So how is he? Is he behaving?

Sort of. I’m having the time of my life! How’s Luke?

Her next message was troubling: Not so good. Can’t tell you on text.

I frowned to myself and glanced at Will, who was passed out on the train we were taking to Monterosso al Mare, Italy. His cat slept on his lap.

She must have been referring to the lawsuit with Will’s father. I chewed my lip, feeling bad for Luke, but what could I do about it?

I told Will about the lawsuit, and he will see his father in Chicago.

She texted back: Really? Wow.

William reacted with anger and disappointment toward his father whenever I mentioned the lawsuit. He might not be a friend to Luke, but he did not approve of his father’s actions. I could tell that he was itching to go back to Chicago.

I returned to the sketch on my tablet. Over the last week, I sent dozens of designs to the marketing department, and the feedback so far was positive. Though, who knew if any of them would be used. I had a vague understanding of where we were going, only that it was on the Italian Riviera. Occasionally, the train would leave a tunnel, and I would glimpse a deep, blue ocean crashing on a green coast, and my heart soared.

We left the damp isles of the UK and took a plane to Èze, France, a gorgeous, coastal town with breathtaking views. Will assured me that the next stop would be even more spectacular: Cinque Terre. It meant "five lands." It didn't matter whether this job amounted to anything. I was having an incredible time with Will exploring all these places.

“Wow,” I said when we disembarked the train.

"Wow" was the only appropriate response I could think of. A small, white beach gleamed under the bright sunshine, sparkling, deep blue water crashing on the shore. Behind the station was the tiny cliff-side village of Monterosso. Pastel-colored, cramped buildings sat on top of each other. Vineyards filled the green hills, spiraling around and around. We walked along the beach with our luggage, and the sounds of accordion music lifted me up.

“This is incredible.”

Will blinked in the sunlight and smiled at me. “I told you.”

We walked through the tunnel into the heart of the town. According to a placard in front of it, the tunnel was erected after a disastrous flood in 2010. My suitcase rolled and bumped on the cobblestones. Ahead of me, the stone path lifted and snared around the hill, which would lead to the next village, but Will and I turned left to find our bed-and-breakfast. There were markets and restaurants, tourists lifting heavy cameras from their necks to document every spectacular angle. My eyes moved from detail to detail. There were just a thousand things to look at, and my brain couldn't process them fast enough.

The street became steep, and my legs strained until there was a sign, "Villa Steno." Lemon trees surrounded the bright, yellow building and we rolled into the tiny lobby.

“We’re excited to have you here, Mr. Pardini.” The receptionist handed him the keys to our room, and she showed us the way, with only the slightest hesitation at the cat sitting on top of Luke’s luggage.

"Breakfast is from seven to nine; we also serve drinks in the lobby after seven. There's a terrace on the roof where people like to have drinks. Here's your room."

The sunshine-yellow room had a double bed. She walked across to open the patio doors, and we received a magnificent view of the town and ocean.

“Here are trail maps for hiking. If there’s anything else you need, please ask.”

Will nodded at her, looking pleased with the arrangements. There was a safe in the closet, a desk, several chairs, but for me, the greatest thing was the patio, which overlooked the tiny village and the sea. Tom jumped out of his cage the moment he was freed and dashed outside to perch on the wall. The door closed, and Will and I were alone.

“What do you think?”

He slid up behind me and curled his arm around my waist. After seven days of rainy, cloudy British skies, the sunshine pouring over my face was a welcome reprieve. I turned into Will’s arms and nestled my head under his chin.

“I love it.” I played with the fingers wrapped me and felt his chest swell and exhale a long breath. “It’s amazing.”

I watched Tom bathe himself on the wall, his fur gleaming in the sun. Surrounding the patio were dozens of lemon trees and brightly colored homes, which faced the rolling ocean. My body relaxed in Will’s arms, but my heart galloped ahead.

A deep sound of assent rumbled through his chest. “Yeah, it’s beautiful here.”

I turned around and looked up at his face, which stared down at me with unhidden longing. I lifted myself on my toes and kissed him with a hint of my tongue sweeping inside to make him long for more. Finally. He kissed me, his mouth devouring mine hungrily. I stumbled back, my legs hitting the edge of the bed, which bounced as I fell onto it.

