Something Real (Whiskey Men, #2)(25)

I bring my hand up to cup her neck, her pulse racing under my thumb. “Ford, please?”

Her pleading with me is my undoing.

I’ve thought about this every moment since she kissed me the other night, and there is no way I’m not going to savor it. I want to ravage her, but I do my best to take it slow and enjoy it. But fuck, her lips under mine make me lose the last bit of control I’m holding on to. She wraps her arms around my neck, and I tilt my head to deepen the kiss.

Her body is pressed against mine, but she’s not close enough. It will never be enough.

I slide my tongue into her mouth, and she whimpers. My hands are everywhere, sliding up and down her back, and when she raises her legs around my hips, I cup her ass, holding her to me.

My cock is hard, pressed against her core. The only thing between us is the tiny bit of material between her legs and my thin shorts. Whether she realizes it or not, she’s lifting her hips, pressing closer to me, trying to get my engorged cock at her entrance. The heated water surrounds us, and I feel as if I’m on fire, but I’m not stopping.

I pull away from her lips and bury my face in her neck. I’m kissing every bare inch of skin I can reach, and I pull the strap down her shoulder, exposing her breast. She fits perfectly in my palm, and I pluck her nipple between my thumb and forefinger. She moans as she rocks her hips, arching her back, pressing her breast into my hand. “I need you, Lilian.”

No sooner are the words out of my mouth then my phone rings. I ignore it as I trail kisses down her collarbone, making my way to her bare breast.

“It’s Lucas.”

“Ignore it,” I groan.

Her hands go to my shoulders. “Ford, Ollie’s with him. It could be important.”

“Fuck!” I curse, knowing she’s right. She’s unlatching her legs from around me and on the other side of the hot tub by the time I catch my breath and answer the phone that is on the other side of the tub. “Yeah?”

“Dad! Tomorrow a bunch of my friends are going to the park to play soccer and have a cookout. Can I go?”

My eyes are on Lilian, and she’s staring at me with her eyes wide. My voice sounds calmer than what I’m feeling. “If I’m home in time, we can go, okay?”

“Lucas and Issi said they’d take me if you weren’t home. Can I go, Dad? Please.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks, Dad. Love you.”

He hangs up the phone, and I don’t have to wonder if we’re going to pick up where we left off. Lilian has pulled her swimsuit back up and is climbing out of the hot tub. She goes straight to the pool, diving in and starting to swim laps. I take my time, waiting until it’s not painful for me to walk. Fuck, two years of blue balls suck.

I stand at the edge of the pool and watch her quietly. I know she’s trying to work through some things, and I need to be patient even if it’s the last thing I want to do.

Finally, after what feels like forever, she swims toward me and holds on to the side of the pool. I sit down on the edge, dangling my feet beside her.

“Ford, uh, I…”

When she stops, the look on her face tells me everything I need to know. “You don’t want this.”

She doesn’t deny it, but she still looks hesitant. “I just don’t think it is a good idea.”

I know exactly what she’s thinking. It’s the same thing I’ve used to talk myself out of approaching her the last two years. I’m her boss, and she’s off limits.

I shrug, acting as if I’m unfazed by it all when in fact I’m not handling it well at all. “I understand. I’m not going to force you into anything.”

“Ford…” she starts, dragging my name out.

I hold my hand up to stop her. “It’s fine, Lilian. I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it. I’m going to go in and order dinner and shower. What would you like to eat?”

“Nothing. I’m not very hungry.”

I don’t argue with her. She may say nothing, but I’m going to order something for her. I’ve watched her for two years. I know what she likes and how she likes it. “Okay, it should be here in thirty minutes or so. Enjoy your swim.”

I push myself up and walk into our room from the balcony. It takes everything I have not to turn around to beg and plead with her to reconsider.





Lilian





I may have told Ford I wasn’t hungry, but halfway through my swim, he came outside holding up a domed plate of food. He set it on the table on the patio and called out to me. “Food. Just in case you’re hungry.”

“Thanks” is the only thing I say when there’s a few hundred things I want to be saying to him. I fucked up. I know I did. I freaked out when Ollie called. I felt like maybe that was fate or something telling me we shouldn’t be doing this. But now all I feel is deep regret.

I climb out of the pool and dry off, wrapping myself in the towel. I make my way to the patio seat, peeking inside to see if Ford is eating at the table there. I can’t see him, and I figure it’s just as well.

Curious, I pull off the dome lid and am surprised by the meal in front of me. It’s definitely not a normal meal for Vegas, and I know that Ford ordered it specifically because he knows I love it. It’s my favorite, a fried green tomato sandwich with bacon, lettuce and—I peel back the bread—Dijon mustard instead of mayonnaise. It always amazes me when he does stuff like this. He knows what I like.