Touch Me Not (Manwhore, #1)(72)

“I love you too, baby,” Joanna murmured, and Nikoli smiled, knowing how much this meant to Lily.

“Can you start the car while I tell the twins goodbye?” Lily asked him, and he nodded, telling her mother goodbye once more before walking out into the humid Florida night. He started the car and rolled the windows down before turning on the air conditioning. He blew the heat out and then rolled the windows back up to cool the car off. Carefully putting the plate of food in the back seat, Nikoli leaned back and let the cool air hit him in the face.

She’d been on his mind all week. Ever since she told him about Adam, he knew it was the beginning of the end of their arrangement. He’d gotten a little attached to her, but that wasn’t a bad thing. It just showed him he could eventually care for someone.

The little voice in the back of his mind snorted at his own idiocy, but he ignored it. Lily was an arrangement. That was all. He’d done his part, he’d helped her get past her fear of anyone touching her. She’d gotten Boy Wonder. Now it was time for him to get his half of the deal.

He winced just thinking about it like a deal, something dirty and sordid.

The passenger door opened, and Lily slid in and buckled her seatbelt. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“Of course,” he murmured and pulled out of the driveway.

Lily turned on the radio and surfed a few radio channels before settling on one. She didn’t say anything else the entire ride back to the hotel. Not that she needed to. He could see the thoughtful expression on her face. She had to be thinking of the afternoon. He’d seen the wonder on her face when she first realized she could give her mother a hug, and it had nearly undone him, truth be told.

When they parked the car and went upstairs, just as Nikoli had predicted, Luther drooled at the sight of the food presented to him. He grabbed it and shut the door, as if afraid they’d ask him to share.

Shaking his head, Nikoli steered Lily to their room. She said she wanted a shower, and he nodded. He opened his laptop and started going through some emails that needed attention while he waited for her to come out. Shoes and socks off, he settled himself in the chair and started scanning his emails.

He found one from Lily listing all her thoughts about his new zombie game. He just stared in amazement after he’d read through the very detailed report. She listed the good things, the things she hated, what needed to be improved, and finally her thoughts on fixing everything she took issue with. He’d never gotten such detailed feedback from any of his beta testers. The woman was amazing in so many ways.

Twenty minutes later, he heard the shower cut off, and he closed his laptop. He turned and faced the bathroom door, waiting for her to come out. Another fifteen minutes went by, and still no Lily. Maybe shaving her legs? After another ten minutes he got concerned and went over to the door. Even before he raised his hand he heard her. She was crying.

“Lily?”

No answer.

“Lily, what’s wrong?”

Still nothing but her the sound of her crying. He tried the handle and found it unlocked. She sat in the middle of the floor wrapped in a bath towel, her head on her knees. Tears streaked her face and her eyes were so sad. He knelt down in front of her and stroked her hair.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

She just shook her head. He pulled her into his lap. “Shhh, dushka, don’t cry. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Instead of telling him, she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed harder. What in the hell? She was starting to scare him.

“Lily, tell me why you’re crying.” He put an edge into his voice, a tone that told her he wanted no nonsense. She would answer him.

“Kiss me,” she said instead, and he looked down into her dark blue eyes, eyes so dark they looked black.

He wanted her to tell him why she was crying, but when she looked at him like that, it undid him. He lowered his head and kissed her softly, tenderly. Her arms crept up around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. She pulled him closer. He reveled in the feel of her lips against his, their breath mingling. He ran his fingers up and down her back, relaxing and seducing her at the same time.

When he pulled away, he left her breathless, and the haunted look had fled her eyes. Now they were sleepy with lust and desire. Nikoli gathered her in his arms, stood, and walked to the bed. Putting her down, he stripped off his shirt. She looked up at him, and the trust in her face was something he’d always wanted, and the one girl he didn’t want it from was giving it to him. What the hell was he going to do about Lily Isabella Holmes?

Lily stared up at Nikoli and waited for him to do or say something. He had the oddest look on his face. She had distracted him earlier by asking him to kiss her. She couldn’t tell him she was crying because she was losing him. He’d freak. She’d made up her mind on the drive back that she would lose their bet. If all she had with Nikoli was this weekend, then she’d savor it and tuck it away to bring out when she was feeling lonely.

She loved him. It was as simple as that.

He reached down and pulled the bath towel away from her naked body and sat behind her on the bed to dry her hair. He used slow, gentle movements, and she sighed. He always made her feel so safe, so cared for. He tossed the towel after a few minutes, and she felt his lips on her neck, nuzzling. She leaned back against him and relaxed as his lips made their way down to her collarbone, his tongue swiping quick tastes here and there. He was being so tender.