For a moment she forgot herself because the masculine aura he gave off when he was irate made him ten times as appealing than he usually was. If that was possible. Then she started to come to her senses and realized that this would get back to Luke and he would be just as livid. Right now she 109
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couldn‘t deal with anymore of this in her life. She was still trying to mend her broken heart.
Nikos dropped his hand that was placed on the small of her back and answered him. Thankfully his tone was calmer.
― I told you.‖ Max said to Nikos, ― That Lily was mine!”
― She hasn’t got a ring anymore Max.‖ answered Nikos keeping his expression impassive. Although, inside he was grinning. Max still cared about Lily and regardless of her thoughts to the opposite, he still was possessive. Hopefully she could see this even if she couldn‘t understand what they were saying. Max‘s jealousy was like a neon sign.
― It makes no difference.‖ He said casting a look at Lily who looked like she was ready to burst into tears. ― Stay away from my fiancé.‖
Nikos lifted his chin, ― A man like you who has a woman like this would treat her better, no? She is sad, I cheered her up.
We are friends. I would never go back on my word.”
―Lily get in the car.‖ Max said sternly without taking his eyes off of Nikos.
Lily took a deep breath but didn‘t move. This made him drop his gaze to her and raise his brows.
―You heard me.‖
―Nikos can drive me back to college.‖ She answered sounding a lot braver than she felt. Seeing those two tall men toe to toe was intimidating to the most courageous person, and it was obvious that Max was tearing a strip off of Nikos who acted as though it was no surprise and almost as if a smile of amusement touched his dark eyes.
―Like hell!‖ he said turning to face her to give her the full dose of his authority. ―You‘ll get in the bloody car or I‘ll toss you over my shoulder and drag you there.‖
―You are not my brother!‖ she shouted back, ―I‘m sick of listening to orders from the both of you!‖
110
The Billionaire‘s Secret Desire He narrowed his gaze but never said anything Lily lasted a whole ten seconds under that piercing stare before she released a huff of breath and went to Max‘s car. Oscar closed the door behind her and she sat against the far corner with her legs crossed at the knees and her arms folded under her breasts fuming.
Max turned back to Nikos after the car door closed and spoke in English, ―I told you I would drop this contract over her, and I will.‖
―She is a woman who is hurting Max. I only tried to help her.‖ Nikos explained.
―She is not your concern and don‘t presume you know what she needs.‖ he said with a fierce glare, ―Remember what I said.‖ Max added coolly before he turned and walked toward his car with a long determined stride.
Nikos watched Max drive away with Lily and he felt very sad for her. He hoped his prediction between them was right.
He‘d seen it happen with his sister and his own best friend.
In the car, Max studied Lily for a long time before he finally spoke. ―Lily.‖ He said noticing her closed posture. Even as angry as she was, her beauty was still a force to be reckoned with.
Images of their lovemaking filled his mind and he flattened the palms of his hands on his thighs to resist reaching for her. Christ, he missed her!
―I‘m not speaking to you.‖ She said not looking at him but keeping her eyes on the passing scenery.
He took a deep breath and prayed for patience. He knew he handled this whole thing badly, but he couldn‘t see straight when he saw her with Nikos. Then he noticed that Nikos was touching her even if it was a small gesture that a gentleman would give a woman. As far as he was concerned, he was the only man to touch Lily from now on especially after knowing her body 111
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the way he did.
―How did you know where I was?‖ she said finally realizing that it would have taken him two hours to drive directly to the restaurant from his building in downtown Chicago. That meant that he would have known exactly when she went off with Nikos. When he didn‘t answer she did look at him and what she saw wasn‘t what she expected. He looked slightly guilty. ―Well?‖
―I have my sources.‖ He near winced at his confession knowing what was going to follow and he wasn‘t wrong.
Her eyes widened, ―You‘re having me watched!‖
Although his expression never gave anything away, she saw him shift uncomfortably, ―How long?‖
He didn‘t answer.
