I search her eyes for any sign of what she’s thinking. My heart beats faster under her palm. I grit my back teeth as blood rushes from my head to the growing bulge under my shorts, willing the fucker to stand down.
Her knee rises against my thigh, the soft flannel fabric of her pyjamas glides against my leg as she reaches higher, pressing her delicious weight against me until she reaches my groin. Her eyes sparkle. Even in the dimly lit room, I can see the glimmer shining in her eyes, shining like diamonds in the sky as she realises I’m growing harder by the second.
She moves her knee back and forth as if needing confirmation. Her hand grips my shoulder as she pulls herself closer to me, lifting her head so our lips are a whisper away.
“Lilly,” I growl, almost in pain at keeping the beast in me at bay. It would be so easy to flip her over and take what I need. Take what’s mine, what’s always been mine. This girl that I’ve cherished and protected her whole life. It wasn’t just the big brother in me. She’s the other half of my soul. It’s all become clear now as I gaze back into her crystal blue eyes. I’m hers just as much as she’s mine. I’ve always been hers, waiting in the wings for her to grow into the woman she is now.
“I’m sorry.” She cowers at the sound of my voice. Her head turns away from me and she rolls over, curling into a ball on the opposite side of the bed, taking all the heat with her.
Fuck. Was that my chance? She’s not thinking clearly after she was attacked. She’s vulnerable and scared and she needs a protective hand, not some sick fuck who wants to take advantage of her.
With a groan, I roll onto my side, slip my arm around her waist and pull her back to me, burying my face in her hair. Her back presses against my chest. Our fast beating hearts in sync as I hold her against me.
“I’m sorry. It’s just been a while since I had a woman in my bed.” I press my lips against her neck, where her hair has fallen. “Get some sleep, trouble.”
31
SHANE
Lilly gathers the rest of her things and stuffs them in the bag. I’ll be sad to let her go, but sleeping in bed with her last night and not being able to touch her how I need to touch her was torture.
The doorbell chimes, the sound usually a welcoming sound of friends, but today it’s one I dread. “I’ll get it.” I stride down the hall from the bedroom and open the door.
Fern and Harry stand in the doorway, the autumn sun shining down, giving them a warm halo. “Where is she?” Fern says with a deep concern etched onto her features. She’s aged as much as I have over the years. Being a single parent will no doubt do that to you.
“Down the hall in the spare room.” I point down the hallway and step to the side, allowing them both into my home. “She’s just getting ready.”
“Just give me ten mins, Fern,” Lil shouts.
I rock back on my bare heel with my hands stuffed in my joggers, looking around as if I can see the tension in the air.
Fern clutches Harry’s hands, standing in the small space. “Thank you for letting her stay. You should have called me.”
“It was late. Besides, she was safe with me.”
“Where is the police car?” Harry says, looking up at me with big eyes, like his mother’s.
“It’s at the station, bud. But I have a cop game on the PS5 upstairs.”
His eyes light up, sparkling just like Fern’s would when she used to gaze at me. “Can I play?”
“Sure, kid. Come on, I’ll put it on for you.” I walk up the stairs and wait for him to follow.
“It’s not necessary. We’ll be going in a minute.” Fern pulls her bag on her shoulder.
I raise an eyebrow. “She hasn’t even started putting on her makeup. Since when have you known her to be ready in ten minutes?”
Fern lets out a breath and struts down the hall.
Harry follows me upstairs. His mouth opens as he takes in the room. Usually it’s the view of the lake in the valley that takes people’s breath away, but his eyes fix on my seventy-five inch TV. “Jeez, that’s the biggest TV I ever saw.”
A smile spreads across my face as I turn it on and pull the game controllers from the coffee table drawer. “Do you have a Playstation at home?”
He shakes his head. “Nintendo Switch, but Mum doesn’t let me play on it all the time.”
I hand him a controller and set the cop car game up. It’s not often I play games these days, but it helps me wind down after a long shift.
“What do I do?” Harry sits on the sofa next to me.
