Ethan knew the locality well, and he figured that since she and her friend had been wandering the neighborhood, it was a fair guess that she lived and worked close to that spot, too. The first morning he’d reached out for Lily’s thoughts had proved that to be true. He sensed her confusion about their encounter the evening before, and was pleased to know he had been on her mind, but it was too early to get wrapped up in the glee of that realization. Right now, Ethan needed to find out where she was, and what she was doing. A quick flash of the outside of a storefront was the only clue she gave him. It was fleeting, and Ethan had no ability to capture the image in his mind, but he did recall the words Stella’s Salon on the shop’s awning. A brief search of the local business directory revealed that there was such a salon just a few miles from the place they’d first laid eyes on each other, and sensing it was the right destination, Ethan had jumped in the car and headed there at once.
It was the same place Ethan headed that morning, having washed and dressed quickly, and grabbed some toast on his way out of the door. He was a master at disappearing into the background on reconnaissance, but as he waited just across the road from the front of the salon, he had to admit it was becoming more and more difficult to actually stay away from Lily. He wanted to get closer to her—much closer—and at the very least, he was desperate to talk to the woman. Watching the comings and goings at the salon was agonizing. Every time the door opened to reveal an unknown client, Ethan’s heart leapt into his throat, only to plummet at the sight of a stranger. It took a little over twenty minutes of watching and waiting for Lily to appear.
She was late, or at least later than she had been the previous two days, and she seemed a little flustered as she skipped from the entrance onto the path. Ethan watched her, studying the way she walked, the curve of her arse and the way her hips wiggled provocatively as she hurried up the street. His cock stirred at her image in the rear-view mirror, making him stall just a moment longer, and then he was after her. Slipping from the front seat, he made his way along the path on the opposite side of the road, keeping well back, but staying just close enough for Lily to remain in his sights. She turned right at the end of the road, and a moment later Ethan followed, watching as she joined a growing queue of customers at a local bakery.
He hung back behind the trunk of an ancient oak that was jutting from the pavement, dropping to his knee and pretending to re-lace his shoes as he observed Lily. It gave him the perfect vantage to study her, and Ethan made full use of the opportunity. He was watching as her small hands gripped at her purse, and she turned back to glance at the street behind her. Fortunately, her gaze only traveled along the path she had walked along, and never ventured as far as him, but the gesture made him wonder. Could she sense him, somehow—was that possible? Ethan’s erection strained against the fabric of his pants. Of course it was possible, he decided. She was so different than all the others in so many ways. So much more innocent and intuitive. Somehow, Lily had managed to haunt both his dreams and his waking thoughts for days on end, so was certainly capable of this.
Ethan drew in a deep breath as he watched Lily tuck her dark mane of hair behind her left ear. My God, she was exquisite, and even that small act made him hard. If there had been any doubt on the subject, then that one small gesture seemed to cement things for him. He had to have her—he absolutely had to—and after that, who knew? Perhaps little Lily would become the latest in his long list of destruction, or perhaps there was another fate that awaited the brunette. Ethan had never considered himself a collector before, but looking at her now, he thought Lily could be the girl to change his mind.
Reluctantly, he swapped feet, pretending to lace the other shoe, and by the time his gaze shifted back to the line outside the bakery, Lily was glancing in his direction. Ethan’s heart jumped as their eyes connected, or, at least, he thought they had. For one long second, he couldn’t take a breath, and the whole world around him seemed to protract. All there was at that moment was Lily, and the intensity of those large green eyes, and then, as though someone had just burst a bubble, her gaze moved on, shifting toward the lunchtime traffic, and back to the queue of people ahead of her.
He blew out a lungful of air, though Ethan hadn’t even been aware he was holding his breath until that moment. Instinctively, he rose, lunging for a spot behind the large tree where she wouldn’t be able to see him, but as he peered back to the line, Lily’s attention was elsewhere. Fuck, he really thought she’d seen him! Her eyes had been so full and knowing as he’d looked up, but then she had turned away, and there wasn’t even a flicker of recognition. Oddly, his heart sunk as that realization washed over him. She hadn’t recognized him, and even though he hadn’t come here to meet her or interact, for some reason that still stung. He watched her as she disappeared inside the small white-fronted bakery, his breath catching as he caught sight of the smile she offered the vendor.
God, how he wanted that smile for himself. And he would have it—there was no doubt about that. Lily was going to be part of his future. With a sigh, he shifted from his place by the tree. He’d come back around five and wait for her to finish work. That way he could double check the address she called home. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be in touch with her again, but first he had to finish doing his homework.
It had to be right.
