6. Lili #2
Instead, we found ourselves in a small, windowless room filled with tablecloths and dining supplies. The space was cramped—barely large enough for the two of us, let alone three. James took one look at our situation and stepped back.
"I'll keep watch out here," he said with a knowing smile. "Make sure no one disturbs you while you catch your breath."
Before either Edward or I could protest, he'd closed the door, leaving us alone in the small, dimly lit space.
Edward pulled out his phone, speaking in rapid, authoritative tones to someone about "handling the situation" and "making this go away."
When he finished the call, he turned to me, running a hand through his hair. The careful styling was coming undone, making him look less like an untouchable lawyer, and more like a man who'd just been through an ordeal.
In the small, cramped space, every breath seemed amplified. I could see the rapid rise and fall of Edward's chest.
"I'm sorry about that," he said, his voice rougher than usual. " I should have anticipated—"
"Edward." I stepped closer, drawn by something unspoken. "It's not your fault."
He looked down at me, and I saw the moment his control cracked. His hand came up to my face, his fingers tracing my cheek like he was memorizing it.
"This is insane," he whispered.
"Completely," I agreed, moving closer until there was barely any space between us.
"Daphne would never forgive me."
"Maybe not." My voice was barely a breath.
His thumb traced across my lower lip, and I made a sound that was part sigh, part surrender. That seemed to break whatever was left of his restraint.
Part of me knew I should feel guilty. This was Daphne's brother. My best friend's brother. There was a huge difference in our backgrounds. But standing there in that cramped storage room, breathing the same air, I couldn't bring myself to care about any of it.
All I could think about was how right this felt. How wrong it was supposed to be, and how that somehow made it more right.
That last thread of control seemed to snap. His mouth crashed against mine, and I melted into him, my hands fisting in his shirt. The kiss was desperate, hungry, full of all the wanting we'd been trying to suppress.
I pressed closer, needing more contact, more connection. His hands slid into my hair, tilting my head to deepen the kiss. The sound I made was half sigh, half moan, and I felt him shudder against me.
"Lili," he breathed against my lips.
"Don't stop," I whispered back. "Please don't—"
Voices outside the door made us freeze. Footsteps, getting closer.
"Edward?" James's voice, carefully neutral. "I'm afraid we have company."
We sprang apart just as the door swung open, revealing not just James but an elderly woman in a Fortnum & Mason uniform, looking thoroughly scandalized.
"My apologies," she said crisply. "But this is a storage area. Guests are not permitted—"
"Of course," Edward said, his composure remarkable considering he'd been kissing me senseless thirty seconds ago. "We were just leaving."
As we filed out, James fell into step beside me.
"Well," he said quietly, "that was educational."
I shot him a look, feeling heat crawl up my neck. "I don't know what you mean."
"Of course not." His smile was knowing but kind. "For what it's worth, you both look like you've been through a tornado. A very intimate tornado."
"James," Edward warned.
"What? I'm just saying. If anyone asks, you were both overcome by the excitement of an emergency evacuation. Happens all the time."
As we made our way back through the main dining room and the photographers apparently having been "handled", I caught Edward's reflection in one of the mirrors. His hair was still mussed from my hands, his tie slightly askew. And his expression...
Gone was the careful control, the measured politeness.
Instead, he looked like a man who'd just lost a battle with himself—and wasn't entirely sorry about it.
When he caught me watching, something passed between us. An understanding, maybe. Or a promise.
"I should get you back to the manor," he said quietly.
"Should you?"
His eyes darkened. "Yes. Before I do something even more inadvisable than what I just did."
As we left Fortnum & Mason, I caught James watching us both with the keen interest of someone who collected secrets for a living.
I just shook my head, not trusting myself to speak.
The manor was silent, its halls bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the tall windows. I wandered aimlessly, my bare feet padding against the cold marble floors, the tension from the afternoon still coiled tight within me.
London had been a whirlwind—a blur of cameras, whispers, and unspoken words between Edward and me. But it was the words we hadn’t said that lingered, heavy and unresolved, like a storm waiting to break.
I couldn’t sleep. My mind was a tempest, replaying every moment, every glance, every touch that had passed between us.
