by Leanne Banks
“There’s a frosted window on the door. A light will draw attention.”
“How do we see where we’re going?”
She took his hand. “It’s not that far. I set out a dropcloth this afternoon.”
He gave a low chuckle. “You surprise the hell out of me. I would have never guessed you could be so—”
“So what?” she asked, eager to know what he thought of her. Eager to know that he thought of her at all.
“So wild,” he said, pulling her against him. She could barely see his face, but his warmth and nearness felt so good, so comforting. “Who would have thought little Miss Lilly White could be so wild? Sweetheart, you don’t have to do this. We can wait if—”
She shook her head at the mere suggestion of waiting and wrapped her arms around him. “I’ve told you I don’t want to wait any longer, Robert. I feel like I’ve waited my entire life for you.”
He brushed his hand over her hair in a gesture that calmed her. “You’re so sweet. And so hot,” he said, lowering his voice. “You keep surprising me. So when are you going to prove to me that you didn’t wear any panties?” he asked, his voice low and sexy.
Her heart skipped in her chest. “You can find out now.”
He lowered his hand to her thigh and nuzzled her nose with his. He slid her skirt upward and she felt a cool draft of air. Suddenly his warm hand was on her bottom.
“Oh, Lilly, you feel good,” he said, and she was very glad that she had exfoliated her entire body this morning in the shower.
“You’ve got such a nice little ass,” he whispered and took her mouth in a french kiss.
She felt herself grow warm from the inside out. The indolent stroking of his hand on her bare skin made her feel sensual and a little bit bad. He lowered his other hand to her thigh and skimmed it up her thigh and across her femininity. The quick intimacy took her by surprise. She gasped.
“Mmmm. Your legs feel so silky and you taste so good. I wonder how you taste all over,” he said, taking her mouth in a deeper, more carnal kiss.
He slid his hand between her legs and softly stroked her. Lilly forced herself to relax and concentrate on the seductive touch of his fingers.
Their pants of breath mingled in the still air and he gave a low groan as he rubbed against her. She could feel his erection through his dress slacks.
“Touch me, baby,” he told her.
Eager to hide her lack of experience, she slid her hand over him, cupping him, listening carefully to his tone to guide her caresses.
He rubbed her faster and she echoed his movements. She felt herself buzz in all her feminine places.
“Oh, Lilly, you feel so good.” He plunged his finger inside her. The movement took her by surprise. “That’s what I want to do,” he muttered. “Get inside you.”
His dark needy tone was a visceral turn-on. She unzipped his slacks and touched his bare erection.
He swore under his breath. “Where’s that dropcloth?”
She guided him a few feet further into the room and knelt down on the carpet. He followed her down and pushed his slacks to his knees. Shoving her skirt up, he pushed her thighs wide apart and thrust inside her.
Pain seared her. She felt too-stretched, totally invaded and not in a pleasant way. She lay beneath him frozen.
“God, you’re tight. Are you sure you’re not—”
Self-conscious, hurting, but determined not to die of embarrassment, she pulled his mouth down to hers and kissed him.
The kiss must have done the trick because he started moving again, thrusting and moaning with pleasure. It didn’t hurt so much now. She might could even like it, she supposed, feeling as if she weren’t really participating. He thrust again and let out a long moan.
“Oh, baby, you felt so good.” He kissed her cheek. “So good.” He kissed her other cheek. “I wish I could have lasted longer, but oh, you felt good.”
She felt warmed by his gratitude. She couldn’t remember him acting so grateful. Her feminine places burned and she felt vaguely dissatisfied. She shrugged. Oh, well, the deed was done.
“Was it good for you?” he asked, pulling back and zipping his fly.
“Sure,” she said, pushing down her skirt and sitting up. She felt a sticky spot on the drop cloth beneath her and made a face, thankful for the darkness.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I mean did you come?”
“Of course,” she said, knowing she hadn’t, but didn’t want to over think right now.
“Lilly,” he said, moving closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. “I have a feeling you’re not telling me the truth.”
She tensed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I have an awful feeling this was your first time.”
Her cheeks heated. “Well, why would you think—”
“Lilly.” He squeezed her. “Tell me the truth.”
She closed her eyes. The darkness wasn’t enough. “It was my first time,” she whispered. “But I’ll get better. I just need more experience.”
“Better?” he echoed in disbelief. “You were so good I couldn’t last once I was inside you.” He reached for her hand. “I’m the one who needs to make it better for you, but I’m not sure this is the place.”
Her heart softened at his eagerness to please her. Maybe he did care for her more than she’d thought. “I want to be so good for you. I want to be perfect for you.”
“You are, sweetheart. You couldn’t be better.” He gently pulled her upright. “Lilly, you amazed me tonight.”
His tone made her feel happy, but something else didn’t seem right. She rubbed her legs together and felt uneasy at the damp sensation. She didn’t want to act like a scared, inexperienced virgin. “I want to please you.”
He gave a dirty chuckle. “Well, darlin’ you really pleased me tonight.” He sighed, kissing her forehead, making her feel cherished. “It’s a shame my parents are expecting us.”
