“That’s a shame, I hear the water’s pretty nice in Bethesda Fountain.”

Her eyes go wide. “How did you know?”

“Body language.”

“But I didn’t move. I made sure of it.”

“Ahh…so you were trying to prove me wrong.”

“Of course. Let’s try it again. That was totally beginner’s luck.”

I smirk, already having figured out her tell, it should be a piece of cake. “Go for it,” I say confidently, tilting my glass to her before downing more.

Lily concentrates for a moment, avoiding eye contact, but I don’t take my eyes from her. I like watching her think, catching the slightest uptick from the corner of her mouth as she comes up with something she thinks will fool me.

“My Dad’s nickname for me was Lily Vanilly. I’ve kissed a girl. I had a pet turtle named Speedy.” Confident that she’s got me, I play with her a little. But there’s no mistaking the dilation in her pupil when she lies, even though she tries her hardest to still herself completely as she lists her three facts.

Rubbing my chin as though I’m pondering, I pretend I’m having a hard time deciding the fake fact. “You know, I’ve kissed a girl, maybe you should really try it sometime, it works for me.”

Lily slaps me playfully. “How do you do that?”

“Talent. I told you.”

“Let me try. Tell me three facts.”

“Okay.” I think for a second, locking our eyes, I speak directly to hers, never even blinking to disrupt our gaze. “Boats make me seasick. I’ve been to forty-nine states. I have a crush on a friend of mine.”

Her face pinks a bit and her eyes squint as she tries to read me. “Boats don’t make you seasick,” she says without too much confidence.

“Yep. They do. But I’ve only been to forty-eight states.”

The buzzer sounds on the stove, interrupting our game playing. Lily helps me bring everything to the table and together we sit.

“Which two?”

Confused, I furrow my brow.

“States. Which two haven’t been graced with your presence?” she chides sarcastically at one of my facts.

I’m just about to respond, when Lily’s phone starts to buzz. We both look down, finding the name Caden flashing on the screen. Her face changes, a sadness taking over her carefree happiness. Before either of us can comment, my phone joins in on the buzzing. ‘Dad’ appears on the screen. Ignoring the vibration on the table I smile, reaching over to pluck a leaf from her stuffed artichoke, and bringing it to my mouth to scrape the edible meat between my teeth.

Lily looks torn. Glancing at the buzzing phones lying at our sides on the table and back to me twice, eventually she smiles as she makes her decision without words. Reaching over to my plate, she plucks a leaf from my artichoke and brings it to her mouth smiling. Both of us pretend not to notice the phones jumping around the table.

My father and Caden call twice more each during dinner. We never discuss the calls, but we smile, ignore the sound, and keep on eating.

We clean up together in the little kitchen. I intentionally brush past her lightly as I reach over her head to put dishes on the top shelf. When she’s in the fridge putting the leftovers away, I snake my arm through hers to put a jar on the door. I could have waited my turn, but I love the way her body reacts at the slightest contact we make. It can’t help it, even though I see her trying to hide it, control it. Mine reacts too…a twitch, a swell, a thickening, an ache, a damn fire in my pants. Yeah, without a doubt, my body likes brushing against hers too.

“You feeling daring enough to do something with me?” I rub my chin, an idea popping into my head.

A blush creeps up Lily’s cheeks. “I, I…” Lily’s voice trails off, making me realize what she must think I’m asking.

A slow smile curls up on my lips. “You have a dirty mind. I was going to ask you if you were up for attempting an escape and ditching the photographers.”

Her sweet, pink cheeks darkening with embarrassment, she attempts to recover, “I wasn’t thinking anything dirty.” We both know she’s lying.

She’s leaning against the kitchen counter, I close the distance between us, standing in her personal space, but our bodies aren’t touching. “Yes. You were.” I lean in a hair more. “Haven’t we already established I can pick off lies easily?”

She swallows, wanting to deny, but instead attempts to change the subject. “What is it you wanted to do?”

Closing the small gap left between us, my body now lightly brushed up against hers, it forces me to look down to her. I say nothing, until she looks up at me. “Well I’m not sure now. What did you have in mind? I think I might like what you want to do better.” I tease, although we’re so near, she can probably feel the hard on through my pants and guess what I’d really like to do with her.

A look of disbelief mixed with embarrassment passes across Lily’s face, “You’re unbelievable.”

I smile, taking her words as a compliment. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t mean it as a compliment.”

Ignoring her retort, I continue with a one-track mind. “Tell me what you thought I meant.”

“You know what I thought you meant.”

“Yes. But I want to hear you say it.”

“Why?” Lily’s eyes bulge at my admission, clearly she can’t believe the words I’m sharing.

“Because I want to hear you talk dirty to me.”

Placing her hands on my chest, she shoves a bit, but not enough to really want me to move. “Use your imagination.”

Gripping the counter she’s leaning against on either side, I cage her in. She looks to the right and left, seeing the position I’ve moved into and there’s no mistaking her breath hitches. She likes it and so do I.

“Oh, I’ve been using my imagination a lot lately.” I smirk, then pause. “Tell me, or I’m not letting you go.”

