I shouldn’t make this about my hurt feelings, but it’s bugged me a lot over the years, why she never wanted to visit when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton. She had plenty of good excuses – Leo, the farm, her money worries – but even when I told her I’d cover everything, she turned me down flat. I just assumed she saw our relationship as a convenience, and not something she wanted to pursue across state lines.
“I wanted to,” she says in a quiet voice, her gaze downcast. “But planes and California… They’re not the best mix for me.”
She tries to summon a smirk, but I can hear the pain beneath her words, and I’m suddenly a decade younger and taking a panicked call from Kaysie. She’d met Lily at the airport after her trip to LA, only to find that the pilot had to sedate her mid-flight. She’d suffered some kind of breakdown and when they finally got her off the plane, she was so strung out and weepy, she scared Kaysie half to death. I was already at boot camp, and I’ll never forget how fucking useless I felt, knowing Lily had gonethrough her first heat with strangers and then endured some kind of terrifying episode on the way home.
“Don’t worry about that now.” I try to keep the emotion off my face as I push back to my feet. Bridge said she’d be disoriented after such an extreme panic attack, and I should surround her with safe, familiar things. I pull her crocheted blanket over her and stroke her curls, wishing I could wrap her in Kevlar and never let another damn thing hurt her ever again. “Let me get Leo for you.”
She nods, and I make quick work of fetching her hangdog son and bringing him to her bedside.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Leo whispers, staring down at her like she’s made of glass. “I didn’t mean to scare you like that.” I've already scolded him plenty, and I’m not surprised to see a tear trickle down his cheek. “Logan said you’re afraid of heights and me being up in the balloon freaked you out.”
Lily clicks her tongue but opens her arms to him, and he rockets forward, burying his face in her neck with a whimper. Her face tightens at the sound, but she murmurs soft words in his ear, her hands stroking the back of his head. He’s sniffling when he finally pulls away, and I rest a hand on his shoulder, but his attention never leaves Lily’s face. “Not liking heights is my problem, not yours,” she says quietly, wiping the tear track off his cheek. “If you want to grow up and fly balloons for a living, that’s your choice, and I’ll cheer you on every step of the way. But until you’re older, asking for permission and letting me know where you are, that's your responsibility. I can't always be watching you, Leo.” Her voice catches, her hand covering his where it’s clutching her blanket. “I need to know you’re safe, okay?”
“I get it, Mom,” he says in a wobbly voice. “I should've asked. I won’t do it again.”
“Okay. Thanks, hun.” They hug again and Leo’s shoulders straighten when he steps away. He’s as bad as Bloomer for running headfirst into things, but maybe this scare will cool his jets a little. But Lily’s face is still strained as she pushes herself up against her pillows. “Did you get something to eat? What time is it anyway?”
“It’s not that late,” I tell her, and nod at Leo. “Go finish packing while I talk to your mom.” He nods and scampers from the room, while Lily looks at me in alarm. “He’s fine, but things are pretty crazy out there.” I jerk a thumb at the window. “The news people have become a real problem. They're camped out the front, and more are on their way. I’ve talked to Ellis’ security team, and we all agree we need to get out of here for a few days.”
“You mean a hotel?” Lily is already moving, swinging her legs out of bed and reaching for her shoes. The lines are deeper around her mouth as she asks, “Will things be any quieter at the lodge? If there are reporters in town, that’s where they’ll be staying.”
I drop to a knee so I can lace up her sneakers. “The guys offered their place for a couple of nights.” She goes stiff with surprise, and I cradle her ankle, running my thumb soothingly over the delicate bones. “Marion said she can keep things ticking over here, and Charlie and Dan have agreed to take the surplus stock to the distributor in Boise.”
Lily gnaws on her lip some more, but there’s a fierce look in her eyes that I recognize from all the times Leo was sick or hurting.Momma bear mode, Rosie used to call it, because Lily would do just about anything to protect Leo, even if it meant dragging herself out of her bed after blacking out from shock. “You don't think they’ll just follow us there?”
“They might try, but Willow Lake is a lot harder to access than the farm.” She flushes, no doubt at the fact that its remoteness is one of the reasons she spends her heats there.Solitary heats,spent alone in Rosie’s old Airstream, even on the rare occasion when they overlapped with my leave.I don’t let my mind go down that path, squeezing her hand instead. “It’s got one road in, and the security guys already have it locked down. You’re not gonna find a safer place in Knotty Falls.”
