feeling and gave up trying to hide the fact that he loved Lilly, madly and overwhelmingly. It was about time he grew up and faced his fears of losing control. He feared losing Lilly much more.
……….
Lilly, just preparing to climb the stairs, heard the frantic knocking at the front door and knew it must be Reece. She approached it carefully and opened it herself, the servants long to bed.
Lilly was nervous. Reece was bound to be furious. Lilly gazed up at the imposing sight of her husband and stopped.
His face looked haggard, his eyes dark circled.
Lilly felt guilty seeing him so upset. She motioned him inside.
“I’m sorry if you were worried,” Lilly offered.
Suddenly he grabbed her and pressed her tightly against him. He bent his head and laid it on top of hers.
“I don’t know if I want to make love to you or shake you. Why did you leave Lilly?” Reece asked, his voice hoarse.
He pulled back and looked at her. His eyes ran over her lips, her red rimmed eyes, and he trembled to know Lilly was safe and he’d hurt her again.
“ Reece your friends are so cruel. You didn’t stand by me, not even for the first few minutes,” Lilly accused.
He couldn’t stop himself, he lifted her and kissed her with a maddening hardness. He held her so tightly she felt like fainting.
“ No, I left you to fight a battle I caused. It was unforgiveable, but I hope you will forgive me. You will never leave me again Lilly,” he whispered, running his lips over her neck and around to her face.
“Why did you let them all joke about me? Y ou said nothing,” Lilly asked, trying to concentrate while he continued to kiss her.
“I know, I’m an ass , I guess even I wasn’t prepared for their hardness. I assumed they would stop and be civil. I thought you’d gone up to bed. I never dreamed you were out of the house,” Reece said sitting her down and running his hands down her back.
“It was so much worse than I expected. All those women kissing you, the loud drunken men, you melted back into them like a bee returning to its hive. I’m going to return to the country,” Lilly offered.
“ No, never. It will be different. I’m different. I don’t want that life anymore Lilly. I’m married and I want a family. You changed me and I fought it, but now I am thankful. I can be a better man with you Lilly,” Reece admitted, an honest expression lighting his face.
“A few days ago you didn’t want me to stay.”
“I always wanted you to stay, I was afraid of my feelings for you Lilly. You took control of my every thought. I was afraid of your power over me.”
Lilly looked at him in surprise and Reece took his hands and pushing back her hair, held her face up and looked directly in her eyes.
“I love you Lilly. I am nearly mad with loving you.”
“You do , you are?”
“I am . Since I saw you on the road I’ve wanted you. I pressed this marriage and sent your father money, so you could not say no. I wanted to shoot my own brother when I saw him kiss you. Those last few days at Hillside Park were the best of my life. I don’t want to ever lose you again.”
“Then why did you get so cold on our trip here?” Lilly asked, pressing her hands against his waist.
“I was protecting myself , trying to distance myself. I could not function for thinking of you.”
He looked at her youthful, sweet face and wondered if Lilly would ever forgive him. He noticed her brooch and touched it gently with his hand.
“It looks good on you.”
“This brooch Marlena left behind?” Lilly asked.
“You thought I would give you a forgotten piece of my mistresses’ jewelry?” Reece asked in dismay.
“Yes. Don’t look that way, it’s alright. I didn’t expect anything.”
“That’s your problem Lilly, you never expect anything from me. You think I’m a cad and I never disappoint. That was my mother’s brooch.”
“I’ m
……….
Lilly, just preparing to climb the stairs, heard the frantic knocking at the front door and knew it must be Reece. She approached it carefully and opened it herself, the servants long to bed.
Lilly was nervous. Reece was bound to be furious. Lilly gazed up at the imposing sight of her husband and stopped.
His face looked haggard, his eyes dark circled.
Lilly felt guilty seeing him so upset. She motioned him inside.
“I’m sorry if you were worried,” Lilly offered.
Suddenly he grabbed her and pressed her tightly against him. He bent his head and laid it on top of hers.
“I don’t know if I want to make love to you or shake you. Why did you leave Lilly?” Reece asked, his voice hoarse.
He pulled back and looked at her. His eyes ran over her lips, her red rimmed eyes, and he trembled to know Lilly was safe and he’d hurt her again.
“ Reece your friends are so cruel. You didn’t stand by me, not even for the first few minutes,” Lilly accused.
He couldn’t stop himself, he lifted her and kissed her with a maddening hardness. He held her so tightly she felt like fainting.
“ No, I left you to fight a battle I caused. It was unforgiveable, but I hope you will forgive me. You will never leave me again Lilly,” he whispered, running his lips over her neck and around to her face.
“Why did you let them all joke about me? Y ou said nothing,” Lilly asked, trying to concentrate while he continued to kiss her.
“I know, I’m an ass , I guess even I wasn’t prepared for their hardness. I assumed they would stop and be civil. I thought you’d gone up to bed. I never dreamed you were out of the house,” Reece said sitting her down and running his hands down her back.
“It was so much worse than I expected. All those women kissing you, the loud drunken men, you melted back into them like a bee returning to its hive. I’m going to return to the country,” Lilly offered.
“ No, never. It will be different. I’m different. I don’t want that life anymore Lilly. I’m married and I want a family. You changed me and I fought it, but now I am thankful. I can be a better man with you Lilly,” Reece admitted, an honest expression lighting his face.
“A few days ago you didn’t want me to stay.”
“I always wanted you to stay, I was afraid of my feelings for you Lilly. You took control of my every thought. I was afraid of your power over me.”
Lilly looked at him in surprise and Reece took his hands and pushing back her hair, held her face up and looked directly in her eyes.
“I love you Lilly. I am nearly mad with loving you.”
“You do , you are?”
“I am . Since I saw you on the road I’ve wanted you. I pressed this marriage and sent your father money, so you could not say no. I wanted to shoot my own brother when I saw him kiss you. Those last few days at Hillside Park were the best of my life. I don’t want to ever lose you again.”
“Then why did you get so cold on our trip here?” Lilly asked, pressing her hands against his waist.
“I was protecting myself , trying to distance myself. I could not function for thinking of you.”
He looked at her youthful, sweet face and wondered if Lilly would ever forgive him. He noticed her brooch and touched it gently with his hand.
“It looks good on you.”
“This brooch Marlena left behind?” Lilly asked.
“You thought I would give you a forgotten piece of my mistresses’ jewelry?” Reece asked in dismay.
“Yes. Don’t look that way, it’s alright. I didn’t expect anything.”
“That’s your problem Lilly, you never expect anything from me. You think I’m a cad and I never disappoint. That was my mother’s brooch.”
“I’ m
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