Loving Lily

by Marie E. Blossom

  "Who is it?" Lily asked.

  He hoped she couldn’t tell how fucking aroused he was. He’d scare her off for sure. “Hang on,” he said, then scowled at the screen. "My brother. Dammit. " He pushed a button. "Yeah, Alex. What?"

  "Dude. Are you with Lily now? If so, you need to bring her to the shop, pronto," Alex said.

  "Are you crazy? We're in the middle of dinner," Matt protested. He was on a date, his first one in a long time. No way was he dragging her down to the garage now.

  "Yeah, well, her tire didn't just pick up a nail. It was about to lose its tread. And I looked at her brakes. They've been messed with, too. " Alex's voice was grim. "And whoever did it knew what he was doing. If her tire had gone flat at the wrong time she could've died. It would've definitely failed if she'd gone over fifty miles an hour. "

  Matt's gut clenched. After what she'd just told him about her family, having her tire deliberately screwed with set off all his alarm bells. "We'll be right there," he said tersely and hung up.

  Chapter Three

  Lily frowned as Matt shoved his phone back into his jeans. His demeanor had gone from seductive to serious so fast she knew something was wrong.

  "What happened? Is everything okay?" she asked him. The butterflies in her stomach suddenly felt like lead pellets. She hated when the phone rang unexpectedly. Every time it happened, she got bad news. At first she hadn't been concerned because it wasn't her phone, but as Matt's voice went from irritated to worried, that familiar sensation of dread began to crawl up her spine.

  He grimaced. "We need to go to Alex's shop. "

  She sat back. "We do? Why?" She wasn't going anywhere until he explained.

  "There's a problem with your car," he said, but didn't elaborate.

  She frowned. "What problem?"

  He gave her a look, then sighed. "My brother thinks your tire was deliberately damaged. "

  "Deliberately— What does that even mean?" She rubbed her arms, feeling suddenly cold despite the warm temperature. The sun was just setting beyond the trees, but she hadn't felt chilly until just now.

  Matt stood up and offered his hand. Lily ignored it. She wasn't going anywhere until he explained what he meant. He let his hand drop.

  "Alex said it looked like someone had messed with your tire so that it would fail when you went over a certain speed. He said something about your brakes, too. " Matt ran a hand through his hair, clearly agitated. "We need to go see him. "

  Fuck. Lily clenched her fists and stood up. "Did I mention that I didn't believe it when the police said my father committed suicide?"

  Matt handed her purse to her. "You did. "

  She nodded jerkily. "My brother was a competitive swimmer. There's no way he could've drowned in a swimming pool at a picnic. "

  Matt ushered her down the stone path and around the building. "Why didn't you tell someone about your suspicions?"

  She scoffed. "You think I didn't?" She stopped walking, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I did. I told the police that it was impossible my Dad would've done that. That there was no way Brian could've drowned. Then, when Jack died, well—" She started walking again.

  "What did they say about him?" Matt asked gently.

  She drew a shuddering breath, fighting for composure. "They said it was an accident. I didn't believe them. They didn’t believe me. It got… uncomfortable. " They were at the sidewalk in front of the bed and breakfast. She looked down the street. The sun glittered through the trees, reflecting off the chrome sign in front of Alex's garage. Tourists wandered up and down the quaint street, some window gazing, others chatting near the flowers planted everywhere. It all looked so idyllic, in direct contrast to the way she felt. She'd tried so hard to put it all behind her, but it looked like all this shit would keep following her around. Like a curse. Fuck it all to hell.

  Matt tugged on her right arm and tucked it into his elbow. "Come on. Let's see what Alex has to say. "

  Ten minutes later she stood in front of her car. The front wheels were off and Alex was gesturing at her brakes. She squinted trying to see what he meant, but it just looked like a jumble of mechanical parts to her.

