Lily's List (7 page)

Now the time had come to talk. The meal was
done and decisions had to be made.

Carson set the can of whipped cream on the
table next to the roses. His intentions were clear, but she knew it
was her choice to make.

She licked her lips and tried to order her
scattered thoughts. “I . . .” she began, breaking off
when she didn’t quite know what to say. She shook her head and
managed to get a grip on her nerves. “I want to explore things with
you.” She couldn’t believe she was going to do this. Three days ago
she couldn’t have imagined having to make such a decision. It all
seemed slightly surreal.

“The list?” Carson placed his hands on the
table and leaned forward, his gaze narrowed, expression intent.

She nodded decisively. “The list. I’m not
quite sure how far I want to take things. Not yet.” God, could she
sound any more juvenile? It was hard to think with Carson hovering
over her.

“I’ve told you before, Lily.” He shifted
closer, so close that their noses were almost touching. She could
see his incredible pale blue eyes fringed with thick brown lashes.
His nostrils flared, his lips parted. “Whatever you want, however
you want it. It’s all up to you.”

Her throat felt dry and parched, but she
couldn’t even try to swallow. His words mesmerized her even as his
gaze held her pinned in her chair. This situation was crazy, but
she didn’t care.

“Let’s go to your bedroom.” His lips brushed
hers.

Her heart was pounding and her palms sweaty,
but she was determined. She wanted this, wanted to explore
different aspects of her sexuality. And she wanted to do it with
Carson. They were both consenting adults. There was nothing wrong
with what they were about to do. Still, her nerves fluttered and
her pulse raced.

Pushing away from the table, she stood and
gathered her vase of roses. Then she held out her hand. Carson
plucked the can of whipped cream off the table with his free hand
as he wrapped his fingers around hers. His hand was strong and warm
and he twined his fingers through hers so that their palms were
touching. Lily had forgotten how lovely it could be to hold hands
with a man. It was intimate and quiet as she led him up the stairs
of her small home.

She was extra glad she’d taken the time to
change the sheets and put fresh candles in the pretty glass holders
on her dresser. She hadn’t been sure what would happen tonight—if
anything—but it seemed better to be prepared for any
eventuality.

The room felt inviting and cozy. Lily went
straight to the nightstand by her bed and placed the vase on it.
The aromatic scent of the roses filled the air around her as she
turned on the small brass lamp that sat on the nightstand.

Carson’s arms came around her as he set the
can of whipped cream on the table beside the flowers. Closing her
eyes, she leaned back into his embrace and rested her head on his
shoulder. He was strong and warm and she found herself relaxing,
yet conversely getting more aroused. She loved the feel of his
hard, muscled body pressed against hers.

He wrapped his arms around her midsection and
slowly rocked them back and forth. The action soothed her and she
found the last of her nervousness dropping away. Whatever came, she
was ready for it—more than ready. In fact, she found herself
anticipating it.

She had no idea how long their association
would last—she couldn’t quite bring herself to call it a
relationship—but that no longer mattered. She trusted Carson, and
she didn’t trust many men. There was certainly no doubt that she
wanted him. Her body hadn’t felt so alive in years.

She was a divorced woman with a grown child
and he was a man in his early thirties who’d never been married.
But it no longer mattered that he was younger than she and at a
much different place in his life. At this time and in this place,
being together felt right.

“You okay?”

The deep rumble of his voice vibrated through
his chest and into her. She savored the intimate sensation. The
hard ridge of his erection pressed against her behind, a blatant
reminder of why they were here. “Yes. I am.”

“Good.” Releasing her, he turned her so that
she was facing him. “Why don’t you sit on the edge of the bed?”

She sat, willing to follow his lead, at least
for now. She was more than a bit curious to see what he would
do.

Carson went to the dresser and lit the two
candles, using the matches she’d left there for that purpose. The
light flickered and then settled into a steady flame, casting a
soft glow on the room. Returning to her, he flicked off the bedside
lamp before going down on one knee in front of her. He lifted her
right foot, slid off her sensible beige flat and set it aside.
Wrapping his fingers around her foot, he began to massage it, the
heat from his hand seeping into her sole.

