“If my chest looked like yours, I’d never wear a shirt,” she told him.

  He chuckled. “If your chest looked like mine, you wouldn’t be here. But, hey, feel free to go topless anytime. I rather enjoy the view.”

  Men were such simple creatures with simple needs, but there was something not so simple about Will that fascinated her, amused her, at times grated on her last nerve, but damn it, she couldn’t pull herself away from him...at least not personally.

  She reached for the snap on his jeans and carefully slid them down his legs. He helped by kicking off his boots and then stood before her wearing nothing but boxer briefs and a naughty grin.

  The man rarely smiled, but now... Hannah shivered knowing she was in for one hell of a night.

  “You should do that more often.” She reached up and slid her fingertip over his lips. “Smiling is sexy on you.”

  He nipped at her finger then removed his briefs. “I smile all the time.”

  “Rarely.”

  “Not during work.”

  In a swift move, Will lifted her once again and tossed her onto the bed before following her down and hovering over her.

  “We’re not working for the rest of the night,” he promised with a low growl. “And I’m done talking altogether.”

  He wrapped an arm between her and the mattress, then flipped them both until she was straddling his lap. Hannah couldn’t help but laugh, and caught herself by flattening her hands on his chest.

  “When you decide you want something, you really move fast,” she told him.

  He gripped her hips. “This past week didn’t feel like it went fast.”

  Hannah eased up onto her knees to align their bodies. “That’s your fault. You took too long to think about this.”

  Will groaned as she rubbed herself against him and curled her fingertips slightly against his skin.

  “I can admit when I’m wrong,” he growled between gritted teeth. “Which is why you’ll be staying the night. I need more.”

  With that, he jerked her hips down until their bodies joined. Hannah cried out and arched instantly at the sensations flooding her.

  He reached up to cup her breasts. The strength and warmth of his large hands turned her on even more. She pressed into him, needing everything he was willing to give. He’d clearly put her on top to give her control here, which was just another one of Will’s traits that she couldn’t help but lo—

  No. Mercy, how did that word almost creep into her head?

  She eased down, resting her hands on either side of his head, and covered his lips with hers. Will gripped her backside and took over the momentum.

  Maybe he hadn’t been relinquishing control.

  The silent way he commanded her body had her climbing higher and higher. There was no holding back her release, but she wanted to see him...and she wanted him to see her.

  Hannah sat back up and worked her hips as she pressed her hands against his chest. When her eyes met his, she saw something she didn’t recognize. What did he see when he looked at her?

  But before she could contemplate it, her body let go and all thoughts vanished. Hannah cried out. Her eyes shut as if she could hold on to this moment, this sensation, forever.

  With his hands still on her rear, Will jerked his hips faster, harder, until his body followed hers. He took one hand and curled his fingers behind her neck to pull her down.

  Once again she opened her mouth for him, her body still zinging from all of their delicious activities.

  Will seemed to settle beneath her and Hannah eased from the kiss to rest her forehead against his. She didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t ever stayed all night with a man she wasn’t dating, so she wasn’t sure what the protocol was here.

  But she needn’t have worried. As per usual, Will took over. He settled her to his side, pulled the comforter around them, and kissed her forehead.

  Everything about this seemed so intimate, much more intimate than the sex itself.

  With the storm raging outside, Hannah couldn’t help but wonder if she should write a song about the storm raging within when a woman wanted a forbidden man.

  TWELVE

  “It’s not often I eat cold pizza in bed at three in the morning,” Hannah joked.

  Will wanted to swipe this pizza out of the way and remove the dress shirt of his that Hannah had put on. They’d fallen asleep to the storm and had woken up about a half hour ago with growling stomachs. As soon as he learned Hannah hadn’t had dinner because she’d been too excited about the performance, he’d grabbed the one thing he didn’t have to cook.

  “You don’t like cold pizza?” he asked.

  “Oh, I love all pizza,” she corrected. “Cold, hot, room temperature. Any toppings, any crust. I literally think pizza is the greatest food.”

  “That’s good to know for the future.”

  Hannah tipped her head, sending her bed-messed hair falling over one shoulder. “The future? Are you taking me on a date or something?”

  When she laughed, he realized how ridiculous he’d sounded. For a split second he had lost his damn mind and actually thought about taking her out. That wasn’t even possible and he wasn’t shopping for a girlfriend.

  Not only that, attempting to “date,” or have a relationship with his newest artist, would be detrimental to his label, not to mention to all of the artists who trusted him to keep a solid reputation. There was too much at stake and he couldn’t take such a risk. What they had—it had to stay a secret.

  Could everything be just fine if they proceeded as they had been? Sure. But could it all blow up in their faces? Absolutely.

  “Maybe I want to make sure I have enough on hand when you spend the night again.”

  Her eyes darted down to her lap for a moment, then back up. She sighed and seemed to be rolling thoughts through her mind.

  “Are we going to keep doing this?” she finally asked.

