The guy behind the counter was on the phone when I walked in. Great. It took him a minute before he covered the receiver and asked, “Can I help you with somethin’?”
“Name’s Easton, I called about a motor.” I hoped he would hurry his call up. Lilly was gone for all of two minutes, and I already missed having her next to me.
I was totally fucked.
“Yea, gimme a sec, and I’ll grab it.”
“Thanks.” I stood there, trying not to look like a creep, eavesdropping and watching the guy jot down information. I picked up a sample size of something, read the label, and still had no idea what I had just touched.
“Thanks for waiting, man. Here you go.” The guy slid a box and sheet of paper in my direction.
“Thanks.” I handed him my credit card.
After paying, I hauled ass out of there, dropped the part off at the truck, and headed to the shop Lilly walked into. A bell chimed, and a young sales clerk greeted me. I looked around, but Lilly was nowhere in sight.
“Are you looking for something, or someone?” she asked.
“A woman came in here a few minutes ago, pretty, short red hair, about this tall.” I held my hand to my neck.
“Yes, she’s in the fitting room. Right that way.” She pointed toward the back of the store.
Walking between the racks of clothing, my arm brushed against a rack of lingerie, and I couldn’t help but stop. Lilly would look sexy wearing this. I slid my finger between the small scrap of lace and just the thought of her wearing something like this had me thinking dirty thoughts. I tucked my chin to my chest and made sure my back was facing the sales clerk before discretely adjusting myself.
That was when I heard Lilly’s hushed voice.
“Yeah, I called the doctor this morning. Their first available appointment isn’t for another six weeks . . . will you come with me? I’m scared to do this alone.”
Is she sick? She doesn’t look sick.
I dropped back into one of the leather chairs, my elbow digging into my thighs and my fist to my chin. My knee bounced uncontrollably, trying to come up with a logical reason she would be afraid to see a doctor.
“Oh, hey.” She bit her lip, looking around as she walked out of the little room. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”
“Nope. I just sat down a second ago.” She sighed in obvious relief. “Did you find anything?” I pointed to the stack of clothes she had hanging off her arm.
“I did.”
“Did you need help carrying any of that?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No, thank you.”
I stood, and she tilted her head back. She looked so damn sexy standing there, and my hands itched to grab her by the neck and lean in for an overdue kiss. Her sweet smell of orange blossoms pulled me in deeper, and before I made a fool of myself, I took a necessary step back.
“What if I make a deal with you?” she asked.
“A deal, huh? Well, I’m all ears.”
“Take me out and maybe I’ll wear one of these for you.” She glanced at the pile of clothes and a piece of red lace caught my eye.
“Like on a date?” That deal definitely sparked my interest.
“Yes, a date.”
“You’re on. When can we go on this date?” I was getting a bit excited just thinking about this date.
“Would next weekend work?”
“Next weekend sounds perfect.”
The sales girl came over and removed the clothes from Lilly’s hands, set them on the counter, and Lilly turned to face me. “Why don’t you wait for me in the truck? I’ll be just a minute.”
I nodded, grinning like a damn fool, excited and thankful she wasn’t fighting whatever was happening between us. All I kept wanting was for her to give us a real chance.
“All right, I’ll see you in the truck.” I kissed her cheek and got the hell out of there.
As soon as I sat behind the wheel, I started the truck and parked closer to the boutique, waiting with a shit-eating grin plastered across my face. She had actually agreed to a date with me, and the best part—she initiated it.
The second Lilly stepped out of the store, I got out of the truck, took the bags from her hands, and set them in the backseat. I held her door open, and when I shut it, I told myself to relax.
“Are you hungry at all?” I asked, reversing out of the parking spot.
“Not so much, are you?”
“Not really. I was just making sure you weren’t starving. I could whip something up if you wanted to hang out at my place for a while.”
“I’d like that. Or we could stop by that Chinese place and grab some takeout. Whatever is easiest for you.”
“Chinese sounds good.”
We made it back on the highway, and this time I let Lilly have the quiet. Besides, I needed time to think of where I could take her on our date. I turned the radio dial and stopped on “For Her” by Chris Lane, which was quickly becoming my favorite song. It reminded me so much of this beautiful woman who was falling asleep in the passenger seat and what I was willing to do for her.
Every once in a while, she would shift or flip the station on the radio, but the silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable. Besides, it gave me time to plan the date. Too bad that by the time I pulled into the back parking lot of the flower shop, I had no idea where I should take her.
Confused, she gave me a small smile, asking, “What about dinner? I thought we were going to stop at the Chinese restaurant?”
“Why don’t you go upstairs, and I’ll run out and grab it?”
