He wasn’t a trophy, though, and I had no intention of displaying him as such.
“Meanwhile…”
“Yes?”
I sighed. “Meanwhile, don’t wrinkle your trousers.” I removed my hand, very reluctantly. “The boys will think I don’t know how to take care of you.”
“And we wouldn’t want that.” He shifted around next to me until our thighs brushed against each other.
“No. You’re more than a boy who’ll be on my arm for the night.” I studied the crease in my trousers. “Uh…Wills, would you tell me something?”
“That sounds serious. Sure I will, babe.”
“Okay.” I drew a breath. “How come you didn’t act all thrilled when I…when I told you I loved you?”
“What? When was this?”
Oh, Jesus, he didn’t even remember? “When you blew me before we left for dinner.”
“Oh. Then.”
I smacked his shoulder. “Yes, then.”
“Hey!” He rubbed his shoulder, but there was a slight smile on his lips. I hadn’t smacked him that hard. “I thought that was the hot sex talking.”
“What?”
“Well, y’know, guys always say that when they’ve had a climax that blows the top of their head off.”
“Not very modest, are you?” I glared at him, but he didn’t seem to notice.
He blew on his fingernails and dusted them on his shoulder.
“And you would know this how? Did…did you ever say that to Michael?”
“No.” His expression became sad, as it always did when he spoke of his friend. “And Michael never said it to me.”
Which proved what I’d thought from the first moment I’d heard of Michael. He was a fool.
On the other hand, was I much better?
“Wills, I never…never say I…” I couldn’t meet his eyes and turned my head to look out the window. Holiday lights still decorated the streets and would probably continue to do so for another week or so. “I do, you know.”
Could he hear my softly spoken words? I could barely hear them.
“Teodore.”
My head whipped around. Wills called me “Theo” or “babe.” Only my family…I caught my breath. Idiot! I castigated myself as the light dawned. He is your family!
“Il mio amore più caro.” Where had he learned to speak Italian? And then I remembered—his grandparents. He tipped my face up and caught a tear on his index finger. “My dearest love. I do know. You don’t have to say it. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how much it means to me to hear that. I should have, and I promise, next time, I will.”
“I’m being such a girl about this.”
“Well, yeah. You are…Hey!” I’d smacked him once more. He laughed and pulled me into his arms. “I love you, babe.” And then he whispered, so low that I nearly didn’t hear him, “I love you enough for the two of us.” He brushed his lips along the side of my neck, then let me go and changed the subject. “I’ve never been in the ballroom of the Madison Arms before. Well, I’ve never been in the Madison Arms before, period.”
“There are three different ballrooms, the Elizabeth Monroe, the Abigail Adams, and the Dolley Madison. Le Roi booked the Dolley Madison Room this year. Very classy. I think you’ll enjoy yourself.” I just hoped he didn’t enjoy himself too much. The boys had been attracted to him like bees to honey when he’d been dressed as the Lone Ranger at Halloween. Now in this Armani tux, they’d all want to get their hands on him.
“I’ve had my share of girlfriends, babe, but guys were never attracted to me.”
I realized I must have spoken aloud. “But what about Michael?” He’d been the one who’d taught Wills to suck cock. He’d also been the one who made Wills self-conscious about being vocal in bed. It was a good thing Michael was already dead. For both those reasons, I would gladly have cut off his dick and shoved it down his throat.
Wills gave me that sweet smile and touched my ear, where the garnet and diamond heart he’d given me sparkled. “It always surprised me that you were.”
“What?”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m so…so thankful that you made the first move. I’d still be alone if you hadn’t, if I hadn’t met you.”
“Ah, babe. No, you wouldn’t. Some lucky guy would have taken one look at you, realized what was hidden beneath those suits I can’t talk you out of wearing, and swept you off your feet.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“But you don’t.”
“No. Theo, I was twenty-six years old. I hadn’t had a relationship since my junior year in college—”
“Oh, never tell me you hadn’t had sex since then!”
“Well, no, but I said relationship. Even the sex, though—it was just getting my rocks off. It didn’t matter to me if I never saw the woman again.”
“But you made sure she came.”
“Of course. That’s only good manners.” He didn’t seem to realize how considerate and gentlemanly that was. So few…so very few of my johns had worried about whether I’d had a good time. He glanced at me. “And you know I wanted to see you afterward.”