by Maya Banks
“How did you come up with this?” she asked as she traced over his shoulder until her finger came to rest in the hollow of his throat.
“Callie and I went to India and Nepal one summer. We saw some amazing art and tattoos. Callie took pictures and when we got back, we took the photos to an artist in Denver who incorporated the designs into a larger one that was reflective of all the places we’d been.”
“That’s amazing. And what an awesome experience. That must have been so fun.”
“Callie’s our free spirit. She’s traveled a lot. Sucks when she’s gone so much, but she’s been to some awesome places.”
Again Lily traced the colorful patterns with the tips of her fingers, but this time she allowed her hands to wander over his broad chest.
The muscles tightened and bunched under her palms, and his eyes narrowed to slits. He reached up and caught both her hands, holding them at the wrists, still over his chest.
“I have a better idea,” he murmured. “I vote we ditch the bike ride and I take you into my bedroom and let you explore my tats all you want while I’m inside you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Lily’s eyes widened, and her breathing sped up until little puffs of air blew over Dillon’s neck. He watched, gauging to see if he was moving too fast, too soon, but it wasn’t fear he saw in her gaze. There was interest. And answering desire. A little hesitancy but not fear.
Her hands trembled in his hold and little goosebumps spread across her neck and shoulders, making him want to lick every last one.
He burned for her. His skin was itchy and alive, and he knew he wouldn’t find relief until he was buried deep inside her. He wanted to hold her and soothe away the shadows and watch while she came apart beneath him.
“Do you want that, Lily?” he prodded. “Do you want to make love with me as much as I want to make love with you?”
She swallowed and then licked her lips in a nervous gesture he found endearing.
“What about Seth and Michael?” she asked in a low voice. Her lips turned down into a worried frown. “How is this supposed to work? I feel like I’m cheating on them.”
She tugged her hands free and rubbed over her face in a frustrated gesture. “I don’t know how this works. What I’m supposed to do. I don’t want to screw up before it even begins.”
Dillon’s chest tightened and then went soft. He reached out to take her hand again, pulling it away from her face. Then he kissed each of her fingertips to soothe some of the tension flowing from her.
“There’s no right or wrong way, Lily. If I’m moving too fast for you, just say the word. I just know that when I saw you, I had to touch you. I know my brothers felt and feel the same. If you’ve talked to Seth, and if he explained what they’re proposing, then you know they’ll be okay with this. They have to be. It’s the only way it works. I won’t ask their permission every time I want to make love to you.”
“You said they,” she said quickly. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “You said what they’re proposing. You didn’t say we.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I can see how that might look to you. Like I’m only going along for the ride and aren’t fully on board. Maybe I’m not at this point. It’s hard to tell. Things have happened so fast. What I do know is that I have an undeniable attraction to you. I never used to believe in hokey love-at-first-sight stuff. My dads always said it was that way with Mom, but I didn’t really believe it.”
“And now?”
He blew out his breath. “Now I know that you can meet someone and want them with every breath in your body, mentally and physically. Is that love? I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe it’s the foundation being laid. Relationships have begun with a hell of a lot less, that’s for sure.”
“You have to wear a condom,” she blurted.
He blinked at the whiplash her statement caused.
Her cheeks colored, but her lips were set into a determined line.
“I’m not on birth control,” she rushed on to say. “I mean it’s not something I’ve been able to afford nor have I had the need, but I don’t want to get pregnant. I won’t take the risk.”
Now there was fear in her eyes. Dillon eased back but kept firm hold on her hand. He squeezed and massaged, trying to ease the tension.
“Baby, I’d never not protect you,” he said gently. “Of course I’ll wear a condom. And I’m sure you know condoms aren’t foolproof, so I’ll make an appointment for you at the clinic in town so you can get on birth control if that’s what you want.”
She looked down, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t have insurance—or a way to pay.”
The shame in her voice nearly killed him. God, he hurt for her. But he needed to make it clear from the start that they were damn well going to take care of her, and the last thing she needed to worry about was having the money for birth control.
“Lily, we need to get a few things straight, okay? I’m assuming you and Seth had a long talk in which he laid out the fact that he and Michael and me all want one thing. You. And I’m sure he laid out just what that would mean if we all agree to see where this takes us. I’m also assuming you agreed, or you wouldn’t be here with me right now. Part of the arrangement, if you will, is that we take care of you. We wouldn’t have it any other way. That means providing for your needs both emotionally and financially.”
She raised her gaze to meet his. “It’s easy to see what I get out of this. But what about you? And Seth and Michael? What could you possibly get out of this relationship that you can’t get somewhere else?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You think all we want is sex?”
She flushed and looked down again. He slid his hand underneath her chin and prompted her to look back at him.
“No, I don’t think that,” she said when he continued to stare at her. “If that’s what you wanted, you could certainly find better elsewhere.”
“I don’t agree, but that’s not the point. I’m not attracted to every other woman out there. I’m attracted to you. If sex was all I wanted, I’d have you naked and underneath me right now instead of having one of those sensitive conversations that make men’s testicles shrink.”
