She smiled at him and added, “Of course, you have final approval, boss, but I’m planning a full overhaul of everything, the custom jewelry site and the personal jewelry site. When I visited Emma while she was still in the hospital, she told me they could help us out.”
Emma Guthrie had found herself in the crosshairs of a woman who’d had an online obsession with Gage Randall and had nearly died when the woman had shown up on her doorstep with a loaded gun. Clay was reminded again how short and risky life was and was happy to see Duke and Gage making plans for a life with Emma.
“Little did Emma know that we’d both have something the other needed,” Gage said as he pointed out a ring for Duke to look at.
Clay glanced out the window and noticed the sky had darkened. “Looks like we have some rain coming.”
Duke nodded. “There’s supposed to be a big storm system headed our way overnight, too. Lily, how about I put something together for you and Clay to look at in the next day or so and we’ll go from there.”
“That sounds good. I’ll put your name on this one and hold it for you.” She showed them the ring again. “If this is the one you’ve decided on, that is.”
Duke and Gage looked at each other and nodded, slight smiles on their faces. Gage said, “Yeah, that’s the one, Lily. That’s Emma’s ring.”
Clay glanced up as Tabitha came in through the front door. She took in the scene with the two men looking at the one ring, and her face screwed up like someone had stuck a corncob up her ass. She schooled her expression before they glanced her way, and Clay rolled his eyes.
Here it comes. At least wait until they leave, Tabitha.
Duke and Gage nodded at her before making their exit, looking slightly amused at Clay’s expense as Tabitha slammed the drawer she kept her purse in, mumbling to herself.
“Something on your mind, Tabitha?” Clay asked, figuring it was better to get it out in the open while the shop was empty, rather than let it simmer.
“It just a shame. Two perfectly eligible men, to one woman. It’s not fair to the other women of this community.”
Lily looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. Clay shrugged and met Tabitha’s hellfire and brimstone gaze. “Not fair how? They fall in love, they make a commitment to each other. It’s not like we’re assigned mates or anything.”
“It’s shameful,” she said as she reapplied her pink lipstick. She must’ve gone home for lunch because her beige wool cardigan was covered with black cat hair. “One woman with two men earning two incomes is greedy.”
The irritating tickle started in the back of his throat again. “If they’re happy, we should all be happy for them. I want no complaints from customers, Tabitha.” He had his handkerchief ready when the sneezing started.
Using her familiar martyred tone, she replied, “You won’t hear any complaints about me, Clay. I know you’re friends with them. But you know I have to stand for what’s moral, too.” Looking expectantly at Lily, she asked, “Time for more training?”
Clay nodded, and Lily followed him to workroom. She’d been so enthusiastic with the personal jewelry business that he’d begun showing her how to craft the basic pieces. She’d blushed at times as he’d explained how to size and create the pieces because that involved explaining how and where the jewelry fit, but she’d taken to the work with little trouble.
Her delight in crafting something he could sell was evident. He’d been busy at his workbench one day when she’d held out a new piece for him to inspect. It was a cloverleaf-shaped clit clip unlike anything he’d created. He could tell she had a natural knack for jewelry design, and when he told her so, her face had lit up with happiness. The one concern that she’d voiced was that she didn’t have as much time to work on them as she’d wanted to because of her other responsibilities in the store and schoolwork. It pleased Clay that she wanted to be involved and enjoyed the work.
A little later, thunder rumbled in the distance, causing Clay to remember a vital fact. Lily was terrified of lightning and always had been since they were little. The latest lesson was finished and the day’s orders were packed and ready to ship when Clay said, “Why don’t you take these to the post office and then you can head on home. Can you manage okay?” His heart told him to go with her and help her though her fears, but he knew she was trying to be independent and face challenges head-on.
Lily nodded, but he could see that her lips were pale and her knuckles stood out white from wringing her hands together. “I’ll be okay. It’s just rain. The thunderstorms don’t come until later tonight. It’s just a little noise and some rain. I know I can do this.” She said it as though she were giving herself a pep talk.
Sympathetically, Clay said, “I’ll help you load the car.” One little hint that you need me, Lily, and I’ll come with you.
Lily grabbed her purse, and Clay carried the large cardboard carton full of smaller shipping boxes. It was a far cry from how Tabitha had handled the orders previously. Lily used packing peanuts, white tissue paper, new flat-rate shipping boxes, computer printed labels, postage and packing lists, so the operation was clean, efficient, and professional looking. The best part of it, though, was that Lily was proud of herself for the accomplishment. He was especially pleased that she’d taken the initiative with the website.
Lily unlocked her car, which was now fully repaired and running in tiptop shape. He put the carton on her front seat and looked at the sky, which had darkened a bit more. The cool wind was whipping all around them. Clay’s heart went out to her when she licked her lips nervously.
He resisted the urge to tell her to hold on while he let Tabitha know he was going with her. That would delay her getting home so it wasn’t a better option. The best thing for her was to get the job done and get home where he hoped she would feel safer. “You don’t have that far to go. I’d be willing to bet that it still hasn’t rained a drop by the time you walk in the front door at home.”
