The sat nav indicated their arrival at their destination, and Cyrus scowled through the windscreen at the run down high rise flats in front of him.
“This is where you live?” he asked, all too aware of the edge of his voice.
“It’s not that bad, once you get inside,” Lily said. “My neighbors are nice and besides as long as you keep your nose out of everyone else’s business it’s fine.”
She glanced across to the small crowd of hooded teens huddled next to the communal bin area, and Cyrus shook his head at her next words.
“With that in mind, you might not want to hang around for too long. That lot over there have no doubt already disassembled your car in their heads. It would fuel their habit for quite some time, I reckon.”
“Did that bastard put you here?” he asked, ignoring the latter part of her statement. He knew just how to deal with gangs.
Lily flinched and bit her lip.
“I told you I don’t want to talk about him, I—” Her breath left her in a big whoosh when he pulled her across to him by her hair, and her eyes clouded over, pupils dilating in need.
“If I ask you a question, girl, I expect an answer, though it can wait for now, until we lose the audience.” He released her and exited his car, keeping a watchful eye out for the teenage gang. Sure enough the tallest one of them sauntered over, and smirked.
“Nice wheels, man.” He looked Cyrus’s car over, and then grinned when Lily got out.
“Going up in the world, Lily, baby?” he asked, and Cyrus balled his hands into fists.
“He’s just dropping me off, Tyson,” Lily said, her voice surprisingly even and without fear, as she stepped up next to Cyrus and put herself between him and this Tyson character.
“Well, see, Lily, baby, them wheels there. Someone might be taking a fancy to them. Wouldn’t want your fancy ass boyfriend here to come back and find them gone now.”
His gang laughed and surrounded them and the fine hair on Cyrus’s neck rose. This was all too damn fucking familiar.
Cyrus yanked Lily back behind him and gave the youth his best mess with what’s mine and you’re dead look, and some of the cockiness left the acne-scarred pup’s face.
“Should that happen I’ll know who to hold responsible, won’t I? Tyson is it?”
He took a step closer to the slightly smaller youth, despite Lily’s warning hiss, and the youngster’s Adam’s apple bopped wildly as he swallowed.
“So this is what you’re going to do, Tyson. You’ll be a good boy and make sure my car is in one piece when we get back, and all will be good. If not…”
He didn’t finish the sentence on purpose, just stared the youngster down and after several tense moments the wannabe crime lord dropped his gaze and flipped him the finger.
“As you’re with our Lily, baby, I suppose I can. Just don’t be too long. Time is money.”
Cyrus ignored him, clicked the alarm on his car and dragged Lily away from them and through the entrance door to the flats, which didn’t shut properly.
The minute they were out of sight of the thugs, Lily wrenched her arm free and slapped his chest.
“Are you insane? What did I say? You leave them be, not start some stupid macho pissing act. You’ll be lucky not to have a brick through your damn windscreen after that little display. Jeez, I was handling it. I—”
Cyrus shut her up by kissing her. Hands fisted in her hair, he took possession of her mouth and marched her back until her back hit the grimy wall. Lily whimpered and opened wider for him, and he took his time exploring her mouth, drinking in the taste of her, until he had to break the kiss and gulp in air.
“Damn you,” she whispered and he grinned and bowed his head.
“Oh, without doubt, damned I am, but I do know how to handle thugs like that.” He hitched his thumb over his shoulder and she glared up at him.
“You, however put yourself in danger like that again, Lily, baby, and your ass will be so sore you will not be able to sit down for a fortnight. Do I make myself perfectly clear, girl?”
Lily stared up at him and opened her mouth as though to say something, but then seemed to think better off it.
“Good, now steer me to your flat, so we can grab you some things, and then you’re coming home with me.”