Lilly couldn’t face Robert’s parents without taking a bath and putting on underwear. She just couldn’t. “Listen, would you mind terribly if I called a raincheck tonight?”
He skimmed his finger down her cheek. “Not what you expected, was it?” he asked, his voice full of regret. “I’ll make it better for you next time. I promise.”
Trying to pull herself together, she dipped her forehead against his chin. “Maybe it’s like pancakes,” she said.
“Pancakes?” he echoed.
“My housekeeper used to say that the first batch of pancakes never turns out because you’re in such a rush.”
“And you definitely put me in a rush.”
She felt a trickle of relief at his desire for her.
“Next time, we’ll take it slow.”
Robert drove her home and walked her to the door. “I wish I could stay,” he said, and kissed her. “Remember I’m golfing tomorrow, so I’ll see you Monday night.”
“Monday night,” she echoed, eager to get inside the safe comfort of her home. “Good night.”
Maxine greeted her and followed her upstairs while she soaked in a soothing bath and tried to answer the question of whether she liked sex or not. Ticking off a comparison on her fingers, she decided she liked getting Robert rattled, she liked him to hold her, and she liked having him grateful. She hadn’t liked the messy part, and going pantyless in November was insane.
Emotionally, it had lacked something. She had expected to feel swept away, yet totally enveloped by Robert. She’d expected to feel safer, yet more excited than she’d ever dreamed possible. She’d expected to feel reassured about Robert’s commitment to her.
She did. And didn’t.
She wondered if this was one of those times when sex wasn’t the answer after all. She wondered if the situation with Guy Crandall was clouding her judgment, muddying her vision of Robert’s feelings for her. Maybe she needed to take a deep breath and believe Robert had strong feelings for her and would stand by her. Maybe she needed to believe that deep down, he r
eally did cherish her.
Petting Maxine, she drew comfort from the dog Robert had given her. She would have never predicted how much comfort the dog brought her. Still, their lovemaking had left her feeling empty. She went to bed wearing comfortable pajamas and cotton panties with a little pain in her chest. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about it.
When Lilly rose the next morning, she moved gingerly, but was pleased that she wasn’t as sore. Starving, she bounced down the stairs to grab the Sunday paper from the front porch and enjoy it with her breakfast. She opened the front door and found a bouquet of red roses on her front porch.
Delighted, she picked them up, along with the paper. She opened the legal-sized envelope and read the note scrawled by Robert.
Dear Lilly,
I will never be able to think of library renovations in the same way. Thank you for an amazing evening. I’ll be thinking of you today.
Yours, Robert
She smiled inside and out. He must have delivered them on his way to play golf. It was the first time he’d given her flowers. She often wondered if he thought of her when she was with him, let alone when they were apart. Knowing he’d gone to a little extra trouble gave her hope.
Sniffing one of the roses, she removed the tiny bottles of water at the base of each stem and arranged them in a crystal cut vase. She put a frozen waffle in the toaster and opened the Sunday paper.
Another envelope fell on the table. Lilly picked it up and felt her blood plunge to her feet. It was addressed to Guy Crandall. Her fingers shook as she opened the unsealed envelope.
Send $10,000 in the enclosed envelope for wedding expenses. You do want to get married, don’t you?
Lilly crumpled the note and threw it in the trash can under the sink. Her waffle popped up in the toaster, but her appetite had disappeared.
“Come out to dinner with me,” Benjamin said to Delilah.
She shook her head. “No thanks. I’ve worked at home most of the afternoon and I’m going to treat myself to a take-out chili dog from that place down the street.”
“You’d rather have a take-out chili dog than go to a nice restaurant?”
She nodded. “I’ve been good all day. Now I want something bad and messy.”
I could give her something bad and messy that would last all night, he thought, feeling himself grow hard at the prospect. Lately he felt like he spent half his waking and non-waking hours hard. Now he could add heartburn to the mix, but he was determined to prove to Delilah that his interest in her was legitimate. He knew she was trying to hide her sadness over Willy’s absence. He also knew she needed to get out of her condo.
“Okay, grab your jacket and let’s go,” he said.
“You’d rather have a take-out chili dog with me than go to a restaurant with someone else?”
“I’d like to do both, but since you have a prejudice against my family name, we’ll take the low-profile route.” He helped her put on her leather jacket.
She frowned at him. “I’m not prejudiced.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Am not.”
“Are too until infinity,” he said.
She shot him a double-take, her lips twitching. “Am not.”
He opened the door and motioned for her to proceed. “What kind of work were you doing today?”
“Crunching numbers,” she said as they walked to the elevator and got on. “I want to add self-tanning showers. They’re showers that spit out a fine mist of self-tanner solution so you don’t end up with an uneven tan. We have tanning beds, but there’s no way around the fact that they’re bad for you. Our chief esthetician is always hanging an OUT OF ORDER sign on the doors for the tanning beds. I think these new showers will go over like gang-busters. They’re just not cheap.”
“You want the spa to be state-of-the-art,” he said.