Lily nodded affirmatively and climbed in on the driver’s side. “See you this evening. I’ll have supper ready.”
“The best deal I ever made was having you move in, Lily,” Clay said appreciatively. Every word was sincere, but he also hoped to shore her rapidly dwindling bravery. Lily wasn’t just scared, she was terrified. It rankled some part of him that she didn’t ask for his help but she’d sworn she could do this. Now in the face of a storm, her mettle was being put to the test. “Text me as soon as you walk in the door.”
“Okay.” Her face was still pale as she white-knuckled the steering wheel and backed from her parking spot.
* * * *
Lily had no choice but to wait in line at the post office, adding to her anxiety and delaying her arrival home. Dried leaves blew all around her and the first fat droplets of rain splattered on her windshield as she pulled up in front of the house. Thunder rumbled distantly as she looked out the window and then forced herself to not think about it anymore, to just make a run for the front door. If she overthought it, she’d still be sitting out there when Clay got home.
She knew it was an unreasonable fear because the thunder and lightning were still many miles distant, but she was scared nonetheless. Grateful that the rain had at least waited until after she’d dropped off the packages, she grabbed her purse, climbed from her car, and ran to the porch.
Inside, once her hands had stopped shaking, she chopped vegetables for a salad and mixed all the ingredients for a chicken and rice casserole. When it was in the oven, she changed into her workout clothes and jumped on the trainer. The casserole needed an hour so she had enough time for an audio lecture and a chapter in her sociology textbook. She set her timer and let it rip.
At the rate she was going with her classes and her sessions on the trainer, she’d reach her educational and weight loss goals in no time. Her life was going in a completely new direction, and she was so excited about the possibilities that there were now actually nights where she had trouble sleeping. Thoughts about being so actively invol
ved in Clay’s business kept the wheels of her mind churning. Very often, a burgeoning awareness of Clay himself as an attractive man and not just her close friend also caused her sleeplessness. She always put the time to good use and studied or worked out and was grateful that the elliptical machine was nearly silent in its operation.
A while later, she heard the front door close. “Lily! I’m home! Something smells good.” A few seconds later the voice was closer. “Here you are.”
Lily removed the earbuds of her MP3 player from her ears and held on to the rails as she turned to look at him.
His gaze drifted over the body-hugging white tank top she’d changed into and beyond to the snug, black yoga pants she wore. The outfit was a first for her, comprised of two pieces that didn’t overlap much at all to hide her big ass. It was all out there, like it or not. He shifted his eyes up to hers, so she caught a glimpse of the desire flickering there before he shuttered them again.
It had embarrassed her the first time she’d caught him watching her on the elliptical machine. She was nowhere near her goal weight, but she felt much better about herself now than she had during that first week or two, and she didn’t try to hide her body under baggy, unattractive clothing the way she once had. At the moment, he was staring pretty hard at her rear end. It didn’t embarrass her anymore. If she was honest with herself, she liked having his eyes on her.
Because of her issues and goals, she’d closed the door pretty tightly on the possibility of a relationship, at least in her own mind she had. She knew where Clay stood…or where he had said he stood. She had a feeling he’d put high boundaries in place for her benefit, not his.
She recognized the look in his eyes, but it didn’t scare her the way JT had scared her. In fact, she was very aware of the way her body was responding to his gaze as her pussy softened and trembled with arousal. His gaze made her feel sexy, an altogether foreign sensation for her. If that look had been in JT’s eyes, she would have felt like a trapped animal caught in the crosshairs. The timer dinged, breaking the spell.
“H–Hi,” she stammered as she slowed on the machine and came to a stop. “Supper should be ready to take out of the oven.” She removed the player and marked the place in her textbook then took the hand he offered to help her down. Her right knee twinged when she stepped from the machine, but she was distracted from it as she looked up at him. Heat suffused her cheeks and chest as he stared at the expanses of exposed skin on her shoulders and above her neckline. “Everything okay?”
Clay blinked a couple of times and then smiled good-naturedly as he measured his words, hesitated, then finally said, “You made it home before the rain?”
Lily nodded, appreciating the fact that he didn’t make fun of her fear of storms. “The rain arrived at the house right when I did.”
“You’re not going to believe who I heard from,” he said, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, reminding her of her intention to get it cut soon. She’d meant to get a referral from Emma or Grace but hadn’t done it yet. In the last few weeks she’d come to count both women as friends and not just acquaintances.
“Who?”
“Del. He’s back in the States. He said he should arrive home late tonight.”
Hot damn! “Oh, no! In the middle of the storm? Poor guy. But that’s wonderful news!” Lily was so happy for him she hugged him and then remembered she was all sweaty. “Oh, sorry. I’m yucky,” she said as she pulled away.
Clay gave her a sideways grin. “Not hardly, Lil.” His hand stayed put on her hip, which she tried unsuccessfully to ignore.
“Is he staying here tonight?”
Clay chuckled and shook his head. “It’s a good thing he’s used to roughing it. I told him he could stay here, but he said he’s going straight to the ranch. He sounded pretty happy that you’re here, by the way. He wants to take you to lunch tomorrow. I’ll even let you have the afternoon off if you’d like to spend some time getting caught up.”
