Forever Lovers (17 page)

Once Lily was in her bedroom and the door
clicked shut softly behind her, she stood in the middle of the room
trying to get her bearings as the threatened tears she had been
holding back began to overflow, blurring everything in front of her
as she navigated towards the beckoning white comforter that had
been turned down in a welcoming jester. She climbed into bed,
clothes and all. She curled into a fetal position of warmth and
comfort with her faithful guard dog beside her as she escaped the
animosity that seemed to follow her into the bedroom. She slept in
exhaustion until morning.

CHAPTER 37

Lily slept better than she thought she was
going to with the help of the time change from traveling. She woke
with the sun and a cold nose that nuzzled her fingers letting her
know that it was time for her morning run with Gunner.
Thank
goodness I had a decent nights rest,
she thought,
I'm really
going to need all the help I can get to contend with Mr. Quinn
Slater today.

It wasn't long before she was dressed in a
Kelly green sports bra, black stretch pants, and a black jacket
trimmed in the same Kelly green and heading outside to do some
serious exploring. She knew it would be cool, but she needed to get
away from the chateau and clear her head before she dealt with
Quinn. Besides, it would also give Gunner a chance to navigate and
explore his new surroundings making him comfortable before she had
to leave him. At least she knew that Quinn would not abuse him, but
would he love him? Was he even capable of love? She could only hope
with all her heart that he would love him, if not now, eventually
for Gunner's sake.

An hour later, Lily entered the chateau to
find the household fully awake and bustling. The circle drive had a
couple of what appeared to be guest cars in the driveway. She
followed her nose to the buffet in the dining room and helped
herself to a piece of toast and coffee. Activity seemed to be
happening on the lower level. With her hands around her coffee mug,
she entered a double door mini gym. Large windows surrounded the
room giving it a panoramic view of the Mediterranean. A few
sailboats could be seen in the distance, seagulls soared above the
fluffy clouds, and palm trees swayed down below with the breeze.
Television was playing on three different flat screen TV's, a maid
with a cute little tush was pouring Quinn a cup of coffee like he
was a sultan and a nurse was giggling as she rubbed down his leg in
what looked like a sorry attempt of physical therapy. A young
muscular male stood nearby observing and offering suggestions. The
whole scene made Lily want to gag.

It became somewhat quiet except for the
television when everyone turned to look at the newcomer. There was
a small hesitation before Quinn said, “I'd like everyone to meet
the newest member of our staff, Lily. She's here to train the dog
for me.”

Lily narrowed her eyes. Quinn had tried to
make it sound like she was a
paid
member of the group. He
knew it would irk her, that's why he said it. She could hardly
refute him without insulting the rest of the team.

The nurse nodded a curt nod with a phony
smile of acknowledgment and turned her back, dismissing Lily as
insignificant while she batted her eyelashes and smiled a gushy
smile at Quinn who returned it with exaggerated gusto. That left
all doors wide open making Lily fair game as far as the male
therapist was concerned. He volunteered cheerfully that he was more
than happy to be of assistance and show Lily around the equipment,
which unbeknown to him, did not exactly endear him to his
employer.

Lily asked the therapist questions about the
various equipment as she evaluated what would be the most suitable
for Gunner to exercise upon for his therapy as well. She tried to
concentrate on being as professional as possible while at the same
time trying her damnest to ignore the laughter and flirting that
was taking place in the opposite corner of the room.

Quinn was not as oblivious to Lily as he
appeared. He noticed how her cheeks were flushed from her morning
run, how her mahogany locks were tasseled with the wind framing her
ivory face with wispy curls, how her lips were tinged with pink
gloss, and how she licked her lips slightly to moisture them. It
made Quinn want to groan. Unfortunately, the lip lick was taken as
a sexual sign of encouragement to the Italian trainer as well – of
course it would be.

