Pleasing Him (Lily’s Naughty Adventures #1)

Chapter 1

Lily

T his is so embarrassing. My period came unexpectedly today, and I have a feminine pad in my locker. But I couldn’t get to it in time, and now there’s a bright red splotch on the back of my white dress.

I know what you’re thinking: why was I wearing a white dress on a day when I was expecting my period to come?

But that’s the problem: I wasn’t thinking, and that lack of foresight has gotten me into a lot of trouble over the years.

After all, my life’s kind of been a shitshow recently.

After my mom passed, my stepdad shipped me off to finish high school at a ritzy boarding school in New York.

It was awful to leave the comforts of home, but Lionel couldn’t manage a teenage girl by himself.

Not when both he and I were reeling with grief from my mom’s death.

So I arrived at the Spencer School for Girls and it was okay at first. School is school no matter where you go, and at first, I joined the student body unnoticed. Classes were okay, my teachers seemed decent, and even the other girls were reasonably nice to a newcomer.

But then I went a little berserk. I’m not sure what happened, but I think it was the grief doing it to me.

Or maybe it was the fact that I’d departed Minnesota abruptly, without any kind of adjustment period.

No matter the reason, my mom left me a sizable trust fund in her will, and I started spending it like crazy.

Again, I can’t tell you if it was from sorrow, shock, or just plain immaturity, but I started blowing money on stupid stuff like weed for me and my friends; expensive designer clothes; nights out at lavish clubs; and over-the-top meals at fine dining establishments.

Pretty soon, I’d blown through everything I had, and when tuition came due, there was nothing in the bank.

I could have asked my stepdad for help, but I was too embarrassed.

Instead, I dropped out of high school and began living in a run-down apartment in a dicey neighborhood, all the while working three jobs to make ends meet.

My different positions sucked, but at least I made enough to cover my bills.

Unfortunately, even three jobs isn’t enough to survive in New York.

This city is expensive, so no way did I have any savings, much less a rainy day fund.

As a result, when a medical emergency struck, my already-strained budget was blown to smithereens.

Even crazier, I’d suffered nothing more than a sprained ankle.

But a trip to the ER is pricey, and my twisted ankle saddled me with six figure debt .

It was mind-blowing. There were so many calls and letters from the hospital, and then the collection agency, that I stopped answering my phone because of the crushing shame and guilt.

I was in a very dark place, and the depression was like a relentless monkey that rode on my back each day.

But eventually, I shook free of the weight.

One day I went to the neighborhood library to borrow some books, and there were pamphlets on a side table discussing the pros and cons of personal bankruptcy.

Like many other unfortunate Americans, I began to consider the possibility of filing, even though I was utterly mortified.

I’ve always thought of myself as a person who pays her bills.

I understand my responsibilities, and would never try to duck or disclaim them.

I’m an honorable person, or so I tell myself.

But there was no other path forward, and I ended up declaring personal bankruptcy.

Shame nearly brought me to my knees. I was humiliated and embarrassed, and my eyes brimmed with tears when I spoke before the judge.

But she was kind and fair, and granted my petition, discharging my debts in the process.

It was a wake-up call because I’ve heard that medical bills are the primary cause of financial ruin for many Americans. But I never thought it’d happen to me .

Unfortunately, the bad news didn’t stop there.

I lost my apartment during the bankruptcy process, and simultaneously, the restaurant where I was waitressing closed and my babysitting gigs dried up.

There was only one option at hand: to return to Minnesota with my tail between my legs, throwing myself at the mercy of my stepfather.

I didn’t tell Lionel I was coming home. Instead, I showed up unexpectedly on his doorstep, and the man of the house was utterly livid when I was directed into the drawing room. His handsome features were ominous, that square jaw locked.

“Hi Daddy,” I greeted, trying to smile even as my knees trembled. “Long time no see.”

His fists curled until his knuckles were white, and I swear, if Lionel could have breathed flames, then he would have. But instead, the man of the house managed to speak in a near-normal voice.

“Why are you here?” he demanded. “You haven’t graduated yet, so what are you doing in St. George?”

I managed to look penitent.

