Kiss a Frog (The Book Club Series 1) (19 page)

“No. I’m going to ruin you for any other man, Lily. You’re mine, and your body knows it.” He punctuated his words with another fast thrust that left her breathless and wet. “Say it. I want to hear the words.”

“No,” Lily moaned.

“Fine, then we can do this the hard way. I can hold out all night. How long can you hold out?” Luca asked, sliding into her an inch at a time until he was buried to the hilt.

“Forever.”

“Is that so?” Luca withdrew suddenly, and Lily cried out as his mouth replaced his dick. He licked her until she nearly came off the bed, sobbing for mercy.

His fingers teased into her, stroking her G-spot and withdrawing, over and over, building her orgasm, then when she was right on the edge, he’d pull back, pressing slow kisses to her throbbing clit. “Make me come!” she begged.

“Say it. Say that you’re mine, Lily,” Luca demanded, sliding his tongue over her heat again.

“I’m yours.” She panted, grabbing his head and pressing him to her heat. “Dammit, I’m yours. Take me, Luca.”

Her orgasm shattered and she levitated off the bed, soaking his hand when she came moments later. He came back between her legs and buried himself deep in her wetness. “You’re mine.”

“I’m yours!”

They made love through the night until the sun came over the horizon. Lily dozed off in his arms, her body spent.

Book Club Meeting

Sometime later, the sound of ringing woke Lily from her slumber. She rolled over in bed and pulled her phone from her purse. Abby’s name flashed across the screen. “Hello?” she answered.

“Slipped out of your own birthday party. Tsk tsk, Lily Halloway. Well, was the sex good?”

Lily blushed as she heard girls giggling in the background. “Who’s with you?”

“Laura and Olivia. We’re at the coffee shop. Can you get here? Or do you need a wheelchair?” The girls’ laughter effervesced again, and Lily grinned.

“I can walk. I think.”

“Then get here!” Abby urged.

“Well, Luca…” She looked over to the other pillow and frowned as she saw a note on it. “Yeah, give me like half an hour, and I’ll be there.”

She hung up and opened the folded sheet of paper.

Had to go. Will return. Love, Luca.

Memories of the night before flickered through her mind, and she could feel the heat seep into her cheeks. A pleasant soreness ached between her thighs. She’d lost complete count of the orgasms she’d had. Luca was an incredible lover. Pulling herself from the sheets, she hurried to the shower and rinsed off the evidence of their lovemaking.

She dressed quickly and hurried from the house, carrying only the tiny purse from the night before with her wallet, phone, and keys. She didn’t feel like switching purses. Hurrying out to her car, she couldn’t stop the goofy grin that spread across her lips.

Is this what being in love feels like?

She drove through the city and sang along to the radio, feeling happy for the first time in a long time. As she pulled up to the coffee shop, she saw her two best friends sitting at a table with Olivia. Hurrying inside, she walked to the table and sat down in the empty chair.

“Wooo! Don’t you look pleased?” Laura crowed.

Abby propped her elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand. “Tell us all about it!”

“Um, no. Not with his sister sitting here,” Lily hissed.

“Thanks, I don’t need to know if my brother is a good lover or not.”

Abby snickered. “Judging by that smile, he’s good.”

“So, why are you here, Abs? What about the store?” Lily had been ordered to stay home by Paul until she was healed up. She assumed that Abby would be working today.

“Paul is running the store. After we hired back Olivia, we hired another guy too. Don’t tell him, but I totally know they’re boning. I busted them in the office. Paul is
so
a bottom.” Abby giggled. “They’ve got the store covered.”

“Oh, that’s good, I guess.” Lily giggled nervously. “So why are we here?”

“Because Olivia is being brought in as a new member of our club.” Abby explained.

“And because I don’t have to buy back the book, nor take you for a spa day, and Abby doesn’t owe you two hundred dollars. You have a boyfriend.” Laura smirked. “Told you the book would make a difference in your life!”

“Whatever. I didn’t even read the tripe. The book didn’t have a
damn
thing to do with me getting Luca. You guys devoured it like horny teenagers and look, you’re both still single, so shut up.” She turned her attention to Olivia. “You like romance novels?”

“I do!” Olivia nodded, her eyes bright. “Something about a strong, sexy man sweeping a girl off her feet does it for me. I’ve been a closet Harlequin lover since I was twelve.”

