Look At Your Future

by Whittaker, Lucy J.

  “Where do you live Lily?”

  “Park Street, River Front Apartments.”

  Max nodded and switched through the gears as they went around curves and up and down hills.

  “I don’t remember this from last night.” Lily said a little confused.

  “This is the long way into town. It’s more fun to drive this way, especially with this car.”

  Lily smiled, boys and their toys.

  Max looked out the window as he rolled it down a little to let some cool air touch his skin. She had no idea about his toys, he grinned. He was going to have to make a conscious effort not to read her mind.

  All too soon he pulled up to her building. He noted there was no security guard, but at least you needed a key to get inside.

  Lily turned towards him as he pulled to a stop.

  He leaned over and kissed her gently. “Wait just a second; let me get your door for you.”

  Lily watched as he gracefully exited the sleek vehicle and walked around the hood to open her door for her. She smiled to herself, he was such a gentlemen. He opened her door and offered her his hand to help her out, and then he reached out and touched her cheek as she stood next to him.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” he pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “This is my cell number if you need to call me for anything.” He watched as she glanced at the card and looked back up at him. She nodded to him with a small smile and then turned to walk up to the entrance. After she opened the door she looked back to see him still watching her.

  “I’ll see you tonight Max,” she gave him another smile and then disappeared inside.

  Max got back into his car and then drove off. He had a lot to do today, but first he needed to stop and see his father.

  Nathan stood by the window and watched as his son pulled up outside the house and made his way inside, he heard him whistling as he came through the entryway into the living room. He seemed different today; could he have been right about Lily?

  “So,” Nathan said as his son stopped before him.

  “You did it Dad,” Max said with a huge grin. “I can’t believe it, Lily is the one.” They hugged and his father patted him on the back, then he pulled back and sat down.

  “I don’t understand,” Max said. “You’ve sent me brunettes for so long, what made you send Lily to me?”

  “I felt her last night in the club, I could sense her somehow.” Nathan frowned. “All our information has been based on a brunette. I only sent her because she seemed so right. I fought it for a while, but finally I approached Angie. After I met her I knew she would be prefect for you. It’s too soon to know for sure if she’s the one though.” He cautioned him.

  “Dad, she’s the one.” Max smiled when his dad raised one brow at him. “I saw our future together.”

  “Really?” Nathan smiled at his son; he knew he was tired of playing the game. Having women throw themselves at him hadn’t helped. It had been years since he had stepped a foot into the club. That’s why he had started sending women to him. “Did she say she would see you tonight?”

  “Yes,” Max smiled again.

  “Good, I’ll talk to your mother; she’s not here right now. I wonder if her vision is getting spotty, she was adamant that we were looking for a brunette.”

  “Hah, good luck with that one.” Max laughed.

  They talked a little while longer and then Max left to go back home. He had some work to do, and then he wanted to get ready for tonight. He couldn’t wait to touch her again, even just to hold her hand. He wanted much more than that though, he wanted to take his time with her and explore every inch of her body.

  Lily finished the last few pages of the manuscript that she had been reading. She quickly secured them when a sudden breeze came through the window. She got up and closed it, shivering as she lay down on the couch and pulled a soft throw off the edge and wrapped it around her.

  Her gaze was drawn to the painting above her fireplace before she closed her eyes. Kristi had given it to her last year after she had been in New York for a book signing. She smiled as she thought about her friend. They were complete opposites, where Lily was red headed and fair skinned, Kristi was tall and willowy with dark hair and tan skin. Kristi knew that she loved wolves. Even when they were kids Lily was all about wolves. She had loved the painting from the moment she’d seen it. It was like it called to her.

  There was a dark forest and a lone pure white wolf stood out in the painting. His dark eyes glowed as he looked down from a small cliff, as if he was surveying his domain. It had been a while after she had gotten it when she noticed another wolf in the painting. This one was much smaller and delicate, perhaps a female with a cinnamon coat. Then she noticed the others scattered here and there, all in pairs. She liked to think that the two had finally found each other. She smiled as she felt herself drift off to sleep. She dreamed of grey eyes, but they belonged to a man, not the wolf’s dark eyes she usually dreamed of.

  Just before six Lily pulled up to the gates of Max’s estate. The same guard from last night came out to greet her.

  “Hello Miss Lily. You can go right through, Mr. Thompson is expecting you.”

  “Thanks Tim.” Lily smiled when he grinned at her; he seemed pleased that she had remembered his name. She drove her little Mazda Miata up the drive to the house. She loved her little car, her father probably rolled over in his grave when she hadn’t bought a Chevy.

  She opened her door and set one booted heel on the pavement to get out. When she straightened after reaching for her bag she knew that Max was behind her. She turned and found him leaning against her car.

  “Hello Mr. Thompson.”

  “Miss Rainier,” he smiled at her as he glanced down at her snug jeans and knee length boots. “Did you get some work done?” He asked as he held his hand out to her.

  She smiled as she placed her hand in his. “Yes I did, I still have some to do tomorrow though.” She shivered as he slowly pulled her closer and then leaned down to give her a gentle kiss.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Yes…I am.” She sighed as he moved his head back.

