Gilded Lily (25 page)

Clearing his throat, he stepped aside to let her pass. As she walked into the room, Adam looked over her head toward Tony, who was leaning against the back of the sofa. He was sure his own expression mirrored Tony’s. Awe and appreciation.

“Poppet, you’re beautiful,” Tony said as he kept his relaxed position. “Come here and let me look at you.”

She cautiously walked to where he was standing. Her gaze flittered back and forth between Tony and Adam.

“You wore red. I like that.” He lifted her chin so he could see into her eyes. “It’s my favorite color.”

A faint smile unfolded from her lips.

He peered up to where Adam was standing behind her. “What do you think?”

“I prefer her naked, but I could stare at this all night just fine.”

“Are you hungry?” Tony asked.

“Yes,” she said, hugging the delicate shawl close to her chest. “Do you have some wine?”

Adam knew she liked sangria and was quick to pour her a glass. Adam walked back into the kitchen to prepare the plates for dinner. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, watching as Tony pulled out the chair for Lily to sit at the small dining table in front of the big windows.

“Thank you,” she said as Adam set the plate in front of her. “This looks great, Adam.”

Tony pulled out one of the other chairs and sat down. Adam brought two more plates, piled high with fresh shrimp and pasta. “Eat, eat,” Adam said. “You’re going to need your strength.”

LILY SHOT HIM a nervous look. Tony slid his hand under the table and gently rubbed her bare thigh as she took a bite of the cream-coated shrimp. She closed her eyes as the savory flavors melted on her tongue. “You really are a good cook.”

“It’s not as good as your muffins, but I try.” Adam’s rogue smile made her blush from cheeks to toes.

“I see you’ve shipped most of Nicholas’s paintings,” Tony commented.

“Most of them. I’m having the gallery prepped for a show. I thought I’d have an exhibit of his final works when I get back.”

“So, are you planning on staying in New York?” Lily asked as she refolded the linen napkin.

“Not sure yet.” Adam took a drink of his beer. “Been thinking about relocating but still keeping the gallery. I don’t know. My options are open.”

She gently rested the fork on the table. “I see.” Maybe she’d judged this summer all wrong. Adam was here to gather Nicholas’s things and
maybe
have a little fun on the side. “Idiot” didn’t even come close to describing how she felt. “Do you have any more?” One more glass would hopefully ease the hot tension in her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry.
Keith was right.

“I’ll get it.” Tony excused himself, going into the kitchen area and retrieving the pitcher.

Lily adjusted the napkin on her lap before getting comfortable in the seat. “Thank you,” she said as Tony filled the crystal goblet with the sweet wine.

They ate bites of warm bread and steaming pasta between talking about when they were kids and what they wanted to do in the future. Lily was quietly taken aback when Tony mentioned that he’d never been to Italy but always had a dream of seeing the vineyards. He had never discussed his dreams or plans when they were together. The way he easily talked with Adam made the hot sensation wash over her eyes again. It seemed like the longer they sat at the table, the more she wanted to excuse herself and run back home.

Adam shared that he wanted to have a family and write a book about his times in Africa and the Middle East. Lily didn’t share what she wanted most for her future. It was so simple they’d both laugh. She wanted to one day have a little girl running around the backyard in her pink and yellow sundress, giggling as she tore off her clothes to get in the outdoor bathtub so Lily could wash her hair.

Lily pressed the soft napkin to her mouth, trying to hide her sigh. She wanted to lie in bed with Adam, watching movies and eating popcorn. Her wants were simple, and until now, she hadn’t realized how much she needed someone to share her bed, not the window seat.

Lily got up and walked over to the windows. The shimmery streaks of moonlight were like fingers stretching through the trees. The calm water looked like a darker film against the landscape of the grass. “It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it, the way the moon uses the water as a mirror?” She made the comment to herself, not realizing Adam was standing behind her until he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Did you mean what you said?”

“About what?” he asked as he skimmed his lips over the shell of her ear.

She tried to focus, but the thoughts spinning in her head only wanted him to keep trailing his warm breath over the sensitive flesh. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the warmth spreading over her skin. “About relocating.”

