AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The elevator doors ding open to the roof of the club. Streams of sunlight stretch across the sky as it sinks behind the trees, brightening the small enclosed space we’re in.
She blinks back her tears and shields her eyes. “Where are we?”
I pull her over to the gas fire pit and the Adirondack chairs we sometimes use for breaks, or to get away from the commotion, and force her to sit. Then, I pull another chair around to face hers and take a seat.
“Are you okay?” I ask more urgently, ignoring her question, so I can focus on my bigger concern. She has a tendency to shut me out when she gets freaked and there’s no damn way I’m letting that happen again.
She sighs heavily and raises her eyes to the sky. Her chin quivers and I reach out, tipping it back down so she has to look at me.
Her lips twist to the side and she shakes her head. “I was”—she swallows hard and levels a stare—“that was veryeye-opening,London.”
I breathe out, surprised by the relief that floods through me that she’s opening up. “I’m sorry if that was out of line. I thought—”
“No, that’s not …” She shakes her head again. “I mean, it was an eyeful, that’s for sure.” With her right hand, she fans herself and blows out a puff of air. “It just made me realize I might not be the right person for this job.”
Panic stabs me straight through the chest. I scoot to the edge of the chair until our legs touch, then I place my hands on top of her knees. “What are you talking about? Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been fantastic—”
She eyes me skeptically and the look is so painful it forces me to stop talking. Her jaw works back and forth and I can see in the storm brewing in her eyes. She wants to open up more but she’s not sure if she should.
Come on, Lily. You can trust me.
Holding my breath, I repeat it like a mantra in my head.
After a few moments, her gaze falls to where my hands rest on her knees and tears slip past her lids and streak her cheeks. “Things … they haven’t been great with Seth and—” A humorless laugh slips past her perfect lips.
I can’t help it, I feel physically sick at the mention of her husband’s name.
This is about him.
Of course, it should be. She misses him.
“I’m sorry, Lily,” I whisper. It’s all I can manage because the realization has sucker punched me and taken all the oxygen from my lungs.
She takes another deep breath and slowly releases it past her lips. Her gaze moves to the sunset as she rolls her teeth over her bottom lip. “He and I don’t really… God, this is so embarrassing.”
Watching her closely, I fight internally with myself. I want to be there for her, I really do. But I don’t really want to hear about her relationship. Not when …
Lily shakes her head and her eyes glisten when she locks them with mine. “I’m sure this is TMI, but I don’t really have much of a sex life.” She drops my gaze and winces. “Haven’t for a long time. So, after witnessing all of that, I’m feeling very inadequate and naïve right now. How am I supposed to up the ante for the Upper Tier when they already operate on a completely different level?”
I blink hard and her words hit my chest like a bag of bricks.
She doesn’t have a sex life?
All I can think about is …why?
If she were mine, I’d have a hard time keeping my hands off of her.
Hell, I’m having a hard time with that now.
“Lily,” I begin, trying to keep my tone level and my feelings out of it. “You don’t have to be on the same level as the Upper Tier to plan a great event.”
She shoots me aget-realexpression. “I didn’t even know what that tail was all about—and mybest friendowns an adult toy shop, London.”
I smirk at her, trying to lighten the mood. “Okay, you got me there.”
The tiniest of grins floats to her face and she pushes me in the shoulder playfully. I surprise her when I grab her hand and hold it over my heart.
Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t try to break the connection. Instead, she stares at where our hands rest. Right above my tattoo for her—the one,thank god,she doesn’t know about.
