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She nodded, her expressive eyes speaking volumes.
"You have no reason to be ashamed, Lily," I reassured her, taking her to sit on the edge of the bed, while I sat next to her with my arm around her waist.
She sniffed back tears. "I am sorry. I have caused you enough problems already, I do not need to share my tale of woe, too. I thank you for your kind assistance this evening. And Keane, as well. You’ll express my thanks to him, won’t you?"
As if on cue, the door opened silently, and Keane slipped into the room. Our eyes met, and I knew the matter of the perverted Mr. Garner had been resolved.
Keane knelt on the floor next to Lily and took hold of her other hand. "I may have caused a bit of injury to your husband," he said, trying to sound apologetic, "however, I do not think he will harm you any further."
I gave his leg a nudge with my boot. "Not her husband. Former employer." I could not believe how happy it made me to say those words.
A beaming smile spread over Keane's face as my words sank in. "Not married?" He gaped at her, his face the happiest I’d seen it in ages. I suspected mine looked the same.
"No," she replied. "Though truly you have both been gentlemen of the first order, and I so much appreciate all you've done, I really must be going." Though her words said she planned to leave, she made minimal effort to withdraw her hands from ours.
"Oh, no," Keane said, echoing my own thoughts. "We’ve found you, and we don’t intend to let you go."
LILY
* * *
My stomach fluttered as the two men touched me. Rye and Keane. I could tell they were very different from each other. Where Rye had a formal bearing, his clothes impeccable, Keane seemed a bit more rebellious and while his clothes were of the highest quality, they were somewhat disheveled. Of course, he had recently given Mr. Garner a working over, so that might not be so surprising.
"I should have known better than to open the d-door. He said it was a meal, compliments of the hotel. And before I knew it, he was in the room, making… making lewd suggestions." I lowered my head to hide the tears of shame in my eyes.
Keane swore.
"It's all right, Lily," Rye said. "We will take care of you. And no harm will come to you. I give my word." As he spoke, his fingers massaged my neck. It was heavenly, and I let out a sigh.
"Bu-but, why?" I asked, my mind muddled from their attention and caresses.
Noises from the hallway entered the room. There was knocking on a door, not this one, but close. "Open up. Sheriff!"
Terror shot through me and I gasped. The two men exchanged a glance that seemed to have conveyed an entire conversation. "Please," I whispered. "You must not answer the door. Mr. Garner is very influential here in Butte. No doubt he’s told the sheriff horrible things about me. About all of us." I looked between the two men. "I am sorry to have brought you into my problems."
Rye put a finger to my lips and then led me to the other bedroom of their spacious suite. "We’ve promised to protect you, and we always keep our promises," he said before he closed the door to the second bedroom.
There was a pounding on the outer door, and the sheriff’s deputies announced themselves as they had down the hallway. Keane called out a response, and I began to quiver.
Rye rubbed his palms up and down my arms. "We must hurry now, sweet Lily."
I gaped up at him. His eyes held mine and I nodded, overcome with fear of what might happen if the sheriff found me. Mr. Garner was a powerful man and could have told any number of lies to implicate me. Implicate Rye and Keane as well.
"We will put on a small charade for the police, my sweet Lily." Rye’s words were smooth and soothing. "We are going to pretend to be married."
My eyes went wide.
"Do you trust me?" he asked, and in my soul I knew with certainty that I did.
"Yes," I whispered.
He touched the closure I had fastened for my blouse to replace the missing buttons. I tingled at the contact. "Wh-what are you doing?"
"Forgive me," he replied, "but it is necessary." He opened the buttons and pushed my blouse off my shoulders. I bit back a whimper as voices in the next room wafted into ours. Then he reached down and untied my boots, tossing them aside.
Rye hurried me to the bed and pulled back the covers. "In you go." He tucked the soft sheets and billowy quilt over me and then, to my further shock, he stripped out of boots and shirt and joined me wearing only his trousers.
How he felt this was the appropriate response to having the law in the next room I had no idea, but I was unable or unwilling to protest as he put his arms around me. "I am going to kiss you," he said, "but this is not part of the charade, Miss Lily Snow. These kisses are for real." His lips captured mine, and his hands roved my body. Our legs intertwined, and the unmistakable hardness of his manhood touched my belly.