A smile hovered on her lips and her eyes gleamed, losing the dull shadow of shame.
“I did agree, I mean when Seth talked to me before about…us…all of us, I said okay.”
“Then you have to give us that chance,” Dillon said as he stroked her cheek with his hand. “And you have to give us your trust that we’ll take care of you and provide for you.”
She turned her face into his palm and brushed her lips over his skin. “I’ll try.”
He felt his insides give this peculiar squeeze, and he knew in that moment that he was in it for the long haul. No, he damn sure hadn’t ever considered that he’d share his woman with his two brothers no matter how they’d grown up. But his parents had made it work, and he was just as committed to making this relationship work with Lily and his brothers.
“I’m in this, Lily. Maybe I wasn’t sure before, but now I am. I’m not going anywhere. We can make this work.”
Her eyes brightened, and her smile lit up her entire face. She was so astonishingly lovely that he ached. His hand shook against her face, and it hit him how badly he wanted to make love to her. Not sex. He wanted to savor and cherish her and make her feel undeniably loved.
“Every time I think this can’t possibly work and that I’m stupid for trying it, one of you says something to make me believe. I want this too, Dillon. So much that it scares me because I’m afraid it’s all a fantasy that I’m going to wake up from.”
He touched his thumb to her lip and rubbed back and forth over the soft, full bottom. “Believe it, Lily. This isn’t something we’d take lightly. Ever.”
“I also want you to believe me,” she said. Her gaze caught his again and sincerity burned bright in her blue eyes. “I don’t want any of you to think that I’m latching onto the first way out of my life and that it could be anyone.
That’s not it, I swear.”
He covered her mouth with his fingers. “Shhh. I don’t think that. None of us thinks that. Do we want to help you and take care of you and make damn sure you never have to spend a day out on the streets again? Hell yes. All we want in return is you. Just you. It’s enough.”
Tears glistened, making her eyes go wet and shiny. But she smiled underneath his fingers and then she kissed the tips.
“Tell you what,” he said, before his selfish nature completely took over. It was obvious she was unsettled with things moving so quickly and not having Michael and Seth to reassure her that they weren’t going to lose their minds if she was intimate with Dillon. “Why don’t you and I spend the afternoon on the couch. We’ll watch a movie or two, or just lay here and talk. I’ll call my brothers and tell them I’ll cook dinner here tonight for all of us. It’ll give the four of us time to spend together, and hopefully that’ll put you at ease. Michael’s probably convinced I skipped town with you anyway.”
Lily grinned and put her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”
He leaned in to give her a quick kiss. “You get comfy then. I’ll go let them know.”
He left her on the couch but watched as she snuggled deeper into the cushions. She looked so damn cute that he couldn’t wait to get back and wrap himself around her. It was pretty pathetic when he opted for an afternoon of cuddling on the couch over taking a woman to bed, but he was so eager to have her in his arms that it didn’t matter how it had to happen.
He called Seth first since he already knew where Lily was, although Dillon was pretty sure Michael knew by now. Seth sounded a little surprised when Dillon gave him the run-down—maybe he was the one who thought Dillon would skip town with Lily. He suppressed a smile and rang off after telling Seth to show up at six. That gave him a few hours alone with Lily before he had to be gracious and share.
Next he dialed Michael’s cell since the odds of catching him in his office were slim.
“Hey man, what’s going on?” Michael said as soon as he came onto the line.
“I’m with Lily.”
There was a slight pause. “Yeah. I know. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine. We didn’t go riding after all. Going to spend the afternoon here. Catch a movie or two. I thought it would be a good idea for you and Seth to come here for dinner tonight. I already called Seth and he’ll be here.”
“How is her arm? Have you been taking care of it?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.” He hoped to hell he hadn’t lied. He wasn’t going to admit that the last thing on his mind had been her injury, which probably made him a complete asshole, but it was the truth.
“She’s uneasy about how you guys are reacting to her being with me and I’m sure it’s the same when she’s with one of you. I thought if we could all be together in the same room, it would ease some of her insecurities.”
There was another long period of silence that had Dillon fidgeting.
“So does this mean you’re on board with this?”
There was a note of caution in Michael’s voice that Dillon wasn’t sure how to take.
“I wouldn’t be inviting you over for dinner if I wasn’t.”
Michael sighed. “Look, Dillon, you have to admit you didn’t sound like you were open to this the last time we spoke.”
“I’m not the one who stormed out,” Dillon pointed out. “And excuse me all to hell for not being able to make a life-altering decision in a split second.”
Michael made a disgruntled sound. “Okay, you got me there. This is just important, and I don’t want us to fuck it up because we can’t get our shit together.”
“You may not realize it, but this is damn important to me too, Michael,” Dillon said in a low voice. “This is the biggest decision we’ll ever make. I’ve made mine. I think you and Seth have made yours. Now the hard part starts.”
“Yeah, I hear you. I’ll be over at six provided I don’t have any call-outs. Tell Lily…tell her I’ll see her then.”
