Page 33 of Destined For Forever

11

For the rest of the evening Sean and Lily acted coy whenever anyone asked them about their relationship. The less details they gave, the better. But while they were warming their bodies by the fire, his fingertips kept grazing hers, until eventually she slid her hand into his.

It didn’t feel fake.

The things she’d told him, the stuff he’d admitted, the kiss… none of it felt fake.

Around one a.m. the party dwindled. The parents had already headed upstairs, the hour before, and the younger generation were slowing down, too, with jetlag and the weariness of long-haul travel claiming one victim after another.

Lily looked at Sean, her eyes bright and clear. “Ready to go to bed?”

Her quiet words made hot arrows of anticipation bolt through him, even though he knew there was nothing he should be expecting. Nothing he should be anticipating. But that didn’t stop him from readily agreeing and following her upstairs, his hands aching to drift to the indent at her waist and her swaying hips as she walked ahead of him.

Get a grip… and I don’t mean a literal one.

As they reached their door, they heard giggling behind them. Amelia, whose cheeks were pink from the wine she’d been drinking, stopped to whisper something in Lily’s ear that made her flush. Shaking her head, Lily pushed the door to their room open and stepped inside, leaving Sean to come in behind her.

“What did she say?” he asked with an amused smile.

“Nothing that bears repeating,” Lily replied, pulling a face.

Inside, the room was dim, with only the gentle glow of a single lamp. She looked incredible in her little black dress and sleek, heeled boots. Only now, her lipstick had rubbed off and her hair was slightly messy from the beanie she’d worn outside.

For some reason, those things made her look even sexier than she had before.

“She’s got a dirty mind, that one. The youngest of all of us and a mind—”

“Like a teenage boy?” he supplied.

“That description works.” She ran her hands through the lengths of her silky, dark brown hair. “What? You’re looking at me funny.”

Sean had known from the moment he and Lily made their agreement that, while he would keep his hands to himself unless she said otherwise, his imagination would run riot for the entire time they were “together” at the wedding festivities. Only now, reality added colour and depth to his imagination. They’d shared a hungry kiss that was better than any he’d had before, because it was preceded by years of build-up. Years of anticipation and longing and fantasising.

And those things no longer satisfied him. He wanted more.

“I’m not looking at you funny,” he replied, his voice husky.

She cocked her head. “Well, you are looking at me.”

“I’m not denying that.” He took a step forward. “But there’s nothing funny about it.”

Her breath stuttered. “How come?”

“Because you’re the most captivating woman I’ve ever known.”

“I’m not… special.” She shook her head, almost as if trying to shake the compliment away. It was like her body physically repelled his words.

He knew a defence mechanism when he saw one. He had plenty of those, himself. Lily’s breakup had clearly hit her hard, denting her confidence and shaking her ability to look at herself clearly. It made his heart ache. She deserved so much better.

“How you don’t see what I see when I look at you…” He shook his head. “It’s a crying shame.”

“You don’t need to butter me up, Sean.” She laughed, but it sounded forced. “I appreciate you being sweet, but…”

“You don’t believe me?” He cocked his head. Was that true? Or simply another one of those defence mechanisms?

“This is supposed to be a simple arrangement.” Her chest rose and fell behind the tight fabric of her dress. “A deal. I’m not supposed to…”

“What?”

---