scars and bruises.
That's not love, Lily, Bo said wisely. You know that.
She did know.
And by the time another familiar voice spoke up, she already knew what she had to do.
Get him, baby, Duff said. Finish this but good.
Lily shook her hair until it hung like spun gold around her shoulders. She patted the space beside her.
Shane stopped in his tracks, the rest of his speech forgotten. “What's this now?” His voice sounded small and hopeful. “You finally decide to be nice?"
"You know I can't resist you for long, Shane. I was stupid to try this long."
"I'll say.” His gaze darkened with lust. “You need to realize how good you have it. We're happy most of the time, aren't we?” He moved to the bed's edge. “I only act like this when you do something you're not supposed to. If you acted like a proper wife, I wouldn't have to be so hard on you."
Lily batted her eyes. “Wife? But we're not married, Shane."
"I'm willing to, you know that. But I gotta be able to trust you. I can't do that with you traipsing around all the time looking like you're single. Any wife of mine has to be respectable in every way.” He ran a grubby hand across her thigh.
Lily forced a smile to her lips. “So, if I stop making you mad, we can get married?” She'd intended to sound hopeful, but the ring of sarcasm met her ears. Luckily Shane was too far gone to notice.
"It's what I want more than anything, Lily.” As he spoke, he drew closer. “If you start treating me the way I deserve to be treated, everything will be all right. I got everything you need to be happy. Just stop running around like you ain't got sense, and you'll see."
All Lily saw was a drunken loser with a trust fund.
"You're right, Shane, and I'm so sorry.” She reached for his hand and pulled it to her breast. She heaved out a nice long breath and dragged his finger across her nipple, willing it to pucker. “It's time I settled down and acted like a proper woman and a good wife."
"You're finally ready?” he asked with a slow grin. “Even after everything? You ran off, heading straight for McKay—"
"Forget him. I already have."
"And it's about damn time. I'd heard he went homo, but I never believed it until tonight."
Lily's smile was tight. “You never know about people these days,” she mumbled. “But I don't want to talk about them, Shane. This is about us, baby, and our future."
"Our future.” He squeezed her breast, causing her to flinch. As usual his technique was off, and his pleasure meant pain for her. But she smiled anyway. In a little while, he'd never have the chance to paw her again. Now, if she could just get him out of his pants.
Duff steered into an empty space and cut the engine. He glanced at his partner, noting Bo's nervous energy and barely contained anger. “Maybe you ought to stay in the car,” he suggested. “I can handle Doherty on my—"
"Maybe, but you don't have to. I'm here to help, Duff, and this isn't just about you. Lily's my friend now, and I'm not backing off this."
Duff was amazed by Bo's courage and loyalty to a woman he barely knew. “You really like her, huh?"
"You know I do. And no matter how much you try and deny it, you like her even more. Whatever she's done, she doesn't deserve to be smacked around by that clown, and I mean to see it never happens again."
Duff swelled with pride. “All right. But don't go off getting trigger happy.” He patted the gun at his hip. “I'll keep the gun at my side unless I need to draw it. No one needs to die tonight—not even that bastard. We clear, Bo?"
"Crystal."
Duff scanned the room doors. “There: 105 is that one.” He moved toward the door with Bo bringing up the rear.
Before he could knock, a loud crash commanded their attention. “Get away from me! Stop! Stop it!"
Lily.
Duff hadn't planned on kicking in the door. Not that he had much of a plan, come to think of it. But before he knew it, he and Bo were wailing on it, using all their force in an
That's not love, Lily, Bo said wisely. You know that.
She did know.
And by the time another familiar voice spoke up, she already knew what she had to do.
Get him, baby, Duff said. Finish this but good.
Lily shook her hair until it hung like spun gold around her shoulders. She patted the space beside her.
Shane stopped in his tracks, the rest of his speech forgotten. “What's this now?” His voice sounded small and hopeful. “You finally decide to be nice?"
"You know I can't resist you for long, Shane. I was stupid to try this long."
"I'll say.” His gaze darkened with lust. “You need to realize how good you have it. We're happy most of the time, aren't we?” He moved to the bed's edge. “I only act like this when you do something you're not supposed to. If you acted like a proper wife, I wouldn't have to be so hard on you."
Lily batted her eyes. “Wife? But we're not married, Shane."
"I'm willing to, you know that. But I gotta be able to trust you. I can't do that with you traipsing around all the time looking like you're single. Any wife of mine has to be respectable in every way.” He ran a grubby hand across her thigh.
Lily forced a smile to her lips. “So, if I stop making you mad, we can get married?” She'd intended to sound hopeful, but the ring of sarcasm met her ears. Luckily Shane was too far gone to notice.
"It's what I want more than anything, Lily.” As he spoke, he drew closer. “If you start treating me the way I deserve to be treated, everything will be all right. I got everything you need to be happy. Just stop running around like you ain't got sense, and you'll see."
All Lily saw was a drunken loser with a trust fund.
"You're right, Shane, and I'm so sorry.” She reached for his hand and pulled it to her breast. She heaved out a nice long breath and dragged his finger across her nipple, willing it to pucker. “It's time I settled down and acted like a proper woman and a good wife."
"You're finally ready?” he asked with a slow grin. “Even after everything? You ran off, heading straight for McKay—"
"Forget him. I already have."
"And it's about damn time. I'd heard he went homo, but I never believed it until tonight."
Lily's smile was tight. “You never know about people these days,” she mumbled. “But I don't want to talk about them, Shane. This is about us, baby, and our future."
"Our future.” He squeezed her breast, causing her to flinch. As usual his technique was off, and his pleasure meant pain for her. But she smiled anyway. In a little while, he'd never have the chance to paw her again. Now, if she could just get him out of his pants.
Duff steered into an empty space and cut the engine. He glanced at his partner, noting Bo's nervous energy and barely contained anger. “Maybe you ought to stay in the car,” he suggested. “I can handle Doherty on my—"
"Maybe, but you don't have to. I'm here to help, Duff, and this isn't just about you. Lily's my friend now, and I'm not backing off this."
Duff was amazed by Bo's courage and loyalty to a woman he barely knew. “You really like her, huh?"
"You know I do. And no matter how much you try and deny it, you like her even more. Whatever she's done, she doesn't deserve to be smacked around by that clown, and I mean to see it never happens again."
Duff swelled with pride. “All right. But don't go off getting trigger happy.” He patted the gun at his hip. “I'll keep the gun at my side unless I need to draw it. No one needs to die tonight—not even that bastard. We clear, Bo?"
"Crystal."
Duff scanned the room doors. “There: 105 is that one.” He moved toward the door with Bo bringing up the rear.
Before he could knock, a loud crash commanded their attention. “Get away from me! Stop! Stop it!"
Lily.
Duff hadn't planned on kicking in the door. Not that he had much of a plan, come to think of it. But before he knew it, he and Bo were wailing on it, using all their force in an
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