Lily made a quick stop at her downstairs office on their way to the kitchen, feeling incredibly nervous as she handed Carson a copy of her latest book, Hidden Desires. She was still incredibly touched that he’d bought and read the first two. He’d teased her as they’d showered that he wanted to read her newest one as well. After all, as he’d pointed out, how could he know what areas needed research if he hadn’t already read them?
He sat at the kitchen table, his large hands handling the book with care as he traced his finger over the writing on the cover. A shiver ran down her spine, almost as if he were touching her instead of an inanimate object.
“Thank you.” His voice was husky, filled with emotion. “It means a lot that you’re willing to share your work with me.”
“You’re welcome.” She planted a kiss on his very kissable lips. He took the opportunity to slip his hand beneath the T-shirt she was wearing and fondle her butt. She was wearing underwear, but he pushed his hand beneath it, caressing her bare skin.
She sucked in a breath and stepped away. “None of that or we’ll both starve.”
Carson withdrew his hand slowly, dragging his finger along her butt crease. She gave a shriek and danced out of his reach, shaking her finger at him. “Food first.”
He came to his feet, every move deliberate. She recognized the gleam in his eye. “I’m hungry,” he told her. Her gaze went to the front of his jeans. Yup, he was aroused again. Lily was secretly thrilled by how much he wanted her. “For you,” he added in his low, sexy voice that made her cream her panties. He stalked toward her, all sleek and powerful and male.
She backed away but came up solid against the refrigerator. He placed his two hands on the refrigerator door, effectively boxing her in. Not that she’d tried very hard to elude him.
He lowered his head and captured her lips. She clutched at his shoulders and lost herself in his kiss. When he broke away, she was breathless. He rested his forehead against hers. “We could always eat . . . later.” Before his lips could touch hers again, they both heard the sound of a key turning in a lock.
“What the hell?” Carson turned his head toward the door, which opened as if in slow motion.
Lily froze as Ethan strode into the room. Her son stopped dead in his tracks and his duffle bag hit the floor with a thud. Carson stiffened and she knew he was wondering how she was going to handle this.
She was wondering the same thing. She had no idea how her son would react to finding her with a man. And not just any man, but his former boss.
As suddenly as her fears and reservations arose, they evaporated and everything inside her settled. Lily patted Carson on the chest and then stepped away. She opened her arms as she strode toward her son. “Ethan, what are you doing here? It’s so good to see you.”
Her son reached down to hug her, but his eyes never left Carson. “Friday’s classes were cancelled and you haven’t sounded like yourself when we’ve talked the past few times. I thought I should come home and check up on you.”
Lily squeezed him tight before releasing him. “That’s so sweet of you, but everything is fine, honey.”
“Is it?”
She stared at him, not surprised by the disbelief in his voice. He’d never seen a half-naked man in her kitchen before. Before she could begin to reassure him, Carson stepped forward and held out his hand. “Good to see you, Ethan.”
Lily knew that it was good manners more than anything else that made Ethan take Carson’s hand. She could easily sense her son’s confusion. “Why don’t we all sit down? I was just about to make something to eat. Are you hungry?” She resisted the urge to tug at the hem of the T-shirt.
Ethan shook his head and stuffed his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “What’s going on, Mom?” He rocked back on his heels, waiting for a reply.
She looked at the man before her, because that’s what he was. She tilted her head to one side, really looking at him. Her little boy was all grown up. At six-foot-one, he was tall but still lanky, but she knew he’d fill out as he got older. He got his height and build from his father, but his eyes he’d gotten from her. She could see the concern in them now and marveled at what a wonderful son she’d been blessed with.
Carson stirred beside her, but she put her hand on his arm, restraining him. Ethan noted the move and did a double take when he saw the ring on her finger. Lily held her left hand up. “Carson asked me to marry him and I said yes.”
Ethan’s gaze went from her to Carson and back to her again. She held her breath, not quite sure how he was going to react. On the one hand, he was a mature man with a life of his own now. On the other, she was his mother and he’d never seen her with a man before. “Really?”
“Really.” She glanced up at Carson and smiled as he slipped his arm around her shoulders for support. “We started seeing one another and . . .” She shrugged.
“That’s awful fast.” This was directed at Carson.
Carson nodded. “For your mother maybe, but not for me. I’ve known what I’ve wanted for the past several years now.”
Ethan shook his head. “So it wasn’t all in my mind.”
“Excuse me?” What was Ethan talking about? She searched her son’s face for answers.
He reached out and took her hand, bringing it closer so he could examine the ring. “I thought that Carson had the hots for you, but he never asked you out or anything, so I figured I must be imagining it.”
“I was biding my time,” Carson drawled.