  "I believe you, but I have no idea what you're trying to show me," she said. "I don't know anything about cars. "

  "Here, look," Alex pointed with his left hand. "There's a chunk taken out of your brake pad, right there. And there's some kind of oil on your rotor. " He swiped a finger down the metal then held it up to her. "See?" His finger was red. "I thought maybe you had an oil leak, but I checked and you don't. "

  Lily chewed on her lip. "I don't like where this is heading. "

  Alex snorted. "You and me both. One or the other of those things, yeah, sure, stuff happens to brakes all the time. A lot of it is just normal wear and tear. But then I checked your brake lines and found a small nick in one of them, too. And your tire was on the verge of de-treading. I checked the others ones, and they were slightly deflated. "

  Lily looked at her car. "You think someone messed with my car. "

  Alex stood up, nodding. "Yeah. Someone messed with your car. I think you should call the cops. "

  Lily pressed a hand to her eyes. "It won't do any good. "

  "Lily," Matt said, sliding a hand down her back. It felt strangely comforting. "Just tell them what you told me. "

  "They're going to assume it's just normal wear and tear. That's what they're going to say. " She forced herself to breathe slow and calm. Whoever had done this didn't know she was heading here. She was still safe here. "All this stuff could have happened because I've been driving a lot. "

  "That's true, but unlikely," Alex said reluctantly.

  "They won't believe it's sabotage. " Lily was certain.

  "She's right," Matt said in a low voice. "You know Harry. He's not going to listen to us. Or Lily. "

  "Who's Harry?" Lily asked, looking from one brother to the other. They were glaring at each other.

  "Our sheriff," Alex bit out. "He doesn't like Matt very much. "

  Of course he doesn't, Lily thought, but didn't say it out loud.

  "He also doesn't think women are particularly bright, even though he has three daughters who delight in proving him wrong," Matt said.

  Lily sighed. Talking about this wasn't going to fix anything. She'd just have to be extra careful. "Can you fix it?"

  Alex nodded and wiped his hands on a rag. "Yeah, of course. "

  "Okay, please repair it for me. I wasn't planning on going anywhere for a few weeks anyway. " She'd hoped she'd finally found a place where she could rest and take stock of her life. She looked outside through the huge picture windows at the front of Alex's garage. The main street looked like something out of a fairy tale: tiny lights strung through the trees lit the sidewalks even as the sun finally slipped down over the horizon. She really liked it here, even though she'd only arrived today.

  "It should be done in a day or so. I can give you a call when it's ready," Alex said expectantly. She recited her number and he scribbled it down on a ragged notepad.

  "Thanks, Alex. " She looked at Matt. "Would you walk me back?" She knew it was stupid, but she really didn't want to walk back to her room alone. She doubted this little town saw much crime aside from an occasional shoplifting or two, but she wasn't feeling very brave right now. Her entire family had been murdered, she was sure of it now. And someone just tried to kill me, too. Fuck it. I’m going to let him walk me home, if he’s willing. She shivered.

  "I'd be happy to," he said, taking her hand.

  She threaded her fingers through his, wondering if she could talk him into staying with her tonight. He'd seemed interested earlier, right?

  ****

  Matt glanced down at Lily as they walked, wondering if she'd let him stay with her tonight. He knew they'd just met, but he felt a weirdly overwhelming urge to protect her. And an overwhelming urge to kiss her again, he admitted privately. When Alex had told her his suspicions about her car, she hadn't so much as flinched.
She's a hell of a strong woman.

  Apparently, he had a weakness for that quality and it had gone unnoticed until just now. Maybe that's why I wasn't interested in dating. All the women I know are nice enough, but they haven't been through hell, he mused. After everything he'd seen as a SEAL, he'd instinctively known most of them wouldn't understand him. They wouldn't understand his need for solitude and routine. Wouldn't understand the nightmares that still kept him up at night occasionally. But Lily would. He knew she would get it.

  "It's pretty here at night," she said, startling him out of his thoughts.

  "Yeah. Tourism is a big part of the local economy. " He ushered her around a cluster of gossiping women.