William's body followed mine. My breath caught in my throat as his weight pressed against me, his hands diving underneath my shirt. I dug my fingers into his scalp, the sting of his teeth nipping my neck. Then his hot mouth found mine again, and he ripped off my shirt. My legs tightened around his waist.

He pulled back, sitting between my legs. The battle raged behind his eyes. He shook his head. “Natalie, I want you, but—”

“Am I not your type?"

He seized my hand, and I blushed as he pressed it against the bulge between his legs. "Does this answer your question?"

Yes.

"I want to fuck this shit out of you right now."

"Then do it!"

"I wanted to wait, you greedy woman."

I threw my head back in frustration. "We both want this. What's the point?"

His dark eyes glinted. "Hell if I know."

Then suddenly my body was dragged to the edge of the bed, and Will stood up to yank me upright. I was overwhelmed with his hands running up and down my sides. A dark grin spread across his face as he snaked around me and planted light kisses on my neck as he undid my bra clasp. The bra fell down my arms as Will drank me in with a greedy expression. My high gasp hit the ceiling as he dug his fingers into my hair.

"You know how often I've touched myself these past couple weeks? I was saving myself—I wanted our first time to mean something. I didn't want it to just be one night of hard fucking."

I didn't know what the hell I was in for, did I?

"But you keep begging me to do it anyway. A man only has so much self-control."

Then he kissed my open mouth, grabbing my breast and squeezing. I lifted the shirt from his head, seeking the warmth of his body. Oh God. How long had it been since I felt a man's naked skin against mine? 

The door to the patio stayed open. I tried not to gasp as his chest flattened against mine. His thumbs hooked my shorts, pulling them down as my hands burned from the heat of his back. 

He smoothed the skin on my thighs as he kneeled down and kissed a trail to my hips. The shorts fell with my panties, stinging my pussy with the cool air until his mouth seared against me.

William lifted his head at my gasp, smirking.

“What?”

He fixed me with his smoldering gaze as he smiled, resting his lips against me. Wet heat darted between my legs and a shock of pleasure to my brain made my vision blur. Then he squeezed my thighs, forcing them apart.

“Oh my God!”

He kissed me. Right between my legs.

The warmth spread over my lips, dipping into me as Will dug his tongue inside me. I couldn’t stop the groan. He pushed me back so that my knees hit the mattress and I fell back. My legs lifted over his shoulders as William’s head worked between my thighs.

I’d never felt anything like this that made me cry out loud, not caring about the open door and the other guests who might hear us. His thumb suddenly pressed on my clit.

“Will!”

He rubbed it in circles, glancing up with a smirk. Then he went back to eating out my pussy, the sounds of his tongue driving me mad with desire. He took breaks to turn his head and kiss my thighs, and I dug my fingers into his hair.

“Will—I need you.”

He gave me a wicked grin. “Damn, I like hearing that.”

Then with a last gentle nip of my skin, he stood. The raging erection of his cock tented his shorts. My mouth watered as he undid the button, his fingers brushing over the bump I wanted to squeeze, and then he pulled them down. His briefs slid over his powerful thighs, revealing his thick length.

A nudge of arousal hit my core as he grabbed himself and stroked, but there was no need. He was already rock-hard and ready to go, but he stood there and watched me with a carnal smile.

It was torture watching him retrieve the condom, slicing it open with his teeth, and then rolling it over his huge length. Damn, how would that even fit inside me?

But I was ready. I’d been ready for months—weeks.

My legs wrapped around him as he climbed on the bed. My heart throbbed somewhere in my throat as his weight bore down on me. Then I felt an unyielding pressure between my legs, and my breath hitched in my chest. Will held me with his fiery gaze, his reassuring smile. I watched as his eyes glazed with pleasure as he slowly sank inside me.

Our sighs hit the ceiling. I felt my walls expand around him, and I bit my lip hard. Then my sigh became a loud moan as he anchored inside. I tightened around him, adjusting to his thickness. Will found my lips, cutting off another moan as he gave another thrust. I dug my heels into his back, urging him on. Will sucked in my bottom lip and bit down, the pain mingling with pleasure. Another yell erupted from my chest, and then Will's hips hammered me. His cock pounded me as his grip around my shoulders became suddenly fierce. My head tilted toward the ceiling, his lips on my neck as his body slammed into mine.

