Gilded Lily(83)

The woman he was standing with smacked him square on the shoulder. “You’re a Neanderthal,” she teased. “Hello, Lily. I’m Charlene Madigan, Tom’s girlfriend.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.”

“Lily?” She heard Adam’s voice coming from inside the room. “Get your ass in here!”

“He’s just like his father.” Charlene smiled and patted Lily on the shoulder. “But they’re pretty charming when they want to be.”

“Yes, they are,” Lily agreed.

“Now, Lily Flower!”

Lily excused herself and stepped through the doorway to find her handsome Adam in a hospital gown, reclining in the bed. His arms were resting above his head to reveal the strong forearms she remembered. Her heart leaped, and her belly quivered. The door clicked closed behind her.

“I thought you’d forgotten about me.” She let her hands slide behind her back as she nervously bit the corner of her lip.

“Forget about you? Are you crazy?” He reached his arms out. “Come here and let me touch you.”

She approached the bed as if she were wearing the red hood and he were the wolf. The white cast on his leg was propped up on a couple of pillows. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’ll hurt me more if you don’t get over here, because then I’ll have to come after you.” His devilish smile warmed her, and she couldn’t resist any longer.

She gently sat on the edge of the bed and let his steady hands explore her face. Her hands rested on the back of his, taking the scarred one to her mouth for a soft kiss.

“Ah, Lily, I missed you.”

“I missed you too. I thought about you every day.”

“Come here.” He motioned for her to rest her head on his chest. She scooted up into the bed and snuggled close to him. “You smell so good,” he mumbled through the handful of hair he had his nose buried in.

She peered up to lock his gaze. “I…love you, Adam.” There it was. She’d said it without sex, without innuendos, without hesitation or fear of rejection.

She watched as his chest stopped rising. When he took a deep breath, she realized she’d been holding her breath too. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her cheek. The heat from his breath warmed her ear as he spoke.

“I love you too. I’ve loved you since the first time I saw your picture. I even loved you before you knew about me. You’ve been a dream, and now that I have you, I realize you’re still the dream I never want to wake up from. I love you, Lily. Always.”

He trailed gentle kisses across her cheek before his lips finally rested at the seam of her lips. He slipped his silky tongue between her lips to tease the inside of her mouth. The tension in her body melted as she released the precious control she was trying to maintain. This was what she wanted, to feel the vibrant excitement of love. To know this man loved her in return. She opened her mouth and kissed him with the passion she’d been keeping inside.

Adam was the first to pull away. Lily rested her cheek in his palm as he studied her. Normally, she would be uncomfortable with such scrutiny, but she knew her Adam was taking her in, accepting everything she could give.

“I’ve craved the taste of you ever since the day I left. Even in the desert I could swear I heard your voice, your moans, the crack of the belt on your delicate skin. Every picture I took, I saw your face on the other side of the lens.”

As she leaned in closer, she felt him wince beneath her mouth. She leaped from the bed, looking him over as if she’d injured him. “Oh, God, Adam. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you all right?”

He let out a husky laugh. “It’s okay. I’m still sore, that’s all. Now get back down here before I get up and punish you.” Lily giggled and sat back down beside him, only this time not as close. She raised the blanket.

“Looking for something?” he asked. “I can promise you there’s something under there that’s been looking for you.”

“Oh, yeah?” she teased.

Adam’s gaze turned from dreamy to lustful. “Reach down there. It won’t bite.” Adam’s lips slid into a sultry grin, making Lily’s skin feel prickly.

“Adam,” she said as she pulled back the covers, “you have been waiting for me.” Adam was hard as a stone. She shivered at the sight of his big cock tenting the modest hospital gown. “I thought you were sore.”

“My side is sore, not my dick.” He reached for her hand. “Now, make me feel better and give me my medicine like a good girl.”