Protecting Lily Read online

  Lily knew exactly what part of his anatomy Grayson was talking about. She decided to tease him so she touched his shoulder. “Here?”

  “No.”

  She moved her hand to touch the bump on his forehead. “Here?”

  “Lily.” He growled.

  She laughed, enjoying the power she had over him. She thought about teasing him a little longer but she wanted him deep inside of her.

  Her fingers trailed the long journey from his forehead, down his cheek, across his injured chest before stopping just above his hard cock.

  Lily closed the distance between them so they stood chest to chest. Thigh to thigh. Her hand caught between them both. Her lips touched his in a featherlight touch as she encircled his firm length. “Here?”

  His answer was to crush her mouth to his and in a quick movement had them both on their sides on the bed.

  Lily maintained her gentle exploration of his penis. The skin so soft and warm. Grayson’s hands trailed over her shoulders, down her back until he found the clasp of her bra. With efficient movements he had it off and had her breasts in his hand.

  Lily couldn’t help the sigh of contentment whisper out of her. Nothing felt more right than being here with Grayson. His hands on her. Her hands on him. His mouth found her breast and sucked the nipple into his mouth. She bucked her hips as sensation after sensation rippled through her. An uncontrollable need to have him possess her overcame her.

  She gripped his ass and lifted her hips so that her panty cover pussy rubbed against him.

  “I need you, Grayson. I need you now.”

  “Soon, sweetheart soon.”

  He kissed his way down her body, blowing gently into her belly button. Gooseflesh bubbled on her flesh and another shudder flowed through her. All he had to do was touch her with a fingernail and she was sure her body would burst into flames.

  Lily held her breath as he followed the lace pattern at the top of her underwear. She wanted him to rip it off. She didn’t care if the lace cost over two hundred dollars a yard.

  “Why are you going so slow?”

  Grayson looked up at her. “Because beauty is meant to be savored and I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life than you, right here, right now.”

  How could she argue with that? Never had anyone said anything so wonderful to her.

  “Take your time then,” she whispered and then moaned as he kissed her through her panties. She may have told him to take his time, but she really wanted the opposite. Next time she was going to torment him. Take her time getting to know his body. Lick and suck him until he was begging for her to take him in her mouth.

  Finally, he pulled her panties down. His fingers tip toed up her leg until they reached the juncture at her thighs. She knew she was wet for him. She wanted to reach down and touch herself. Stroke herself until she shook with her release. The back of his knuckles brushed her outer lips before he inserted one finger and then another inside of her.

  “At last,” she cried out as he began to tease her with slow strokes. Her hips met each movement. It still wasn’t enough. While his fingers kept up a steady pace in and out of her, his mouth once again found her breast and started to kiss and suck on her engorged nipple. She couldn’t take much more. Her orgasm built up inside of her. She ground her hips against his fingers and he bit down gently on her nipple. Her back arched and she came hard and fast against his fingers crying out his name.

  While she was still coming down from her high, Grayson got off the bed. She was too tired to lift her to see what he was doing, but hearing the rustle of fabric she hoped it meant he was getting a condom. A second later she heard the crackle of foil and smiled.

  “Ready for act two?” he asked as he climbed back over her.

  Lily opened an eye. “More than ready.”

  Grayson took her mouth in a gentle kiss as he lowered his hips in between her thighs. His heavy erection rested against her still pulsating flesh. He moved up and down, his latex covered cock rubbing up against her pussy. She rotated her hips and the next instant he levered himself up on his elbows, breaking the kiss they were sharing.

  “I want to watch you as I slip inside of you for the first time,” he murmured.

  “I want that too.”

  With they gazes locked together Grayson positioned himself at her entrance and with one smooth movement he was inside. She gasped out at the feeling of him filling her. How right it felt for them be to be joined together this way.

  The perfect moment made even better.

  He began a slow seduction of her body. His cock sliding in and out of her. Her body, still thrumming from her earlier release, didn’t need much encouragement to work its way to another orgasm.

  Grayson alternated between fast and slow, bringing her to the brink over and over until finally with two quick plunges into her, she clenched around his cock a second time. He kept moving, prolonging her orgasm until, with a final thrust, he released himself inside of her, shouting out her name.

  As he collapsed on top of her Lily knew that after tonight nothing would ever be the same again.

  Grayson’s screaming rib muscles woke him. He took a couple of breaths. Even that hurt. He lay still for a few moments, hoping that by not moving the pain would subside and he could get up and take some painkillers.

  He grunted as an elbow jabbed him in his sore side. He turned his head and smiled at what he saw.

  Lily.

  His list making, lingerie designing lover, lay on her side in a blissful sleep. If the small smile on her face was anything to go by. Asleep she looked even more vulnerable than she had the first day he’d walked into her office.

  He let his eyes drift shut. He should have a million regrets for sleeping with her. She was a client after all. But he was selfish enough to say fuck the rules. He had no regrets. Not a single one.

  “Are you hurting?”

  He kept his eyes shut as she laid her hand on his chest. Her fingers strummed along his bruised flesh.

  “Not now. You make all the pain go away.”

