“I’m never having a fling again! The next time—”
She was cut off by a hard kiss. His hand gripped her hair; the other hand cupped her firmly between the legs, making her gasp. Suddenly they were frantically pulling at each other’s clothes and kissing like their next breath depended on it. Her shirt flew off as she struggled with his. He yanked off his T-shirt and flung open her bra, his mouth slamming into hers again. The button flew off her shorts as he yanked them off, and then he ripped her panties. She stood there naked and shocked. He was breathing hard, his gaze hungry as he slid off his briefs. She took in his massive erection, and they slammed together again, tongues sparring, their bodies straining to get closer. His teeth sank into her lower lip, making her whimper. He released her lip only long enough to maneuver her toward the bed, then their mouths fused together as he backed her up until her legs hit the side of the bed, and he landed on top of her. They rolled crazily, kissing and touching everywhere at once, and then he pinned her beneath him, his mouth moving to her neck as his hand slid lower, his fingers thrusting inside, making her dizzy with want.
He claimed her mouth again, rough and urgent. And she kissed him back, feeling desperate, knowing this was their last time together. Her body craved the closeness she couldn’t get with his heart. And then he thrust inside, the heat and thickness of him filling her, stretching her. She moaned at the incredible feeling. Then she realized why it felt different.
She tore her mouth from his. “Condom,” she gasped out.
“Oh, fuck,” he muttered. He left to get one, and she sat up, pulling the sheet up to her neck, cooling off from the craziness. What was she doing hopping into bed with him? This was only going to make things worse.
He rolled it on and strode toward her, apparently not liking what he saw. He ripped the sheet off her and pulled her right out of bed.
“This is what a fling feels like,” he told her just before his mouth slammed over hers. He hauled her to the wall, one arm banded around her waist, and pressed his hard body against hers. When he finally let her up for air, she couldn’t speak because he overwhelmed her, nipping and kissing her neck, his stubble scraping against the delicate skin. He moved up to her ear, licking the delicate shell before biting down on her earlobe. “It’s rough and raw,” he growled just as he lifted her and thrust inside.
She sucked in a breath at the sudden invasion and wrapped her legs around him. He pounded into her, the wall cool and hard at her back, and she just let go, exhilarated by what she’d brought out in him even as she was dimly aware that he’d shown her only tenderness before. He kept going and the pressure escalated, her insides tightening, making her tremble on the edge of release.
He gripped her hair suddenly and pulled back enough to look in her eyes, his expression fierce. “You fucking ruined me,” he said in a rough voice that shook her to her core because his eyes said love.
“You ruined me too!” she cried, meaning love with all her heart.
And then he pushed her over the edge, slamming into her again with a hard thrust, his mouth swallowing her scream, utterly destroying her. She’d gained and lost everything all at the same time.
Chapter Sixteen
Nico was having the most delicious dream. His cock deep in Lily’s mouth, those plump pink lips surrounding him, sucking him dry. He woke with a start as soft hair teased across his stomach. He opened his eyes to find that fantasy was real, that mouth that he’d dreamed about for so long on him, and she was so-o-oo good at it. He jerked and tried to hold back, but it was no good, he exploded with shocking intensity. Aftershocks pulsed through him as she took him until he had nothing left, swallowing down every last drop and licking him clean.
He jerked as her pink tongue rasped over him. “Lily,” he groaned.
She looked up at him with those electric blue eyes. “I’ll never forget you, Nico,” she said, rolling away from him. He grabbed her and hauled her on top of him, wishing things were different.
He pushed her soft red hair back from her face and cradled her cheek with one hand. “Just a little longer.”
She buried her face in his neck and hugged him. He heard a sniffle and blinked back the annoying wetness in his own eyes.
“I’ll drive you to the airport,” he said gruffly. “Don’t take a cab.”
“Okay,” she mumbled against his neck. He held her for a long time, not ready to say goodbye. But finally they had to go. She squeezed him one last time; then she went to get ready.