We paused to rip the shirt from his back, and then I sighed in pleasure as Will's hot skin pressed against mine. His back rolled like a wave, and I clung onto him as though I might drown. I pulled his body close to mine so that he was riding against me. My nails scraped the back of his head. Every exquisite inch of him pounded me, and he held on to me as though for dear life. As though he needed me.

Will grabbed my right leg and swung it over his shoulder. Then he drove in, the shock of him striking my core with intense, pleasurable heat. His face was transformed, and I dug my fingers into his back. The orgasm I knew was coming trembled up my thighs. Then my pussy clenched around his cock. My leg hooked around his waist as his chest fell over mine. Will groaned deeply, thrusting once, twice, and then he took my chin in his hands. His dark eyes simmered with barely satiated lust.

I crushed my lips against his mouth as waves of pleasure crashed over my body. I melted in his arms as he kissed me back. Then he sighed, his breath billowing over my mouth.

“Damn, I needed this.”

I couldn’t remember the last time I had sex, but I was painfully aware of it now. I wanted more of him, even though he was still anchored inside me.

His lips tugged into a smile. “Are you getting all quiet on me now?”

“No.”

“Good. I like your voice,” he said, kissing my cheek. “Especially when you’re screaming my name.”

* * *

I had sex with Will.

It was incredible. And it was all I could think about as we hiked. Will showed no indication that he was thinking about how I’d laid underneath him hours earlier as he fucked me into oblivion.

Every time I glanced at him, I pictured his naked body, thrusting over mine and an overwhelming heat filled my cheeks. Will promised me fun and nothing more. No strings. That was obvious.

And yet my heart fluttered when he’d glance back at me with a smile.

Will and I walked along the uneven path. Every so often I would look to my right and just stop to gaze at the endless deep blue water that shifted into a vivid turquoise when it approached the shore. Combined with the bright green grape vine-covered hills and the colorful houses, it all looked like a highly colored, vivid dream. We climbed high up the hill until our village was just a handful of brightly colored boxes, shining like a beacon. Green, luscious vegetation surrounded our path; endless rows of grapes wound around the hills, reminding me of California. On the way up, a man-sized hole was cut in a chain-link fence, revealing a tiny wooden stand and a man crouched underneath. A crude wooden sign said, “Fresh Limoncello and Lemonade!”

Tired hikers stopped to buy small cups of fresh lemonade from the exuberant salesman behind the hole in the fence. The sun beating down on our backs made a cup of fresh lemonade sound very appealing, but I tried the limoncello instead. Cinque Terre was known for its lemon liquor, and I still hadn't tried it.

“Do you want to have some?"

He shook his head. “I don't drink."

Nevertheless, William entered the queue to buy my drink, refusing my offer to pay. He returned with a small glass of acid-yellow liquid and a plastic cup of lemonade for himself. He smiled as I took a sip. It was sweet but refreshing. He laughed at me.

“What's so funny?"

“You will fall on your ass. That stuff is strong."

“I don't feel anything." I took another swig of the sickly sweet beverage.

“That's because you're standing still."

Sure enough, when I took a step and lurched upwards, I stumbled. My ears burned as William’s laughter rang out on the narrow path. My mind swimming, I focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

I yelped as I collided with Will’s stationary body and would have fallen down if he hadn’t grabbed my arm.

“Sorry,” I gasped as I righted myself.

“Lightweight,” he muttered. “Try not to kill us both, will you?”

I felt another wave of mild dizziness that had nothing to do with alcohol as he squeezed my arm. We continued up the trail, and I drank the bottle of water to shake the warm sleepiness from my limbs. The buzz from the limoncello melted away, and we were rewarded with an incredible view of the next village, Vernazza. The pile of multicolored buildings sat on the beach below the green hills, wrapping around a tiny harbor where a half dozen boats rocked from the ocean waves.

We stood there for a while, taking pictures of the village and appreciating the view before we began the descent down.