  Lily smiled faintly. "It would be pretty even without the crowds of people. "

  He looked around, trying to imagine it. "In the summer, everyone comes for the hiking and shopping. In the winter, it's skiing. " He shrugged. "It's always a little crowded. "

  "And no one knows who you are?" she asked, stopping to smell a display of candles set outside one of the shops on a table. The owner winked at Matt from inside the shop, raising his eyebrows at Lily.

  Matt surreptitiously gave his old high school classmate the finger. "Uh, no. I mean, the locals know who I am, but it's not like I'm going to put out a sign telling everyone I write books. "

  "Because the last thing you want is a mob of fans trampling their way to your door. " Lily grinned up at him, seeming to have shaken some of the worry she'd displayed when Alex had given her the bad news about his car. He wondered how she was able to just put it aside like that, then he noticed her fingers nervously twisting the strap of her purse.

  Ah, he thought, not surprised. He shuddered dramatically in response to her statement. "Exactly," he said, and resumed walking. “I don’t know what I’d do with hordes of rabid readers. It’d be bad, though. ” He chuckled.

  "So, um, you want to come in? For tea or coffee or something?" Lily asked when they reached the front gate of the bed and breakfast.

  Matt carefully hid his relief. "Yeah, I'd like that. " Was it his imagination, or did she relax a little when he'd replied?

  A few minutes later, she unlocked the door to her room and flicked on the light. A soft glow came from the two lamps near the bed.

  "I think I saw a coffee maker around her somewhere," she said, dropping her purse on the table near the window.

  Matt caught her arm as she turned around. "Lily. "

  She went very still. "You can tell I'm freaking out, can't you?"

  He smiled and stroked a hand through her hair. "I know we've just met, but I'll stay if you want me to. "

  She sighed heavily, pulling away. "I'm really tired. I don't know what to do. " She began walking up and down the length of the room.

  He watched her pace, knowing exactly how she felt. "Here, sit down on the bed. " He pulled the chair tucked against the wall up to the bed.

  She looked at him skeptically.

  He held up his hands. "Trust me. "

  She narrowed her eyes at him, but she walked over and sat down.

  "Kick off your sandals," he said. "Lean back against the pillows. "

  "Why?"

  She was suspicious. He didn't blame her.

  "I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to. " He sat back, palms up, waiting for her to make a decision.

  She toed off her sandals. "Fine, they're off. Now what?"

  "Relax. I promise this won't hurt a bit. " Matt smiled and reached for the lavender lotion on the nightstand. "Give me your hand. "

  She frowned, but did as he asked. "What are you doing?"

  He squirted some of the lotion into his hand. It smelled like summer. "I'm going to massage your hands. Then, if you're still feeling too stressed to sleep, I'll massage your feet, too. "

  She stared at him. "Are you for real?"

  He laughed, reaching for her hand. "Trust me. "

  "You keep saying that," she muttered skeptically.

  He began to rub the lotion into her palm, but otherwise didn't respond. Her posture eased as he ran his thumbs over the thick muscle at the base of her thumb. She sighed. He massaged into her palm, then down to the tips of her fingers, one by one. She relaxed even more.

  "You're really good at that," she murmured.

  He shrugged. "I do this for my mom sometimes. She says it’s soothing. "

  She sighed again, slumping a little. He was glad he'd made her sit up near the headboard where she could lie back against the mountain of pillows on the bed.

  He reached for her other hand and repeated the massage. She closed her eyes, relaxing into his touch. As he worked the sweet-smelling lotion into her skin, he slowly became more and more aware of her as a woman: her soft hair sliding over her shoulders, her generous breasts, her strong thighs under his forearms. He shifted his weight, not wanting to call attention to the erection he couldn't control. He didn't want to scare her off.

  "I feel a lot better now," she said, eyes still closed.

  "Will you be okay tonight?" he asked, running his fingers up her arm. She didn’t pull away. He took advantage of her trust to smooth more lotion over the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist up to her elbow.

  "I think so," she said.

  He sensed the worry lurking under her calm. "I can stay until you fall asleep, if you want me to. " He didn't know if it was appropriate or not, to offer to stay on the first date. They barely knew each other. How would she know she could trust him?