By the time they were both ready, Nico was on edge. This didn’t feel right. He should go with her to Seattle. What was she going to do, wander around the city by herself knocking on doors? Either way, fly or drive to Seattle, he’d have to leave the Mustang behind and pay one of his guys to fly out and drive it back. He didn’t have enough time to make the side trip and get home in time for Vince’s wedding.
She pulled her cell out and checked it. “Oh! There’s a message from someone in Seattle.” A wide smile broke out on her face as she listened to the message, and she quickly dialed.
“Hi, it’s Lily.” A pause. “I’m the other daughter she gave up.”
Lily listened for a moment. “I’m flying to Seattle to see you. Is that okay?” There was a pause. “I have a box of our grandfather’s things, including pictures of Taylor growing up. I’ll show you.” She laughed. “I don’t like her much either.” She bounced a little in place. “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”
She hung up. “I have a sister. A big sister!”
“That’s great,” he said, really meaning it.
“She’s going to pick me up at the airport. She hates Taylor too.”
“Then it’s unanimous.”
“Ah!” she shrieked. “I can’t believe I found her.”
He tried to match her enthusiasm even as he realized she didn’t need him. She’d found her sister. That was the important thing. He hugged her and kissed her hair. “I’m happy for you. We’d better get going.”
She nodded happily and grabbed her suitcase.
Nico drove her to the airport, listening to her babble on about what she imagined her sister would be like, wondering if she had the red hair too, and what they’d do together in Seattle. He loved seeing her so happy, even if he felt like crap. Because they both knew this was goodbye, but only he was the one dreading it.
They were nearly at the airport when her cell rang. “Hello!” she answered cheerfully. She immediately got serious. “What? What do you mean?” A long silence. “Okay, then. Bye.”
She hung up and got quiet. He glanced over to find her glassy-eyed and pale.
“What happened? Who was that?” he asked.
“That was my father’s lawyer. He…”
“What?” he barked. “What did he do now?”
Her voice came out small. “He disowned me.”
“He can’t do that!”
Her voice came out in a harsh whisper. “He said my trust fund was the last penny I’d ever get. He doesn’t trust me with the Spencer legacy because of my recent activities.”
Her father meant him. Dammit. She wasn’t going to lose everything because of him.
She turned to him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears, which made his chest ache something fierce. “He never loved me.”
“He’s your dad. He has to love you.”
“No one ever has,” she said before she quietly broke down in tears.
He wanted to say he loved her, but the words stuck in his throat. Because it wasn’t fair to her. He couldn’t back it up with the kind of forever commitment she craved. That she deserved.
They drove the rest of the way to the airport in awkward silence. Tears silently streamed down Lily’s face, and he felt so helpless, all he could do was hold her hand. He was going to kill her father for putting her through this. Especially when she’d been so happy to find her sister. Disowning his only daughter! What an asshole. He would fix this as soon as he got back home face to face.
He pulled up to de
partures, stopped at the curb, and fetched her luggage from the back of the truck for her. She met him at the curb.
“You still want to go?” he asked.
She wiped her tears away and took a deep breath. “Of course. She’s all I got left.”
“Text me when you get there, okay?”
She nodded once and kissed his cheek. “Bye, Nico.”
“Your dad will come around. I’m sure of it.”
“Say goodbye,” she said.
“I don’t want to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes.”
She looked up at him, her electric blue eyes still shiny with tears. “I need you to. Please.”
He grabbed her and kissed her one last time, a quick, hard goodbye. Then he turned and got in the truck without a backward glance.
And that was the end of the most heart-wrenching, fucked-up week of his entire life. His throat felt tight, his chest ached, everything about this felt wrong. This was exactly what he’d been trying to avoid. It was his own damn fault. He’d been stupid enough to let her in close.
