Lily's List (13 page)

Slowly, Lily released her death grasp on her
robe and laid her hands flat on the table. “I’m sorry about what
happened at lunch today. I know I hurt you and that wasn’t my
intention.” She stared at him, her eyes sad. “I just didn’t know
what to say or do. It caught me off guard.”

Well, hell. Carson raked his hand through his
hair and sighed. It was impossible for him to be mad at Lily. He
was the one who’d started this game, but he’d been playing by her
rules. It was time for them to change. “I know.” And he did
understand. He didn’t like it, but he understood. “Look, Lily. This
isn’t working out like I’d planned.”

“Oh.” Just one word was all she said, but he
could hear the hurt in her voice.

“I know that this was supposed to be all
about helping you with the list.” He grappled with the right words
to tell her how much she meant to him. How much more he wanted from
her.

“Yes, it is, and I’m going to hold you to
your promise.”

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes steady.
What the heck did she mean by that? He sat back and waited for her
to continue.

“There are still several items left on the
list.”

Carson racked his brain, running through what
they’d done versus what was on her list. “We’ve had phone sex and I
blindfolded you as I stroked you with a rose.” Those reminders were
having a definite effect on his body. His cock was stirring to
life. “We shopped for sexy lingerie and had sex in a public place.”
Granted, it had been a secluded spot, but he felt it still
qualified.

“We have.” Her voice, low and husky, made his
balls tighten. “But there were several more items on the list.”

Those particular items were burned onto his
brain. He’d dreamed about them both. “A striptease and the whipped
cream,” he all but growled. He stared hard at her collarbone, left
bare by the open neck of the robe. He allowed his gaze to wander
lower, all the while wondering just what the heck she had on
beneath it. Was she naked or wearing some of her sexy new
lingerie?

She nodded.

He shook his head. “Lily.” They had to talk
first.

“No.” She jumped to her feet. “Don’t say
anything. Just come with me.” She held out her hand and he found it
impossible not to take it. Maybe this was better. She was obviously
wound up too tight to talk and he was as horny as hell. He’d make
love to her so hard and long she wouldn’t be able to say no to him
when he told her that he wanted more from their relationship.

Determined, he got to his feet. He sensed her
nervousness, but for the first time since this had started, he did
nothing to alleviate it. He wanted her totally aware of him as a
man. He wanted her to be cognizant of what she was doing, what she
was offering him. This was no longer a game, but a fight for his
life. He had a feeling in the pit of his gut that it all came down
to what happened tonight.

Licking her lips nervously, she looked down
at where their hands were clasped. “Come with me.”

Walking slowly behind her, all his senses
were heightened. He could smell her skin, feel the smoothness of
her hand against his and sense her arousal. Her nipples were hard
nubs, poking against the front of her robe. Soon, he promised
himself. Soon he’d know what she was wearing beneath the silky
garment. His cock lengthened and hardened as he walked up the
stairs, admiring the sway of her heart-shaped ass. The robe gave
only a hint of the shape, but he knew exactly what she looked like
beneath it. Soon he’d have her naked and spread beneath him,
fucking her senseless until she screamed his name in release.

Chapter Ten

Lily didn’t dare look behind her as she
marched up the stairs to her bedroom. She could feel Carson’s gaze
on her like a physical caress. Her stomach was jumping and a cold
sweat broke out on her skin. For a moment, down in the kitchen,
she’d thought he was going to leave.

She’d talked fast to keep him here. Her plan
was to do her striptease for him and end it with them making love.
When he was relaxed and sated, she planned to tell him how much he
meant to her. She wanted their relationship to last as long as
possible. She swallowed her trepidation. She’d even go public with
it if that was what he wanted. People might talk about them—the
younger man and the older woman—but she no longer cared. She was
proud that Carson wanted her.

A sense of rightness settled over her. She
loved Carson, and no matter what happened, she’d never regret their
time together. Being with him had shown her how she’d closed
herself off from certain aspects of life, from her own sexuality.
Whatever the future held, Lily was no longer the person she had
been. Furthermore, she didn’t want to go back. She liked who she
was becoming—a confident, sensual woman.

