“I love you,” I whisper into her neck, kissing her skin and nipping gently at it.
She shivers under my touch, a sensual response that gives me an instant erection and an ache to be inside her.
“I love you, too.” She kisses my chest and runs her hands through my hair.
Too soon, she pulls away and turns toward Dresden, but slides her arm around my waist.
“That was some crazy shit you two did,” I say to him, my tone clipped as I extend my hand to shake his.
He smiles, shaking his head and my hand at the same time. “Welcome to our world. I’ll see you all tomorrow. I’m going to shower and see if my woman is still awake.”
“You hungry, Lily,” Teresa says shutting off the water.
“No, Teresa. Thank you. Honestly, I want a shower and to take all this shit off. It weighs a ton.”
Teresa nods, giving Lily a small smile before trudging off toward her bedroom. I take Lily’s hand in mine, running my thumb over her engagement ring. I bring it to my lips, planting a kiss on the diamond, and she smiles, a slow blush creeping onto her cheeks.
“Come on, let’s take a shower.”
In the bathroom, I throw on the shower as Lily peels the blood-sodden clothes off and sets them in the sink. Her left cheek is a light purple, matching the faint bruises spotting her ribs as she pulls her shirt off.
She throws her remaining weapons on the counter. Everything in me fills with desire as her shoulder muscles flex from her leaning forward to grip the counter. She cracks her neck, bowing her head, and softly, I trail my fingertips up her spine, unclasping her bra in the process.
She shivers again as I press my erection into her side, sliding the straps down her arms. Goosebumps rise on her arms as I cup her breasts, running my thumbs over her nipples. Pressing my lips to her shoulder, she arches her back, moaning softly.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Hmm,” she hums.
“Did anything happen between you and Dresden while you were gone?”
Her body tenses and straightens as she turns to face me. Confusion clouds her beautiful blue irises. “What do you mean?”
I huff, my anger dancing again. “Did you fuck him while you and he were off playing assassins?”
She shrinks back visibly as if I’ve just slapped her. “No. Why the hell would you even think that?”
Relief floods my limbs so fast it’s almost euphoric. I reach for her, but she pulls away from me.
Shit.
“Why would you think that?” Her voice is soft and full of hurt.
“Lily, I didn’t mean anything . . . I . . . it’s just the way he looks at you now. The way he hugged you earlier. You guys were holding hands when you came in tonight. You’ve been gone a year; I didn’t know if maybe . . .”
“Dresden and I are friends, Blake. Very good friends, yes, but nothing more.”
Sincerity rings in her words and a sickening feeling slams into my gut. Lily has shown me so many times how much she loves me. Everything she’s done in the last 18 months has been for me, for us— to protect us and keep The Taurus away from me and Sorina.
I cup the side of her face and she leans into my touch this time. “I’m sorry, Lily. Forgive me. I’m still trying to deal with everything.”
She cradles her hand over mine and steps toward me, running her other hand underneath my shirt and up my chest. “I know. I’m sorry, babe.”
Leaning forward, she presses her lips to mine. Passion courses through me, lighting every nerve I have on fire. My shoulder smarts as I wrap her in my arms, but I ignore it. The kiss deepens and I yank at her pants, hungry to be inside her.
She pulls my shirt over my head and trails her tongue down my chest. My fingers knot in her hair as she unbuttons my pants and yanks them down. I press my lips to hers, stepping out of my clothes, pressing her against the sink.
I want to hear her scream my name.