He cared about her enough to know she deserved better, more than an instructor. Hell, he wasn’t even that anymore with how far she’d come along. He was there more often than not to correct any destructive behavior and to keep her somewhat satisfied. Between him and Renee, Lily was never going to test her wings.
Teaching her to love herself—that she wasn’t some depraved pervert like her ex had drilled into her psyche—took time and patience. In trying to keep his control, he’d managed to push her away. The way she looked at him told him she knew it was time. He was failing miserably as her protector. Fuck, he was falling flat on his face in the relationship department as well. Renee wanted more. Lily needed more. He wanted to fly to someplace warm, tune out the voices, and drink a ton of Scotch.
He flicked the turn signal and merged onto the off-ramp. His thoughts drifted to Nicholas. Tony had liked Nicholas. They’d sit for hours, talking and smoking cigars, watching Lily and Renee fuck. Tony hadn’t minded when Nicholas leaned over and stroked his cock. The artist had more talents than just painting. He knew how to get a guy off, and it always felt amazing. The look on Lily’s face while Renee was sucking her pussy always made him come in Nicholas’s hand.
He was going to miss their lazy afternoons in the sun, watching Lily do her gardening naked. Nicholas would hose her down with cold water to watch her dance around. Tony sighed. He’d come to enjoy his time at Lily’s, not just for the dom-sub play but for the intimate moments he got to share with Nicholas too.
Tony shook his head. He needed to focus. No more sulking over what he couldn’t change. He had no control over Nicholas being buried six feet under, but he sure as hell could control how he felt about it.
He had a special plan for Lily this afternoon. She’d always been particularly excited about receiving her punishment outside. He thought she might like being tied to the tree today. Surely the welts had healed well enough by now and she’d be ready to receive more. The urge to slide the tip of his cock into her warm body was becoming harder and harder to fight. He knew she hadn’t been penetrated in a long time. The trouble was going to be finding the right man to do it. She wouldn’t be open to the idea, but he knew she longed for the feel of a real cock—to feel a man behind her, loving her while he pushed the most intimate part of his body into hers.
It wasn’t going to be easy. He’d hoped Nicholas would be the man for her, but Nicholas had admired Lily for her simple beauty, not for her feminine attributes for pleasure. Nicholas had different tastes. The men in his life had come and gone briefly. His heart belonged to Lily, but his body craved a man’s touch.
Tony pulled the car into the circular front drive. He took the leather bag from the backseat and walked onto the front veranda. The door was unlocked, as usual. The smell of something sweet lingered in the foyer. Filling his lungs with the intoxicating scent, he walked into the kitchen.
He stood silent in the doorway, watching the woman he’d come to love in so many ways. Her back was to him as she sat, typing away, at the center island. Her round bottom looked simply gorgeous as she sat on the stool, clicking on the keys. After that first week of trying to get her sleeping pattern under control and learn her daily routine, he knew something had to be done. She was writing at two in the morning, eating dinner at nine at night, and fighting through hours of insomnia.
He developed a daily schedule for writing, eating, sleeping, and relaxing. Over time the rhythm of her life became natural and manageable. Her sleeping pattern seemed to be the last barrier to break down and they were working on that together. Overall, the training was working. After a while, the mornings he showed up unexpectedly, he’d find her working on a research project or toiling over a new manuscript, smiling at the creative flow she’d developed. For the last two months she’d created a schedule without his help. The routine was working well for her, and it was another example of how she was slowly finding her independence. He rapped on the door frame.
“Tony!” Lily stood and leaned into his arms, planting a hungry kiss on his cheek. “You’re early. I was making you a surprise.”
He dropped the bag and wrapped his arms around her soft waist. “What is that smell? It’s so sweet.”
“It’s a peach pie. I thought you’d like it with some ice cream.”
He kissed her on the forehead before reluctantly releasing his grip. “I’d like you better if you were naked. Now, get these things off.”
A giddy coo caressed his ears as she slipped out of her cotton tank dress.
When she leaned over to pick up the discarded dress from the floor, he grabbed her and bent her over the butcher-block island. The welts splayed on her back and the soft, round globes of her ass had healed nicely.