looked between me and her, confusion
wrinkling his forehead. “Miss Lily?”
She shrieked, obviously not having heard us,
and whirled. “Liam!”
My nephew walked right into her embrace as
if they’d been cozy for years. “What are you doing here?”
Her flustered state lasted point five
seconds before she waved her hand with a grin. “Making dinner. I
didn’t know you’d be here. Do you like enchiladas?”
“Heck, yeah.” Liam turned toward me—I was
still in some kind of shock and holding ground in the entryway—only
to face Lily again. “Do you live here now?”
Forget cardiac arrest. I was in heart
failure. Black dots swam before my eyes.
She laughed in that warm, husky way that
filled a room. “Naw. I just hang out with your Uncle Declan
sometimes. We’re friends.”
Friends. We so were not that, or not
only that. I blinked and seemed to recover. Somehow. “How do you
two know each other?”
Lily wrapped an arm around Liam’s shoulders,
her smile genuine. “Liam used to be in the story hour group at the
library. Now he’s in our young adult book club. Aren’t you? How far
are you on Harry Potter?” She glanced at me. “They just started
book one this week.”
Liam bounced on his toes. “Harry just got to
Hogwarts. You were right. It’s better than the movie.”
She rolled her eyes fondly. “Books are
usually better than the film. They did a good job with the Potter
movies, though.”
My gaze darted back and forth like a ping
pong ball. I scrubbed my shaking hands through my hair. “Hey, pal.
Why don’t you head into my office to start your homework? I’ll be
there in a sec.” Why the hell couldn’t I breathe?
“Sure.” Liam gave Lily a fist bump and
disappeared down the hall.
I stared after him, not sure what to do, to
say. Lily obviously was on friendly terms with Aiden, but I had no
clue she knew Liam. And so well. For years, it seemed.
Suddenly, this whole adventure with Lily
ground to a halt. The repercussions hit me like a tsunami and
pulled me under. Lily and I had agreed to no awkwardness after we
were through, but that was before my... feelings became
involved. Before I had any idea Liam was a part of her world.
I closed my eyes and tried to pull air into
my lungs. Futile.
“I-I’m so sorry.” She stepped back, creating
distance from me, and reached behind her back to untie her apron. An apron . Christ help me, even that was hot. “I had no idea
he’d be here. I’ll go.”
In her note, she’d said she’d get off early
and make dinner. I didn’t realize she’d be home this early,
though. And it was my fault. I should have texted her instead of
avoiding the situation like a pussy.
She started past me and I grabbed her
arm.
“No, don’t go. I...” Hell, what? “I have
Liam on Tuesday nights. I should’ve told you.”
Avoiding my gaze, she nodded quickly. “I
understand. I’ll see you later.”
“Lily...” I backed her to the cabinets and
caged her with my hands on either side of her on the counter. A
swift glance over her shoulder told me Liam’s eyes weren’t on us.
Placing my feet between hers, I leaned closer, every inch of me
flush with every inch of her.
And there . There was my normal pulse
rhythm and ability to breathe. The scent of her surrounded me, her
warmth enveloping, and the restless energy and panic drained right
out of me. She could turn my brain to pudding and my cock to lethal
stiffness. She made me desperate and insane with lust. But she also
calmed my soul, quieted the crazy.
I dropped my forehead to hers and worked a
swallow. “Don’t go, mo milis. ” Brushing my lips across her
cheek, down her jaw, I said what I’d never in my life said before.
“Stay.”
Her uneven exhale skated across my neck.
“This isn’t a good idea, Declan.”
I kissed her in the soft spot behind her ear
and closed my eyes. Two more nights and she’d be gone. “I know.
Stay anyway.” I cupped the back of her head and kissed her
wrinkling his forehead. “Miss Lily?”
She shrieked, obviously not having heard us,
and whirled. “Liam!”
My nephew walked right into her embrace as
if they’d been cozy for years. “What are you doing here?”
Her flustered state lasted point five
seconds before she waved her hand with a grin. “Making dinner. I
didn’t know you’d be here. Do you like enchiladas?”
“Heck, yeah.” Liam turned toward me—I was
still in some kind of shock and holding ground in the entryway—only
to face Lily again. “Do you live here now?”
Forget cardiac arrest. I was in heart
failure. Black dots swam before my eyes.
She laughed in that warm, husky way that
filled a room. “Naw. I just hang out with your Uncle Declan
sometimes. We’re friends.”
Friends. We so were not that, or not
only that. I blinked and seemed to recover. Somehow. “How do you
two know each other?”
Lily wrapped an arm around Liam’s shoulders,
her smile genuine. “Liam used to be in the story hour group at the
library. Now he’s in our young adult book club. Aren’t you? How far
are you on Harry Potter?” She glanced at me. “They just started
book one this week.”
Liam bounced on his toes. “Harry just got to
Hogwarts. You were right. It’s better than the movie.”
She rolled her eyes fondly. “Books are
usually better than the film. They did a good job with the Potter
movies, though.”
My gaze darted back and forth like a ping
pong ball. I scrubbed my shaking hands through my hair. “Hey, pal.
Why don’t you head into my office to start your homework? I’ll be
there in a sec.” Why the hell couldn’t I breathe?
“Sure.” Liam gave Lily a fist bump and
disappeared down the hall.
I stared after him, not sure what to do, to
say. Lily obviously was on friendly terms with Aiden, but I had no
clue she knew Liam. And so well. For years, it seemed.
Suddenly, this whole adventure with Lily
ground to a halt. The repercussions hit me like a tsunami and
pulled me under. Lily and I had agreed to no awkwardness after we
were through, but that was before my... feelings became
involved. Before I had any idea Liam was a part of her world.
I closed my eyes and tried to pull air into
my lungs. Futile.
“I-I’m so sorry.” She stepped back, creating
distance from me, and reached behind her back to untie her apron. An apron . Christ help me, even that was hot. “I had no idea
he’d be here. I’ll go.”
In her note, she’d said she’d get off early
and make dinner. I didn’t realize she’d be home this early,
though. And it was my fault. I should have texted her instead of
avoiding the situation like a pussy.
She started past me and I grabbed her
arm.
“No, don’t go. I...” Hell, what? “I have
Liam on Tuesday nights. I should’ve told you.”
Avoiding my gaze, she nodded quickly. “I
understand. I’ll see you later.”
“Lily...” I backed her to the cabinets and
caged her with my hands on either side of her on the counter. A
swift glance over her shoulder told me Liam’s eyes weren’t on us.
Placing my feet between hers, I leaned closer, every inch of me
flush with every inch of her.
And there . There was my normal pulse
rhythm and ability to breathe. The scent of her surrounded me, her
warmth enveloping, and the restless energy and panic drained right
out of me. She could turn my brain to pudding and my cock to lethal
stiffness. She made me desperate and insane with lust. But she also
calmed my soul, quieted the crazy.
I dropped my forehead to hers and worked a
swallow. “Don’t go, mo milis. ” Brushing my lips across her
cheek, down her jaw, I said what I’d never in my life said before.
“Stay.”
Her uneven exhale skated across my neck.
“This isn’t a good idea, Declan.”
I kissed her in the soft spot behind her ear
and closed my eyes. Two more nights and she’d be gone. “I know.
Stay anyway.” I cupped the back of her head and kissed her
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