Divine Phoenix(Divine Creek Ranch 10)(96)

“Telling you my story last night helped. I still hate that you know about the mark.”

“Did you know that tattoo can be covered up? I’ve been thinking about getting one. I started to mention it last night but got sidetracked somehow,” he said with a sexy grin.

Lily nodded. “I’ve looked into it. I’ve also considered having it removed but it’s dark and the procedure might not be completely successful. There’s a new tattoo artist in Divine. I don’t know what I’d cover it up with, though. I don’t want to go any bigger than it already is. That’s an awful spot to put a tattoo on a woman. If I have a baby, whatever I do have done will likely never be the same. Why did he have to put it there?”

“My guess is that it satisfied the bastard’s sadistic streak. He gives a bad name to sadists. I’m curious about something. Clay used to call you Lil all the time when we were little. Does that bother you now, since it’s a part of the mark?”

“Knock, knock!”

Lily smiled at the sound of Clay’s voice at the front door and took another sip of her coffee as he poked his head in the kitchen. “Good morning, Clay.” In answer to Del’s question, she shrugged and replied, “JT thought he was being clever when he did that, but his use of Li’l referred more to my size, as in ‘little.’ He never called me Lil like Clay did…” She hadn’t heard Clay use his endearment since the night they’d made love for the first time.

Oh, no. No!

Her coffee cup clattered on the table when she set it down as Clay came to her and pressed a kiss atop her head. She put her face in her hands.

“Lily Bell?”

“Lily? Honey, what’s wrong?” Clay asked, his voice filled with concern. “Are you okay?”

Tilting her head down and holding it in her hands she quietly asked, “Clay, do you know about the tattoo?”

The pregnant silence answered her question, and he verified it when he said, “Yes, honey, I do. Why? What happened?”

She lifted her head and looked up at both men, who were exchanging a worried look. “Del discovered the reason that I didn’t want you to see me naked.”

Clay turned his gaze to Del. “You did? What happened?”

“I woke her from a nightmare. I saw her naked. We talked about it.”

“And?” Clay asked, an expectant, pleased gleam in his eyes.

Lily chuckled and shared an amused look with Del. “And we made love.”

“Hot damn! I wish I could’ve been here.”

The thought of Clay being witness to the two of them making love warmed her body with arousal, and she squirmed in her seat, feeling the moisture that flooded her panties in response.

Clay looked between the two of them and rose from the table, a groan leaving his lips as he reached for a coffee mug. “Today is going to be a long damn day. Why in the fuck did we agree to this weekend away?”

She could plainly see the thickened state of his cock inside his blue jeans as he poured a cup of coffee. The desire to rip her dress off and beckon them to join her in the bedroom was nearly overpowering, but they all had responsibilities.

A shaky sigh left her lips. Her gaze locked with Del’s, and she could plainly see the direction his thoughts were taking. The rest of the meal was spent in tense silence. Many scenarios played through her mind as she ate, but they wound up showing admirable restraint when it was time to go to work.

She rose from the table, and Clay slid his hands over her hips. “Damn, you look gorgeous this morning.”

She was wearing a new dress that she’d picked up since losing weight. It was one of those pieces that she felt attractive and comfortable in all day long. His hands were strong but gentle as they slid around to the upper swell of her ass, and she felt a wave of heat shimmer in her core.

Not finished discussing his knowledge of the tattoo, she put her hands on his chest. “You’ve known about the tattoo for how long? Since the beginning? Did the doctors tell you?”

Looking like a little boy whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar, Clay replied, “No. Since the morning after the storm. I…peeked. I’m sorry.”

Lily sighed. “It’s moot now. I can’t very well be mad at you, can I? You still told me you loved me even though you knew.”

“I can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t love you if I knew about it.”

“I didn’t think you’d be able to look at me if you knew.”

“It’s in the past and we’re going to find a way to fix it. No more making love in the pitch-black darkness.”

Lily nodded and shivered when Del made an approving growly sound. And when would they find time for this lovemaking in the not-so-pitch-black darkness before they parted ways for the weekend?