Page 79 of Liberating Lily

He drew back slightly, and then grasped hold of her chin, tilting her head back so she had to stare up at him. He really was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her life with his dark hair and intense hazel-colored eyes.

“I get it. And we can discuss this more later. I’ve got to go.”

Would he kiss her goodbye?

Did she want that?

Hell, yes. She absolutely did. And she waited with bated breath. However, when it came, it was just a brush of his lips over her forehead.

Disappointingly brief. And without the heat and fire that she’d experienced this morning.

But she tried to tell herself that it was fine.

Everything was going to be fine.

However that knot in her stomach seemed to be growing even larger.

Harvey cursed himself as he drove to meet Paddy.

What had he been thinking? He always had to push too far, too fast, didn’t he?

Lily couldn’t handle that. She was delicate, fragile. She needed to be handled with kid gloves. He needed to take things slower, or he was going to terrify her.

So from now on, he’d take a step back. No more making too many demands. The one thing he couldn’t do was let her leave, but he should listen to her about everything else.

That was going to be difficult for him, because he liked being in control. Everything went out the window when it came to Lily, though.

She was going to be his forever girl.

And he had to do this properly.

He parked outside Lily’s family home. This place looked cold and forbidding, even from the outside. How had Lily’s mother been running a house this large with no money?

Paddy pulled up behind him in a different vehicle than last night. A Rolls Royce Phantom.

He sighed as his younger brother climbed out.

“Have you ever considered trying to keep a low profile?”

“Sounds boring,” Paddy said cheerfully. “I’ll leave that to you old codgers.”

Old codgers sounded like something their grandfather would say.

Harvey just shook his head and turned toward the house. “Let me take the lead in there. You’re just here because Lily was worried I’d need a witness.”

“A witness? What are you planning on doing, brother?”

“Nothing like what I want to do. I don’t hurt women physically, but I am planning on turning her life into utter and total misery.”

“So just another Thursday afternoon for you, is it then, brother?”

Harvey shook his head at Paddy’s antics and walked over to the door, knocking firmly.

There was no reply.

But he’d kind of expected that.

“Mrs. St. Clary? It’s Harvey Gallagher. I’m here to talk to you about your daughter Lily.”