by Lisa Lace
Lily sits bolt upright, the sheets falling away for a moment. “Do you mean it?”
“I mean it!”
“Don’t tease me, Ethan.”
“I mean it, Lily. Let’s go somewhere. Anywhere you want.”
“What about your business?”
“A week won’t kill them. We’ve recently come to the end of a pretty huge project. Things should be calmer for a while.” My stomach sinks when I think of the defense contract and all the work my team had put into it. I’ll have to tell them when I return. It should come from me.
I look at Lily, and the disappointment fades. She’s worth it.
I always knew I’d do anything for her.
“Where do you want to go, Lily? Let’s see if I can remember your list. Thailand? India?”
“New Zealand. Australia.”
“Which one’s top of your list?”
“I don’t know. We can go anywhere?”
“Anywhere in the world.”
She lets out a long breath and lifts her face to glance at me. She shuts her eyes and shudders. “I hardly dare dream.”
I frown. “Why not? It’s all possible now.”
“Things never go according to plan.”
“It’s different now. I’m not going anywhere, and I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t let you down again.”
She smiles and closes her eyes. She nestles against me, content. “You know,” I tell her, “I always thought that you’d go without me. You know, travel.”
Lily glances upwards. “I got cold feet once you were gone.”
“I wish you could know how sorry I am for the way I acted back then.”
She lifts her head to catch my lips in a forgiving kiss. “It’s okay, Ethan. I understand.”
I’m not sure that she does. I’m not sure that I understand why I left her, either. At the time, it made sense. I was protecting her. Now I realize how much she lost by waiting for me, and I’ll do anything to make it right.
“What should we do today?” Lily asks me. “Maybe we should go to some of our old haunts. Wouldn’t that be something?”
I smile. “I would love that. But I’ve got some work to take care of first.”
“Oh, okay.”
I can hear the disappointment in Lily’s voice, and I make a suggestion. “You know, my assistant, Jennifer, is in town with me. Maybe you could spend the morning with her, and then we can take a trip down memory lane together this afternoon.”
Lily raises an eyebrow. “Your assistant is in town with you?”
I laugh and hold up my hand. “She’s just an employee, Lily. Well, no, that’s a lie—she’s a very good friend. She keeps me organized and stops me making a fool of myself in front of the press. She’s the only one who talks straight with me.”
Chuckling, Lily gives me a teasing glance. “Ah, yes. You’re a big scary businessman now. I bet everyone walks on tippy toes around you, don’t they?”
I smile. “Sometimes.”
“God, it’s weird to think of you like that. You never had that kind of confidence when you were young.”
“You have to be decisive in business. A team won’t respect a leader who doubts himself. You have to choose a course of action and make it work.”
“Do you miss it here?”
“In Payson? Sometimes. I guess I miss being carefree, taking each day as it comes. But, that was more from being young rather than being in Payson.”
“I don’t know. I still pretty much take life as it comes.”
“I admire you for that. I could never stop asking myself ‘what if?’ What if I can’t pay the bills? What if I get in an accident and have no insurance? What if I lose my job and have no savings to get by?”
She offers an affectionate smile, her fingers trailing over my chest pensively. “Your fears were always different from mine. I always thought, What if I wake up at thirty in a job I hate, and I can’t leave because I’m tied into rent on a condo I can’t afford? What if I take a nine-to-five to keep me going, then realize life has passed me by, and I’ve never seen the world?” Lily shrugs. “My life’s not perfect, but I’m doing what I love. And I have time to work on some of the things I enjoy most: time with friends, and nature. I don’t know. It works for me.”
“Do you hate the idea of New York?”
Lily makes a face. “I don’t know. I guess I worry I’ll get eaten alive out there.”
I laugh. “I think you’d find your feet before you knew it and take the city by storm. Maybe there’s not as much open space, but there’s culture. Museums, Broadway, great food. I think you’d be inspired out there.”
