“Lily,” I groan in pure torture, snaring both her wrists lest she tempt me further. “You couldn’t begin to imagine the things I want to show you, and if you let me, I will, but not right now. Not here.”
“Yes, now. Here. That’s what makes it perfect,” she begs in staggered breaths, unaware what her wiggling in my lap is doing to me.
“You are what would make it perfect, will make it perfect, but I refuse to burn through this, beautiful girl. I won’t be deprived, Lily, and I certainly have no plans to deprive you. When I have you for the first time, we will have nothing but time to fully explore each other and this connection between us. And unfortunately, you have a flight to catch.”
She dives in, her soft little lips and obedient tongue working along my neck as she purrs in pleasure. “Forget that flight, I already have.”
As pleased as I am to have this effect on her, I can’t let her let him take further advantage. Sighing out my pained strength, I gently pull her away, cupping her flushed cheeks to force eye contact. And nearly change my mind. She’s stunning — eyes flared and glittered with a wild lust, lips swollen, pulse racing in her slender neck — how I form words, I’ll never know. “Lily, our whirlwind has only just begun, and I swear to you, very soon, I will shower you in the things of your wildest dreams. But for now, you need to get back home and see to what is left of what’s rightfully yours. Your house, belongings, don’t let him rob you even more, beautiful.”
“It’s just a house…” She shrugs. “Plenty more where it came from. And any belongings I truly cherish, I put in storage a long time ago; call it foresight. He can do whatever he wants with… whatever he wants; I honestly don’t care. I’m not going to fight over nothing.”
She has no idea, but she just sealed her fate. By showing me, without prompt or rehearsal, her core, inherent goodness, soul, something inside me that I knew not existed, just awoke for the first time. Lily is mine. Made to bring me to life. I want her light shining on me forever.
Mine.
I found her. Without looking.
“I thought you loved that house? When you spoke of it, you did so with such enthusiasm and detail.”
A smile to rival all that would be called beautiful fills her face. “You were listening?”
I slowly nod. “To every word you’ve said since the first one.”
“Me too. To you, I mean.” She giggles, shy and soft. “So I heard your warning; you don’t do commitment, marriage, or anything messy. At first, that was enough to scare me off, but not anymore. I’m not going home, and I am ready for one of those rendezvous you promised.”
“You’re not planning on going home right now, or ever?”
“Never,” she pops with a laugh of true freedom. “Has to be sold to be split, right? Let Ethan have the estate sale and do the cleaning if he wants to turn it fast. I’m sure he’s already got some shady plan in the works to finagle the amount of money I’ll see from it anyway.”
I smash the button, barking as the petition lowers, and Lily scrambles off my lap, righting her appearance. “Maxwell, change of plans, stop the car.”
“The car’s been stopped, for quite some time, sir.” He motions to the windshield, and I see we’re indeed parked at the airport.
“Fine. That’ll be all for now, Maxwell.” I raise the screen once more and turn to Lily. “You’re sure about this?”
“Positive.”
“Very well. Excuse me for one minute, I need to make a call.” I dial, waiting for him to answer while Lily looks on curiously. “It’s me. Turns out the dove didn’t care for that cage, so move on to phase two,” I order and hang up, returning my focus to Lily. “Now then, tell m-”
“No,” she drawls, eyes mere slits of suspicious green, “now you tell me what that call was about.”
“Nothing you need to worry yourself over, beautiful.”
“Trevor, are you, oh my God,” her eyes fly wide and she leans in, checking over each shoulder before hissing in a whisper, “are you in the mob?”
A playful side of myself, that again, didn’t exist before Lily, leans toward her and mimics her whisper. “If I was, you’d need to be more specific on which mob you’re referring to, since it’s my impression there are several, in several different countries, but as is, you’re good, because no, I am not in any mob, darling girl.”
“Then why are you whispering?”
“Because you were.”
She swats at me, rolling her eyes as she sits up straight again. “I’m not stupid, Trevor. I know that call was about me, the dove, my house, the cage. What were you planning, and more importantly, what’s phase two?”
I laugh, because my precious angel is baring a crack. Though scowling her best, and sincerely abhorred by the thought of anything too sinister, the faintest trace of anticipation leaked into her last question. Perhaps I’m not totally unworthy of her after all.
“You’ve already learned to crack my codes.” I tsk. “How will I manage to keep you in surprises? Yes, you are my dove, and I thought you loved your old home and would surely want to keep it, so I was going to ensure that happened.”
“But the judge said-”
“The judge said nothing to me.”
“True.” She ponders, then gasps, “What is phase two, Trevor? The fact they’re named in phases is starting to scare me. How many phases are there? Oh, God, wh-”
I stop her panic by taking her hand and kissing its palm. “Lily, I don’t want you to worry yourself, over this, or anything. I thought you wanted your house, I was going to see that you had it. I don’t think you want him maimed, or worse, so clear your head of such crazy concerns. But know, Ethan will reap all that he sowed. Men like Ethan are very simplistic creatures, made up of very few, predictable wants, needs, and values. I’ve merely assured that the miniscule tower of his foundation will soon crumble.”
“I have no idea what you really just said.”
“That’s not a bad thing.” I laugh. “Now, enough about that which doesn’t matter. Tell me things that do; such as, if you have no plans of returning to what was your home, where are you headed? Suppose I was to leave you here, at the airport, which I have absolutely no intentions of doing, where would you go?”
“I don’t know, hadn’t thought that far ahead. Still haven’t.” She turns her head to gaze out of the window, searching for everything I can’t wait to give her.
I slide closer, brushing her hair aside to kiss the delicate skin where her neck and shoulder meet. “Hot or cold?”
“Hmm?” she hums in question, tilting her head to give me more of her.
“Would you prefer to go someplace where it’s hot or cold?”
“Which would you pick?”
I bite her neck and wrap my arms around her in teachable firmness. “I asked what you would prefer, Lily. Not because I want you to cater to me, but because I want to know the answer. Tell me what Lily wants.”
“Cold. A fire, cocoa, snuggly blankets, and movies. Oh, and snow. I’d love to see snow.”
“Then snow you shall see.”
“Trevor?”
“Yes?”
“I know what this is. And I swear, I’m going to try my hardest not to get attached, I really am, but…”
“What did I say about worrying?”