“I never knew!” Lily gasped. “Well, we have to convince these two that we’re not reading anymore erotic romances. Only regular romances from now on.”

“Sounds good to me!” Olivia grinned.

“Well, I have an announcement to make…” Laura piped up, passing Lily her favorite Frappuccino. “We need to read a cowboy romance next…”

“Why?” Lily wondered.

“Because…I was offered a job. In Texas…doing advertising for a small blue jeans company…I get to work with hot cowboys every day!” Laura squealed.

“Oh my God! You’re moving away!” Abby whined. “Now you’ll meet some sexy cowboy and get a boyfriend before me. I hate you!”

“Well, Lily will be moving away too,” Olivia interjected.

“What? I’m not going anywhere,” Lily argued, sipping her drink.

“No? Luca’s moving to Seattle…didn’t he tell you?”

Lily froze in her chair. “What?”

“Uh oh…” Olivia busied herself with her coffee. “Forget I said anything, okay. I’m sorry I ruined your good mood.”

“No, that’s okay. I needed to know. I guess he wasn’t planning on telling me. Nothing like sex then jumping ship.” Lily seethed, thinking back to the moment she’d given herself to Luca, body, heart, and soul. It made her furious that she’d willingly given herself to him when he was just going to leave and break her heart anyway.

“Maybe he just hasn’t told you yet. You know, a surprise?” Abby offered. “Hey, we can Skype for book club meetings. How about it, Lily?”

“Yeah, sure,” Lily murmured, half listening to the conversation flowing around her. All she could think of was Luca hauling ass to Seattle after the night they’d shared.

I love him, and he’s leaving. I don’t know if I’m willing to do something long distance.

“Earth to Lily!” Abby squealed, and Lily shook her head firmly, shaking off the bad feelings.

“Sorry, I was in my head.”

“Obviously. So are we game for Skype Book Club dates? I can’t freakin’ believe you’re moving away in two weeks, Laura! I’m so jealous. If only I hadn’t been banging my boss, maybe I could’ve gone with you. Now I’m working retail.” Abby sighed melodramatically.

“You’ll be fine, drama queen.” Lily rolled her eyes. “It will do you good to slum a little while.”

“Ugh, the upper echelon of royalty will never love me now. How will Prince William leave Kate and fall in love with me?” Abby whined.

“Yes, because he’s totally going to leave his beautiful, groomed wife for your whiny ass.” Lily snorted and drank more of her Frappuccino.

“You never know! Stranger things have happened. You watch, I’m going to fall in love with a prince.” Abby folded her arms over her chest and shot daggers in Lily’s direction.

Lily held up her hands in defense. “Fine, I believe you. Fall in love with a prince. I’m done looking for a prince. They don’t exist.”

The table gasped and Laura squealed, “Don’t you even say that, you and Luca are perfect for each other.”

“Oh, come on, we all know this was just a fling. Cover your ears, Olivia. He fucked me and is leaving. That’s that.” Lily shrugged and sighed. “I mean, really, he could have any woman he wanted, why would he pick dumpy old me?”

Olivia uncovered her ears and frowned. “I really believe my brother has feelings for you. He hasn’t really told me much, and to be honest, I barely know him. We’ve spent years just barely seeing each other. I don’t think my brother would hurt you intentionally, Lily. Also I want to apologize for putting you in danger…”

“Me? Hurt? No. I know what to expect out of this life. Fat girls get nothing. And the danger was minimal. It’s barely more than a scratch.”

The table grew silent and the bubbly mood was long gone. They finished their coffees in silence. “Well, I guess I need to go,” Olivia muttered. “I, uh, need to study.”

“Yeah, I need to go clean out my apartment. I found a little place I can afford closer to work. It’s time to downsize.” Abby smiled tightly.

Laura stood and sighed. “We’ll have to have a party before I go. A send off to Texas.”

“Absolutely.” Lily pretended to be happy for her friend. “I’m sure Mom would love to have a reason to open the ballroom again.”

“It sounds great.” Olivia waved as she walked away. “See you guys later.”

Lily hugged Laura and Abby and as they left, she slumped over the table and tears filled her eyes.
Seriously, Luca?

After a few minutes, she left the coffee shop. She roamed through town for nearly an hour, finally driving home. She bristled as she saw Luca’s car parked along the edge of the road. Steeling herself for an argument, she cut the engine and left the car. Hurrying up to the apartment, she gritted her teeth as she found her door unlocked.
I locked this when I left. Did he pick my lock?