“That works.” We got out of the truck, and I led her upstairs.
“Is there anything in particular you like?”
She shook her head and sat on the couch. “No. Surprise me.” Just as I was about to close the door, she changed her mind. “Umm, I don’t like cooked vegetables, so maybe something with shrimp or chicken,” she expressed shyly, which earned another laugh from me and shake of the head.
“I’ll be back in ten minutes. Make yourself at home.”
“Thank you.”
I shut the door and took the stairs two at a time, feeling like an awkward and giddy teenage boy.
“I wonder if Chinese food tastes this good in China?” she asked as I refilled her wine glass.
“I’m guessing it’s probably better.” I set the bottle down and handed her glass back to her. “How are you feeling?” Her eyes were half-mast and a shade darker. And it wasn’t due to the lack of light.
“I feel good . . . relaxed . . . warm. It’s nice.”
“Good.”
“Tell me about your tattoos,” she said, brushing slow strokes with the pad of her finger along the ink on my forearm. Her feather-light touch was warm and slow, and I wanted her to touch me like that everywhere.
The entire time her eyes remained fixed on mine. And if I weren’t such a patient man, I would have taken her hints as incentive to push her into the seat back and devour her, starting at her warm wet mouth only to end at her sweet, soaking sex.
I swallowed hard. “What do you want to know?”
“Whatever you want to tell me.”
“Why don’t you tell me about yours?” I rubbed the small compass tattoo she had on her wrist, and surprisingly, she didn’t jerk her hand away or flinch.
“Tyler and I got matching tattoos the summer before I left for college.”
At a loss for words, I nodded. She said his name, but I hoped it was me she was seeing.
“Tennessee Whiskey” came on, and I reached for her hand. Not even batting an eye, Lilly set her wine glass on the table and stood. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close.
Body to body, we moved to the deep raspy sound of Chris Stapleton’s voice, and her eyelids fluttered as they closed. It was clear she was letting go, even if it wasn’t by much.
As she leaned back, I slowly cut her through the air, admiring how beautiful she was. Delicate soft skin, tiny waist, and curves that would make any man drop to his knees. Her soft lips curved upward, and her silky reddish-brown hair hanging below her was a vision if I ever saw one.
Wanting nothing more than to devour every inch of her, I trailed my palm from her flat stomach, upward between the valley of her breasts, gently up her throat, and ended with my thumb rubbing along her soft bottom lip.
Her lips parted, and I pulled her in close, needing her upright and against me. My hand dropped to her neck and her pulse thundered against my palm. My fingers ached with a need to touch her in places I had yet to discover.
“Are you wet, Sunshine?” I whispered, nipping on her earlobe, trailing my lips along her neck. Her body shuddered against me, and a whimper bubbled from her chest. “Do you want me?” I rasped, holding a death grip on her waist. “Because I fucking want you like I’ve never wanted anything in my damn life.”
With my forehead pressed to hers, we continued to dance slowly. My hands fanned the small of her back, sinking lower until they rested on the top of her ass. “Lilly,” I groaned, digging my fingers into her soft flesh, needing her to feel me against her and forgetting every reason we should slow this down.
The entire time she didn’t say one word. She didn’t need to. Her touch said more than any amount of words ever could. She slid her hands under my shirt, grazing the expanse of my chest, and my voice caught in my throat. “Sunshine.”
One by one, I undid the buttons of her blouse, but a part of me grew inpatient. Caressing her lace-covered breast, thumbing her nipple between my finger and her bra, I took her mouth in mine. I devoured her, stealing her every breath, hanging off the ledge as her moans vibrated in me. Seconds away from the last band of restraint tearing in two.
I pulled my shirt off and tossed it behind me before removing Lilly’s top, one arm at a time. I curled my fingers around the bottom swells of her ass and as soon as her legs were wrapped around my waist, I crashed my lips to hers, carrying her down the hall to my bedroom.
I held her tight, refusing to let her go, hissing at the contact.
“Easton, please,” she begged between kisses as I laid her down on my bed.
“Please, what, Sunshine?” I followed her down, kissing along her jaw and throat, needing to taste her skin. I pressed a kiss to her bare stomach, my lips inching lower, kiss by kiss, as I undid the button of her jeans. “Are you sure, Lilly? We don’t ha—”
“Yes, please don’t make me beg.”
I rid the clothes from the bottom half of her body, reached behind her to unhook her bra, then flung it across the room. Sucking in two deep breaths, exhaling each one slowly, my cock throbbed to the point of painful, and I wanted nothing more than to sink myself into her wet heat. It had been way too long, and I needed her more than I needed my next breath.
