Chapter 20

~~ MICHAEL ~~

I was totally screwed.  When Ramon flirted with her in the kitchen, I very nearly lost it.  I thought I would lose it with Ruben, but not Ramon.  Hell.  I saw the concerned look on everyone’s face and I couldn’t do anything about it.  All I saw was Lily with someone else and I wanted to cause harm.

Lily was pulling me towards the barn with her hand locked tight around mine.  What the hell was I supposed to say to her after the way I just behaved?  I had no idea.  I also owed Ramon an apology, although I’d rather leave that one alone.  Damn it, he never flirted. I’d never even seen him with a woman and now he wanted mine.  Hell no.

I had to say something.  “Lily, wait.”  I pulled her to a stop and she turned to look at me.

Shit.  She had tears in her eyes.  “God, I’m so sorry for being an idiot.  A very jealous one at that.  I don’t know why the hell I’m acting like this.  I’ve never felt possessive about a woman before, or anything, for that matter.”  I ran my fingers through my hair with my other hand and hoped she would respond.

“Tonight I have to go home to David. I can’t handle you going all possessive on me.  Part of me loves the fact that you do feel possessive, but another part….well it frightens me.  I’m not free yet, you know that.”  She looked back to the house, before meeting my gaze.  “Do you think we can try and get through the rest of the day without you actually causing any bodily harm?”  She grinned.

“I think that can be arranged.  On one condition,” I said returning her grin.

She looked wary.

“You give me a hug.”

“How the hell am I supposed to resist you?”  She walked straight into me and wrapped her arms around my neck.

My arms went around her waist and we just held each other.  My heart was thumping in my chest and my cock twitched.  She fit against me just right.  With a slight movement, our lips would meet.  I desperately wanted to taste her.

I slipped my hands down to her ass and squeezed gently as I brought her up against me. We both groaned.  Christ, I could come from just holding her.

She moved her hips slightly against me at the same time as she moved her head to the side and nibbled my neck, then licked the same spot.  I couldn’t stop the shudder that rippled through me.  My hands tightened on her.

“Michael.”

“Shit, that’s my dad.”  I tried to bring my body back under control and hoped my t-shirt covered my lower body.

Lily released her hold on me and took a couple of steps back. I looked down at her and met her eyes.  The look in them nearly brought me to my knees.

“Michael, have you finished playing with your little friend?”

Lily giggled.

I turned and faced my father, who looked more amused than angry.  “For now.  Lily, I would like to introduce you to my father, Elias.  Dad, this is Lily.”

Lily held her hand out.  “It’s nice to meet you Mr McKenzie,” she said, looking rather flushed.

“Likewise Lily, and please call me Elias.  Are you going to have a look at the puppies?”

“Yeah.”  We watched my dad walk off on hearing my response.  I took hold of Lily’s hand again.  “Come on, let’s go see them.  Lunch will probably be ready soon.”

I led Lily into the barn with my cock urging me to finish what we’d started outside, but my brain was telling me I had to behave.  I was still hard as a rock, and too damn old for a roll in the hay.

We pushed the door open to the back of the barn and could hear the yapping of the pups.  They were pure bred golden retrievers and there were five in the litter, which were four weeks old.  Three of them had a home to go to eventually and I was tempted to take the other two, which my mother was aware of, and until I told her otherwise, I knew she wouldn’t let them go to anyone else.

“Oh my god, they’re adorable.”  Lily took one look at them, gasped and rushed over to them. She sat right down and had them playing on her lap.

I crouched down to the side of her and stroked them.  All the while Lily was laughing and cuddling them all.  She really was enchanted with them.  She kept picking the smallest one up and she would kiss it on the nose – that was one of the dogs I was thinking of keeping.  While she was kissing another one, I picked it up in my arms and looked it over.  Lily glanced at me and grinned when she saw me cuddling the pup – decision made.

“Lunch is ready and don’t attack the messenger.”  Ramon quickly said as he walked towards us.

I stood back up and looked at him.  This was hell and I was never going to hear the end of it.  “Ramon, about before….”  Shit, by the grin he had on his face, he wasn’t going to make it easy. I was sure Lily was laughing, but I couldn’t really tell properly because her head was down. “Damn it.  I’m sorry, just don’t flirt with her again,” I growled.

Lily burst out laughing.  “I take it you don’t apologize that often?”

“Lily, this is the first time I’ve ever heard ‘I’m sorry’ come out of his mouth,” Ramon told her with a smirk.

“Shit.  That stays between us.”  I glared at Ramon.

“Like hell it does, brother.”  Before I could say more, he left.

I looked at Lily, who was watching me with eyes full of laughter.  “You enjoyed that, huh?”

I held my hand out to her and she slid hers into it.  “Oh, yeah!” I pulled her up and straight into my arms for a brief hug.  I needed to try and keep my distance from now until she was free of David.  It wouldn’t bother me to take her away from him, especially with what he was doing behind her back, but it would bother Lily.  A lot.

With our fingers entwined, I walked her back to the house for lunch.