Stepping into the apartment, she spotted him on her couch. “Did you seriously pick my lock?”

“Maybe.” He grinned impishly, and if she wasn’t so damn mad, she would’ve found it adorable.

“You had no right!” she yelled and his smile fell.

“Whoa. What’s wrong?” He jumped off the couch and came toward her.

Lily threw up her hands and moved into the kitchen, pulling a cheap bottle of red wine out of her fridge. It was two in the afternoon, and she felt like getting drunk. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just an idiot.”

Luca took the bottle from her and popped the cork. “I don’t think I follow. Why are you an idiot?”

He held the bottle away from her and searched her cupboards until he found a glass to pour some in. “Give me the wine!”

“No. Half a glass, then you tell me what’s got you mad.” He poured half a glass of wine, and she snatched it away from him and downed it in one gulp.

“What’s got me mad is you’re leaving for Seattle. When were you going to tell me? It certainly wasn’t before you made me fall in love with you!” She raged, pushing past him and running up the stairs to her bedroom.

Just like the night before, he caught her easily. “Whoa! Where did you hear this?”

She stared up into his luminous green eyes and spat out the words slowly. “Your sister told me you got a job in Seattle. You didn’t bother mentioning this last night.”

“It’s not like I had a great moment.” Luca smiled, and she slapped him, hard, across the face.

“Let me go.”

Luca stepped back, and she moved into the bedroom and began pulling the sheets off the bed. She threw pillows in her rage, knocking over her bedside lamp. The porcelain lamp base bounced off the hardwood floor and shattered into a million pieces. “Great, another thing broken, just like my heart.”

“Lily, calm down. Let me get a broom, and I’ll clean this up.”

Lily spun, fury dancing in her eyes. “That’s the thing, Luca. You think you can just say some pretty words, lick my pussy maybe and clean this all up. You can’t. The truth of it was it was just sex, wasn’t it? You bagged me and you were going to dart off to Seattle without even a goodbye!”

“You’re
wrong
, Lily Halloway. Dead wrong. It was never just about sex with you. Hell yeah, that’s what I wanted the first time or two, but when I made you say you were mine last night, I meant it. Every. Damn. Word.” He stepped closer. “Every time I touched you and made you come, I meant it. It wasn’t just sex last night, and you know it.”

Lily quivered with anger and desire. “Bullshit. Why wouldn’t you tell me you’re leaving?”

“Has the thought ever crossed your beautiful, silly little mind that maybe, just maybe I wanted to wait until the right time so I could ask you to come with me?”

“What?” Lily gasped.

Luca dropped to one knee and pulled a blue velvet box from his pocket. “Yeah. Come to Seattle with me, Lily. Marry me.”

He opened the box and her vision became blurry from tears as she stared at the perfect diamond solitaire ring settled in the fabric. “Oh my God!”

“Is that a yes?” He waited patiently for her to answer.

Her anger disappeared like a speck of dust on the wind, and she covered her mouth with her hand. “You want me to marry you?”

“Did I stutter? I said come to Seattle with me. Marry me. I want you, Lily Halloway, and I’ve wanted you from the minute we bumped heads in the coffee shop and you puked on my shoes.”

“You promised you’d never mention your shoes again!” Lily giggled through her tears.

“Well, I have to have something to tell our kids, right?”

Lily nodded, and she stuck her hand out. “Yes.”

“Yes what?” Luca grinned beautifully.

“Damn you, Luca De Soros! Yes, I’ll marry you! Yes, I’ll move to Seattle with you. Yes, I’ll give you babies, and you can tell them I puked on your shoes. Yes! Yes!” Lily screamed.

Luca slipped the ring on her finger and pulled her into his arms. “So tell me, princess, is this where we kiss and you find out if I turn into Prince Charming?”

“I think so. I mean, it’s the end of a chapter and the start of a new beginning, right?” Lily stood on her tiptoes and leaned closer to his lips. “Why don’t we see?”

Luca kissed her then, and Lily fell into her fairy tale. They rode off into the sunset on his gleaming white steed, okay, in his shiny black Buick and lived happily ever after…

The end, for now.

Stay tuned for Book 2 in the Book Club Series, with Laura’s story.

Roping Two Frogs.