If it hadn’t been for my mother’s presence, I would have grabbed her and shoved her back into the car to find out just how wet she was for me. What a fuckin’ turn on, knowing she had soaked panties because of me. Christ, my cock did a jump for joy. I really needed to get control of my body. I was thirty-six for god’s sake, not twenty.
I took a deep breath and walked towards my mom and Lily.
Chapter 19
~~ LILY ~~
I stood talking to Michael’s mother, and all I could think about was the condition he was probably in after the comment about my panties. I had no idea how that popped out of my mouth. I was shy, or a least I thought I was.
Had I been waiting for him to come along all this time to bring out the wickedness in me?
I watched Michael walk towards us and felt a blush rise up from my neck to my cheeks when I met the sizzling look he threw at me. Hell, my nipples were standing at attention.
“He’s a handsome man, my Michael. He’s been alone a long time and is in need of looking after, someone to make him happy,” his mother told me when she noticed the direction of my gaze.
I turned to look at her and found her grinning at me. I laughed. “Yes, he is.”
Michael walked up and after giving his mother a hug, stood beside me with his hand on my back. I wanted to lean in and hold him. His mother glanced quickly between the two of us.
“Michael, bring Lily inside the house to the kitchen for a cold drink before you show her around the ranch. Your brothers want to meet her.” I heard Michael groan when his mother walked off, expecting us to follow.
“What’s wrong?” I glanced up at him and saw the frown he had on his face.
“My brothers.” He sighed. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
“They can’t be that bad. Besides, I’ve already met Ruben.”
“He’s the problem.”
With our fingers entwined, he gave me a slight tug to get me to follow him. “Michael, no matter how much your brother flirts with me, it’s you who holds my interest. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
He stopped and gazed at me for the longest time. “You’re not mine yet, are you? I want you Lily, make no mistake about that, and it drives me totally insane to think of you naked with that, that bastard.”
I was stunned. I knew he wanted me, but not as strongly as his speech would suggest. Not holding back, I told him how it really was. “I don’t have sex with him, he has it with me. It was more of a one-man-show, it has been for a while now.” I sighed and felt close to tears, but I needed to be honest because I could see the anguish on his face when he imagined me with David. I needed to breathe. “We better go inside.” I tried to change the subject and walked off towards the same entrance that his mother had used. Michael hadn’t moved, so I turned back to him. Hell.
I walked back and stood in front of him, then met his gaze. “Michael, I want you too, so much it hurts, but we can’t. You’re my boss and I’m still with David. I probably won’t be for much longer, but I can’t be with you while I’m supposed to be with him. I don’t work like that.”
“I’m sorry, Lily. You know I want you. Christ, since we met in the elevator, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. No matter what I’m doing, you’re there.” He sighed and turned around, running his fingers through his hair. “My mother keeps looking outside. We better go in. I won’t wait forever and, sooner rather than later, you’re going to be with me regardless of the fact that I’m your boss.” He walked closer to me and took my hand, kissing my palm, then he wrapped it around his before he pulled me on to the porch to enter the ranch house.
I knew what I wanted, but how did I get it? If I left David, I’d have nowhere to live, and if I stayed with him, I’d lose Michael. I’d known David for seven years and Michael nearly three days, yet I felt more at home and able to be my true self with Michael.
“Lily, how nice to see you again,” Ruben said, with a smirk in Michael’s direction. He took hold of my hand and kissed my knuckles. As he released me, he winked. He really was a flirt and obviously loved winding his brother up.
“Nice to see you again, Ruben,” I said. I noticed another young man standing near the opposite door. He noticed me watching him and walked over, offering me his hand to shake.
“Lily, this is our youngest brother, Ramon,” Michael introduced.
“Ramon, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” They were all really handsome men.
He winked as well. “The pleasure is all mine. Where have you been hiding her, Michael?”
I quickly glanced to Michael as the smile on his brother’s face started to disappear. Michael looked thunderous.
