Tiger Lily: Part Two
Page 18
He stroked my hair to let me know the latter part of his speech was for me. I didn’t answer, as I was too overwhelmed to say anything. When he continued, his focus returned to Melissa.
“As for us—”
“Stop, Jonas.” Melissa said. “We can talk about this in private.”
Jonas snorted. “There is no more privacy,” he said sardonically. “I didn’t invite you to Texas or New York. You came all on your own. I offered my suite at your disposal today out of kindness. Yet you spit on that hospitality and have now not only insulted Lily, but you did so in front of my son.”
“I’m sorry, Jonas,” Melissa looked down at her hands.
“Say it to Lily,” Jonas said in a curt tone.
Her mouth twisted. “No. I wouldn’t mean it. You deserve better than she will ever be able to give you,” she said, looking up and meeting his eyes.
“Like you?” Jonas said with snark. “No. I want Lily.”
Tears began rolling down my cheeks as I took in his words.
“Jonas, please,” Melissa said nasally. “I came here because I want us to be together. Think about how I feel, you moving in with your ex-lover.”
“Moving in?” I mumbled.
“Melissa,” Jonas said, exasperated. “I’m not helping Lily to hurt you.”
“You could help her and not live with her,” Melissa said irritably. “Surely, you understand my concern. She will just run off again, and where will you go? Right back to me, like the last time.”
There was a hint of double meaning in the way she said “last time.” I stilled next to Jonas.
“I didn’t have sex with you, last time or this time,” Jonas said. I leaned into his side and his head rested atop mine for a few seconds. “But like I told you on the phone last night—”
“I’m not ready to give up on us,” she cut him off bitterly. “You’re not answering all the issues I raised because you’re worried, too, and you should be. She is a baby, Jonas. You can’t be serious—”
“And you’re not listening.” His voice was unsteady. “Fine, if you won’t leave, we will,” Jonas said, rising from his seat. “But you need to find somewhere else to stay. My space is no longer available to you.”
He took my hand and I eased to my feet. He leaned over to my ear as if to give us a semblance of privacy.
“We’ll talk this out. All of it, but damn it, you’re not leaving me.” Jonas’s voice broke. He took my face in his hands that were trembling. “Please don’t leave or disappear from my life again. I can’t…bear it.”
His eyes bore into mine, and I was overcome with the desperation I found there. His pain and fear were laid out before me. Out of love for this man, I had to answer it. I put all my feeling into my next words to him.
“I won’t. No matter what, I won’t. I’m here for you, for us.”
He pulled me hard to him, crushing my body against his. “I choose you. I want you, know that. I care. God, I feel, I care. Oh, Lily.” He kissed me tenderly on the lips. “Trust that. We can work with that. Trust me.”
“I do, Jonas. I do,” I choked.
Melissa started crying audibly next to us. In our moment, I had forgotten she was there. Even though she had been awful to me, my heart ached for her because I knew exactly what she was losing.
Jonas breathed me in. “I’ll meet you down by the car. Okay?”
I trusted him, and nodded in compliance. He cupped my face in his hands again and pressed his lips to my forehead, then let me go. I walked to the closet and took out my coat and handbag. I glanced behind me and saw Jonas sitting down next to her. His arm was around her shoulder, providing her the comfort she needed. A pang went through my chest, but I walked out of the suite.
I rode the elevator down to the lobby and walked outside, where I found David by the car out front. He handed me a handkerchief. I wiped my tear-streaked face and sat down in the back of the car.
After about fifteen minutes, I saw Jonas walking towards us, his face solemn. David opened the door. Jonas sat down next to me and sighed. I reached for him and climbed into his lap. We didn’t mention Melissa, but her presence was there. He tucked me under his chin and stroked his hand over my back. I settled into the comfort that came with us wrapped in each other’s arms.
My phone chimed, then chirped with an incoming message. Fear walked across my heart, Declan? Jonas held me close, reminding me I wasn’t alone anymore. I snuggled in closer.
Dani once told me if I let Jonas in, he would move his world for me. And in this moment, I believed her. Holding that thought in my heart, clinging to it as a shield against whatever we were met with next, I knew I would give myself to him completely.
End of Part Two.
Tiger Lily Part Three coming soon.
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Tiger Lily Part Three the final part of the Tiger Lily Series will be out soon. For information about the story and my author’s blog, please visit my website: www.ameliesduncan.com
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to Alan, my husband, best friend and partner. I love you.
Thank you to Leah Campbell for her development editing.
Thank you to Amanda Lawson for line editing.
Thank you to Donna Rich for final proofreading.
Thank you to Silvia Curry of Silvia’s Reading Corner for Beta Reading Tiger Lily.
Special Thanks Deanna, Hermione, Rod, and Tammy of Sassy Beta Reading for beta reading earlier drafts of Tiger Lily Part Two.
Thank you to Cate for her assistance with the blurb.
Thank you to Sarah Hansen of Okay Creations for designing the cover.
Thank you to Guido Henkel for his e-format design.
I greatly appreciate all your hard work and help.
Thank you to all the bloggers and reviewers. I can’t express enough how thankful I feel for your support for my work.
Thank you to the readers for reading my story. I most sincerely hope you enjoyed it.
About the Author
Amélie S. Duncan writes contemporary, erotic romances with a dark edge. Her inspiration comes from many sources including her life experiences and travels. She lives on the West Coast of the United States with her husband.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
Thank you readers!
Acknowledgements
About the Author