  “If you weren’t hurt I’d slap your arm for such a cheesy line.”

  “No line. Your touch is soothing to me.” He opened his eyes so he could look at her in the pre-dawn light. “I don’t think I can go back, Lily.”

  “Back to what?”

  “Back to not being able to touch you. Kiss you. Make love to you. Not after what happened here. It’s stupid to feel this way. Since I left the military I’ve been focussed on my business. Setting up my financial future. Now I want more. You make me want more.”

  He could see fear fill her eyes. Why did the thought of a future with someone scare her so much?

  “What sort of more are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about a more where we spend the weekends together. Nights during the week. Where we go out for a light dinner or I sit and watch as you design another amazing collection. I’m talking about sharing our past, present and future, together.”

  Lily got out of bed, surprising him with her action. She stood rigid by the bed. He would’ve joked with her about being naked with fear if it wasn’t the truth. Fear had taken a hold of her and he wondered if it would ever let her go.

  “I don’t know if I can do that, Grayson,” she said as she pulled herself out of her stupor and reached for a robe. He quelled the disappointment in him when she covered her luscious body up. “You’re everything that’s the opposite of what’s on my list.”

  Shock had him ignoring the pain as he pulled himself out of bed. He grabbed his pants and put them. “I’m sorry what list are we talking about?”

  “I’ve got a list of the features I want in the man I decide to marry.”

  “I don’t believe this. You have a list for your perfect man?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is? You can’t make a list of the person you want to marry and spend your future with. Life doesn’t work that way. Love doesn’t work that
way. Love is supposed to be spontaneous not checking off boxes on a damn list.”

  “Being spontaneous, waiting for spontaneity to happen in my life never worked out for me. Do you know how many times things worked out for me when I decided to be spontaneous? None. Not one time.”

  “Then you were around the wrong people. You can’t spend your whole life living by lists. Trust me I’ve seen life snuffed out in an instant, and it’s not pretty.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “And you sure as hell can’t pick your perfect partner by using a list of acceptable attributes. Even if you do, it doesn’t mean you’re going to be compatible with that person.”

  “You’d be surprised. There are a number of men who I’m compatible with according to the dating website I joined. My inbox is full of emails from men who check off every item I listed down.”

  Grayson laughed harshly. “And how many of those are psychopaths or men desperate for a date that they’ll say or do anything in the hopes of going on one?”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You don’t know how vigorous the screening process was just to get onto that site.”

  Grayson had to pinch himself. He had to wonder if he wasn’t dreaming. Who the hell had a conversation about lists and dating websites with a woman he’d made love to a few hours ago.

  “Was making love to me on your list of things to do last night, Lily?”

  When the blush crept over her cheeks he had his answer. “I don’t fucking believe it. You wrote a list before our date? What did you have on it? 1-Open the door and give Grayson a kiss on the lips. 2-Have a salad as an appetizer.” Grayson was on a roll. There was no way he could stop now. “3-Have one glass of wine. 4-Go to the restroom in between the appetizer and entrée courses. 5-Skip dessert in favor of sleeping with Grayson. 6-Kick Gray—”

  “Stop. Oh for god’s sake, stop Grayson.”

  “Why? Because I’m too close to the truth?”

  Not waiting for answer Grayson picked up his shirt and headed for her bedroom door. He needed to get out before he did something to injure his ribs even more.

  Before he walked out, he looked at Lily standing in her bathrobe beside the bed where he’d, like a fool, laid himself bare with wanting to explore a future with her.

  “I hope your perfect man list keeps you warm at night, Lily. Because that’s all it is ever going to bring you.”

  11

  “Who’s the hot guy sitting outside of your office today?” Rita asked after she’d closed the door to Lily’s office. “Although he’s not as good looking as Grayson. And speaking of Hottie McGuardy, where is he?”

  Lily rubbed at her tired eyes. A cheerful Rita was more than she could handle this morning.

  “His name is Riley and apparently he’s an ex-military friend of Grayson’s. As to where Grayson is, I don’t know where he is. Riley turned up this morning and told me he was filling in for him.”

  “Really? Wonder if he’s a Manservant man as well.”

  “Does it really matter? What has being a Manservant got to do with any of this? Geez Rita sometimes I wonder what goes in that mind of yours.”

  Rita laughed. “Well if he is a Manservant I may have to see if he’s available for a friend.”

  Lily shook her head. She was still feeling raw from all that had happened the night before. Making love with Grayson. Their fight and then him walking out on her. Did she want a do over? Did she wish she’d said yes when he asked if she wanted to explore a relationship with him?

  She didn’t know. She had no idea what love was. Not really. She could observe the loving relationship Rita and her husband had. But was she wired for a relationship like that. She wasn’t sure love was an emotion that lived inside of her.

  Lily picked up the piece of paper lying on the table in front of her. The list that caused the fight with Grayson.

  “Lil, what’s up hon?”

  Rita was her best friend. If anyone could help her sort out the mess she was in, it was her. But she couldn’t keep running to Rita when things became too hard in her personal life. She had to start standing on her own two feet when it came to the personal aspect of her life.

  “It’s nothing. Just doing some thinking.”