“Will do,” Dillon said as he ended the call.
He slowly lowered the phone to the kitchen table and stood there a long moment coming to terms with what he’d just committed to.
Any sane person would be heavy into the what-the-fucks right now, but he was at complete and utter peace with the decision. He didn’t think for a minute it would all be a bed of roses and they’d live happily ever after in the clouds. But what he did know was that the Colters believed in family above all else. And now Lily was a part of that family. He and his brothers would go to the wall for her each and every day of their lives.
Seth left his parents’ house early to drive into town to see Lacey. He parked in front of the sheriff’s department, and before he made it out of his truck, Lacey stood in the doorway, a hand cocked on her hip as she stared him down.
“Want to tell me why you’re only just now making it in to see me?” she asked. “Word is you hit town yesterday.”
Seth grinned and held out his arms for a hug. “Still as bossy as ever, I see.”
She hugged him fiercely and then all but pulled him into her office. After shoving him into a chair, she circled around her desk and took her seat.
“I won’t beat around the bush. I’m sure your dad has talked to you already. I’d like you to take over the rest of my term. I’m going to retire as soon as I find a replacement.”
“Okay.”
She blinked and then reared back in her chair, suspicion darkening her eyes. “Okay? That’s it? You’re not going to argue and list ten reasons why you’re not the right person for the job?”
He fought back a smile. “Nope.”
“Well, hell. I was prepared to have to spend an hour arguing you down, and you come in and take the wind out of my sails.”
This time he laughed. “Dramatic as ever, Lacey.”
She leaned forward, her expression serious. “What changed your mind? Adam told me you were reluctant to even consider it.”
“I want to come home,” he said simply. “Law enforcement is what I do. I could never imagine you not being the sheriff, but if you’re going to retire, I want the job.”
“Is your arm healed up? Is everything okay in Denver?”
He smiled at the anxious note in her voice. “Everything is fine. Quit worrying. I met someone. Someone I want to have a life with here.”
Lacey’s eyes sharpened. “Anyone I know?”
Seth shook his head. “No, and you aren’t going to run a background check on her, either. She’s says she’s not in any trouble, and I believe her. But there is definitely a lot of hurt in her past, and I don’t want to push her too hard. I have to tread a very delicate line with her—we all do.”
Lacey didn’t look happy with his decree. “So who is she?”
“Her name is Lily,” Seth said quietly. “And you should also know, because you’ll hear sooner or later, and I know I can count on your support, that Michael and Dillon are also involved with Lily.”
Lacey sat back again, her eyes round with shock. “Oh shit. Is this a joke?”
He shook his head.
“Well I’ll be damned,” she murmured. “I never would have imagined. It’s certainly worked well enough for your mother and your dads, so I guess you know it’s possible. But still… Damn.”
“Lacey, I’m sorry about Dan. Dad told me. How is he doing?”
Her expression crumbled for a moment before she smiled brightly. “He’s doing good. We’ve been driving back and forth to Denver so he can get treatment. I’d like to move there, though, because it’s wearing on him. Plus we have that place on the mountain and it’s become more than we can keep up. All the kids are gone, so it just makes sense to move ourselves.”
“If there’s ever anything I can do, you know all you have to do is ask.”
She reached across the desk to put her hand on his. “I know, Seth. And thank you.” Then she leaned back, all business again. �
�I’ve already spoken to the city council about the possibility of you taking over the job.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Well I had to prepare,” she said defensively. “No one wants to bring in an outsider. My deputies are young and too inexperienced to take over as sheriff, and Jimmy is too old. He just wants to get in another few years so he can take his retirement. If you want the job, it’s yours. The vote will just be a formality, but you already have them in your pocket.”
“How soon?” Seth asked quietly.
“As soon as you can fill out an application so it’s official. There’s paperwork to do and the council will hold a meeting where they vote. I figure we can have it done in a few days, and you can take over in two weeks’ time. That’ll give me enough time to hand in my resignation and get my ducks in a row.”
“I’ll be sad to see you go, Lacey.”
She smiled. “I’ll be back to visit. I’ll always consider this my town.”
Seth paused for a moment and then glanced back at her. “Do you think my…relationship…with Lily is going to cause problems with me in this job?”
Lacey leaned back and studied him for a moment. “I’ll be honest, Seth. I just don’t know. Most folks around here are familiar with your upbringing and your mom’s relationship with your fathers. There was a lot of talk when it became obvious all those years ago, but it quickly died down and people here tend to mind their own business. Your mom is dearly loved and your fathers are very well respected in the community.
“You’ll have a few folks who raise their eyebrows but most will take it in stride, but you just never know. My thought is, you keep quiet for now, finish my term and by the time you come up for re-election, let the chips fall where they may. If you do the job, I think that’s all that’s going to matter, and as I said, the people here really don’t want some hotshot from the outside to come in and take over the town. You’ll have two years to prove your mettle. Then you’re just going to have to let the voters decide.”