Page 13 of Sheltering Lily

In the morning, I’d call my buddy Steve. With Steve’s ability and connections in the security tech world, I might be able to create a list of cars that matched that description within a thirty-mile radius. It might be completely unnecessary, but something told me it was important.

Lily

I scrubbed the clay from my hands after my art class and changed into comfy, hang-around-the-house clothing. Out of habit, I ran a brush through my hair before stopping myself and twisting it into a messy bun. I wasn’t getting ready for a date. I was babysitting for a man so he could go on a date, never mind that he had nearly kissed me a few nights before.

Him going on a date was perfectly fine with me. In fact, I thought it was a good idea. I wasn’t looking for the same things he was, and we weren’t right for each other anyway, which was easy to see just looking at the room where I stood. I smiled at my reflection in the bedroom mirror. I’d repainted the room a sunny yellow, added brightly colored throw rugs to the white carpet, and hung prints on the walls.

The living room was much the same. I’d gone with a spring green color on the walls and added hot pink throw pillows to the white couch to give it some spice. I could only imagine that Colin would be very uncomfortable resting his head on a pink pillow. I grinned at the image.

I was curious about kissing him, though. He was a powerful man who knew what he wanted. His kiss would channel that and probably knock me on my butt. It was a good thing it hadn’t happened, since there was zero possibility for us working out as a couple. We didn’t suit. He was the calm and I was the storm. He was a freshly painted white wall, and I was a can of spray paint waiting to cover it with graffiti.

I laughed at my own comparisons as I searched for my laptop among the piles of magazines and comic books on the coffee table. Colin would hate even that amount of mess and clutter. He needed an orderly woman who managed life in neat compartments. Someone like my own mother, who would never rock the boat. My mother had always smoothed the way for my father, making sure that nothing ruffled his day: no junk mail on the counter, no shoes left by the front door, no cartons of half-eaten takeout in the fridge.

I wasn’t interested in keeping the metaphorical ship of life in calm waters. After living a stifling, conventional life, I was more interested in tipping the boat over and diving into unexplored seas. I paused in my search to consider that I might paint the boat a spectacular color first. Anything not to have an existence like my parents.

In some ways, maybe too many, Colin reminded me of my father. I’d thought that when I first met him. My father might not see the comparison with a Navy SEAL, but Colin’s existence was controlled. He approached everything as an analytical problem waiting to be solved. Even this dating thing. I couldn’t imagine going on a first date with the purpose of evaluating if the woman was appropriate mother material. Who did that? Apparently Colin did. He probably had a grading system of some kind. The woman had to score at least ninety percent to get a second date. That sounded like something my father would do, too. For all I knew, it was what he had done, back when he’d been dating my mother.

I loved my parents, honestly. They were good people who had given me a good life. But they were so very, very different from me, and I was done trying to fit my life into the mold that they expected from me.

When I found my laptop, I left my apartment and made the loop to the back door. I could take the stairs that went directly to the kitchen, but I’d decided to keep that access locked. I liked the independence that having a separate entrance gave me.

“Lillee.” Sofia toddled toward me, arms raised, as soon as I stepped into the house. I scooped her up and kissed her cheek. Sofia immediately rested her head against my shoulder and snuggled in.

“Someone’s tired,” I said softly. I liked the way Sofia came to me so readily. We’d had a bond since the first day we met, and my heart was going to break some when I moved on. This little girl already owned a chunk of it.

“She spent the afternoon playing with Austin.” Colin was loading the dishwasher. “I gave her a nighttime snack. Would you put her to bed? I need to…”

Colin wore jeans and a sweatshirt and looked as though he hadn’t shaved. Unusual for him, and definitely not date-night worthy. His look was more “stay in and cuddle on the couch.” My mind drifted in that direction for just a second, almost feeling the warmth and hardness of his body, before I yanked myself back from that cliff.

“Of course.” I tilted my head to see Sofia’s face. “Bedtime, sweet pea?” I got a sleepy nod in reply.

I could hear the shower running while I changed Sofia into pajamas. If I timed this right, I wouldn’t see Colin leave for his date. Unfortunately, Sofia was too tired to listen to even one story. I was making excuses to linger in the room, taking my time putting toys away, when Colin appeared in the door.

I’d played this all wrong, I realized. I should have known he’d check on Sofia before he left for the night. When he bent over the crib to kiss Sofia, I slipped from the room, but where could I go? A face-to-face moment was unavoidable. I could control where it happened, though. The dimly lit hall that led to the bedrooms was not the right place for a moment like that. The hallway was narrow, which meant that I’d probably be close enough to smell his cologne. That did not sound like a recipe for reminding me to keep my hands to myself. I went down the stairs and flipped on the light inside the front door, telling myself that this was no different from sending one of my brothers off on a date.

Check his outfit, tell him to have a good time and be safe. Easy.

Until he came down the stairs. Clean shaven, groomed, and smelling just as good as I’d imagined. He wore a navy suit in a modern, stylish cut that accented his broad-shouldered, lean-hipped body. His shirt was light blue with a subtle white stripe. Navy tie. Too much blue, and a little too formal. That was my only criticism. He looked amazing and smelled better, making me regret that missed kiss opportunity again.

“I don’t know how late I’ll be,” he said, tugging at the sleeves of his shirt.

“Lose the tie,” I suggested.

“Huh?” He met my eyes.

“Here.” I stepped closer, dropping my attention to the tie that I quickly unknotted and slid from around his neck. I undid two shirt buttons, spreading the collar slightly. As I worked, my fingers brushed against the pulse point on his neck. Warm skin and steady heartbeat. I heard him drag in a breath, which I found incredible because I suddenly couldn’t breathe. Being this close to him…

I stepped away. “There, now you look more…approachable. More Saturday night date and less meeting in the boardroom.”

There was a brief pause. Then, “Thanks. And thanks for watching Sofia for me tonight.”

“Sure. Have fun.” I forced a smile that lasted until the door closed. When it did, I stood there, fighting to recover the attitude I’d had in my apartment. I wasn’t for him. But, God, I was curious about the woman he was meeting.

Who was she? She’d be beautiful, of course. A man like Colin would attract well-dressed, sophisticated women. I looked at my yoga pants and comfy purple sweater, felt the tangle of my hair, and touched my own makeup-free face.

“We don’t match,” I said aloud in the quiet house. “We could never be a match.” So why had I reacted so powerfully to him? A moment ago, everything in me had wanted his kiss. Again. If I was going to be honest with myself, I’d have to admit that I’d been thinking about kissing him more and more lately. I couldn’t seem to stop, no matter how hard I tried.

I walked into the living room and sank onto the couch, fighting back the emotion I felt. I was jealous of this woman he was on the date with, jealous that she would sit across the table from Colin, share a bottle of wine and maybe a dessert. Would he kiss her good night?

---