Read Online Lily's Dream (Siren Publishing Classic) by Kiel Nichols - Free Book Online Page B

sore to be with him for a few days?
    Jake suddenly felt ashamed. Maybe he had really hurt her, and she went to Derek for sympathy.
    And maybe he’d given her more than sympathy.
    Jake was pissed again. By the time Tom pulled up behind him, Jake had a silent head of angry steam on him.
    Without a word, the two men walked up the outside stairs to Derek’s apartment. Although they both had a key, neither bothered to go for it. Derek always forgot to lock his door.
    Not even trying to be silent, Jake stalked in. He found them on the couch. Derek was behind Lily, his face buried in her soft, fragrant hair, his hand on the strip of skin revealed between her sweatshirt and her jeans. While they watched, Derek stretched, his hand flexing on Lily’s abdomen.
    Tom punched Derek on the shoulder. After a jaw-popping yawn, he opened his eyes. “Hey, guys,” he mumbled. “Fuck, my head hurts.”
    At his grumbling, Lily also woke up. When she saw Jake and Tom looming over them, she blinked owlishly and said, “What’s going on?”
    Tom crossed his arms over his imposing chest. He was glaring at Derek. “That’s a good question, Lil. What the fuck is going on?”
    Lily sat up and pushed her curls out of her eyes. “We fell asleep.”
    Derek sat up as well. “Not surprising since I think we killed two bottles of wine.” He cracked his neck, wincing at the sound.
    Lily got up. “Hey, Derek,” she called. “Do you have any ginger ale and V8?”
    “No,” Derek said with a shudder. “I don’t have it and wouldn’t drink it even if I did.”
    Lily said, “I’ll find something,” and headed for the kitchen.
    Jake followed her.
    In the kitchen, Jake grabbed Lily’s arm. “What are you doing?”
    “Just getting something for my hangover. Really, Jake, what do you think I’m doing?” She turned to look him directly in his eyes, daring him to say something stupid.
    Jake immediately realized he could be making a huge mistake. If he didn’t want to screw this up, he needed to go slowly. “I was worried that you didn’t come home last night.”
    “I had too much to drink to drive home, obviously.” Lily leaned against the counter. “Did you think I would have sex with Derek the night after sleeping with you? Did you really think that, Jake?”
    She sounded so hurt.
    “No,” Jake said, reaching for her. “Of course not. It’s just that we didn’t talk about the ground rules of this type of relationship.” He looked over his shoulder and let her go. “And now’s not the time.”
    “No,” she said. “Now’s not the time.”
    She started to walk toward the refrigerator then whirled. “Just for your information, we got drunk and fell asleep. We didn’t have sex, touch inappropriately, or do anything else. We may not have discussed the ground rules of our ‘relationship’”—she made air quotes with her fingers when she said the word—“but I don’t have any intention of having sex with anyone but you until we’re done with each other. For health reasons, if for nothing else, I expect the same from you.”
    Jake pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry if I seem like I don’t trust you. I just didn’t expect to find you here. You have such an”—he paused looking for the right word—”intimate relationship with Derek. I don’t understand it, so it makes me wary.”
    He was laying it on the line for her. Despite the fact they’d both said this wasn’t the time, Lily squeezed him. “I don’t want to be with Derek in that way. He’s my best friend.” She paused. On one hand, she didn’t want to betray Derek’s confidence. On the other hand, she needed to put Jake’s fears to rest. She decided on a partial truth.
    “Derek is in love with someone else. He would never jeopardize that relationship or betray our friendship by hitting on me.”
    Before Jake could ask, Lily said. “And no, I won’t tell you who he’s in love with. He’ll tell you if and when he’s ready.”
     
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