“Wh-at?” Lily found her voice and her spunk it seemed, because she crossed her arms and her eyes positively sparked fire at him. Damn, she was even more beautiful when she did that. Arms crossed under her boobs the action made the delightful handful spill over the low neckline of her dress, not that she seemed to be aware of that. Add to that her kiss swollen lips and her disheveled hair, courtesy of his handling, and he was hard pressed not to fuck her up against the wall right now. While that idea had pre-cum inducing merit, he did want to get them both out of this place, and fast.
“Is there something I should know about that Tyson and you, Lily, baby?”
She shook her head and actually rolled her eyes at him. He would have to keep score of all those minor infractions and punish her accordingly later.
“Hardly,” she said and gestured for him to follow her up the stairs, when more people came through the doorway. The middle aged couple took one look at Lily and him and scarpered off down the hall way as fast they could. Yep, not much had changed on these estates, it seemed. Everyone was just looking out for themselves. Not that Cyrus could blame them. It had been just the same up north when Sloan and he had grown up on a place very similar to this one. He shook his head against the memories and concentrated on the poetry in motion that was Lily’s pert little ass as she ran up the stairs. Taking three at a time, he followed her, until they finally stopped in front of her door. Lily fumbled with the keys and when she turned around to shut the door in his face, he simply barged through.
“Did I invite you in?” she asked, flicking the light on to bathe her tiny flat in a warm glow. He had to give it to her. She’d done wonders with the space. It was clean and tidy and feminine touches were everywhere. The furniture was old, but she’d brightened everything up with colorful scarves. Scatter cushions were thrown all over the one couch that presumably served as a bed at night. A tiny kitchen was off to one side and an even tinier bathroom off to the other. An ancient-looking laptop sat on a makeshift desk in front of the balcony, and books were stacked into every available corner. Textbooks warred for space with romance novels and some of the covers made him grin.
“I wasn’t aware I needed an invitation, girl.”
Lily rolled her eyes and threw her hand bag onto the couch.
“Look,” she said, and took a step away from him when he crossed his arms and simply looked at her.
“Err, okay, Sir, I—”
“Better, little subbie.” He interrupted her and she blinked. He could almost see her submissive side fight with her need for independence. A truly delightful struggle to witness. Cyrus sat down on the surprisingly comfortable couch, flung his arms over the back and stretched his legs out. Ah, that was marginally better. His damn cock was still rock-hard, but at least this way he had some room. He didn’t miss the way her breathing sped up and she licked her lips as her gaze dropped to his groin.
“You keep looking at me like that, and I’ll take you up on that invitation, girl.”
Cyrus groaned when Lily sunk to her knees and crawled over to him. He had the perfect view down her front, and his mouth went dry when she crawled right between his legs and put her hands on his thighs.
“It seems only fair I bring you some relief, Sir.” With an impish grin she slid her hands higher over his aching cock, and the damn thing jumped under that light caress, as though it had a mind of its own. Cyrus had to concede it did, around Lily anyway. He’d been at half-mast and various states in-between ever since he’d stumbled on her pleasuring herself in her sleep, his brother’s name on her lips.
Lucky bastard. Mind you, Sloan wasn’t here right now. No, Lily was all his for now, so he might as well sit back and enjoy the show. No doubt
her going down on him would be a mind-blowing experience. Whatever else he thought of the asshole who’d snatched her off the streets, he had trained her well. He pulled in his belly when she tugged his shirt out of his waistband, and ran her fingers over his abs. Pulling the shirt up she kissed the ridges of his abdomen, and Cyrus groaned and fisted his hands in the cushions surrounding him to stop himself from grabbing her hair and taking over. Her breathing sped up as she fumbled with his belt, her breaths hot little puffs of air against his skin, and his hips jerked up when she pulled down the zipper and freed his cock out of his boxer briefs. Her little hand closed around his shaft and pre-cum leaked from the mushroom tip of his cock when she looked up at him. If that was not one of the most erotic sights ever. He stopped thinking altogether when she licked across the slit of his cock and then took him deep right to the back of her throat, while she fondled his balls.
