Shielding Lily (11 page)

R
en looks more
scared than I am. The concern shows in every part of his face. My gentle giant. So fierce and hard for everyone else, but a marshmallow when it comes to me. Only for me. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. I taste myself on him and moan into his mouth. It’s erotic, and liking my taste on him does something deep inside me. His hard length brushes against my already sensitive clit, making me jerk. He’s so freaking big everywhere, and I wonder if he’ll even fit inside me. He has to. I feel like my whole body is on fire. I need this. Need him.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” His voice is a mixture of pleasure and worry. I look up at him and see him fighting his desire. He’s giving me a chance to change my mind. Putting me before himself like he always does. I don’t want him to fight it. I want him to take me. To fully make me his.

“You’d never hurt me, Ren.” I run my fingers through his short hair. Everything Ren does is done with the intention to protect me. “I need you inside me.” I wiggle against him, making him moan my name.

“I don’t know if I’ll last long, but I’ll try,” he groans, sliding his hands between us. He’s still thinking about me. Always about me. Putting me first.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s already perfect. All of it,” I tell him. I feel the broad head of his cock find my entrance as he slowly starts to push inside me. The tight fit makes me gasp. Ren freezes as I dig my fingers into his shoulders, and his eyes widen. Then he closes them as if he’s in pain.

“Keep going,” I whisper. His eyes slowly open. “I want all of you.”

He leans down, taking my lips in a soft kiss, his tongue slipping in before he moves his hand to my clit and starts to rub me. My legs fall open a little more as he gently moves his hips back and forth, only the head of his cock moving in and out of me. He’s bringing me closer to another orgasm.

I try to move with him, my body begging for him to go deeper. Each time he thrusts, my pussy tries to lock around him and bring him deeper inside.

“Ren, please, I need…” I pant, yearning for more.

“I know, babe. Cum for me. If you cum it will let me in nice and easy,” he whispers in my ear, then takes my lobe into his mouth, sucking. I cry out as another orgasm takes me. Ren pushes fully inside me, the pleasure and pain all mixing together. His body stills while he rains kisses all over my face and neck, kissing me everywhere he can.

The pain finally fades, and when one of his kisses lands next to my mouth, I turn my head and take his lips. It’s deep and hungry and I try to move against him, rocking my hips. The movement causes him to groan into my mouth.

“Lily.” My name comes out in a pained voice. “Tell me you’re okay.”

“Make love to me, Ren.” His forehead drops to mine as he slides out of me, then slips back inside. I gasp at the sensation, and he freezes yet again.

“No, it’s good, Ren. It’s so damn good.” I watch relief pass over his face.

“God, I love you,” he growls as he starts to move. His hips drive back and forth. I try to move with him, but his big body bears down on me in the most deliciously possessive way. “Be still, Lily. Let me make love to you. You just enjoy every second of it.”

I slide my hands up his shoulders and entwine them around his neck, watching as he moves over me. His body takes control of mine as the pleasure starts to grow once again.

“I love you too, Ren. More than anything in the whole world,” I admit. He fills every part of me, Parts I didn’t even know were empty. He makes me feel whole. The broken pieces of me come together, and I never want to leave this place. I wish he and I could stay here forever like this. Only the two of us.

“You are my world,” he says, and my body locks around him. My feet dig into the bed as my body tries to arch up. I’m stopped by his hard chest as I scream out my pleasure.

His words set off my orgasm, and then I feel his warmth fill me as he says my name over and over. It’s intense and beautiful and so hot I almost melt.

When I finally float back to my body, Ren has turned us so I’m on his chest, sprawled out on top of him. His cock is still deep inside of me as he keeps us connected. His big hands roam my back, and the soft rubs entice my heavy eyelids to fall shut.

“I don’t want to go to sleep,” I mumble against his chest. “I don’t want this night to be over.” To wake up and have to go home. To face the world outside these walls. To face the times when I can’t always be with Ren. To leaving the little protective bubble he’s made for me. I never want to it to end.

I already know what I’ll face when we walk out of here. I didn’t go home tonight, and I know there will be hell to pay, but I know it was worth it. I will treasure this night for the rest of my life.

“I promise, Lily. We’ll have many more nights like this. I’m never letting you go,” he vows as I drift off to sleep.

“
I
don’t want
to let go,” I say, gripping her hand tighter. We’re in my Jeep and we just pulled up to her house, but neither of us is ready to say goodbye.

“Me either,” Lily says, looking at me and then looking at her house nervously.

“Babe, please tell me what’s wrong.”

We made love all night and then three times this morning before we left the hotel room. But afterwards, I could see the curtain of dread fall over her eyes as we packed up and left. There was nothing I could do to cheer her up, and the times she smiled at me, I could tell it was forced.

“I love you so much, Lily. You can tell me anything,” I press, trying to get her to open up to me.

She lets out a shaky breath and looks over at me. “I’m sad to be leaving you. That’s all.”

It’s not the truth, but I let it go. “Let me grab your bag and walk you in,” I say, trying to help ease the transition.

