never did catch your name,” Lily said.
“Oscar,” he said. “And you are?”
“Lily,” she said.
“Lily?”
Oscar seized her hands and kissed her fingers. She smiled at the feel of his lips and only pushed back when he released her and brushed his hands against the backs of his slacks.
“Do the thing,” he said. “Make the world know your name.”
Chapter 2
Lily waited in the expanse of a large office, windows stretching from the floor to the ceiling. More light than she wanted poured through the glass, and Lily crossed her legs as the warmth blazed over her body. She felt exposed and wondered if there was a way out when her gaze focused on the closed door. It could open again at any second, and then her fate would be sealed. But as she tried for the door and stopped in her tracks, everything locked and loaded didn’t feel like such a bad thing. Because there were ways to still work within the confines. Just ask her father, making like her and stretching his few pennies into a Christmas feast and seeing that not one of his children ever went without a smile on their faces. Lily slipped back to the plush sofa with that picture running through her mind.
“Miss Vasquez?”
The man that she knew all too well from his online profile suddenly appeared with light blonde hair and steely blue eyes, and her heart buzzed in her chest at the sight of him.
“Michael Bingham,” he said as he extended his hand and expected her to swiftly accept his touch.
“Yes,” she whispered, obliging. “I… I know.”
“So you’re already ahead of the game,” he said. “I like that.”
Michael Bingham stroked his chin and settled behind his desk as he tapped his fingers together, his touch seeming casual as he clicked at his computer and stayed staring at her face.
“I’m glad that you found your way here,” he said. “Please sit.”
Michael’s smile stayed on the monitor, and Lily sighed when he clicked on something that she could not see and leaned back in his chair.
“Walters says that you’re one to keep an eye on.”
“You studied under him, too?” she asked.
Michael reached across the desk for her hand, and Lily offered no resistance as she soaked in the feel of his fingers. As he bowed his head. Lily just saw his faint grin, and she longed to touch his face.
“Walters knows his students,” Lily said. “He said I knew what was what.”
“Explain that,” Michael insisted as he moved to the edge of his desk and waited with her fingers dripping through his. Lily liked the feel of his flesh dotting hers, and she allowed him to continue covering her hand as he left the desk and knelt at her side. Wanting to be regal, Lily started to stroke the back of his neck when Michael pulled away and laughed.
“Sometimes I think that he’s soft in the head,” Michael said. “Or maybe this turned him the wrong way around.”
She tensed when he pressed a few locks of her hair between her fingers, and Lily let him sniff her strands. His lips followed his nose, and Lily strained forward to know him better, feel him closer. She was on the verge of his lips when Michael turned his head away and stretched to his feet.
“Not that Walters ever mixed business,” Michael said. “Last thing that he advised. Because---”
“Because you have to look ahead if you ever hope to get out from under.”
Walters’ words felt natural as they passed through her lips, and Lily watched Michael cock his head to the side as he circled around her chair.
“But this is already well out from under,” he said. “Or do I need to show you where I hang my hat?”
As much as that thought suddenly appealed
“Oscar,” he said. “And you are?”
“Lily,” she said.
“Lily?”
Oscar seized her hands and kissed her fingers. She smiled at the feel of his lips and only pushed back when he released her and brushed his hands against the backs of his slacks.
“Do the thing,” he said. “Make the world know your name.”
Chapter 2
Lily waited in the expanse of a large office, windows stretching from the floor to the ceiling. More light than she wanted poured through the glass, and Lily crossed her legs as the warmth blazed over her body. She felt exposed and wondered if there was a way out when her gaze focused on the closed door. It could open again at any second, and then her fate would be sealed. But as she tried for the door and stopped in her tracks, everything locked and loaded didn’t feel like such a bad thing. Because there were ways to still work within the confines. Just ask her father, making like her and stretching his few pennies into a Christmas feast and seeing that not one of his children ever went without a smile on their faces. Lily slipped back to the plush sofa with that picture running through her mind.
“Miss Vasquez?”
The man that she knew all too well from his online profile suddenly appeared with light blonde hair and steely blue eyes, and her heart buzzed in her chest at the sight of him.
“Michael Bingham,” he said as he extended his hand and expected her to swiftly accept his touch.
“Yes,” she whispered, obliging. “I… I know.”
“So you’re already ahead of the game,” he said. “I like that.”
Michael Bingham stroked his chin and settled behind his desk as he tapped his fingers together, his touch seeming casual as he clicked at his computer and stayed staring at her face.
“I’m glad that you found your way here,” he said. “Please sit.”
Michael’s smile stayed on the monitor, and Lily sighed when he clicked on something that she could not see and leaned back in his chair.
“Walters says that you’re one to keep an eye on.”
“You studied under him, too?” she asked.
Michael reached across the desk for her hand, and Lily offered no resistance as she soaked in the feel of his fingers. As he bowed his head. Lily just saw his faint grin, and she longed to touch his face.
“Walters knows his students,” Lily said. “He said I knew what was what.”
“Explain that,” Michael insisted as he moved to the edge of his desk and waited with her fingers dripping through his. Lily liked the feel of his flesh dotting hers, and she allowed him to continue covering her hand as he left the desk and knelt at her side. Wanting to be regal, Lily started to stroke the back of his neck when Michael pulled away and laughed.
“Sometimes I think that he’s soft in the head,” Michael said. “Or maybe this turned him the wrong way around.”
She tensed when he pressed a few locks of her hair between her fingers, and Lily let him sniff her strands. His lips followed his nose, and Lily strained forward to know him better, feel him closer. She was on the verge of his lips when Michael turned his head away and stretched to his feet.
“Not that Walters ever mixed business,” Michael said. “Last thing that he advised. Because---”
“Because you have to look ahead if you ever hope to get out from under.”
Walters’ words felt natural as they passed through her lips, and Lily watched Michael cock his head to the side as he circled around her chair.
“But this is already well out from under,” he said. “Or do I need to show you where I hang my hat?”
As much as that thought suddenly appealed
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