Relief spread across Sydney’s face as she inched one hand under the table. “I’m glad you like it. I took a chance on trying a new recipe I saw on the Food Network, adding pork and pumpkin.”
“Sydney.”
Caden glared at his wife and she tossed him an innocent smile as she brought her hand up from under the table. Since Lillian felt the brush of both dogs against her legs, she guessed Caden disapproved of the pieces of cheese Sydney had snuck them.
“What?” She batted her eyes at her husband but it was clear he wasn’t fooled.
A few chuckled at their cook’s sweet smile before Connor sent his brother an amused grin. “You may as well give up, bro. How many rescues do you have now?”
“Not as many since Matilda died.” Sydney blinked back tears.
“Matilda was an old mule we brought back from auction last fall. She had more health issues than we thought,” Caden told Lillian as he squeezed Sydney’s hand, his rugged features softening as he ran his thumb over her knuckles.
“That’s too bad,” she murmured, her heart turning over.
Not so much for the poor animal, but for herself. The teasing comradery going on around the table coupled with the possessive, sometimes carnal looks the men sent their significant others, kept emphasizing how alone she was in the world now, and how much she missed Liana. She’d been more than her sister; she was her best friend and they were as close as these girls appeared. Not to mention the men who had come and gone in her life without leaving a lasting impression who’d never looked at her with a fraction of the caring and lust these guys weren’t shy about revealing.
Fighting back the encroaching despondency, she finished the meal listening more than conversing and then stood with Sydney and the other girls to collect the dishes. Her eyes clashed with Mitchell’s potent gaze as she reached for his empty bowl. After ignoring him for the last thirty minutes, the jolt from that look zapped her from head to toe in a lightning bolt of heat, catching her off guard. She shied away from acknowledging a flicker of awareness hinting at something other than simple lust.
“Excuse me,” she murmured. He circled her wrist, her heart pounding harder just from the swipe of his thumb across her pulse.
“Drive back with me.”
The way he tended to order instead of ask never failed to rub Lillian wrong, but at least it distracted her from the sensations his caressing thumb had triggered. Before she could reply, he added one word that was so unexpected, she found herself powerless to resist.
“Please.”
Lillian followed Sydney into the kitchen without answering and Mitchell struggled with the urge to go all Dom on her in front of everyone and insist she accept his offer. His uncharacteristic interest in her despite how unsuited she was for his preferences continued to plague him; the step away from being her doctor proving to have no effect on throttling back a desire he couldn’t label and was losing the battle fighting.
Tonight, it was that same spasm of sorrow crossing her face he had glimpsed at the cabin that crumbled his will to keep her at arm’s length. The downward turn of her lips accompanied a sheen in her purple eyes that gave away her thoughts, and her grief. Telling himself it was just his own experience with loss and bereavement that kept drawing him to her was no longer working and it was time he explored other ways to put an end to whatever this was.
“What’s up, Doc?”
Mitchell cut his gaze from watching Lillian’s shapely ass encased in snug denim toward Connor’s amused voice. He knew better than to ask the younger Dunbar what he meant. “Just trying to save Dan a trip back into town.”
“We planned on having Lillian overnight,” Dan said, defusing Mitchell’s excuse with a small smirk that matched Connor’s.
The problem with getting close to people again was they got to know you well, sometimes too well. “Forget it, you two. It’s just an offer of a ride, nothing more.” He didn’t include Caden or Grayson in his rebuke as both remained silent. “She’s at her easel working first thing in the morning, I’m guessing to take advantage of the natural sunlight. You’re not going to want to get up early to bring her back into town.”
Mitchell had spotted Lillian sitting at the window as he’d left the house for work each morning this past week, but doubted she’d paid attention. Even though he’d made sure he wasn’t obvious about checking on her, he could tell she’d been absorbed in her craft. Until he figured out what it was that kept this one woman in the forefront of his thoughts and how to handle his unwanted preoccupation, he refused to let anyone believe there was anything starting between them.
The good thing about having close friends was they knew when to back off. Dan nodded and stood. “Whatever she wants to do is fine.”
“I’ll go check with her. Thanks.” Rising, he strode toward the kitchen, halting before entering as he heard the invitation Nan was issuing to Lillian.
“Come on, Lillian. What have you got to lose? You can come as our guest to socialize. There’s no rule stating you have to participate in a scene. Now that the guys have renovated the west side loft into three private rooms, we have several members who prefer private scenes, and some who come just to watch.”
He recognized Avery’s voice as she added her encouragement. “I was trying to learn as much about Grayson as I could before enlisting his help when I went the first time. It’s definitely something you have to experience firsthand before you’ll know if it’s your thing. You’re not out anything by appeasing your curiosity.”
“And,” Sydney piped in, “I can verify watching our doctor in Dom mode is time worth spending. If you’re still planning on leaving soon, what have you got to lose?”
“You’re very persuasive, so I’ll think about it.”
Every muscle in Mitchell’s body tightened upon hearing Lillian’s soft reply. It was way too easy to recall her hold on the fireplace mantle at his insistence and her response to his hands, including when he had added a touch of discomfort to the budding pleasure. He’d increased that painful stimulation as she lay over his lap last week, and his dreams were still disturbed by the way she lifted her lush ass for his swats and her strident cries as she’d splintered apart. He doubted he could keep her at arm’s length at the club as he
imagined her expression viewing some of the scenes. She wouldn’t judge or condemn, her quick friendship and acceptance of the girls was proof of that, but she would continue to deny she possessed any interest or an ounce of submissiveness. It might be best if he talked her out of going.
Pivoting, he walked to the entry and retrieved their coats as he contemplated the clutch in his gut when Sydney mentioned Lillian leaving soon, along with what to do if she agreed to an evening at the club. Something else he needed to give some serious thought to.