CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – LILY #2
Ellis laughs, but Otley cocks an unimpressed brow as he studies my face. “If he’s harassing you…”
“He’s not.” I pick up my duffel bag and pull the screen door open. “How about I fix something for lunch? Leo and Cody are probably about to gnaw their arms off.”
“I have some lobster BLTs from Lexington’s…”
Otley is already striding towards the kitchen, so I use the breather to head upstairs.
Anything I can manage to scrounge up for lunch will be far less impressive than the five-star restaurant, so I stop by to check on the boys and then jump in the shower.
While I’m used to the June heat, the confrontation with Tahlia has left me feeling grimy, and I take my time, letting the fancy bath products soak away the lingering ugliness.
When I’m done, I put an anti-frizz treatment on my curls and dab on a little makeup, before heading back into my bedroom to dig through my duffel bag.
I’m still deciding between a couple of uninspiring t-shirts when there’s a knock at the door and Ellis steps into the room, his attention on his phone.
“Oh, sorry.” He stops abruptly, his eyes widening as he takes in my damp towel and flushed skin. “I didn’t mean to barge in. I’ll wait in the hall…”
“Just turn your back and I’ll put something on.”
Ellis spins around, but he makes a tortured sound as I drop my towel and wriggle into my underwear. “Lily…” he groans, his voice catching. “Do you have any idea what your scent is doing to me?”
“That’s the fancy shower gel’s fault,” I tell him, biting my lip to hold in my grin when he clutches the back of his neck again. “Just give me a sec to decide between these two very average clothing options.”
He glances over before he can stop himself, and I quickly plaster a t-shirt to my chest. I’m wearing a bra, but it’s not exactly the most flattering piece of underwear, and it’s hard not to feel self-conscious about it.
My fashion needs come a long way down the list of things I have to cover in our budget, and I can’t help thinking of Tahlia in her expensive pantsuit.
I might have flung our scent match connection in her face, but of the two of us, she’s the one who looks like she belongs on Ellis Castle’s arm.
While I’ve been lamenting the state of my underwear, Ellis has left his post by the door and crossed the room.
He’s careful to keep a little distance between us, but it doesn’t stop his eyes from caressing my flushed skin.
“I like the blue one,” he says softly, pointing to the t-shirt I’m clutching.
“But I think this is one of those trash bag moments. As in, you could wear anything, and it would still take my breath away.”
He says it with such sincerity, I also find myself a little on the breathless side. “It’s been a while since I bought anything that wasn’t from a thrift store.”
“You know it would be my pleasure to change that. Anything you want, it’s yours, Lily.”
How easy would it be to just accept his generosity?
I’m sure Madeline and the other girls would already be halfway to Boise in search of the fanciest boutique they can find.
“I don’t have a lot of use for expensive clothes in Knotty Falls,” I tell him, pulling the blue t-shirt over my head.
“But if you want to buy Leo something, that’s fine. ”
“Well, now that you mention it…” He gives me a sheepish look and gestures at his phone. “I got a call from a friend who’s just arrived in Idaho. He’s at a ranch about an hour away, and I’d love to get your opinion on something he wants me to buy. Feel like going for a ride with me?”
“Um… okay. As long as I’m not needed around here, I guess it will be okay.”
He grins, clearly taking my lukewarm response in stride, and ten minutes later we’re in the back of the SUV with Cooper driving us east towards Idaho Falls.
After some prodding, Ellis admits that Leo used his sling as the pennant on their fort, and I share a few stories about past mishaps.
Parenting a kid as adventurous as Leo isn’t always easy, although I’m always amazed – and relieved - at how quickly he bounces back.
“Must be my stunt double’s genes,” Ellis quips, earning a chuckle from Cooper, but when he asks me about my meeting with Della, he loses his grin. “He’s a persistent asshole,” he grumbles. “Don’t let him force you into anything you don’t want to do.”
“I won’t. I trust Tristan to do right by the farm, and the extra money is going to be a nice bonus.”
“Like I said,” he murmurs, rolling his head on the back of the chair until our eyes meet. “Anything you want, I’m happy to help.”