  Her eyes opened. Matt stilled, hands still wrapped around hers. Her gaze was luminous in the low light, her soft brown irises dark and mysterious.

  "Will you?" she asked tentatively. "It feels like too much to ask, after everything you've done already. "

  Matt sensed her reticence. "I would be happy to. "

  She looked at him and he fought to remain motionless. His cock was so hard it hurt, but he ignored it. She needed his protection. He desperately wanted to give it to her, and if she knew how beautiful he found her, she would probably kick him out. His heart thumped faster the longer she stared at him.

  "Okay," she finally said, nodding. "Let me change into my pajamas. "

  Matt let out a shaky breath, hoping she couldn't tell how relieved he was. "Sounds good. " He let go of her arm and watched her head to the bathroom.

  When she emerged five minutes later, face scrubbed clean and pink, she held her robe closed, arms tightly clutched around her breasts.

  "I would never hurt you," Matt said, turning slightly in the chair. He hoped the bed hid the arousal he'd failed to subdue while she was in the bathroom. Even the sounds of her brushing her teeth and washing her face had his body reacting more than it ever had to any other woman.

  She let out a breath and climbed into the bed, still in her robe. "I know. " She slid under the covers. "It's a good thing the air conditioning works so well in here," she muttered.

  Matt laughed. "If you hand me your robe, I'll hang it up for you. "

  She put a hand over her face. "Oh my God, I'm so embarrassed. "

  "Why?" He shifted again, reaching up to pull her hand down.

  "You must think I'm such a wimp," she said, face flushed.

  He snorted. "Yeah, no. I think the exact opposite, actually. " He kissed her fingertips.

  "You can go, if you want to. " She tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn't let her.

  "Relax. I'll stay until you fall asleep, and then I'll go. Okay?" He stroked his thumb down her palm, willing her to relax.

  She closed her eyes, a tiny wrinkle of tension between her brows. It occurred to Matt that she was probably around his age, but she seemed so cheerful most of the day, he'd just assumed she was young. "How long were you married?" he asked.

  She looked at him, tilting her head on the pillow. "Ten years. Why?"

  He smiled. "I confess, I was trying to guess how old you are. You look so young—"

  Her laugh cut him off. "I'm forty. Very much not young. "

 
; He shook his head. "That's not old. I'm forty-three. That's old. I have the grey hair to prove it. " He pointed to his temples.

  She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, it just makes you look even more handsome. "

  "You think I'm handsome?" he asked, happy that he'd managed to distract her from her worries. "Wow. Women usually think I'm a dork. "

  She lifted her eyebrows. "You? A dork? That’s ridiculous. " Her eyes ranged over him in a way that had his cock twitching.

  God, she was going to kill him. He kept up the massage of her hand, pleased that she didn't seem to notice him doing it. "I am too a dork," he said, just to be annoying.

  It worked. She sat up a little and pointed at him. "You are the opposite of a dork. " Her robe gaped open, giving him a fantastic view of her cleavage.

  Damn, she's unbelievably gorgeous and she has no idea, he thought, tearing his eyes away before she noticed him staring. The edge of one nipple tantalized him. "Nuh-uh," he said, carefully keeping his arousal out of his voice. "I like reading science fiction. I write thrillers. I freak out in crowds. "

  She flopped back down, shaking her head. "You're putting me on. "

  "Nope. All those things are true. "

  "Whatever," she waved her free hand indifferently. "You have too many muscles to be a dork. Biceps like that invalidate your dorkery. "

  He choked. "What?"

  "You heard me. "

  He stopped running his thumb over her palm to look down at himself. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Well, except for the erection that won't freaking go away, he thought, exasperated.

  "Don't be silly," he said, resuming his massage of her hand.

  She yawned. "Whatever," she said again.

  He smiled to himself. "Go to sleep, Lily. "

  She did.

  Chapter Four

  Lily woke up slowly, stretching as the morning sunlight streamed across the bed. She'd slept well. She'd slept so well that she felt more rested than she'd been in months. When she opened her eyes, her gaze landed on the empty chair next to the bed.