Chapter 33
Dean
The bed sheets rustled softly as I curled my arms further around Lily’s naked waist and nuzzled the back of her neck, inhaling that sweet, sweet scent. She was soft and warm in my arms. I could’ve lived in that moment forever.
Our little revelation last night seemed to bring us closer than we already were.
That and the sex, obviously.
Lily began to stir, humming sleepily as she arched her body with a stretch. She nudged herself flush against me.
I lifted my head to get a better view of her face. I could see every freckle and count almost every one of her eyelashes.
I pressed my lips to her cheek and skimmed my hand up her arm. “You awake?”
She hummed again and turned her head to look back at me through barely open eyes. The corner of her mouth rose in a smile. “I am now.”
“Morning.” I moved my hand appreciatively down her body, following a familiar path to her hip. The touch wasn’t meant to start anything.
Her eyes fluttered shut, and she inhaled slowly as she shifted her thighs, coaxing a reaction from me.
“Oh?” I was already half hard and steadily rising.
“Not what you had in mind?” she asked, glancing over her.
“I can’t remember what I had in mind. Please, continue.”
Lily rocked her hips slowly back and forth along my growing erection.
My palm skimmed to her breast as my lips formed a kiss on her bare shoulder.
She sighed, lifting one hand to the back of my head while the other went south.
I felt her fingertips touch us both. Then, as she kissed me with gentle hunger, she nudged the tip of my cock into her.
“Fuck, I love you,” I grunted, my voice heavy with a sleep effected rasp as I prepared to delve deeper.
An abrupt round of sharp knocks rattled through the door, causing Lily to tense and me to jolt halfway into her.
Lily bit the pillow to keep from crying out while I muffled my growl of annoyance into her shoulder, gently biting her skin.
With my cock rock hard and half sheathed in her clenching heat, I mustered up a partially broken, “Y-yeah?”
“I know Lily is in there with you.” Kate sounded impatient. “I already tried her room.”
Lily pulled the bed sheet over her head with a quiet groan while neither of us dared to move anything below the waist. She emerged after a second. “Yes—Mom?”
“Breakfast is ready, so get up now. I don’t want to be late for work.”
“Got it,” she grimaced, shutting her eyes and pressing her lips together as her legs squeezed.
I felt myself sink deeper, but I couldn’t tell if it was a natural reaction or if I was subconsciously doing it, until Lily moved back, slowly drawing me into her.
I hummed softly, fighting the urge that was begging me to move — to fuck her. I couldn’t help myself, and slid my hand to her other breast as I sank all the way in. Her nipple was hard against my palm.
Lily bent and raised her knee, creating room between her legs.
“I mean it, Lily. I won’t be late.”
Lily swallowed hard and masked the pleasure in her voice. “We’ll be out in a minute.”
Breakfast was a repeat of dinner last night, but with one more person in the room and way more glares coming from the Whitmore parents as they stood in the kitchen, sipping their coffee with disdain as they watched us at the small table by the kitchen island.
The glares were aimed at their daughters, me, and Finn, Jane’s secret boyfriend.
Lily and I were in trouble for working around the rule of me not being allowed in her room; Jane and Finn were in trouble because he was caught trying to sneak out of Jane’s room this morning before school.
While Finn and I shared similar situations of being the unwanted boyfriends, I kept an eye on him from across the table. My arms were crossed as I figured out what his intentions with Jane were.
Jane was Lily’s little sister. She earned my protection through association. I was always going to be suspicious of any guy who showed interest in her.
Finn gave the impression of another privileged white boy with golden blonde hair. But instead of being boastful like they normally were, he was softly spoken, awkward, and polite.
“Why didn’t you get him to climb down the trellis? It’s right outside your window,” Lily whispered to Jane, scooping cereal onto a spoon.
“Dad removed it after the last time.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “Last time?”
I shifted in my seat, also interested in hearing the answer with my eyes fixed solely on Finn.
“About a week ago.” A smile came to Jane’s mouth as she spoke. “Finn was caught going out my window to use the trellis. It got him banned from visiting the house.” Her eyes flicked to me. “And nothing happened between us, so calm down, Cujo. We’re aware it’d be illegal since we’re underage.”
I raised an eyebrow but loosened my arms.
Finn relaxed in his seat.
Lily gave her sister and the boy a gentle, sympathetic smile. “It is nice to meet you, Finn. Sorry about our parents.”
“It’s okay. I guess it’s kind of on me for being bad at sneaking. Or climbing.” He laughed nervously.
Jane picked up his hand and locked fingers with him. “You have much to learn, young buck.”
After breakfast, we were ushered from the house with an unspoken warning: No more overnight stays at the Whitmore house for Finn and me.
When Mark headed for his Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Kate went to her Volvo, where she waited to drive Lily to work, Jane and Finn said their goodbyes while walking to where his bike was hidden beside the house.
Lily didn’t move from the porch right away.
I waited beside her and slid on my sunglasses.
The Volvo’s horn tooted three times.
“Just a few more nights,” I said.
Lily huffed but nodded. “I know… I’ll be counting down the days until you come whisk me away.”
“Want me to bridal carry you out that door when this has calmed down?”
She smiled easily. “Yes, please.”
Another round of impatient toots erupted from the Volvo, causing Lily’s smile to fade as she rolled her eyes.
“We should go.” She stepped away.
“Hold on.” I took her wrist, gently guided her back towards me, and scooped her up in my arms.
I craved the laughter that bubbled out of her and the smile that remained on her lips as I carried her the entire way to the car.
As I set her feet down on the curb beside the Volvo, Mark drove off.
I predicted I would get a text in a few minutes about heading to his office to talk about what happened last night — one event from the night would be queried heavily with scrutiny.
The other would be about the subtle threat from Gabriele.
After Lily climbed into the car, her mother glared ahead in the front seat while Jane sat in the back, waving at her boyfriend as he rode away.
I closed the car door softly behind Lily, and she rolled down the window, motioning with her finger for me to lean in closer. And I did, bracing my hands on the side of the door as I duck my head into the car and kissed Lily, adding just enough tongue to leave her breathless.
Kate was breathless because she found it offensive, and begin to steer the car away from the curb while I withdrew from the window just in time.
Her mother’s abrupt exit didn’t stop Lily from peering out the window.
She grinned at me as the wind whipped through her hair, and blew me a kiss with a wave.
I’m the luckiest man alive, I thought as I watched the car drive from view, unable to wipe my own smile from my face.
Despite her parents being…difficult individuals, I felt a small weight lift from my shoulders. Lily would be safer here. Under her mother’s constant watchful eye and her father’s strict love for the law, she wouldn’t be left unguarded.