His response was immediate.
Luke: Where?
Shit. Fuck. Damn. No way did she want to tell him where.
Lily: At a church, Luke. Calm down. I heard you loud and clear. I won’t touch the man. And I won’t see him again after tomorrow. But you’re going to have to give me some time before I see you. You’re not being very nice right now.
Luke: Fine. Don’t tell me. I’ll follow you anyway. And I’ll be watching. Hands off the ballplayer. If I suspect for a second you’re fucking him again, I’ll post those pictures before you come down from that orgasmic bliss I saw on your face.
While she sat there staring at the unimaginable, another text came in.
Luke: The next time I see that look on your face, it better be my cock in your cunt, got it?
Lily: Yes.
Her fingers shook so hard it was difficult to text. Plus, his last words unnerved her. Whatever look she’d had on her face while hovering over Dominic was for Dominic only. No man had ever made her feel that way, especially not Luke. Not even in the beginning.
She leaned her head back against the headrest and tried to think. Should she call the cops? She shot that thought down right away. Any provocation on her part could easily spur Luke to post those pics. One click was all it would take.
She didn’t want to ruin Zia’s day, either. It was her wedding. She shouldn’t have to spend the day worrying about Lily and Dominic.
She thought about telling Dominic, but shot that idea down so fast it never even took root. He wasn’t the sort of man to take threats lying down. He would probably tell her he didn’t give two shits if those pictures were posted on the Internet and would call the police and the FBI before midnight.
But Lily cared. She cared a lot. She worked hard to develop her business and grow her gallery. It was a successful enterprise that had taken years to achieve. Filling her website with pictures of her apparently being fucked so hard she’d lost her mind wasn’t going to draw in new clients.
Dammit.
Something had to be done. She couldn’t let the man walk all over her forever. She obviously never intended to see his face again. But first she needed to get through tomorrow. Then she could deal with this problem.
Her hands trembled as she put the car in drive and headed to her apartment, well aware that Luke was tailing her.
She decided to put her finger on the speed dial for nine-one-one as soon as she parked. If he approached her before she got inside, she wouldn’t hesitate to call the cops. If he didn’t, she would bolt herself in the apartment, set the alarm, and try to get some sleep.
Four more texts came while she was driving. She didn’t look at them, knowing it was safer to wait.
When she pulled into the garage under her apartment, she felt relatively safe. After all, every person that entered the garage did so with a keycard that opened the gate. No one followed her inside, and she waited until the gate lowered before heading to the second floor.
She nearly ran to the elevator, spinning around constantly to make sure she was alone.
“Come on. Come on,” she recited as she waited.
She didn’t breathe properly until she was inside and the door slid shut. The ride to the third floor was long, and then she once again raced for her apartment.
As soon as she was inside, she reset the alarm, locked the door, and then collapsed to the floor. Her legs wouldn’t hold her up any longer, and she lowered her face to press her aching forehead against her knees.
Tears fell. She let them. She shuddered from the stress of the last half hour. After several minutes, she finally reached into her purse to extract her phone. Whatever instructions Luke had given her after the last set, she didn’t think she could handle them.
Instead, she was somewhat surprised to find four texts from a number she didn’t recognize.
Lily? This is Dominic. What happened?
I’m truly sorry if I did something that freaked you out. I wouldn’t have pushed you if I thought you weren’t on the same page.
Usually I’m a good judge of women’s reactions. Apparently, I fucked up this time.
Please forgive me.
Renewed tears fell. The last text had come twenty minutes ago. Should she respond?
She decided not to. If she opened communication with him, the dam would break. He had a power over her she couldn’t stop. He would get every detail out of her in less than a heartbeat.
No. Better to ignore him for today. And tomorrow. After the reception… Then what?
“Fuck.”
Chapter Four
“Everything okay last night?” Zia asked as Lily helped put her mascara on.
“Yes. Of course. The usual. Alarm went off. I had to meet the cops there. It happens.” She rolled her eyes.
“Yeah. Okay. I’ll buy that story. But what about before that? You and Dominic were very weird together.”
Lily cringed. “You think anyone else noticed?”
“No. Not even Brett. Or at least he didn’t say a word. But he doesn’t know you like I do. And what was up with you not drinking wine last night?”
Lily shrugged. “I wasn’t in the mood?”
“Liar.” Zia narrowed her gaze. “I figured it had something to do with keeping your head on straight around Dominic. But now you’re making me doubt my assumption.”
Lily kissed Zia on the cheek, barely touching her foundation to avoid smudging her. “Don’t worry. Everything’s fine. It’s your day. Let’s concentrate on getting you married, and we can hash out my personal life another day. After you get back from Hawaii.”
“Remind me why I insisted on a Valentine’s Day wedding? Brett has to report to spring training in ten days. We could have had weeks of leisurely vacationing if we had planned this wedding for a nice day in January.” She groaned.
Lily smiled. “I have no idea. Guess you thought it was romantic. And it will be. For about ten days every year.”
