Lily's List (2 page)

Putting her doubts aside, Lily began to type.
The keys clicked in the quiet kitchen, punctuated by the occasional
pause or sigh. She jerked when a knock came on the back door,
yanking her back to reality. She cursed under her breath as she
lost her train of thought. It had been going so well. Hitting the
Save button, she glanced toward the door. She wasn’t expecting
anyone.

When she got up from her chair, she groaned.
A quick glance at the kitchen clock told her she’d been sitting
there for two hours. No wonder she was stiff. Her stomach growled,
reminding her that it was almost time for lunch. She’d make a
sandwich as soon as she dealt with whoever was at her door.

She closed the cover of her laptop, tossed
her notes over the book on her table and made sure the flaps were
down on the box containing the rest of them. Stretching her arms
over her head, she padded to the door and peeked out the window.
Summersville was a quiet, safe town, but it still paid to be
cautious.

A broad set of shoulders and a well-muscled
chest came into view and she groaned. There was no mistaking this
gorgeous body for any other. Carson Granger, her son’s ex-boss and
the subject of many of her sexual fantasies, stood on her back
steps. Taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face and
opened the door.

“Hi, Carson.”

“Morning, Lily.” The deep rumble of his voice
feathered over her skin like a caress, making her shiver.

“What can I do for you?” She was proud of the
fact her voice sounded normal when all she wanted to do was
moan.

“I was wondering if you had Ethan’s address
at college. I wanted to send him his final paycheck and a letter of
recommendation. He called me and asked for one. Said he’s looking
for a new part-time job.”

That had been a bone of contention between
her and Ethan. She wanted her son to concentrate on his studies. He
wanted to help pay for his schooling. She was proud that he wanted
to do his part, even though she wished he’d just worry about his
college courses. During his first year, he’d held down a part-time
job throughout the school year and come home to work full-time
during the summer. So far it hadn’t affected his grades. He’d just
started his second year and planned to work this year as well.

“Come on in and I’ll get it for you.” The
quicker she could get Carson out of her house, the better for her
peace of mind. They’d known each other for years. It was inevitable
living in a town like Summersville. Given the fact that he ran a
landscaping business and she ran a floral shop that sold a limited
selection of herbs and bedding plants during the summer months,
their paths had crossed many times.

Lily had been drawn to Carson the first time
she’d seen him more than five years ago. What woman wouldn’t notice
him? He wasn’t overly tall, about five-ten, but he was built. His
body was lean and strong from years of physical labor. He wore his
sun-streaked dark blond hair down to his shoulders, keeping it tied
back at his nape when he worked. He had an easy smile and pale blue
eyes that invited a woman to smile back.

The problem was he was a good seven or eight
years younger than she was. He was in his early thirties and her
fortieth birthday was in a few months. She’d ruthlessly squashed
the frisson of desire he stirred within her and concentrated on
being friendly and professional. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d
managed.

It had gotten even harder when Ethan had gone
to work for Carson several summers ago. Her son had not only
enjoyed the outside work and the physical labor, but he’d also
saved enough money to buy a used car and put away some money for
college. She’d seen a lot more of Carson the past two years or so
and it had gotten harder and harder to hide her reaction to
him.

When he cleared his throat, she realized she
was just standing in her kitchen like an idiot staring at the man.
“I’ll just get that address for you.”

“No hurry.”

He had no idea just how much of a hurry there
was. The longer he was here, the more she wanted to run her fingers
through his hair to find out if it was as soft as it looked. And
let’s not even talk about his lips. They were so firm and full, she
wanted to kiss them to see what they felt like against hers. There
was every need for her to hurry. She needed this man out of her
house before she did something stupid.

• • •

Carson watched Lily scurry out of the room
and swallowed a curse. The woman was always running from him and he
didn’t know why. He knew she was attracted to him. There was no way
to miss the physical signs she gave off—the way her pupils dilated
and her cheeks flushed—even though he didn’t think she was aware of
them.