“Well, Spencer is really expensive, and I know I was supposed to pay the tuition bill, but I ran out of money. I tried, Daddy, I really tried. I got a job, and—”

“What happened to your trust fund, Lily?” he cuts me off brusquely. “Your mother left you a generous sum. That should have covered your tuition many times over.”

I shoot him a sheepish smile.

“I know, but Manhattan is expensive,” I reply. “A dollar in New York doesn’t even cover half of what it does in Minnesota.”

Lionel glowers, his blue eyes so piercing that my knees grew weak.

“Your mother left you millions ,” he bites out. “What happened to those funds exactly?”

I merely shrugged in a non-committal manner.

“I guess I spent it on things I shouldn’t have: nights out, expensive champagne, caviar from the Black Sea.

But I’ve learned my lesson,” I said in a quick tone.

“I swear, Daddy, I have. I’m not the same woman anymore, and I know that I need to save my money.

It’s just that ... well, I don’t have money anymore. ”

His black brows raise.

“ Not any ?”

I shake my head solemnly so that my brown curls sway.

“I’m so sorry, Daddy, but I had medical bills, and I tried to pay them, I really did. But the money ran out, and then I filed for bankruptcy, and then my wages were going to be garnished as part of the court order, but I lost my job before they could be—”

Lionel holds up a big hand, his handsome face strained.

“ You filed for bankruptcy ?”

I nod with a remorseful expression on my face.

“I did,” I confirm in a soft tone. “Once you turn eighteen, you can file for Chapter 13, so that’s what I did in an effort to take control of my financial life.

But it left me with nothing, Lionel! I swear, I tried to make things work, but I couldn’t.

New York is a tough city, and I guess I kind of screwed up. ..”

The huge man snorts, his broad shoulders tense.

“You can say that again.” But before he can speak, I rush on.

“So can I stay, Lionel? I mean, I don’t have the money for a security deposit on an apartment, and you know how some of those big complexes are now. They require two months up front, plus a broker’s fee, plus a move-in fee, plus renter’s insurance, and there’s no way I can afford that.”

The huge man practically chokes, his jaw so tight I can see muscles bulge in his bronzed throat.

“You mean, stay here ?”

I look at him with innocent Bambi eyes.

“Well, yes! Where else would I stay? I swear, we probably won’t even see each other, seeing that this place is so huge,” I said, gesturing to his mansion.

“It’s got four stories, if you include the basement and the upper level, and there’s even the roof with the pergola, where I can sleep if it gets really hot. ”

Okay, offering to sleep outdoors is probably pushing it because Lionel’s hands balled into fists.

His broad shoulders went stiff, and I could see a dark flush on his handsome features.

His jaw grew tight, and I hold my breath because I swear he’s going to kick me out.

After all, we have no blood tie to each other, and my mom passed a couple years back.

Lionel doesn’t owe me anything, not anymore at least.

But instead, the alpha male gave a curt nod.

“Fine,” he snapped. “But don’t fuck things up. Oh, and you need to finish school. Your mother would turn over in her grave is she knew what her daughter was up to.”

“Thank you!” I squealed, rushing forward to throw my arms around his strong neck.

Before he could stop me, I leaned in for a kiss on his lips, and that male mouth was almost my undoing with its heated sensuality.

But then I pulled back, my face flushed and breasts heaving.

“You won’t notice me, I promise, Daddy! I’ll stay out of your way and life will go on as before. ”

Lionel merely shook his head, his expression dark, before storming out of the drawing room without a backwards glance.

I should be perturbed by his not-so-warm welcome, but more than anything, I was relieved.

I now have a place to stay, and the bankruptcy is behind me.

Sure, my stepfather seems a little upset by my appearance out of nowhere, but Lionel will adapt.

So I moved in. I hauled my two suitcases up to a suite on the second floor, and tried to stay out of my stepdad’s way.

It’s not hard, seeing that he’s hardly ever home.

As far as I know, he’s always looking after his real estate empire, whether that means visiting properties, talking with bankers, or staring at spreadsheets.

We haven’t crossed paths much in the six months since I got back, and I’m grateful for that.