Tis The Season for Secrets (Village of Yule #2)

28. Will

W ill took Juliet’s spare key card to the hotel room and let her head up first. She looked hesitant to leave him, but he assured her he wouldn’t be long. At Reception, he asked for room service to send up an ice pack and a hot water bottle. If her hand got any worse, he’d take her to Yule in the morning, where she’d be healed far more quickly than going to any hospital on the Outside.

He found her curled up on the couch in front of the TV, watching old reruns of cartoons. Her heels had been kicked off on the rug under the table by the couch. Will sat down beside her and pulled her into the crook of his arm. He eyed her purple knuckles.

A knock of the door made her jump, and he chuckled. “It’s just room service.” Heading to the door, he tipped the man before taking the items he’d requested.

“What are you up to?” Juliet called as he went to the bathroom, where he found the sink covered in make-up and skincare products along with a myriad of snacks. This must be the aftermath of her and Margot getting ready. He tidied up a little, so she’d be able to find things more easily, then wrapped the icepack in a facecloth so the cold wouldn’t be so biting against her skin.

“It doesn’t hurt that much,” she protested as he left the bathroom and revealed the icepack. “I don’t think I need that.”

It weighed on his chest how much she hid her pain. He sat down again and took her hand, watching her wince as she clenched and released her fist.

“Your face tells me you do,” he said, placing the wrapped ice pack across her knuckles. “Luckily, I don’t think you’ve broken anything. Let the ice work, and hopefully the swelling will go down. If not, I’ll take you to get it looked at in the morning.” He’d had his fair share of bruised knuckles, both before he’d joined the guardians and during training. It didn’t help that she had such a tiny fist compared to that man’s jaw. He was sure Harvey’s men had taught him some respect before barring him for good.

She pouted up at him. “It’s cold.”

“This will keep you warm.” He handed her the hot water bottle from the table. Her smile reached her eyes as she hugged it to her tummy with her good hand.

“Thank you.” She beamed.

“Keep the ice on for fifteen minutes, or I’ll take you to the hospital,” he said sternly.

“So bossy,” she muttered, letting him rest her hand on the arm of the couch so the ice pack could balance on her knuckles.

“Bet you wish I’d done the punching now,” he mused.

Juliet rolled her eyes, settling deeper into the soft cushions.

“Feel better?” Will asked as her expression relaxed.

“Much,” she admitted with a sigh of relief.

“Mrs Klaus used to always give us an ice pack and hot water bottle whenever we got injured getting up to mischief.”

“I’ll be sure to thank her next time.” The comment lingered in the air; it assumed that she would be returning to Yule. “Thank you,” she added quickly.

“Are you okay for a few minutes? Do you mind if I have a quick shower? The arsehole split his drink on me when he took a swing,” Will said, unbuttoning his stained white shirt.

“I think I’ll survive,” Juliet said, snuggling into the pillows. He turned up the volume of the old cartoons while she unashamedly ogled his muscles, then leaned down and kissed her.

“If my hand didn’t hurt so much, I’d join you.”

He loved how disappointed she looked, though he worried it might be the alcohol talking. “And if I weren’t a gentleman, I’d let you. Now rest.” He kissed her again, pulling himself away with a groan as she ran her tongue against his lower lip.

In the bathroom he stripped off his shirt, hating the sticky sensation on his skin, washed out the stains as best he could with hand soap, then put it out to dry on the towel heater while he showered. Feeling and smelling a lot less like a sweet alcoholic popsicle, he put back on his boxers and trousers, wanting to make Juliet more comfortable. Going out in nothing but a towel might surprise her, and she’d had enough excitement for one night.

Running his hand through his damp hair, Will tried not to overthink about whatever had caused her to call Margot. The night they’d met, she’d left the party opting for the bar and a book; whatever had driven her to Alexandria and away from the estate where her sister was must have been especially painful. He gripped the sink. He didn’t want to assume the worst of Mr Frost, but seeing her so disheartened and worn-out tugged at his heartstrings. I shouldn’t have left her there. Even if he risked coming across as controlling and possessive, he wished he’d been there when she left the meeting, just to hold her hand. He tried to remind himself that he couldn’t control the situation – not when he’d been part of lifting the veil on her life.

A thud outside broke his train of thought. He smiled, wondering what on earth she was up to now.

“How’s that hand doing?” he asked, closing the bathroom door behind him so the steam wouldn’t escape. He was surprised to find Juliet still sitting on the couch and everything apparently in its place.