  “Why wouldn’t we?” he countered.

  Now he did pick up the box and turned to set it on the nightstand. Will scooted closer to her, gripped her legs, and pulled her until her legs were overlapping his thighs.

  “We both enjoy this.” He rested his hands on that perfect crease between her thigh and her hip. “Nobody knows what we’re doing and we seem to get along better this way. We’re not butting heads like we were in the beginning.”

  Her smile sent another punch of arousal through him. “That was just the sexual tension.”

  “Or the fact that you and Hallie play twin games.”

  Hannah tapped her fingertip to his chin, then trailed down until she got to his chest. Her hands started exploring. It seemed he still hadn’t fully calmed down from their first session. How could he want a woman with such a fierceness? How could he not even put his emotions into words?

  “We don’t play games,” Hannah murmured. “We just have each other’s backs.”

  Will wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer until his mouth was a breath from hers.

  “I don’t know how I ever confused the two of you.” He slid his mouth across hers, back and forth. “You might look the same, but you’re different. You’re...”

  Mine.

  “You get to me,” he added.

  No way in hell was he going to claim her. If he went down that path, they’d be on shaky ground. Making this public... The timing—with her just signing with Elite—would put a dark cloud over her career, and his, and people would wonder if Hannah had slept with him to get what she wanted.

  Will would cut ties with her before he ever saw her or her career damaged. He cared for Hannah, maybe more than he wanted to admit.

  She looped her arms around his head. “You get to me, too,” she confessed with a light kiss. “And I’m all for a closed-door fling.”

  Closed-door fling. That sounded so dirty and classless. But that’s exactly what he’d laid out in his mind, right? That’s exactly what they’d have to do if he wanted to protect Hannah and Elite. While he cared for her reputation, he also had to look out for his own label.

  Will didn’t want to talk anymore and he didn’t want to make rules or worry about anything else. All he wanted was Hannah. She was in his bed and he fully intended to take advantage of their time together, because once her record was released and she started touring, their alone time would be minimal and he would have to share her with the world.

  She slid a fingertip between his eyebrows. “Why so serious again?”

  He snagged her finger and kissed the tip. “I’m thinking of where I want you next.”

  Her body trembled against his. That’s all he wanted—having Hannah just as aroused and ready as he was.

  “You want to see my oversized shower?” he offered with a grin. “There’s a one-way window that overlooks the lake, but nobody can see in. I wouldn’t mind having you in the moonlight.”

  Her lids fluttered closed and she pulled in a breath. “I can’t resist you and your sexy words.”

  Will maneuvered them off the bed and carried her to his bathroom. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

  * * *

  Walking through the new studio was quite exhilarating. Will was impressed with how far things had come in such a short time. His contractors had left for the day, he’d taken Hannah back to her car early this morning, and now he was just getting some quiet time in the place that was like his second home.

  He was taking in all the new features and already planning how to get his artists in here to start working. Even so, Will couldn’t get Hannah out of his mind. Having her stay at his house last night had probably not been the smartest move, but he couldn’t exactly change what happened. He wasn’t sorry any of this had happened, but he did need to be smart about it. He needed to protect Hannah and Elite.

  There was a tap on the front door and Will turned his attention to the hallway. He had no idea who would be knocking, but he headed toward the entry.

  Will caught sight of a familiar fake smile and bling. Nothing like wanting to be alone and then getting interrupted by Mags Dumond.

  He flicked the lock on the door and pushed it open to allow her inside.

  “What brings you by, Margaret?” he asked.

  That wide, red-lipped smiled faltered just a touch before she replied. “You know I hate that name. Mags, Will. Everyone calls me Mags.”

  Yeah, he knew that, but grating on her nerves was too easy and too damn fun. Besides, now that he had her top star, Will knew she was a bit more annoyed with him and very likely much more stressed overall.

  While Elite had historically produced country legends, it was Cheating Hearts Records who’d taken the limelight over the last few decades. But Will’s ownership of Elite was changing all that, and now he had Hannah, who’d been Mags’s big-ticket star.

  “So what brings you by?” Will asked again.

  “Well, I saw your car outside and knew you were renovating.” She bypassed him and started her own self-guided tour. “I just wanted to see how things were coming along.”

  More like you wanted to snoop on the competition.

  Will turned and stared at her back as she continued to glance around. He had to admit the waiting area had turned out a hell of a lot nicer than he’d envisioned. He’d gone with classic white and dark wood. He had black-and-white images on the wall of various artists who’d sung for Elite in the past and that he’d personally produced. In the corner sat a piano that had been used by Ray Charles. Lining the hallway leading to the recording studio, Will had hung a variety of guitars used by famous stars.

  One of his favorite parts about the country music industry was the history, the dreamers who’d taken a chance on what they wanted.

  An annoying niggle crept up in his thoughts. He’d become a dreamer since Hannah. An erotic dreamer, but whatever. He wanted her and was going after her, but to what end? Would they just have sex until they were ready to move on? Until they were out of each other’s systems? Would that ever happen? Or would she move on and want to date someone?