“Guess it’s not forever. He’s not still going to be heading off to spring training when he’s sixty.” She smiled at herself in the mirror as Lily stepped out of her line of vision.
“There. Mascara’s perfect. Let’s get you into the dress.”
Zia grabbed Lily’s hand before she could walk away. The look on her face was serious. “I want you to know how much this means to me. You being such a good friend and really my only relative today.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. You’re like a sister to me.”
“If I had a sister, I would want her to be you also.” A tear leaked from the corner of Zia’s eye.
“Stop that. You’re going to smear.” Lily dabbed the drop with the corner of a tissue. She faced her best friend and held her shoulders. “I’m sorry your mom is estranged and you don’t know if you even have other family members. I can’t imagine what that must be like on a day like today. But you know I’ll always be here for you.”
Zia nodded. And as if on cue, a knock sounded at the door. “Can I come in?” It was Brett’s mom. The woman was the absolute sweetest. If Zia was going to add a family to her life, she’d picked well.
Monica, Brett’s sister, was with her mom. Befriending that woman was also a godsend.
Lily eased out of the room to let the women have some time together. It was more appropriate for Monica and Mrs. Michelson to help Zia with her dress.
Lily leaned against the wall outside the door and closed her eyes. She hadn’t slept more than a few minutes at a time the entire night. Every time she finally fell asleep, she jerked awake, her gaze darting around the bedroom as if she expected Luke to be standing at the end of her bed.
Someone cleared their throat, and Lily nearly jumped out of her skin. She pressed a hand to her chest and righted herself.
Dominic.
“Hey.” She forced a smile and glanced around. Was it possible Luke was watching her even now?
Dominic didn’t return the greeting. He didn’t look happy, either. Without a word, he grabbed h
er by the elbow and lured her to the next door on the hallway. Seconds later, they were inside what appeared to be a children’s Sunday school classroom. The lights weren’t on, but there was enough light coming through the windows to cast a glow.
Dominic gently eased her against the wall next to the door. They stood out of the path of anyone glancing through the glass window on the heavy wooden door.
Lily flattened her hands on the wall beside her while Dominic set his hands on both sides of her head and leaned in, his brow furrowed as he searched her face for answers he wouldn’t find. “You ran out on me.”
“I had to get to the gallery. The police were waiting for me. It happens sometimes,” she rambled. “The alarm occasionally goes off for no reason, but they’re always careful.”
“Except that’s not what happened at all.”
She swallowed. Did he go to the gallery? Of course he did. She didn’t know what to say.
“So I’m left to believe that something I did freaked you out so badly you couldn’t face me for another moment. The problem is that after spending the entire night trying to figure out where I went wrong, I’ve come up completely blank.” He lifted one hand to stroke a finger down the side of her neck.
She shivered, not lowering her gaze from his. He deserved that much. “Maybe I got scared. It’s a lot to handle. You’re so…overbearing.”
“Nope. That’s not it. I advise you not to go to law school because no jury would buy what you’re selling.”
She sighed. “What do you want me to tell you, Dominic?”
“Let’s start with the truth. It wasn’t the way you came for me spectacularly in the car…” He glanced up to the left as if reading a list from the corner of the room. “It wasn’t the fact that I insisted you sit at the table wet with arousal… It wasn’t the way I held your thigh to keep you from fidgeting… No… Not that, either.” He lowered his face again to meet her gaze.
She didn’t move.
“It wasn’t the wine. You do realize I asked you not to drink more than one glass because I wanted you to make fully consenting decisions when I brought you home to my bed last night, right?”
She swallowed again. She had figured that out. Or that he simply liked to control her. Either way, it was hot.
“Right?” he asked again. “Lily?”
“Yes, Sir.”
He sucked in a sharp breath.
She bit her lower lip hard. Sir? It shocked the shit out of her that she’d used that term of submission with him. It was like he brought out a side of her she didn’t know existed. She was suddenly hypnotized when he stepped into a room.
He moaned, lowering his face until she stared at the top of his head. “That. Went. Straight. To. My. Cock.”
She gasped. Wetness flooded her panties. Her fingers itched to reach out and stroke his cock. She glanced around. How long would it take to suck him off? Maybe she could get him to back off and stop questioning her if she lowered to her knees and took him into her mouth.
She slowly bent her knees to ease herself down the wall.
Dominic jerked his head back up. “Stand up, Lily. Don’t even think about it.”
How the hell did he know what she was thinking? The man was psychic.
She straightened her knees. “Sir, I…”
“Stop.” He held up a hand, palm in front of her. “Don’t say another word.”
She pursed her lips. What had she done wrong?
He seemed to be working hard to figure out what to do or say next. “As much as I love to hear that word from your lips, I won’t have you avoiding the issue at hand by trying to top me.”
“Top you?”
“Control me.” He shook his head. “It won’t work. Ever. Don’t try it again. I asked you a question. Answer me.”
“Does there have to be a reason for everything? Maybe I got cold feet?”
He studied her again. Then he pushed off the wall and turned around, running his hands through his hair.
She didn’t move.
