my thumb and fisted hand.
“It appears my night was not nearly as exciting as yours.”
“This is not at all what it looks like. But do not, for one second, believe I would cheat on you. You know I am not that kind of guy.”
Lilly had a tendency to run. She usually did it with a lighted fire in her first and seeing her void of any of that made my heart sink. What had happened to her?
“Lilly.” Her name was a growl. I’d had a really shitty day and my patience was just about gone. “Come back and fucking talk to me.”
Her face screwed up. “Oh, like you were such fun to talk to this morning?”
Shit. She was right. I’d been an ass. A total complete dick and worse, I’d known it and just hadn’t been able to fix it earlier. “I’m sorry about this morning, please, come talk to me.”
Her eyes searched mine. The beat of my heart pounded against my ribs. The very thought of her running from me again, and me unable to fix it, made me want to tear my heart out of my chest and stomp all over it. I was a half-second from throwing her over my shoulder and hauling her back to my place when her features softened.
“Okay.” She pressed her palm to my cheek and her lips wobbled, trying to smile but like she found the entire exercise too exhausting.
My shoulders fell and I dropped my head to hers. Thank fuck. This would be my last screw-up. “Thank you. And once I get rid of Nina, I’ll explain everything. I swear it.”
Taking her hand, I brought her back to my place where the door was still open. Inside, Nina was at the windows, leisurely sipping her wine, which she’d apparently refilled while looking out to the skyline.
At least she had the decency to zip her dress back up.
I leaned down to Lilly’s ear. “I swear on my sister’s life that I did not touch her or her dress and I wouldn’t. Ever.”
Lilly’s smile was still timid, but less wobbly. “Ever?”
“Haven’t for years and you couldn’t pay me enough to do it again.” At her nod, even as she shuffled on her feet, I faced Nina who had lost her smirk but not the calculating gaze.
I could only imagine what Lilly was thinking. She was dressed in jeans, a sweater, her scarf hung open and draped over her shoulders and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her winter coat.
Nina in a stunning, no doubt designer quality dress, her red-soled shoes still kicked off by the floor, and me?
Shit. I’d completely forgotten I ran after Lilly without a shirt on.
I threw on the T-shirt still in my hand and focused on Nina.
“Tell your father there will be no deal. There is no way in hell I’ll marry you, and if he tries any shit like this again, I’ll have to go to the city council with some of the discrepancies I’ve noticed in his budgets and loans versus income payments from properties.”
For Nina’s part, and to my utter non-surprise, she showed no shock at any of this. “I’m sure you’ll hear from him soon regardless.”
“Wonderful.”
Because more communication with that ass was exactly what I was looking for.
Nina picked up her purse, slid into her heels. It forced Lilly to have to back up which she did with a twisted expression on her face. I kept my gaze on Lilly, not giving one shit what Nina thought of my rudeness.
“Bye, Hudson. I’ll see you soon.”
My lips stayed sealed. The only woman in my life and the only woman I’d be speaking to for the near future would be the one standing too far away from me.
Once the door clicked and the only thing remaining of Nina was the lingering scent of her floral perfume, I stepped toward Lilly.
She held up her hands. “Before we talk, I really need to clean this night off me.”
Even better. “Sounds perfect. Come on.”
26
Lilly
While Hudson dragged me to his bedroom, I tried to forget everything I saw from lunchtime and onward. Honestly, if I could wipe the entire day from my memory, I wouldn’t be upset.
In his bedroom, he removed my scarf and flung it to the bed. Then he pushed off my coat, throwing it over my scarf.
“I want to hear everything that happened to you tonight and I will answer any questions you have about Nina, but I want you to wait until you’re clean and