Page 18 of Corrupting Lily
Her eyes widen as if she is just realizing what she has done.
“It’s fine. Touch me whenever and wherever you want.”
Her eyes meet mine, and she blushes yet remains silent.
I smile, and her gaze falls to my mouth, surprise evident on her face.
“You smiled.” I did, indeed. Not a regular occurrence, admittedly.
“You should smile more often. It makes you look less scary.”
“Are you scared of me?” I nearly find myself holding my breath in anticipation of her response.
“I should be,” she mumbles, “but I’m not.”
Relief floods me. I don’t want her fear. I want something else. What, I am not sure of. But not her fear. I didn’t want to be lumped in with those same fuckers who had abused her. That would be a fucking insult if ever there were one.
We approach the car, with Matteo ready and holding the back door open. I slide into the vehicle, but instead of placing her in the seat beside me, I keep her cradled in my arms.
Dante's eyes catch mine in the rearview mirror from the passenger seat. My behavior is strange. He knows it. I know it. I have never been this possessive of a woman before.
I don’t know if it's just tiredness or plain old defeat, but either way, she doesn’t even resist the situation. Instead, she falls asleep, even snuggling into my chest.
That’s when I feel it. The overwhelming sense of protectiveness engulfs me, causing my hands to pull her closer.
And in my mind, one possessive thought forms.
Mine.
Chapter 13
Lily
I cringe, and it's not because of my knee. It's because of the man manipulating it as he assesses the injury. Dylan.
I don’t even know why. He is tall, muscular in an athletic way, and very sweet. But I do not like this man's hands on my body. Any man, actually. Except for one. That realization only hitting home now. Thanks to Dylan.
Dominico. His touch on my bare skin is more than welcome. It’s craved. Desired. Needed. Ridiculous. Yet, my reality. Why can’t I want an ordinary man like this one bent before me? Instead, he seems dull and two-dimensional. Apparently, I prefer a man who dominates a room. Whose presence is obnoxiously apparent. Have I been corrupted so thoroughly that I am now broken?
“Lily?” Dylan is looking at me with concern, and I realize he must have asked me something while I zoned out.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” He smiles, a dazzling smile, though it pales in comparison to the one I was graced with yesterday at thehospital by another man. A man who rarely smiles, yet when he does, it steals my breath. It felt like a rare moment I was fortunate to witness, and now it replays in my mind, something I cherish. Like a child with a prized trinket, one I don't want to share, and for which there is no comparison.
“Does it hurt when I move it like this?” I shake my head and glance over at Matteo, Dante, and Nero.
We are in a beautiful, absolutely massive lounge with a large bar running the length of one wall, where Dante and Nero sit, sipping their drinks as if this is a show. Matteo sits opposite us on the couch across from a stunning wooden coffee table. His eyes track Dylan's every move, and he appears tense, his muscles coiled as if ready to pounce.
His gaze shifts to the other guys, and I notice Dante smirk as if he knows something I don’t.
Matteo feels as uncomfortable with this situation as I do, but I’m unsure why. Does he think Dylan will try to harm me? That thought sends my heart racing, but when I look at Dylan, he is focused on my knee, clearly not perceiving any of the anxiety in the room.
“Are you sure about this?” Matteo asks, and the cryptic question is answered with a wave of Dante's hand as he laughs and sips his drink.
“Dominico is here,” Nero states, placing his glass on the bar counter and swinging in his seat to face the other direction.
All eyes, except for Dylan's, who appears unaware, are fixed on the door.
Steps are heard, followed by the door swinging open.
