Gilded Lily (6 page)

She turned the car down a gravel lane lined with dangling willows and towering oaks. “When was the last time you talked to Nicholas?”

Adam’s mouth went dry. Now, the reasons he’d made up not to visit Nick were bullshit. Every letter, Adam had told himself, seemed to say Nick was content and happy, excited about the projects he was working on. The gallery was prosperous, and his muse was keeping his artistic hands busy. Adam hoped his silence wasn’t an admission of guilt. He was a horrible big brother and hadn’t kept in contact with Nick the way he should have.

“Here we are.”

Adam had been so wrapped up in his thoughts, he hadn’t even realized the car had pulled to a stop. He opened the door and stood in awe. He’d seen many pictures of the South’s grand houses and sweeping landscapes, but this was breathtaking.

He heard Lily’s voice from behind the raised trunk lid. “The stable house is in the back. This is the main house.”

Adam shut the door and rounded the car to retrieve the heavy luggage. Lily had managed to wrestle the bag out of the trunk and plop it onto the gravel drive. “You didn’t have to do that. You okay? I’ll take it from here.” Adam raised the handle on the side of the bag. “This place is beautiful.”

She slammed the trunk shut. “Thanks. I’m okay. This house has been in my family for generations.”

“I can see why Nick stayed here,” he said.

Lily led Adam through the ornate double doors into the front foyer. “It’s been kept in great shape and updated when necessary. My grandma had a groundskeeper who was meticulous about the areas around the house, but my grandma insisted he stay out of her garden. I have a couple of high school kids come out once a week and help me with the landscaping. Are you ready to go see the stable house?”

Adam tried to ease the tension in his grip as he lugged the rolling suitcase behind him. “Sure.”

He followed her through a spacious kitchen decorated in shades of yellow and white. They stepped through a set of French doors out onto a long covered porch. The back lawn stretched until it reached a row of trees at the edge of the grass. The sun lit the milky clouds, making the new summer sky appear bluer than back home.
As blue as Lily’s eyes.

Lily flipped her sandals off, leaving them on the porch before she skipped down the white steps. “You don’t wear shoes?” Adam asked.

She laughed, and Adam couldn’t help but smile at the sound. “Not if I can help it.”

Adam followed as they walked to the cobblestone path that led between two of the large oak trees. He watched as her flowery dress swayed with her easy stride. The dress hung against her curves, giving the slightest hint of the dip in her waist. She looked back at him and smiled. Adam’s chest tightened at the sight of her lips barely parting.
Goddamn! Nick, you were one lucky bastard.

“We’re almost there.” She pointed down the path. “There’s another way to find it from the other side of the grounds. Nicholas would park in the back and go the other way. He’d sneak up by the path to the main house sometimes. He didn’t think I knew he was there, but I did.”

Adam wondered what Nick had seen on one of his incognito missions. Adam felt his dick twitch with the thought. He cleared his throat, trying to distract his brain from the porno flick going on in his head.

“Is that it?” The stable house was a two-story structure that looked original to the property. Adam could see how the stone-and-wood facade appealed to the artist in his brother. Hell, even Adam could appreciate the photogenic aesthetic of the old structure.

“Yes, this is where Nicholas stayed. So, what do you think?” she asked as she slid the key into the lock. “This was one of the first projects I took on when I inherited the place. The architect was amazing. He was able to preserve the historical value of the building while adding the modern amenities.”

“It’s so peaceful out here.” Adam couldn’t contain his admiration. “This place is great.”

“Nicholas seemed to like it. See what I mean about getting settled in? It’s not New York City out here. No ambulances and police sirens. Do you think you can handle it for a couple of days?”

“After where I just came from, it’ll be nice to have some peace and quiet.” Adam clenched and released his aching hand. The motion seemed to ease the tension in the scarred skin. He followed Lily inside. “Those are Nick’s windows?” he asked and walked over to the large bank of clear glass on the west wall.

“Yes. He said he needed more light to paint, so he suggested the windows. I really like them.”

Adam inhaled. The scent of the paints and tinctures Nicholas had strewn all over the large open space almost made him cough. The familiar smells took him back to the days when Nick had moved into Adam’s studio apartment his first semester at NYU. Within a week there were easels set up in every corner and canvases stretched across every available surface.