Lily didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Her own son had seen what she hadn’t. “Well, I may be slow on the uptake, but I certainly know now.” She could feel the heat on her cheeks as both men stared at her.
Ethan chuckled as he tugged her into his arms for a hug. “Does he make you happy?” he whispered in her ear.
“Very,” she replied.
He gave her an extra squeeze. “As long as he keeps on doing that, I’m okay with your relationship. If he ever makes you unhappy, you tell me and I’ll kick his butt.”
Lily felt as if her heart would explode with love for her son. “I promise.”
As soon as they separated, he offered his hand to Carson, who took it and then pulled Ethan toward him. The two of them hugged, pounding each other on the back in the way men do. “I love your mother and I promise to take good care of her.”
Lily swiped at her damp eyes and sniffed.
“No crying.” Carson released Ethan and reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Okay,” she agreed as another tear slid down her cheek.
Ethan was no longer paying her any mind—his attention was riveted on the kitchen table. Uh-oh, she’d forgotten all about her book. Wiping away the last of her tears, she went to her son’s side. “There’s something else you need to know.”
“That you’re Ms. Lillian?”
Lily felt her jaw drop. “You knew,” she sputtered when she managed to get her mouth working. Her son obviously knew a heck of a lot more than she’d ever given him credit for.
Ethan gave her a look that was way too adult for her peace of mind. “I’ve known since the beginning.” He shrugged, totally unrepentant. “You left the laptop on one night when you went to bed, so I figured I’d just shut it down for you.” He grinned. “Boy, did I get an education that night.”
Lily felt her face burning. “Oh, my God.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” He paused and picked up the book. “It was really good, even if it wasn’t finished at the time.”
Lily plucked the book from his hands and set it back on the table. “I’m really glad that you like it, but I don’t want to even think about you reading it.” Really, it was too much to envision her son, whom she’d bathed and changed, reading her erotic romance. A woman had to draw a line somewhere. It didn’t matter that Ethan was an adult. He’d always be her little boy.
Carson laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tight. “I told you Ethan was man enough to understand.”
“Enough.” Lily scrubbed her hands over her face.
Her son grinned at her. “Don’t worry, Mom. It didn’t warp me. At least not too much,” he teased.
Lily moaned and then groaned when her stomach growled. “I’m hungry.”
Ethan laughed at her obvious ploy to change the subject. He grabbed his duffle bag and headed for the stairs. “I could eat. How about some eggs and bacon?” he called over his shoulder as he took the stairs two at a time.
“I can’t believe he took everything so well.”
“I can.” Carson rubbed his chin on the top of her head as she leaned into him. “He’s a good boy, a man really, and he was raised by one hell of a woman.”
Lily felt pure happiness blossoming within her.
“I’m just happy that you’re finally mine.” His voice was rough with emotion.
Lifting her hand, she caressed his cheek. He turned his face into her palm and kissed it. He’d stormed into her life and changed it so much in the past few weeks, enriching it in so many ways. “Me too.”
The sound of footsteps pounding on the stairs galvanized her into action. She gave Carson a quick kiss and headed for the refrigerator. Opening the door, she smiled when she saw the can of whipped cream on the first shelf. There wasn’t much left, but she had plans for it later.
Calmly, she pushed it aside and reached for the eggs and bacon. Life was good.
Books by N. J. Walters
The Summersville Secrets Series
Uncovering Annabelle
Enticing Emma
Lily’s List
The Salvation Pack Series
Wolf at the Door
Wolf in her Bed
Wolf on the Run
Wolf from the Past
Wolf on the Hunt
The Hades’ Carnival Series
Night of the Tiger
Mark of the Bear
Pride of the Lion
Howl of the Wolf
Heart of the Serpent
Flame of the Phoenix
Lure of the Jaguar
The Legacy Series
Alexandra’s Legacy
Isaiah’s Haven
Legacy Found
Quinn’s Quest
Finding Chrissten
Damek’s Redemption
Craig’s Heat-Legacy
The Spells, Secrets & Seductions Series
A Touch of Magick
Dreams of Seduction
Love in Flames
The Jamesville Series
Discovering Dani
The Way Home
The Return of Patrick O’Rourke
The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke
A Legal Affair
By the Book
Past Promises
The Gift of Shayla
About the Author
Once upon a time, N.J. had the idea that she would like to quit her job at the bookstore, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown, and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And she did. Two years later, she went back to the bookstore and her hometown and settled in for another seven years. One Friday morning she gave notice at her job; on Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first romance novel, and her life has never been the same.
N. J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Summersville Secrets series, the Legacy series, and the Salvation Pack series, among others. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
You can visit N. J. at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
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