Page 25 of Seeking Two Lovers

But those lips slathered in gloss…I hungered for a taste, my damn mouth watering at the thought of flicking my tongue along the lower.

“So.” Her smile widened. “Where did you want to grab some lunch?”

“Oh. Yeah.” I cleared my throat while tearing my focus off her mouth, suddenly wishing to sink into the ground. I hadn’t done any checking into what lay close by. “Um…”

“There’s a sandwich bar a few blocks that way.” She thumbed over her shoulder opposite of where I’d come from.

“Sandwiches are good.” Fuck, I sounded like a moron.

She let out a soft giggle and spun, allowing me an eyeful of her pert little ass.

I bit back a groan and moved to her side, needing to give my libido a break before I stiffened fully and really made a fool of myself.

“I-I never got your name.” I spewed yet another thing that would surely clue her into the fact that I was a total loser.

“Lily.” She offered her hand without losing stride, and I clasped her smooth palm.

Instant electrical currents rushed up my arm, sliding over my torso to tingle my balls.

“Blaine—fuck, you already knew that.”

She laughed again, and I forced myself to release my hold on her. “You have working-man hands.”

“Sorry?”

“Don’t be.” She clenched her fingers I’d held into a tight fist, and like a hopeless romantic, I imagined it was because she wanted to hang onto the feel of me same as I’d done.

I loosened my own clasped hand at my side, letting out a heavy exhale. “I’ve never asked a girl out before,” I blurted, my face heating.

Lily glanced up at me, and I wanted to rip those damn sunglasses off her face so I could see her eyes. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” I wiped my palms on my filthy jeans. “I’m…not good at this sort of thing. Communicating. Social stuff.”

“I think you’re doing just fine.” She patted my arm, then squeezed, the lingering touch and soft smile still curving her lips settling my insides the slightest bit.

“I heard you talk about puking when your co-worker sang that song on Monday.” More sewage from my mouth, but I figured she ought to hear the reason I’d found the balls to speak to her.

“The joy of the Lord bullshit?” she asked with a snort.

A grin flashed over my face as yet another piece of my insecurities melted away. “I’ve felt that way for years.” I wasn’t about to tell her it had happened the night I’d vomited over our kitchen floor. “You grew up in a church, I’m guessing.”

“Yep.” Lily didn’t sound too thrilled about her past. “You?”

“A cult.” I’d never admitted that to anyone but Grey, but something…tangible drew me to Lily. Like she got me, could understand me without having known me for more than a fast minute.

“How long has it been since you escaped?”

The wording she chose intensified my feeling of connecting with her, hitting me hard in the chest. “Nine years—not fucking long enough.”

“Only one for me, and I hear that loud and clear.” Lily smiled up at me, sending those jitters back through my insides even while I wanted to wrap her up in my arms and kiss away whatever darkness she might hide away inside her like I did.

I held open the sandwich shop’s door, and she passed through, a cloud of vanilla swarming over my nose.

Of course she would smell as delicious as she looked.

My mouth watered and continued to long after we ordered at the counter and found a corner table to tuck ourselves away into.

She’d taken off her sunglasses and finally gave me her eyes as we settled across from one another.

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