As he headed back home, he channeled all of his aggravation and hurt into payback to her father. He got in touch with Luke and told him to pass along the message that he’d be home for Vince’s bachelor party and to get Gabe ready to lawyer up against the bastard George Spencer. He’d be damned if Lily was going to lose everything because of him. And no way in hell was he going to be blacklisted into bankruptcy.
~ ~ ~
Lily had never cried so much in her life. Losing Nico, having her father disown her, it was all too much. This had been both the best and worst week of her life.
By the time the announcement came over the plane’s speakers that they’d be landing shortly, she forced herself to pull it together. She was about to meet her sister for the first time, and she didn’t want to look like a red-eyed red-haired lunatic. She touched up her makeup and prayed that this went well. She couldn’t handle even one more upset at this point. She’d have a complete breakdown.
Finally, they landed and she followed the long line of passengers to baggage claim, where Missy had said to meet her. She searched the faces of every woman she passed, wondering how she’d know. Maybe Missy would know to look for red hair. She should’ve sent her a picture. Her breath caught, and she stopped short.
Her sister was holding up a sign that read Lily, long-lost sister.
“That’s me!” she cried. “It’s me, Missy!”
She raced into Missy’s open arms. They started hugging and crying at the same time.
“I’ve always wanted a sister,” Lily choked out.
“Me too,” her sister said. They laughed and cried some more and then stared at each other in wonder. They didn’t look much alike. Her sister had brown hair and brown eyes, and she was shorter and not busting with curves like Lily. But they had the same big lips with the little dip at the top. Taylor’s lips.
Missy shook her head. “Come on, we’re making a scene.”
They wiped their eyes and went to get Lily’s luggage from the baggage carousel.
“I knew you had to be the real deal as soon as I saw that hair,” Missy said. “I dye mine brown. It’s red too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But I didn’t want to look like her, so I got rid of it.”
“I only just found out about you, or I would’ve been in touch sooner.”
Her sister gave her a small smile. “I only just found out about you when you called.”
“She gave you up when she was sixteen. That’s understandable because she was so young.”
“Yeah, we’ll talk more at home. I need wine for this conversation.”
“I completely understand.”
Once settled at Missy’s place, an apartment on the third story of a home, Lily made herself comfortable on an old floral sofa with a blanket thrown over the back. Missy handed her a glass of white wine.
“So tell me your story first,” Missy said. “Why’d she give you up? She must’ve been older by then.”
Lily nodded. “She was eighteen.” She told her what she knew about her mom being her dad’s mistress and how Lily had been bait that didn’t work out.
Missy shook her head. “That doesn’t surprise me at all.”
“It was different with you, though. She was still in high school.”
“Yes, and I don’t blame her for that. I had a great adoptive family. But then they died in an accident, a car crash, when I was ten. Taylor had sent me birthday cards over the years, so I had her address. I wrote and asked her to come for me. She didn’t. I ended up with an aunt, my adoptive mother’s sister, who didn’t really want me but needed the money from social services. She eventually married a jerk.” She took a long swallow of wine and looked away. “He made a pass at me when I was fifteen.”
Lily gasped.
“Yeah.” Missy drained her wine and poured another glass. “I was terrified. I ran away and lived on the streets for six months. Not so bad in California. At least I never froze to death. I ended up in a series of foster homes until I married at eighteen to the first guy who promised to take care of me.” She sipped her wine. “We had it good for a year, and then he decided he didn’t like the way I dressed or the way I had friends at work.” Her voice lowered. “He started hitting me when he was mad.”
Lily felt tears leak out. “I’m so sorry.”
Missy frowned. “So was he. I stayed for longer than I should. I finally made a break for it three years later. Thankfully we never had children, or I’d be tied to him forever.”
Missy forced a smile. “Enough about me. Tell me all about you. I looked you up online. You’re an heiress?”
Lily wasn’t ready to talk about that. “But, wait, are you okay now?”
