Page 61
“I like the sound of that. Lead the way.”
I gesture toward Lily’s royal-blue front door and smile at the quirky array of brightly painted pot plants lining her porch. A lightness settles in my chest at how much that little detail suits her. For the brief amount of time we’ve known each other, I feel like I understand her on a deeper level than anyone else, and it’s still not enough. I want to know everything.
“Did you paint these?” I ask, knowing without a doubt that she did.
“I may have.” She glances over her shoulder, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she smiles.
“Ava told me you can draw; it was easy to assume you paint too.”
“Ava thinks I can do anything.” She waves off my comment.
“Can’t you?”
“Definitely not.” She giggles, shaking her head. “As you’re about to find out when you come inside.”
I frown and her giggles morph into more of a belly laugh. “You don’t have to look so scared. I’m referring to the half-finished desk I’ve been putting together for Ava. I think I’m missing some screws.”
“Did you invite me over as an assembly man?” I hold a straight face until Lily gasps.
“God, no. I—”
“I’m kidding. But I could definitely help with that.”
“Not tonight. Tonight I need your help in the bedroom.”
My cock twitches as her innocent eyes flash with desire. “Whatever you need, I’m here.”
After we both kick off our shoes, Lily gives me a short tour of her house, before coming to a stop in front of a closed door, her confidence wavering. “So…this is my room.” She holds her hands up as though presenting a prize on one of those eighties television game shows, and her shyness returns.
Refusing to let her dwell on it, I step toward her, curling one hand into her hair while the other reaches for the door handle, pushing the door open as my lips meet hers.
We stumble backward, but I hold Lily up, steadying us both as I pull away. “No more thinking, remember? Which means no more nerves. It’s just you and me. Just us.”
My words are spoken for Lily but they hit me in the chest, engulfing my heart like a blanket. It’s just us. And I’ve never wanted this more.
Before she can respond, I kiss her again, pouring my feelings into the moment as I blindly walk her backward, hoping to hit either the wall or the bed.
She giggles against my lips and flattens her palms on my chest, stopping me. “This way.” She spins us around and curls her fingers into my T-shirt, dragging me along, her eyes never leaving mine.
Her confidence grows with each little step, and my heart beats chaotically in my chest.
We slow as she nears the bed, and I palm her cheek, brushing my thumb across her lips, my eyes silently asking if she’s ready.
She lowers her head in a nod, a hint of a smile on her lips. “Please.”
My breath catches as I reach for the hem of her oversized Christmas sweater, and slip it over her head, taking her pink T-shirt with it, leaving her in only a bra. She swallows, but doesn’t otherwise move while my eyes peruse her almost naked body.
When I’m still staring a minute later, Lily curls her thumbs into the waistband of her leggings and shakily glides them down her legs, followed by her panties. I track the movement, and it’s my turn to swallow. Only mine is more like a gulp with the amount of emotion trapped in my throat.
As Lily stands tall, completely naked except for her bra, her body quivers. She flexes her palms, and I’d wager she wants to cover herself up, but she holds strong, and pride swells in my chest.
“I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful, Lily. Inside and out, you’re perfect.”
Her body quivers again, but the smallest of smiles tugs at her lips, highlighting her beauty.
She takes a step back, her legs hitting the edge of the bed, and I follow after her, swooping her up into my arms before laying her down as she giggles.
“I’m nervous, but you make me feel more at ease than I’ve ever felt. Thank you for being you.”