It’s Sunday, and we’ve got plans to have a dinner and movie night, but it’s hours away. She said she wanted to go home and change and get fresh clothes, and then we could meet up again. For some reason, though, I have this fear of letting her out of my sight. Maybe it’s because we shared something so beautiful and deep last night that I don’t want it to end. But my gut is pushing, saying something different.

“No!” she says quickly, but then she softens it. “No, that’s okay. My dad is probably still sleeping. I don’t want to wake him.”

“Lily, I’m going to walk you to your door. I made love to you last night. I plan on being the man in your life until the end of time. I don’t care about your house, or money, or anything like that. I’m going to be your husband one day, babe,” I say, caressing her cheek. Her eyes snap to mine in shock, but I keep going. “You’re mine and I’m yours. Nothing will ever change that.”

I don’t wait for her answer as I grab her bag out of the back and then jump out, going around to her side and opening the door. I help her out and then hold her hand as we walk up her driveway to her front door. She takes a deep breath and turns to me, about to say goodbye when the door opens behind her.

A man who looks old enough to be Lily’s grandfather swings it open and glares at her. He’s wearing a dirty shirt and pants. The smell of alcohol hits me, and I tighten my grip on Lily’s hand.

“Where the fuck have you been, you little slut?” he slurs and stumbles against the door frame.

Before I have a chance to react, he jolts forward and lashes out at her. A second too late, I pull her back, and he manages to graze the side of her face with the back of his hand.

I recover quickly, pulling her behind my body and standing in front of her, shielding her from her father.

“Lily, go get in the Jeep,” I say through clenched teeth. I don’t want her to see what’s about to happen.

“Ren,” she whispers barely loud enough for her to be heard, but the drunk cuts her off.

“Oh, is this what you were doing?” he says, looking me up and down like I’m the trash. “Hope you had a good time. This isn’t some hotel you can check in and out of like a whore.” He sneers at me, the look of disgust clear. He takes a step forward and I don’t move. “I can't stand the sight of her anymore. She’s nothing but a reminder of what I lost, and I’m tired of it.”

“Lily, get in the Jeep and lock the doors, babe. No matter what you hear, you stay inside there,” I say, not taking my eyes off him. I keep my words soft, because the last thing she needs right now is something harsh. Her hands tremble against my back, but a second passes, and I hear her whisper, “
Okay
.”

I stand there, the two of us unmoving as I listen for her steps, and then the door to the Jeep closes. After I know she’s safe, I take a menacing step forward. Her dad blinks a few times as if seeing me clearly for the first time. He notices my size and takes a step back. I follow him step for step. Every time he retreats, I close in. Until eventually we are in the living room of the house, and I kick the door shut behind me without even glancing at it. No, my eyes are glued to him.

“Get the hell out of my house,” he says with a confidence I know he doesn’t feel.

“You laid your hands on my woman, the love of my life. So I’m going to lay my hands on you.”

I pull back, and as hard as I can I backhand him across the face—what he did to her. He flies back and lands against a table by the door. For a second, I think back to the bruise on Lily’s back and all the other ones since. The ones she kept brushing off, saying she was clumsy. This man gave them to her. And I’m going to pay him back tenfold.

“You think you can beat on her and get away with it? What kind of monster are you?” I kick him hard with my heavy boot, thinking about the bruise I saw last night on Lily’s side. “She is the gentlest, kindest, and most special person I’ve ever met in my life. And you hit her because she isn’t your wife.” I lean down and punch him in the stomach, remembering the red mark she had there last week. “Because you’re a drunk and you think it’s her fault. You don’t ever touch her again. Do you hear what I’m saying?” I reach down, grabbing his dirty shirt in both my fists, and pull him to his feet. “Do you understand me?”

“Yeah,” he coughs, but it’s not good enough.

I pull back my fist and punch him in the mouth, seeing his lip split open as he cries out.

“Do you understand!” I shout, not making it a question this time.

He nods and says yes over and over before he starts to cry. I let him go, and he falls into a heap on the floor. I stand there for a second, looking around the place, and then I see the stairs. I make my way up them and to Lily’s room. I grab a suitcase from the closet and start filling it up. It hits me that she doesn’t have much of anything and all her belongings can fit into one bag. I make sure to get her art supplies and pictures before I look around to double-check I’ve gotten everything. Once her things are cleared out, the room is bare. It doesn't look like it ever belonged to her, and maybe it didn’t. There are so many thoughts racing through my mind, but the one thing that keeps beating down on my back is to get her to safety. To keep her away from this monster.

When I make my way downstairs, I see he’s still a crying heap by the front door. There’s a moment when I put myself in his place and think about what I would do if I lost Lily. I would be a mess, and I might even turn to alcohol. But I know I could never do that to a child. I could never hurt something that was a part of her and something that she loved. He doesn't deserve a second chance, but that’s not for me to decide. All I know is that I’ll be the one to take care of her from now on. Not him.

I don’t give him another look as I leave the house and close the door behind me. I walk down to the Jeep and put her bags in the back before climbing in and pulling her into my lap. I drive away from her house in silence, because I need to get her away from here. Away from this darkness and all the things that have hurt her. I’ll protect her from this. Forever.