“I already am,” Shade said softly.

“Don’t claim I’m the woman for you when you smell like another woman’s perfume.”

“I smell like perfume?” Shade asked, not trying to hide his amusement.

“Yes,” Lily said angrily.

“That’s because Winter hugged me when I told her I would pay for the computers for her school.”

“Well … heck.” Lily paused. “I’m sorry,” she apologized.

“You were awfully harsh to me, don’t you think? I mean, I was nice enough to fix your dinner and bring it to you, and then you forgot my beer. Then you rant at me about other women. I’m beginning to think you’re jealous. I never took you for the jealous type,” Shade said in mock-seriousness.

“I’m not jealous,” Lily snapped.

“I believe you are, and I don’t believe you’re sorry. Do you know how much those computers are going to cost me?” Shade tried to appear affronted.

“I am not jealous, and I apologized.”

“I don’t believe you.” Shade gave her a reproachful look.

“I really am.”

“Prove it.”

“How?”

“Kiss me and make it better.”

“No.” Lily shook her head.

“I knew you didn’t mean your apology,” Shade said, turning back to the television.

“I did—I do,” Lily corrected herself. “But I’m still not going to kiss you.”

“Why? You’ve kissed before, haven’t you?”

Lily didn’t say anything.

“Lily, have you kissed before?” He stared at her in surprise. Shade couldn’t believe she had never kissed Charles, since they had dated throughout her high school years. The part inside him which held jealousy toward the bastard suddenly died.

“No,” Lily admitted.

“What about Charles?”

“Just on the cheek or a brief peck on the lips. I guess I could do that,” she said unenthusiastically.

“Don’t knock yourself out. I’ve been told I’m a good kisser. I could teach you how,” Shade offered, trying to appear innocent.

“I bet you could,” she said sarcastically. “Who told you you’re a good kisser?”

“I don’t kiss and tell,” he said, grinning at her wickedly.

While Lily gritted her teeth in aggravation, Shade decided to push a tiny bit more, seeing she was battling her conscience.

“Come on, Lily. What’s a little kiss between friends?” He rose to his feet and put his hands behind his back. “I won’t touch you with anything other than my mouth. You can experiment and see how you like kissing.” He tried to appear nonthreatening, not staring at her directly, as if it didn’t matter if she kissed him or not.

Lily froze, her face a mask of indecision, but then she took a timid step forward. Shade didn’t say anything, appearing bored.

It took several seconds for her to take another step. Shade never became impatient as she steadily drew closer until a mere inch separated them.

She cautiously raised herself onto her tiptoes, and then her mouth briefly touched his before breaking away and taking a step back.

Then, like a moth to a flame, she fluttered closer again. That time, her hands rested on his chest as she touched her mouth to his, letting hers linger a mere breath of a second before leaning back to study his face.

Shade kept his expression impassive as her eyes searched his face for a reaction.

She leaned forward again, pressing her lips harder against his mouth before she lifted herself away, but she didn’t move from his body that time. Shade wanted to snatch her into his arms when her tongue licked his lips to taste him. Her lashes lowered as she studied his mouth, and only the years he had spent being a Dom allowed him to remain in control.

She came back for more, pressing her lips harder against his mouth until he opened to her slightly. And that’s when Lily jumped away as if she had touched fire.

“That’s enough for tonight. You’re not a fast learner. It may take weeks for you to catch on to how it’s done.” He stepped away, going back to his chair while praying his shaking legs wouldn’t betray him.

He clenched the arms of his chair to make himself remain seated as she lay down in his bed, pulling the covers over her. He wanted to rip them away and give her a lesson in kissing she would never forget.

Shade gritted his teeth, trying to get his body back under control, forcing himself to keep his eyes on the television screen.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hitting her pillow in frustration, and his hands clenched by his side. The woman didn’t know the meaning of frustration, but he was about to show her if she threw him another one of her pissed-off looks.

He was trying to go slow, not frighten her away, but even he had his limits. That innocent kiss he had gotten from her had nearly been his undoing.

When he was sure she was asleep, he got up and left the room. He didn’t trust himself to climb into bed with her at that point. He had to calm his body down.

Going upstairs, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a generous amount. His wall of patience was crumbling. It was time to heat up his efforts with Lily. He didn’t think it was fair to be the only one suffering. Lily needed to discover exactly what she was missing out on, which was him fucking her until she begged him for mercy.

Shade poured himself another whiskey, his hand shaking as he picked up his glass.

* * *

Lily was dressed and ready to leave for work when Shade entered the room. She wrinkled her nose as he crossed the bedroom floor.

“You’ve been drinking!” she said accusingly.

“Don’t worry; I’m not drunk.”

She paled at his words, flinching away as he brushed by her.

“Aren’t you going to work?”

“I’m taking the morning off. Rider is managing the factory until this afternoon.”

Shade went to the side of the bed, taking his shoes and T-shirt off. He started to take his pants off yet stopped when she didn’t leave as he had expected. He stared at her with bloodshot eyes as she stood, unmoving.

“Um … you must have started drinking after I went to sleep.”

Shade cocked an eyebrow at her question. “Yes, I went upstairs for another beer, and Cash and Rider were having a card game, so I joined in. I wasn’t ready for bed as early as you.”

If he had climbed into that bed with her, he wouldn’t have gotten out until he had fucked her. He had drunk two bottles of whiskey to keep from coming downstairs and waking her up. He told himself he wouldn’t have taken her unless she wanted him, but Shade was smart enough not to put his control to a test because he wasn’t sure he would be happy with the outcome.

Lily fiddled with the rubber band on her wrist. “I didn’t expect you to be. I guess I’ll see you this afternoon.”

She started out the doorway yet turned back when he spoke.

“It was just us; none of the women were there.” He didn’t want her spending the day flicking that fucking rubber band, wondering where his dick had been the night before.

“I didn’t ask.”

“You didn’t have to,” Shade mocked, seeing her relief.