up
to, the warmth seeped down to her bones and drowsiness got the better of her.
She was thrust back into consciousness when her pillow growled at
her. It took her a few bleary seconds to realize she was
not, in fact, resting on a pillow. She had her ear pressed against Trey’s
stomach. Judging by the noises it was making, he hadn’t eaten in a week.
Chuckling, Lilith got upright. She yawned and looked around,
trying to figure out where her shirt had gone. Lilith tried not to wake Trey as
she peeled through the rumpled blankets, but she failed. He gave a disgruntled
grunt, coming awake slower than she had.
“What’s happening?” he mumbled when he was coherent enough to
speak.
“I’m leaving, and you need to feed whatever beast you swallowed.
He’s snarling up a storm.”
Trey looked adorably confused until his stomach chimed in. With gusto. “Oh.” He smirked as he stretched. “I don’t want
you to leave yet.”
Lilith sat on the edge of his bed, but before she could respond to
that, her stomach gave a growl of its own. “We’ve been here for hours already.
You need to get something to eat.”
“So do you.” He yawned. “We can take a shower and go get
something.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
His eyes were more alert when he looked up again, proffering her
shirt from where it had been hiding under his pillow. “I’m not worried about
you. I’d just like to have lunch with you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Well, lunch isn’t on my list of services.”
For a second, he looked tired, wary, but he swallowed hard and
tilted his head at her, giving her a teasingly condescending smile. “Lilith,
I’m not asking you to lunch as a client. I’m asking you to lunch as a friend.”
Lilith wasn’t hungry at all then. Her stomach was too busy doing
little flip-flops to remember it was empty. “That’s not a good idea.”
He groaned and flopped back down on the bed, staring at the
ceiling. “Would it be the end of the world to have lunch with a friend? Why is
that not a good idea? It’s lunch, and I’m pretty sure people have lunch
together all the time. Some of them don’t even like each other. They just do it
for the company.”
“You haven’t thought this through at all. I know you saw what I
was wearing when I walked in here.”
Of course he’d seen what she was wearing. When she went to these
private appointments, she didn’t always dress in any kind of costume, but she
didn’t dress down either. She’d taken full advantage
of the wide range of skimpy skirts, corsets, too-tight shirts, and everything
else from the club. Smith kept their closets well stocked.
Trey sat up again, draping his arms over his knees as he looked at
her. “We can remedy that. We’ll just drop by your place. You can change. We can
eat. Easy.”
The idea made Lilith’s throat tight. “No.”
“You’re making a bigger deal of this than it needs to be,” he said
with a sigh. “This is not a big deal. Friends can—”
“We are not friends.” The minute the words were out of her mouth,
she regretted them, but she couldn’t take it back. It needed to be said.
Trey looked down at the blankets, and Lilith felt awful. She’d
seen the hurt that flitted across his features before his face was hidden from
her.
“Why aren’t we friends?” There was a challenge to the words though
Trey’s tone was still light. “I already told you—”
“I’ve heard everything you’ve said.” Trey was too convincing when
he wanted to be, and she needed to keep a clear head about this. “You are
stupid smart, Trey. I know you have to understand what’s going on here.”
At that, he looked up again, and there was a touch of hardness to
his eyes Lilith had never seen before. “Maybe you should tell me what you’re
talking about.” His words were measured, his voice lower than usual.
Getting to her feet, Lilith began to pace, wringing her hands
because why was this not obvious to him? Why was he making her
to, the warmth seeped down to her bones and drowsiness got the better of her.
She was thrust back into consciousness when her pillow growled at
her. It took her a few bleary seconds to realize she was
not, in fact, resting on a pillow. She had her ear pressed against Trey’s
stomach. Judging by the noises it was making, he hadn’t eaten in a week.
Chuckling, Lilith got upright. She yawned and looked around,
trying to figure out where her shirt had gone. Lilith tried not to wake Trey as
she peeled through the rumpled blankets, but she failed. He gave a disgruntled
grunt, coming awake slower than she had.
“What’s happening?” he mumbled when he was coherent enough to
speak.
“I’m leaving, and you need to feed whatever beast you swallowed.
He’s snarling up a storm.”
Trey looked adorably confused until his stomach chimed in. With gusto. “Oh.” He smirked as he stretched. “I don’t want
you to leave yet.”
Lilith sat on the edge of his bed, but before she could respond to
that, her stomach gave a growl of its own. “We’ve been here for hours already.
You need to get something to eat.”
“So do you.” He yawned. “We can take a shower and go get
something.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
His eyes were more alert when he looked up again, proffering her
shirt from where it had been hiding under his pillow. “I’m not worried about
you. I’d just like to have lunch with you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Well, lunch isn’t on my list of services.”
For a second, he looked tired, wary, but he swallowed hard and
tilted his head at her, giving her a teasingly condescending smile. “Lilith,
I’m not asking you to lunch as a client. I’m asking you to lunch as a friend.”
Lilith wasn’t hungry at all then. Her stomach was too busy doing
little flip-flops to remember it was empty. “That’s not a good idea.”
He groaned and flopped back down on the bed, staring at the
ceiling. “Would it be the end of the world to have lunch with a friend? Why is
that not a good idea? It’s lunch, and I’m pretty sure people have lunch
together all the time. Some of them don’t even like each other. They just do it
for the company.”
“You haven’t thought this through at all. I know you saw what I
was wearing when I walked in here.”
Of course he’d seen what she was wearing. When she went to these
private appointments, she didn’t always dress in any kind of costume, but she
didn’t dress down either. She’d taken full advantage
of the wide range of skimpy skirts, corsets, too-tight shirts, and everything
else from the club. Smith kept their closets well stocked.
Trey sat up again, draping his arms over his knees as he looked at
her. “We can remedy that. We’ll just drop by your place. You can change. We can
eat. Easy.”
The idea made Lilith’s throat tight. “No.”
“You’re making a bigger deal of this than it needs to be,” he said
with a sigh. “This is not a big deal. Friends can—”
“We are not friends.” The minute the words were out of her mouth,
she regretted them, but she couldn’t take it back. It needed to be said.
Trey looked down at the blankets, and Lilith felt awful. She’d
seen the hurt that flitted across his features before his face was hidden from
her.
“Why aren’t we friends?” There was a challenge to the words though
Trey’s tone was still light. “I already told you—”
“I’ve heard everything you’ve said.” Trey was too convincing when
he wanted to be, and she needed to keep a clear head about this. “You are
stupid smart, Trey. I know you have to understand what’s going on here.”
At that, he looked up again, and there was a touch of hardness to
his eyes Lilith had never seen before. “Maybe you should tell me what you’re
talking about.” His words were measured, his voice lower than usual.
Getting to her feet, Lilith began to pace, wringing her hands
because why was this not obvious to him? Why was he making her
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