“Fuck.”
Lily smiled up at him around her mouthful of cock, and, hollowing her cheeks out, sucked hard. She alternated soft kisses with licks up and down his shaft, in between deep-throating him, until he literally saw stars. Losing the fight with himself, he grabbed handfuls of her hair and fucked her mouth in earnest as his orgasm built from the base of his spine, drew his balls tight, and shot through his dick in waves of arousal so fierce and intense he fucked her harder.
Lily gagged and swallowed, and Cyrus emptied his load into the sweet haven of her mouth. The sight of her lips stretched wide around his girth, tears running down her face as she struggled to keep up with his cum made his orgasm burn hotter, and by the time his cock finally stopped twitching, he let go of her hair and collapsed back on the couch, supremely glad he was sitting.
Lily gently licked him clean, put him away, straightened his clothes, and then stood up.
“Now, will you please, leave, Sir?”
Chapter Five
Lily approached the diner the next morning with an army of ants digging tunnels in her insides. She took a moment to compose herself. Through the plate glass window she could see Martha and Sloan engaged in a serious discussion, and her stomach hollowed out further. Neither of them looked happy. If she knew Martha, she was chewing out Sloan for sacking Lily, and Sloan… Seeing him again, especially after what she’d shared with his brother, was akin to torture. Lily couldn’t even begin to describe her feelings right now. Her simple life seemed to have turned into a colossal fuck-up, with all the people she cared about being pissed off with her.
Cyrus had been furious when she’d refused to leave with him last night. The offer to take him up on his invitation to stay with him had been so tempting, but Lily had fought long and hard for her independence. Her dinghy flat might be abysmal, but it was hers. She wasn’t ready to jump head first into another Master/slave relationship, not that Cyrus had offered a relationship of any sort.
He had reiterated that point last night, but she didn’t want him to look after her just because he felt somehow responsible for costing Lily her job. Bile rose in her throat when the horrifying truth dawned on her. She had lost her job, and the respect of the man she’d been half in love with ever since she got to know him. And now there was Cyrus. Far too dominant, and gorgeous, and similar to Sloan, yet different. What did it say about her that she was in love with her boss—might as well admit that to herself, now that it wouldn’t go anywhere—when even now she was growing wet at the thought of an angry Cyrus?
And he would be furious when he realized that she had defied him again. He’d left the flat under protest last night, and only because she had reassured him that she would wait for him in the morning, so that he could give her a lift back to the diner. Instead she had taken the bus like she always did, and the thought of his disapproval burned a hole in her heart, almost as big as the one left behind by Sloan’s disappointment.
She was a fucking mess, that’s what she was. Lily pushed the heavy door open and she just caught the tail end of the conservation.
“So, what, she’s the hardest worker you’ve got here, and—”
Martha turned round and her grim expression broke into a welcoming smile when she saw Lily, and some of Lily’s apprehension fled. At least Martha seemed to be on her side, still.
“Talk of the devil. How are you, sweet thing? I’m just trying to talk some sense into our boss here.”
Lily didn’t dare look openly at him. Seeing his whole body tense in her peripheral vision was bad enough, and his stare heated her skin. Oh boy, he seemed even angrier than he had been last night.
“I’m fine, Martha.” She offered the older woman a weak smile and Martha pursed her lips and filled a cup with black coffee and sat it on the counter.
“Here, you look far too peaky, my dear. Drink that and get some color back in your cheeks. Didn’t sleep well last night?”
Heat rose in Lily’s cheeks and Sloan slammed his fist on the counter and swore. The action made both women jump and Martha slapped the tea towel perched over her shoulder onto the counter.
“Alright, that’s enough. Sloan Cooper, what got into you this morning? First I find out that you’ve sacked Lily and now you’re acting like some lager lout. Is that any way to behave? You need Lily here, and —”
Sloan ran a hand through his hair and Lily blinked tears at the utter look of disgust he threw her way when she looked up at him.
