Heated Secrets (Rose Garden Apartments Book 1)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Lilly’s mouth went dry. He was huge…everywhere! Huge and…she reached out, trailing her fingers over his throbbing erection until he hissed and grabbed her hand. She was fully dressed and he was naked! What a thrill!

  Unfortunately, when she started to move her mouth towards that delicious appendage, wanting to taste him, he shook his head and pulled her back, kissing her. Hard! When he finally lifted her head, he explained, “I can’t take any more stimulation, Lilly. Not this time!” he growled. “Next time, you can do anything you want but right now…!”

  His hands moved to the zipper on the back of her dress and pulled. He slid the dress down over her hips, and let it fall to the floor.

  “You’re so beautiful!” he whispered reverently, cupping her breasts that were encased in black silk and lace. His thumbs rubbed lightly over the distended tips and she grabbed his wrists, trying to pull his hands away. “No, Lilly,” he replied. “It’s my turn now.”

  And with that, he reached behind her, kissing her as he released the catch on her bra, then tossed it away while pressing her backwards so that they were lying on his bed. His eyes captured hers as his hand moved to cup her breast. Without the silk, his thumb brushing over her nipple made her scream, her hips shifted and she felt his erection pressing eagerly against her stomach. It wasn’t right and she shifted, spreading her legs so that he was positioned more perfectly.

  He lowered his head, teasing her nipple with his teeth and lips, sucking hard, then laving the peak with his tongue before nibbling it with his teeth.

  Lilly had never experienced anything like this before. She’d had sex, of course. But it hadn’t ever felt like this! As if she might die if he didn’t keep going!

  Her fingers wove into his hair, stunned at how soft it was. The silky strands were the complete opposite of the man’s body, which was hard, angular, and…perfect!

  She felt something tear and looked up just in time to see him roll a condom down his length. For the first time, she was jealous of his hands, wanting to do that task herself.

  “Next time,” he promised hearing her wistful sigh. His mouth latched onto hers and she lifted up, needing to deepen the kiss, to feel all of him against her nakedness. Lilly had no idea where her panties had gone, but she felt him pressing into her heat and lifted her hips, needing this connection, needing him!

  “Oh Lilly!” he whispered as he smoothly thrust into her body, filling her up and making her feel more complete than she ever had in her life! “Eisai omorfi!”

  Again, Lilly had no idea what he’d said, but it sounded lovely. She tried to smile, but Drako started moving and she could only concentrate on him, on the waves of passion rolling through her. With every thrust, she felt as if her world was about to explode! Closer and closer, she arched into his thrusts and then…she exploded! She could barely hold on to Drako’s broad, powerful shoulders as the pleasure poured over her.

  Drako watched, intoxicated by the sight of Lilly climaxing. Her inner muscles clenched around his shaft and, while he wanted to hold off on his own pleasure, the feeling of her body tightening around him like that was too much. Her pleasure pulled him over the edge with her and he threw back his head as he let go, letting himself savor every moment of this pleasure. It was too much and, at the same time, not enough. As soon as it was over, he wanted to do it all over again, to feel Lilly’s body hold him tightly and…and give her one more climax.

  Instead, he collapsed against her, burying his face against the soft, sweetness of her neck, taking in great gulps of air. He could feel her panting too, feel her breasts pressing against his chest with every inhalation. He smiled, thinking that he could really get used to this. Holding Lilly, feeling her pressed against his body…yes. That would be perfect.

  Chapter 6

  Lilly woke with a start. Where was she? And why was she so warm? Lifting her head, she glanced at the huge windows letting in the dim glow of dawn, the hazy skyline that already foretold another humid summer day. But this wasn’t her home. This wasn’t her cozy bedroom. And she never would have slept in a room this warm!

  That’s when she realized that it wasn’t the air conditioning that was off. It was the hard, male body behind her that was heating her to inferno levels. And the fact that there was nothing between her bottom and that inferno! No clothing. Nothing at all!