Edward’s study door was ajar, a sliver of lamplight spilling into the corridor, beckoning me closer. I hesitated, my hand hovering over the polished wood, knowing I shouldn’t. But the pull was too strong, the need to see him—to understand—overwhelming.
I pushed the door open, the hinges creaking softly in the stillness.
Edward sat behind his desk, his broad shoulders hunched over a stack of papers, his dark hair falling over his forehead.
He looked up as I entered, his sharp features softening at the sight of me.
“ Lili ,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, as if he’d been waiting for me.
“ I couldn’t sleep ,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
The room felt charged, the air thick with unspoken desire. I stepped further inside, my heart pounding in my chest, the weight of the day pressing down on us both.
Edward set aside his papers, his gaze intense, searching. “ Neither could I,” he confessed, leaning back in his chair. “ I’ve been thinking about today .”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “Me too .”
The words felt inadequate, a poor reflection of the storm raging inside me. I wanted to tell him everything—how his presence unnerved me, how his touch earlier had sent shivers down my spine, how I’d spent the entire afternoon fighting the urge to close the distance between us.
But the words stuck in my throat, tangled in fear and uncertainty.
Edward stood, his tall frame closing the space between us.
I looked up at him, my breath catching in my chest. His eyes were dark, his expression unreadable, but I saw the same longing I felt reflected in them. “ Edward —” I started, but he silenced me with a finger to my lips.
His touch was electric, sending a jolt through me.
I shivered, my body responding to his before my mind could catch up. He cupped my face, his thumb brushing my cheek, his gaze holding mine captive.
Slowly, he leaned in, his breath warm against my lips, and I felt the world tilt on its axis.
The kiss was tentative at first, a brush of lips, a question asked and answered. But it quickly deepened, his mouth moving with a hunger that mirrored my own. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, losing myself in the taste of him, the feel of his strong hands on my waist.
Edward broke the kiss, his forehead resting against mine, both of us breathing heavily. “ Lili ,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, “ are you sure? We can’t go back from this .”
I nodded, my heart pounding in my ears.“I’m sure,”I whispered back, though doubt flickered in the back of my mind.
We were crossing a line, one I’d sworn not to cross. But in that moment, I didn’t care. The pull was too strong, the desire too overwhelming.
He led me to the sofa, his hands never leaving me, his touch both tender and urgent.
I sat down, my legs trembling, as he knelt before me, his gaze intense, searching.“Tell me to stop,”he said, his voice a rough whisper.“Tell me now, because I won’t be able to once I start.”
I shook my head, my breath coming in short gasps.“I won’t,”I managed, my voice barely audible.
Edward’s hands moved to the hem of my dress, his fingers trembling slightly as he pushed it up my thighs.
My heart raced, my skin tingling with anticipation.
He paused, his eyes locked on mine, as if seeking permission once more.
I nodded, my pulse pounding in my ears, and he continued, his touch reverent, as if I were something precious, something to be cherished.
He kissed his way up my legs, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake.
My breath hitched as his mouth hovered over the edge of my lace panties, his warm breath teasing my sensitive skin.
I closed my eyes, my head falling back against the sofa,“Edward,”I whispered, my voice laced with need.
He looked up at me, his dark eyes smoldering with desire.“You’re so beautiful,”he murmured, his voice thick with awe.“So perfect.”
His words sent a flush of heat through me, and I felt myself blush, my cheeks burning. He leaned in, his lips brushing my core through the thin fabric of my panties, and I gasped, my hands tangling in his hair.
He smiled against my skin, a wicked, knowing smile, before pulling them aside, his mouth finally finding what it sought.
His tongue was a slow, deliberate torment, tracing patterns that made me squirm, his lips soft and insistent.
I moaned, my hips arching off the sofa, my fingers tightening in his hair.“Edward,”I breathed, my voice a plea, a demand.“Please.”
He hummed against me, the vibration sending shivers through my core. His hands gripped my hips, holding me still as his mouth worked its magic, his tongue delving deeper, his lips sucking gently.
I was lost, drowning in sensation, my body coiling tighter with each passing moment.
“Edward,”I gasped, my voice breaking as the tension built, unbearable and exquisite.“I—”