Chapter Eight
It was the strangest thing, but as Lily left work that evening she could have sworn someone was watching her. It was the feeling she got when there was someone she knew staring at her from across a crowded room trying to get her attention. Except there was no teeming space now, just the quiet streets of the suburbs on a normal weekday evening. The sensation was perturbing, more than Lily cared to admit to herself. It wasn’t the first time she’d felt that way recently either, the sense of being exposed having burgeoned over the last couple of days, but that evening it seemed more intense than usual. There was no tangible reason for the odd sense she got as she walked down the street en route to her parents’ little house, but it was just there again—on the tip of her tongue and in the air around her—like a secret the world had over her, but wasn’t prepared to share. As she turned the corner into Nelsons Walk, the sense was so strong that the small hairs at her nape seemed to rise in response, and for the third time that journey, she paused, glancing back behind her to check there was no one in pursuit.
For God’s sake, Lily, she berated herself when it became obvious that—yet again—there was no one there. It was just the same old people, the odd commuter, plus a few local kids on their way home after school. This was getting silly. What was wrong with her? Soon she’d be seeing ghosts hiding in dark corners if she wasn’t careful.
She swallowed, pushing the peculiar feeling away as she turned back in the direction of home. Lily had certainly felt off-kilter recently—ever since that evening with Jody when those jerks had harassed them from the curb. Somehow, even though her rescuer had never given his name, she’d created one for him. Ethan. And now it seemed that when she wasn’t imagining becoming the next victim of the local psycho killer, then she was imagining being with him—with Ethan—the elusive white knight who had saved them.
Christ, if that wasn’t bad enough, she could have sworn she’d actually caught sight of him at lunch earlier. There was a man on the other side of the road who was so similar that it had made Lily catch her breath, but by the time her brain had registered the connection and she’d looked back, he’d vanished.
“Probably just all those killings,” she muttered under her breath as she began to move again, the sound of her small kitten heels clinking against the concrete.
It was all anyone ever seemed to talk about now, from articles in her father’s newspaper, to the dreary local radio stations her parents insisted on listening to—talk of the viscous streak of murders was everywhere. Police had been advising young women not to walk anywhere alone, but Lily had scoffed when her parents had made the same suggestion. She wasn’t prepared to cha
nge her way of life because of one nutter—that just wasn’t the right thing to do—but as she scurried on down the uneven paving stones, Lily began to question the sense in her argument. If being alone was making her this jittery, then perhaps she should just ask her father to collect her from work. For the next few days, at least?
As she lifted her chin, Lily saw her little house come into view at the end of the road. A palpable sense of relief resonated through her at the look of the place. She was nearly home, and home meant sanctuary.
The dream that night had begun in the haze of purples and reds that had fast become Lily’s norm, but this time, things were different. Or, maybe they weren’t? Lily wasn’t sure, but as she looked around her, she got a sense that something had changed.
“Lill…leee.”
The sound of her name was whispered onto the breeze, drawn out in almost a sing-song quality, which was instantly strange, because up until that moment, Lily hadn’t even noticed any air movement around her at all.
“Lily.”
There it was again, but this time her name was definitely more defined, the sound more like a deep growl than a whisper. Her heart began to thunder at the call, and reflexively, she spun on her heel, expecting to find the person who had created it. There was no doubt in her mind who that person was and crazy though it sounded, Lily was excited to see him.
“Ethan.” His name left her lips although she didn’t recall having commanded her mouth to make the sound. “Ethan, is that you?”
But, she didn’t know why she asked. It was him. Of course it was. It had to be him.
The mysterious stranger who had come to her and Jody’s rescue a few nights ago had been on her mind, and if she wasn’t mistaken, she had dreamed about him now every night since then. It was odd, and she sensed it should have been unsettling. Why should a man you had never met before be able to penetrate your subconscious in that way? After all, Lily didn’t even know him; she had only gotten his name from the dreams themselves—a fact that should have been enough to make her stop and question her sanity in its own right. Yet somehow, there they were again—back in what seemed to be the same dream; her senses heightened as she waited on what would happen next.
“It’s me, Lily.” And all of a sudden, she looked up to find him right there in front of her.
Lily bit her lip as she took in the sight of Ethan. The guy was so tall, but it was more than just his height. There was something about him that drew her in; he had the kind of commanding presence that until now Lily had only fantasized about.
“I’m glad you came back.”
His words were like a soft, seductive whirr, vibrating through the air between them until they caressed her flesh en route to her ears.
“This is crazy,” she murmured, shaking her head at the way his lips curled.
“Is it?”
Lily blinked at him. “It has to be.”
“So, why are you back?” Ethan demanded in a gentle tone. “This is your dream. Why are we here?”
She swallowed at that, because Lily sensed they both knew the answer, but she was too embarrassed to say the words out loud.
“Because of you,” she managed at length.
“What about me?” He was smirking at her now, those deep blue eyes flashing with energy as though he was daring her to say the words. “What can I do for you?”
Lily’s throat had dried, yet for some reason she found her feet moving in Ethan’s direction. Her body, it seemed, knew exactly what it wanted him to do for her, even if her mind was less willing to concede the point.
“I want you.”
Her face flamed as she made the admission, but Ethan’s smile darkened in response.
“You want me.”
