Page 118 of Liberating Lily

“Why?”

He gave her an incredulous look and she felt herself go bright red. “Did you really just ask me why it’s hard?”

“Well, it’s not like we’ve been doing anything sexy.”

“You were lying on top of me. You don’t think that’s sexy? And now you’re lying next to me, staring at me with those big blue eyes. With your red lips all nice and wet and plump. Your cheeks blushing at the idea of me being hard for you. It’s all fucking sexy, baby. Everything you do is, from the way you move, to the way you talk, to the way you look at me.”

“How do I look at you?” she asked in a soft whisper.

“Like you think I could do anything. Like I’m your hero. Like I’m a candy bar when you haven’t eaten chocolate in years.”

Oh, God. She really did think all of those things when she looked at him.

“I haven’t eaten candy in years,” she told him. “And I do think you can do anything. And you are my hero.”

He cupped the side of her face. “I don’t think I would be considered a hero by normal standards, but I do want to be your hero. Your protector, your man.”

“I want that too. Sometimes I worry that when we go back to reality, this will just all fracture apart. It’s like a forced proximity trope in a romantic movie, don’t you think? There’s a snow storm, so they’re forced to share a house. He’s bossy and grouchy, she’s happy and sweet, and somehow they find themselves falling in love. But when the snow disappears, it all falls apart.”

“I’m grouchy?” he asked.

“Well, not grouchy exactly.”

“How does it work out in the end, though? I mean, if it’s a romantic movie, don’t they always have happy-ever-afters?” he asked.

“Have you watched many romantic movies?” she asked.

“Well, I do have two sisters and an older brother who would indulge them in anything. So if they wanted to pick a romantic movie for family movie night, then that’s what happened, and we all had to suffer through it.”

“I would have loved an older brother like yours.”

His face softened. “You deserved to have someone take care of you. I’m so sorry you didn’t have that, baby.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“No, it was your bitch of a mother and your father for doing nothing either.”

She nodded.

“And what we feel has nothing to do with us being forced together. Remember this is what I want.”

“And you always get your way.”

“Most of the time. And I’m not going to apologize for what I want. Or for getting it.”

No, she didn’t expect that he would.

“Come here and kiss me,” he commanded.

“What?” she asked, startled.

“Come and kiss me, baby.”

She slid over, closed her eyes and waited. But he didn’t make a move, and she opened her eyes to stare at him.

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” he replied. “I’m just waiting for you to kiss me.”