Missy nodded once. “I spent some time in counseling, so, yeah, I’m doing okay. I’ve got a good job as an executive assistant. And—” she smiled widely “—I just got a sister. Can’t ask for more than that.”
Lily blinked back tears, but this time they were tears of joy. “I know you didn’t ask for me, but now you’ve got family. I hope we’ll stay in touch.”
Missy hugged her. “Yes! You’re all I’ve got of family. Thank you for finding me.”
“You’re all I’ve got too.” Her throat got tight, and she swallowed down some wine to loosen it up. “Being an heiress sucks. My dad disowned me. Today, actually.”
“Oh, honey. Your dad sounds like a real snooty asshole.”
“He is! But he raised me, you know?” She fought back tears and lost, bawling her eyes out. Missy hugged her, and she battled embarrassment from crying all over this woman she’d just met and unbearable sadness over the way her dad just dumped her. Just like her mom the day she was born. Just like Nico. That set her off into fresh sobbing until her eyes felt gritty, and, finally, she had no tears left.
Lily straightened and wiped away her tears. “I’m sorry. It’s been a rough day. On to more interesting topics. You want pizza?”
Missy laughed. “Pizza sounds good.”
A short while later, they’d devoured half the pizza while laughing over their screwed-up families and their horrible experiences with men. Lily told her about John, and Missy told her about the string of computer geeks who asked her out at work. One of them had even serenaded her with some weird instrument called a theremin, playing her the theme to Star Trek.
Lily’s phone vibrated, and she picked it up. A text from Nico. You get there okay? She replied, I’m here. Everything’s good. He didn’t reply again.
She turned to Missy. “Then there’s Nico.”
“Do we need more wine for this?”
Lily nodded. Missy poured them both more wine, and they settled side by side on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table. Lily told her the whole story, starting with the exciting mistaken identity kiss to their road trip, all the way to the very end when Nico seemed so set on getting one more week out of her and then saying goodbye.
“You love him,” Missy said, and it w
asn’t a question.
She squirmed, wanting to deny it. Like admitting it would crack her heart in two. Because no one had ever loved her back.
Missy gave her a sympathetic look. “I know it’s hard to say it, let alone think it. I get that. People like us—those abandoned by Taylor—are there more of us, you think?” She shook her head. “You never feel like anyone could really love you when your mom gives you up. You always think, deep down, that it must’ve been something wrong with you. But it wasn’t! That’s one thing I learned in therapy. It was never our fault, and we do deserve love.”
Lily blinked and tried to let that sink in.
Missy spoke gently. “Is Nico worth it? Is he worth taking a chance on?”
She thought of Nico and how he’d treated her. He’d been so patient when he’d tried to teach her to drive the truck, even though she’d nearly gotten them killed. So gentle and tender when she’d been so inexperienced and nervous about getting naked with him. The way he’d held her purse while she’d gone shopping for hours, the way he’d gone with her skydiving just to help her…oh, who was she kidding, she’d been in love with him from the moment he bent her over his arm and kissed her the first time they’d met.
Lily swallowed hard before admitting, “He’s worth it.”
“Then fight for him.”
She cleared her throat. “He, uh, doesn’t want to get married again. And I want that.”
“Men never think they want to get married.” Missy elbowed her. “Until they do.”
“I’m not sure if he feels the same way as I feel about him. He said the whole thing was a mistake.”
Missy nodded sagely. “Let him miss you and see what happens. Same thing with your dad. Let them both appreciate you by not having you around. You can stay here for the next week and we can do…whatever sisters do.”
“I’d love that! And you know what? Screw my dad. I’m tired of begging for any scrap of affection for him. He’s never once said he loves me. He doesn’t even hug me. I have to hug him and then he’s like this.” She did an impersonation of her dad, all stiff arms and lemon-sour lips.
Missy snort-laughed. “What a jerk. Speaking of…” She leaned forward and picked up her wineglass. “A toast to Taylor.”
Rev Me Up Page 15