I rose to my feet and brushed my hand across my mouth, appreciating the woman lying before me. I knew how bad I wanted her, but I couldn’t help but ask myself if she was ready.
“Easton, come here.” She sat up on one elbow, holding her other hand out, and without hesitation, I took it.
I admired the man standing before me. His thighs were strong and muscular, but not bulky, his stomach tone and his chest solid. The perfect kind of handsome, and I was dying to touch him, to feel him above me while I writhed below.
“Easton,” I called to him again, hoping he wasn’t having second thoughts.
Restraint swirled in his eyes, but it slowly wavered. If I was lucky, he would do me the honor and make love to me—conscience be damned. I needed Easton to make me feel like a desirable woman. Thanks to those few glasses of wine, I felt liberated.
I sat up straight and hooked my fingers into the waistband of his jeans, letting them linger for just a second before I pulled the button open. It was all the invitation he needed, and I couldn’t pull my eyes away as he freed himself of the last of his clothing. My hands slid around the backs of his thighs, drawing him in closer. I licked my lips and raked my nails along his hot skin before wrapping them around his cock. His eyes met mine, and a fire burned in the depths as I slowly teased him with each stroke. Up and down, working him over, admiring just how gorgeous he really was.
“Fuck, Lilly . . .”
“Yes,” I purred and licked the tip. Sucking on the head, I glanced up and smiled when his jaw clenched and his eyes squeezed tight. Tangling his fingers in my hair, he pulled me closer, deeper, until he was buried deep, hitting the back of my throat.
“Lilly.” He groaned. “Please move . . . please . . . ah, fuck.” His breaths came in short, hard pants, and I smiled again. I couldn’t help it. I was enjoying it a little too much, having power over his pleasure.
“Hmmm.” I hummed and sucked, hollowing my cheeks, sucking hard as my hands roamed his backside. A string of cuss words rolled off his tongue before he pulled himself from my mouth.
I shivered when his eyes darkened, and he lowered himself so he was braced over me. He brushed the pad of his thumb across the top of my cheekbone then my bottom lip. “God, you’re beautiful.” His eyes were full of heat, but his expression was soft.
Nestling himself between my thighs, he leaned forward until he had me lying flat on my back. From his position, mixed with the moonlight filtering in from the open shades, he looked like an angel. My beautiful man sent to rescue me from my own hell and personal destruction.
The mattress dipped at the side of my head as his free hand skimmed the length of my thigh from hip to knee before pulling my leg up, silently pleading for me to give him the go ahead.
My mouth watered, and I found it hard to swallow. From the way his eyes grew a shade darker, I knew his control had just about depleted. Trembling in response, I wrapped one hand around his neck and brought his mouth closer, wanting his lips on mine.
“Lilly,” he breathed into the kiss, and I took more, needing more, needing all of him. I moaned in response and he slid his cock through my wet folds, teasing me, working me up in hopes that he would bring me back down with an earth shattering orgasm.
Desperate and done with the teasing, I reached for his hips, pulling him into me. The intrusion had me gasping for air. Breaking our kiss, I clawed and caressed his neck, sucking on the soft and salty skin before nibbling my way to the tattoo on his chest.
The slow burn Easton had ignited earlier with only his words had elevated into a full raging fire, filtering heat through every crevice. My pussy clenched, and with each slow thrust of his hips, a hard wave of lust rolled through me.
There was no way I could control myself.
“Easton.” I dug my heels into the mattress.
“Fuck, Sunshine.” His thrusts were hard and smooth and slow, and a small piece of me hated that he was treating me as if I were fragile.
Dammit, I needed this. I huffed out my irritation, and he picked up the pace, but not by much.
“Easton, I’m not made of glass.”
I lay my cheek to the mattress and pulled his thumb into my mouth, sucking and twirling my tongue around his rough skin. I curled my fingers around his ass, pulling him harder into me and causing my back to bow off the bed.
“Lilly, fuck!” He panted, dropping his head in the crook of my neck. “What are you doing?” He slid both hands under my ass and mumbled, “Oh, fuck,” as he slid in and out of me in pleasure-inducing hard thrusts. The coiling sensation gained strength, and my clit pulsated. I clawed at his back and shifted just an inch, screaming out as the waves of pleasure took over my entire being. My body quaked, my hips bucked, and I chased every last bit of our sinful indulgence.
He continued to pump in and out of me with deep grunts rumbling from his chest, finally finding his release as I was still riding mine.
Easton lay above me, running his hand over my face and my hair, pressing warm kisses on my hot skin. As our heart rates started to settle, he shifted to lie beside me, slick with sweat, resting his arm across my belly. I kept my eyes closed and concentrated on the different emotions and feelings coursing through me as he rubbed soft circles into my sweaty skin. I thought about how good it felt and how much I was desired. And that is when the reality of what I had just done struck.