“They’re stunning. You can see the trees and everything from here. Is that a pond over there?” Adam parked the suitcase against the well-worn leather sofa.

“Yes. Nicholas loved to go fishing. Well, I’ll leave you to…this. The kitchen is toward the back, and the bedroom is upstairs in the loft.” Lily handed him a tarnished brass key. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Silence fell over the room. Adam wanted to say something—anything. He racked his brain to think of anything to keep her talking, to hear that quiet, soothing voice a little longer. God, why couldn’t he ask her to stay for a while? It was going to be hard enough going through Nick’s stuff, let alone wondering what she’d be doing in that big old house, alone.

“I was wonder—”

“No one comes out here,” she interrupted. “So you shouldn’t be disturbed. I’ll make sure not to come down here. I mean…I won’t, I won’t bother you or anything.”

Adam stared at her, dumbfounded. Had he said something to make her think he wouldn’t want her around? “It’s okay if—”

“I’m going to go. Okay, if you need anything, just let me know. Okay…yeah, I’ll just…”

Why was she so nervous? He watched her ocean-blue eyes dart from side to side. She was scanning the room like a caged tiger.
Oh shit!
She hadn’t been in here since Nick died. Adam felt like an ass. He’d known the sight was going to throw him for a loop, but he hadn’t figured how it would affect her.

Before he could protest and try to say something to ease her nervousness, she’d already made her way to the door. The sound of the wooden screen door thudded as her silent footsteps took her away from him.

He rubbed the stubble on his chin. That woman was pure sensual grace and innocent femininity wrapped into one curvy package.

THE EVENING BREEZE brought a much-needed reprieve from the already sweltering heat of the beginning summer season. Lily poured a glass of lemonade and sat on the steps lining the back porch. She looked over the blanket of emerald grass stretching to the oaks and descending farther to the gardens. She sipped the sour liquid and leaned back against the wooden stair, wincing when the board rubbed the welt on her lower back. A lazy grin eased across her face at the memory of what caused the injury. She peered up at the dusky-pink and shimmery-orange clouds. The stars were hanging like elusive jewels in the impending twilight sky.

The constriction in her chest had taken over an hour to ease after leaving the stable house. Being surrounded by all Nicholas’s art supplies—hell, just all of
him
—had been suffocating to the point of making her dizzy. Worn T-shirts were still in piles beside the couch and socks flung on the coffee table. The realness of Nicholas not coming home was ripping at her thoughts. She’d never be able to call him again to open a jar of peanut butter or make him a fried bologna sandwich. She needed to run, to get far away from the familiar smell of
him.

A rustle came from the tree line. Trying to focus her sight, Lily peered into the darkness of the woods. She could see a tall figure emerge from the path onto the lawn.
Adam.

Lily felt a soft flutter fill her belly as she rubbed her stomach, trying to ease the sensation. It remained. As he approached she could see he looked different. His hair had been tossed into a cute mess on his head, his eyes were puffy, and he’d changed from his earlier dress clothes into jeans and a worn-out T-shirt. He looked simply delicious. Lily stood up and clasped her hands behind her back.

“Hello.” Lily had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from wagging her tongue. The faded New York Jets T-shirt hugged the thick muscles on his chest. The sleeves weren’t in any better shape, trying to keep attached at the seams over his hard biceps. Lily sighed. He was beautiful. “You look tired. Want to have a seat?” She sat back down and folded her hands in her lap.

Once he sat down, she could smell the earthy scent of his cologne mingled with the tempting aroma of his sweat. She prayed he couldn’t notice her leaning a bit closer to take it in. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked, attempting to distract herself from his intoxicating scent.

He hung his head between his hands and murmured his decline of the offer. “He was truly talented. I always envied that about him.” Adam rubbed his forehead as if trying to scrub out the memories. She remembered him doing the very same thing in the car.

“He admired you,” she said. “Nicholas talked about his big brother and how he was out finding fame and fortune around the world.” Lily leaned back against the stair, hiding her wince. “He never mentioned how though.”

“Nick painted the pictures. I only took photographs of things.” He stared out into the looming darkness. “I’m a photojournalist.”

“That sounds exciting.”

