Page 35 of Lily
But now? Now she knew it was going to be better. It had to be if she was with Sam.
"You okay?" he asked when they were standing in front of his car.
She nodded at him and bit her lip. "I just didn't think it would be like this, I think."
"What wouldn't be like this?"
"Leaving the apartment," she said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. "I thought it would be scarier?"
"Scarier?" Sam opened her door for her and turned to her. "What do you mean?"
"I didn't know where I was going, well, I mean, I still don't know where I'm going after this, but it doesn't scare me. I know it'll work out for the best." She went to get into the car, but Sam held out a hand stopping her.
"You have a place to go," he told her. "You have nothing to worry about, Lily."
She nodded and gave him a smile. "I know. It'll be fine. If I keep working at it, I'll find something eventually." Lily moved toward the door again, but Sam put a hand on her arm turning her toward him.
"Lily Bell, listen to me. You are safe; you don't have to worry about finding a place. I have plenty of rooms. You're coming home with me."
"You want me to move in with you?" Lily's voice came out higher than she meant. She was elated at his offer, but she was scared to accept. Even if things felt perfect and right with Sam, it was new, and she had been burned before when leaning on a Dom. "If I move in with you, you could not like me, a-and I don't want that because you're what makes this whole situation not scary, and if me moving in to one of your rooms ruined that, I don't think I could take it."
Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, and her heart felt like it might leap out of her chest. The only thing she could hear, other than her own ragged breathing, was a roaring in her ears that Lily had only associated with performing and stage fright.
Her hand went to her chest, and she leaned against the door. Her words were coming faster and faster now. "I'll be okay. I can figure it out."
"Lily, I have more than enough space. You shouldn't worry about this."
"But I don't want to ruin what we have with—"
"Hey, hey, whoa, little girl." His hands came up to cradle her face, and he stepped close to her, crowding her against the door. "Shhh, shhh," Sam soothed and ran a hand through her hair. "Lily Bell, look at me, look at me, sweet girl."
She raised her eyes up to his and shook her head. "But I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you."
Sam's eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean, taking advantage of me? That is the last thing you are doing if you came to stay with me."
"You wouldn't charge me rent, would you?"
"Of course not."
"Then that's taking advantage of you."
Sam curled a hand behind her neck and pressed a finger against her lips. "Shh, you would not be taking advantage of me, and you want to know why?"
Lily's eyes skirted to the side before she breathed in deeply and nodded. Sam smiled when she did so with his finger still against her lips. "You agreed to be mine. You're mine, and that means that I help take care of you because that's my role, little girl. Nothing gives me more fulfillment than knowing you're taken care of, and the safest place for you to be is with me."
Lily started to protest, but Sam shook his head at her. "I mean that; do you hear me? I want you with me. I want you to let me take care of you. Let me be your caregiver, and I know that's hard for you right now with what you told me before, but I'm not him."
She smiled against his finger and nodded. "I know," she said, her words slightly muffled from speaking around his finger.
"Let me take care of you. Move in with me, Lily Bell. It doesn't have to be forever, and we can find you a new place, but the key is that you aren't stressed out over this when you don't need to be. Do you know how happy you are going to make me by letting me help you with this?"
Her heart warmed, and she blinked back tears. She reached up and curled her fingers around his hand, pulling it away from her lips. "Do you mean that?" she asked in a voice that held a slight waver.
"With all my heart, little one."
"Sam…" She reached for him and went up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Sam chuckled when her lips brushed his. It was a chaste kiss, one that was sweet and gentle and made Lily's heart soar. Sam handled her like she was made of glass. It made her feel like she was small and delicate. Everything was right in her world, and Sam's arms around her were a safe place as she leaned into him eagerly.
When they parted, Lily had to hold back a disappointed moan at the loss of Sam's lips. His fingers tightened on the back of her neck and the pressure of it grounded her in the moment with him. Her eyes drifted closed, and a happy sigh escaped her lips.
"Okay, I'll move in with you," she murmured and opened her eyes to look at him.
He smiled at her words and leaned close, dropping his forehead against hers. "Thank you for letting me take care of you, little girl."
"Thank you, Sir." The title slipped out of her mouth as naturally as if she had always addressed him as such.