She lays a hand gently on my arm. “I’m sure I’ll see it soon. If you’re not going anywhere, then we’ve got all the time in the world.”
“I’ll take you to the Met. You won’t believe the art they’ve got there.”
Lily’s smile falters, then reappears. She nods. “Yes. I want to see all of that.”
“And I’ll come back here, too,” I vow. “We can hang out at Molly’s and Rumsey Park. Whatever you want.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“You should show Jen some of our spots. She’d love that. She can’t believe I grew up here.”
“Like I can’t believe where you’ve ended up.”
“Give me a chance, Lily. You’ll see I haven’t changed as much as it seems.”
Lily doesn’t say more, just smiles at me and holds out her hand. “Shower?” She drops the sheet she’s holding and leads the way.
I follow her to the bathroom. It’s a tiny little room with white tiles and the smallest shower I’ve ever seen. Lily turns on the water. Moments later, the shower’s filled with steam. Lily steps back under the water and beckons for me to join her.
I squeeze in, laughing because there’s so little room. I’m squished up against the glass, and Lily’s squished against the tiles. The shower spray encompasses us both. Neither of us can get away from the stream. We have to hold our breath to kiss without drowning.
When Lily pulls back, she’s laughing. “I bet shower sex is a lot more convenient at your mansion.”
“It’s a penthouse.”
She throws back her head and laughs, the water streaming down her throat, dozens of droplets trickling down her bare skin.
I grow hard. I raise Lily’s arms above her head and press her against the tiles. She grins, and I kiss her.
Our mouths press together, our tongues meeting, hot water splashing over us.
Lily reaches for me and closes her hand around my thick cock. She bites down on her lip when she feels how hard I am, then teases me with long, gentle strokes.
“Fuck, I want you.”
I spin Lily to face the tiles and run my hands over the sides of her small breasts and down her slender waist. My hand slips between her legs, and my fingers press in.
She gasps, then moans, her hands uncurling against the wall and pressing flat.
I enter her, circling her waist with my arms and holding her tight as I thrust. Water runs down my spine as I press into her again. She stands on her tiptoes and bends toward the tiles to take me in deeper.
I bite lightly on her ear. Her wet hair sticks to her, and I draw it back from her neck so that I can trail my mouth over her skin. She pushes against me, and I press into her deeply.
Over the sound of the water rushing, I hear Lily’s breathless moans. I reach around and massage her clit as I thrust into her. She comes, her head falling back and eyes closing as she orgasms. I bury my face in her shoulder, kissing her neck until my own orgasm.
We stand under the water for a moment. I hold her closely from behind. She turns into my embrace, lifts her face, and kisses me.
She’s incredibly beautiful. How did I ever leave this woman?
Lily
Jennifer is a wonderful woman. She’s bright and witty, and I can understand why Ethan likes her this much.
I’m showing her around Payson while Ethan takes care of business.
We’ve walked through the town a little, and seen the school that Ethan and I attended. I’ve pointed out the golf course we used to break into, shown her Molly’s, and now that we’ve picked up an iced tea to go, we’re heading toward Rumsey Park.
“Oh wow,” Jennifer breathes, looking around with a disbelieving smile. “You know, I really can’t imagine Ethan here.”
Jennifer herself appears out of place in her pinstriped pencil skirt and stiletto heels. She seems very metropolitan; I don’t think I’ve ever looked that professional and well-presented. Her hair is long, reddish-blonde, and perfectly straight. Her makeup is subtle but meticulously applied. She looks like she’s recently stepped out of a limo, heading to a critical meeting in a skyscraper somewhere.
“Ethan wasn’t always so…” I tilt my hand helplessly, searching for the word.
“Serious and brooding?”
I laugh. “Exactly.”
“Tell me what he used to be like.”