  What had she done?! Peering over her shoulder, Lilly was distracted from the imminent panic attack by how long Drako’s lashes were. They rested against his dark skin, lush and full. When his eyes were open, she could see so much in their dark depths. But with his eyes closed, she could look at him. Really look at him! He was beautiful. The harsh angles of his features softened in sleep and those lashes graced his cheeks and his dark hair was rumpled. Had she done that? Lilly smiled at the thought.

  But this wasn’t the businessman. Not the man she knew in the office nor during evening events. That man was tough. In sleep, Drako was…relaxed. The harsh lines around his eyes were gone and his lips looked almost sensuous – a description she’d never use when he was walking through the office, snapping orders at whoever had the misfortune of being within his perimeter.

  Smiling, she shifted, moaning slightly at the brush of her skin against his. It felt erotically wonderful and Lilly had the idea of waking him up by kissing that muscular chest, running her fingers across the ridges lining his abdominal muscles. Goodness, she remembered exploring all of those muscles last night! The way he’d touched her was…shocking! And she’d loved every moment.

  But…that was done with. Lilly would take those memories with her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t work for him any longer. She’d have to resign. She’d have to move on and find another job.

  Thankfully, she had a large savings account, so she had the luxury of time.

  Sighing, Lilly slipped out from under his arm and scooted off of the bed. Piece by piece, she collected her clothes. She dressed in the bathroom, but there was nothing she could do with her hair. It was a mess, and she had no idea where the pins had ended up.

  Shaking her head, she turned toward the door and…that’s when she saw her neck. Good grief, her neck looked like she’d been beaten! Hickeys? She hadn’t had hickeys since…well, never! She hadn’t been allowed to date in high school, none of the boys being good enough for her mother or brave enough to incur her father’s wrath. And then in college, the men she’d dated had been…polite. Yes, that was the best way to describe them. Polite. It had irritated her completely, but no guy she’d ever dated would have done something so outrageous as to mark her!

  Smiling, she pulled her hair forward, feeling decadent and daring. That wasn’t a normal way to feel, Lilly thought as she picked up her shoes and tip toed out of Drako’s penthouse. With a private smile and a skip to her step, she pressed the button on the elevator, relieved that there was a public elevator as well as the private one that Drako had used yesterday. She didn’t relish the thought of waking him up to ask him for the elevator code. Besides, he would have felt the need to drive her home and that would have been painfully awkward.

  No, she sighed as she stepped out of the elevator. This was better. This was easier. She’d head home, shower, change clothes, and get her hair figured out. Glancing at the time, Lilly figured she could just make it into work before Drako would arrive. That would give her the few minutes she’d need to type up her resignation letter.

  Thankfully, it was relatively easy to find a cab at this hour of the morning. Most of the commuters hadn’t woken up yet. It was still quiet at this point. Quiet and calm. In an hour, the cars would be honking and jockeying for a better position, making that final sprint to the highway’s next exit.

  “Thank you,” she told the cabdriver when he pulled up outside of her apartment complex. Goodness, there was a huge difference between this area of the city and where Drako lived. His penthouse had been located in the posh section of Crystal City, which was right across the river from Washington, D.C. There was very little difference between
the two areas, except Crystal City was in Virginia and had taller buildings. Washington, D.C. had lower buildings because of the historic nature of the area.

  “Good morning!” a female voice called out.

  Lilly spun around, finding a pretty woman with softly curling hair coming towards her down the broken sidewalk of the complex.

  “Good morning, Maggie. How are you today?” Lilly asked, looking around to see if any of the other tenants were out and about. Maggie was the new property manager and a dynamo! Already, Lilly could see changes.

  About forty years ago, The Rose Garden Apartments had been a ritzy area of Virginia to live in. But over time, the wealthy residents had moved out, heading further west to the suburbs where they could have more land and larger houses. The small shops had changed from small, family owned businesses to pawn shops and liquor stores. About a block away, there was a community center where several of the elderly residents went for the day.

