Taming Lily (The Fowler Sisters #3)(54)
Slowly she shakes her head, taking a step toward me. Her body brushes against mine and it’s like my entire being has been lit on fire. “Maybe. I don’t know. But I don’t care. Some things are just too hard to fight.”
I give in to my urges and touch her. Cup her cheek, tilt her head back, and I know by the way she parts her lips that she’s ready, eager for me to kiss her. I love how responsive she is to me. It makes me feel like I can conquer the whole damn world. “I won’t do a thing until you say the word.”
Her delicate brows draw down as she stares up at me. “What word is that?”
Leaning in so close my mouth hovers above hers, I whisper, “Yes.”
Her breath wafts across my lips, minty and sweet from the chocolate mint I saw her pop in her mouth as we exited the restaurant. She tilts her head back the slightest bit, aligning our mouths perfectly, and murmurs, “Take me to your room, Max.”
I settle my lips on hers, not caring that we’re surrounded by people as they exit and enter the restaurant. The Hawaiian music that plays fades to the background, as does all the chatter. All I can see and hear and taste is Lily, the perfect offering to placate my raging need. She tastes like heaven, her mouth opening eagerly to mine, our tongues sliding.
She draws away from me before the kiss gets too out of control and keeps her hold on my wrist, my hand still at her cheek. “So is that a yes?” I ask.
Nodding, she kisses the side of my jaw. “Yes.”
UNFORTUNATELY I COULDN’T CONVINCE her to go to her bungalow. She was adamant about seeing my room, so here we are, frustration rippling through me as I escort her down the hall toward my door. My mind is scrambling, trying to come up with a plan B, but then she looks at me, the smile on her face soft, her eyes glowing, and f*ck, all plans to take what belongs to her are obliterated from my brain.
All I can think about, all I can focus on, is Lily.
Maybe I don’t need to grab that laptop after all. I can destroy whatever evidence is on the damn thing and somehow prove it to Pilar. Hell, I can make a copy of everything on it and give it to her. Though that would probably not ease her mind. I don’t think anything will pacify her. She’s as high strung as they come.
We’re silent as Lily enters my hotel room, her gaze scanning the interior, as if she’s looking for clues. Hints of what makes me tick. I’m sure she’s disappointed by the cleanliness of the room, the fact that my suitcase sits on the folding stand they provide for it, zipped closed and packed, ready for my early morning departure that she has no clue exists.
Whereas her villa was always a bit of a mess every time I was there, with clothes everywhere, jewelry scattered on the dresser, shoes kicked off by the front door, and an array of beauty products spread all over the counter in the bathroom.
The mess had been telling. A hint of chaos in her life, not a surprise. She claims she likes control but her habits, her behavior, prove otherwise.
I could be the one to control her. To calm her. Growing up, my life hadn’t been mine. I’d wanted to meet my father’s expectations. I’d had no choice. It was his way or no way. I’d learned that fast. When I was a teen, I hadn’t understood my need for control with a girl. Not that I was an abusive *, but I was intense. I’m still intense.
Now I understand it, run with it. Find a woman who understands my needs, too. I can see it in them sometimes. The way they lean into me, the words they say, the look in their eyes.
I couldn’t with Lily, not at first. She presented a challenge. One I pursued doggedly.
“Do you have a good view out there?” she asks as she draws closer to the sliding glass door that leads onto a balcony.
“Not as stellar as yours, princess. But it’ll do,” I answer, smiling at her when she glances at me from over her shoulder.
She looks nervous. Unsure. I plan on easing all that nervousness right out of her, so I’ll let her look around, do what she needs to do to get comfortable. I need her comfortable, trusting, open. Then I need to exhaust her and slip out of this room while she sleeps.
Fuck, talk about doubling the risk.
Lily opens the sliding glass door and steps out onto the balcony, her voice carrying on the breeze that slips through the room. “It’s beautiful out here,” she calls out.
Stopping in the bathroom, I grab a condom from my travel bag that still sits by the sink and shove it into my pocket. I want to be prepared. She’s so nervous, I’m afraid one wrong move and she’ll run. And I can’t have that.
I join her outside, the cooling air washing over my skin, carrying with it Lily’s addictive scent. She’s leaning against the railing, staring out at the ocean in the near distance, the palm trees that line the resort property swaying to and fro, their fronds rattling with the wind. “You like the view?” I ask. I know I’ll miss it when I return home. This island is truly a paradise, and the view from my bedroom window in my apartment is the brick building across the street.
“I do. It’s gorgeous. The way the moon shines on the water, it’s so bright.” She stiffens when I stop just behind her, as if she can sense my nearness though she never looks back. I hope I don’t make her too uncomfortable. The last thing I want is her being afraid of me. “You can see everything this high up. Imagine if you were higher.”
“I can’t afford higher. No penthouse for me,” I joke, settling my hands on her bare shoulders. They tense up as she breathes deep and I whisper close to her ear, “Relax. I’m trying to show you how sorry I am for what happened earlier.”
Monica Murphy's Books
- You Promised Me Forever (Forever Yours #1)
- More Than Friends (Friends, #2)
- Safe Bet (The Rules #4)
- Daring the Bad Boy (Endless Summer)
- Monica Murphy
- Slow Play (The Rules #3)
- In the Dark (The Rules #2)
- Fair Game (The Rules #1)
- Stealing Rose (The Fowler Sisters #2)
- Owning Violet (The Fowler Sisters #1)