“Gee! Thanks, boss!” She called him “boss” teasingly at times, but Lily was beginning to see him less and less as boss. Truth be told, she was beginning to hope for something more.
The obstacles between them, her obvious need to lose weight and the damned tattoo, reared their ugly heads again. She was saving absolutely every extra penny she had so she could afford it when she made her choice about how to handle the monstrosity JT had inflicted on her.
They enjoyed the meal together and then watched their favorite shows. Clay was understanding when Lily took a Benadryl capsule and went to bed early, hoping that would help her sleep the night through. It didn’t.
Chapter Ten
Lily gradually became aware of the fist holding her hair tightly, pulling against her scalp. The hand shook with anger, and she gasped in fear.
He found me. Oh, God, help me!
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, and she couldn’t quell her whimpers of fear as she felt the cold steel of a gun barrel press against her right ear. It was so cold, it almost stung. The sounds emitting from her throat were like a wounded animal’s, and she bit her lip in an attempt to stifle them.
If she was going to die, she wasn’t going to do it begging. That was exactly what JT wanted. He wanted to hear her debase herself, like she had before, only this time he’d actually kill her. He would reason that she’d pushed him too far. Her heartbeat pounded like a drum thundering in a driving cadence. The gun barrel pressed harder, mercilessly, against her ear.
He said one word. “Beg.”
Through gritted teeth she ground out, “No.”
Instead of saying any more, he only pressed the gun to her ear and waited, to draw out the torture. He knew if he waited long enough, she’d break. The waiting would drive her to insanity. She cringed tighter and shook harder with each passing second until—
Boooom!
Lily screamed along with the terrifying sound, and then realized she was still moving, still alive. She looked around in the dark room. She was alone.
Another nightmare.
Light flashed across the windowpanes, making the room as bright as the sunniest day. The crash that followed a fraction of a second later scared her so badly she nearly wet her pants. She dropped to the floor and slid under the bed, looking around. She pressed her face to the pine floorboards as another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.
Boooom!
She scrabbled out from under the bed, nearly dove into her closet, but instead slipped out of the bedroom door on all fours and crawled down the hall. She froze every time the lightning zipped across the sky, stuffing a fist into her mouth so she wouldn’t scream again.
Without hesitation, she slipped through the wide open door to Clay’s bedroom. She knew her fear was irrational, but she couldn’t be alone right now. It would drive her crazy. Her fear overrode his opinion of her weakness in this moment. Hoping he would understand, she crawled to his bed.
Being as careful and quiet as she could, Lily snuck under the covers and moved as close as she dared without actually touching him. Close enough to feel his body heat that had seeped into the mattress.
Please, help me!
God, please don’t let him think I’m crazy.
Lily pulled the covers over her head. Unable to see the flashes of light, she had no warning for the terrifying peals of thunder. She trembled with fear, powerless to contain it. The bed shifted, and suddenly she felt his warm hands on her back and shoulders.
In a sleepy, gravelly voice, he said, “Come ’ere, Lily.” His tone was comforting as he rolled to his back and pulled her to his side. He pressed his lips against her temple and stroked the hair from her face and her shoulder. His touch was gentle, communicating his understanding.
Thunder blasted and shook the ground and the very air in her lungs, and she broke down in sobs, feeling like she was losing her mind. He turned toward her and made soothing sounds as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. He pulled the blanket high so it shielded her from the brightest
of the lightning flashes and murmured in her ear.
“Did it scare you?” He didn’t ask as if he were talking to a little girl. “I checked on you earlier and you seemed to be sleeping through it.”
“I–I had a n–n–nightmare. I’m s–sorry I woke you.” Her jaw was clenched so tight it ached. She tried to relax her tense muscles and couldn’t because each new peal of thunder made her tremble even harder.
“Easy, Lily. I’m here. I’m going to keep you safe. I’m not letting you go or making you leave. You’re staying here with me until the storm is over. So, it was another nightmare?” When she nodded affirmatively, he said, “Tell me.”
She felt his intake of breath when she described the horrific dream to him. “Had he ever held a gun to your head like that and made you beg before?”
Her whisper was lost in the sound of the rain lashing against the windowpane. “Yes.”
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he whispered and pressed his lips to her hair again. His body heat seeped into her fingertips, and she realized she was holding on to him for dear life. She relaxed her grip, but he never let go of his fierce hold on her. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
Tears leaked from her eyes in a seemingly never-ending flow.
“Lily, storms always frightened you but I don’t recall you being quite this scared when we were little. Did something else happen? You’re terrified, baby.” He squeezed her, reinforcing that he had a hold of her. “Tell me.”
“J–JT discovered my fear of storms and thought I was weak and needed to face my fears.”
Clay let loose with a juicy curse and then apologized. “Sorry. That’s probably not helpful to hear.”
“One storm, about eight years ago, was particularly violent and he realized just how badly they freak me out. I tried to hide my fear but he noticed. We were in the truck on the way home from Christmas at his folks’ house. We…” Her breath left her in a rush, and she swallowed a couple of times before she could speak again. “We were still two miles from our house.”
Divine Phoenix [Divine Creek Ranch 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11
