lexi’s neighborhood. The sky sported dusky shades of blue streaked with reds that promised an equally sunny day tomorrow. She’d been quiet since chatting with Ethan. He wasn’t surprised by Ethan’s offer. Life offered some handycoincidences now and again, but he didn’t doubt that Lexi would be a great asset for his buddy. If only she could believe that herself. He was grateful she didn’t really think he’d had anything to do with Ethan’s suggestion. Not that he wouldn’t have, but in this case timing had been everyone’s friend. Well, not Lori’s. He should ask his secretary to order Brady and his wife a few weeks of meals that could just be thrown in the oven. And thank her for buying Lexi’s dad’s tools. Something he wouldn’t mention to Lexi even though all he’d done was point Danielle in the direction of the listing since she’d been in the market anyway.
Stopping at a light, he turned to see Lexi looking at him with an unreadable gaze. Desire sparked like a match, instantaneous.
“My mom is probably asleep. She sleeps a lot.”
He nodded, his words tumbling around in his brain as he reached for the right thing to say. He’d never asked a woman to his place. He’d only moved there last year and it was his home. His sanctuary. And he very much wanted to see Lexi in it. To have her in his space. In his bed.
Like she could read his mind, she touched her hand to his. “You can invite me over.”
His breath hitched. “I want you to be sure. I don’t want to rush anything or pressure you.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand before gesturing to the windshield. The light had changed. “We’re engaged. I don’t see any reason to wait for marriage.”
In the quiet space, his laugh seemed to bounce off the interior. Fuck. Way to be smooth. “I’d like to show you my home.”
“I’d like to see it. And more.”
His skin felt tight for the rest of the drive. She was good at going after what she wanted. Good at making him feel wanted. He wondered what it was about her life, despite the hardships, that made her so unaware of her own appeal. What he wanted, more than anythingat this moment, was to show her all the ways in which he found her appealing. On every level.
Will parked in his garage, nervous like it was his first time. He’d realized, even before this, that she mattered. She’d snuck inside his heart quicker than lightning, and now she was all he could think about.
After they got out of the car, he opened the garage door that led into his kitchen, holding it so Lexi could go ahead of him. Her scent, hints of something softly floral, a little citrusy and fresh, curled around him, like a sensual dance, enticing him. He resisted the urge to lean in.Let her get settled. No pressure. The woman could use a night off from pressure.Even though it was her idea, he wondered what she really wanted. What she needed. Not just tonight but in life. When was the last time she’d been taken care of? Cherished? He should draw her a bath, give her a plush robe, and tuck her in for the night. As someone who took care of things in a fairly large family, it surprised him how much he wanted to take care of someone else, specifically, Lexi. To be there for her.
He closed the door behind them, tried to slow his actions and his thoughts. Soft rays of light came from the other room so they weren’t in total darkness, but it wasn’t until he flipped the kitchen light that he saw the counter.
Will groaned out loud at the obvious sign his sisters had been up to no good. His family was seriously out to mess up his chance at happiness.
He tossed his keys on the marble countertop, looked at Lexi’s amused expression. “First chance I get, I’m taking all of their keys and changing the locks.”
Lexi bit her lip but even that didn’t stop her laughter. On his countertop were two framed photographs. One had Kyra blowing kisses to the camera. She’d attached a sticky note detailing her personality:I’M FUN, SMART, WICKED GOOD AT WORD GAMES, A FASHIONISTA, ROMANCE LOVER.The second was a picture of Maddie and Rachel on their wedding day, both of them in gorgeous gowns, their smiles brighter than the sun. Maddie, always the subtler one, kept her sticky note simple with both of their names, an arrow pointing to his sister on the left and her wife on the right. Between the two pictures was an enormous basket full of Halloween candies and miniature chocolate bars. It all seemed sweet on the outside but it meant they’d done some scheming and planning before coming to his house when they knew he’d be out. Total brats. All three of them. It looked like they’d bought up all of the holiday stock and dumped it in this basket. A folded card sat in front of the basket.
Will picked up the card and sighed again. “Brats. Just so you know? Sisters absolutely never stop being a pain in the ass.”
Lexi moved in, sidling up close to him to read the note.
Dear William,
As your beloved sisters, we wanted to celebrate your engagement. Since you and Lexi have not yet registered, we thought we’d give you a gift we know you’ll enjoy. It’s best your fiancée learn early that you have the sweet tooth of a five-year-old child. We look forward to meeting her and sharing embarrassing stories of your childhood.
P.S. We got your back with all of this. There’s a treasure somewhere in the basket. Been a while since you’ve dated but hopefully you know what to do with it. Hi, Lexi. We can’t wait to meet you. Thank you for putting up with our stuffy brother/brother-in-law.
Kyra, Madeline, & Rachel
Will groaned, embarrassment making himfeellike a kid again. He looked at Lexi, only partially joking when he said, “I’ll understand if you want to leave.”
To his utter fucking relief, she laughed and threw her arms around him.
Twenty-one
Other than Maisie, Lexi didn’t have much in the way of friends. The idea that these women wanted to meet her and obviously cared about their brother was beyond enticing. And that was a little worrisome. If she wasn’t careful, she’d forget that a lot of this wasn’t even real. Whatwas100 percent genuine was how much she didn’t want to go home tonight. How much she wanted to explore this chemistry with Will. She might need to convince herself that she could keep her heart and her desire separate but she didn’t want the fear of falling to prevent her from finding out just how sexy Will was under those collared shirts.
She pulled back from her spontaneous hug. “They sound delightful.”
Will dropped the note on the counter. “Do they now?” He eyed the basket suspiciously.