After an extensive run down of all the
equipment, Lily asked to try out the treadmill before she worked
with Gunner. Stripping down to her sports bra of Kelly green and
hip hugging black running shorts that now showed skin from under
her boobs to several inches below her belly button, the Italian
trainer watched with overt sexual attraction. Her undressing did
not go unnoticed by Quinn in the corner who narrowed his eyes in
male possessiveness as he watched Antonio's eyes roam over Lily's
body in appreciation.

Lily started to get on the already running
treadmill with the hovering trainer standing behind her. Not
anticipating the rapid rate of the treadmill, her feet suddenly
slipped out from under her only to be caught by her bare skin
around the waist by the quick reflexes of the dark Italian that
scooped her next to his body to steady her. Lily turned slightly to
be greeted by laughing brown eyes, “Thank you.”

Lily felt his chest rumble against her bare
back as he grinned down at her and replied in a husky voice,
“Believe me, it's my pleasure.” He added, “I'll just stand behind
you while you get your sea legs,” the swarthy Italian murmured in
her ear as he adjusted the treadmill and slowly let her slide down
his body and semi erection. She wasn't sure, but she thought he
might even have licked her earlobe before he let her fly on her
own.
Dear Lord, do those Italians know how to arouse?!They must
start developing that special gene at birth. She was way out of her
league here.

Quinn had been watching the Italian trainer's
exchange with Lily. He was not one bit happy!
There's never ever
anything subtle about the Italian men. You'd have to be an idiot
not to get their vibes. Lily might not be his, but he'd be damned
if he'd just sit there and let him slobber all over her.

Just then, Quinn's deep voice barked behind
Lily making her jump guiltily. “That will be all for today,
Antonio,” who graciously nodded and left the room.

Lily glanced around to see that Quinn was
standing possessively over her gripping the ends of the towel
around his neck with his fists. He had a stance that left no room
for argument. Another glance confirmed that the nurse had
disappeared and Quinn was now studying her butt.
Enough of this
male testosterone,
Lily thought as she snapped off the machine
and turned to face Quinn.

Staying on the unmoving treadmill to give
herself some added height when facing Quinn she motioned to his
leg, “Are you able to walk the treadmill?”

Quinn clenched his jaw and replied
sarcastically, “I think I can manage.”

“....with Gunner?”

“Yeah, with the dog.”

Lily persisted, “It's my job to make
sure.”

With a disgusted look on his face, Quinn put
the treadmill back to the pace that it had been on before Lily
almost fell, turned on the treadmill next to him at a slow pace and
gently lifted Gunner in place before climbing aboard his own.

For the first time since yesterday, Lily had
a chance to study Quinn and his delicious butt without him trying
to pin her to his Pinterest board like she were a distasteful
project.

Five minutes later he turned to Lily,
“Satisfied?” he said as he flipped off the treadmill like he was
flipping her the bird.

Ignoring his sarcastic comment, Lily tried to
reply as a professional, “Keep your eye on Gunner. Watch if he
starts to pant excessively or limp. He'll probably never whine if
he is uncomfortable or hurting. Your job is to assess his condition
and gently message his skin growth just as your trainers do for
you. I'd also like to know a little of your history.” Lily cocked
her head, “The military seems to think you were a fit for each
other as your injuries are similar and maybe your
personalities.”

“Do I look like I care?”

“That's exactly what I'm talking about. It
seems to me you both have an attitude.”

“I do NOT have an attitude!”

Lily stood her ground, “Exactly.”

They glared at each other in a standoff
before Quinn stomped off towards the hot tub grateful that even
though his scrotum had seen better days, at least it was still
there. He removed his shorts and gave Lily a marvelous view of his
hard buns and backside before he slipped under the churning foamy
water. As he did so, threw over his shoulder, “If you want to talk,
you'll have to do it out here.”

Lily rose to the occasion and marched right
after him following his lead and stripping down to her birthday
suit. She knew Quinn was watching and could have cared less. She
wanted some answers out of Quinn and she wanted them now, no matter
what she had to do to get his attention! Besides, she knew she
looked good. She had worked out to get her figure back since
birthing the twins. She was fortunate to have no stretch marks and
her boobs were still perky. In addition to that, before she left
home, she'd gone to the spa and had gotten a complete beauty
treatment, including a wax job.

