“What makes you say that?”
“You know why.” She waved her hand at the beer. “Bliss doesn’t try to hide that you both have shared a relationship. She doesn’t want me here. She belongs here, I don’t.”
“You will.”
“No, Shade, I won’t. You’re only going to hurt everyone involved. I’m never going to adjust to your lifestyle. You’re not a one-woman man.”
“I already am,” Shade said softly.
Lily wanted to kick the stubborn man. “Don’t claim I’m the woman for you when you smell like another woman’s perfume.”
“I smell like perfume?” Shade asked, not trying to hide his amusement.
“Yes,” Lily said angrily.
“That’s because Winter hugged me when I told her I would pay for the computers for her school.”
“Well… heck.” She was going to have to apologize. She felt terrible he had done something so nice and she was jumping on his case. She felt ashamed. She was no better than Georgia.
“I’m sorry,” Lily apologized and meant it.
“You were awfully harsh to me, don’t you think? I mean, I was nice enough to fix your dinner and bring it to you, and then you forgot my beer. Then you rant at me about other women. I’m beginning to think you’re jealous. I never took you for the jealous type.”
“I’m not jealous,” Lily snapped.
“I believe you are, and I don’t believe you’re sorry. Do you know how much those computers are going to cost me?” Shade tried to appear affronted.
It isn’t a good look for him, Lily thought. The man didn’t have a humble bone in his awesome body. Lily nodded her head. That didn’t mean she had been wrong to jump to conclusions, though. “I am not jealous and I apologized.”
“I don’t believe you.” Shade gave her a reproachful look, which did make her feel bad.
“I really do.”
“Prove it.”
“How?”
“Kiss me and make it better.”
“No.” Lily shook her head.
“I knew you didn’t mean your apology,” Shade said, turning back to the television.
“I did—I do,” Lily corrected herself. “But I’m still not going to kiss you.”
“Why? You’ve kissed before, haven’t you?”
Lily didn’t say anything.
“Lily, have you kissed before?” His surprised eyes stared into her embarrassed ones.
“No,” Lily admitted.
“What about Charles?”
“Just on the cheek or a brief peck on the lips. I guess I could do that,” she said unenthusiastically.
“Don’t knock yourself out. I’ve been told I’m a good kisser. I could teach you how,” Shade offered, this time trying to appear innocent. Another not so good look for him.
“I bet you could,” she said sarcastically. Then, before she could help herself, she asked, “Who told you you’re a good kisser?”
“I don’t kiss and tell,” he said, grinning at her wickedly. Now that look worked for him.
Lily gritted her teeth in aggravation.
“Come on, Lily. What’s a little kiss between friends?” He rose to his feet and put his hands behind his back. “I won’t touch you with anything other than my mouth. You can experiment and see how you like kissing.”
Lily froze, tempted. She had never been kissed. She had been too afraid Charles wouldn’t stop when she wanted him to. Shade was more experienced and older. A simple kiss wouldn’t make him lose control, and she had no doubts he would stop when she wanted him to.
He was sinfully good looking, trying to appear like a mild-mannered sheep; however, she was well aware that she was in the room with a cunning wolf.
Lily took a timid step forward. Shade didn’t say anything, appearing bored. It took several seconds for her to take another step. Shade never became impatient as she steadily drew closer until a mere inch separated them.
She looked up into his cerulean blue eyes, feeling as if she was drowning in their clear depths. She cautiously raised herself onto her tiptoes and then her mouth briefly touched his before breaking away and taking a step back.
Like a moth to a flame, she fluttered closer again. This time, her hands rested on his chest as she touched her mouth to his, letting hers linger a mere breath of a second before leaning back to study his face. The impassiveness of his expression had her leaning forward again, pressing harder against his mouth before she lifted herself away, but she didn’t move away from his body this time. Her tongue licked her lips faintly, tasting him on her mouth. Her lashes lowered as she looked at the sensuous mouth he was letting her play with. She pressed her lips harder against his mouth until he opened to her slightly.
Lily jumped away.
“That’s enough for tonight. You’re not a fast learner. It may take weeks for you to catch on to how it’s done.” He stepped away, going back to his chair.