Lily's Temptation Vol. 1

by Michaels, C. C.

  “Why are you always so calm? The world can be going to hell in a hand basket and you just keep calm and keep going on.”

  “Because I have to be. I think it’s part of my job description.” I give a short laugh. “You know, it’s like that saying, if you don’t laugh you’ll cry...”

  “Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

  I have to think for a minute. What answer is best for him right now? He stares back at me with an honest face. He isn’t interested in any more pandering bullshit.

  I shrug and look down at my feet. “I’ve been exhausted for a long time.”

  He blinks and is silent for a while, then looks around the room and, finally, brings his eyes to mine, saying, “Let me carry your burden for a while.” He steps back and offers me his hand. My eyes stare at his strong, out-stretched arm. They follow up to his face and it’s as if he’s larger than life. Maddox stands tall, as if he’s bigger than the room, bigger than world and the trivialities in it. He has, in this moment, transcended every ignominious transgression of human folly, standing like an omnipotent colossus over the vast expanding stretches of depraved sinners. And he is waiting for me to follow him.

  I smile shyly and put my hand in his. The minute our skin touches, a warm glow burns its way from his hand into mine and continues up my arm until it envelops my entire body, like I’m being wrapped in a warm cocoon of cotton clouds. It is as if we reach some unspoken agreement. We offer each other our souls to bear whether we are tainted, corrupted or have had the flame in our hearts snuffed out. It’s as if we are promising to rise to each other always. If one of us should feel the mounting pain of everything, of addiction or exhaustion, we can simply extend a hand and know that this will be the life preserver, the slack, the conscious acknowledgment of the other’s struggle. Then we are better for ourselves, and better still for the people in our lives. We all need a little help from a friend just to get by, because all the world is turning with the half-open, dead-end eyes of its passengers, as if they can barely keep from going in and out of consciousness.

  I stand next to Maddox, completely wrapped in the warm swirls of pleasure that imbue me just by being near him. Some part of my mind is still churning out the same what ifs. Like a dilapidated factory on the edge of an industrial park eerily in use but simultaneously having the appearance of being completely abandoned. That part of me may never be fixed. I’ll have to reconcile the fact that I am pessimistic with the positive things in life.

  It must be some self-preservative construct of the human brain to doubt, to have doubts and feel as though there is something still that can be done about it. Even when we have nothing to worry about, even when all the signs point towards calm waters, we think we feel a wrinkle in the water. There’s always a sting deep within us, a gut reaction that has developed over centuries of letting our guard down only to have the moment exploited. Intuition, in my opinion, is nothing more than a beguiling mask, behind which lurks our doubt.

  But the more I think of Maddox, the horrible what-if-factory fades into the very steam pumped from its chimneys. The wrinkle of fear that accompanies every decision in life melts into a warm current that lapses within me. We stand in a massive house, the ownership of which is firmly in Maddox’s hands along with me. I take Maddox’s hand and with the other one. I poise the bottle over the sink, saying, “This must’ve been expensive.”

  He smiles and says, “I’ve never really been concerned with the price.”

  “Then can I…” I tilt the bottle a little. He nods and smiles with his beautiful eyes jumping from my lips to my eyes. It is hard to know what to say next. So we just stand together for a while, enjoying the transition from one moment to another, as we pour the wine down the drain in an informal christening of the house.

  Chapter 34

  We leave the plates to soak in the kitchen and I can now focus all my attention on Maddox without the distraction of his amazing dinner. As we walk slowly through the house, I ask Maddox, “What’s going to happen now? I mean, what are you going to do?”

  He shakes his head, looking on down the hallway, then placing his gaze just before his feet, he says, “I, uh, really don’t know.” He rubs the back of his head while the question sinks in. He looks toward me, smiling, then continues. “I feel like anything is possible now, but at the same time it’s like nothing has changed.” He smiles nervously. I take his hand, interlocking our fingers together.

  What do you do when all of a sudden your problems no longer exist but you still feel the threat they hold over you? It might be true that Maddox could easily pay off his sins. I ask him, “Do you plan on selling the house?”

  He shakes his head, saying, “I couldn’t do that. This is my family’s house. Besides, I think it’s the perfect place to collect myself. This house is like my fortress.”

  He’s not wrong to call this house a fortress. It feels bigger than a city, but somehow perfectly isolated. That’s the charm of it: you can shout out the hectic world and regain yourself in a place like this. I suppose Maddox could get back into fighting, although that’s probably not the best option. Too many injuries and the risks involved in the underground fighting circuit. Too much drama and violence.

  Half-jokingly, I suggest, “Maybe you could learn to paint water color or play the piano?”

  “I just want to focus on you for now,” he says, stopping us in the hallway.

  He faces me and takes both my hands in his; his eyes belie a motive different than what his words reveal as he attempts to explains his torrid relationship with money.

  “Money, for me, just seems to fall through my hands like sand through a grate.” He shrugs his shoulders and says, “And now I have all this money, all this freedom.” He stops for a second to contemplate his thoughts. His eyes arch over the top of my head as if he’s seeing the next procession of words. Then he focuses on me and says, “I don’t know what I wanna do next, Lily. I don’t know where to start, or even how, but I know I want you there with me.”