Quinn absorbed every inch of Lily's body into
his own as she jerked off her clothing not even trying to be coy or
sexy, which turned him on all the more. He didn't know why he was
so surprised, she always did do the unexpected, squeezing his nuts
in the process. He froze in place in spite of the hot water as Lily
stripped right in front of him, giving him a full frontal view as
she slipped into the water and pierced him with her stormy blue
eyes – challenging. He tried to will his body not to react, he was
not successful.

“So, talk,” Lily demanded once the foaming
water covered her nude body.

Quinn didn't answer right away, partly
because she demanded it and partly because he was trying to get his
own emotions under control. He reached behind him and took a stogie
out of the brass box nearby as though her nudity was not effecting
him in the least. By the time he lit it and blew the first puff in
the air, he was ready for her inquisition as he had a few questions
of his own.

“So, just what do you want to know,
Lily?”

A lot, you jerk, like why I haven't heard
from you for almost two years, what happened to your undying love,
why are you so angry at me, just what sin do you think I've
committed, or do you plain just don’t give a damn!

Instead, Lily asked with a solemn voice, “How
were you injured?”

Quinn took another puff of his stogie, “In an
explosion.”

“How badly was your thigh injured?”

“Blew the entire top off,” he replied with a
shrug like it wasn't a big deal.

Lily knew differently and got right to the
point. “I understand you had some skin stem cell regrowth. Is that
correct?”

“That's what they tell me.”

“You don't know?” she asked disbelieving as
she raised her right eyebrow like exactly how would that be
possible.

“I really wasn't particularly coherent at the
time.”

Lily's stomach began to churn. She knew from
Gunner that the body needs to do some healing before spraying on
the skin stem cells.

“Just how long before you were
incoherent?”

Quinn took a moment to answer as he drew on
the stogie again, “They say around nine months.”

Quinn watched Lily's face drain itself of
color.
Right about the time the twins were born,
Lily
thought. Suddenly, she felt the need to remove herself from the
tub, to gather her thoughts, to put some distance between herself
and Quinn. She got up with quiet dignity and wrapped the nearest
fluffy white towel around her body not really caring that the
butler might have apoplexy if she should ran into him.

As Quinn watched Lily leave the bubble tub,
he couldn't keep from admiring her tush, but at the same time, he
got the feeling that something was off. She left much like that day
when he was giving her the “Dad Talk” in the library at thirteen,
like there was something she wasn't telling him. He leaned his head
against the back of the tub.
What did it matter anyway?
he
thought as he took another puff of his cigar –
She belongs to
someone else.

CHAPTER 38

That night, Quinn, was out on his bedroom
balcony not far from Lily's open bedroom balcony, doors smoking
another stogie. Rain clouds rumbled in the distance. It smelled
like a storm was brewing out to sea. He stared out at the dark and
turbulent water only seeing the image of a naked Lily when she had
gotten into the hot tub earlier that day. He began to remember the
feel of her breasts and all of her special places that he had spent
touching two years ago in the Caribbean and how she had responded
with the pleasure he gave her, just like it was yesterday. He
remembered her nice flat stomach and the other memory that had
jolted him to attention today – her gold belly button ring, the one
with the diamond stars that he had given to her the last night they
spent together, the one she was to wear until he picked out an
engagement ring making her his forever.
Why was she still
wearing it? Why did she have another man's child after she had
declared her undying love to him! Why wasn't she wearing a wedding
ring?
It angered him that his hands ached to touch her again.
Damn you, Lily!

Lily lay in her own bed a short distance
away. She knew Quinn was on the balcony. She would have known even
if Gunner hadn't alerted her with a low growl. She could smell his
cigar as the tangy smoke floated above her bed and settled over her
like a soft blanket as it traveled through her open balcony doors.
It surprised her that it made her feel so comforting and
familiar.