Her eyes widened. Softly, she said, “The things you tell me . . .”
“What about them?” He kept her hand against his lips and placed a kiss against the inside of her palm.
“I just wish I could go back in time and protect you.”
That made him smile. He lowered her hand to his chest, and she spread her fingers against his warm skin.
“So . . . you have a TV deal with HBO?” she asked.
He smirked. “I do.”
“You’re a big deal around the M&M office, you know. There are lots of rumors and theories about you.”
“Really? Like what?”
“That N.R. Strickland isn’t just one person, but multiple people writing under one pseudonym.”
He snorted. “I wish that were true. Then I’d have more help writing this sequel.”
“And there’s a rumor that the real N.R. Strickland died shortly after The Elves of Ceradon originally published and they hired someone else to write the second book.”
Nick shook his head, grinning. “For real?”
“Yeah,” Lily said, laughing. “And people say that you’ve never seen or spoken to your editor before.”
“That one’s half-true. I’ve spoken to her and hadn’t planned to ever meet her in person, but I’m having lunch with her and Marcus next week.”
Lily tilted her head. “What made you change your mind?”
“I don’t know.” He paused. “I just want someone at M&M to know who I am and that the book is mine. Even if I’m still uncomfortable with sharing the information with the whole world. Telling the truth to you made me realize how I didn’t want to keep lying to other people. Well, most people.”
She was quiet for a moment. Her fingers drifted back and forth across his chest, giving him goose bumps. “You’re nervous about your dad finding out,” she said. “You mentioned that in your email drafts.”
“I’m not ready for him to know yet. My life finally feels good. I don’t want him to come along and ruin everything.”
“He won’t be able to if you don’t give him the power.”
Nick didn’t want to talk about his dad, not right now and in this moment with Lily that felt sacred. She must have picked up on his mood because she smiled and said, “I guess that means you’ll skip M&M’s big party in a couple weeks. They invite all the big authors. It’s very elitist and I’ve never been able to go, but I hear that the food is good.”
“Definitely skipping that.” Their hands were intertwined between them now. He ran his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. “So your interview is pretty important, right?”
She nodded, smiling. “If I get this job, I can finally work on the kind of books I’ve been dreaming about editing. And things with my boss are reaching a real breaking point. They want me to assist her and someone else soon.”
“Are they paying you more?”
“Nope.”
Nick frowned. “That’s some bullshit.”
“Right? I just need this interview to go perfectly, and with the pay raise, I’ll be able to move out of Violet’s sooner.”
His stomach sank. He didn’t want her to move. Not now when they’d finally become this close.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m not leaving New York. You won’t be able to get rid of me that fast.”
“I’d never get rid of you,” he said quietly.
He leaned down and kissed her then. Lily pressed closer, brushing her bare breasts against his chest, and he grew hard, remembering how it felt to be inside of her. He tenderly ran his hand down to the small of her back. Just as Lily hooked her leg over his hip, her alarm went off again.
She swore under her breath, and Nick reluctantly loosened his hold on her.
“Work,” he said, kissing her bottom lip, then her chin. “I know.”
“No, that’s my feed-Tomcat alarm,” she said, easing away with a slightly guilty look on her face. “To be continued?”
“Definitely.”
He watched as she climbed out of bed and got dressed. His phone vibrated beside him. Unknown again. He ignored it, threw on a T-shirt and pair of basketball shorts and followed her into his living room.
“I want to take you on a date,” he said. “A real one.”
She glanced over her shoulder as she slid on her shoes. “I’d like that.”
“Even better than your ideal date,” he said, walking with her to the door.
She smiled at him, picking up on the reference to their emails. “Just let me know the time and place.”
“I will.”
When he opened the door and Lily stepped into the hall, Violet was leaving their apartment, holding a cup of iced coffee. Her huge sunglasses were perched at the end of her nose.
“Oh, thank God,” Violet said, visibly relieved at the sight of them. She walked closer, her Cheshire cat grin spreading across her face.
“Sorry,” Lily said. “I should have given you a heads-up about where I was last night.”
“No, I meant thank God you finally got the D.” She paused. “I mean, that’s what I’m assuming, given the looks on both of your faces.”
“Violet.” Lily shot Nick an apologetic glance.
“Nick, does this mean you’re coming to my wedding as Lily’s date?” Violet asked.
Nick looked at Lily. A question. In answer, she squeezed his hand and nodded.
Violet grinned. “You two are so freaking cute. Okay, I have to run but I’ll call you later. Have a good day! Oh, and congrats on winning the bet, Lily!” She blew kisses to both of them, hustled down the hall and hopped on the elevator.
“I forgot all about the bet,” Nick said.
“I did too, honestly. Thanks for helping me win.” She kissed him quickly, then backed away. “I’ll see you later?”
“You’ll see me later.”
He watched her walk away until she slipped inside of her apartment.
He went back inside of his own spot, thinking hard about where he should take Lily on their first official date. They had a lot of time to make up for. He had to take her somewhere special. Perfect.
An idea suddenly popped into his head, and he pulled out his phone and did a quick Google search. The plan unfolded before him. In a way, it was too good to be true. Like the stars had aligned just for them.
He texted Marcus.
Can I borrow your car this Saturday?
22
On Saturday afternoon, Nick texted Lily very simple, yet cryptic instructions for their date.
Meet me outside of our building at 3:30. Bring your favorite Elena Masterson book.
At three thirty on the dot, Lily stepped outside, holding the first book in the Dragons of Blood series and Nick’s copy of The Nermana Chronicles. And she was surprised to see Nick parked in a red Jeep. When he spotted Lily, he hopped out and hurried around to open the passenger door for her.
“Hi,” he said, bending down to kiss her.
“Hi!” She kissed him back and pulled away slightly, looking at the car in a mixture of delight and confusion. “Where did you get this car?”
“It’s Marcus’s. He’s letting me borrow it tonight.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Where are we going?”