“Yeah. I’m tired of New York. I want something different. A new start. I need to take Nick’s advice and stop waiting to start my life. I’m the older brother, but somehow he was always so much smarter than me. He always followed his heart in everything he did. He had no fear, Lily. It led him to you.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He led me to you. If he could follow his dreams, so can I.”

She kept her gaze forward so he couldn’t see the pained expression on her face. “I understand.” She said the words, knowing they were true. Understanding his need to move on and accepting it were two very different things her heart might not be able to manage.

He turned her around to pull her into his arms. “Then will you do something for me?” The way he slid his thumb over her cheeks made her lean into his touch. “I
am
coming back, Lily. There’s something I haven’t told you. I’m leaving for Afghanistan in a couple of weeks. I contracted with
National Geographic
to take pictures there. If I pull out, I’ll lose a lot of money.” He reached for her arm, and she pulled away. “I don’t want to be away knowing you’re here lonely and suffering while I’m gone. Can you wait for me?”

Lily was terrified knowing the danger Adam would be putting himself in. She wanted to drop to her knees and beg him not to go. She swallowed. “What do you mean by suffering?”

“I mean,
here
.” He pressed his hand against her skirt, massaging the mound of her sex. “We’ve shared something very special and nothing can take the place of that. But I want you to be satisfied while I’m gone. It’s not fair that you’ve opened up, and now with me leaving, you have to shut down again. I want to make you happy, and I think I know a way to make that happen. Will you trust me?”

“I have Tony and Renee.” Lily wrapped her hand over his, pressing it farther into her dress. “They can keep me company.” Truly, the last thing she wanted was a substitute for the man she was falling in love with.
Oh, God, I’m really falling in love with him.

“With fake cocks and toys?” His sullen frown reached out to her. “I don’t think so.” He turned his hand, taking hers and pressing it against his slumbering cock. He clasped her fingers, forcing her to feel the bulge. “You need this. Say you need this.”

“I do. I do need this. But I can wait for you.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to.”

“But, Adam—”

“Come here,” he said and led her to the sofa where Tony was waiting.

Adam positioned her in front of Tony. She stood silent, watching the expression on Tony’s face. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him look at her with such tenderness. She looked down at him as he sat on the edge of the cushion.

Tony eased her closer between his knees. He pulled the thin shawl from her shoulders, revealing the crests of her exposed cleavage. Lily slowly glided her hands behind her back.

“Not tonight, Lily,” Tony said.

She couldn’t recall the last time she heard him say her name. It startled her. She didn’t know what to do. Her knees became weak as she felt him reach behind her and take her hands into his. She studied Adam, who was sitting close beside Tony. The sincere expression shining in Adam’s eyes reassured her everything was going to be okay. She looked back at Tony. He was waiting for her. Calmly, she placed her hands on the front of her thighs and nodded.

“Just relax for me. Nothing is going to happen you don’t want to,” Tony said and stood up, towering over her. “Okay? Tonight is about us showing you how much we care about you. Adam, what movie are we going to watch first?”

Lily looked over at Adam, who was holding two DVDs. “I got one for her and one for us.
Death Race
for us and
Pride and Prejudice
for her. I say we watch some serious gunfire first.”

“Okay, wait a second,” Lily said. Did they not both just give her the
fuck me
eyes? “You guys don’t want to fuck tonight?”

Both men looked at each other. “No,” they said in unison.

“So you want to watch movies and snuggle on the couch?” she asked with a sarcastic grin.

“Yes,” Tony said. “It’s not about sex tonight, Lily. It’s about you feeling comfortable with me so I can take care of you while Adam’s away. Adam and I’ve been talking a lot and have made some decisions. Adam has been learning about your needs. He wants you to be happy while he’s away.”

Lily put her hands over her ears and shook her head. “Don’t say another word about that. Not now.”

Adam tossed the DVDs on the couch and tugged Lily into his arms. “Oh, baby, it’s going to be all right. Let Tony and me take care of you. If it leads to something…that’s okay too, but we wanted to comfort you tonight.”

The words she wanted to say were stuck in the back of her throat. She needed to say so many things, but nothing could describe the intense grip their compassion had on her heart. The only thing she could do was nod her head, knowing times like these would be limited and maybe never come again. “I’ll watch the movies. But I get to sit in the middle.”