When they reached her bedroom, she turned to
him. “Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be out in a minute.” Leaving
him to his own devices, she hurried into the bathroom and closed
the door.

She leaned against the wooden panel and took
a deep, calming breath. She’d been in the midst of getting dressed
when she’d heard him knocking downstairs. Her fingers shook as she
tugged at the knot in her belt. When it gave, she pushed away from
the door and shrugged out of her robe, hanging it on a hook. She’d
need it again when she was finished dressing.

After she’d arrived home from lunch with her
friends, she’d spent several hours thinking about the situation
between her and Carson before finally coming to her decision to
embrace their relationship. Mind made up, she’d taken a long, hot
shower, washing her hair and shaving her legs. She’d just finished
smoothing lotion all over her body and putting on her makeup when
Carson had arrived.

Plucking the silk stockings she’d purchased
last week from the top of the pile, she carefully smoothed them up
her legs. Then she tugged on a red silky thong, fitting the string
between the cheeks of her behind. This was the first time she’d
ever worn one and it felt strange. Not bad, but it just made her
feel more exposed, more sensual.

The garter belt was next, and she clasped the
thin red band around her waist before hooking the tops of the
stockings to it. This was another first for her. She’d worn
thigh-high stockings before, but never a garter belt.

The matching bra was next. The minuscule cups
thrust her breasts upward, exposing more than they covered. It took
her a little pushing and prodding before she was satisfied with how
it looked.

She’d gone shopping a few days after she’d
bought her lingerie, thinking she might need a little something to
go with it. The choker-style necklace sparkled as she clasped it
around her neck. Suspended from the front was a long chain of
rhinestones with a fake ruby that nestled into her cleavage.
Earrings were next. The large red stone with strands of rhinestones
hung from each ear, the glittery strands almost reaching her
shoulders. She shook her head, pleased with the way they danced in
the light. She finished her ensemble with two cuff-style bracelets.
She clasped on one and then the other. They fitted tight at her
wrists, emphasizing their slenderness.

Stepping into the pair of high-heeled red
fuck-me shoes that she’d also purchased, she appraised herself in
the mirror. She could hardly believe the woman peering back was
her. The high heels made her legs appear longer and they changed
her posture, pushing her hips forward in a very inviting and
provocative manner. The thin triangle of material masquerading as
panties barely covered her pubic hair.

She turned and glanced over her shoulder. Her
ass was bare except for the thin strand of red tucked between the
twin mounds. Not bad for a woman with a grown son, if she did say
so herself. Facing back toward the mirror, she checked out the bra.
It was amazing how the man-made device could make her appear much
more voluptuous than she actually was. The choker, earrings and
bracelets gave her the appearance of an exotic harem girl on the
way to pleasure the sultan. The image made her shiver.

She grabbed her robe, pulled it on and tied
the belt. Taking one last breath to calm her nerves, she tugged the
door open and strode boldly into the bedroom. Carson had been busy
while she’d been dressing. His boots and socks sat neatly by the
side of the bed. His shirt was tossed over the back of her chair,
along with his jeans and boxers. The room was lit by candles, which
she’d placed on the dresser and bedside tables earlier today.

Totally naked, he sat back against her
headboard, pillows stacked behind him. His long legs were crossed
at the ankles and his hands were folded behind his head. He
appeared totally relaxed, a man at ease with himself and his
nudity. He was also incredibly aroused. His cock was hard and
thick, stretching up toward his navel. He didn’t say a word, but
she was very aware of him watching her.

Lily swallowed hard as arousal washed over
her. Her new bra suddenly felt too tight, the fabric abrading her
sensitive nipples. The string of her thong was already damp. She
shivered in spite of her internal heat.

