Michael walked up and after giving his mother a hug, stood beside me with his hand on my back. I wanted to lean in and hold him. His mother glanced quickly between the two of us.
“Michael, bring Lily inside the house to the kitchen for a cold drink before you show her around the ranch. Your brothers want to meet her.” I heard Michael groan when his mother walked off, expecting us to follow.
“What’s wrong?” I glanced up at him and saw the frown he had on his face.
“My brothers.” He sighed. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
“They can’t be that bad. Besides, I’ve already met Ruben.”
“He’s the problem.”
With our fingers entwined, he gave me a slight tug to get me to follow him. “Michael, no matter how much your brother flirts with me, it’s you who holds my interest. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
He stopped and gazed at me for the longest time. “You’re not mine yet, are you? I want you Lily, make no mistake about that, and it drives me totally insane to think of you naked with that, that bastard.”
I was stunned. I knew he wanted me, but not as strongly as his speech would suggest. Not holding back, I told him how it really was. “I don’t have sex with him, he has it with me. It was more of a one-man-show, it has been for a while now.” I sighed and felt close to tears, but I needed to be honest because I could see the anguish on his face when he imagined me with David. I needed to breathe. “We better go inside.” I tried to change the subject and walked off towards the same entrance that his mother had used. Michael hadn’t moved, so I turned back to him. Hell.
I walked back and stood in front of him, then met his gaze. “Michael, I want you too, so much it hurts, but we can’t. You’re my boss and I’m still with David. I probably won’t be for much longer, but I can’t be with you while I’m supposed to be with him. I don’t work like that.”
“I’m sorry, Lily. You know I want you. Christ, since we met in the elevator, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. No matter what I’m doing, you’re there.” He sighed and turned around, running his fingers through his hair. “My mother keeps looking outside. We better go in. I won’t wait forever and, sooner rather than later, you’re going to be with me regardless of the fact that I’m your boss.” He walked closer to me and took my hand, kissing my palm, then he wrapped it around his before he pulled me on to the porch to enter the ranch house.
I knew what I wanted, but how did I get it? If I left David, I’d have nowhere to live, and if I stayed with him, I’d lose Michael. I’d known David for seven years and Michael nearly three days, yet I felt more at home and able to be my true self with Michael.
“Lily, how nice to see you again,” Ruben said, with a smirk in Michael’s direction. He took hold of my hand and kissed my knuckles. As he released me, he winked. He really was a flirt and obviously loved winding his brother up.
“Nice to see you again, Ruben,” I said. I noticed another young man standing near the opposite door. He noticed me watching him and walked over, offering me his hand to shake.
“Lily, this is our youngest brother, Ramon,” Michael introduced.
“Ramon, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” They were all really handsome men.
He winked as well. “The pleasure is all mine. Where have you been hiding her, Michael?”
I quickly glanced to Michael as the smile on his brother’s face started to disappear. Michael looked thunderous.
Pippa cleared her throat and stood to the side of Ramon. “Why don’t you take Lily to see the puppies in the barn while we get lunch started?”
I really didn’t know what to do, other than to get Michael out of the kitchen. I walked over to him while I held his gaze and slid my hand into his. He gripped my hand tightly.
“I think that’s a good idea. I love animals.” I gave Michael a tug, which seemed to bring him back to himself and led him out from the kitchen, without saying anything more.
Until then, I had no idea he felt the way he did about me. There was no way I could mistake the jealousy and possessiveness he’d just shown in front of his mother and two brothers. I needed him to calm down to start with, and then, hopefully we could talk.
Forty—eight hours was all it had taken for me to realize I wanted a future with Michael. I’d never thought about the future like I was now. Not once had the thought even slipped into my head while I was with David. But shit, I was still with him. I needed to end my relationship with him first, before I started anything with Michael, although I thought the latter had already started.
Chapter 20
MICHAEL