Tony tugged her back against him. “Poppet, you can sit anywhere you want.”

“Tony,” Adam said as he sat on the couch. “You get the popcorn, and I’ll make a comfortable spot here for Lily.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she protested.

Adam leaned up and pecked her cheek with a sweet kiss. The gesture made her feel more vulnerable than if she’d been standing there stark naked. “You’re mine to take care of, Lily Flower.”

Lily looked down. She could outline the rigid shape of his hard cock. “If I’m going to get more comfortable, then you guys have to too.”

Lily spun around and sat on Adam’s lap. The slow motion of her hips as she rocked back and forth made her feel sexy, in control of his inner beast. Adam’s growl made her smile. The feeling of his fingertips digging into the sides of her hips made her pause. The rough sensation eased through her veins, touching every remote part of her body.

“Naked or one of my T-shirts,” he said from behind her. “Which one?”

“For me or you?” she teased.

“Definitely naked for you. Would you do that for me? Get naked and let us have our way with you?”

Lily turned to look at Adam. “Really? Anything?” She thought about the prospect for a moment. Excitement made the steady cadence of her heart triple its effort. “I think I could do that. Yes, I would like that.”

“Ah, you little minx, I think you better get your ass upstairs then. You got two seconds, or I’m throwing you over my shoulder. Tony, we’ll be down in a sec.”

Lily giggled and sprinted for the stairs, knowing that this might be the last time she was going to feel Adam’s strong hands all over her body.

Chapter Thirteen

Lily turned over to find a wall of flesh keeping her from getting out of bed. The lights had been turned off, leaving her in the darkness of the loft. She turned in the other direction, trapped there too. Tony was peacefully sleeping behind her. Reaching out, she traced the sleek muscles of Adam’s back. The gentle rise and fall of his shoulders kept time with his sleeping breaths. He still had his clothes on. She lifted her head to try and see his face, but he was turned too far away. She snuggled up behind him and wrapped her arm over his waist. A soft moan filtered out of him as he grabbed her hand and pulled her even closer.

Lily heard him say something, but her eyes were too heavy and she was too tired to respond. Her pussy ached. Both men had ended up chasing her up the stairs, and they’d watched the movies in bed instead of on the couch. Lily had impatiently waited for someone to make a move, but it never happened. She’d fallen asleep, frustrated and horny.

From behind her, Tony mumbled something in his sleep. She rolled onto her stomach, trying to get comfortable, quickly drifting back to sleep.

In a half dream, Lily stroked her cheek on the soft pillow and yawned, unable to fully wake. She kept her eyes closed and skimmed her hand across the sheet, feeling for Adam. The first lick of heat spreading across her back made her eyes shoot open.

Lily heard her voice echo as if it were coming from above her head. Again, the whip of the leather cut through the air. The lash raised another mark next to the first. A wave of pleasure surged through her as she cried out for more. Tony’s voice faded as she fell into the familiar and welcoming blackness of her quiet thoughts.

“SEE, YOU CAN’T hit in the same place twice,” Tony said as Adam listened carefully to Tony’s detailed instructions. Tony pointed to the dark pink marks he’d just made. “And never on the front of her body; she doesn’t like that.”

Adam nodded, accepting the instruction. Both men were kneeling on the bed, watching Lily as she squirmed underneath their inspection. Tony, naked, and Adam, with his cock still hard, methodically discussed Lily’s marks.

“And you have to snap it. Let the leather do the work, not your heavy hand,” Tony said as he flicked his wrist and smacked the lash on her left buttock. “Check her. You’ll see this gets her wetter than anything. She craves it. Truth be told, I trained her to accept what she needs, and in her own subtle way, she taught me how to give her what she most desires. “

Adam slid his hand between Lily’s spread thighs and rubbed the soft flesh covering her clit. She rolled her hips and murmured her approval into the pillow. He explored the depth of her slick core, then looked over at Tony and smiled. The way Lily’s body responded so readily amazed him. She was a beacon of senses, acting on instinct and waiting to be pleased. The last thing he wanted to do was harm the one woman he believed could heal his soul. This—the taming of his beast—was something only Lily could do. If this was what pleased her, then he would do whatever it took to show her he was ready for the challenge of bringing her pure pleasure.