The path became level. Ahead of us was a picnic table with a sign and a blue bucket hanging on a tree. A tabby cat sat on the table, licking himself. The sign was in Italian. William moved his lips as he read the sign and his face darkened.

“What does it say?"

“It says to feed the stray cats with the food in the bucket."

We stood in a small clearing in a forest area. Several yellow eyes blinked at me from hanging, low branches. A black cat watched us from the arm of a tree, another one scratched its claws on the bark of a tree, and yet another dashed from bush to bush. Another cat leaped on the table and meowed plaintively at us. Will outstretched his hand, and the cat bumped its head against his knuckles.

“Poor bastards,” he sighed.

On closer inspection, we saw that many of the cats had filthy, mite-infested ears. Some were limping, and others had sores in their mouths. 

“I wish I could help them.”

“Well, why can’t you? Just hire people to trap the cats and bring them to a vet in town. It’s a huge waste of time, but it’s obviously important to you. I can’t wait to see the headlines, ‘Foreign Billionaire Saves Cats of Cinque Terre.’”

Will looked at me like I had just sprouted an extra head. “You’re a genius.”

“What?”

“I’ll make a few calls later.”

You should fix your own problems, first.

Still, the cat situation seemed to pull him out of the well of guilt, and he talked excitedly about what he would do to help. He would set up a trap, neuter, and release program and pay locals to take them to the vets in La Spezia.

There were even more cats when we descended to Vernazza. They prowled the cobblestone streets and hopped on chairs to beg from tourists eating lunch. Will pet the ones that approached him, grief stirring in his eyes when they pawed his hand.

“I didn’t know you were such a bleeding heart,” I said as I stroked the yellowed, filthy fur of a white cat.

“I like animals, and I think I should help them, especially when I have the means to do so.”

My fingers brushed his hair. It was a sweet, sensitive side of him I’d never witnessed before. 

“I think I’ve one more village in me and then I should head back to work.”

He smirked. “You sure that’s why you want to head back?”

My heart slammed against my chest, the brief image of Will ripping my clothes off consuming my mind.

The ascent to the next town made my thighs scream in protest, but the views were perhaps the most breathtaking. We were on the edge of the terrace, looking down at the inviting ocean stretched out as far as I could see.

"Let's just stay here. You can buy a place, and you can rescue cats, and I can sell my paintings to tourists. You speak Italian—it would be perfect!"

Will turned around with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Oh, yeah? You’d be happy staying here, playing house? What about all of your ambition?”

Watching the rolling waves had me hypnotized. “All of that doesn’t seem to matter anymore.”

“You would get bored of it. And I would drive you crazy.”

William wiped the sheen of sweat from his brow with the back of his dark hand and squinted at me under the sun.

"I don't think I’ll every get bored around you.”

“Why do you want me, Natalie?” he asked suddenly.

Are you kidding me? “I want you for your money, that’s all.”

“I would believe that, except that you haven’t asked me to buy you anything this whole trip.” 

“Maybe I’m just waiting until we’re married.” I laughed at his widened eyes. “Relax, I’m just teasing.”

He shook his head and scowled at me with a don’t-joke-about-things-like-that expression. I brushed his hair from his face and fingered the back of his neck and ear. He closed his eyes.

"You're a great guy, and you're fun to be around. Maybe I want you because you make me feel special. You realize you could get any girl you wanted, right?"

“Yes, but when you’re surrounded by people tripping over themselves to impress you, you look for something different. Someone like you. You treat me like you would anyone else. I’ve never met a girl who made me feel—normal.”

“Well—thanks.”

His hand tightened around my waist, and he kissed my forehead. I hugged him, inhaling his scent and wanting more. He lifted my chin with his index finger and gave me a kiss that made me want to collapse in his arms. It was hard and biting, filled with all his pent-up sexual tension. He backed me against the fence separating the path from the vineyards and his hands groped my ass, squeezing hard. His tongue shoved into my mouth and mingled with mine, and then he retreated, giving my lips a small bite before he finally pulled back to breathe.

That fiery blaze was back in his eyes that said: I will fuck your brains out when we get back.

My palm slid down from his waist and anchored over the hard bump bulging in his shorts. He gasped as I squeezed him and I felt a little shock of excitement. I kissed him and let go because people were walking up the path.

