Estimated reading time: 2 – 4 minutes
Lily’s knees swayed from the effort of standing up. Her skin erupted in goose bumps. The urge to have him sink his fangs into her assaulted without remorse. Conscious of her desires, Lily’s lips glistened, parted as they were in a breathless plea.
Julian pulled away. His distance aroused speech.
“I can take it.”
“So you’re admitting you are playing this game with me.”
“Yes.”
“Willingly?”
Lily shifted her wrists. Their restlessness spoke for just more than just the current position. “Yes.”
Julian’s beauty, always known to Lily despite their impasse, devastated her insides with his virtuous smile. It was like seeing him for the first time.
“I’m so very happy to hear that, Lily. I’m also so very glad I decided not to kill you last night. You really aren’t as dull as I remembered. This truly will be so much fun for us both. Just you wait and see.”
With those cheerfully acidic words, Julian pulled Lily off the wall. He led her into his suite before she managed to growl her discontent over his less-than-generous declarations. The doors locked behind Lily as soon as she passed the threshold. Too late she remembered the power Julian had now that he had fully come back into his own.
He’s warded them. Depending on how strong he’s done it, I won’t be able to leave until he lets me—
Lily’s thoughts splintered. Heeled shoes tangled over one another. “What’s going on?” Her brittle croak magnified the agony burning deep inside her chest.
Julian slipped behind Lily to keep her upright. His arms wrapped around her waist as he bent down to kiss her ear. “Ssh. Don’t cry, darling. At least not until it’s over.”
Disobedient to Lily and defiant to Julian, tears spilled from their ebony cage. Julian slid away from her with a final kiss to the head. She watched him approach the large bed in maddened disbelief and confusion.
Julian climbed on, careful not to disturb the sleeping woman. Lying next to her, eyes never wavering from the black stare raging with betrayal, he placed his palm against the golden head resting against a multitude of pillows.
“Wake up, Nicole.”
Lily sidled backwards.
Julian feathered Nicole’s smooth cheek with his fingertips. “Get back here, Lily, or I’ll make this so much worse for you.”
Her gaze flew down to the woman rousing from her sleep.
“She can’t hear me speaking to you. She can’t see you either. Aren’t I kind?”
Lily’s body bowed, as if her small shoulders couldn’t take the weight of Julian’s cruelty. She couldn’t see anything but the elegant hand touching an equally elegant face. “Hate you.”
“What was that, darling?”
“I h-hate you.”
He paused in his ministrations. “I know.” Tunneling his fingers in Nicole’s shimmering hair, he bent close to her ear. The whisper invoked a smile and stretch. Lily didn’t have to strain to hear, “I’ve missed you.”
“Have you?”
She murmured her affirmatives before reaching out for Julian.
I’ve missed Julian & Lily as well. I’m...