Lily nods, but as she drags her riotous curls into a loose bun, she still looks unconvinced. “I’m just not sure about dumping ourselves on their doorstep, though.”
I snort, since the guys will no doubt be jumping with joy at having them under their roof. “They’re not gonna complain. Besides, they created the problem.” She shrugs and I say the next part carefully, checking her face for a reaction. “I thought I’d maybe take the Airstream out there. Have a place to retreat to, if you need it.”
Her gaze snaps up, her eyes wide. “But you're coming with us, right?”
When I hesitate, she grabs my arms, which are more than ready to wrap around her and pull her close. She’s still biting her lip as she stares up at me, and the uncertainty in her gaze tugs at my heart. Lily has had plenty of reason to doubt me over the years, but I can’t resist stealing a kiss. Her lips are soft and eager under mine, her scent so potent it makes my head spin. I’ve been tasting her perfect mouth since she was seventeen. I picked her up from a high school party and when she bumped her funny bone on my truck door, I insisted on kissing her better. The fact that the bump was on her elbow instead of her mouth didn’t slow me down a bit, and while it wasn’t the first time I looked at her in awe, it was the moment that I knew she was mine. I had a lot of growing up to do to get to this point, but no other person has ever filled me with the same mix of longing and admiration.
“I'm wherever you want me, Lily,” I tell her, feathering kisses across her pale cheeks. “Whatever you need, it’s yours.”
“I needyou, Logan.” There’s a rawness to her voice I haven’t heard before and she shivers, pressing closer. I can’t resist kissing her again, taking all the sweetness she’s offering until we’re both flushed and panting. Her lips glisten as she looks at me through her lashes, her hands clutching my shirt at the small of my back. There’s no mistaking the scent of her arousal in the air, or the way my erection is trying to drill through my jeans. When she rubs her hips against mine, a groan rattles in my chest, and she smiles at my torment. “You promised you’d sleep over, remember?”
“You think that slipped my mind?” I cup the back of her neck as I gently grind against her eager warmth. It’s like sinking into a hot bath after a lifetime of cold showers, and I shudder at the sensation. “Those vultures out there might have forced a change of venue, but I still plan on sharing your bed tonight.”
Although, I’m not sure how that’s going to play out once she’s under the same roof as her scent matches and their beautiful beta. “If you’ll still have me, I mean.”
She pulls back to meet my gaze. “Nothing’s changed for me, Logan. I want us to bond, and I don’t need to wait until the end of summer to do it. You’ve been mine in my heart for years, anyway.”
Pure possessive bliss zips through my blood. Even worn out and sleep rumpled, Lily Percy is the most alluring thing I’ve ever seen, and this time my groan is all frustration. “Shit. If the guys weren’t waiting downstairs…”
“Guys?” Her eyes widen, the haze of lust gone in a startled blink. “Whoexactly is downstairs?”
I’m tempted to bite off my stupid tongue, but I step back with a sigh. “Otley and Tristan. Ellis wanted to come by too, but they managed to convince him to stay put.” Lily looks surprised, and I smooth the creases on her brow with my thumb. “Babe, theywere worried about you. We all were. That’s why they want to see you safely under their roof.”
Usually, at this point, she’d shake her head and insist everything was fine, but she just curls against my chest, clinging to my back. “Okay,” she says finally. “What do I need to pack?”
“I’ve grabbed a few things,” I tell her, nodding at the duffle bag by the door. “Marion said she’d talk to you tomorrow and send over anything I’ve missed.”
She gives a tired nod, watching quietly as I grab the bag and turn off the lights. We wait for Leo on the landing, her eyes narrowing on the suitcase he wheels out of his room. I know she’s twitching to go through it to check the clothes-to-toys ratio, but when I steer her downstairs, she doesn’t resist. Both Otley and Tristan are already on their feet, drawn by the thump of the suitcase wheels on the stairs. Otley catches my eye, and I give him a subtle nod, while Tristan bounds forward and pulls Lily into his arms. “I’m so sorry about the scare, sweetheart.”
“It’s not your fault,” Lily insists, flushing an adorable shade of pink. “And I overreacted. I think half the reason I passed out was from dehydration.”