William had straightened himself before they caught up to us. He turned toward the fence as if he was tired. I stood beside him and laughed.

“Groping me in public,” he muttered, shooting me a hot glare.

When we reached the wind-swept Corniglia after a winding series of stairs that led down, we took the small train back to our bed-and-breakfast. Will kept his arm draped around me during the trip, and I nestled in his embrace. It was almost as if we were a real couple. By the time we climbed Monterosso, the sun burned like orange glitter over the darkening water.

We held hands and walked along the beach, William’s flyaway hair flattened against his head. We kissed again, and the knowledge that we were so close to our hotel room made my heart throb with anxiety.

“We should eat somewhere.”

"Eat?" I said as if I had never heard something so ridiculous.

“Yes,” he smirked, laying his hot lips over me again and again. “We’ve been hiking all day, I’m hungry.”

A series of camera flashes from the corner of my eyes distracted me. Tourists, probably. No, it couldn’t be. William curled his arm around me and roared at man clicking away, screaming something in Italian.

“Vaffanculo!”

The man scuttled away like a roach.

“Fucking paparazzi,” he roared.

I shuddered at the thought that our pictures would be blasted over social media websites. “Aren’t you used to it by now?”

“Never.”

While Will steamed about the run-in with the pap, I looked around for restaurants. Having no idea what was good, I suggested things at random. Will said he knew a great place, so I took his hand and followed his lead. We entered a dingy looking restaurant with a very humble interior and a surly waiter. However, Will assured me that the food was great.

I watched him in fascination as he conversed with the waiter in rapid-fire Italian, picking out only a few words from my mediocre Spanish. “Si prego” was a phrase I heard repeated often, but I wasn’t sure what it meant.

“Where did you learn it?” I asked when the waiter left.

“Italian school on Saturdays until I was about sixteen.” He rolled his eyes. “Never used it except with my parents and grandparents, when they were still alive.”

The waiter returned with a small carafe of wine. He poured me a glass, but Will waved him off when he tried to fill his glass. I knew that Will didn't drink, but I didn't know why.

“I thought you might like their house wine,” Will explained.

It was dry, like Chianti. “It’s great. Do you want to try it?”

He licked his lips as if he really wanted it, but he shook his head. “I can’t.”

I raised an eyebrow but said nothing. This fell under the category of things Will didn’t like to talk about.

“So much for getting any work done today,” I sighed as I took another sip of wine. Its warmth washed over me like a sleeping spell. My eyelids were heavy.

"Tell me about your family. Your life. You know a lot about me, but I know almost nothing about you."

My face burned under Will’s flattering interest. “Not much to tell. No siblings. My parents are both dentists. They wanted me to become one, but I had no interest.”

“I don’t see you cleaning people’s teeth.”

“Neither did I. Parents were disappointed that I became a graphic designer.”

“They’ll get over it,” he paused for a moment and thought about it. “Actually, they might not.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, feeling suddenly heavy. “I don’t think they will—even if everything else in my life was perfect.”

“Hey,” he said in a soft voice I never heard before. “Don’t be upset. I’m the only person whose opinion matters in your life.” He winked.

We ended up ordering seafood dishes with handmade pasta and ate slowly, talking little. It was enough to sit comfortably in each other’s presence. When we left the restaurant, night had fallen, and the streets were empty. Laughter echoed from the few bars in the tiny village, but we held hands and walked toward our hotel. It was a balmy night, with the smells of lemon trees and the mixed aromas of the restaurants surrounding us.

He'd glance at me and smile, and I felt the beginning of something stirring in my chest. I knew that it would be hell when we were separated. I opened my mouth several times to ask him, but I couldn't summon up the courage.

“Will, thanks for bringing me here. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

We stopped in front of the hotel room, and Will used the keycard to let me in. I kept wiping my hands on my jeans.

“How grateful are you?”

The door closed, and Will's commanding presence overfilled the small room. The air thinned and his laser-like eyes rooted me to the spot, frightening and exciting me at the same time. The hint of something suggestive in his voice made me shudder all over. I clawed at my necklace and twisted the pendant in my fingers.