  I smile back at Maddox. His words seem somehow silly and sincere all at once. His face reflects the severity of his tone with a slight upturn in his smile to let me know that, while he is serious, he realizes the clichéd tone of his words.

  We continue to walk down the hall. Maddox leads the way, pulling my arm as we reach the door at the end of the hallway. We almost pick up a stride by the time we reach the huge door.

  “This is my favorite room in the house.” He turns the handle slowly and pushes it open. The light from the ceiling in the hall floods in from above. It can only seem to illuminate a small portion of the floor beyond the threshold. The rest of the room remains cloaked in darkness. I can see vague outlines and forms. The soft curve of a couch or chairs are indistinguishable until Maddox flicks on the light. Suddenly, the whole room is bathed in the glow of smooth light. The walls are shelves of books. Their spines are bound in every material and in every color. It is hard to pick out just one to focus on. The whole panoply of color and texture forms a uniquely singular image.

  We walk in together but I may as well be on my own. I can’t hear Maddox talking as I take in the magnitude of the collection. Maddox walks off to my right. I hear a thick sliding sound hurtling at me from my right. My eyes meet a ladder coming to a stop at the end of a railing. I can’t contain my enthusiasm when I say, “You actually have one of these?”

  Maddox laughs as he walks over to open the grate to the fireplace.

  My eyes widen in amazement. “I’ve only seen this kind of thing in the movies.” As soon as I grab the sides of the ladder, I hop on the bottom rung with one foot and push off the ground with the other. The feeling of sliding on the rails is thrilling. Great works of literature pass by my eyes like an old nickelodeon. Ancient philosophers whiz by in a flash. One moment, I can see Chaucer, Shakespeare and Marlowe; the next it’s Dickinson, Yeats and Wilde.

  The ladder slows under its own exhausted inertia. Maddox extends his hand up to grab the side of the ladder
. He pulls me closer to him. I stare down at his gorgeous smile. I lean down to kiss him as the sweet smell of smoke wafts off the crackling logs. It smells earthy, like being at a campfire. Worlds of stories and characters rise on either side of us. I kiss Maddox with a deep lust for his taste. He pulls me off the ladder and we stumble back, falling onto the couch.

  Maddox sinks his lips into mine and I feel a rush of pleasure swirl and pool in my head. He grabs my thigh and squeezes; I press harder into his kiss. I feel his hand slide up my leg. I feel his hand rush to unbutton my jeans. He fumbles with it and then I pop the top button for him and his hand slides effortlessly under my panties. The thought of him touching me down there sends bolts of tingling fire racing through my veins. I spread my legs with a moan as his fingers rub my clit, and months of unsatisfied sexual tension comes rushing in, begging for release.

  I pull away, panting, just long enough to tell Maddox, “I’ve wanted this for so long.” I bite his lip--he exhales pure satisfaction and I know he’s been wanting it, too. He begins to kiss my neck, taking extra care to pass his tongue over my skin, like a skilled artist stroking a canvas with his brush. I want to scream, I want to tell him I love him, but my synapses are being flooded with ecstasy, making it hard to concentrate, much less form an intelligible sentence. So I blurt out words that even I’m surprised to hear myself say. “I love it when you touch me there.” My breath hitches and I gurgle out the words in a half-whisper, “Take me, Maddox. Right here, right now. I’m yours.” If he wants what I want, I could go crazy tonight. I hope he’s man enough to go all night. I can’t even believe I’m thinking these thoughts. I sound like some sex starved...creature. My usual self is nothing like this, but this is the effect Maddox has on me.

  He kisses my neck up to my ear and whispers something, but I can’t concentrate. I can’t think. It’s like he is speaking some hypnotic language and I love it. I pull him closer and I can feel his rock hard erection pressing against me. It feels so big and so hard, I wonder if I’ll be able to take all of him. Instead of causing worry, though, this thought just spurs my already heightened anticipation to skyrocketing heights. God, I’m so desperate for him it makes my head spin. Now his lips are in my ear and I feel his warm, moist tongue tracing around the edges, stopping at the lobe to suck it into his mouth. I can hardly move, except to writhe under Maddox’s thick fingers. I want him closer. I want him inside of me.

  We’re wrapped around each other, magnetized by perfect attraction. I want to keep my eyes on his gorgeous face, but he slides a finger inside me and I nearly pass out. I want more. I want to dig my nails into his skin and ride him until I burst. I turn my face to kiss him, and in one motion push his shoulder back into the couch. Both of my hands set to unbuttoning his pants and he wastes no time ripping off his shirt. I grab the sides of his pants and pull hard. He slips off his briefs as he leans in to kiss me. He sucks in air as he says, “Come here.”

  I feel his hands slide up the sides of my body and we part only to allow my blouse to slip over my face. Then his hand tangles into my hair and he pulls. It doesn’t hurt, but I find it incredibly sexy, and I’m excited to feel him control me in that way. My head tilts back and my lips part voluntarily. In a low husky voice, he says, “You ready for this? I’ve been wanting to fuck you for a long time, Lily.”