He finally leaned back and stretched his legs out on the stairs. “I guess it can be.” Adam looked at Lily’s soil-covered feet and smiled.

Lily felt her heart stop. One beat…two…there it went with the lub-dub she needed. She wanted to reach out and caress the faint dimple that gently dented his cheek.

“You really don’t wear shoes, do you?”

“Nope,” she said before sipping the lemonade. “Where were you last taking pictures?”

“Iraq.”

The swift reply brought her up short. The topic was obviously off-limits, and she didn’t know him well enough to pry. The wooden step eased as he shifted his weight. When his thigh brushed against the side of her leg, she wanted to jump like a wildcat. The slight feeling rocked to her core and made her whole body blush with want. She set the glass on the step and raised her bottom to sit on her hands. She wanted to cross her legs, but knew Tony wouldn’t have approved. Lily remained silent, keeping a tight rein on her thoughts as Adam ran his hand through his thick dark hair.

“He had some rather interesting paintings in the back closet.” Adam looked at her, letting the evening shadows catch the true features of his handsome face.

The strong jaw, lightly peppered with dark whiskers from where he hadn’t shaved, made her want to run her palms over the prickly skin. Vibrant emerald eyes with a touch of weakness from the day’s tensions stared at her as if he were peering deep into her thoughts. Firm lips, curled in a devilish grin, toyed with her. She had to control her eyes better.

“Oh?” she asked.

“Yes. Were you aware my brother painted you?”

Lily’s palms started to sweat. She put her hands in her lap and clasped them tightly together in an effort to stifle their trembling. What had Nicholas done? “I’m sure it wasn’t me. Nicholas had people over all the time to use as models. It’s probably one of them.”

“Maybe so, but it sure does look like you.” The mischievous grin remained on his face. “Lily, I want to ask you for a favor. If I wanted to stay the remainder of the summer, would it be possible? I’d insist I pay rent. I can double whatever Nick was paying. I’d like to take some time off, and this would be as good a place as any to get away.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Why did the idea excite her as much as frighten her? Would Tony approve? “I mean, Nicholas said you’re a world traveler. You’d probably be bored out here in the middle of nowhere.”

He stood up and descended the few steps to the grass. “I’ll pay you double. That’s my offer.”

Had she insulted him? Lily was so used to Tony’s even temper, the fact that Adam could change his emotions so quickly made her uneasy. It’d been too long since she’d been around a man other than Tony. The fact that her thoughts even toyed with
too long
made her nervous. Last time she was involved with a man, it turned out to be embarrassing and disastrous. The only compensation she walked away with was a tattered pride and the flat-screen TV.

“You don’t have to pay double. Nicholas only paid half the time anyways,” she said. “I don’t need the money. You’re welcome to stay.”

“You don’t need the money?” The deep laughs coming from him made his shoulders lift, calling Lily’s attention to their chiseled shape.

“I’m doing fine was all I meant.” Lily felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “If you need to use my car to run into town to get supplies, you’re more than welcome to use it.”

“Thanks. I’ll take you up on the offer.” He rubbed the back of his neck and started to leave. “You know…” He turned around. “I’m sure it’s you. In the paintings, I mean. He couldn’t have painted such emotion into someone he barely knew.”

Lily bowed her head to avoid his inquisitive stare. A tingling flutter began in her belly and spread all the way to her fingertips. She wanted to itch her skin to try to get the feeling out. Surely Nicholas hadn’t painted
her.
There was nothing special to prompt him to want to use her as a muse. But, oh God, what if he did? She could only pray the paintings were of her laughing or digging in the garden. The art had to be something benign.
Please, oh please, let it be something benign.

“I guess I’d better get back,” Adam said, pulling her out of her thoughts. “There’s a lot to get started on. Have a good night.”

“Good night.” Lily waited until he was well down the path before exhaling.

If Nicholas in fact had painted her, well—it would make her more exposed than ever. She’d spent a great deal of time naked when Nicholas was hanging out. Her curves never bothered him. He always said she was pleasing to his artist’s eye, but there was never any sexual attraction there. On one hot afternoon she remembered Nicholas wanting a picture taken of the two of them. The day was blistering hot. Tony had come over, and Nicholas had him take a picture of them sitting on the porch swing.