Page 21 of The P*ssy Next Door
I reached forward and ran the back of my knuckles along her jaw line. “Did you talk to your uncles? About staying, about running the café while they're on their world tour of love?”
“Yeah. They're already packing.”
We stared at each other for a long moment, the air between us crackling with tension. I wanted to pull her into my arms and pick up where we left off. But there was something in her eyes that told me not to push.
So I settled for running my thumb across her bottom lip. “I'm really glad you're staying, Willa.”
She clasped my fingers and held them still. “It's just temporary. The minute they're back, I'll be out of here.”
“A lot can happen in that amount of time.” I leaned in closer, not able to resist her pull. Hello flame, this is the moth calling.
“Don't, Hayes. Don't fall for me. This can't be more than,” she shrugged, “a few months thing. A fling.”
“I'll take every minute I can get with you.” Besides, it was too late. I was already falling for her.
Her cheeks flushed prettily, and I couldn't resist any longer. I bent my head and brushed a feather-light kiss across the corner of her mouth.
“I'll take every one of these I can get too,” I murmured, my lips a hairsbreadth from hers.
Willa's breath hitched, and she stood up on her toes to close the space between us. “Don't make me fall in love with you either.”
The enthusiastic consent mantra rang through my mind. I had more work to do, because I wasn't going to take anything she wasn't willing to give me. But I wasn't afraid of hard work.
With a groan, I forced myself to pull away, to saunter back to my car with a casual wave. “No promises. See you tomorrow, Willa.”
Willa was staying. And I was going to make damn sure it was worth it.As I drove away, my lips still tingling from our almost-kiss, I couldn't wipe the goofy smile off my face.
Until my phone buzzed with a text message from a number that hadn't popped up for a long time.
Stay
The Fuck
Away
From my sister
WILLA’S BEAN
WILLA
The bell above the door jingled, announcing a new customer, but I barely glanced up from the inventory spreadsheet Uncle Liam had me poring over. “Be with you in just a sec,” I called out, my brow furrowed as the numbers blurred from staring at them for so long. Was that a three or a nine?
“Take your time, kiddo.” Uncle George's amused voice had my head snapping up, a grin already tugging at my lips.
“What are you two doing here? I thought you'd be knee-deep in the fifth repack by now.” I saved the spreadsheet and closed the laptop, giving them my full attention. “You don't have time to be here, you leave in, like, three hours.”
Uncle Liam hefted a suspiciously full tote bag onto the counter. “Had a few last minute things to go over with you before we jet off into the sunset.”
I eyed the bag warily. “Please tell me that's not more paperwork. I'm already drowning in coffee order forms and employee schedules.”
He chuckled, patting my hand. “Just a few essentials we forgot to mention. Like the fact that we have a standing arrangement with the local cat shelter.”
He opened the bag that was full of brand new cat toys, containers of cat nip, and one exceedingly long peacock feather. My eyebrows shot up. “Cat shelter?”
Uncle George nodded, snatched the peacock feather, and hid it behind his back. “Oops, that was supposed to go in my bag not this one.”
He winked at Liam, and I pretended not to notice how freaking adorable they were.