Ready or Not (Aspen Ridge Holiday Novellas)

18. Lily

Chapter Eighteen

LILY

T he sun shines into the bedroom, casting the light of a new day. A day that I wasn’t ready for. If I could spend eternity in October I would. My mind swirls with the memories of Halloween, my brain a foggy haze of the events. Wes. My heart patters in my chest as it all flows back to me in waves of euphoric bliss. If my body didn’t ache from head to toe I would convince myself it was all a dream. He’s all I ever wanted for myself. Last night he brought me to a spare room in the asylum that had a backpack with a pair of leggings, a tank top, hoodie, and sneakers that he packed from my apartment while I was sleeping. He thought of everything so I could walk out of there with some decency after he shredded my costume. After we were dressed, he drove us home, claiming that my car had already been picked up and was sitting in front of my apartment. He really did plan out every detail.

I shift my sore body to the side, away from the harsh, unwanted sunlight, and face the man lying next to me. He’s gorgeous. The upper half of his body is completely covered in ink, and I lightly trail my fingers over the intricate details of the art adorning his arm. He stirs in his sleep, reaching that same arm outward and wrapping around my back, pulling me flush against his front. His dick is awake, already hard and throbbing between us.

“Good morning,” he mumbles, his voice raspy and deep with sleep and exhaustion. I run my fingers through his beard, loving the feel of it in my hand and through my fingers.

“Good morning, daddy,” I purr, my core damp and craving more of him, even though everything aches. Pushing him to his back, I straddle his waist, lifting and grabbing his stiff cock to line up with my entrance and sink down. We both moan at the sensation of him filling me. I stay seated with him firmly planted inside me and rock my hips, riding him and chasing my pleasure. His hands rub up my thighs, gripping my hips and helping me move, his eyes roaming over all of me.

“I’ve waited for you for so long, Lilith. It feels like I’ve lived lifetimes while waiting.”

His words trip up my heart, rapidly increasing my feelings for him, spreading like wildfire through my body. As if he read my expression and body language, his face lights up in a knowing smirk.

“I love you,” he whispers, flipping us so that I’m on my back, and he’s hovering over me. He grabs my face in his hands, kissing my lips sweetly. “I know you feel it, too, don’t listen to your head, it’s not too soon. We were meant to find each other. Even if you don’t say it, I feel it.”

“I love you, Wes Draven. I feel it. How could I not? I finally feel whole. I finally feel like me.”

He drives into me, different from last night, slow and passionate as he devours my mouth with his. Together we climb that high, our bodies wrapped tightly around each other as we find our releases, tumbling off that cliff of bliss together.

After a long shower, where we took turns washing each other, I slipped on one of Wes’ T-shirts and followed him downstairs to his kitchen where he made French toast. After finding the cabinet with cups, I pull out two, fill them with orange juice, and we sit next to each other at the table.

“I could get used to this,” I confess as I take another bite of my French toast covered with real maple syrup.

“Good. You didn’t think you were going anywhere, did you?” He winks and my heart flips again.

“You want me to stay . . . here?”

“Like I said, I feel like I’ve waited lifetimes for you. I don’t want to wait any longer. Yes, I want you to stay. I never want you to leave.” He reaches his hand out, tucking my hair behind my ear and dwarfing my cheek in his large palm.

The front door opens and shuts and I stiffen in my chair, my eyes widening, and I go to stand, to run. My heartbeat thunders, the rhythm loud in my ears. Wes places his hand over mine, immediately calming my nervous system. I look at him in question, unsure how this will go.

I look down at my plate, willing myself to disappear before the mortification sets in. Before I can summon dormant invisibility powers, Adam heads in our direction, his footsteps echoing off the hardwood floors.

“You’re okay, my little one,” Wes whispers as Adam waltzes into the room, stopping and gaping at us. I try not to wince, holding my own and preparing myself for whatever is to come.

“Wow! You’re seriously fucking her ?” Adam yells, his voice laced with venom. He moves his eyes to me. “What, couldn’t get what you wanted from me so you seduced my dad ? I told you she was fucking evil!”

“It’s not—” I try to defend it, try to come up with words to defend myself, Wes, and this situation, but I’m interrupted.

“I’m not just fucking her, son. I’m in love with her.”

My eyes go wide as a smile takes over my expression, my eyes blurring with tears, momentarily lost by the unexpectedness of his declaration to his son. I look toward Adam to gauge his reaction.

“Wow. So, I tell you my ex-girlfriend is a whore and you decide to fall in love with her. Cool, Dad, cool.”

Wes stands so abruptly that the entire table shakes, orange juice spilling from the cups that were knocked over. He’s on Adam so fast I don’t think either of us saw it coming, his shirt balled in Wes’ hand as he’s pressed up against the wall. Wes cocks his fist back but holds it, the threat clearly there, Adam bracing for the blow we all thought was coming. Emotion is clogged in my throat, my heart pounding. I’ve never been defended before and my heart soars, but I desperately hate that I’ve come between father and son.

“I won’t tell you again to watch how you fucking talk about her. You’ll show her, and every other goddamn woman who walks this Earth the respect they deserve. If she wants to sleep with everyone in this fucking town she has that right without hearing judgment from the likes of you. If I hear one damn slur out of your fucking mouth again about Lily or any other female, I’ll break your jaw, son or not. You hear me?”

I’m frozen, watching as Adam nods his head in agreement and is released from the grip Wes had on him. Adam turns on his feet and barrels out of the house. Wes returns to me and collapses into his chair, his elbows going to the table and his head falling into his hands. My heart hurts for him, and guilt starts to eat away at me.

“C’mere, please,” he pleads.

Body on autopilot, I go to him, pushing him back into the chair so I can straddle his thighs to sit. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, pulling him into my chest for comfort. I can’t imagine the internal fight he’s having with himself.

“I’m so sorry, Wes.”

“This is not your fault, little one. It’s mine. I should have talked to him. I didn’t expect him to come by.”

“Do you want me to leave? I can . . .”

“Never. You’re not leaving. Even if you try, it’ll only excite me to hunt you down and bring you back home.”

His words remind me of our game of cat and mouse last night and fuel my imagination with all the possibilities of what our future will bring.

“Okay. But next time, you’re hunting me in the woods.”

He growls as he pulls me closer to him, burying his face into my chest.

I take a deep, settling breath, letting go of all the worry of what’s to come, and choosing to focus on my new beginning. He may be double my age and my ex-boyfriend’s dad, but he sees the real me, darkness and all, and loves me anyway. I usually hate November 1st, mourning that spooky season is behind me, but as I look at Wes, I know that it will be like Halloween any day we want it to be.