She nodded. “And still keep some of the older services too.”
“Sounds like Howard left the spa management in good hands.”
She shrugged and they walked out of the elevator. “He taught me a lot.”
“Oh, you’re not going to go humble on me, now, are you?” he teased. “Who would you say is honestly the best person for your job?”
She shoved her hands into the pockets of her black leather jacket and made a face. “Me, me and me. Satisfied?”
They turned a corner and strolled toward the tiny restaurant. “Not by a long shot,” he muttered more to himself than to her.
“What about you? What did you do today?”
“Played golf with my brother, father and the state attorney general.”
“Power golf.”
“Not exactly. My father wasn’t speaking to me for half the round. He’s still upset that I’m not joining his firm.”
“Nothing personal, but your father sounds like a prick,” Delilah said as they entered the restaurant.
Benjamin chuckled. “You’re not the first to say so.”
“I don’t understand his problem. You graduated in law with honors. You’re gainfully employed and getting ready to start your own practice. What’s not to like?”
“Control. He likes to have control.”
She made a face. “That would drive me nuts. How does your mother handle it?”
“She takes anti-anxiety medication and is in ten bridge clubs.”
“But you want a different life,” she said, studying him.
He nodded. “I always have. It just took me awhile to figure out exactly what that was.”
“And exactly what is that?”
“Aren’t you the curious girl. Let’s order,” he said and they did. Two hot dogs loaded, chips on the side and sodas. The restaurant provided complimentary mints.
After they got their dogs and Delilah grabbed a stack of extra napkins, they sat at a corner table. “I’m not letting you out of it that easily. What exactly do you want?” She took a bite of her hot dog and gave a moan of approval.
Benjamin couldn’t help remembering how she’d moaned when they’d made love, but he dragged his mind away from the images. “My own practice where I can negotiate the ground rules with a reasonable partner. I want to be with people who aren’t with me just because of my name.”
“Interesting,” she said. “It’s sorta the reverse of my situation.” She ran her tongue along the edge of the bun. “So that’s part of the reason you spend so much time with me? Because I’m not bowled over by the Huntington name.”
“Partly,” he admitted. “I’m waiting for you to admit that you’re bowled over by me.”
She widened her eyes in surprise then made a tsking sound. “Careful. Your family arrogance is showing.”
“It’s not arrogance,” he said, taking a bite of his own hot dog. “You like having me around, but you’re afraid that all I want is sex with you.”
“And you don’t want sex with me?” she asked, her voice full of skepticism.
“I want that and more,” he said.
Silence fell between them and she concentrated on consuming her hot dog. “Why?” she finally asked in frustration, breaking the silence. “Why? Why? Why?”
“Because you’re an original. You’ll go to the wall to keep your promises and protect those you love. I’ve been around enough to know that’s rare.”
She sighed, setting down the tiny corner of her bun. She looked as if he had discovered her secret and she wasn’t sure she was pleased about it. “I don’t love easily.”
“I know,” he said, but he suspected she’d never come up against his brand of determination.
She threw down her napkin. “I don’t know why we’re talking about this. You’ll change your mind.”
The accusation irritated him, but he let it pass. “What are you going to do to entertain me now?”
She blinked. “Me entertain you? Why?”
“Because I bought you this scrumptious meal that is guaranteed to give me heartburn.”
“So I owe you?”
“We can go
back to your place and dance again.”
Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “Okay, I’ll take you to my favorite tourist site in Houston. You drive.”
Several minutes later, Benjamin illegally parked near the famous water wall. Delilah grabbed his hand and dragged him into the center of the sixty-plus-foot waterfall. The roar of thousands of gallons of water surrounded them.
“I haven’t been here in a long time,” he said.
“I go at least once a month.” She stepped closer to the falls and closed her eyes.
He’d never seen her look so peaceful. He’d never seen any woman he’d been involved with so delighted by something so inexpensive. He stepped closer to her.
She opened her eyes and leaned against him. “The world fades away in here.” Her eyes turned sad. “I was planning to bring Willy here when he started to walk.”
“You still can,” he said. “Nicky will let you, won’t she?”
“I think so,” she said. “I just thought things would turn out differently. I miss him like the dickens.”
“He got into your heart,” Benjamin said. Like he planned to.
“Yep, he did.”
He slid his arm around her and stood there with her for several moments. The pounding water seemed to wash away his frustration.
“I read something about this place in the paper recently,” he said.
“What?” she asked, curiosity lighting her eyes.
“It was voted the number-one most romantic place to kiss.”
“That isn’t why I came here,” she told him, returning her gaze to the wall.
“You sure?” he taunted. “You’ve been determined to have your wicked way with me since that night we spent together.”
“My wicked way,” she protested. “You’re the one who was such a stickler for that three for me and one for you rule. Control freak.”
“You didn’t like it,” he said, pulling her closer to the wall so that they felt the mist on their faces, and the force of the water sounded like thunder.
“I didn’t say that,” she said, stretching her hand out to touch the shimmering wall. “How many women have you kissed here?”
“None. How many men have you kissed here?”