I twirl a strand of hair around my finger, smiling fondly at the thought of young Ethan. “He was a lot of fun. I used to drag him into all kinds of mischief. He was always the sensible one, but I could always convince him to do crazy things. He was very sweet, too, the sort of guy who would give you the clothes off his back. Very sentimental, very kind.”
“What did he look like?”
I grin. “He was always good looking, but his fashion sense has come a long way. He used to wear jeans with shredded cuffs and tees with torn collars. I remember this one T-shirt he had. It had this design on the front—the plasticky kind. He wore that shirt over and over until the design completely peeled off, but he refused to throw it out. He loved it.”
Jennifer smiles at the image. “It’s only the finest Italian tailoring now.”
“I’ve noticed.” I shake my head. “I can’t believe how much he’s changed.”
“Oh, he’s not as hard-nosed as he seems. He’s a big softie, really—but he doesn’t want anyone to know. Get close enough to him, though, and he can’t hide it. He’s got a good soul.”
I smile and look at Jen as we walk. When she talks about Ethan, I can see how much she cares for him. “How do you know him, anyway? Did you two used to date?”
I know Ethan has told me they’re only friends, but I can’t understand how he could spend this much time with a beautiful woman who cares about him and keep it completely platonic.
Jennifer laughs. “God, no. I mean, Ethan’s wonderful, but when we first met, men were the last thing on my mind. Then we started working together, and it wouldn’t have been something I’d have risked. Working for Ethan has turned my life around.”
We’ve reached Rumsey Park and find a picnic table to sit at. Jennifer perches on the edge of the bench with one shapely leg crossed over the other. A male jogger turns his head as he runs past. I’m pretty sure he’s not looking at me, not in my jeans and giraffe print T-shirt.
“How did you meet him?”
Jennifer leans forward to tell me the story. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and I can see a fond smile on her face. “I was working in a diner,” she says. “I was serving Ethan one day. He wasn’t a chatty customer. He ordered and didn’t make small talk. I only served him, didn’t start a conversation. I was serving some other tables that night. One of them was a family of four who dined and dashed on me. When my manager found out, he said I had to pay for their food out of my tips. I couldn’t even argue because I couldn’t afford to lose the job.”
She shakes her head. “I broke down. I took Ethan’s bill to him, and he could see I’d been crying. He asked me if I was okay, and I don’t know what happened. I poured my heart out to him. I’d been treated like shit by my customers all evening, and my manager was a heartless prick. Ethan was the first person to treat me like a human all day. I started telling him my life story.
“I told him about my broken relationship. The father of my one-year-old son had recently walked out on me and wasn’t paying child support. I was working two part-time jobs as a single mom and still wasn’t making ends meet. I told him about the family that had dined and dashed and what my manager had done. I told him about how I was giving life everything I had, but coming up short.”
I’m captivated. I lean forward, eyes wide. “What happened then?”
“Ethan took hold of my hand, looked me right in the eye, and told me I deserved better. He said he was a businessman, and he wanted to offer me a job. I told him I didn’t have any qualifications and that I had a kid at home. He said it didn’t matter. I had the attitude he was looking for.
“I wasn’t sure what to think. I thought it might have been some line to get me into bed or something. I don’t know. I didn’t have a lot of faith in men at the time. Ethan left me his card and told me that if I got in touch, a job would be waiting.
“I went home and looked him up. That’s when I saw who he was. He wasn’t quite as big back then, but I think he’d recently turned his first five million or something. He was up and coming. I called, thinking he’d have forgotten all about me, but I was put straight through. Ethan said the offer still stood. I took a leap of faith and accepted his offer.
“He did everything he said he would and more. He gave me a job that paid the bills with full benefits for my son and me. He even set up a college fund for Noah, my kid. He saved us.”
My heart grows warm. Now I know that Jennifer has seen the side of Ethan I truly know and love. “That’s a beautiful story.”
