I love seeing Lily like this.

She’s practically glowing. A rational man would say that it’s the candlelight playing tricks on my eyes, but I know what it actually is. It’s her being happy.

We eat, and the food’s good. Of course it is, because I fucking cooked it.

Imagining a future where I get to cook for our kids comes way too fucking easily to me. A future where we’re together, and Lily’s always happy.

Despite that, I notice moments where she seems to be a little more guarded than I’d like. She’s a tiny bit tense, which I guess is to be understood, considering how we sprung this on her. I’ll tell you, planning a surprise like this in a resort staffed by gossips and currently overrun by your own family is no small feat.

We’re taking a lot of chances here, playing on the fact that it’s too late in the evening for anyone to come looking for Austin or Lily as whoever would come searching for Austin would definitely hear our voices and notice the rose petals outside. Getting all the food was a hassle as well and I’ve been cooped up in the kitchen cooking all day. Hell, even Callum helped, which has never happened before.

But it feels right. Going through all of this effort to show her that we care, I think we did the right thing. It’s completely understandable that she has her doubts – we all do – but I think together, we can figure them out. For her sake. And for the sake of us all at the same time.

We’re almost through dessert and it’s getting really late. We promised each other that we wouldn’t try anything with Lily tonight and I’m beginning to feel like my brothers are starting to regret that agreement.

I know I am.

“How’s the pie?” I ask, getting mumbled praise from around the table from Callum and Austin.

Lily laughs, shaking her head and sipping on her champagne. We’re on our fourth bottle now and she’s pink in the cheeks, her eyes glittering. She’s been letting go of whatever was bothering her as the evening has progressed, and it’s almost completely gone now.

“I would have never pegged you for a cherry pie kinda guy, Troy,” she says, and I huff.

“I’ll have you know that my apple pie is even better but apples aren’t in season yet.”

Callum immediately rolls his eyes.

“Don’t get him started on that. He’ll tell you the life and times of apple orchards in the whole country and which apples are best for pies and which are best for jams and so on. It’s like a two-hour production if you get him going.”

“I think I’d like to hear it, some day,” she tells me, and I wink at her.

“Well, if everything goes our way, we’ll have all the time in the world to talk about the fascinating world of growing apples.”

My brothers groan and Lily laughs louder, shaking her head.

“You three are…”

“What?” Austin asks, feigning ignorance. “Wonderful?”

“Amazing?” Callum offers, continuing our usual shtick.

“Breathtaking?” I finish.

“All that, yes,” she giggles.

God, she sounds to fucking sexy when she does that. When she lets her guard down, it’s the most attractive that I’ve ever seen her, and far sexier than I could conjure up even in my dirtiest fantasies. There’s something about how pure and sweet she is that trumps anything else that my mind could throw out.

“It’s getting late,” Austin says with a note of sadness as the clock strikes midnight.

We’re done with the food and we’ve been avoiding calling the evening to an end for the last half an hour or so, but it’s time.

“It is,” Lily agrees. “I have an early meeting tomorrow.”

She doesn’t give us any details, but we know what she’s talking about. More arguments between dad and Milan – exactly what we need. More drama. Because we don’t have enough of that shit in this family.

I keep my tongue behind my teeth as we start getting up from the table.

“I’ve arranged for the service staff to come take care of this tomorrow when you’re out. So you don’t have to worry about anything,” I tell Lily.

She nods thankfully as we converge in front of the front door. There’s energy in the air that the last time I felt, led us to Lily being on her knees with a blindfold over her eyes. I can feel my cock straining in my pants and I discreetly roll one hand into a fist behind my back, trying to force the fucking erection down.

I get a feeling that I’m not the only man in the room doing that.

“Thank you so much,” she says, looking at each of us in turn. “This evening was… well, exactly what I needed, I think.”

Her voice is soft and I ache with the desire to reach out and brush that one auburn strand of hair out of her face and to tilt her chin up to gaze into her eyes. Again, I can bet good money on the fact that I’m not the only guy here with those desires.

“Any time, baby girl,” Austin says, his voice getting huskier.

She gasps slightly, hearing that pet name spoken out loud again. I don’t think any of us have used it since that day that we’re all supposed to forget, and definitely never fucking will. She bites down on her lower lip, her teeth grazing the skin, and it’s at that moment that I can’t take it anymore.

I step up to her and pull her into my arms. I kiss her ravenously, my arms looping around her waist and pulling her into me. She throws one arm around my neck, getting up on her tiptoes to kiss me harder, while the other grabs for the first man she can reach.

It’s Austin, and when I give her a moment to breathe, his lips find hers. Callum’s standing behind her now, his hands running down the curve of her ass and caressing her hips, while he kisses her neck.