―Max?‖
He took a deep breath and nodded. Maybe it was about time she knew. ―It wasn‘t just my idea. Luke and I worried—―
―My God! Do you mean you two have been spying on me since I went to college?‖
―We couldn‘t take any chances button—―
―Don‘t call me that! Don‘t ever call me that again!‖ she seethed feeling her temper overflowing, ―I can‘t believe you two!‖
Everything she knew was a lie. No wonder he knew all about David. How many other of her boyfriends had they checked out without her knowledge and—what did they do about it? So many of them had left her alone without explanation after the first few dates.
Max could see the emotions play over her face as she was figuring things out. He somehow expected that she‘d discover this sooner or later, but he wanted to be the one to tell her, not have her find out while he was in the midst of a jealous rage.
―What were you doing with Nikos?‖
Her mouth fell open, ―Don‘t you dare put this back on me.‖
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―Lily, Luke and I are worth a lot of money. How the hell to you think we would feel if you ended up abducted?‖
―It‘s my life!‖
―No, its not. Losing you was never an option. We are responsible for you—‗
―Luke is! You gave up that right when you shunned me Max.‖
―I tried telling you about that night we shared but you wouldn‘t hear it.‖
‗No, because I don‘t want to come in second best!‖ she said pointing a finger at her chest, ―I can‘t bear being compared to all of your other women. Do you have any idea how that makes someone like me feel? Of course not, because you are so self absorbed in your own world that you chose to act like nothing happened, but something did happen.‖ Tears started to fall from her eyes just as the car pulled to a halt outside her dorm room. She made a move to get out of the car, but Max grabbed her arm.
―Lily.‖ He said softly, ―you keep running when I want to tell you—explain to you about that night.‖
―Let me go Max.‖ she said, ―Just leave me alone—please.‖
The look of pain that crossed her face made him let her go and she got out of the car. He told Oscar to wait until she was safe inside before driving away. Then he rolled up the divider and spent the drive back to his penthouse seething. He was angry at her, at Nikos, but most of all himself. He should have never taken her to bed in Greece. It left her openly vulnerable towards him. He didn‘t like the way their relationship changed dramatically after that. Part of him felt as though he‘d lost her because of it, and another made him feel selfish like she said because he should have reassured her immediately after that, not leaving her to wake up alone. Then again he‘d never been with someone so innocent so it escaped him to do such a thing.
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He realized now that he made a huge sacrifice just to have a taste of her. A taste that he would never forget.
CHAPTER SIX
Lily went right to her room, thankful that she didn‘t have a roommate this semester. Her eyes were already red and puffy.
Was it possible for her heart to hurt so much? She sobbed out loud and made her way to the bathroom to wash her face. Never had she let her emotions get so out of control,
but that man drove her crazy! His confession of having her watched near pushed her over the edge with everything else that had been going on in her life. Nikos was only being a friend and Max had—had what? She paused looking at her reflection in the mirror as something dawned on her.
Max acted jealous.
After a moment she shook her head even considering what Nikos had said. Max never got jealous. He had his choice of the cream of the crop and for him to settle for her was impossible. Yet she couldn‘t help wonder if he had made sure that she had no suitors. He and Luke were in on this. When her brother got back in town she was going to confront him about this whole thing. She was so mixed up she didn‘t know which way was up at the moment. Not only that, she still couldn‘t beat this flu bug. If it was a bug. Luke already suspected she wasn‘t well, but she‘d passed it off when he‘d asked her about it.
What was she going to tell him? That she had a broken heart?
That weekend Luke had just come back from New York and picked his sister up from school to bring her home for the weekend and she went straight to bed claiming she wasn‘t feeling well. This seemed to be a regular occurrence with her, but he‘d 114
The Billionaire‘s Secret Desire been away quite a bit in the last month and really didn‘t take notice of it. However, he was sure she was ill when he brought her home a weekend last week to spend time with her too. She‘d spent most of it in her bedroom.
