Three Wishes(69)

It took every bit of willpower she had not to let his words penetrate her armour. Her hands had been forced away from his stomach when he pulled her to him and now she clutched the fabric of his shirt at his waist, pushing it back as hard as she could.

“You’ve made me promises before, Nate,” she reminded him heatedly.

“I know,” he ground out, his eyes still drilling into hers.

“You broke those promises.”

He didn’t hesitate and he didn’t deny it. “I know.”

She glared, waiting for him to go on, to say something, anything that would make it better.

He didn’t.

“We’re over!” she yelled hysterically, she couldn’t take much more.

“We haven’t even begun,” he promised.

“I’m not going through it again!” she cried, lost in her panic, lost in her fears. Her anger had flashed and as usual was quickly gone and now she only wished for escape.

Her life may not have been the heaven it had seemed to be when she’d been with Nate so long ago, but it was a good life, a contented life and she wanted it back.

“You won’t have to,” Nate barked, shocking her by losing his own temper. He was no longer cool and casual. He was in the throes of his own personal storm. She should have acceded to the force of it for it filled the room, pressed into her like a slab of marble. But she didn’t, she couldn’t, there was too much to lose.

“I don’t believe you,” she accused.

“Fine. Don’t believe me. But our daughter has two parents and for the rest of her life she’s going to enjoy both of them. Together. She’s going to enjoy the safety of a loving home, her parents living together, taking care of her. Not shuttled back and forth. Not being forced to adjust to two homes, two lives. You saw her when she found us together. You know she wants it.”

“You can’t have everything you want, believe me, Nate, I know.” His eyes narrowed dangerously at her words but recklessly she went on. “It’s a difficult lesson to learn but she might as well learn it early, rather than to grow up a hopeless dreamer like her mother and get crushed somewhere along the way.”

She could have sworn his face registered the barest flinch but he continued.

“You can’t tell me, given the power to offer her what she most desires, you wouldn’t move heaven and earth to do it,” he bit out.

“She’ll adjust,” Lily snapped even though he was, unfortunately, right.

Lily would move heaven and earth to give Tash what she wanted but just then she wasn’t giving an inch.

“She’ll be devastated,” Nate correctly predicted.

“You don’t know her enough to make that judgement,” Lily aimed at her target and hit a bull’s-eye. She knew this because his eyes started glittering angrily and she knew his control was stretched nearly to the breaking point.

“I’ve changed my mind,” he clipped. “You’re not magnificent when you’re angry. You’re incredibly annoying and unbelievably stubborn when you’re angry.”

“I’m not stubborn!” she denied stubbornly.

His face, if it could be credited, moved closer and he changed tactics so swiftly, her head began to swim.

“You want me, Lily, and you know it.”

“I don’t!” Even she knew it was a lie.

“You want me,” he stated baldly, “shall I prove it to you?”

Frantic, because she knew what was coming, she threatened, “Kiss me again and I won’t be responsible for what I do.”

“I know exactly what you’ll do.”

And, without giving her the opportunity to retort, his lips crushed down on hers.

This time she didn’t hold herself stock-still. This time she struggled, fought, pushed against him and tried to pull away. She clawed at his sides, tearing at the fabric of his shirt.

His tongue touched her lips and a lone gymnast executed a perfect round-off and her whole body stilled at the sudden glory of it.

As usual, he immediately sensed her capitulation. Surprisingly, he pulled away but not enough to allow her escape. Instead, he half-carried, half-dragged her to the sofa and before she could make good a getaway, he pushed her backwards onto it and his heavy, warm body landed on top of her.

“Stop, Nate,” she demanded, scrambling beneath him

“No,” he refused and before she could say another word, his mouth came down on hers again.

His mouth was not gentle. It was hard, insistent, demanding. It was also familiar. It was also exactly what she’d wanted, wished for and dreamed of for eight years.

Not another man had touched her. She’d been on a handful of dates without even a goodnight kiss (well, perhaps, a peck on the cheek). Lily had been too wrapped up in her life, her problems, her responsibilities. She didn’t have time for men.

And no one compared to Nate. It was a simple statement of fact.

His mouth moved to trail down her cheek to her jaw.

“Please stop,” she whispered on a plea. Her anger was gone, replaced by longing, eight terrible, lonely years of longing.

“No.”

“Please, Nate,” she begged.

In answer, his hand moved on her leg, smoothing a caress all the way up her thigh, pulling her skirt up with it, her skin quivering at his intimate touch.