  “Oh my gosh! I wanted to thank you for the electrician and the plumber!” Lilly gushed. “Thank you so much! There were several light switches that work now, and I didn’t even know what they did!”

  Maggie laughed. “The previous property manager was…well, not proactive,” she replied diplomatically. “But I’ve been hired not just to fix things, but to renovate all of the apartments. I should have a new apartment finished by the end of next week. I’ve been authorized to ask you if you’d like to move into that apartment. Once it’s finished, of course.”

  Lilly beamed, genuinely excited about Maggie’s efforts. “Actually, I think that Louise in Apartment 2C needs a renovated apartment more than I do. She’s had to move her bed out of the bedroom and is sleeping in the family room. There’s some sort of crack in the wall and–”

  “That’s all fixed,” Maggie said, cringing and shaking her head in amazement. “Seriously, some of these issues were fire and health hazards! How did the guy before me, what was his name, Henry? How did he get away with not doing…anything?”

  Lilly shrugged. “He was pretty lazy.”

  “That’s the truth!” Maggie grumbled. “Well anyway, besides fixing the insides of the apartments, I’m also working on the exterior. There’s a roofer coming by next week to completely replace the roof as well. So, hopefully there won’t be any issues there either. And a landscaper is scheduled to help me bring this old building back to its previous beauty. I found pictures of the place from the nineteen sixties and it was beautiful!”

  Lilly’s eyes widened in wonder. “You’re going to restore Rose Garden Apartments?” Lilly asked. “Oh, how wonderful!” Then she glanced at the time and sighed. “I have to hurry into the office. But I’ll be home later. I’d love to hear more of your plans. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I’ll find you, okay?”

  Maggie waved. “I’ll be around. Just ask for me. I’m usually within shouting distance. At least until I have to start choosing interiors.”

  “Sounds like a lot of fun,” Lilly replied, smiling at her. There was just something about the new manager that was comforting. Maggie seemed like a really nice person!

  Walking up to her apartment, she glanced around at the area with renewed interest and noticed several small changes. The lights along the stairway were fixed and several of the treads had been replaced. The grass had been mowed, even though it was the middle of the week. Henry had only mowed the grass about every two weeks, which had made it significantly more difficult to mow when he finally got around to it. The taller grass also encouraged the vermin, something that Nora who lived on the first floor, had to deal with during the colder months.

  Unfortunately, too many of the other residents couldn’t afford to move. Also, they’d lived here for too long. Their lives were here. Nora and Louise wouldn’t dream of leaving each other. They had separate apartments, but they did just about everything together. They were like sisters and even Lilly couldn’t imagine them leaving, even if they could afford to move.

  Smiling at the changes that seemed to be happening at warp speed, she unlocked her door and…sighed at the cool air. Apparently, Maggie had fixed the air conditioning units as well! Oh, heaven! Even this early in the morning, the air conditioning felt wonderful! The temperature outside might be only in the mid-seventies, but the humidity was so intense and thick that it made the air feel hot and sticky.

  Stripping off her clothes, Lilly walked into the bathroom. She didn’t regret last night. It had been amazing. Magical! Off the charts! She hadn’t known that sex could be…life changing!

  Yes, she was sad that she would have to find a new job, but she couldn’t regret last night. Not for anything.

  After showering and dressing, she hesitated with her accessories. Darn it, why was she like this after any sort of communications with her family? Why did she allow her insecurities to rear their ugly head? She did this after every interaction with her mother! Lilly hated second guessing herself, but here she was, wondering if she should wear something other than her favorite pearls!

  Maybe she wore them too often, Lilly thought. But she loved those pearls! They’d been a gift from her grandmother, the only person who completely accepted Lilly’s personality and choices.

  Still…maybe she should wear a gold necklace. Of course, she didn’t have any real gold necklaces. Well, she had slender gold chains, but the navy dress she’d pulled on for work today needed something other than a delicate gold chain. It needed a statement piece.