After he started thinking about it, he recalled the way she looked when he returned from Tokyo and she from Athens. The life seemed to go out of her, but he attributed that to Jet lag the first couple of days, but he was gone again after that. Now he started to wonder if it was something else. Max seemed more subdued lately and if he had any suspicions he would think that something happened between them when they had gone together, but Max had promised him and his word was virtually unbreakable.
Yet, he still couldn‘t help but wonder, and first thing on Monday he would ask him. First, he was getting his sister a Doctor‘s appointment.
Monday was crazy and it took Luke half a day to finally get Max alone. He didn‘t waste any time. After Nancy left and shut the door behind them he turned to his friend, ―What happened between you and Lily in Athens?‖
Max kept his expression carefully guarded, ―What did she tell you?‖
Luke narrowed his gaze knowing his suspicions were correct, ―Nothing.‖
―Then why do you ask?‖
―She won‘t eat, she‘s lost weight and whenever I bring her home for the weekend she spends the whole time in her room. ―
He paused, ―She says she hasn‘t been feeling well, but this has been continuous for the past month. ― he stopped again and studying his expression for any clue of what he really thought he continued, ―Did you sleep with her?‖
―No.‖ he said keeping the tone of his voice even.
He studied his friend‘s expression and narrowed his gaze.
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He was one of the few people in the world that could read Max and although he knew he was telling him the truth, it wasn‘t the whole truth. ―But something happened.‖
―Yes Luke, something happened, but your sister is still chaste.‖ He admitted remembering that night then his composure faltered a little as he ran a hand through his thick hair, ―We—we did get intimate, but not how you think, and as for her being pregnant, unless there‘s a star in the East, it‘s impossible.‖ He sure as hell hoped he didn‘t ask what kind of intimacy that they shared because he didn‘t want to tell his best friend that he‘d taught Lily oral sex. Over the past month he still couldn‘t erase that night from his mind. In all of her innocence it brought a new erotic pleasure to the act. One he couldn‘t forget and didn‘t want to. Somehow he was still able to restrain from making her completely his although he had no idea how he managed it. No matter how desirable and passionate Lily was, his promise to Luke managed to break through.
Luke released a sigh of relief, ―I don‘t need any details Max.‖ he shot him an accusing look, ―But she‘s either extremely depressed or there‘s something seriously wrong with her. I‘m getting worried.‖
―I‘ll speak to her.‖ Truth was, he‘d been anxious about her since he practically hauled her away from Nikos by the hair.
Besides Cybil intruding at the office, there was her last day working for him. He knew she was crying, but he‘d hurt her enough and didn‘t go after her. Instead he‘d fired Brittney on the spot and told her she‘d never get another job in the industry because of the way she treated Lily. He also went on to tell her that he was marrying Lily, and the insults she just gave his future wife were unforgivable. The shocked look on the woman‘s face gave him some satisfaction for Lily, but it still didn‘t heal his pain. He missed her more than he‘d miss a part of himself.
There had been many occasions that he nearly drove down to her 116
The Billionaire‘s Secret Desire college and confessed everything to her, but right now she was hurt and upset with him and needed time to heal. Not only that, he was beholden to Luke. He‘d promised him he‘d leave her be until she was done College.
―No,‖ Luke held his hand up, ―I think you‘ve done enough. It‘s not just the illness; I know there‘s some damage from you also.‖
Max pursed his lips and stared at his friend. He was right but Lily wouldn‘t always be Luke‘s responsibility and he told him that.
Luke narrowed his gaze, ―You have no rights now Max, and I don‘t appreciate you seducing my sister when you know how vulnerable she was around you.‖
―Something I can‘t undo Luke, but I can make things right. I‘ve tried to talk to her, but she wouldn‘t have it. Let me see her.‖ He thrust sliced a hand through the air, ―If I had things my way, I would be married to her already. You knew how I felt about her for years. The only reason I kept my distance was because you asked me to.‖
―She‘s only twenty.‖ Luke reminded him.