Pippa cleared her throat and stood to the side of Ramon. “Why don’t you take Lily to see the puppies in the barn while we get lunch started?”
I really didn’t know what to do, other than to get Michael out of the kitchen. I walked over to him while I held his gaze and slid my hand into his. He gripped my hand tightly.
“I think that’s a good idea. I love animals.” I gave Michael a tug, which seemed to bring him back to himself and led him out from the kitchen, without saying anything more.
Until then, I had no idea he felt the way he did about me. There was no way I could mistake the jealousy and possessiveness he’d just shown in front of his mother and two brothers. I needed him to calm down to start with, and then, hopefully we could talk.
Forty-eight hours was all it had taken for me to realize I wanted a future with Michael. I’d never thought about the future like I was now. Not once had the thought even slipped into my head while I was with David. But shit, I was still with him. I needed to end my relationship with him first, before I started anything with Michael, although I thought the latter had already started.
Chapter 20
~~ MICHAEL ~~
I was totally screwed. When Ramon flirted with her in the kitchen, I very nearly lost it. I thought I would lose it with Ruben, but not Ramon. Hell. I saw the concerned look on everyone’s face and I couldn’t do anything about it. All I saw was Lily with someone else and I wanted to cause harm.
Lily was pulling me towards the barn with her hand locked tight around mine. What the hell was I supposed to say to her after the way I just behaved? I had no idea. I also owed Ramon an apology, although I’d rather leave that one alone. Damn it, he never flirted. I’d never even seen him with a woman and now he wanted mine. Hell no.
I had to say something. “Lily, wait.” I pulled her to a stop and she turned to look at me.
Shit. She had tears in her eyes. “God, I’m so sorry for being an idiot. A very jealous one at that. I don’t know why the hell I’m acting like this. I’ve never felt possessive about a woman before, or anything, for that matter.” I ran my fingers through my hair with my other hand and hoped she would respond.
“Tonight I have to go home to David. I can’t handle you going all possessive on me. Part of me loves the fact that you do feel possessive, but another part….well it frightens me. I’m not free yet, you know that.” She looked back to the house, before meeting my gaze. “Do you think we can try and get through the rest of the day without you actually causing any bodily harm?” She grinned.
“I think that can be arranged. On one condition,” I said returning her grin.
She looked wary.
“You give me a hug.”
“How the hell am I supposed to resist you?” She walked straight into me and wrapped her arms around my neck.
My arms went around her waist and we just held each other. My heart was thumping in my chest and my cock twitched. She fit against me just right. With a slight movement, our lips would meet. I desperately wanted to taste her.
I slipped my hands down to her ass and squeezed gently as I brought her up against me. We both groaned. Christ, I could come from just holding her.
She moved her hips slightly against me at the same time as she moved her head to the side and nibbled my neck, then licked the
same spot. I couldn’t stop the shudder that rippled through me. My hands tightened on her.
“Michael.”
“Shit, that’s my dad.” I tried to bring my body back under control and hoped my t-shirt covered my lower body.
Lily released her hold on me and took a couple of steps back. I looked down at her and met her eyes. The look in them nearly brought me to my knees.
“Michael, have you finished playing with your little friend?”
Lily giggled.
I turned and faced my father, who looked more amused than angry. “For now. Lily, I would like to introduce you to my father, Elias. Dad, this is Lily.”
Lily held her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you Mr McKenzie,” she said, looking rather flushed.
“Likewise Lily, and please call me Elias. Are you going to have a look at the puppies?”
“Yeah.” We watched my dad walk off on hearing my response. I took hold of Lily’s hand again. “Come on, let’s go see them. Lunch will probably be ready soon.”
I led Lily into the barn with my cock urging me to finish what we’d started outside, but my brain was telling me I had to behave. I was still hard as a rock, and too damn old for a roll in the hay.