She purrs in our arms and turns from Austin to Callum, while I continue kissing her neck. Austin takes the other side of her neck and she’s practically hidden between our massive bodies when everything gets shot to hell in a matter of seconds.

The door is thrown open behind us and I don’t think any of us notices for the first couple of seconds. I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up from a slight breeze that wafts in just as I’m nibbling on Lily’s earlobe, making her groan as she sucks on Callum’s tongue and Austin’s hands have slipped up the front of her body, cupping her breasts.

I look up, dazed, searching for the source of the breeze, and my eyes lock with Milan’s.

“Shit,” I mutter.

It rouses Austin first and then Callum snaps into the moment.

Milan is standing at the doorway, clutching a heavy binder to her chest, looking like she just walked in on a triple homicide. Her eyes are so wide that you can see the spots where she’s had her wrinkles taken in straining a little. Her eyebrows are up to her hairline and her mouth is gaped open in horror and shock.

That expression burns into my mind. The exact reaction that Lily’s been so fucking terrified of all along. The reaction of someone who doesn’t understand what we feel for each other, the reaction of someone who she wants to respect her… And now there’s nothing but disgust on Milan’s face.

“What the fuck are you doing?” she asks, practically spitting the words out as she stands, shaking in her spot.

That’s when Lily finally realizes something’s wrong. She whips around, coming face to face with Milan. Lily lets out a little shriek and I immediately step in front of her, blocking her from Milan’s view. Lily’s perfectly covered – in fact we all are – but that doesn’t matter. Milan could have walked in on us triple-timing her and it wouldn’t have made a fucking difference.

The implications are far too fucking clear one way or another.

“You… you fucking whore,” Milan screeches, dropping the binder.

“Milan, shut the fuck up,” Austin growls, stepping up to her right next to me. “Watch what the fuck you’re saying.”

“What the fuck I’m saying!?” Milan repeats, her expression a picture of revulsion. “You think there’s anything I could say about what’s going on here that would make it any less disgusting? If you think that, you’re fucking wrong. She’s a slut and you three… Jesus Christ, what would your father think!”

Callum has grabbed Lily into his arms, pressing her against his chest, even though she tried to slip past him and disappear deeper into the bungalow. My blood’s boiling and this is the first time I’ve wanted to punch a woman. Milan has no right to make Lily feel bad for what she’s doing.

“Milan, you get the fuck out of here if you know what’s good for you,” I tell her, my muscles clenching in rage.

She’s having none of it.

“No,” she says icily. “I think you’re the ones who need to leave. I need to talk to my lawyer.”

Her face twists again as she says that and I can practically see the gears turning in that evil little head of hers. Her eyes narrow suddenly and she pushes past me and Austin, wiggling through the gap between us to come face to face with Lily, who is still hidden away in Callum’s arms.

“It’s gonna be fine,” Callum’s telling Lily, but I don’t entirely believe his tone.

It’s one thing to think that you’re prepared for something like this. It’s a whole other matter actually coming face to face with it. Being pitted against what it looks like and what it feels like to be judged for something that feels so right but society thinks is so wrong.

“I swear, Lily, if you’ve told them a word,” Milan starts, a threat ringing in her voice.

Lily immediately turns towards Milan and I can see that her eyes are red and her complexion is ashen. She’s shuddering all over.

“No,” she says, shaking her head quickly. “I haven’t said anything.”

“Told us about what?” Austin pipes in, grabbing Milan’s attention. “What shouldn’t she have told us?”

“Nothing,” Milan snaps, grabbing Lily’s arm. “You’re coming with me. You, me and your boss need to have a fucking word. Right. The fuck. Now.”

“You’re not taking her anywhere,” Callum growls, not letting go of Lily.

“No, it’s okay,” Lily says sharply, looking from Callum, to me, to Austin. “Milan’s right, we need to… we need to talk about the case. I need to go. I’ll see you guys later.”

I don’t believe a word she’s saying.

“Lily, you don’t have to do this,” I tell her, stepping in the path of her and Milan. “We can figure everything out.”

I might be pleading with her at this point. I know I need this to make sense as much as she does and I get the feeling that if I let her walk out now, everything’s going to go to hell.

Austin’s still wearing a look of sullen doubt on his face, clearly rolling the thought of Lily hiding something from us in his head. Callum looks shellshocked. And I’m… I’m not sure what I am.

Lily shakes her head violently, looking down at her feet.

“No, I need to go. I need to do this,” she insists, and Milan snorts.

She grabs Lily’s arm harder and tugs her along, rounding past me. On her way out, she grabs the binder that had fallen to the floor and clutches it under one arm. Milan looks back at us once, Austin, Callum and I standing in the middle of the wreckage that used to be our perfect fucking evening, and there’s nothing but disdain on her face.

Lily doesn’t look back at all.

I feel like a piece of us has been ripped away from us.