“I—I’m really—” I broke off with a nervous chuckle as Will stood in front of me, smiling with so much confidence that it ought to have been fined. “I’m nervous.”

"Yes, I can see that. You're a scared little bird. I'm afraid that if I move too fast, you'll fly away."

But I wanted him, so I took a small step and leaned into his chest, sighing with relief when he wrapped his arms around me. I felt the reassuring thump of his heart against mine and relaxed.

His hands moved to the back of my head. “Natalie, kiss me.”

I launched myself upwards and felt the roughness of his cheek, the bump of his hips, his hands suddenly possessing me. His lips roughly claimed mine, and he pushed me backward, toward the small bed. I fell onto the mattress, and Will's heavy weight followed me, his lips and tongue refusing to let go of my mouth.

I moaned into his mouth as his fingers slid my tank top and bra down so that my breasts bulged.

“Fuck.”

I gasped when he bit my lip hard and sent a trail of heat blazing down my neck, kissing and sucking my flesh. I knew where his lips were headed, and I wrapped my hands around his head, so impatient that I wanted to jerk him by his hair. He stopped to give a wet kiss on the crest and then teased his tongue over the center of my breast, my whole body shuddering when he touched my nipple.

I cried out when he went in for the kill, his mouth opening to devour my tits and sucking hard on my firm nipple, groping the other breast with his hand. I pressed down hard on his head, flattening my chest against his face, but I didn’t care.

My breast popped out of his mouth, red and shining.

He smiled at me wickedly. “You liked that, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” I gasped. “Don’t stop.”

The bulge digging into my hip told me that William liked it too. My stomach shivered as he attacked the other breast, kneading the swollen one with his hot hand as he sucked the other one. Jesus. He tongued my nipple, sending electrical shocks of pleasure all the way down, making me buck against his waist.

I wanted to see his body again. I tugged the hem of his shirt until Will finally sat up and ripped it off his body. He sat on me, straddling my waist as I gazed at his olive-skinned, athletic body in all its glory. I sat up, and he let my hands explore his body, traveling up his flat, hard stomach to the slight dent between his pecs. I smoothed my hands over his flat chest, and he reached around me to pull the tank top and bra over my head.

He pulled me against him, and I sighed with the thrill of having our naked bodies touching. I reached down and stroked the bulge in his pants as we kissed. I unzipped his pants and gripped his length, still trapped in his boxers. The head of his cock was damp, and it had seeped through the fabric. I slipped my hand between the boxers and his skin, curling my fingers around his hard rod.

Then suddenly, he flipped me around and tore my jeans and panties down to my knees and forced me on all fours. I heard a quick, plastic sound and suddenly his hardness slipped up and down my wetness, massaging my clit.

“Yes, Will!”

He lunged forward, his thickness spearing me open, ramming deep inside and setting off every pleasurable nerve that existed. The pain at being swiftly penetrated was punctuated by a rush of pleasure that made me moan and buck my hips against him. Suddenly, I yelped in pain. William spanked my ass hard, the imprint of his hand burning against my cheek.

No one had ever taken me like this. It felt so good. I fell against the wall and used my hands to brace Will’s hard thrusts, groaning when his hips slapped against my ass, his cock buried as deep as he could go.

And his hands were anchored on my hips, holding me against him so that he could pull backward hard when he hammered forward, intensifying that amazing feeling driving me high, turning me mad with desire. He had the stamina of a bull, and even though I felt his hands slipping with sweat, he drilled me nonstop. The force of his thrusts never let up, all of his crazed energy was focused into fucking me as hard as possible.

He wrenched me backward and spun me around so I was straddling his waist. His black hair stuck to the back of his neck and his face was rosy with color. He gripped my hair and forced my head forward, plunging his tongue down my mouth as I tried to kiss him.

William was in complete control. He lifted my waist and set me down on his lap. I grabbed his cock and sighed as I sank down, feeling my walls expand as he filled me up.

“Up and down,” he said, breathing deeply.

I grabbed his shoulders and lifted my hips, my thighs slapping his flesh as I sank down. My nipples brushed his lips as I bounced up and plummeted down; he gathered them in his mouth, moaning as he felt me squeeze him with my powerful walls.