We found a comfortable position with my back to Easton’s chest, and he covered us with the thin blanket. He held me tightly in his arms, pressing feather-light kisses against my shoulder and the back of my head. No matter how content I felt in his arms or how hard I tried, I couldn’t find sleep.
My ever-loving guilt set it, chastising me for having sex with a man other than my husband. No, Tyler was no longer living, but I never thought I would actually move on—even if it were his final wish.
I listened and waited for what seemed like hours before Easton’s breathing evened out. When I felt it was safe enough to make an exit, I carefully extracted myself from his hold, peeked over my shoulder, and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
I stood from the bed and searched for my clothes.
With my jeans, bra, and panty in hand, I tiptoed to the living room where I grabbed my shirt from the sofa and quickly got dressed.
The clock on the stove warned me it was close to two in the morning, so I swiped my purse from the counter and quietly let myself out.
My heart squeezed, already missing Easton, but I had to leave. The wine had given me the courage to act on impulse, and without that courage, I was going to reap what I sowed.
When I got to the front of the flower shop, I stopped. I had no idea how to disarm the alarm and even if I did sneak out, who would lock the door behind me? I had no clue if there was another way out. I stood there thinking about the floor plan of Easton’s apartment and didn’t recall another exit. And I didn’t even have my car, not that it mattered, I’d just call Leeza to come and pick me up.
“Fuck!” I grumbled, frustrated with myself for allowing things to get this far. We were supposed to be friends, not have sex. Although, it was really good sex. I had no idea what to do, so I turned around and walked back toward the stairs.
My eyes slowly traveled upward, tamping down the urge to run back into the safety of Easton’s arms. Rather than giving in, I dropped myself on the bottom step, buried my head in my hands, and broke down, dissolving into a mess of tears. I cried for the man who vowed to love me for all eternity, but who was no longer in my life. Then for the man who was right in front of me, and judging by the last few hours, he wasn’t going to give up easily.
“Why does this have to be so difficult?” I asked in a tiny voice, afraid of the answer miraculously materializing. “Do I really have to choose?” Then my breath caught in my throat and my body shook as I wished I wasn’t faced with such a tough decision to make.
The sound of footsteps behind me had my skin prickling. Easton didn’t say a word as he descended the stairs, sat, and wrapped me in a protective blanket of arms and legs, lending the strength I so desperately needed in that moment. He was there in the flesh and could give me more than a memory ever could.
I gripped his arms and cried some more, hating myself for doing this in front of him.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, sniffling. “I’m not sure what came over me.” Lie.
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” he replied, pressing a kiss to the back of my head, quietly holding me.
“But—”
“Lilly, I’m a patient man, who happens to be a realist. He was your husband. If you weren’t feeling like this, I’d have to question your loyalty. There is no reason for you to be apologizing. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
Could this man be for real?
“Thank you.”
“Lilly?” The caution in his voice had me ready and wanting to run for the hills, but my knee-jerk reaction was quick lived when he squeezed a little tighter and muttered, “You got me so damn worked up, I didn’t think of using a condom. I’m never that careless . . . I’m sorry.”
I sighed in relief. I shouldn’t have been relieved with what he just said, but I honestly didn’t think he would put my health at risk.
“It’s fine. I’m on the shot, and I haven’t . . .”
“Me, either. I mean, it’s been a while. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’m not.” I found it odd that a man as kind and gorgeous as him hadn’t been with a woman in some time, but I didn’t have the energy to question him or read more into it.
We sat there in the quiet. By the time Easton scooped me up and into his arms and carried me back upstairs, I was too exhausted from crying to protest. I was also too tired to protest when he slipped my shirt and jeans back off, leaving me standing in nothing but my bra and panties.
“I want to feel the warmth of your skin when I lie next to you.” He carefully laid me on his bed, slid in behind me, and tucked me close to his chest.
Wrapped in the safety of his arms, my vulnerable self wanted him to hold and reassure me. Tell me he would never let me go.
“I’ve never been with another man besides him.”
A single tear slid down the side of my cheek, and I chewed at my bottom lip waiting for him to respond. When he didn’t, I glanced over my shoulder, only to find that his eyes were closed. He looked so peaceful, and I waited for further indication that he had fallen back asleep. I snuggled into the crook of his arm and smiled sadly. Tyler should have been my forever, but I had this man who might want to step up to the plate.
I couldn’t be sure, but just as I crested into sleep, I could have sworn I heard him whisper, “And now you’ll never be with another.”