Divine Phoenix(Divine Creek Ranch 10)(54)

“What? That’s your dessert.”

Gazing into her eyes, he said one expectant word. “Open.”

Her lips parted obediently and he got even harder. He was in the habit of keeping his cock in check because he’d often been in unsafe, combat situations. Letting his libido off the chain wasn’t a good idea because it led to distractions he didn’t need. Now, he was like an eighteen-year-old boy with a “perma-boner.”

He got a brief glimpse of her tongue as she took the bite, and his cock twinged with need. He wasn’t sure what was hotter, her obedience as he fed her another bite or the way her lips closed over the spoon.

Preparing to take a bite for himself, he asked, “Is it good?”

Lily nodded, keeping her eyes locked on his. “Yes. Very.”

“I like that you’ll let me feed you. Does it feel weird to you?”

Lily’s reddish-brown eyebrows furrowed. “No. Should it?” That might be what she said, but her cheeks still flushed and she looked away for a moment, almost as though she felt a little guilty or embarrassed.

“I haven’t seen you in ages. I wanted to share dessert with you like that but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“I shouldn’t be eating sweets but otherwise it’s…actually kind of nice. Does it feel okay to you?” Lily rolled her eyes in embarrassment. “Did that sound as insecure to you as it did to me?”

Del chuckled. “I knew what you meant. I’m sure glad to be back and I’m even happier that you came back to us. I mean…came back to Divine.”

Lily giggled when heat crept up into his cheeks. “I’m glad I’m not the only one that keeps happening to. Welcome home, cowboy.” She wrapped her arms around him and he returned the gesture.

He fed her another bite and said, “I don’t know why you’re worried about a little dessert. You look fantastic.”

“Thank you.” She tucked her hair behind one ear and took the bite he offered. “That’s enough for me. You eat the rest.”

“Silly woman. I’d fatten you up some more if you’d let me.” She gaped speechlessly at him and trembled slightly when he gently ran his hand over her hair down her back. Feeling daring, he said, “Did I ever tell you that you were the first girl I ever kissed?”

Lily giggled. “No. You didn’t but we were what, eleven- or twelve-year-olds? It was a safe assumption. You were my first, too.”

“Followed very closely by your second, as I recall.” His recollection of that moment was clear as a bell.

Clay had climbed up onto the large roots of a cypress tree on the bank of the Divine Creek and had gotten Del’s attention. “Hey, butt-face, I dare you to give Lily a kiss.”

“Shit, are you crazy? She’d kick my ass,” Del had whispered back.

“Don’t be a chickenshit. If you do it, I’ll give you my allowance this week.” Clay had grinned when he knew he had Del’s attention. If Clay gave him his allowance, he’d have had enough to finally buy that new Atari game.

“Okay. But she’s gonna bust my ass.” To be able to play that new game would’ve been worth it though, and Del hadn’t wanted to be called a chickenshit. He’d jumped down from the tree root and approached the big rock she’d been sitting on by the creek bank. Lily seemed distracted and quiet lately and he was able to sneak up on her almost without her realizing it.

When he planted one square on her unsuspecting lips, Lily had gasped and blushed. He’d braced himself for her to sock him in the jaw, but she’d sat there frozen, leaving an opening for Clay to do the same thing. Afterward, they’d both looked at each other over her head while she sat there stunned, then shrugged and jumped into Divine Creek again. Once they both surfaced, Del said, “You kissed her, too, so we’ll call it even.” He’d never felt cheated for having to wait that extra week to buy his copy of Millipede. Nothing had ever been said about it afterward.

“Happy memories like that got me through the last twelve years.” She looked up at him and he glimpsed that old soul in her eyes again. “I often wished I’d done more than sit there like a bump on a log.”

Wishing for a different path in life for her did no good. “We’re here now, huh?” She nodded and he squeezed her tight. This moment felt like the start of a fresh chapter in his life. He was glad she was there for it.



* * * *



Clay checked the clock again as he sat at his workbench. He’d already decided to invite Del over for supper so they could do some more catching up that evening. He looked forward to Lily’s return from lunch and both of them getting home. When he’d lived alone, his habit had been to sculpt until late at night, but now he looked forward to evenings spent with Lily. Even when he was in his studio working, she was a good company, studying while he did his thing. He avoided thinking of how empty his house would be once her house was finished and she was gone.