Jennifer is wet-eyed. She brushes away a tear with her thumb and smiles. “He’s never treated me like a charity case. He treats me like a professional. He’s always shown me respect. I had no idea what I was capable of until Ethan opened the door.”
I smile. “Sounds like Ethan saw what you could do long before you saw it in yourself.”
“I still don’t understand why he did what he did for me.”
“Has he ever told you about his mom?”
“Small things. I know she raised him on her own, and she passed away when he was a teen.”
“That’s right. She was a single mom—like you. She worked really hard. Ethan adored her. I think his upbringing has stayed with him. He has a lot of respect for people like you.”
“The feeling’s mutual. He may be a complete idiot sometimes, but he’s a good man.”
I laugh. “He doesn’t always get it right, then?”
“He told me about leaving you when you were kids. I’m sorry. That must have been so hard for you.”
An old pain twinges, but I push it down. Ethan’s back now. “It was,” I confess. “But I tried to understand. I know how hard it was for Ethan when his mom died.”
“He loves you, you know.”
“He says he does,” I nod. “I guess I still worry, though. He’s left me before.”
“Oh, he’s not going anywhere this time, Lily. I mean, he gave up the defense contract for you! He wouldn’t do that for anyone. That deal was worth billions.”
I frown. “Defense contract?”
Jennifer returns my confused look. “You know, the Department of Defense?”
“I don’t know about it. What do you mean, he gave it up for me?”
She flushes red and waves her hands. “Forget it. I thought you knew.”
Jennifer stands, but I grab her wrist. “Jennifer? Tell me.”
Her face is pained. I can see tears beginning to rise. Whatever she’s talking about, she knows she’s said too much. “I can’t.”
“Jennifer, please. Tell me what you mean. I’m only going to ask him anyway.”
Her voice lowers to a whisper. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Tell me.”
Jennifer slowly sinks back onto the bench. Her hands are shaking. When she glances at me, her gaze is guilty. “You know Vincent Oswald.” It’s not a question. Jennifer knows the whole story.
“Yes.”
“He’s not a good man.”
My suspicions burn hot. “Seriously, Jenni
fer. What’s going on?”
“Ethan was trying to protect you.”
“Please tell me what you know.”
“Vincent bought out the deed to your apartment. He was going to evict you if Ethan didn’t give up the defense contract. It’s a huge contract worth billions. Steele Industries has been working on it all year. Vincent was after it, too.”
I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. “And Ethan gave up the contract?”
“In return for the deed. To save your home.”
My blood is boiling. Tears sting behind my eyes. My voice catches in my throat. “And that’s why Vincent up and left suddenly? He really was using me to get to Ethan?”
Jennifer lays her hand gently on my arm. “I’m sorry, Lily. Ethan came to Payson to warn you. He had a feeling that Vincent was up to something.”
“It was business this whole time.”
“Lily.”
“Ethan only came back because of Vincent. He wasn’t coming back for me at all. He only wanted to make sure that Vincent didn’t get me. He got him out the picture by making a business deal. This whole thing, it’s only been one big competition between them, hasn’t it? They’ve been using me as a pawn.”
Jennifer is openly crying now. “It’s not like that, Lily. Ethan only wanted to protect you.”
“Protect me from something that was his fault to begin with. From maybe having a happy life. He used me.” I stand and stride toward the building where Ethan has set up his temporary offices. “He practically bought me from Vincent. Who does something like that?”
“It’s not what it seems.” Jennifer races after me. “Please, Lily! Take some time to think about it. He was never trying to hurt you. He loves you.”
I stop and spin on my heel to face Jennifer. We both have tears streaming down our faces.
I throw my hands up in despair. “I can’t trust him, Jennifer. It’s never the whole truth with Ethan. If I’d known what had happened with Vincent, maybe I wouldn’t have fallen right back into his arms, but he made me believe he was there for me when I needed him. Really, he was pulling the strings the whole time.”
“Please, Lily, try to see it from Ethan’s perspective.”