We pushed the door open to the back of the barn and could hear the yapping of the pups. They were pure bred golden retrievers and there were five in the litter, which were four weeks old. Three of them had a home to go to eventually and I was tempted to take the other two, which my mother was aware of, and until I told her otherwise, I knew she wouldn’t let them go to anyone else.
“Oh my god, they’re adorable.” Lily took one look at them, gasped and rushed over to them. She sat right down and had them playing on her lap.
I crouched down to the side of her and stroked them. All the while Lily was laughing and cuddling them all. She really was enchanted with them. She kept picking the smallest one up and she would kiss it on the nose – that was one of the dogs I was thinking of keeping. While she was kissing another one, I picked it up in my arms and looked it over. Lily glanced at me and grinned when she saw me cuddling the pup – decision made.
“Lunch is ready and don’t attack the messenger.” Ramon quickly said as he walked towards us.
I stood back up and looked at him. This was hell and I was never going to hear the end of it. “Ramon, about before….” Shit, by the grin he had on his face, he wasn’t going to make it easy. I was sure Lily was laughing, but I couldn’t really tell properly because her head was down. “Damn it. I’m sorry, just don’t flirt with her again,” I growled.
Lily burst out laughing. “I take it you don’t apologize that often?”
“Lily, this is the first time I’ve ever heard ‘I’m sorry’ come out of his mouth,” Ramon told her with a smirk.
“Shit. That stays between us.” I glared at Ramon.
“Like hell it does, brother.” Before I could say more, he left.
I looked at Lily, who was watching me with eyes full of laughter. “You enjoyed that, huh?”
I held my hand out to her and she slid hers into it. “Oh, yeah!” I pulled her up and straight into my arms for a brief hug. I needed to try and keep my distance from now until she was free of David. It wouldn’t bother me to take her away from him, especially with what he was doing behind her back, but it would bother Lily. A lot.
With our fingers entwined, I walked her back to the house for lunch.
Chapter 21
~~ LILY ~~
With my hand clasped tight in Michael’s, we walked back to the house for lunch and it filled my heart with happiness. It also made me more determined to end things with David.
For a very long time I’d always feared losing him, but somewhere along the way, that had changed. Over the past few months my attachment had dwindled. I still cared about him, but my love was gone. I thought it disappeared a while ago, except it was only now, after meeting Michael, that I realized what had been happening.
One thing was for sure, David had never looked at me the way Michael did. I knew it was unfair to compare the two of them, but it was something that couldn’t be helped. When Michael looked at me, I wanted to squeeze my thighs together to stop the ache, but I never had such a heated reaction to David.
Being in Michael’s arms had soaked my panties and left an ache that only he could alleviate.
“Earth to Lily.” He pulled me to a stop on the porch. “Hey, penny for your thoughts?”
I blushed. He noticed and his eyes sparkled. The smile which had been hovering on his lips was growing into a huge grin. “Pretty good thoughts, huh?”
I was embarrassed, but not enough to keep quiet. I took hold of the door and leaned into him. “I was thinking about how wet you’ve made my panties and how badly I want you between my legs,” seeing the hunger on his face, I continued, “and how badly I want to taste you.” I quickly pulled the door open and entered the house before he had a chance to respond.
I really shouldn’t tease the ‘tiger’, especially since I worked myself up as well.
“Lily, are you all right? You look rather flushed,” Pippa asked as I walked into the kitchen.
“Ah yeah, I’m fine.” I looked towards the table just in time to catch Ruben’s smirk.
“I’d ask Michael what he’s been doing to her.” His mother smacked him across the back of the head. “Hey, what was that for?”
“Stop embarrassing Michael’s woman,” she told Ruben, just as Michael walked into the kitchen. The statement was met by silence.
“She isn’t yet, but she will be.” He pulled me into him and kept an arm wrapped around me.
“Oh hell, Lily. If you get fed up with him come find me!” Ruben said grinning, while I felt Michael start to tense. I tightened my hold on him.