“Throbbing, but better.” She lifted her head from the back of the couch to look at him. Her tired eyes told him she was sobering up.

Carefully, he removed the ice pack. “The bruising looks normal, and thankfully the swelling isn’t getting any worse.”

“I’m not going to the hospital, but I’ll admit it does hurt more.” She winced, trying to extend her fingers.

“I’m not going to toss you over my shoulder and drag you there if you don’t want to go,” he promised. “As long as you tell me what that sound was.”

“Sound?” Juliet diverted her gaze to the TV, confirming she’d been up to mischief while he was indisposed.

“You know, I am feeling a caveman urge coming over me.” He sighed, resting his hand on her bare thighs. Fuck, if he hadn’t noticed how short her little black skirt was before, he had now. Judging by her flushed cheeks as her eyes lingered on his hands, she was on the same wavelength. He swallowed his desire, reminding his lust that now wasn’t the time.

“I wanted to get the chest out of the wardrobe,” she explained, surprising him.

Will glanced at the wardrobe beside the bed behind them. He waited for her to explain, wondering why it was here and why she’d wanted it at this precise moment.

“I want you to take it back. I want you to put it back in the hall of guardians before anyone knows it’s missing.”

“Where is this coming from? It’s yours.”

She wouldn’t look at him. Gently, he tipped her chin up so she couldn’t hide those beautiful brown eyes. “Is this about the meeting with Mr Frost?”

She swallowed, and her little sigh confirmed his suspicions. “He knows about the chest. He knows about you and the bell. He wants me to give it to him.” The fear in her confession was tangible.

“How?” was all Will managed to get out, as the air disappeared from his lungs.

“I don’t know, but I do know that we shouldn’t underestimate him.” Juliet rested her face in her hands as though she couldn’t believe it either. “Please just take it. I don’t want everyone getting in trouble because of me. He’s heartless when it comes to getting what he wants, and he wants the bell most of all. He’s given me until Christmas Eve to hand it over, or he’s going to report us to the council.”

“You’re so close – just a few more days. Mason is going to start petitioning the council!”

Juliet shook her head as though she didn’t want to hear it. “As much as I want to meet her, to finally have the last piece of this puzzle… there are others I care about.” She hesitated. “You.”

He pressed his lips together. He’d never thought he’d be one of the factors getting in the way of her reunion with Eloise. As much as he ached to be a part of Juliet’s life, their chemistry had become an obstacle in the task he’d been given.

But it was too late to change paths now. He couldn’t let her go. Even the thought of being separated from her woke a fear in him he’d never experienced before.

“I don’t want to have to pick between the people I care about and someone I’ve never even had the chance to know – to love. The only thing I can think to do is give the chest back to you and we agree not to see each other again. Maybe one day, we can find another way to meet. For now, the only evidence my dad has is information about the chest being stolen and in my possession. I don’t want to put anyone or anything at risk, including my own heart.”

The heartbreak in her words told him it was too late for that.

“I’m sorry you had to face your dad alone. He never should’ve known. And I’m sorry I didn’t do more to protect you.” Will wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

“It’s not your fault,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. “He said there are people who still believe the Frost family deserves a place in Yule. He’ll always find a way to get what he wants, but this time I won’t let him. I left the estate because it was a miracle he didn’t find the chest in the cottage. He had his security search the place while we were in Yule.”

“I love how ferociously you want to protect us, but we can sort this out. Trust me and have a little faith.” Will brushed the hair from her face and wiped smudged mascara from under her eyes.

“I trust you – it’s him I don’t trust. I doubt he’ll even wait until Christmas Eve before he reports us. He won’t like that I’ve left the estate. He even sent Beth off to stay with a friend for the holidays to keep her from me.”

Will kissed her hair, kicking himself for underestimating Mr Frost. He’d known letting her keep the chest in the cottage was a risk, but he hadn’t known the Frost eyes and ears travelled so far. If the family did have allies in Yule, they were lucky his greed had delayed him from reporting them the minute he found out about Eloise’s plan.

“Let’s worry about all this tomorrow. Today has been hard enough; you need to get some sleep.” He didn’t want her to make any rash decisions out of a desire to protect him or her mum.

She sat up abruptly, resting her injured hand on his chest. “No! Please, we can’t keep the chest here. I need you to take it back to Yule before he discovers I’ve checked in here. I used one of Margot’s fake IDs at the desk, and paid in cash to buy myself some time. I won’t be able to sleep if I know he’s searching for it, and me. Once it’s back safely with the guardians, then we’ll have plausible deniability.”