  That instant image had a spear of jealousy stabbing him. Will didn’t like that idea one bit. Because that likely meant another man would be in her bed and Will refused to even let that image sink in.

  “This is all lovely,” Mags said as she turned back around.

  Will cleared his thoughts of Hannah. “It is,” he agreed. “Is that all you needed?”

  Mags laughed. “Oh, Will. No need to be in such a hurry to get me to leave. I also haven’t received your RSVP for my charity ball.”

  That would be because he was too busy keeping Hannah naked and satisfied, but he’d certainly be keeping that information to himself.

  “Must’ve slipped my mind with all the work I’ve been doing,” he replied. “I’ll be there.”

  The front door opened behind him and Will turned to see his brother Gavin stepping through. Perfect timing. Will could use an excuse to get Mags out of there. The woman was only here to snoop. Will couldn’t believe she hadn’t brought up Hannah yet, but thankfully his brother might have interrupted before she could broach the subject.

  “Am I interrupting?” Gavin asked.

  “Not at all,” Will told him. “Mags was getting ready to go. I believe our business is done. Unless you want to discuss something else?”

  “Oh, we can talk at the party,” she assured him. “Please, tell Hannah I miss her, and I can’t wait to catch up when she’s at my house.”

  Will nodded and waited as Mags let herself out. Once the door closed behind her, he turned to his brother. “I wasn’t expecting you, but I’ve never been happier for your visit.”

  Gavin laughed and held up a folder. “Well, I was on my way to your house when I saw your car here. I have those contracts you need to sign regarding the promotional events you have planned over the summer with Hannah and Cash.”

  “Everything look squared away?” he asked.

  There was nobody else Will would trust more to be his attorney than his brother. Gavin was savvy and powerful. He was the most sought-out attorney in the industry, but Will and Elite always took top priority.

  “It’s all in order,” Gavin stated, handing over the file. “I put tabs where you need to sign. Just get them back to me by the end of the week and I’ll take it from there.”

  Will nodded. “I assume you RSVP’d to Mags’s event?”

  “I did. I can’t imagine anyone not attending since the funds are going to rebuild.”

  “Are you bringing a date?” Will asked.

  Gavin shrugged. “Hadn’t thought much about it.”

  “Well, it’s pretty soon.”

  “I might bring someone,” Gavin added. “I haven’t had time to date much lately, but since this will be a popular event, I’m sure I could find someone to take.”

  Gavin liked to date, but he was discreet about his activities. He’d always been known as the quiet, reserved Sutherland brother, but for reasons Will never understood, that was appealing to some women.

  “You going with Hannah?” Gavin asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  Gavin’s eyebrows rose. “Relax.” He laughed. “Just asking if you were going as a united front. You know, since she’s new with Elite and just left Cheating Hearts. What did you think I meant?”

  Will cursed beneath his breath. He needed to chill out and relax or everyone would be able to tell he had a thing with Hannah. Not that he didn’t trust his brothers implicitly, but he and Hannah had agreed to keep their intimacy between them. He respected her too damn much to go back on that.

  “I just didn’t want you to think we were going as a date,” Will joked. “Wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong impression.”

  “I doubt anyone would think that,” Gavin replied. “Unless you’re actually dating.”

  Will stared at his brother and Gavin narrowed his eyes. “You’re dating?”

  “What? Hell no, we’re not dating.”

  Will and Hannah never got out of the bedroom so there was no time for dating. Technically his response wasn’t a lie. Surely his attorney brother would appreciate that logic.

  “You hesitated, so I didn’t know if something was going on.” Gavin shifted his stance and crossed his arms, holding Will in place with that lawyer stare. “You know if something is going on, you can tell me. I’d understand. She’s an attractive woman. Though, I have to say, if something is going on, it’s not the smartest move on your part.”

  Gavin did that a lot. He’d argue with himself and give both sides. Must be an occupational hazard.

  “There’s nothing to tell,” Will responded, trying to reassure him. “I’ll get these papers signed and to you tomorrow.”

  He hated the guilt that crept in. Now he was lying, and he never lied to his family. They meant too much to him. At the end of the day, if everything else was stripped away from his life, Will would still have his brothers.

  Once Gavin left, Will remained behind and glanced over the documents, but his mind was back on Hannah and the fact that he’d just now put her above his loyalty to his brother.

  And that right there told him that this—whatever it was—was about more than sex. He had no idea what to do now or how to handle it, but he was definitely going to have to figure out where the hell his head was in all of this. He refused to ruin his relationships with his family.

  Did he want more with Hannah?

  Damn...he did.

  He wasn’t sure to what extent, but he wanted more than sex. There was such a fine line here and he was in unfamiliar territory. Not to mention, he didn’t know exactly where Hannah stood.

  Will knew one thing, though. He always got what he wanted and he never settled.