slipping in the back door after you get the girls to bed tonight?”
Lily still had what felt like shooting stars inside of her, felt every little zing as they zipped around inside of her, bringing her back to life.
It was like she could still feel his lips on hers, was still drowning in all the sweet sensations, so she didn’t quite get what he said the first time.
“What?” she asked.
“Me, slipping in the back door after the girls go to bed tonight. You wouldn’t be comfortable with that, would you?”
She looked up at him dumbly through the darkness.
All those little tingling sensations were still there, all the excitement, all the joy, but it was starting to fade and fade fast.
He expected to be in her bed tonight?
Just like that?
Lily was starting not to feel so good.
She was starting to feel foolish.
“I thought…” Oh, no. “You meant…when you said…and you…”
“Yeah, but I understand. I mean, I didn’t think you’d be comfortable with that. What about tomorrow? While the kids are in school? It’ll be just the two of us. No one ever has to know.”
Lily felt like all those really good, tingly feelings drained right out of her, along with all the air in her lungs.
He wasn’t asking her to go out on a date with him.
He just wanted to sleep with her.
She sat back in her chair, wishing she could disappear into the darkness.
Was this what people did these days? Just jump into bed together? Did nobody date? Maybe not. What did she know? She hadn’t been single for a dozen years, after all.
Maybe she should feel flattered instead of shocked and embarrassed.
“I’m sorry,” she said, just wanting to flee. “Really. I am. But, I can’t—”
“Lily?”
“I just…I didn’t know…uh. I have to go.” She jumped up, ready to flee.
He reached for her, got a hold of her hand, but Lily pulled herself free and ran.
He called out to her as she ran, but didn’t try to follow her, for which she was thankful. Lily got inside the kitchen and locked the door behind her. Which seemed ridiculous, but she did it, then put her back to the door and sank down to the floor, just wanting to hide.
It wasn’t like he was going to chase her inside and demand to speak to her, or like the man was overcome with lust for her. He’d simply…made her a proposition, she supposed. One many women might consider quite reasonable, even inviting.
One that made Lily feel like a fool.
She thought he wanted to date her, maybe romance her a bit, flirt with her, tempt her, and then after an appropriate courtship of some sort—whatever that was considered these days—she might let herself fall into bed with him.
But, no!
He just wanted her to run upstairs and take her clothes off for him.
Was that how it was done these days?
She sat there on her kitchen floor, back to the door, feeling absolutely miserable, then realized she’d left the girls in the backyard alone after dark. She stood up, unlocked the door and threw it open, to see if she could hear them playing in the tree house, and there he was, standing in the dark getting ready to knock on her door.
“Damn!” Lily cried. “I didn’t want to leave the girls alone.”
“They’re fine,” he said.
“And I just can’t talk to you right now. I’m sorry. Really. I am. Please don’t make me talk about it.”
“I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do, Lily. I’m not that kind of man,” he said, sounding ever so reasonable and calm.
“I know you’re not. I didn’t mean to imply that. I feel foolish enough as it is, and right now, I just don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Okay. How about I sit out here and keep track of your girls, so you can have some time to yourself. And when you’re ready, you can call them to come inside?”
She sniffled, fighting back tears that would have made her feel even more ridiculous, and said, “That would be nice.”
“Okay. I’ll do that.”
Try as she
Lily still had what felt like shooting stars inside of her, felt every little zing as they zipped around inside of her, bringing her back to life.
It was like she could still feel his lips on hers, was still drowning in all the sweet sensations, so she didn’t quite get what he said the first time.
“What?” she asked.
“Me, slipping in the back door after the girls go to bed tonight. You wouldn’t be comfortable with that, would you?”
She looked up at him dumbly through the darkness.
All those little tingling sensations were still there, all the excitement, all the joy, but it was starting to fade and fade fast.
He expected to be in her bed tonight?
Just like that?
Lily was starting not to feel so good.
She was starting to feel foolish.
“I thought…” Oh, no. “You meant…when you said…and you…”
“Yeah, but I understand. I mean, I didn’t think you’d be comfortable with that. What about tomorrow? While the kids are in school? It’ll be just the two of us. No one ever has to know.”
Lily felt like all those really good, tingly feelings drained right out of her, along with all the air in her lungs.
He wasn’t asking her to go out on a date with him.
He just wanted to sleep with her.
She sat back in her chair, wishing she could disappear into the darkness.
Was this what people did these days? Just jump into bed together? Did nobody date? Maybe not. What did she know? She hadn’t been single for a dozen years, after all.
Maybe she should feel flattered instead of shocked and embarrassed.
“I’m sorry,” she said, just wanting to flee. “Really. I am. But, I can’t—”
“Lily?”
“I just…I didn’t know…uh. I have to go.” She jumped up, ready to flee.
He reached for her, got a hold of her hand, but Lily pulled herself free and ran.
He called out to her as she ran, but didn’t try to follow her, for which she was thankful. Lily got inside the kitchen and locked the door behind her. Which seemed ridiculous, but she did it, then put her back to the door and sank down to the floor, just wanting to hide.
It wasn’t like he was going to chase her inside and demand to speak to her, or like the man was overcome with lust for her. He’d simply…made her a proposition, she supposed. One many women might consider quite reasonable, even inviting.
One that made Lily feel like a fool.
She thought he wanted to date her, maybe romance her a bit, flirt with her, tempt her, and then after an appropriate courtship of some sort—whatever that was considered these days—she might let herself fall into bed with him.
But, no!
He just wanted her to run upstairs and take her clothes off for him.
Was that how it was done these days?
She sat there on her kitchen floor, back to the door, feeling absolutely miserable, then realized she’d left the girls in the backyard alone after dark. She stood up, unlocked the door and threw it open, to see if she could hear them playing in the tree house, and there he was, standing in the dark getting ready to knock on her door.
“Damn!” Lily cried. “I didn’t want to leave the girls alone.”
“They’re fine,” he said.
“And I just can’t talk to you right now. I’m sorry. Really. I am. Please don’t make me talk about it.”
“I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do, Lily. I’m not that kind of man,” he said, sounding ever so reasonable and calm.
“I know you’re not. I didn’t mean to imply that. I feel foolish enough as it is, and right now, I just don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Okay. How about I sit out here and keep track of your girls, so you can have some time to yourself. And when you’re ready, you can call them to come inside?”
She sniffled, fighting back tears that would have made her feel even more ridiculous, and said, “That would be nice.”
“Okay. I’ll do that.”
Try as she
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