Free Willow: June by Brandy Walker Page A

face, waiting patiently. He took up so much space; she accidentally brushed her shoulder against his massive chest. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
    Aaron stopped her with a hand to her arm. He leaned in close. “For the record, I wasn’t joking. I was trying to get you in bed with me.” His husky whisper drifted over her ear, sending a shudder down her spine. It was mildly arousing, but nowhere close to the explosive feeling she got with the man out on the hall.
    She turned her head and came face-to-face with him. “What?”
    “Damn, sweetheart. I must be off my game if you couldn’t tell. Your wannabe boyfriend is right.”
    “He’s not my boyfriend,” she blurted out.
    His grin grew bigger. “Good. I was flirting with you, and I’m hard as hell.” He raked a hot gaze that should have had her knees trembling. “You’re fucking hot.”
    He dropped a quick kiss on her lips, then went around to the other side of the desk, planting his ass in the large, overstuffed leather chair.
    She blinked repeatedly to clear the fog and confusion that had set in. Since when had Aaron ever thought she was hot? All of the other times she saw him, he was cordial enough; but he never looked at her like he was picturing her naked. Her hand drifted to the moonstone and the possible cause of this new development. It was warm, but no warmer than it should be resting against her skin. It definitely didn’t react like it did when Cedric kissed her.

Chapter Eight
Jun 8th – Monday
    T he fresh air did wonders for Cedric’s sour mood. Or, it could be that they were no longer in the firehouse and a certain firefighter couldn’t hit on Willow anymore.
    His jealousy knew no bounds, as the other man had a lot of nerve to flirt and kiss her in front of him. Apparently, his presence wasn’t enough to deter other men. Not with that damn moonstone around her neck. This was exactly the thing he wanted to avoid next week, and why he needed to get it from around her neck.
    “Is the café okay with you? We can sit outside,” Willow said as they walked down the Main Street sidewalk.
    “Sounds good.” He wouldn’t mind people seeing them together. Maybe they would get it in their fool heads Willow was taken.
    The hostess, a girl he had gone out with once before, smiled brightly at him and told them to pick a table. She followed them out with two menus, placing them on the table before heading off to grab them water.
    Like the gentleman he was, Cedric held the chair for Willow and helped scoot her in. He took the seat to her right, instead of the one across from her. Being able to touch her anytime he wanted was a necessity. Also, anyone walking by would see them together, and if he knew the citizens of the town, news of their relationship would spread like wildfire.
    A smile tipped his lips at the thought. There would be no mistaking they were together by the time the solstice celebrations started. He never knew he would be so desperate for people to know he was with someone. Or, more specifically, that Willow was with him.
    Willow dipped her head and studied the menu, though he doubted she really needed to. The café had been a popular spot when they were growing up. Most of them gathered there after school to hang out and be a general nuisance.
    The hostess came back out and set their waters down. She stood next to him and fidgeted. He saw her twisting a ring on her finger out of the corner of his eye. He had no idea what she was still doing standing there. He looked up at her and smiled.
    Relief flooded her face for some unknown reason. “It’s good to see you again, Ric.”
    Cedric tried his best not to cringe, and he could have sworn he heard Willow snort when the hostess called him Ric. He kept his focus on the woman, silently wishing she would hurry up and say whatever it was she seemed determined to say.
    She batted her long eyelashes at him, and he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. “I had a really great time on our