“Well, that went well,” Julian said sarcastically. “Charlie will have a cocktail waiting in there I’m sure.”

We were sitting in my driveway. My butt was glued to the seat, unable to move. I noticed Charlie peek around the curtain in the front window. A part of me wanted to get out of the car and run into her outstretched arms. The other part…

“Lily.” Julian reached for my hand. “Want to talk about it?”

That was the problem: I didn’t want to talk. What happened at the office should’ve made me pissed, and it did to an extent. Angela’s words also made me think about what I wanted going forward. I was tired of doing what was right or what others may expect. What did Lily Waters want?

Julian placed his hand on my thigh and immediately my body reacted. At that moment, I wanted him. “Take me to your place,” I said in a whisper with my head facing forward.

“Lily, are you sure.”

I turned my head and looked right into his green eyes. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. Take me to your place.”

He didn’t hesitate, just put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway.

My phone was tucked deep in my purse, so it took me a moment to dig it out. After pulling up Charlie’s name, I sent her a text message to not wait up. She only replied with a heart emoji.

We stayed silent. I had my head turned and was watching as every house flashed by. I let my mind replay Angela’s words. Lily, you have to know that your career would be amazing if you used your father’s name. She didn’t get it, obviously. I wanted to create a Lily Waters empire just like my father did with Johnny Adams. I knew I had the skills to be a great fighter. The trouble was, how could I convince everyone else I was worth the money for admission?

The car slowed, and I turned my head to see Julian pull into a long winding driveway. I could only see the top of the roof at first, but then he continued until his four-story mansion came into focus.

I burst out laughing. “Really?”

“What?”

“You live in a mansion?”

“Well, yeah, I guess.”

Opening my door, I stepped out and let my eyes roam over the whole property. There were three people tending to the yard. The front yard actually had some stunning landscaping. I noticed a rose bush against the side of the house and started walking toward it. “My mom loved roses.” I brushed my finger over one of the flowers and watched as a petal detached and fell to the ground. “I loved helping her tend to them every spring.”

“I have more around the back if you want to go look at them.”

I lifted my head to face him. “Yeah, I do.”

Julian reached for my hand and guided me to the backyard. “My mom loved flowers, too.”

His words caught me off guard. “Loved?”

“Yeah,” he said, stopping in front of a large garden with every color rose imaginable. “She died last year.”

I stepped closer but still not close enough. “I’m so sorry, Julian.”

“It’s weird to be that guy that has a well-kept yard, but my mom used to love coming here and sitting in front of it for hours. I almost tore it up but stopped myself right before pulling the first bush.”

I placed my palm on his cheek. “I’m glad you changed your mind.”

“Lily, do you want to talk about it?”

I felt the kindness in his words and knew I could trust him. Talking wasn’t on my mind at the moment, though. Glancing around, I made sure we were alone. Then I did a running leap up into his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist.

“Or not,” he said, chuckling.

“I’m not really in the mood to talk.”

“Yeah, tell me what you have in mind?”

I bent my head and captured his lips. Rubbing my hands over his bald head, I moaned, demanding more before pulling away. “I want you inside me. No phone. Just you, me, and maybe your bed.”

He turned and headed up the sidewalk that lead to what I assumed was the back entrance to his house. “Maybe a bed,” he said. “What else do you have in mind?”

“A kitchen counter, shower, floor, you know, anything that can hold the both of us.”

“Are we planning to use all those surfaces today?”

“Maybe.”

“Should we talk about—”

Before he could finish his sentence, I kissed him. I wasn’t in the mood to talk about what had happened. Honestly, I was over it already. The AFC wasn’t going to take away what I worked so hard to achieve. I knew we would get the shit straightened out eventually. Right now, though, I wanted what I kept telling myself I couldn’t have. Julian fucking Moore.

I lifted my head. “You talk too much.”

He closed his eyes and lightly laughed. “All I was going to say was, I think we should add the pool to the list.”

“Oh, I like how you think.”