  Max wrapped his arm around her shoulders to guide her into the house. He didn’t trust himself to touch the small of her back; he would have a handful of her ass in a second if he did. He tamped down his excitement; she had come back to him.

  They went inside and he took her into the living room. There was a bottle of wine chilling for them. He went to open it and he idly watched her as she moved around. She looked out the windows that ran the length of the room; the view from here was to the west. The sun was slowly setting; it would set in just a few hours. There was a garden on the east side of the house, planned strategically for the amount of sun that side of the estate got each day. His study overlooked the garden, but it had been dark last night when Lily was in there. She continued towards a wall with artwork, both photographs and paintings. He had eclectic tastes. He focused on not listening to her thoughts, it was very hard. He liked listening to her mind, especially seeing what she saw. That was a first for him; he had always been able to listen to someone’s thoughts, but he had never seen anyone’s visions before. She went back to stand by the big windows. He noticed how she rubbed her palms against the seams her jeans, she seemed nervous. He walked up behind her and stood next to her. He didn’t touch her as he handed her a glass of wine, but he watched as she took a sip, entranced by the way her throat moved as she drank.

  Lily moved when she was nervous, it helped to calm her and also burned off energy. She looked at the paintings and pictures, not really seeing them. She was so aware of Max; she was on pins and needles waiting for him to touch her again. He hadn’t been far from her thoughts all day. She had woken up from her nap with damp thighs and heavy breasts, her whole body ached for him. She had been hot all over, he had been in her dreams, watching her, like he was right now, and he had been making love to her too.

  Max watched her face intently; h
e could tell she was aroused. His nose was something that he couldn’t just turn off; her scent surrounded him, very feminine. She had a fresh floral smell, with just a hint of citrus, but when she was aroused her scent became so much more enticing, perhaps a spice, maybe cinnamon. He took a deep breath, pulling in her scent until it swirled around his head in hazy colors, almost making him dizzy with his need to make her his. He stood close, but still didn’t touch her. He felt her move slightly, slowly covering the mere inches that separated them, and then her arm lightly brushed his.

  She didn’t even realize that she sighed as she leaned closer to him. She felt his pull on her. Slowly she put her hand down and took his hand in hers. He rubbed his thumb lightly over the tops of her fingers, each slow pass vibrating through her body.

  Max was pleased that she had initiated the contact with him. He longed to kiss her, but he wanted to wait till they took their walk together after dinner. He wanted to see how her eyes looked in the dim forest that surrounded his home.

  “I hope you are hungry Lily.”

  Lily sighed as she looked up into his eyes, she was just happy to be here with him. She smiled when she spoke, “truthfully, I am starving.” Her smile widened as he raised a brow at her. “I haven’t eaten since this morning. I fell asleep after I finished the manuscript I was reading…I woke up later than I had planned on.”

  “So you are well rested then?” Max asked. She blushed as she looked up at him and then slowly nodded her head yes. Max chuckled, “I like the way you think Lily, but I was thinking of our walk after dinner. I didn’t want to go too far if you were tired.” She just blushed harder and he laughed again as he pulled her against him for a hug. “I have a special place that I’d like to show you.”

  Lily looked at him, completely intrigued. “So who do you take to your special place?” What she said made her sound jealous, she didn’t mean to, she was just curious. “I’m sorry Max; you don’t have to answer that. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” She looked down and turned to move away from him, but he pulled her back.

  He tipped her chin and searched her eyes for a moment, wishing he could listen to her thoughts. She had sounded jealous, he wondered if she cared for him already. “Only my family has been there, no one else.” She looked up at him with her big blue eyes, and then he leaned down to kiss her lips gently. He set his glass down and took hers from her. He took her face in his hands and gently ran kisses along her cheeks, nose, and eyes.

  She sighed again as she tilted her face towards him, parting her lips, waiting for his kiss. He obliged her and slowly stroked his tongue with hers in a delicious pull. He heard her moan and she relaxed as she pushed her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss.

  Max broke the kiss and looked up to see John in the doorway; he nodded to him and then looked back down at Lily. She slowly opened her eyes and then she noticed John in the doorway. She realized her fingers were still wrapped in the longer strands of his hair that touched the collar of his shirt, and quickly released him.

  “Dinner is ready sir.” John said.

  “Thank you John.” He looked down at Lily with dark hungry eyes. “Come, let’s get some food in you, you’ll need energy for later.” He whispered the last in her ear.

  Lily shivered as she looked up at him and felt her eyes widen at his comment, no one had ever talked to her like that before. Holy cow, what a kiss that had been, much more intense than last night, maybe because she had an idea now about what was happening. Last night she hadn’t had time to analyze anything, she hadn’t thought at all, just felt. She licked her dry lips as she looked into his dark eyes; he looked like he would devour her when he got the chance.

  He took her hand and raised it to his lips and then he gave her a slow seductive smile, and she could feel her panties becoming soaked.

