“I can’t. But I also don’t want to be rude.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m not sensitive.”
“Still not risking it. If I say the wrong thing and you kick me out—or worse, don’t even let me go to the apartment—I’ll have nowhere to sleep tonight.”
This is nothing like the reunion I expected. I was sure I’d find the same shy girl from Christmas. But Lilly—while still a little timid—is speaking her mind.
And what’s even more surprising? She’s actually making me smile.
She talks with her hands and can barely stay still. There’s a subtle smirk on her lips, a trace of irony that clashes with her fairy-like appearance.
I’ve never been one to notice expressions or quirks in women. My interest has always been about what their bodies can give me. That’s as intimate as I get.
But now I get what Ethan meant when he called her a sweet, innocent baby. Those are perfect words for her.
Too bad I can’t see her as a baby. Not like he does.
Because despite the purity she radiates, little Lilly isvery mucha woman.
Beautiful. Curves in all the right places. And the energy pulsing off her is like crossing live wires.
Which is exactly why I need to figure out how to never be alone with her until Ethan’s back.
I’m not impulsive.
Losing my headisn’t in my nature. I plan. I calculate. I act only when it’s safe—and in my line of work, that means staying alive.
But right now? I’m all instinct. And that instinct is screaming at me to take what I want. To satisfy my need for her.
“I couldn’t stop you from staying at the apartment even if I wanted to,” I tell her. “I gave my word to your brother that I’d look after you.”
“You really said that?”
“What?”
“I made a deal with myself not to piss you off—and I’m still willing to stick to it by staying completely invisible. But if I don’t say this now, I’m going to explode.”
“I’m listening, Lillyana.”
“Please don’t call me Lillyana. I hate it. Anyway, what I was trying to say is—I don’t want to fight. I know it sucks for you to play babysitter to an adult, but even though I don’t talk much unless someone starts the conversation, I have a temper. If you keep throwing insults like that, this isn’t going to work.”
“I didn’t say anything but the truth,Lillyana. You’re not staying with us because I wanted it. You’re welcome because you’re Ethan’s sister. If it were up to me, you wouldn’t make it past the front door.”
Chapter 9
I totally screwed up the moment I arrived—blurting out something about his eyes.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t the most polite way to break the ice, but standing face-to-face with Amos made me way more nervous than I thought I’d be.
And then there’s the other issue: I can’t keep my thoughts to myself.
When I was younger, I blamed it on immaturity. But now I know better. There’s just no stopping the words once they start, especially when I’m anxious. And seeing him sent a wave of excitement through my body like I’d just ridden a rollercoaster twice in a row.
What I wasn’t ready for . . . was a full-on cold war.
He scolded me like I was five—just because I snapped back after he was rude and didn’t even say hello.
Honestly, I wanted to turn around, grab a cab, and head to the apartment by myself. The thought of being stuck in a car with that grumpy giant for over thirty minutes—the time it takes to get to their penthouse, according to my research—does not sound appealing. Chances are I’ll say something stupid, and that could actually make him refuse to let me stay at the place he shares with Ethan.