His mother, who obviously sensed the rising tension between her sons, started to place the salad, meats and bread onto the table. “Let’s eat.” She shoved a bread roll into Ruben’s mouth when he opened it to respond.
I took my jacket off, placed it over the back of the chair and took a seat between Michael and Ruben.
“Keep your hands to yourself, brother,” Michael growled at a grinning Ruben.
“Does that apply to me as well?” Ramon questioned as he took his seat at the table.
“Shit.” Michael put his head into his hands.
“Michael Elias McKenzie, you do not curse at my table, and if you two want to eat,” she said pointing to Ruben and Ramon, “I suggest you stop winding your brother up.”
“Yes, ma’am,” all three replied.
I tried to hide my laugh behind my hand, but no such luck.
Pippa looked at me and pointed the butter knife at me. “And you,” she startled me, “whatever you’re doing to Michael, carry on. I’ve never seen him behave with a woman, like he is with you.” I smiled and heard Michael groan.
Ruben choked on his drink. “Mom, we don’t want to know what she’s been doing to Michael.”
Oh my god. I felt my blush start at my neck and slowly work its way up into my face.
“That’s enough. Lily is a guest here and I don’t want you two frightening her away.” Elias managed to shut them up. I braved a look at him and he winked at me.
Michael placed some food on my plate and I just sat back and watched him, amused. I couldn’t remember anyone ever doing that for me before. With a quick glance around the table, they’d all noticed. Michael realized everyone was watching, looked at me and actually looked embarrassed.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
I leaned forward slightly and took his hand. “Thank you. I’m glad you know what I like.”
I was about to take a bite out of the French bread, when I noticed Ruben about to open his mouth, so I glared at him. He shut his mouth and winked at me. I started to laugh. He was a gorgeous flirt. But it was Michael for me.
Suddenly, Michael pushed his chair away from the table and with his fist clenched, he walked out of the kitchen door and down the porch steps, b
efore anyone could react.
It was so odd. I started to stand to go after him, but Pippa stopped me. “Lily, leave him for a short time. Finish your lunch and then go to him. He’ll have calmed down some by then.”
I didn’t know what to say or do. I stayed quiet and tried to eat, but my stomach was in knots. One minute everything was fine and the next, well, I wasn’t actually sure.
Unable to finish eating, I took a drink and sat back in my chair. I couldn’t stay there anymore. I pushed away from the table and stood up. “Do you know where he went?”
“Probably the barn,” his father replied.
“Thank you, Elias. If you’ll all excuse me, I need to go to him.” I took my jacket from the back of the chair, walked out of the kitchen and headed for the barn hoping Michael was there.
What the hell happened to make him leave so abruptly? I certainly didn’t think I’d done anything to make him react the way he had. I slowed my steps as I neared the barn, feeling nervous. When I pushed the door open, I stepped inside and looked around. Once my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I could just make him out, sitting on a bale of hay to one side.
Slowly, I walked over to him. He was sitting with his elbows resting on his thighs and his face in his hands. Standing in front of him, I decided to crouch down, placing my hands on each of his knees. “Michael?”
His shoulders tensed. He hadn’t known I was there. I went down to my knees and pushed his thighs apart, so I could move closer to him. I smoothed my hands up his arms until I got to his hands and pulled them away from his face.
“Please talk to me? Tell me what happened back there?”
He met my eyes and just stared at me with eyes filled with heat. He pulled his hands free from mine and cupped my head. Perhaps kneeling in front of him wasn’t the brightest thing I’d ever done.
“I saw you laughing with Ruben and I just saw red. I left so I wouldn’t hit him.” He looked so lost. Desolate.
“Michael, you can’t go around wanting to hit everyone I laugh with. Just because I laugh with someone, doesn’t mean I want to do something else with them.”
Seduce (McKenzie Brothers) Page 7