She was thankful she’d set up her stereo
earlier, loading in the new CD she’d purchased for this occasion.
The past few nights, she’d practiced dancing. Partly for the sake
of research and partly in anticipation of tonight’s performance.
Pressing the play button, she closed her eyes and let the exotic
Mediterranean music wash over her. She was a dancing girl, here to
entertain, she reminded herself. Once she’d captured the mood, she
slowly turned to face Carson, her hands going to the tie at her
waist.

• • •

Carson dug his fingers into the pillows
behind his head. If he didn’t hold on to something he was going to
charge Lily, fling her onto the bed, strip off that flimsy robe and
fuck her senseless.

Listening to her moving around in the
bathroom and waiting for her to emerge had been torture. She was
still wearing the robe, but now she was wearing impossibly high
heels. They made her ankles look delicate and her legs appear
longer.

She glanced his way but went straight to the
stereo and turned it on. A primal drum beat filled the air and Lily
began to sway. There was something different about her, but he
couldn’t quite place his finger on it. Confidence, maybe, but it
was more than that.

She turned to face him, her fingers tugging
at her belt. The sleeves from her robe slid upward and he noticed
the glittering cuffs wrapped around her wrists. His cock twitched
in approval. There was no doubt about it, Lily was definitely in a
daring mood tonight. This was her show, so he’d let her do things
her way. Up to a point. There was no way he was leaving here
tonight before he’d had his say. After that, it was all up to
Lily.

Lily’s hips began to swing to the heavy beat
of the drums as the tie at her waist finally gave way. He had a
glimpse of her bare stomach before she twirled away, making the hem
of the robe swirl.

His breathing deepened and his heart began to
race. Every muscle in his body went rigid as he restrained himself
from lunging off the bed. His balls ached and his dick was hard.
And Lily was only getting started.

She shrugged, exposing one creamy shoulder to
his view. She continued to move sinuously as she did the same on
the opposite side, letting the silky robe slither down her body and
pile at her feet.

Carson released his hands from behind his
head and slowly sat forward. Lily was standing with her back to
him, her feet apart, her knees bent as her hips made a slow circle.
Holy shit! She was wearing a thong. His mouth was suddenly dry, his
eyes on her bare ass as she continued to provocatively sway to the
music.

She pivoted and he almost swallowed his
tongue as he caught his first glimpse of her entire outfit. He
recognized the bra. It was from the red set he’d purchased for her.
The deep color of the fabric made her skin appear even paler as it
cupped her breasts. The scrap of material masquerading as underwear
barely covered her mound. She looked lush and alluring.

The thick choker wrapped around her neck,
giving her a delicate and fragile appearance. The stone dangling
from the front dipped down to nestle in her cleavage. The earrings
caught the candlelight as she danced. She twined her hands in the
air in front of her, emphasizing the jeweled cuffs at her wrists.
Exotic. That was the word for it. His Lily was every man’s fantasy
come to life—his very own harem girl. Ready and willing to pleasure
him.

Carson couldn’t take his eyes from her even
if he’d wanted to, which he didn’t. A man would have to be crazy
not to want to watch every single second of her teasing dance. She
continued to sway to the hypnotic beat of the drums, inching ever
closer to the bed. In the flickering candlelight, she was an erotic
vision, tempting him, taunting him.

The red bra pushed her breasts high and
tight. As she dipped forward, finally coming within reach, he
couldn’t resist tweaking one taut nipple. She moaned and leaned
back, thrusting her pelvis toward him. He let his hand trail down
her belly, but before he could touch her panties, she twisted away
with a breathy laugh.

He almost growled in frustration. His balls
were about to burst. It wouldn’t take much for him to come. He
wanted Lily with an ache that went beyond the physical.

She put one hand against the footboard to
steady herself, lifted her right leg and placed her foot on the
edge of the bed. For the first time, he got a good look at her
high-heeled shoes. He whistled under his breath. Lily didn’t wear
heels like this, so he knew she’d bought them just for this
occasion. He also had a sneaking suspicion the jewelry was new too.
It matched the lingerie too well.

For the first time since the altercation at
lunch, some of the tension drained from him. He might be aroused as
hell, but the anger and worry dissipated, leaving only sexual heat
behind.