Page 11 of Lilly's Little Labor Day

“Yes, Sir,” she said.

He loved hearing that. She had a habit of calling any man who gave her orders Sir. That’s the submissive in her, he thought with a wry smile.

Just one of the many reasons she drives me so crazy.

“And you won’t go anywhere alone with him. You keep it public. Lots of people. Am I clear?”

She nodded.

“Nope. Not good enough. Let’s try again,” Edward said. “Am I clear?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. Now, let me get my things put away and I’ll come down and have a few more of those cookies. We’ll sit down at the kitchen table and you can give me all the details about your date.”

She smiled. “Okay. I’d like that. Can Ms. Duckworth sit with us?”

He couldn’t suppress the smile that overtook his lips. How cute is that? he pondered silently. She’d accidentally slid into Little Space.

“Yes. Ms. Duckworth is always welcome.”

He winked.

She giggled.

Stop it, Edward! That’s going too far! Rein it in before it gets out of hand. She’s my damn stepsister. Remember that.

She turned to leave, now happy the tension was diffused, and was practically skipping out of the room, but she stopped before reaching the door. Turning back, she ran to Edward and threw her arms around his neck for a tight hug.

“You’re the best big brother ever!” she said.

He watched her skip away once again.

His cock—and his heart—didn’t want her to go.

Chapter 6

“Do you love them?” Lilly asked.

Edward finished chewing the chocolate chip cookie and nodded. “I do.”

“They’re my secret recipe,” she said. “I take the recipe from the chocolate chip bag but double up on the vanilla and add a half-cup extra of sugar.”

She watched as he smiled. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he said, “It isn’t a secret now.”

“Oh yeah. I’m silly sometimes,” she said.

He nodded.

There was something in his eyes that told Lilly he found her cute. Maybe even adorable. Or was that just her imagination?

“Now, tell me all about this date tonight.”

She watched as Edward clicked a pen and put it to the yellow legal pad laid out before him. He wrote—in neat, perfectly spaced letters—the heading LILLY’S DATE.

Every bit the head of the boardroom table, she thought with a smile.

“Now, give me all the details regarding tonight’s date. Don’t leave anything out,” he said.

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