She braced her hands on the edge of the
mattress to keep from melting back onto the bed. “That feels
wonderful.” She groaned as his fingers found a particularly tight
spot in her arch. He used just enough pressure—not hard enough to
hurt or light enough to tickle.

“Glad you’re enjoying it.” He left off his
massage on her right foot and proceeded to remove her left shoe.
“I’m just getting started.”

Lily thought she’d died and gone to heaven by
the time he released her left foot. She was wonderfully relaxed and
mellow. That mood fled when he slid his hand under the skirt of her
dress. She stiffened and he stopped with his hands just above her
knees.

“I want to remove your pantyhose.” She was
very aware of the heat of his hands against her skin. The silk of
her stockings were no protection against it. He was only inches
away from touching her in her most intimate spot. Her sex throbbed
in anticipation.

“Thigh-highs, not pantyhose.” Why she felt
the need to tell him that she wasn’t sure. He’d discover it soon
enough if he kept going.

Carson lowered his head, resting his forehead
against her knee. “I’ve been wondering that for the past hour.”

“Really?” Lily sank her fingers into his
thick hair, loving the sensual slide of it against her skin. She
tugged at the leather thong keeping it captive, pulling it free.
His hair fell around his broad shoulders. He looked like a young
god come to life, like a hero from a novel. And at least for
tonight, he was hers. She tossed the thong onto the nightstand.

Carson sat back and shot her a wicked grin.
“Oh, yeah. Hose or stockings? It made things a might uncomfortable
for me over dinner.”

When she offered no objection, he continued
to push his hands higher until they touched the band of her
stocking. Ever so slowly, he began to roll her right stocking down
her leg.

The slide of the silk against her leg and the
brush of his callused fingers sent shivers coursing through her
body. Her nipples were puckered so tight and her breasts ached so
badly that she wanted to cup them in her hands to try to ease them.
Her feminine muscles pulsed in a primal rhythm, demanding she do
something to end their torment. She bit her bottom lip to keep from
crying out as he slipped the stocking off her foot and tossed it
aside.

Then he did the same with the other one.

Lily had never realized that the simple act
of removing one’s clothing could be such a sensual experience. With
Carson it was foreplay. She was still decently covered in her
dress, yet she felt as though he’d stripped her bare.

When her stockings were gone, he ran his
fingers up and down her bare legs from her ankles to her thighs.
The heat of his hands soaked into her skin as he moved agonizingly
close to her sex but never quite touched it.

“What about your dress?”

Once again, he reminded her that she was in
charge. The thought of his hands roaming over her stomach and
breasts sent a fresh trickle of cream seeping from her core. “Yes.”
She reached for the buttons in the front, but he stayed her
hands.

“Let me.” There was anticipation in his eyes,
and heat. So much so that Lily’s insides began to quiver.

She let her hands drop back to her sides and
allowed him to do what he would. The backs of his hands brushed
against her swollen nipples as he reached for the buttons. Whether
it was by accident or on purpose, she couldn’t be sure, but it sent
bolts of heat flashing through her.

By the time he had the buttons undone, her
breathing was ragged. Her body was wound so incredibly tight that
it wouldn’t take much to make her come undone. Carson slid his
hands under the fabric and slowly slid it down her arms. The
material pooled at her waist, leaving her clad in only her white
cotton bra.

“Beautiful.” She’d long since passed the
stage in her life when she was concerned about her less-than-ample
breasts. Still, it was gratifying that Carson seemed so enthralled
with them.

He traced the edge of her bra with his
fingertips and her breasts swelled. They ached for his touch. She
also wanted to touch him in return. She’d seen his upper body
unclothed but she’d never stroked his bare skin. “Take off your
shirt.” Her voice no longer sounded like it belonged to her. It was
husky and deep, seductive.

