I eyed her mother who had entered the dining room, and Lily turned to greet her. “Hey, Ma. You okay?”
Hannah sat next to her and threw me a smile before answering her daughter. “I’m just tired, that’s all. I think I might go to bed now.”
Exhaustion lined her face. Hell, it lived and breathed all over her. She was far from the woman I’d met who talked my ear off.
Lily reached out to hug her. “Do you want a sleeping pill or do you think you’ll be okay without one?”
Tears pooled in Hannah’s eyes as she nodded. “Yes, I think I need one, darling.”
Lily jumped up. Glancing at me, she said, “I won’t be long.”
I jerked my chin. “Don’t worry about me.”
She ushered her mother out, speaking soothingly to her as they went, leaving me in silence. I sat and ate the best damn meal I’d eaten since the last time I’d had Lily’s cooking. The peace and quiet in this house was fucking music to my ears. And yet, it wasn’t completely quiet because I could hear the kids arguing over something. But without the tension I was used to being surrounded by daily, this was peaceful. Calm.
I finished my dinner and beer, and had just finished washing the dirty plate and cutlery when Lily walked into the kitchen. She moved next to me, placing her hand on my hip. “Thanks for doing that.”
I didn’t know if it was the need I had for her, or the gratitude I heard in her voice, or the softness in her eyes, or what the fuck it was, but one of those things drove me to reach for her waist, lift her onto the kitchen counter, and crush my lips to hers.
She moaned into my mouth as her legs and arms circled me. By the time we finished with the kiss, we were both a mess of frantic desire. Problem was, we couldn’t do anything with it. Not with her family in the house.
Gripping my hair, she panted, “God, I want to fuck you.”
“Jesus,” I rasped, “I need to get out of here.”
She pulled her head back to look me in the eyes. “You’re not staying the night?” Her disappointment couldn’t be mistaken. It was written all over her and bled from her voice.
My fingers dug into her hips. “There’s no fucking way I can sleep next to you tonight without having my hands all over you and my dick inside you.”
“So do that.”
She didn’t know what she was saying. “Lily, your mother and your kids are in the house. You do not want me—”
She pressed her lips to mine and claimed another kiss from me. “Maybe I do.”
“Fucking hell.” I slid my hands around her ass and yanked her hard against me. “The level of need I have for you isn’t the kind that can be satisfied with a quick fuck, and it sure as hell won’t be quiet. There is no way I’m fucking you tonight.”
She squeezed her arms and legs around me even tighter, like she couldn’t get close enough to me. Bending her face to my neck, she kissed me there and murmured, “I’m sorry I’m being needy. I just really want you to stay and cuddle me tonight.”
“I don’t fucking cuddle, Lily.”
Her mouth moved along my collarbone as she continued kissing me. “Yeah, you do. It’s nice.”
Hell, no one had ever called the shit I did nice. And just like that, I changed my fucking mind. I let her go and took a step back. “Get your ass in the bedroom.”
Her eyes lit up. “You’re staying?”
“Yeah, I’m fucking staying.”
12
King
“See, you do cuddle,” Lily said early the next morning when she woke. “You’re like a big bear, all arms and legs around me.”
I tightened my embrace and ground my dick against her ass. The night had been hell sleeping next to her. I put my mouth to her ear. “What time do your kids wake up?” I’d stuck to my word last night and hadn’t fucked her, but I wasn’t a fucking saint—I couldn’t restrain myself any longer.
She wiggled and twisted until she faced me. Reaching for my dick, she said, “We’ve got at least an hour, I’d say.”