  “What are you looking at?”

  If she didn’t want to endure a Spanish Inquisition she should lie to Rita, tell her it was an email. Only she’d never lied to her best friend and she wasn’t going to start now. She braced herself for the questions. “It’s a list.”

  “Today’s to-do list?”

  “No.”

  Rita crossed her arms and stared at Lily, her head cocked to the side. Lily knew that look and pose well. “Let me see it.”

  No questions, just a demand. Sighing she held out the piece of paper toward Rita. She needed to learn not to give into her friend so easily.

  A few minutes passed before Rita spoke again. Lily wondered what was going through her mind.

  “Oh Lily, what am I going to do with you.”

  She shrugged. “Nothing. I am who I am. You either love me or you don’t.”

  “You are more than that and you know it. I don’t know how you can run a hugely successful company. Yet have absolutely no confidence in your personal life that you have to go and create a Perfect Man list. I know you like lists, but that’s taking things a bit far.”

  “What’s wrong with listing down the things I’d like in a man?”

  “Nothing I suppose. You’re different, Lil. You live every moment by lists. I know they helped you get through the tough times when you were growing up. But you’re an adult now. A business owner. You can’t spend your whole life living by lists.

  You can’t spend your whole life living by lists.

  The words echoed in her mind over and over. One minute it was Rita’s voice saying them, the next it was Grayson’s.

  “It’s not the first time I’ve heard those words.”

  “Who else said them?”

  Lily got up and paced around the room trying to burn off the restless energy burning through her.

  “Who, Lil. Who said them to you?”

  She couldn’t escape the truth. Whatever she said now would open the floodgates.

  “Grayson.”

  “What? When? And how did Grayson know about your perfect man list?”

  “Last night when I kind of told him about it.”

  “Last night?” Rita squealed, then she looked closely at Lily. Could her friend tell that she and Grayson had slept together last night? “Oh you slept with him. How good was it?”

  “Rita! I’m not saying anything to you. But it was a mistake and it’s not likely to ever happen again. We had a fight and he left. Him not showing up here today is a pretty good indication that he doesn’t want to see me again. Lily, the unlikable and unlovable strikes again.”

  “You are not unlikeable or unlovable. You and I need to have a serious conversation and not here in the office.” Rita grabbed Lily’s arm.

  “Rita, what are you doing? I can’t leave I’ve got too much work to do.”

  Rita opened Lily’s office door and led her out into the hallway. “I don’t care this conversation is a long time coming.”

  “Is everything all right here, Ms. Green?” Riley’s deep voice, tinted with concern, stopped their departure. And who could blame him. Rita was all but dragging her out of her office. Riley was here to guard her and he wouldn’t be doing his job if he hadn’t enquired about what was going.

  “Everything’s fine, Riley. Rita and I are heading out for a bit. No need to worry. You can stay here or go and do whatever else it is you do.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he responded. “My job is to protect you and that means I can’t let you leave if I think you will be in an unsafe environment.”

  God, save her from pushy, alpha men who happened to be ex-Seals. Not to mention, pushy best friends slash assistants, when Rita burst out laughing.

  “Don’t you worry your handsome head about Ms. Green. I�
��m her best friend and I would lay my life on the line for her. But we need to talk and I want to have the conversation at my house.”

  “Geez, Rita, can’t we just have this conversation in the boardroom?” asked Lily. “If we have it in the boardroom then everyone will be happy. Right, Riley?”

  “Yes ma’am that would be a better option.”

  “No,” said Rita. “We are going to talk where we won’t be interrupted by phone calls or emails. You,” she pointed at Riley. “Can follow us if you really want to. But you are not coming inside my house. I don’t have strange men in my house without my husband present.”

  Now Rita gets all I’m-part-of-a-married-couple serious.

  “That is a solution that will work as well. Thank you ma’am.” He looked at Lily. “Ms. Green is that suitable to you too?”

  “You mean I actually get a say in something that happens in my life? Are you sure you both don’t want to run it and tell me where I can and can’t go? Because, really, at the moment it seems like that’s exactly what you both want to do.” Lily took a couple of steps away from Rita. “You know what. No, I don’t want to go anywhere. Rita, if you want to talk then let’s talk in my office.”

  Feeling proud for actually standing up for herself and not letting anyone walk all over her, Lily walked back into her office. She didn’t wait to see if Rita followed. She knew Riley wouldn’t.

  She marched over to the small fridge in the corner of the room and pulled out a can of flavored mineral water. The satisfying hiss of high-pressured air being released sounded as she pulled the ring top.

  With her back to the door, she heard the click of it shutting and waited for Rita to start telling her what a bad idea her list was. Well she wasn’t going to let her.

  “Yes, I know writing a list for a perfect man is dumb. But, as you know, lists have always been the one constant in my life, Ri. The one thing I could control. I couldn’t control whether a foster family I went to would want to keep me. I couldn’t control how the other kids treated me in those houses. I couldn’t control the beatings I got when I looked at someone the wrong way. But I could control my day with my list. I built my business because I systematically wrote everything down and checked it off. Without my lists I wouldn’t have what I’ve got today.”