It was more of a statement than a question, and as she approached him, she could have sworn he already knew the truth somehow—that she was crazy about him—besotted with the idea of a man she’d only met for a few minutes in her life. A man she couldn’t get out of her head. A man who she was desperate to find.
She gulped. God, this was insane, but then that was the beauty of dreams, wasn’t it? You could be anyone and do anything without any repercussions. That was why Lily had always loved them.
“Yes.” Her voice was barely even a whisper.
“Say it then,” he commanded, edging toward her body. “Say what you want, Lily.”
She gazed up at his face. Her heart was beating so loudly in her chest that Lily was sure Ethan must be able to hear it himself. “I want you to kiss me.”
There she had said it. It was done. But even in a dream, it made Lily’s toes curl to hear the words aloud. She panted as they echoed around her head, desperately looking for a way out as his face descended toward her. Time stood still as he neared, the scent of leather and spice wafting over Lily as his lush dark hair neared.
“What are you doing?” she gasped.
“Giving you what you want.”
The last thing she saw was his errant smile, but the look of it seemed to snatch away whatever remained of her sanity, and then—his lips met hers—crashing down against her skin as though Ethan was a starving man and Lily was the sustenance he needed to survive.
Lily’s mind was alive with only sensations now—no other conscious thoughts seemed able to register. The sensuality of his mouth as it grazed hers, the way her core tightened as his fingers burrowed in her hair, and the heady rush of hot, unadulterated desire that pooled between her legs as Ethan’s tongue snaked inside her mouth. A needy moan escaped her throat, and was audible even though his mouth should have stolen the noise, but Lily was too lost in the passionate connection to care. This might all only be happening inside her head, but at that moment, she didn’t care about that, either. It was singly the most erotic thing that she’d ever experienced, and she didn’t want to ever let it go.
When he finally pulled away, she wanted to groan, but the intensity in his gaze silenced her. The magnetic pull she felt toward this stranger was incredible—far greater than anything Lily had known either in her real life, or in her own private fantasies.
“I need to find you.”
The words seemed to bleed from her. It was as though she had no control over her own thoughts and actions anymore. Ethan was the one in her head now. Ethan controlled them all.
“You will,” he assured her. “I’m coming for you, Lily.”
Her core tightened at his words, though she found no threat in them at all. Only the thick, hot feeling of need that seemed to fill up all her senses.
Chapter Nine
Ethan was waiting for her the next day, leaning nonchalantly against the wall as she stepped out of the salon for her lunch break and made her way down the street. Lily didn’t notice him at first, but there was no doubt in his mind that she would. The weight of his stare would see to that, and the smile that would greet her would more than guarantee her compliance.
This was new territory for Ethan. He usually hid from his prey, ensuring that if they had to notice him at all, then it was literally the final thing they ever did, but it was different with Lily. It was always different. He wanted Lily to see him; he wanted to talk to her; touch her and finally get to live some of those hot dreams she’d been beckoning him to share. Last night’s had been the most intense yet, and it was that, along with his burgeoning desire, that had persuaded Ethan now was the time. He needed to make contact with his new little muse, and he wasn’t prepared to wait any longer.
Lily turned her head to the right, as though she was drawn toward him in some irrefutable way, and as their eyes connected, her feet stopped moving.
“Hi.”
He pushed away from the wall with his foot, wandering in her direction, though Ethan ensured he kept his distance at first. He had an idea how perturbing the whole thing might be for Lily. He was after all, a man she had only really encountered once, and since then, someone she had shared a number of hot and increasingly erotic dreams with. No doubt, it would be quite a surprise to find him wa
iting for her outside her place of work, though as those green eyes took in the look of him, Ethan barely saw a flicker of shock there, at all.
“Ethan?”
Lily’s voice sounded stunned, but he noticed how her lips had already curled into a small smile, and just the look of that gesture made his groin ache.
“I thought I could buy you lunch,” he replied. “If you don’t mind?”
Ethan heard her pull in a deep breath, but Lily was nodding even before she answered. “Of course,” she said, practically beaming. “I’d love that!”
They crossed the road together, both seemingly knowing where they were headed although no location had been discussed.
“I hope you don’t mind me meeting you like this,” he began, glancing down at the woman beside him. “Now just seemed like the right time.”
Lily’s eyes twinkled as she shook her head. “I think I might be going mad,” she admitted with a laugh. “But if I am, then so be it. It’s really good to see you.”
He watched as a delicate blush began in her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze, evidently unsure what else to say.
“You’re not mad,” he assured her. “I’ve been having those dreams, too.”
He paused as they reached the café, and Ethan pushed the door open for her. With a tentative smile, Lily stepped past him, her provocative little body within his grasp at last, but somehow, he resisted the urge to just take what he wanted. It might very well kill him, but resist he must—for the time being at least.
Flawed: (A Psychological Dark Romance) (The Dark Necessities Prequels Book 1) Page 5
