Page 24 of So Close

It’s a superior performance, striking all the right notes. Familiarity. Affection. Passion. Our audience will think we’re so lucky and happy to be reunited. You’re such an accomplished actor; I must remind myself it’s all fake.

Your lips brush against mine. The chasteness contrasts sharply with the erotic demand pulsing off your big body, battering my senses like storm surge against the shore. You begin to pull back, and fury flares within me because it’s not enough. My craving hollows me. And the role you’re playing for your family’s benefit makes me want you all the more.

Desperate for a taste of you, I flick my tongue across your full bottom lip. Your heart skips beneath my palm. It’s the engine that drives the honed machine of your body, and I can make it race. I’m not opposed to taking what I can get. Isn’t that why I’m here?

I’m unsteady when I turn to face the room. Inflamed.

You drape your arm across my shoulders, your hand settling above my collarbone. Your fingers curl lightly around my throat, and your thumb strokes up and down my nape. The caress dissolves my pretense of composure. I feel naked and vulnerable. My pulse flutters beneath your fingertips, betraying me.

I’ll have to grow stronger if I’m to maintain this charade over time. Then again, maybe you’re just waiting for me to recover, and then we’ll be finished.

Only seconds have passed since I entered, and we embraced, but I am profoundly changed.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Lily.”

Witte, so somber and watchful, moves to pull out a chair for me.

“I won’t be staying, Witte.” I soften the refusal with a quick smile.

I like him. His model good looks are deceiving; there’s clearly a great deal of depth to him. He has cop’s eyes, sharp and vigilant. And it says a great deal that a man like him would choose to build his life around yours.

You make quick work of the introductions, affording me time to study all the key players. Rosana is curled into herself on one end of a black leather sofa, studying me with wide blue eyes. She is lovely and curious about me in the guileless way of one who’s experienced too little heartache. Amy sits on the opposite couch, her crossed leg swinging in an agitated rhythm. My attention lingers on her for a moment. She can’t hold my gaze and shifts uncomfortably under my regard. She looks to her husband and then to Aliyah. Her gaze skitters over you, but I see her mind in that brief second; she hungers for you as I do.

Your brothers are on their feet, so alike one another and so unlike you. Darius, in his gray suit, is sullen – almost defiant. Ramin smirks and projects cockiness. They are both darkly handsome, yet they fade next to you, diminished by your presence.

Rosana greets me with a tentative hug. Her smile, however, is welcoming. Darius and Amy give me assessing perusals when offering dry, firm handshakes. I pull Amy to me, wrapping her into a warm embrace. I stroke her back soothingly, our linked hands trapped between us. I know her torment and sympathize. She’s stiff at the outset, and then she hugs me back with the fierceness of a creature desperate for comfort and affection.

Before I release her, I whisper in her ear, “Frank says you came to visit me often. I’d love for us to make that a habit.”

Her face is flushed pink when I turn to Ramin. His handshake is a seduction, his thumb stroking the back of my hand, his fingertips caressing my palm as I pull away. He’s clearly the scamp, constantly testing boundaries to see how firm they are. The youngest son who can’t find his place, overwhelmed by his elder siblings and neglected in favor of his sister, the baby.

“Lily.” Your mother finally stands, so I turn my attention to her. She wears cream-colored slacks and a sweater in a matching hue, one shoulder exposed by its slouchy fit. Her hair is the color of wheat, but her brows and irises are dark, the gaze calculating. “You’ve been through quite an ordeal. Please sit.”

There’s no chance I’ll stay. Lingering would be far less effective than leaving an impression.

With a soft hum of denial, I shake my head. She heard me decline a seat earlier yet couldn’t resist attempting a power play in which she invites me to settle into my own home as if she is mistress here instead of your wife. The Lily who hangs on your wall would be charming and gracious. She would have had light refreshments at the ready, music playing softly and unobtrusively in the background, and small gifts for everyone.

But I’m not your first wife, and this dream life shimmers on the verge of a nightmare.

“It’s never a good idea to intrude when people are talking about you,” I tell her, holding her gaze. “Doing so leads to the most awkward conversations.”

“You’ve already intruded,” she says pleasantly.

“I’ve interceded,” I correct with a wide smile. Words are weapons; it’s always essential to use precisely the right one. “And now that I’ve met everyone, I’ll make my excuses and go lie down for a bit before dinner.”

Your grip on my throat tightens, and tiny, chilled shivers ripple throughout my body. My nipples harden, and your gaze drops along with an octave in your voice. “Has the stylist left?”

“Yes, but she’ll be back with armloads of bags in a few hours.” Looking up at you, I linger a moment, willing you to kiss me again.

“Stylist?” Aliyah asks sharply.

My smile returns as I note her narrowed gaze. She’s worried about me spending your money; she can’t help herself. “Kane kept all my things. Everything. Not in storage but hung in the closet and tucked into drawers. It’s so romantic and heartbreaking at the same time. Still, I needed a few things.”

You capture my chin in your fingers and turn my head back to you, your lips claiming mine before I realize your intent. Whether it’s for our spectators or me, I don’t care. This time there’s pressure, heat and the soft caress of your tongue along the seam of my lips. My soul sighs with pleasure at being united with its mate.

“You’re welcome to join me,” I whisper as we separate.

Your eyes are stormy when I wipe my lipstick from your bottom lip with my thumb; I glance at your mother as I do so because she’s the one to watch.

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