I smile, but Tahlia’s accusations have picked at an old wound. I know he doesn’t see me as trying to take advantage, but I still need to sort out my financial woes on my own. Especially because Rosie is now thinking about cutting our losses…
“So, what’s next for you?” I ask, needing a reprieve from my anxious thoughts. “Are you really taking a break from acting?”
Maybe it’s a sensitive topic, too, given what just happened with Tahlia, but he squares his jaw, looking determined.
“That’s the plan. I usually find it hard to turn down a new project, but right now I’m feeling burned out.
My last director was… a handful, to say the least, and I’ve been working nonstop since the first Agent Ripcord film came out.
I think this is a good time to step back and reassess my priorities.
But more importantly, now that I’ve found you and Leo, I don’t want anything else getting in the way. ”
He takes my hand, and I can feel his scent spreading under my skin like a seductive song.
It’s so tempting just to lean in and succumb to his attention, but this isn’t the same as a passionate kiss in a True Value parking lot.
Ellis is talking about making major changes, and that’s a lot to take on.
He must be able to read my mind, because his lips curve up in a way that does nothing for my flushed state. “Am I coming on too strong? Ot is always reminding me that most people have more than one gear.”
“No, you’re fine. You’re honest about what you want, and I need that right now.”
“Good. And if you want to move slow, I can do that for sure.” He squeezes my hand, his smile so appealing it’s hard to imagine why that would be good for anyone.
“The thing is, we’re always going to be scent matches, Lily.
Your scent is part of me now, and whatever happens, I’ll always cherish that.
” I nod, because it’s hard to imagine a world where I wasn’t surrounded by his scent, too.
“But you know what? It’s your eyes that I couldn’t forget.
That weekend... they burned into my soul.
Even years later, I swear I could describe their exact color, just based on memory alone. ”
I could tell him the same thing, especially when Leo grew old enough for me to realize how much of his father he'd inherited. But if I’m honest with myself, Ellis haunted me long before I found out we shared a son.
From the moment we met at that LA party, I wanted him with a wild kind of yearning, and that spark hasn’t dimmed just because I’m now older and supposedly wiser.
“Lily…?”
I bite my lip, because it’s impossible to miss the sweet notes of my arousal filling the air. As he breathes them in, Ellis’ grip tightens on mine, his pupils blowing wide. His voice is gruff with urgency as he says, “Cooper, find somewhere to pull over. Lily and I need a moment.”
God, this is a new level of awkward.
But in less than a minute, Cooper is turning into a rest stop and parking under a shady oak tree. He climbs out, only pausing to grab his cell and say, “Text me when you want me back, sir.”
My cheeks flame at the obvious implication, but he’s already shut the door and is striding over to a picnic table. Ellis doesn’t waste a moment, turning to me with that same yearning in his eyes. “Lily…?”
I give way with a needy whimper, and Ellis groans as he snatches me onto his lap.
The car is even roomier than my truck, and I settle easily on his thighs, my gaze rooted on his parted lips.
As we stare at each other, his fingers curl on my waist, the tips finding their way under the hem of my t-shirt.
It’s as if he’s both learning the texture of my skin and daring me to inch closer.
But I was putty in his hands a long time ago. “Can I kiss you, Ellis?”
His eyes widen, the long dark lashes fluttering as his pupils expand like liquid moons. “Yes… Seriously? Um. You really never need to ask…”
I cut him off with my lips and he groans as our mouths slide together.
There are no awkward angles or clacking teeth, just the soft, sweet pressure of a perfect kiss that goes on and on.
We taste and tease, his tongue sweeping across the seam of my mouth in a way that feels almost worshipful.
Like he’s trying to learn everything he can from this small part of me, ready to soothe my worries away, one breath-stealing kiss at a time.
I’m too greedy to just sit there and take it. I want to discover him, too, and I squeeze his shoulders as I invade his mouth, licking across his pliant tongue. Ellis’ caramel and clove scent tastes like smoky syrup, and I can’t get enough of it. “Please, Ellis…”
“I know. I know, baby.” His breathing is as messy as mine, his eyes hooded with need. “You taste like a dream.”
