sat slumped on the couch and by some magic managed to turn the spaghetti bologna into a toasted sandwich. It tasted even better that way, with extra cheese caught between the bread and the bologna.
“Oh my God,” she said, her voice muffled with food. “This is amazing.”
“Good,” he smiled, and for a minute, he was extremely handsome. When he genuinely smiled, his whole face transformed. She felt a little tickle in her tummy, a bolt of attraction which made the whole situation stranger than it had been.
Glad for the sandwich, she ate in silence, feeling somewhat uncertain of herself. It wasn’t all that often she felt a physical attraction that strong, and she’d never felt it for a cop before.
“How long are you planning on hanging around for?”
“As long as it takes.”
“Uh-huh. I mean, how long are you planning on being in my apartment for?”
He shrugged and smiled again, handsome enough to break her heart. “Well, you’ve eaten now, so I guess I can get home to my bed without worrying you’ll fade out before morning.”
Lily was surprised at the pang she felt when she realized he was leaving. His presence had been an unwelcome, unwanted intrusion, but now that he was going, some part of her wished he was staying. It had been nice not to be alone, even if it was for twelve measly hours.
She showed precisely none of those feelings, nodding over the crumbs of her sandwich. “See ya.”
“Good night, Lilith.”
Nobody called her by her full name. A frisson of excitement trickled down her spine as he said it in his deep, masculine tones. Then he was gone, the only evidence of his having been there the lingering scent of bologna sandwiches.
She went to bed that night calmer and less concerned than she had been in a long time. A weight had been lifted, a weight she didn’t even know she had been carrying. Instead of being terrified at the knowledge the police were onto the operation being run out of her bar, she felt relief. The jig was up. She’d been caught, and hell, the guy who caught her was so confident he’d walked right out of there and left her to her own devices.
Lily had never really had much of a male influence in her life. Gammy had chased off her father before she was born. She’d had boyfriends, sure, but nobody anything like Gareth. Nobody as self-controlled or as confident as him. Nobody with the nerve to spank her, that was for sure.
Chapter Three
Friday and Saturday passed quickly in a blur of drinks and drunks. She didn’t see Gareth, but she sensed that he was around, watching, keeping an eye on things. The light feeling stayed with her all that time. She caught herself smiling for no reason, day dreaming about the man with the strong right hand.
On Sunday, she went out to the home to visit Gammy. Gammy was kept in a kind of luxury only she could take for granted. The home was more like a resort complex than anything, complete with spa pools, lap pools, tennis courts, petanque, bowls, croquet, and more. Neat nurses in starched uniforms tended to the patients around the clock. Gammy had a room up on the third floor, overlooking the pool. The sun streamed in through the open doors, warming the place to a comfortable temperature. But that didn’t stop Gammy from huddling in an oversized blanket and blasting the heat while keeping the doors wide open.
Looking at her, it was hard to believe that the scrap of the woman with white hair and milky blue eyes had once terrorized the underground. She seemed so innocent and rosy cheeked, just another old woman. She was sharp as ever though; her eyes held intellect that was not fading one bit with age.
“How are you, Gammy?” Lily pressed a kiss to the old woman’s cheek and sat down nearby, letting Gammy scrutinize her clothing. Gammy liked women to look feminine. The only time Lily put on a dress was when she visited. She was wearing a pink dress with a flared skirt and a yellow sash. She felt like a Christmas tree
“Oh my God,” she said, her voice muffled with food. “This is amazing.”
“Good,” he smiled, and for a minute, he was extremely handsome. When he genuinely smiled, his whole face transformed. She felt a little tickle in her tummy, a bolt of attraction which made the whole situation stranger than it had been.
Glad for the sandwich, she ate in silence, feeling somewhat uncertain of herself. It wasn’t all that often she felt a physical attraction that strong, and she’d never felt it for a cop before.
“How long are you planning on hanging around for?”
“As long as it takes.”
“Uh-huh. I mean, how long are you planning on being in my apartment for?”
He shrugged and smiled again, handsome enough to break her heart. “Well, you’ve eaten now, so I guess I can get home to my bed without worrying you’ll fade out before morning.”
Lily was surprised at the pang she felt when she realized he was leaving. His presence had been an unwelcome, unwanted intrusion, but now that he was going, some part of her wished he was staying. It had been nice not to be alone, even if it was for twelve measly hours.
She showed precisely none of those feelings, nodding over the crumbs of her sandwich. “See ya.”
“Good night, Lilith.”
Nobody called her by her full name. A frisson of excitement trickled down her spine as he said it in his deep, masculine tones. Then he was gone, the only evidence of his having been there the lingering scent of bologna sandwiches.
She went to bed that night calmer and less concerned than she had been in a long time. A weight had been lifted, a weight she didn’t even know she had been carrying. Instead of being terrified at the knowledge the police were onto the operation being run out of her bar, she felt relief. The jig was up. She’d been caught, and hell, the guy who caught her was so confident he’d walked right out of there and left her to her own devices.
Lily had never really had much of a male influence in her life. Gammy had chased off her father before she was born. She’d had boyfriends, sure, but nobody anything like Gareth. Nobody as self-controlled or as confident as him. Nobody with the nerve to spank her, that was for sure.
Chapter Three
Friday and Saturday passed quickly in a blur of drinks and drunks. She didn’t see Gareth, but she sensed that he was around, watching, keeping an eye on things. The light feeling stayed with her all that time. She caught herself smiling for no reason, day dreaming about the man with the strong right hand.
On Sunday, she went out to the home to visit Gammy. Gammy was kept in a kind of luxury only she could take for granted. The home was more like a resort complex than anything, complete with spa pools, lap pools, tennis courts, petanque, bowls, croquet, and more. Neat nurses in starched uniforms tended to the patients around the clock. Gammy had a room up on the third floor, overlooking the pool. The sun streamed in through the open doors, warming the place to a comfortable temperature. But that didn’t stop Gammy from huddling in an oversized blanket and blasting the heat while keeping the doors wide open.
Looking at her, it was hard to believe that the scrap of the woman with white hair and milky blue eyes had once terrorized the underground. She seemed so innocent and rosy cheeked, just another old woman. She was sharp as ever though; her eyes held intellect that was not fading one bit with age.
“How are you, Gammy?” Lily pressed a kiss to the old woman’s cheek and sat down nearby, letting Gammy scrutinize her clothing. Gammy liked women to look feminine. The only time Lily put on a dress was when she visited. She was wearing a pink dress with a flared skirt and a yellow sash. She felt like a Christmas tree
Similar Books
