Say Yes

by Mellie George

  “This is our last day together, Lilly. I just want to lose myself in you,” he groaned, and before I could say anything his mouth was back on mine. It was the day after Christmas, and the day before I was supposed to leave. I had decided to go back to California and try for a week to sort out my feelings. I figured that getting some distance from Luke, however achingly painful it would be, would help me see what I really wanted. I had already said my goodbyes to most of the people in town, including Brooke and the Grady’s. Luke and I had stopped there on our way back from Mama and Daddy’s, and Mr. Grady made me promise not to wait too long to visit home again. We were all going to the airport together tomorrow, so today was just for me and Luke. His teeth nipping on my bottom lip brought me back to reality and away from my wandering thoughts.

  He wasted no time in moving his hot mouth all over my skin, and was really working me over with his tongue on my breasts. I arched my back, thrusting them up and into his waiting mouth and hands. “Mmm, you taste so sweet,” he mumbled. I ran my hands through his hair and grazed his scalp with my nails. He moved from my breasts immediately down to my sex, and he circled his fingers around the source of my arousal. “Ready for me so quick,” he whispered, and thrust his fingers inside. I screamed out as he moved his mouth around my heat, making me shake and shiver. He was so skilled at getting me going, and this part of sex with Luke never took long. Before I knew it I shattered into a million pieces around him. He moaned in pleasure at my collapse. “Yes, baby. Give into me,” he said.

  Now it was my turn to return the favor. I shoved him off me and onto his back. Before he could react, I took his erection in my mouth, causing him to inhale sharply. “God, Lilly, fuck!” he screamed, and put his hands on the back of my head. I moved him in and out of my mouth, savoring every inch of him. He was hard like granite but smooth like velvet. I was enjoying myself too much to notice me was pulling on me to stop me. “Lilly, slow down, I don’t want to come yet,” he groaned. “I want to be inside you.” He flipped me back onto my back and nestled himself between my legs. Without warning, he slammed into me. He was hot, fast, and rough…and I loved it. God, he felt so good. He was so big it was almost as if he filled every single inch of me. We moved in perfect sync for several minutes, enjoying the feel of us together too much to let go. My body, however, betrayed me and before I could think I was coming apart around him again, clenching in ecstasy. I barely had time to enjoy the feeling, because before I knew it Luke had rolled us and I was on top of him. He hadn’t found his release yet, as he was still hard and ready inside me. I gasped at the feel of him. I loved being on top of him, this position felt so much deeper. I began to rock back and forth on top of him, and he shouted, “Yes, Lilly! Oh, God, you feel so good.”

  I felt the fire burning inside me again, and by the way Luke was writing beneath me, I knew he was feeling it too. Soon, I came gloriously against him, my body clenching around his hardness. Then, with one more deep thrust, he emptied himself into me, his body stilling. Oh wow…what a hell of a way to wake up. I collapsed on his chest as we both struggled to catch our breath. He wrapped both arms around me, and traced his fingers along my spine and the curves of my bottom. After a few quiet moments, I lifted my head and rested my chin on his chest, looking into his eyes. “That was amazing,” I said.

  “It always will be with you,” he whispered, and leaned up to kiss me. I opened my mouth and our tongues touched gently. He rubbed his hands quickly along my back, and sighed. “You hungry?”

  “For food?” I asked, smiling.

  “Yes, for food. As much as I’d love to lay here and taste you all day, we do need to eat,” he grinned.

  I softly giggled. “Yeah, I could eat. I think we’ve both worked up an appetite. What would you like me to make?”

  “Why don’t you let me make you breakfast this morning?” He chuckled at my wide eyed expression.

  “You? Cooking? Seriously?”

  He laughed. “Well, I’m no Lilly Harrington, but I know my way around an egg. Come on, what do you say?”

  “I say that you are the sweetest man in the world, and I bet anything you make for me will be perfect.”

  “All right then,” he said, and I rolled off of him. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers and put them on. “You stay here. Watch some TV, check your messages, or whatever you want. Just relax, and I’ll be back.” He leaned in and kissed me quickly, and for a brief moment, he looked at me like he was memorizing every curve of my face.