“Jesus, Natalie.”

He took my hips and thrust upwards, impatient with my slow rhythm. I held his face against my breasts and moved up and down, grinding hard when I felt him impale me. Will kissed me as we joined our bodies over and over. Then he fell forward, and I fell on my back with my legs still wrapped around him. I groaned as he dug into me, wrapping my legs tighter around his ass.

The smell of sticky, hot sex engulfed my senses. William's damp body hovered over mine and then lowered, sending a swift feeling up my body. I was crying out his name as he plowed into me. Our foreheads touched and his hot breath billowed over my face, his groans like music to my ears, the sound of his wet flesh smacking against my wet core, and the feeling of him thrusting inside me—all of it combined into an epic, shuddering orgasm.

I clutched Will's damp back for dear life as he released a huge groan and hammered forward. My contractions clenched around him, and the wave slowly rolled up my body, making my stomach shudder. Will pulsed in and out a few more times and then he rolled off me.

His face was smooth; I never saw him so exhausted. His arm slid under my back and pulled me against him. My head lay on his shoulder, and I listened to his deep breaths, his chest rising and falling like the ocean.

“Natalie, that was—”

“—Amazing.”

It was the best sex I ever had. How many times had I laid under Ben, bored as he pumped for a few minutes then collapsed to the side, without a thought of my pleasure? My body ached from being pounded so hard, but I felt myself twitch in anticipation of going again.

I kissed his neck. “When can we go again?”

His chest shook with laughter. “Might be a little bit.”

And my heart fluttered as he gathered me in his arms and kissed me.

"A little bit" turned out to be fifteen minutes of foreplay and fondling, then William took me again—almost as roughly as he had the first time, and at last we collapsed in each other's arms and resigned ourselves to sleep. During the night, I heard a jump and then a small, warm lump settled behind my legs. The lump began to purr. I smiled.

Screaming. I jerked awake, naked and confused. It was still dark and I couldn't see anything. Tom's nails raked me as he sped from the bed, startled by the noise. A dark shape thrashed beside me—Will—in the throes of another nightmare. I groped for the switch on the lamp, and it flared on.

“Will, wake up!”

I ripped the covers off him, and he seemed to shudder awake. He turned away from me and sat on the edge of the bed, his shoulders shaking.

I rejoined him in the bed as a low moan shook from his throat. I curled up behind him, watched him bury his face in hands, and did not know what to do.

He flinched when I touched his back. “Hey, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“Nothing. It was nothing.”

I tried to ignore the horror rising up my throat. “Maybe you should tell me what happened.”

He lifted his head and turned around, his eyes bloodshot. “You don’t want to hear about it. Believe me.”

“I can handle it,” I said in a firm voice.

Will’s black eyes hardened. They were reflective, like a dark mirror. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

"You don't want to talk about it, but I deserve to know. If this will go anywhere, I need to know." I grabbed his wrist when his eyes unfocused, staring at some point beyond my shoulder. "Either you tell me, or I'll leave and you'll never hear from me again. I mean it, Will."

His arm slipped out of my grasp. “Then go.”

I wasn’t prepared for the chill in his voice, the dead eyes, closing in front of me like shutters on windows. I dove off the bed and picked up my clothes, pulling them on.

He'll be like that? Fine.

“Natalie.” Will’s voice cracked.

“I can let a lot of things slide, but not this.”

Will half-rose from the bed. “I’m not ready to share every dark secret of mine with you.”

“What do you expect me to do? You scream and have panic attacks, and I don’t have a right to know what’s causing them? You must be joking.”

I seized my tank top and pulled it on. He sat on the bed, glowering at me under a curtain of dark hair.

“Where the hell are you going to go? It’s the middle of the night.”

“I don’t care,” I muttered, heading toward the bathroom to stuff everything into my suitcase. A part of me hoped like hell he would change his mind.

"Stop," he said in a tremulous voice, which was suddenly a lot closer. His hand fell on my shoulder, and I looked up into the bathroom mirror. His eyes were wide and terrified and I felt myself weaken.

I revolved slowly on the spot and William held me against him, refusing to let me go. My eyes stung, and I blinked furiously.

“Please, don’t go. I’ll tell you what happened.”