even if not by blood, held the same look. If you hurt one of us, you hurt us all, and that didn’t sit well with the Parks.
But Lily was so strong. A few times she seemed to be breaking, but then she took a moment, regrouped, and fought through her emotions. The Lily I had grown to know was in that courtroom today—a strong woman who was tired of being a victim. She gave him hell, and I couldn’t be more proud of her than I was inside those walls.
I had bought my own place two weeks ago. A rundown home that was in desperate need of a facelift, but it was mine. The moment the keys were placed in my hand, she was the first person I wanted to share it with. That was when I realized I had feelings for Lily. I mean, I knew I cared for her, but I hadn’t realized just how much until then.
The way I felt went beyond sexual desire, because she had become a big part of my life over the last couple months. She was the best part of my day, and during the last few weeks without her, I felt as if a part of me were missing.
That thought was a foreign one. I had never felt I truly needed a woman. Yeah, I dated, if that’s what you wanted to call it, yet I had never cared if the relationship went anywhere.
As I rounded the last corner before reaching the road I could now call mine, I reached across the console and took her hand. She had been staring out the window, taking in the scenery along the ride. Now she smiled and looked down at our joined hands.
Looking back out at the road, I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. Her smile grew wider, and I couldn’t deny that it lit up my world. Just another thing I had grown to love about her.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
I turned onto my road, and the two-story home came in to view. Lily began scanning the street and wrinkled her brows in confusion. When I turned into the driveway, she whipped her head in my direction. “Who lives here?”
“It’s mine,” I said, placing my truck in park. I turned off the ignition and opened my door. Looking back over my shoulder, I offered her a grin. “Come on, I want to show you.”
I waited for her as she walked around the hood to meet me. “You bought a house?” I nodded, watching her eyes scan the property. “Does anyone else know?”
“Max and Bree, my parents. No one has been here, though. I was waiting to show you first.” She cocked her head to the side, staring up at me. “Yeah, I got a lot of shit from my brother for that, but Bree stood up to him for me.” I chuckled, remembering Max’s comments about being whipped and sunk. “It was time to get my own place. Bree and Max said I didn’t need to, but I did. I had to grow up, in more ways than one.” She didn’t know what I truly meant by those words, but I intended to tell her.
I led her inside, and she wandered from room to room. The place was old and neglected, but I had visions of what I wanted it to be. I hoped Lily would fall in love with it as much as I had. I wanted her to find the potential in what it could be some day.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“I know it needs a lot of work—”
“I didn’t mean wow in bad way. I mean it’s obvious that the previous owners didn’t give this house the attention it deserves, but it could be beautiful. It has so much charm,” she said as she stepped farther in to the living room. “This fireplace is gorgeous and here…” She walked to the windows that overlooked the backyard. “You could open this up, put in a set of French doors leading out to a deck on the back. Could you imagine sitting out there and seeing that view every morning while drinking your coffee?”
I had long forgotten about the view. Lily was the only thing I could see in that moment. Knowing she could stand in my home and envision what it could be just made me want her in my life even more.
I couldn’t stop my next move. It was as if my reserve of self-control was gone. I stalked toward her and
But Lily was so strong. A few times she seemed to be breaking, but then she took a moment, regrouped, and fought through her emotions. The Lily I had grown to know was in that courtroom today—a strong woman who was tired of being a victim. She gave him hell, and I couldn’t be more proud of her than I was inside those walls.
I had bought my own place two weeks ago. A rundown home that was in desperate need of a facelift, but it was mine. The moment the keys were placed in my hand, she was the first person I wanted to share it with. That was when I realized I had feelings for Lily. I mean, I knew I cared for her, but I hadn’t realized just how much until then.
The way I felt went beyond sexual desire, because she had become a big part of my life over the last couple months. She was the best part of my day, and during the last few weeks without her, I felt as if a part of me were missing.
That thought was a foreign one. I had never felt I truly needed a woman. Yeah, I dated, if that’s what you wanted to call it, yet I had never cared if the relationship went anywhere.
As I rounded the last corner before reaching the road I could now call mine, I reached across the console and took her hand. She had been staring out the window, taking in the scenery along the ride. Now she smiled and looked down at our joined hands.
Looking back out at the road, I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. Her smile grew wider, and I couldn’t deny that it lit up my world. Just another thing I had grown to love about her.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
I turned onto my road, and the two-story home came in to view. Lily began scanning the street and wrinkled her brows in confusion. When I turned into the driveway, she whipped her head in my direction. “Who lives here?”
“It’s mine,” I said, placing my truck in park. I turned off the ignition and opened my door. Looking back over my shoulder, I offered her a grin. “Come on, I want to show you.”
I waited for her as she walked around the hood to meet me. “You bought a house?” I nodded, watching her eyes scan the property. “Does anyone else know?”
“Max and Bree, my parents. No one has been here, though. I was waiting to show you first.” She cocked her head to the side, staring up at me. “Yeah, I got a lot of shit from my brother for that, but Bree stood up to him for me.” I chuckled, remembering Max’s comments about being whipped and sunk. “It was time to get my own place. Bree and Max said I didn’t need to, but I did. I had to grow up, in more ways than one.” She didn’t know what I truly meant by those words, but I intended to tell her.
I led her inside, and she wandered from room to room. The place was old and neglected, but I had visions of what I wanted it to be. I hoped Lily would fall in love with it as much as I had. I wanted her to find the potential in what it could be some day.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“I know it needs a lot of work—”
“I didn’t mean wow in bad way. I mean it’s obvious that the previous owners didn’t give this house the attention it deserves, but it could be beautiful. It has so much charm,” she said as she stepped farther in to the living room. “This fireplace is gorgeous and here…” She walked to the windows that overlooked the backyard. “You could open this up, put in a set of French doors leading out to a deck on the back. Could you imagine sitting out there and seeing that view every morning while drinking your coffee?”
I had long forgotten about the view. Lily was the only thing I could see in that moment. Knowing she could stand in my home and envision what it could be just made me want her in my life even more.
I couldn’t stop my next move. It was as if my reserve of self-control was gone. I stalked toward her and
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