  “Take your time,” I said, and he walked out of the room and down the stairs. I sat up and climbed back under the blankets, pulling them up to cover my naked chest. I grabbed the remote control from the night stand, and mindlessly flicked through the channels. While I was searching the guide for something to watch, my cell phone vibrated. I picked it up and the caller ID told me it was Alejandro. Smiling, I picked it up. “Hey, handsome,” I answered.

  “Hey, girl! I feel like I haven’t talked to you in forever. How have you been enjoying your vacation?”

  I looked around Luke’s bedroom, and sighed. “Oh, Alejandro, it’s been amazing.”

  It went quiet on his end for a moment, and then he said, “You had sex, didn’t you?”

  Laughing, I said, “What? Why do you say that?”

  “I hear it in your voice. You are all happy and dreamy. So, who is it? Tell me everything.”

  The truth was bound to come out anyway when I got back, and if it was, I’d rather talk about it with Alejandro first. “His name is Luke.”

  “Ah, I knew it! Girl, you gotta give me details. What does he look like? Is he cute? I bet he’s cute.”

  “He’s more than cute. He’s gorgeous.”

  “What does he do?”

  “He’s a doctor. Pediatrician, actually.”

  “A cute doctor that loves kids? Girl, you better lock that down now,” he said, and I laughed. “So, how did you meet him?”

  “Actually, I’ve known him forever. We grew up together.”

  “Aw, was he your high school sweetheart?”

  “Well, not exactly. We weren’t together until the night before I left for college. I never knew he was in love with me until that night.”

  “So you two hooked up before you came here?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you two saw each other again and picked right back up eleven years later like nothing happened?”

  “Give or take a week.” I laughed.

  “He obviously still loves you girl.”

  Taking a deep breath, I replied, “And I love him too. I think I always have. I was just too wrapped up in me to think about it.”

  “Well, Lilly, if you love him, I already love him. I have known you for eleven years, and in all that time I have never heard you say those words about anyone other than me or Tara. I am so happy for you,” he said. At that moment, I felt a little choked up.

  “You are? That means the world to me, Alejandro. Really. I wish I could say Tara would feel the same. You know when she finds out she’s gonna flip her lid.”

  “Okay, pardon my language, but fuck Tara. You were always way too nice to her, nicer than she ever deserved. If she is mad at you because you gave your heart to someone and are finally happy, then honey, she was never your friend to begin with.”

  “Yeah, I’m beginning to realize that.” I then told him about our conversation a few days before the wedding.

  “God, what a bitch. Listen to me, Lilly, you do what’s right for you. Don’t let that cow ruin your happiness, you hear me?”

  “I won’t,” I laughed. “I am just not looking forward to her freaking out on me tomorrow when I get back. I won’t even have a day before she bombards me.”

  “So, you are still coming back then?”

  “Yeah. Just to sort things out, and see what I want to do. I’m going to give myself a week to decide.”

  “Well, whatever you decide to do, I’m there for you girl. You do what makes you happy. I�
�ll miss you if you leave, but that’s why God invented airplanes, right?”

  “I love you, Alejandro.” At that moment, Luke came into the room carrying a tray.

  “Love you too, girl.”

  “Listen, I have to go. Luke just walked in carrying a tray of food, and it smells amazing. I am intrigued.” Luke smiled at me, flashing his perfect white teeth.

  “Oh, okay. Go get some. And then, you know, eat some food too.”

  I laughed out loud. “Bye, babe.”

  “Bye, girl. Have a safe flight, and call me when you get in, okay? I want details about this guy.” I realized then why I loved him so much. He was like the male version of Daisy.

  “I will, bye.” I hung up the phone and set it back down on Luke’s night stand. “Mmm, that smells good,” I said, sitting up even more with my back resting on the headboard.

  He walked over to the bed, and set the tray on my lap with the legs. Then, he leaned down his face to mine and lightly kissed my lips. “Hi,” he said quietly.

  “Hi,” I giggled.

