Gilded Lily(73)

“Are you hungry?” Tony asked.

“Yes,” she said, hugging the delicate shawl close to her chest. “Do you have some wine?”

Adam knew she liked sangria and was quick to pour her a glass. Adam walked back into the kitchen to prepare the plates for dinner. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, watching as Tony pulled out the chair for Lily to sit at the small dining table in front of the big windows.

“Thank you,” she said as Adam set the plate in front of her. “This looks great, Adam.”

Tony pulled out one of the other chairs and sat down. Adam brought two more plates, piled high with fresh shrimp and pasta. “Eat, eat,” Adam said. “You’re going to need your strength.”

LILY SHOT HIM a nervous look. Tony slid his hand under the table and gently rubbed her bare thigh as she took a bite of the cream-coated shrimp. She closed her eyes as the savory flavors melted on her tongue. “You really are a good cook.”

“It’s not as good as your muffins, but I try.” Adam’s rogue smile made her blush from cheeks to toes.

“I see you’ve shipped most of Nicholas’s paintings,” Tony commented.

“Most of them. I’m having the gallery prepped for a show. I thought I’d have an exhibit of his final works when I get back.”

“So, are you planning on staying in New York?” Lily asked as she refolded the linen napkin.

“Not sure yet.” Adam took a drink of his beer. “Been thinking about relocating but still keeping the gallery. I don’t know. My options are open.”

She gently rested the fork on the table. “I see.” Maybe she’d judged this summer all wrong. Adam was here to gather Nicholas’s things and maybe have a little fun on the side. “Idiot” didn’t even come close to describing how she felt. “Do you have any more?” One more glass would hopefully ease the hot tension in her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry. Keith was right.

“I’ll get it.” Tony excused himself, going into the kitchen area and retrieving the pitcher.

Lily adjusted the napkin on her lap before getting comfortable in the seat. “Thank you,” she said as Tony filled the crystal goblet with the sweet wine.

They ate bites of warm bread and steaming pasta between talking about when they were kids and what they wanted to do in the future. Lily was quietly taken aback when Tony mentioned that he’d never been to Italy but always had a dream of seeing the vineyards. He had never discussed his dreams or plans when they were together. The way he easily talked with Adam made the hot sensation wash over her eyes again. It seemed like the longer they sat at the table, the more she wanted to excuse herself and run back home.

Adam shared that he wanted to have a family and write a book about his times in Africa and the Middle East. Lily didn’t share what she wanted most for her future. It was so simple they’d both laugh. She wanted to one day have a little girl running around the backyard in her pink and yellow sundress, giggling as she tore off her clothes to get in the outdoor bathtub so Lily could wash her hair.

Lily pressed the soft napkin to her mouth, trying to hide her sigh. She wanted to lie in bed with Adam, watching movies and eating popcorn. Her wants were simple, and until now, she hadn’t realized how much she needed someone to share her bed, not the window seat.

Lily got up and walked over to the windows. The shimmery streaks of moonlight were like fingers stretching through the trees. The calm water looked like a darker film against the landscape of the grass. “It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it, the way the moon uses the water as a mirror?” She made the comment to herself, not realizing Adam was standing behind her until he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Did you mean what you said?”

“About what?” he asked as he skimmed his lips over the shell of her ear.

She tried to focus, but the thoughts spinning in her head only wanted him to keep trailing his warm breath over the sensitive flesh. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the warmth spreading over her skin. “About relocating.”

“Yeah. I’m tired of New York. I want something different. A new start. I need to take Nick’s advice and stop waiting to start my life. I’m the older brother, but somehow he was always so much smarter than me. He always followed his heart in everything he did. He had no fear, Lily. It led him to you.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He led me to you. If he could follow his dreams, so can I.”

She kept her gaze forward so he couldn’t see the pained expression on her face. “I understand.” She said the words, knowing they were true. Understanding his need to move on and accepting it were two very different things her heart might not be able to manage.