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“For the sex?”

He winced. “Yeah.”

“You’re welcome. You were very good.” Her sentiment, as it’d turned out, was stranger.

“I aim to please, McIntire.” It was that casual phrase that set them on even ground. He gathered his clothes, pulling on his boxers and snapping the waistband against his flat stomach. By the time he’d buckled his belt and buttoned his shirt, she was filled with regret that he was leaving.

“You sure you’re going to be able to recover by yourself?” he asked, and it sounded like goodbye.

“I’ll manage.” She curled her arms around a pillow and wished for the courage to ask him to stay. He’d be a hell of a lot better to snuggle with than her pillow. And a pillow would not wake her for morning sex.

Sigh.

He leaned over to kiss her. “See you later, McIntire.”

“Lock up before you go,” was all she said.

“You got it.”

The stairs creaked as he jogged down them and then she heard the door close behind him.

She let out another sigh—the only sound in her quiet house.

Once again, she was alone.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

He’d wanted to stay with Lily on Friday night. He’d wanted to tuck her in, wrap his body around her big-spoon style, and fall asleep with the scent of her hair in his nostrils.

Then he’d had a moment of doubt that doing so would send her running for the hills. She was twitchy and this was new. And he couldn’t afford another fuck-up. If he had a prayer of being invited back into her bed, he’d have to play it cool.

Never in his life had he overthought this much. Then again, he’d never been worried about scaring a woman out of bed. Before, if they decided to leave first, then hip-hip-hooray, and good for him. After his failed relationship with Annie, women had come—which was fine. As long as the coming was followed by going.

With Lily it was different. He was different. In a good way. Or at least, he thought it was in a good way. Leaving her in bed alone had made him feel shitty.

In retrospect, Reginald London would have had a worthy competitor if Marcus had stayed to play cards with the older man that night. Marcus had a great poker face. He liked to smile the entire time. Laugh his way through a bluff. Kind of like life. But where Lily was concerned, he was beginning to think he’d shown his cards too soon.

She’d seen his hand. Actually, she’d seen every last inch of him, and he’d seen every last inch of her. It should have been enough, but it wasn’t. She wasn’t a conquest. And being with her was about so much more than getting laid.

After Annie, he’d sworn that he’d never have another long-term relationship. But after two years of crushing on Lily, of trying to date other women to forget about her, he realized there was no forgetting her. Any woman in his bed other than her had made him feel empty.

He had no idea what the fuck to do with that. His next move wasn’t anywhere in his playboy playbook.

He knew she didn’t want Clive and Joanie to find out. He knew she was worried that rumors of her sleeping with him—the Designer of the Year—would spread like wildfire if word got out.

After being caught in the pantry, he was fairly certain they’d been found out. But he was a never-say-die kind of guy. He could be convincing when he needed to be. And, come Monday, as he was standing in the break room pouring coffee into a mug, he was about to test those limits.

“I don’t believe you.” Clive gave him the stink eye.

“What’s so unbelievable about Lily and me arguing?” He stirred creamer into his coffee. “The last thing you and Joanie needed was us sparring with Reginald and Felicia within earshot.”

Eventually, if he and Lily kept seeing each other, they’d have to confess to their friends, but for now, it wasn’t any of their business. Clive would be the hardest to convince, but if Marcus had him, he’d have Joanie, too. She usually had her mind on about nineteen different things at the same time. She was a lovable scatterbrain, and not always the most observant person he knew.

Clive leaned against the countertop, arms crossed.

“You know how we are.” Marcus put the spoon in the sink and headed for the copy room. Clive followed. “Sorry if we ruined your party by leaving early. Trust me, it was for the best.”

“What were you arguing about?” Clive asked.