Page 8 of Salacious Desires

“Nice to meet you, Lily.”

When she slides her fingers into his palm, a zing of something that feels like jealousy runs through me. It’s ridiculous. My brother is in a happily committed relationship. So why do I want to tug her away from him?

“Lily will be starting as a cocktail waitress tomorrow evening,” I say.

Easton glances at me, the corners of his mouth twitching. “That so?”

She looks between us nervously, so I give her a reassuring nod. “Yes. She’s an experienced server and has a glowing recommendation from her former boss.”

My brother must notice her unease because he backs down. “Great. I’m looking forward to having you as part of the team, Lily. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let either of us know.”

Yeah, the only one she’ll be coming to is me.

Fuck.

What is wrong with me? Why am I feeling so possessive over this woman? We’ve only just met.

“I’m going to take Lily back down to fill out her new-hire paperwork. I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll be counting on it,” Easton murmurs as I lead Lily from the office.

Without looking at him, I throw my arm up and give him the middle finger. Asshole.

I haven’t stopped thinking about Lily since she left here yesterday. I’ve replayed what she told me about her past at least a hundred times. She said she was sheltered, but I get the feeling she was being polite. There’s been a deep, nagging voice in my head that’s telling me there’s more to her story. Unfortunately, as her new boss, I can’t really ask her those kinds of questions. She has the right to privacy. If she were mine, though, I’d make her tell me everything.

I’m in the reception area, pretending to look busy, when Lily shows up for her first shift. I’ve been anxiously waiting to see what kind of dress she wears. I’m pleased to see her wearing a coat, threadbare as it might be. I hate that she’s barely scraping by. So much so that I found myself browsing women’s clothing online last night. If she were mine, she’d want for nothing.

“Good evening, Lily.”

Her shoulders relax, and she looks pleased to see me. I don’t know why that thrills me so much.

“Good evening, Drake.”

She doesn’t have any makeup on, though, in my opinion, she doesn’t need it. Her dark eyelashes frame her big, caramel-brown irises perfectly, giving her a doe-eyed look. Her face has a natural contour that I’m sure most women would pay for, and her lips could bring a man to his knees. Fuck. I want to see them wrapped around my cock.

Shit. What the hell is wrong with me?

I mask my surprise at my own thoughts and continue with an air of professionalism. “Let me introduce you to the first-floor manager. She’ll get you set up with a training schedule.”

Lily nods, her dark eyes never leaving mine. She’s trying to read me, but I’m keeping myself as neutral as possible. I take a deep breath to clear my mind of the raging thoughts intruding.

I can’t help but glance at her, drinking in her presence and the soft curls flowing around her shoulders. It’s all I can do to fight the urge to reach out and touch her. I shake my head, reminding myself that it’s wrong, unprofessional, and I’m a total asshole for even thinking these things.

When I introduce her to Shelly, my skin prickles at the thought of leaving her. Easton and I aren’t typically so involved with the onboarding of new hires. Lily is different, though. She’s special.

“I’ll take your coat,” I offer.

Lily’s cheeks turn pink, but she nods and shrugs out of it. My cock goes rock hard. Fuck. She’s perfect. Curvy and soft. Her dress is nothing special. In fact, it looks about as worn as her coat, but it doesn’t matter because it’s stunning on her.

Like the outfit she wore yesterday, it’s black. Long sleeves, a neckline to her collarbone, and a hem that brushes her knees. It’s not an especially sexy dress, but on her, it’s everything. It tightly hugs her body so it shows every delicate curve. Normally, I want my woman in as little clothing as possible, but she has me panting like a dog for her.

“Is this okay?” she asks softly, running her hands down her body.

Her eyes flash with insecurity and maybe even a little fear. It makes me wonder if her ex was abusive.

“It’s perfect, Lily. You look beautiful.”

She lets out a breath, clearly relieved by my approval. My praise. Does my girl like praise? Might need to test that out some more.

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