I tightened my legs around his waist and struggled to control my need. One second my mouth was over his, and then I moved to the sweet spot behind his ear and back to his mouth. When he moaned, my body reacted. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this much need for one person. What was it about this man that had me wanting to climb his body and fuck him until I couldn’t see straight?

“Lily, I’m not going to make it to the bedroom if you keep that up.”

I lifted my head to see what was around and then pointed to the rug. “We can just test this pretty thing out now?”

“Um, no,” he said, pushing open a door. “Bed first. Plus, in here is where all the condoms are stored.”

Forcing my eyes away from his beautiful face, I looked around the room. It was enormous. “You could fit my whole house in this room.”

He let me down. “I doubt that. You have a cute place.”

I rolled my eyes and mocked him. “I have a cute place. Well, la de da, Mr. Moore.”

Before I had a chance to say another word, he flung my body over his shoulder and walked over to the bed. “Ms. Waters,” Julian said, throwing me on the bed. “We need to stop this charade.”

I sat up on my legs. “Oh yeah, and what charade is that?” He surprised me by lifting his shirt over his head and starting to unbutton his jeans. I let my body fall back against the headboard to enjoy the show.

“The real deal.” He slid his jeans down. “Don’t get me wrong, phone sex with you is fucking amazing.”

“But,” I teased.

He dropped his boxers, and my mind went blank. He was erect, beautiful, and I wanted to devour every inch of him. Julian looked down and then back at me. “Eyes up here while I’m talking to you, Ms. Waters.”

“Huh?” I kept my eyes glued below his waist line.

Julian started to crawl toward me. “I want you naked and under me in like ten seconds. Think you can handle those demands?”

“You know I don’t take direction well.” I reached forward and stroked his erection.

He grabbed both my hands. “You can’t touch me with clothes still on.”

I didn’t hesitate. My clothes ended up flying in every direction. I threw my hands out to the side. “Better?”

“Much.” Before I could take back what I wanted, my body magically ended up under him.

“Can we discuss these stealth moves you have?”

“Why, you want to learn a few?”

“Maybe.” I lifted my leg and rubbed it back and forth over his hard length.

“Lily,” he breathed.

I placed my hands on either side of his head and pulled his face closer. “Julian,” I said, kissing him but this time it felt different. We didn’t have the gym, a phone, or any apprehensions in the way. Just two people who obviously craved one another. “Can we get the first round out of the way?”

“Why the rush?”

“Because I know the first round will clear away all the pent-up desire. Then the second round”—I wrapped my legs around his body—“will allow us to explore all the things.”

“What do you want me to do, Lily?”

“I want you inside me and now.”

After our phone sex, my dreams had been amazing. All I could think about was how he would feel deep inside me. Then without warning, I felt the tip of his erection touch the entrance to my core, and I sucked in a breath. “More,” I breathed.

He pushed carefully, and every time he would go deeper, my body screamed for a release. “You feel amazing, Lily.”

“I want to be on top,” I demanded.

Julian didn’t argue, instead he wrapped his arm around my body and turned us carefully so we didn’t separate our already joined bodies. Once we were settled, I sat up and started to move back and forth, trying to find a perfect rhythm. I reached my fingers down and started to create little circles over my sex.

“Let me,” he said, reaching his thumb up and taking over.

I stretched my arms back and placed my hands on his thighs. We started to move at a faster pace. My head fell back, and I let my body take what it had craved for several weeks.

“Julian,” I breathed.

“Don’t stop, Lily.”

Oh, I had no plans to stop. Instead, I increased my pace in need of a release. His thumb continued to pleasure me, and I found I couldn’t get enough of the feelings running through my veins. My orgasm crashed through me, but I needed more. I felt Julian grow bigger deep inside, and I cried out his name. Then he yelled and pulled my body down closer.

We lay there entangled for several minutes, and then I felt movement in my core. I lifted my head. “You can’t be ready yet?”

“Why not?” He chuckled.

“I should’ve told Charlie I wouldn’t see her until next week.”

He burst out laughing and rolled me onto my back. “I do have plans for you that could take a while.”

“Show me.”