  My heart rate shoots up even higher than I thought possible and I melt under his command. I lick my lips as I look down at him. The light from the fire casts Maddox in a near bronze hue. His muscles are shadowed and highlighted by the flickering dance of fire. He looks almost statuesque. I run my fingers over his chest and down his tight abs until I grab his cock. As I wrap my fingers around its girth, I notice how very hard it is and how very thick. I also notice how wet I am as I press his cock against my quivering folds. I close my eyes and take a breath. I’ve wanted him since the day I saw him, all frantic and fighting in the ER.

  I stroke up and down rhythmically, slowly at first and then faster as moans of delight roll off his lips. He reaches up a hand and cups my breast, pinching the nipple up between his forefinger and thumb. The sensation shoots a bolt of lightning all the way down to my crotch and I part my lips in response.

  As if on cue, his fingers follow the path of the tingles and trail down my stomach until his thumb is rubbing my clit. At this motion, I full out gasp as his thumb first comes into contact with my sensitive spot, and then circles, deliciously. My breathing picks up and I release a low, drawn out moan. Then my eyes pop open. It’s been so long since I had any sex that my orgasm is coming too fast. I want to make this last; I want to savor every sensual minute with Maddox so I slide back away from his erect member and his teasing thumb. He stops and lifts his head for a moment. “Is everything okay? Why did you stop?”

  I give him a wicked smile and slide further down, positioning myself to take him in my mouth. When he sees this, his look of concern is quickly replaced by a huge grin.

  “I want to make this last,” I say and my voice comes out huskier than I anticipate. I wiggle my way into a comfortable position, never taking my hand off of his cock as I go. Before he can say a word, my lips are around his manhood. He groans a deep, satisfied sound and I’m encouraged to move my mouth up and down over his shaft. I continue sucking him, pushing him in my mouth as deep as I can take him. His width isn’t the problem now, just his length, and I get a shiver of excitement as I think about both when he’ll enter me.

  It’s probably been a long for him, too, and I don’t want to make him come in my mouth too quickly. After more gurgles of pleasure erupt from his throat, I pull back and sit up on my knees. He looks up at me and says, “Oh, Lily that felt so good.” He reaches out his arms. “Come up here.”

  I crawl up over him and straddle him again. His eyes are half hooded and blazing with desire. I hover over him and gently lower myself down. It feels like being dipped in warm waters. My hips move on their own; Maddox tries to sit up closer to me. His abs flex in the light of the fire, which fuels me to thrust my hips forwards, and then he slowly reclines with squinted eyes. His breath shallows to a whisper. I take his hands in mine, guiding his big hands to my breasts.

  We fuck until the fire gets low. Softly and slowly at first, then faster and wilder as our lustful desire match our pounding heartbeats. As the heat in the room fades with the light, the only warmth comes from our pulsating bodies and I fall into Maddox, completely exhausted in the best way possible. We drift off together, into the night, into a sleep, to a place where lovers go.

  *****

  I wake up the next morning on the couch with a jacket laid over me. I can smell the vague scent of breakfast: salty sweet bacon, the thick, swirling scent of bread and pancakes. This is the perfect way to wake up. My clothes are folded neatly on the arm of the couch. I dress myself and decide to wear Maddox’s jacket. It is far too big on me but it has his smell and I like the warmth of it.

  I follow the hallway down to the main entrance of the house. I can hear the sound of a kitchen symphony: running water from the faucet, large pans being shifted over burners, sizzling, the low hum of the oven, the pop that comes from the hot air being released from under golden brown eggs. I am led to the kitchen by my senses. Maddox heaps a stack of pancakes onto a plate just as I enter the room. He looks up at me and an uncontrollable smile spreads across my face.

  We eat together and pass two hours without noticing the time. The only thing that interrupts us is a knock at the door, but Maddox takes my hand in his and says, “It’s probably just someone trying to sell something.”

  He smiles for a moment, and in that moment I am suspended in time. He leans in and kisses me. I part from his lips feeling like lightning is shooting through my body.

  He looks me in the eye and says, “You know, Lily, I’ve got a lot of work to do on myself, but I know I can do it if you are with me.”

  I can’t believe this moment is happening. His eyes shift down; he bites the corner of his lip then lets it slide out; he falters thr
ough a smile.

  I tilt my head and look up at him from under my lashes. “You okay?”

  He nods and says, “Getting to know you has been the best experience in my life. I feel like I can trust you and that isn’t easy for me to say to anyone. I...I just feel better when I’m with you.” I kiss him on his lips a dozen times and linger on the last kiss just to take in every moment possible.

  The knocking at the door returns, this time louder, as if the person on the other side is offended at our neglect of answering. Maddox’s eyes shift over my shoulder, towards the door. He has a sober look on his face now. He looks me in eye and begins to speak. “I guess what I am getting at is that--” the doorbell now chimes away. It is being repeatedly pressed.

  “Maddox, I can’t hear you over all that racket.” I laugh at the absurdity of him trying to pour his heart out to me when the damn door bell keeps ringing.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I just want to say that I, well, I...”

  Harsh, almost aggressive thuds replace the doorbell chimes and are being rapped on the front door.