I’d say the same thing, only there’s no denying the very real heat of his body as I run my hands down his chest. He’s all hard muscle and sculptured lines, no doubt from having to bare so much of himself on a cinema screen, and instead of worrying about my own imperfections, I feel a flare of pride.
Ellis has achieved so much, is an icon for so many, and right now he’s here, his heart thudding under my hands.
“What are you smiling about?” he whispers, brushing a thumb over the curve of my lips.
“Just that all those bitches who called me Dirty Percy would probably have a meltdown if they could see me now.”
“Dirty Percy?” His mouth puckers like he’s tasted something bad. “What the hell?”
“Just mean girl stuff,” I reassure him. “And I couldn’t care less, because I’m the one with my mitts all over you.
” There’s still a spark of anger in his eyes, but it goes hazy as I reach under his shirt and brush my fingers over his rippling stomach.
“You okay with me touching you like this, Mr. Castle?”
“Fuck yes,” he breathes, titling his hips up so I can see the hard ridge of his erection pressing against his jeans. “Touch me anywhere you want. It’s all Percy territory, anyway.”
I laugh, but he lunges forward and swallows the sound with his mouth.
His kiss is now a ravenous assault, and I’m acutely aware of the sweet scent of my slick.
He must smell it, too, because his fingers slide to my thighs, his thumbs brushing back and forth only inches from my heat.
I moan as he rocks me forward, his cock so close to where I want it to be, I can’t resist reaching out and palming its shape through the taut denim…
A horn sounds somewhere in the distance and I snatch my hand back with a breathless laugh. “This might be my territory,” I murmur, “but the Sheriff can still charge us with public indecency if we go much further.”
“Crap.” He blinks, like he’s just remembering that we’re parked at the side of the road, then tilts his head back with a groan.
It elongates his throat, and a primal part of me wants to lick the thick muscles until I can feel his pulse against my tongue.
Bite him, even, until I can taste his skin and feel his faint stubble against my lips.
In fact, I want to consume Ellis in a way that leaves me shaky with need.
But then he peeks at me through his dark lashes, his eyes glinting mischievously.
“I guess Ot’s right when he says I only have one gear. ”
“Well, I’m a fan of this gear.” In fact, if this is his version of parking, I want a whole lot more of it. “But maybe not with that family picnicking twenty feet away.”
“Yeah, that’s not ideal.” He gives a shaky laugh as he drags his hand through his messy hair and squeezes his nape. “Fuck. I really want to keep kissing you, though.”
I lick my lips, feeling my heart skip at the growly need in his voice. Somehow, Ellis Castle is as hungry for me as I am for him. “Same, but… nothing has to change except for the location, right?”
“You mean…?”
“After we visit your friend – and drop Cooper off somewhere – maybe we could go parking…?”
He perks up, his hands squeezing my hips. “Parking? Like in those old horror movies where the couple goes to Lovers’ Lane?”
“Yeah, but without the screaming and blood splatter,” I laugh, leaning forward to kiss the edge of his mouth. He shivers under me, and the power I have over him with such a simple touch makes my head spin. “You know, there’s a nice view from the Blue Hill Bridge.”
“There is?” I nod and he grins. “Then let’s ditch Cooper and go right now.”
“That’s not very nice,” I chide him, even as I bask in his playful smile. “And I don’t think Kaysie would appreciate us stranding him out here. She seems quite protective of your bodyguard.”
“Really?” He looks intrigued for a moment, but then grabs my hips and plops me next to him on the seat. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
I nod. “We don’t want to keep your friend waiting any more than we already have.”
While I’m commending myself on putting practicalities ahead of the hunger that’s still pulsing in my blood, Ellis scrapes a thumb over his jaw. “Um. About that… In case you haven’t worked it out already, sometimes I can go a little over the top.”
I snort, since, yes, there isn’t much about Ellis that is underdone. “I think I can handle anything you want to show me, Ellis.”
He hums, but there’s still a touch of hesitation in his eyes as he says, “Okay. But if you don’t like it, just know that it came from a good place.”
I press a hand to his chest, because didn’t he just give me sovereign rights over the territory of Ellis Castle? “I’m pretty sure this is one of the best places I’ll ever visit.”