Lily

I blinked several times, still in disbelief. Honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t drop my wine bottle. Rhys Conner was standing just outside my door.

The door of my apartment.

In New York City.

How the hell did he find me?

“How…?” I started, unable to finish the sentence. I don’t know what it was, but somehow his presence decimated me, like any semblance of coherent thought rushed out of my brain. I could no longer think, only feel.

And feel I did.

His cheeks were rosy from the cold, his dark wavy hair curling out from the edges of his beanie. He squinted at me, his pupils dark in the low light, and fuck me if those eyes didn’t burn.

Jen slid over next to me in the doorway. “Well, hello there. Can we help you?” she asked, her tone confident and somewhat flirtatious.

Clearly, she didn’t realize that the subject of our discussion was right in front of us. I’d never so much as shown her a picture of him, probably in a lame attempt to keep him from dominating my thoughts.

“Jen, this is - this is Rhys,” I said softly.

Her head jerked back oh-so-slightly. “Wait. What?”

Rhys stepped forward and removed a hand from his jacket pocket, extending it to Jen. “Rhys Conner. Liliana and I are old friends. I got your address from Dan. I promised him you wouldn’t mind.” He paused, and his eyes connected with mine again. “I hope I’m not wrong.”

I felt warmth rush from my head to my toes, and I swallowed. “It’s...fine.”

Jen crossed her arms and grinned like a fool. “Well, well, well. It’s so great to finally meet you, Rhys. Listen, I was just heading out, so you two hang out, relax.” She turned to me. “I’m staying with Chris tonight, so I won’t be back.”

I flushed for a second time at her obvious implications, unable to look back at Rhys even though I could feel his eyes on me, prickling my skin.

“Jen,” I said sternly, summoning all my strength. “Could I see you in the kitchen for a second?”

I had to poke her because she wouldn’t stop staring at him.

“What? Sorry, yes, yes, of course.” She turned toward Rhys. “You. Don’t you go anywhere.”

We scurried away and lowered our voices.

“Holy shit, Lily. I take it all back. If that is Rhys, then I can fucking see why you’re so fucked up. That man is the finest thing I have ever seen. Seriously, if we had guys like that in our high school, I would have had perfect attendance.”

“Jen,” I yell-whispered. “You are not helping! What am I supposed to do?”

She cupped my face with her hands. “Oh, sweet, sweet Lily. You really don’t know, do you?”

I blinked at her face, immobilized.

“You take that fine specimen of a man, and you fuck the living daylights out of him.” She pulled me closer. “You take him to your bed and ride the shit out of him until your pussy is fucking gone, you hear me? Because it is your duty, as a member of the female species, to not let a man like that go to waste. Do you hear me?”

“I - ”

“I said, do you hear me, Liliana Hayes? A man you have loved since you were seventeen has tracked you to your apartment. I guarantee you he is here to make amends. And involved in those amends will be a giant amount of orgasms. So let him fucking make amends. Don’t make me handcuff both of you to the bed.”

I shot her a look. Jen wasn’t kidding. She really did have handcuffs.

“Or, if that’s what he’s into, I’m happy to lend them,” she said with a smirk.

I took a deep breath. “That won’t be necessary,” I said, buying a moment to think. “I guess we can just talk. It’s been a long time.”

Jen’s lips drew into a bow. “Yes, talk. Perfect. Talking is a great prelude to sex. Awesome. Good call. In the meantime, I will be at Chris’.” She turned and started to leave the kitchen.

I grabbed her arm to stop her. “Wait. Are you sure you don’t - you know - want to...stay?”

Jen chuckled. “Sorry, babe. You’re cute, but you know my rule: threesomes only with dudes.”

“Well, Rhys,” Jen said as we re-entered the front hall. “Like I said, it was super nice to meet you.” Without changing out of her yoga pants and sweatshirt, Jen grabbed her coat and shoved her feet into her boots.

As she did, my trepidation grew. She was leaving me alone with Rhys. It’s not that I didn’t trust him; it’s that I didn’t trust myself.

As she freed her hair from the neck of her coat, she turned to Rhys. “You guys have fun tonight,” she said, making her implication crystal clear.

“It was nice to meet you, Jen,” Rhys said politely. Too politely.

Ugh, he was totally going along with it!

And yet his words, however banal, made my stomach somersault.

We watched Jen disappear down the hall, and then he turned to me. He was still standing in the doorway, his hands tucked into his coat pockets.

“Well, can I come in?”