The way she looked at him, as if she was
starving and he was lunch, always made him hard, which was
unfortunate in public settings. He’d always been attracted to women
with plenty of curves until he’d laid eyes on Lily. She was slender
and athletic in build, with what his experienced eye told him was a
B cup. Her face was slightly rounded, her chin stubborn. She had
blue eyes that were almost the color of violets and peered at the
world with a sense of good humor and calm. Her brown hair was
chopped off short, with bangs falling lightly against her forehead.
His hair was longer than hers, yet the style suited her.

All in all, Lily was attractive, but not a
knockout. Yet every molecule of his body cried out for her. There
was something about the woman herself, something intrinsic that
reached out and grabbed him by the balls and refused to let go.
He’d fought it the first few years he’d known her, recognizing the
“keep away” vibes she sent out. He’d respected the fact she was a
divorced woman raising a child on her own and wasn’t interested in
dating.

He’d gone out with his fair share of women
over the years, but none of them attracted him as much as Lily did.
Finally, a year ago, he’d pretty much given up dating. He wanted
Lily and had done everything he could think of to get her to relax
around him, but nothing seemed to work. Stopping by to get Ethan’s
address was just an excuse. He could have just as easily phoned
her, but he’d wanted to see her. Heck, he could have just called
Ethan.

Letting out a huff of breath, he prowled
around her kitchen. It was much like the woman herself—calm and
welcoming, with a hint of spice. She’d obviously been working. He
ignored the laptop but couldn’t resist glancing down at the papers
strewn next to it.

His eyes skimmed and then jerked back—sex in
public, roses, whipped cream and striptease. The words jumped off
the page along with the underlined word “research.” He knew he was
invading her privacy and that he should just walk away, but he
couldn’t stop himself from picking up the sheet to study it
further. When he did he noticed the book hidden beneath—
Hidden
Desires
by Ms. Lillian.

Laying the sheet aside, he picked up the book
and flipped it over, whistling under his breath as he read the
blurb on the back. This was hot stuff. He knew it couldn’t be a
coincidence, but his brain could hardly reconcile the Lily he knew
with the woman who’d penned an erotic romance.

A slow smile split his face. He’d always
known Lily had hidden depths.

“What the hell are you doing?” Lily stood in
the doorway, practically vibrating with anger. He was busted.

“This is amazing.” He laid the book back on
the table. “I had no idea you were a published author.”

She seemed taken aback by his compliment. Her
cheeks flushed as she hurried into the room and shuffled her papers
together, once again covering the book. He noted that this time the
papers were turned facedown. “No one does.” She shot him a glare.
“Not even Ethan.”

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Your
secret is safe with me.” He paused as he watched pleasure at the
compliment he’d given her war with the embarrassment she obviously
felt. “Although, I think you should tell Ethan. It’s not like he’s
a kid anymore.” He’d gotten to know Lily’s son very well the past
few years and thought a lot of him. Mother and son were very close
and he wouldn’t want to see that change for any reason.

“I know he’s not.” She crossed her arms
defensively as she scowled at him. “I plan to tell him when he
comes home for Christmas.” Lily nibbled on her lower lip and Carson
wanted to groan when his jeans suddenly became much too tight for
comfort. He hoped she didn’t look down below his waist because
there was no way to hide his growing erection.

“That’s good.” He cleared his throat,
wondering exactly how to approach the touchy subject of the list. A
plan had popped into his mind the moment he’d read the words on the
seemingly harmless sheet of paper. It was outrageous and she might
very well boot his ass to the door. But nothing ventured, nothing
gained, and he’d wanted this woman for a long, long time. “I was
wondering . . .”

She uncrossed her arms and gripped the back
of one of the kitchen chairs. Even wearing a plain pair of khaki
pants and a beige T-shirt, she made him hotter than hell.
“What?”

