Page 77 of Apparently, I’m Torture

I led her from the backroom to the shop, and in the dim, warm lighting, my touch trailed under the still-familiar wood, until I found and pulled out the kit Tristan kept for emergencies.

I put the small red case on the counter, flipped the lid, and found a needle tucked into a black spool of thread. Pulling it out, I tapped the counter, motioning for Lilly to take off her skirt and put it here for me.

She did what I wanted, and the look on her face made it seem like she didn’t know whether to kiss me or tease me. Either one was fine with me. I was good with anything at this point, as long as I was with her. It felt good, better than I imagined, to be done with fighting my feelings for Lilly.

I sewed her skirt, and she paced behind the counter, wearing only her bra, blouse and thong, and I had to stop myself from trailing my fingers between her legs.

She crossed her still-bare feet over each other and squeezed her thighs together. “I can still feel you.” The noise she made was satisfied, and I swelled in my jeans.

“Lilly,” I warned. “If you don’t want me to pin you down, you should stop.”

She giggled, padded closer, and lifted onto her toes as she slid her hands along my shoulders.

“Who said I didn’t want you to?”

I bit my lip and fought a smile. “You said we had to talk.”

“We do.” She dropped back on her feet as I knotted the string. “You still haven’t told me why.”

“Why what?” I cut the thread and held out her skirt, inspecting it before handing it to her.

She took it, sliding it along her legs without looking away. “Why didn’t you tell me you were attracted to me?”

I shrugged. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She straightened, zipping the skirt, a small pink flush spreading on her cheeks. “I couldn’t. It was too embarrassing.”

I crossed my arms and leaned back against the counter. “Because you thought I didn’t want you that way. Well, same, I guess. The fact that you were dating Trevor didn’t help.”

She slumped against the backroom doorframe, resigned and a little sad. “If I knew, I would’ve called it off.”

I raised a brow. “It wasn’t just the fact that you were dating him. I was scared. It wasn’t just lust for me. I wanted more than sex.”

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, and Lilly brightened as she stepped close, tracing a hand along my torso. It made me laugh as I pinned her arms to her sides.

“Lil, you wanted to talk, remember? If you start touching me, I’m going to touch you, and then we’re never going to leave. Do you want Tristan and Nikki to open this place with us still here?”

I leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Do you want them to see you naked, moaning, while I hold onto your little waist, bend you over and fuck you?”

She shivered, her eyes glazing over, but shook her head.

“So… what did you want? Back then?” she asked, drawing us both back.

“I wanted you. I wanted you so bad it hurt.”

I let her go, stepped back, and folded my arms so I wouldn’t be tempted.

“It was like being addicted to something just out of reach. I could make you laugh; I could make you smile; I could be there for you and talk to you, but I couldn’t have you. And that drove me insane.

“It was killing me. I watched you stretch yourself too thin, I watched you date someone else; I watched you do everything you could to make everyone around you happy, and it frustrated me. And then we had that night alone in the backroom, and… Lilly, you had to know I made a move on you.”

She gave me a look, and said, “You mean the night we goofed around with cupcakes and I embarrassed myself. You made a move?”

I raised a brow. “How many friends do you know who stick their fingers in someone’s mouth, and watch them suck it?”

Her cheeks were dusted with pink. “I didn’t really think that meant anything.”

I barked out a laugh. “Lilly, you’re beautiful, you know that. And that night you were half-naked, covered in frosting, and I got to feel your tongue on my skin. I was going out of my mind. I was about to kiss you.”