  He sat next to me on the bed. “Okay, this is the first time I have made breakfast for anyone, let alone a famous chef. So please be gentle,” he said. On the tray was a glass of orange juice, a mug of coffee, and a plate filled with bacon, two hash browns, buttered toast, and two fluffy omelets filled with cheese, mushrooms, green peppers, and tomatoes. “I know the bacon’s obviously not the fresh kind, I heated it in the microwave, but it’s the thought that counts, right?”

  “Babe, this looks amazing.” I leaned in and kissed him again.

  “I made enough for two, and I brought both coffee and orange juice because I have seen you drink both in the morning. So you choose.”

  “Um, orange juice sounds great.”

  “Okay then.” He picked up a fork and cut a piece of the omelet for me, the cheese so gooey that it was oozing out of the sides. It looked mouth watering. “Here goes,” he said, picking up the steamy piece on the fork and holding it up to me. “Moment of truth.”

  I grinned brightly. “I can’t believe you are going to feed me.”

  A wicked grin crept over his lips. “I like to feed you in all aspects, baby,” and my legs suddenly felt numb. Tingles shot through me right to my belly. “But right now, let’s focus on food.”

  Smiling, I opened my mouth and he placed the fork in my mouth. He looked nervous as I tasted the warm eggs and cheese on my tongue. Oh my…it was delectable. I closed my eyes, savoring the flavor. God, he did know his way around an egg. This was the most delicious omelet I had ever tasted. Moaning, I opened my eyes and said, “Luke…oh my God. This is amazing!”

  He grinned. “Oh come on, Lilly, you’re just being nice. It can’t be that good.”

  “Trust me, being a chef, if it wasn’t good I’d tell you. If this doctor thing doesn’t work out…” I trailed off, and picked up the other fork. I cut another piece off my omelet and popped it in my mouth.

  He cut a piece off of his omelet and took a bite. “Mm, not bad,” he said. He picked up the mug of coffee and took a drink. We sat and ate our breakfast together, talking and laughing. After all the food was gone, he was telling me a story about him and Evan in college when I suddenly got an urge to jump on him. I took the tray off my lap and carelessly tossed it to the floor. His eyes went wide. “What are you doing?” he asked, amused.

  “Not wasting any time,” I said, and I reached my hand up around the back of his neck and pulled his lips to mine. I let the blankets fall from my chest, and his hand reached up and took one of my breasts in his hand. I pulled him on top of me and wrapped my leg around his waist, nudging his boxers down with my foot. I thought I heard him left out a soft chuckle as we got lost in each other again.

  We had had a perfect day together. We had lunch in bed as well, but he insisted on feeding me every bite. He let me make lunch this time, and after our heavy breakfast, it was just chicken salad sandwiches and fresh fruit. It was late afternoon when Luke insisted we get out of bed. He said he had a surprise for me and I was to shower and get dressed nice. He told me that in the short time we’d been together, he’d never officially taken me out on an honest to goodness date. Most of our time we’d spent naked, which had been fine by me. But, I thought the sentiment was cute, so I obliged. He was showering in the downstairs bathroom because he said he had a few calls to make and he didn’t want to disturb me getting ready. Really, it was about this surprise. I rolled my eyes and decided to let him have his fun. This was our last night together…we both deserved it.

  After I had gotten a shower, I went to get dressed. I chose an emerald green silk dress that had fell just above my knees. It had thin straps, and it flowed around like water. It was very girly and pretty. I pair it with my favorite black strappy heels, small diamond hoop earrings, and my diamond necklace from Luke. I wore my hair down, letting it fall in soft waves around my shoulders, and I swept my bangs to the side. I applied my make up, and I went downstairs to meet him. He was on the phone when I took my last step. “Yes, that sounds good. All right, thank you so much for your help. Yes, we will be there soon. Thanks, goodbye,” he said, swiping his finger across his phone screen. After he placed it in his pocket, he turned and looked at me. His jaw fell slack, and he blinked his eyes a few times. “Good lord, Lilly, you are gonna be the death of me,” he grinned. My mouth felt dry at the sight of him. He was wearing a crisp black suit, a white button down shirt under his jacket, and a charcoal gray tie. His hair was slicked back, just like he wore it at the wedding. He was beautiful.