  Lilly didn’t have statement jewelry. She didn’t waste her money on things like that. She put most of her salary into investment accounts and sponsored several projects at the community center down the street. Lilly didn’t like to shop, but she took the time to find simple, elegant dresses and suits for work. She preferred solid, bold colors because they made her feel strong and powerful. Still, perhaps she should do something about her accessories. Of course, she didn’t have to rely on jewelry. She could just use scarves, which were less expensive. And lighter! Real gold necklaces were expensive and heavy. A scarf would be more comfortable. Scarves also had the advantage of hiding her neck, Lilly thought, pulling one of her nicer scarves out and quickly tying it around her neck.

  Of course, her mother never wore anything less than a Hermes scarf. Those were shockingly expensive! Still, it wouldn’t hurt to add a bit more color to her wardrobe.

  Glancing at the time, she shook off the lingering insecurity caused by her mother’s criticisms yesterday. She wasn’t overweight, her dresses were fine, and she was damn good at her job!

  Lilly waited nervously for the telltale bell that would announce Drako’s arrival. When it came, the trembling was so bad she had to hide her hands in her lap.

  This was it, she thought. Pulling her shoulders back, she stood up and waited. Lilly could literally count the seconds before his arrival, having done this so many times over the past few years. Every morning, she waited for Drako to arrive. Waited for that burst of energy that he always brought with him.

  Sure enough, as soon as Drako turned the corner, she felt it. That spark. That sensation of being struck by lightning. It never failed.

  Goodness, she loved this man!

  Thankfully, one of his directors was beside him this morning, explaining something about shipping rates or lingering tax issues. Lilly was too nervous to concentrate on the conversation. Which was yet another reason why she needed to resign immediately. It was her job to know what was going on so that she could handle issues before they reached Drako. He needed to focus on the larger issues, on the growth of the company. If she couldn’t do her job, she shouldn’t be here.

  “Brian, can you talk to Leslie and schedule a time when we can discuss this?” Drako told the director. “It sounds like this is a much more in depth conversation and I have another meeting in a moment.”

  Brian nodded, obviously eager to make that appointment and get more face time than just a short walk from the elevator to the boss’ office.

  “Absolutely. I’ll ask her to find so
me time later this afternoon and I’ll get you a more detailed analysis.”

  Brian walked away, leaving Lilly standing beside her desk, nervously fluttering her hands because she wasn’t sure what to do with them. Besides, Drako was glaring at her. That definitely wasn’t the response she’d expected.

  Although, Lilly wasn’t exactly sure what she’d expected. Perhaps that he’d just go on with his day, pretending last night hadn’t happened? Or he’d maybe call her into his office and explain that he had only been comforting her last night? Yes, that was probably what he was going to say.

  “In my office, now,” he snapped, then led the way, arrogantly expecting her to follow.

  Startled, Lilly glared at his back. He never used that tone with her! Oh, he’d tried during the first year. But after she’d proven her value to him, she’d put her foot down. Drako could use that tone with whomever he wanted, but not with her!

  She followed him into his office, fully prepared to give him an appropriate set down!

  “Close the door, Lilly,” he said, but this time, his voice was quiet.

  Quiet in a scary way.

  In his hands was a single piece of paper. Which shouldn’t surprise her since she’d put that paper in the middle of his desk about thirty minutes ago.

  Wham! Gone was her anger and that trembling was back in full force. Carefully, she closed the door, and slowly turned to face him.

  “No!” was all he said, flipping the piece of paper in the air as if it were a red flag in front of a bull.

  That one word, said so softly, ruffled her already flustered feathers. “No?” she hissed right back.

  “No, Lilly,” he repeated, and pushed away from his desk. In fact, he tore her resignation letter in half and tossed it into the garbage can. “No, you’re not resigning. And you’re never leaving me without saying goodbye ever again.” He stepped closer. “In fact, if you ever slink out of my bed, I will be forced to turn you over my knee and paddle you.” He was now less than an inch away. She felt his breath wash over her face. “Do I make myself clear?”