Chapter Sixteen
APOLLO
Itried keeping myself busy after Lily left but every time I started a game or tried watching something, my mind wandered and I’d die, in game, or get nothing out of what I was watching.
I can’t stop thinking about her. Wishing I could have gone with her. This voluntary house arrest thing is wearing on me something fierce. If I didn’t have to leave to keep the spotlight from burning her up, I’d say fuck it and start living my life with her.
Is that crazy? My agent would say it is. Literally, everyone who is or wants to be in my shoes would too. But I’d do it. If I could be sure it wouldn’t hurt her, I’d give that life up. Start a new one here. With Lily.
That’s what I should be doing. Trying to figure out how to make that move.
Leaning back to rest my head on the back of the sofa, I close my eyes and start brainstorming. The only way that makes sense is to let myself fall into obscurity. Basically, stay the course I’m on until I’m forgotten. I’ve got a good head start.
My mind wanders back to Lily again while I try to find a faster solution to my problem. A bright light emerging from the darkness behind my eyelids.
I want her. To kiss her. To feel her lips on my skin. I want to hold her. Sink deeply into her body and stay there all night.
Instinctively, my hand finds my cock, hard and ready. I stroke it through my slacks with a cupped hand and imagine it’s Lily grinding her hot pussy on my lap. But when the door latch clicks letting me know the real Lily is home, I let my hand slide off my lap to lay at my side.
As much as I want to jump off this couch and pick right back up where we were before she left, I will myself to lay still. Eyes shut.
Her footsteps are soft on the hardwood floor but they grow ever so slightly louder as she approaches. It’s not until the heat of her body, her legs next to mine, washes over me that I move. Reaching out, gripping her waist, and pulling her down sidesaddle into my lap.
Lily squeaks and sucks in a breath when her plush rear lands on my still-hard shaft.
I’m about to tease her, start the flirting she loves so much, and add in a little foreplay, when I notice her bloodshot eyes and blotchy cheeks.
“Lilypop. If you keep coming home upset, I’m not going to let you leave anymore.” Seriously, the pressure this girl puts herself under is too much. I’m not having it any fucking more.
“I’m sorry—.”
“No. You have nothing to apologize for. If anyone does. I do. I knew I should have gone with you. You’re doing everything on your own and you shouldn’t have to. I’m here to spoil you after all and failing epically.”
Her eyes widen and she shakes her head emphatically. “No way! If you’d gone with me that only would have made things worse.”
“Ouch. You wound me, Lilypop,” I say gripping my chest.
“I’m serious, Apollo. That damn reporter was there.”
“What?” That sobers me up.
“Yeah. The one from the cafe I thought followed me home the other day. I caught his attention acting so strangely and I guess he asked around about me. Found out about Mr. Davis and I think he’s been camping out in his car outside Mr. Davis' house waiting for me to show up. You need to tell me how you deal with those assholes all the time. I said things… Nothing specific but he knows about an anonymous donor now and I think he’s going to try and find out who it is. Apollo, we have to do something. Maybe convince him you’re gone. Get him to leave.”
She’s so upset her whole body is shaking. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. It takes her a moment but she settles against my chest. Her little hand smoothing out the wrinkles in my shirt over my heart. It flutters with every gentle stroke.
“The worst thing we can do is work to throw them off the scent. It will only give them more incentive to sniff me out. Better to just let it run its course.”
“What if he finds you anyway?”
I’ve already thought about that enough to know there isn’t a good answer. We’ll just have to roll with the punches. But in case I do have to leave in the end… “All the more reason to make the best of the time we have,” I say flattening one hand on her back and dragging it over the curve of her waist and hip while the other stays firmly planted on the small of her back.
“What did you have in mind?” She asks even though it’s obvious she knows the answer. Her voice all husky and the way her half-lidded eyes burn with desire as they shift between my eyes and lips.
I slide my hand from the outside to the inside of her thigh and give it a firm squeeze. “Whatever you want.”
Her chest shakes taking in a deep breath. When she lets it out her brow wrinkles as she presses her lips together into a thin line. “I honestly have no idea what I want. I spend so much time tending to other people’s needs…” She sighs again. “I can’t remember the last time I did something for myself.”
Getting an idea, I ask, “Not even when you’re alone?” I inch my hand up the inside of her leg.