  “Thanks, Luke. You’re not so bad yourself,” I said, sauntering over to him. We embraced for a few moments, and he suddenly backed away. “What’s wrong?”

  He laughed. “Nothing’s wrong. You just look so damn sexy right now that my body’s giving me some pretty raunchy ideas,” he said, and I laughed. “You ready to go?”

  Smiling, I said, “As ready as I’ll ever be.” Arm in arm we walked out the door and headed to the restaurant.

  Chapter 22

  Surprise Indeed

  Luke took me back to Bella Signora for our last night together. The place was just as beautiful as I remembered. At night it was even more amazing, all lit up in lights. We had a cozy table in the corner of the restaurant, and the tables were lit with votive candles. It had been an enchanting evening together. We had already eaten our dinner and the waiter had just brought our desert. We were sharing a slice of triple chocolate lava cake and were halfway through when I looked at him. He suddenly seemed nervous. “Hey, you all right?” I asked him. “You seem all wound up.”

  “Well, the evening’s almost over, so there’s nothing left but your surprise,” he said, and all confidence in him had turned to sheer nerves.

  “Don’t be nervous. Whatever it is, I know I will love it.”

  He took a deep breath, and blew out through his mouth. “Well, here goes nothing,” he said, and he looked up and nodded his head. A waitress came over to our table carrying a silver tray. On it were a small red Cartier box and a single white rose lying next to it. My heart started beating faster and my palms started sweating. My eyes popped up quickly and stared into his. Green to blue. My scalp was prickling with anticipation…oh my God…

  Taking my left hand, he said, “Lilly, I love you. And I will be honest with you. In this box,” he said, picking it up, “is an engagement ring. I want to give it to you because I want to marry you. I want to see it on your beautiful finger letting the world know that you are really and truly mine. I want us to get married surrounded by our friends and family, and soon after I want to start a family with you. I want to see your beautiful belly round with our child and feel it growing inside you. I want to hold your hand as you are giving birth, and I want to hold our baby in our arms for the first time as a family. I want to grow old with you and us to be happy forever…I want it all.” Big fat tears were brimming in my eyes. I knew if I blinked they would pour down my face. “But, now, you have to decide if that’s what you w
ant. All I am asking you to do is think about it. I don’t expect an answer tonight, and don’t give me one until you are ready. When you go back tomorrow, take that time to think about what I am asking. Don’t open the box yet. Take it with you and if you decide that you don’t want this right now, then just send it back and that will be it,” he said, his eyes flashing a hint of fear. “But, if you decide that you do want this, want us and everything I want too, all you have to do is say yes, and it’s yours. Will you promise to think things over when you leave?” I was speechless. I literally couldn’t say anything, so I nodded my head. A tear escaped my eye, and he reached up with his hand to brush it off my cheek. He placed the ring box in my hand, and said, “My heart is in this box, Lilly. Keep it safe because it’s yours.” The check appeared a moment later, and after the bill was paid, he helped me out of my chair. “Come on, baby, let’s go home. This is our last night together, and I want to spend it buried in you.” Before I could think, he leaned in and kissed me, and his tongue skimmed my bottom lip. Breathless, I pulled away and nodded at him. I just couldn’t bring myself to speak, and wrapping his arm around my waist (perhaps to keep me steady on my feet since my knees felt weak), we walked out of the restaurant.

  The ride back to the lake house was quiet. Luke just proposed to me. He bought me a ring and told me that he wanted us forever. A wedding, marriage, family…he wanted it all. I literally held the key to a bright amazing future with him…and if I wanted it, I just had to open the box. But, he didn’t want me to decide that yet. He wanted me to get distance so I can make up my mind, free from the pressures of home. He really was an amazing man. He laid his heart out to me, and wanted me to choose whether or not to take it, but on my terms. I couldn’t have asked for better. The truth was I didn’t know if I really wanted that time away. The more I thought about what he said, the more it sounded amazing. But, what about my life in California? What about my career I worked so hard for? What about my friends…what about the restaurant? How could I let Jean Luc and the rest of the employees down? What was I gonna do?