―She‘s got the maturity of a woman ten years older than that, and you know it.‖ He thrust his fingers through his hair again, ―Look. I‘m having a hell of a time concentrating on anything. I told you how I felt when I found her with Nikos.
Now I know she won‘t give me the time of day because she‘s as angry as hell over the security team. She feels as though we betrayed her and she may forgive you because you‘re her brother, but for me it‘s just another mark against me.‖
Luke took a long deep breath. Max was right, but he couldn‘t help feel that they were rushing her, taking away her youth before she had experienced anything. However, he didn‘t miss the way Lily reacted to Cybil and the jealousy she portrayed.
He knew she loved Max, what woman wouldn‘t? His shoulders 117
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slumped in defeat and he nodded, ―She looks terrible.‖ He finally said looking back at Max helplessly, ―I‘m still pissed at you but, maybe I didn‘t help much.‖
―Maybe we both screwed up. We didn‘t give her a choice in anything.‖ Max said seeing his friend‘s guilt.
―Yeah, maybe she‘s not too far off calling us overprotective louts.‖
―And because of it, she got hurt.‖ Max winced. ―Hell, I wish I could change the past but I can‘t. I‘ve tried to talk to her, but she won‘t hear it and short of betraying you, I couldn‘t‘ tell her anything.‖
Luke studied his friend‘s pained expression, ―You love her that much?‖
Max managed a bittersweet smile, ―You have no idea.‖
Luke nodded and released a slow breath, ―I‘m taking her to the Doctor‘s today at three.‖ He looked at his watch. ―I kept her home from school because I wanted to go with her.‖
Max straightened himself and shoved his hands in the pockets of his dark slacks, ―All right, however, I am marrying her in the future if she‘ll still have me, and I understand your anger with me, it‘s warranted, but as soon as you hear anything I‘m entitled to know.‖
Luke thought abo
ut this for a moment. A man like Max really shouldn‘t be held at fault for hurting Lily. He was acting on Luke‘s wishes, yet he obviously did get carried away with her and he held him responsible for that. In a way he was hoping she was pregnant, then it would explain her symptoms, but now a new worry set in. Would depression explain all of what she was portraying? He wasn‘t a doctor so he didn‘t know but he had a sense of dread over it. ―I‘ll call you Max. I promise.‖
―That‘s all I ask. Thank you.‖
After Doctor Chang was done her examination, she helped Lily don a hospital gown while pressing her lips together, 118
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―Is your brother here?
―I think he‘s in the waiting room. Why?‖
Doctor Chang had been Lily‘s doctor since she was fourteen and moved to Chicago with Luke when he started working for Max. Despite her name she wasn‘t Asian, but looked more Romanian with her dark hair and eyes. It seemed sort of funny to Lily when she first met her and actually asked her about her name. She said her husband was Asian and worked in the city as an engineer. She also told her with a smile that she got that a lot. Regardless, she was always very considerate to Lily.
Maybe it was because her and Luke were looking after each other since the death of their parents and her Doctor knew that.
―He‘s your guardian right?‖
―What‘s wrong?‖ She started to get worried.
―It may be nothing, but I should speak to him first.‖ She picked up Lily‘s folder, ―I‘ll send the lab tech in to take some blood so I can run some tests.‖ She said, ―I‘ll be back in a few minutes.‖
―Okay.‖ Lily said unable to keep the worry out of her expression.
Luke was sitting in the waiting room rubbing his forehead with his hand in obvious worry. Time seemed to pass slowly and it was excruciating waiting for the results. He stood immediately when the Doctor approached, ―My sister—is she okay?‖
Doctor Chang indicated for him to sit down and she took the seat next to him, ―It may be nothing, but your sister has a lump in her breast.‖
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