Page 54 of Touch Me Not

“You’re a fascinating girl, Lily.” That was an understatement. “Stand up.”

“Why?”

He sighed. “Lily, don’t argue. Just do as you’re told.”

Lily stood, and his mouth went a little dry. She had on an old Metallica t-shirt and a scrap of white lace that served as panties. Damn. He shouldn’t have asked that, but he was curious to see what she wore to bed.

“Well, at least you’re not wearing granny panties like I assumed,” he said. “You’re a lace girl, huh?”

She sat back down and nodded. “Yeah. I don’t like to feel anything else against my skin. Why would you think I wore granny panties?”

He laughed. “Because you’re a prude, Lily.”

“Says the manwhore,” she quipped and tossed her heavy hair over one shoulder. “I bet Luther’s pissed.”

Of course, she knew about the pool going around. “He tried to get me to go drinking tonight.”

“Mikey thinks you’ll last three weeks. He’s being generous.”

“And what about you, Lily Bells? How long do you think I’ll last?”

She smiled, and it lit up her face. “I think you’ll go the distance.”

“Why’s that?”

“You want to keep your car as much as I want it.”

Hell, yes, he was keeping his baby. He kicked off his shoes and stretched. While the bulge in his pants wasn’t going anywhere, the sound of her voice calmed him. It took the edge off. That irritated him too, but he wasn’t going to complain.

A knock at Lily’s door interrupted them, and he watched as she got up and opened it. He couldn’t see around her, but he did hear several girls. They sounded agitated. Lily was shaking her head, and he chuckled at the sound of the girls’ raised voices. Being a floor advisor had to be an adventure in and of itself.

“What was that about?” he asked when she sat back down.

“Nothing,” she said, pulling a book in her lap. “Just teenage girls being teenage girls.”

“How long have you been a floor advisor?”

“Since sophomore year.” She flipped several pages and wrote something down on her notepad.

“Why?”

“Because it pays for my room and board,” she told him, looking up. “After my dad died, it was hard financially, and then when Laney died, it got worse. After Mom married Dave, it got a lot better, but she couldn’t afford to send me to college. I had to pay for it with grants, loans, and scholarships.”

Here was a girl who understood hard work and paying your own way. Another first for him. Most of the girls he knew wanted people to do everything for them. His respect for Lily went up a notch.

“Why do you call me Lily Bells?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It just popped in my head that first day. Besides, it suits you.”

“My name is Lily Isabella Holmes. I wasn’t sure if you knew that or not and, if you did, how you found out.”

“Nope, sorry, I didn’t know that.”

She shoved her glasses on, and he burst out laughing. She had these old fifties-style black-rimmed glasses that screamed nerd. She wound her hair up in a loose knot and settled back, getting comfortable.

“Appreciate the nerdy bookworm,” she told him.

“Oh, I am. She’s sexy as hell.” It was true. Even with those awful glasses on, she was still gorgeous and sexy sitting there in her t-shirt and lace underwear. It made him want to take the scrap of material in his teeth and strip it off her slowly.

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