Carson reared back, yanked his shirt over his
head and tossed it aside. Lily reached out and sank her fingers
into his firm, muscular shoulders before letting them skim down his
chest. His torso was all sculpted power and sinew, a testament to
his years of hard physical labor. The muscles rippled beneath her
palm as she stroked him.

Carson shifted closer, making a place for
himself between her spread thighs. He cupped her breasts in his
hands, and Lily’s toes curled when he traced her nipples through
the thin fabric of her bra.

“I want to stroke your body from head to toe
with rose petals.” He lifted his hands from her body and slowly
stood, letting her hands slide down his torso. “Let’s get this
dress off and settle you on the bed.”

Lily stood, allowing her dress to slide down
her hips and pool around her ankles. Clad only in her bra and
panties, she should have felt self-conscious, but didn’t. Carson
watched her intently, his gaze following her every move. Lily felt
voluptuous and ripe, which was strange considering she was slender
and not well-endowed. It had to do with the way he looked at her,
his eyes almost feverish with need.

She scooted to the center of the bed and
reclined against her pillows. The air was warm and brushed against
her skin like a caress. The comforter beneath her was soft and
inviting.

Carson bent down and tugged at the laces of
his boots. Lily watched the ripple and play of the muscles in his
back and shoulders as he removed his footwear and socks. Clad only
in faded blue jeans, he sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

“What about your jeans?” It certainly
couldn’t be comfortable for him with his erection pressing hard
against the zipper.

“Later,” he promised as he plucked a rose
from the vase. “Close your eyes.”

“What?” His request startled her. She knew
her uncertainty had to show.

“Close your eyes,” he repeated. “It will
heighten all your senses.”

She thought about it while he patiently
waited for her decision. She’d wanted to do a scene with a
blindfold and this was pretty much the same thing. She gazed at
him, soaking in every hard inch of him before letting her lids
close. Darkness surrounded her.

Immediately, she heard the rustle of fabric
and felt the bed dip as Carson shifted closer to her. The heavy
perfume of the rose filled her nostrils as she felt the slightest
brush of softness against her lips. They parted in reflex.

Her eyelids fluttered.

“Keep them closed.” She could feel the warmth
of his breath against her cheek and then the slightest touch of his
lips. Her legs moved restlessly against the comforter as heat
suffused her.

He stroked the rose down her cheek and across
her jaw. She found herself tilting her head back in anticipation as
he let it flow down the curve of her neck and across her
collarbone. Her eyes opened slightly. He seemed intent on her every
reaction.

“You can’t keep them closed, can you?”

Realizing she’d been caught, she shrugged. “I
can’t seem to help it.”

“I can help you with that.” Carson laid the
rose on her stomach and reached into his back pocket. The item he
withdrew was made of black silk, and when he unfolded it, she
realized it was a mask, the kind that people sometimes wore to shut
out the sunlight when they wanted to sleep in the daytime. “Lift
your head.”

Lily stared at the mask and then at Carson.
He’d certainly come prepared. She was frightened, not by the mask,
but by the fact that she trusted him enough to wear it. It wasn’t
even a question for her, not really.

She was also incredibly excited by the idea
of wearing an eye covering, unable to see as he pleasured her with
the rose. Lily raised her head.

She could see the satisfaction in his eyes as
he slipped the silk mask over her head, making sure the elastic
didn’t pull her hair. When she lay back against the pillows, he
adjusted the fabric so that her vision was truly blocked.

“Comfortable?”

She rolled her head from side to side.
“Yes.”

Chapter Six

Carson’s hands shook with desire as he placed
his palm against the center of Lily’s stomach. Her felt the muscles
jump and then relax. The trust she was giving him was a gift. It
was also an incredible turn-on.

She lay in the center of the bed like a
present, an offering. She was still wearing her bra and panties but
they emphasized her attributes more than they hid them.

Her cheeks were flushed a light rosy
color—mostly likely a combination of arousal and embarrassment.
Lily was incredibly brave and trusting. He couldn’t believe how
easily she’d agreed to don the eye covering he’d brought along. He
hadn’t really anticipated using it tonight but had wanted to be
prepared.