  Max showed her into the dining room and then he pulled her chair out for her, holding it as she sat down. He could smell her arousal. He had tortured himself all day, pulling her panties out of his pocket to reacquaint himself with her scent. Her fresh arousal clouded his brain, threatening to bring out his baser animal instincts. He took a deep breath and then sat down beside her. He needed to get some control back or he would take her on the table around their dinner.

  John set a few glasses of water down beside them and then came back with a carafe. He quietly left the room to bring their dinner.

  They both were silent for a few minutes, each wresting with self-control to keep from attacking each other.

  Lily looked down at the steak that John placed in front of her, suddenly remembering how hungry she was. “Ooh, that looks so good. Thank you John.” He smiled at her and then left so they could eat. She cut a piece of her steak, it was cooked perfectly, and she always liked a medium rare steak. She slowly closed her lips around the tender morsel and moaned as the flavors burst across her taste buds. The meat melted like butter on her tongue and the herb garlic potatoes with mushrooms were tender, just the right compliment to the steak.

  Max shifted in his chair a few times during dinner. Lily enjoyed her meal, she didn’t talk, she was definitely a dedicated eater like himself; but the little sounds she made sounded very intimate. They were the same sounds that she had made last night when he had been inside her sweet body.

  By sheer force of will he made it through dinner. He leaned back in his chair as Lily ate a small piece of apple pie that John’s wife had made. He had a larger piece, but his was already gone. Ellen knew he had a soft spot for her homemade pies. He watched as she placed the last bite into her mouth and she closed her eyes, and then she leaned back in the chair and rubbed her stomach as she smiled at him.

  “Good lord Max, do you eat like this every day? That was probably the best meal I’ve ever had.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes I enjoy good food, and that was fabulous.” She grinned at him. “Do you have a private chef?”

  “Ellen has always cooked for me, and now her daughter cooks for my parents. John is her husband.” He looked at her thoughtfully, “would you like to meet her?”

  Lily gave him a beautiful smile. “I’d love to.”

  Max stood up and pulled her chair out for her. He took her hand in his and led her through to the back of the house and into the kitchen. As they approached the back of the room they could hear laughter and dishes banging together. Two women were laughing and John stood with his back to them, shaking his head at the women that were obviously laughing at him. Max smiled at Lily and put a finger to his lips. He quietly snuck up behind John and poked him in the ribs, he jumped and then the women started laughing all over again.

  John turned with a start, ready to lay into whoever had dared to poke him. His face broke into a smile as he looked at Max fondly, he straightened his expression when he looked at Lily, but she could still see the twinkle in his eyes.

  “Lily wanted to meet Ellen.” Max said by way of explanation, he put his arm around Lily and slowly brought her towards the women.

  “So this is Lily.” A short dark haired woman stepped forward as she wiped her hands with a towel. She had an accent that Lily couldn’t quite place, maybe English or Scottish. She took Lily’s hands into hers as she looked into her eyes. She said a few words in a language that Lily didn’t understand, but somehow she felt really good.

  Lily gave Ellen a big smile. “I have no idea what you just said, but somehow I feel really good right now.” Ellen smiled back at her. Lily nodded her head toward Max, “I just wanted to thank you for dinner. I think that was the best meal I’ve ever had. You are very talented.”

  “You’re welcome Lily. I’ve been cooking for Max since he was a child. I had to train my daughter to cook for his parents when we came to live with him. You are lovely dear, where did you get your red hair from?” Ellen reached up and touched one silky curl on her shoulder.

  “My great-grandmother Lucy, she was born in France.”

  “Really?” Ellen said as she cut a quick gla
nce towards John.

  Lily didn’t notice as she answered. “Supposedly I look like her; I am the only one since to have red hair.”

  Max stood back and watched them talk for a few minutes. He looked at John and saw him smile at his wife. He looked up and met his eyes and smiled. Ellen was very particular about people; she wouldn’t still be talking to Lily unless she liked her.

  Max moved forward and pulled Lily back beside him. He smiled at them; they all knew he had plans. They all said goodnight and Lily gave them a big smile as they left out the back door.

  They walked hand in hand for a few minutes before entering a well-worn path into the forest.

  “What did Ellen say to me?” Lily asked.

  “I’m not sure exactly, but it was an old blessing.”

  “I like her.”

  “Well I could tell she liked you. I know John likes you too, but he’ll never tell you. He is a very quiet man, makes me wonder how him and Ellen got together. They are so different.”

  “I guess that’s love huh?”

  “I guess. Have you ever been in love before?” He asked but he didn’t look at her; he just looked straight ahead up the path they were following.

  “I thought I was once, but I wasn’t upset when we broke up. I would think if it had been love I would have been crushed, how about you?”

  “No, not yet,” he talked a little bit about his property and how much he liked the woods.

  Lily smiled as she listened to Max talk, the woods were so beautiful. She could hear running water. “Is there a stream nearby?”

  “Yes, we’re almost by it, where I want to take you is just a bit further.”

  They walked past a small stream and kept going for another fifteen minutes or so. Max would stop to help her over fallen logs here and there. He touched her whenever he could.