“I saw your notes.” Now she looked horrified
instead of embarrassed. He rushed on before she could order him to
get out. “I want to help you with your research. We don’t have to
do anything you don’t want to do, but I’m more than willing to do
anything that’s on your list.”
And a lot more things that
weren’t,
but he kept that little tidbit to himself for the
moment.

Her face lost all color and then flushed even
redder than before. She swayed and he was afraid she might faint,
but she was made of sterner stuff than that and steadied herself
immediately. “I don’t need any help.”

“We all need help.” He softened his voice and
took a step closer to her. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t shy
away, so he took two more. When he was standing right next to her,
he stared down into her expressive eyes. She was only about four
inches shorter than him and would fit him perfectly in bed and
out.

Reaching out, he traced the line of her jaw
with his finger, noting the slight shiver that shook her and the
goose bumps that appeared on her arms. She wasn’t as unaffected as
she wanted to pretend. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want
to, Lily.” She shivered again when he said her name. “It will be
our secret.”

She opened her mouth, but he placed a finger
over her lips before she could say no. “Think about it. I could
caress your body with a rose. You wouldn’t have to be naked. You
could wear shorts and a halter top.” He wanted her naked, but he
also wanted her to feel safe with him. When they made love—and he
was more determined than ever that they would—he wanted her to want
him as much as he did her.

“You could do whatever you wanted with me,”
he continued. He could see the outline of her nipples against the
fabric of her top and wanted to howl with pleasure. His entire body
tensed and his cock continued to throb. “You could practice a
striptease, but you wouldn’t have to take it all off. Maybe just
down to your underwear.” Imagining Lily clad in nothing but her bra
and panties threatened his composure. His breathing got heavier and
uneven, his voice rougher. “Anything you want, Lily. Anything at
all.”

Her eyes were wide, her rosy lips parted. Her
chest was rising and falling rapidly. Her tongue came out to lick
at her lower lip and he barely stifled a groan. He wanted to taste
her mouth so damn badly. “I could call you later tonight if you
wanted to try out phone sex.” The top almost came off his head as
he imagined what that would be like. “What do you say?”

Chapter Two

What did she say?
Lily didn’t know
what to say. Couldn’t manage a coherent sentence if her life
depended on it. She wasn’t totally convinced that she hadn’t fallen
asleep at her keyboard and was now having the most amazing dream.
Carson Granger, the man she’d lusted over and fantasized about for
the past several years, was standing in her kitchen offering
himself up for research.

This had to be a dream. Either that or she
was losing her mind.

“Lily?”

She shook her head, trying to clear the
sensual fog from her brain, and licked her lips, which were
suddenly dry. His pale blue eyes followed the track of her tongue,
their color deepening. For the first time since he arrived, she
forgot about her self-consciousness and really looked at
Carson.

He was wearing his usual uniform of work
boots, well-worn jeans and T-shirt, yet it didn’t detract from his
commanding presence. If anything, it enhanced it. His shoulders
were broad, stretching the seams of his snowy white shirt. The
fabric clung to his chest like a second skin, leaving very little
to her imagination.

She knew he had an impressive set of abs and
a small amount of chest hair that was slightly darker than the hair
on his head. She’d seen him with his shirt off more than once when
she’d gone to pick up Ethan from work before he’d bought a car of
his own. The first time she’d seen Carson naked from the waist up,
the sight had fired her sexual fantasies for months.

And how pathetic was that? She was a
cliché—an older divorced woman lusting after a young stud. “I’m
sorry, Carson. I don’t think that’s a good idea.” It was a lot
harder than she’d anticipated to push the words past her lips. A
part of her really wanted to take him up on his outrageous
plan.

“I think it’s an excellent idea.” He leaned
closer. His presence seemed to suck all the available air from
around her. She swallowed as his mouth touched hers. It was barely
a touch, more of a grazing.

Lily felt it all the way to her toes. Her
entire body began to hum. She wished she knew what was going on
behind those pale blue eyes. Tension vibrated from him, and she
sensed his determination.