her head so that her hair fell forward.
“I shouldn’t be here.” Why did Lily have to look so beautiful standing there in the moonlight? She was miserable and confused, and it took everything in him not to reach for her and haul her into his arms and comfort her. Rick had probably wanted to do that. Involuntarily, Jake’s fist clenched. The thought of Rick holding Lily produced such a rage within him that he felt like smashing his hand through a wall.
“I’m glad you came back,” Lily said softly.
Her intense gaze commanded his attention. Jake knew he could refuse her nothing.
“I’m glad I did, too,” he admitted with reluctance, walking toward her.
“It’s a little late for going out to eat. I thought … that is, if you don’t mind … that we could order a pizza.”
“With anchovies?”
Her eyes lit up with a smiling glint. “Only on your half.”
“Agreed.” He took the stairs two at a time and paused at the darkened livingroom. “Where’s Gram?”
“She fell asleep. I’ll wake her.”
“No.” A hand on Lily’s forearm stopped her. No, tonight was for them. “Let her rest.”
“All right.”
She smiled at him and Jake felt his stomach twist. If he had any sense left, he’d get out of there right away. But the ability to reason had left him the first time he’d kissed Lily that night in the attic. From that minute on he’d behaved like a fool. He’d like to blame Lily for what he was feeling, but he couldn’t. With her, everything had been of his own making.
“I brought some wine.” Actually he’d left it in the front seat of the cab. He hadn’t been sure he’d be staying. “I’ll be right back.”
Lily had the wineglasses out by the time he returned. She turned to him when he walked into the kitchen and Jake found he couldn’t look away from her no matter how hard he tried.
“Do you want a corkscrew?”
Lily’s words shook him from his trance. “Yeah, sure.” He paused to clear his throat. “You look nice in that dress.” That had to be the understatement of the year. She was the personification of the very name of the gown: Angel’s Breath—so soft and delicate. It was the purest form of torture to be near her and not touch her.
Lily handed him the corkscrew, and while he fiddled to open the wine bottle, she casually browsed a pizza flyer she grabbed from the side of the fridge. “Should we pick the pizza up ourselves or have it delivered?”
“That’s up to you.”
“Have it delivered.” Lily didn’t want to go out again or do anything that would disrupt the evening. “What toppings do you want?”
“Anchovies, pepperoni, olives, green pepper”—he paused—“and sausage. What about you?”
“Cheese,” she told him, and laughed at the doubtful look on his face. “I’m just teasing. I’ll have the same, except for those disgusting little fish.”
The cork came out of the wine bottle with a popping sound and Jake filled bothglasses. “Here.”
Lily accepted the wine and took a small sip. It was excellent. “This is good.”
“I wanted something special.”
She touched the edge of her wineglass to his. “To Jake: a master of words, a skilled storyteller, a man of obvious talent and virtue.”
“And to Lily, who lent me her support.”
“Moral and immoral,” she added with a small laugh.
“Mostly moral.”
Together they tasted the wine and then moved into the living room to sit on the zebra skin beside the wide ottoman. Lily had a fleeting thought to suggest they light a fire in the fireplace, but the evening was warm.
“Thank you, Lily, for all your encouragement.”
“Thank you, Jake, for being such a talented storyteller.”
“To friendship.” His eyes didn’t leave hers.
“To friendship,” she repeated in a hushed whisper.
They each drank their first glass and Jake replenished their supply.
“Jake.”
“Hmm?”
“What really happened between you and Elaine?”
The question was so unexpected that
“I shouldn’t be here.” Why did Lily have to look so beautiful standing there in the moonlight? She was miserable and confused, and it took everything in him not to reach for her and haul her into his arms and comfort her. Rick had probably wanted to do that. Involuntarily, Jake’s fist clenched. The thought of Rick holding Lily produced such a rage within him that he felt like smashing his hand through a wall.
“I’m glad you came back,” Lily said softly.
Her intense gaze commanded his attention. Jake knew he could refuse her nothing.
“I’m glad I did, too,” he admitted with reluctance, walking toward her.
“It’s a little late for going out to eat. I thought … that is, if you don’t mind … that we could order a pizza.”
“With anchovies?”
Her eyes lit up with a smiling glint. “Only on your half.”
“Agreed.” He took the stairs two at a time and paused at the darkened livingroom. “Where’s Gram?”
“She fell asleep. I’ll wake her.”
“No.” A hand on Lily’s forearm stopped her. No, tonight was for them. “Let her rest.”
“All right.”
She smiled at him and Jake felt his stomach twist. If he had any sense left, he’d get out of there right away. But the ability to reason had left him the first time he’d kissed Lily that night in the attic. From that minute on he’d behaved like a fool. He’d like to blame Lily for what he was feeling, but he couldn’t. With her, everything had been of his own making.
“I brought some wine.” Actually he’d left it in the front seat of the cab. He hadn’t been sure he’d be staying. “I’ll be right back.”
Lily had the wineglasses out by the time he returned. She turned to him when he walked into the kitchen and Jake found he couldn’t look away from her no matter how hard he tried.
“Do you want a corkscrew?”
Lily’s words shook him from his trance. “Yeah, sure.” He paused to clear his throat. “You look nice in that dress.” That had to be the understatement of the year. She was the personification of the very name of the gown: Angel’s Breath—so soft and delicate. It was the purest form of torture to be near her and not touch her.
Lily handed him the corkscrew, and while he fiddled to open the wine bottle, she casually browsed a pizza flyer she grabbed from the side of the fridge. “Should we pick the pizza up ourselves or have it delivered?”
“That’s up to you.”
“Have it delivered.” Lily didn’t want to go out again or do anything that would disrupt the evening. “What toppings do you want?”
“Anchovies, pepperoni, olives, green pepper”—he paused—“and sausage. What about you?”
“Cheese,” she told him, and laughed at the doubtful look on his face. “I’m just teasing. I’ll have the same, except for those disgusting little fish.”
The cork came out of the wine bottle with a popping sound and Jake filled bothglasses. “Here.”
Lily accepted the wine and took a small sip. It was excellent. “This is good.”
“I wanted something special.”
She touched the edge of her wineglass to his. “To Jake: a master of words, a skilled storyteller, a man of obvious talent and virtue.”
“And to Lily, who lent me her support.”
“Moral and immoral,” she added with a small laugh.
“Mostly moral.”
Together they tasted the wine and then moved into the living room to sit on the zebra skin beside the wide ottoman. Lily had a fleeting thought to suggest they light a fire in the fireplace, but the evening was warm.
“Thank you, Lily, for all your encouragement.”
“Thank you, Jake, for being such a talented storyteller.”
“To friendship.” His eyes didn’t leave hers.
“To friendship,” she repeated in a hushed whisper.
They each drank their first glass and Jake replenished their supply.
“Jake.”
“Hmm?”
“What really happened between you and Elaine?”
The question was so unexpected that
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