Free Untamed by Sara Humphreys

there, big guy, you’re walking a fine line between being supportive and being a creeper.
    William quickly put his hand in the pocket of his own jeans. Never in his life had he exhibited such lack of self-control. He cast a contrite look to Layla, expecting her to give him the look of death. To his delight, her lips curved into a smile as she turned her attention back to Ginny.
    “Yup,” Layla said with a nod to William. “Old friend from New York. We worked together on some projects a few years ago,” she said casually and with such ease that William almost believed it.
    “Well, any friend of Layla’s is a friend of ours,” Ginny said with a glance to her husband. “Right, Ralph?”
    “That’s the ticket,” Ralph said with a wink. “Now, did you need something from the deli counter, or did you just come in here to see my handsome face?”
    Before Layla could answer him, the bell at the front of the store rang impatiently. Ginny grunted a sound of displeasure. “Oh, for goodness sake, I have to get back up front. I’ll tell Anna you’re home. She’s going to be positively tickled.” The bell shrilled with impatience, and Ginny let out a huff. “Oh, I’m coming. Keep your panties on,” she shouted abruptly and marched down the aisle.
    William watched her short, round form disappear and had a momentary pang of sympathy for whoever was ringing that bell. Something told him that she was going to give them an earful for interrupting her reunion with Layla and her interrogation of him.
    “That woman is so excited about being a grandmother, she can’t contain it,” Ralph said quietly. He laughed and shook his head as he slipped behind the counter. “Now, what can I get for you, young lady?”
    They finished their shopping quickly, and when they got to the counter, Layla didn’t dawdle. She clearly didn’t want to get peppered with more questions from Ginny. As they piled the groceries into the backseat, he looked across the way and watched Layla. The wind blew her curls off her face, and he noticed how young she looked.
    Her skin was free of lines. Based on her complexion, he doubted that she spent much time in the sun. He imagined she’d burn easily. She was a natural beauty and didn’t wear a speck of makeup. She didn’t need it. Thick, dark red lashes framed those huge green eyes in a strikingly beautiful way.
    Layla shoved the last package into place and leveled her gaze to William. He held it. She pushed her windblown hair back self-consciously. “What are you looking at?” she asked with a short laugh.
    “You, I’m looking at you , Layla.” She stilled as his penetrating stare wandered slowly over every visible inch of her. William concentrated on keeping his eyes from shifting; he didn’t want to do anything to spook her or send that defensive wall back up. He took his time, committing every freckle to memory. Finally, after several minutes, his dark eyes locked with hers once again. “You are exquisite,” he said softly.

Chapter 5
    Was it possible to have an orgasm simply by having a man look at you? No. Not just look. Devour. He was devouring her with his eyes, and it was, without a doubt, the biggest turn on of her life. His fierce gaze locked onto hers with a piercing intensity that impacted every inch of her being.
    For most of her life she’d worked hard at being invisible and flying under the radar. She loved being behind the camera and taking pictures of the beautiful and unusual, but she never wanted to be either. Layla avoided male attention like the plague, so as a result, her high school boyfriend and a couple of lovers over the years were the sum total of her adventures with men.
    However, when William looked at her, it turned her on more than anyone ever had. No one had ever looked at her so intimately. It was as if he stripped her bare, saw straight to her very soul, and cut through all of her bullshit, which unnerved and fascinated her.
    Her heart hammered in her chest as