“No, I don’t.” Sloan interrupted Martha, and Lily forgot to breathe under the intense scrutiny in which he looked her up and down. She had deliberately dressed down today, in jeans, and a simple T-shirt, but right now she felt utterly exposed under his slow perusal. Her nipples pebbled into hard little beacons signaling her arousal, and she hastily crossed her arms to hide her body’s reaction. Judging by the way his gaze snared on her chest and the miniscule hint of a grim smile, he’d noticed. Of course he would. Sloan and Cyrus both had that unnerving ability to read the clueless subbie that only an experienced Dom could bring to the table.
Lily realized with sudden clarity that his underlying dominance was what had drawn her to Sloan in the first place. He didn’t wear it like a badge like Cyrus did, but it was there nonetheless.
“Waitresses are two a penny. I’ll replace this one by the end of the week, no worries, and I’ll make sure I don’t employ a fucking liar.”
Lily’s heart stuttered to a halt at the cold words, and she blinked back more tears, even as she straightened her shoulders and raised her chin.
“I’m not a liar.”
Sloan stepped right into her personal space and Lily swallowed nervously as his heat and scent enveloped her. If only things were different, and she could give into the overwhelming urge to bury her head in his broad chest and to never let go.
“Really, so what would you call that fabrication of your CV then?”
“I… I, that was the only time I lied about anything, and—”
“Bullshit.” That one terse word sliced through her like a whip, and she put her hands on his hard chest to push him away. Damn, he was all hard muscle under her fingertips, and she let those digits linger. His pectorals jumped under her, and he grasped both of her wrists in a bruising hold and stepped back, flinging her hands off of him.
“Sloan Cooper,” Martha’s tense voice broke the moment, and he sat down on one of the bar stools with a heavy thump. Lily did likewise, and offered Martha a smile, but the other woman was not looking at her. She was positively glaring at Sloan.
“Is this what it’s all about? Really, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. What was the girl supposed to have put on her CV?”
Sloan reared back as though Martha had physically slapped him, and he looked between Lily and Martha with an unreadable expression on his harsh features. He hadn’t shaved this morning, and he had probably gotten as much sleep as Lily had, if the stubble and the smudges under his eyes were any indication at all. Of course on him, they added to the whole bad boy look he did so well, whereas on her, she just looked washed out and tired. It just wasn’t fair, and why did he lose
sleep over her anyhow? It’s not as though he cared, was it, despite of what Cyrus had said?
“Martha, please, it’s okay.” Lily tried to intervene, to stop Martha from saying something that she might regret, but the other woman wasn’t listening. Martha had taken her under her wing from the minute Lily had started working at the diner, and like the mother hen she was, the older woman was ready to go into battle. Only the mood Sloan was in, he might just sack her, too, and Lily couldn’t have that on her conscience.
“No, this is not okay, Lily, far from it. And I’m disappointed in you, Sloan, if you can hold that against Lily. It’s not as though she had a choice in the matter. She was a mere child when that bastard snatched her off the streets. It’s a miracle she isn’t scarred from the experience.”
“You knew?” Sloan seemed to have found his voice and cut in when Martha stopped her tirade to take in a much needed breath of air. The door chime sounded, but no one paid it any heed. Besides, from the way the hair on her neck stood on end, Lily knew who had just walked in through the door. Sure enough, heavy hands settled on her shoulder, and she could practically feel the waves of anger coming off Cyrus. If ever a girl needed a mouse hole to hide in, now was it.
“Of course I knew,” Martha continued, “as would you if you’d have taken the time to actually get to know Lily outside of work. No, instead you lust after her from afar, and the minute your brother turns up, you make a move and then sack her. Jesus, men, you’re all the same. Think only with your gonads and let your goddamn egos get in the way of what’s really important.”
Let's Get It On (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4