“You want me to go now?” he asked, looking down at himself. His shirt wasn’t even dry. “I need clothes…”

She jumped up from the couch and opened the wardrobe by the large double bed. “I already brought them to the hotel. Victor won’t tell my dad where I am.”

“You’ve really thought this through?” Will asked, joining her by the bed and helping her put his suitcase on the bed.

“I have. I don’t want you to go, but we can’t risk delaying. When Dad talks to Gillian… my stepmother and I didn’t exactly part on the best of terms. He might realise that I’ve got no intention of giving in to his demands, and with Beth away for the rest of the holidays he doesn’t have much leverage, so we need to use this time to our advantage.” Juliet sat on the bed, watching as he took out a thick navy jumper and some jeans.

“Okay, but I’m not leaving you alone. I’ll have Harvey bring Margot to the hotel,” Will said, loath to leave her. Seeing her so panicked, he had to do what he could to help her. He didn’t want her to spend the next week frightened of her father’s shadow.

“She’s staying in this hotel.” Juliet frowned, apparently confused that he didn’t know. “She came with Harvey.”

“They’re staying here? Together?” Will clarified as he got changed. Harvey had left out that small detail; it seemed his friend was keeping secrets of his own. “He didn’t say anything to me. I know he’s been trying to get her to work for him, but I’ve never seen him so invested…” That was putting it politely. He’d never seen him answer anyone’s texts faster than he had Margot’s at the country club.

“I think it’s a little complicated. Margot doesn’t want to work for him because she doesn’t mix business and pleasure, so until they work it out, they’re staying in adjoining rooms.” Juliet grinned.

“I’m sure Harvey’s loving that. He loves a challenge.”

Will reached for his phone on the table, remembering how his friend had stared at Margot at the bar. They might have met their match in each other. Harvey answered on the third ring; he and Margot were in the hotel bar downstairs.

“They’re on their way up. Harvey and Margot’s rooms are close by, just in case you’re worried about your dad coming here.”

“I don’t think he’d go that far, but thank you,” Juliet said, fidgeting with the fluffy white throw on the bed.

“You never need to thank me.” Will smiled, kneeling in front of her.

Juliet held his face and brought her lips to his. The small touch made his soul ache for more. His hand slipped behind her neck as he peppered her cheeks with kisses until he lost control and claimed her lips as his own. He felt her sharp intake of breath as he pulled her against him. She arched her back, and he dropped his hands to grip her waist, wanting her to remember the weight of his possessive touch while he was gone. He released her, his nose brushing hers.

“Maybe you could go in the morning.”

Her hazy words made his stomach tighten. She rested her hands on his shoulders, not moving away from him an inch; her skirt had risen on her legs, testing his willpower. She moaned softly as his hand slid up her thighs – and there was a knock on the door. Will watched her glare at the door over her shoulder.

“Too late. You’ll just have to wait.” He winked, and she groaned.

“Fine, I’ll just have to take care of myself.” She shrugged as he stood, still between her thighs. He leaned over her, encompassing her in his shadow.

“Don’t test me.” It took all his willpower not to ignore the repeated knocking and take her right there, not caring if they heard her moans.

“You should get that,” she told him, looking up at him with those siren eyes.

“When I get back, we’ll finish this.” His words came out more commanding than he’d intended, but her eyes widened, and that small smirk on her lips told him she loved it.

Adjusting himself, Will went to the door to find Margot alone. He wasn’t surprised Harvey didn’t want to face the grilling about being in adjoining rooms. He’d get to that later.

The girls sat on the bed and talked about what had happened at the bar. “Judging by your right hook, you really didn’t need any help,” Margot said, miming the punch.

“I never thought I’d hit him!” Juliet said with a laugh. “It happened before I even realised what I was doing.” She showed Margot the bruises on her knuckles. “Safe to say we won’t be returning any time soon.”

“It’s fine. Harvey talked it over with the manager and paid for any damages.”

Will picked up his suitcase, ready to head back to Yule. Margot eyed it, and he had the feeling she knew exactly what was inside. Having heard Juliet’s plan, he’d guessed that she’d already gone over her plans with the one person she trusted more than anyone. He didn’t have time to worry about it; given how Harvey wouldn’t leave Margot alone, she was going to find out sooner rather than later anyway. If Juliet trusted her, then he had no choice but to put his faith in her too.