“I’m not telling you anything, you crazy man.”

“Then we’re going to be here for a while.” I settle in place, my eyes telling her I’m serious about keeping her right where she is. It’s a no lose situation for me. If she doesn’t tell me, I keep her incredible body pressed up against mine. If she does tell me what she was thinking, I get to hear her admit she had dirty thoughts about me. I’m not sure which option appeals to me more right about now.

“You’re going to keep me pinned against the counter?”

“I kinda like it here.”

“I thought we were having a platonic dinner?”

“We were. Until you started to think dirty thoughts about me.”

“You’re impossible!” Lily shrieks, but there’s still a smile on her face, even though she tries to disguise it.

I lean down slightly, forcing her back to arch a bit. “On second thought, don’t tell me.” I pause, my eyes dropping to look at her plump full mouth. Her lips part slightly as she watches me. Returning my eyes to hers, I continue, “I’d rather stay right here.”

She sucks in a breath and I lean down closer. Only this time she doesn’t arch anymore, so we’re face to face. “You like me here. This close to you. Pinning you so you can’t move. Don’t you?”

She gasps, but averts her eyes.

“Lily.” I say her name sternly. Her eyes jump back to mine. “Answer me.”

She looks conflicted, but whispers her truth anyway, “Yes.”

“You have till three, but I’m kissing you, crossing the line from business to pleasure or not, unless you stop me.”

Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t say anything. We’re still pressed tightly against each other, there’s no way she can miss the erection testing the limits of the seams of my jeans.

“3,” I begin my countdown.

Her eyes widen more.

“2.”

Her mouth opens but no words tumble out.

“1.” The second the number leaves my mouth, I kiss her. Her lips may have begun to open to protest, but I don’t give her a chance to get the word out.

At first it’s gentle, our lips softly touching and tongues beginning to explore each other. Until I feel her push her br**sts against my chest, a silent affirmation that she wants the kiss as much as I do. Then I can’t get enough fast enough. The hand that was gently weaving through her thick blond hair, clenches a fistful and I tug, forcing her head back more so I can deepen the kiss. Lily moans in response to the harshness of my action and it makes me god damn wild. Pilfering her mouth, pushing harder against her, I reach down and grab one leg firmly, lifting it and guiding it to wrap around my waist. Her other leg follows without my direction.

Her thighs spread wide, legs wrapped around my waist, the heat between us blends to the point of combustion. There’s fire pulsating through my veins, and my mind and body join together with only one purpose. This kiss. It consumes me as quickly as it started. Her smell, her moan, the feel of her luscious body pressed hard against mine. I have no idea how long it lasts, but however long it is, it’s definitely too damn short. Breathless, we both come up for air. But I’m not ready to let go just yet. I take her bottom lip, the one that has been taunting me since I met her, between my teeth and nibble on it. When my nip turns harsher, she makes a sound that is a cross between a gasp and a moan, and it takes every ounce of my self-control to not carry her into my bedroom while keeping our mouths locked so she can’t object to my ramming myself into her.

As difficult as it is, I force my self-control back. Eventually I release her mouth and we stay quiet, both of us panting uncontrollably, our foreheads pressed against each other, eyes closed, until our breathing returns to normal.

Lily’s the first one to speak, although her voice is more of a whisper. “You didn’t count from one to zero.”

“I’m a go on one guy, Angel.” I brush a lock of hair that has fallen free from her braid back behind her ear.

She smiles, but I see her senses are starting to flood back. Whatever is holding her back, regains its grip on her mind. “We can’t, Jax,” she whispers, her voice sounding as disappointed to say the words as it does for me to hear them spoken.

We’re both silent for a minute, both of us staring into each other’s eyes. As if on cue, the sound of one of our phones buzzing on the nearby table catches both our attention.

“Yours or mine?” I ask without moving. She looks around me to check. Her phone is jumping around the table, the vibration making a tapping sound against the wood.

“Mine.” Her face saddens. Before her phone can even stop buzzing, a second buzz begins, signaling my phone now has a caller too. Looking over at the table and then back to me, the corner of her lips turning upward, a hint of amusement showing, she says, “And yours.”

Breaking the tension the kiss left in its wake, we both laugh, neither of us even attempting to answer the calls. I step back a little, not wanting to force her into something, even though her body seems to be doing the talking. Strands falling loosely from her braid, her cheeks flushed and lips swollen from my kiss, she looks beautiful. Not ready for her to leave, fearing she will run out on me again like she did last night if I don’t give her some space, I decide my original plan still might be fun.

“You think you can outrun a few photographers?”

She smiles, perking up at the thought of an adventure. “Absolutely.”

***

The evening crowd has dwindled, only a handful of diehard paparazzi still wait, hanging around the darkened gym. Both donning sweatshirts pulled up covering half our faces, I tell Lily to go right and I go left when we open the door and make a run for it. Lily locks the door before she leaves, allowing the photographers to begin snapping pictures and shouting out questions to her. I make a mad dash left, half of the photographers following me.