Finally, he spoke again, still not facing her. “In the interest of time, I’m going to table this discussion for now.”
“I would appreciate that.”
He slowly faced her again. “Do not think you’re off the hook. I can see it in your eyes. You’re totally into me. You might be a little frightened. And that’s normal. But you’re intrigued enough to give us a shot. I’m curious about the level of knowledge you seem to have about BDSM. Did you research it in the last few months?”
She didn’t move. In fact, she tried not to breathe.
He blew out a breath. “Fine. Again, we’ll discuss that later also. I still don’t know why you ran out on me and then lied about it. But you will tell me. And you’ll do so before the night is over. So think about your answer. Come up with something more believable. Know that I don’t have stupid written on my face. And we’ll revisit this topic after the reception.
“You’ll be coming home with me tonight. I don’t care if we go to your place or mine, though I prefer mine, but that part’s a given. So don’t waste your time on excuses. I don’t care if the President of the United States requests an interview at midnight, you’ll have to turn him down. You’ll be alone with me, answering some hard questions and learning some hard lessons.”
She stopped breathing somewhere in the middle of his speech. Those last words both scared her and again made her nipples pebble. She so badly wanted to learn some lessons from this man. If she did nothing else in this life, she wanted that to be at the top of the list.
Too bad she had a deranged ex-boyfriend to take care of first. She sure wasn’t leaving the reception until she explained the situation more thoroughly to Dominic. It was only fair to give him the opportunity to bow out. No way did he want his face plastered all over the Internet tomorrow any more than she did.
Chapter Five
As far as Dominic knew, the ceremony was perfect. He didn’t hear a word the pastor said, nor did he pay attention to his friend’s vows. But everyone smiled, so he figured it all went as planned.
For the entire thirty minutes, he stared at Lily out of the corner of his eye. He seriously doubted anyone else noticed. But he loved watching her fidget behind Zia. It was subtle, and he knew he was the cause, once again, but it was sexy as hell nevertheless.
Knowing how he affected her made his dick throb.
He gave her the space she clearly needed or wanted for whatever reason the entire day. After leaving her in the hallway outside that classroom, he didn’t seek her out again. He didn’t ask her to ride with him to the reception. He didn’t follow her to the table. He didn’t offer to get her anything to drink or sit next to her or touch her or even look at her unnecessarily.
It was maddening, but it was Zia and Brett’s day. And Lily wanted him to back off.
After dinner was cleared, his formal duties were over, and he leaned back to focus on his conquest. Somehow, he had to get Lily to open up to him.
It was totally perplexing that she would lie to him while her body and her mind responded to him so readily. She was keeping something from him. And he intended to get it out of her, even if he had to tie her to his bed and hold her at the edge of an orgasm to get her to talk.
He leaned back in his chair, having loosened his tie about an hour ago, draped his arm over the back of the chair next to him, and watched Lily work the room.
She spoke to Brett’s parents. She hugged his sister and her girlfriend. She held their baby for a while.
But she was out of sorts. She was faking.
Even the limited time he’d spent with her gave him enough information to know she was uncomfortable and wished she were anyplace else in the world. Her smile was pasted on. Fake. Her gaze darted around the room often, especially toward the door as if she were looking for someone.
Before dinner last night, she’d been the Lily he expected. During dinner, she’d acted the way he anticipated. Then something changed.
Think, Dominic…
A light bulb went off. The text. She’d gotten a text. Several, in fact, considering how long she’d spent leaning away from him, looking at her phone inside her purse. He knew it hadn’t been the alarm company. He’d proven that.
Whoever it was had rattled her enough to turn her into a different person. It wasn’t unreasonable that she didn’t share the details with him. After all, they barely knew each other. It wasn’t as if she could be expected to explain every random text she received to a man she’d only met twice. Especially since they had spent the majority of their limited minutes together fucking.
But the woman he knew her to be at his house that night three months ago and the woman he met for the second time last night were not the woman she turned into after the text, whose body she still inhabited today.
This woman was skittish. Nervous.
Scared.
That was it. She was fucking scared.
He sat forward.
She handed Monica’s baby back, hugged Brett’s mother, and then made her way around the edge of the dance floor toward Zia.
She was fucking leaving. He could tell. She was saying her goodbyes. Hugs for Zia. Hugs for Brett. Not a single glance toward Dominic.
His heart raced. Not because he was worried about her slipping out and leaving him hanging, but because it made him nervous wondering what sort of problem she had.
He pretended to look away as she turned from her friends. As he suspected, she shot him a glance to make sure he wasn’t looking and then raced from the room.
He was on her tail, however. His legs were longer. He wasn’t wearing heels. And he knew she would need to pick up her purse at the coat check. He’d watched her leave her purse there when they arrived and thought it odd. Most women kept their purses with them.
He’d blown off the concern, thinking she probably didn’t want to keep track of it during the reception since she would be all over the place helping Zia.
Sure enough, he eased behind her while she drummed her fingers on the counter, waiting on her purse. “Leaving so soon?” he murmured close to her ear.
Catching Lily (Spring Training Book 2) Page 6