Page 54 of A Convenient Secret

“I can help you with your living situation. Don’t be stubborn, Lily.”

He pushes off the counter. At the same time I step forward, ready to storm out of the kitchen. The unfortunate result is that now he’s blocked my path, and his scent has vaccinated me against reasonable behavior.

So instead of protecting boundaries, I poke at his chest with my finger. “Perhaps that’s who I am. Stubborn and erasable.”

He spins me around, my back hitting the island where he cages me with his hands on each side of me. He lowers his face to mine, so close I forget to breathe. An unfortunate but common occurrence around my boss.

“I tried to give you space, little Seagull, but you keep taunting me, with your morning spying, with your lingering scent when I come back home. Don’t mistake my restraint for lack of desire. I fucking want you, Lily. I want you so much that my cock is hard just knowing you exist. I want to discover what’s under those flimsy, indecent shorts of yours.”

He lowers his forehead to mine, and I almost whimper, overwhelmed with a series of physical reactions that can’t be healthy. My heart skips a beat, mystomach twists, my skin bursts into flame, and my brain explodes. What’s happening in my panties is plain mortifying.

I try to look away, but he grips my jaw, not too hard, but enough to coax my chin up. “But I hold back, because one of us needs to be responsible. I hold back, because not only would it be a bad idea, but by now, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t survive if I got my hands on you.”

As if to prove his point, his erection pokes into my stomach, and fuck, he may be right. I wouldn’t survive him. Not just physically. I’m not ready for his intensity. I don’t think I can match it.

“So don’t test me, little Seagull, for both our sakes.”

Chapter 11

Lily

Igape at him, my heart pumping in my temples.

“Lily?” Zoya’s voice carries through the house from somewhere on this floor.

Declan jerks away, and I rush out of the kitchen like my ass is on fire.

“I think Zach needs youw help.” Zoya hikes her backpack on her small shoulder.

I frown, willing my pulse to normalize. “Okay, your dad is still in the kitchen. Go help him while I go to Zach, and then we leave. Do you have everything?”

She nods and skips across the room toward the kitchen. If I don’t get a chance to compose myself after… whatever that was, he can also deal with real life after his declaration. Threat? Warning?

I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t survive if I got my hands on you.

But what a way to go.Stop it, you little slut.

Still shaken, and with an irregular heartbeat, I take two steps at a time and find Zach standing by his dresser, his soccer jersey in his hands.

“What’s going on, Zach? We need to leave.”

“I hate soccer.” He turns and challenges me with a raised chin. Like he’s already prepared his arguments and dares me to point out the benefits of soccer.

“Okay.” I squat beside him, taking the jersey away from him. “Did something happen at the practice?”

“No. I’m even decent at it. Well, I’m good at everything.” He shrugs. He’s not wrong, but overly confident for a six-year-old. It’s adorable, and a bit worrying. “I just don’t like it.”

“Did you tell your dad?”

He looks at me with horror. “I can’t tell him. He expects me to be good at sports.”

Oh boy. He’s probably right, but surely not at all costs.

“Zach, he wants you to be happy first and foremost. If soccer isn’t your thing, you may take up another sport; I’m sure your dad wouldn’t force you to play soccer.”

“I don’t want to disappoint him.” He glowers at me like I’m not understanding what’s going on.

Frankly, his father has just seared my brain, so I may be a bit slow.