"I wanted to spend some more time with you. I guess I got my wish," Charles said wryly.

Lily laughed. Reaching over the console, she kissed his cheek. "I really missed you, Charles."

The tension faded from his face and he relaxed back against his seat. They started talking about the mischief they would get into in high school.

Twenty minutes later headlights pulled in behind them. Rider opened his truck door as another truck pulled up next to him. Shade climbed out of the older-looking truck that everyone in town knew was Cash's. Both Charles and Lily then got out of the car.

"What's going on, Lily?" Rider asked as he walked next to Charles and looked down at the car with the two flat tires.

"We went for a walk and when we came back, the tires were flat," Charles explained.

"I'll get it loaded onto the trailer and drop it off at the garage."

"I'll give you both a ride home," Shade offered, moving forward.

Neither of them said anything as the two men loaded Charles's car onto the trailer. When they finished, Rider climbed back into his truck.

Shade went to the truck he was driving and opened the pa.s.senger door for them. Lily climbed into the truck first, holding her dress down as she slid across the seat so that Charles had enough room to sit. Shade climbed into the driver's seat and started the truck, as Lily tugged her dress down over her knees.

When Shade backed up and turned around; she was sitting so close to him the movement of him shifting gears had him brushing his arm against her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Lily stiffened, trapped between the two men with nowhere to go.

The silence in the car could be cut with a knife. Feeling agitated and uncomfortable in the silence, her hand went to her wrist, but before she could snap it, Shade's hand covered hers, preventing her from snapping it.

She slid her hand away, laying both hands on her lap.

"I appreciate you and Rider coming out." Charles broke the silence as they hit the outskirts of town. "We tried calling Lyle, but he didn't answer."

"That's because he was at Rosie's. I saw his truck as I pa.s.sed." Shade's cold voice filled the cab of the truck.

"That explains it." Charles muttered.

Lily expected Shade to drop her off first, but he kept driving past her house.

"Where to?" Shade asked.

Charles gave him directions and silence resumed in the truck. She had to force herself to keep her breathing even as they turned a corner and she was pressed up against Shade's side. Thankfully, Charles lived close by and it wasn't long before they were pulling into his driveway.

Charles opened the door when the truck came to a stop. "Thanks, Shade. You and Rider come by the restaurant and I'll buy you dinner," Charles said, getting out.

"We'll do that," Shade said.

"Goodnight, Lily. I'll see you in church Sunday.

"Goodnight, Charles."

Charles closed the door and Shade backed out of the driveway, his arm again rubbing against her b.r.e.a.s.t.s again. Lily tried to scoot over, but his thigh was sitting on her dress. When her dress started slipping up, she sat still, pinned in place. She didn't make an issue of it, since it was a short distance to her house.

"Did you have fun on your date tonight?"

His harsh voice startled her.

"Yes. We went to the movie and ate with my friend Miranda-Kaley's sister."

Shade didn't respond, stopping at a red light.

"Beth and the others came into the diner when we were having coffee. You didn't go riding with them?"

"No, I wasn't in the mood for a ride tonight."

The light turned green, and the truck moved forward again.

"I'm sorry you ended up having to get out tonight," Lily apologized.

"You would have done better keeping your own a.s.s home tonight."

Lily stiffened next to him. "What do you mean by that?"

Shade turned the truck down her street.

"I mean, you need to be cruel to be kind, and quit leading him on," Shade replied, turning into her driveway.

"I'm not leading Charles on," Lily protested, turning to look at him as he came to a stop.

"Yes, you are. When you went out with him tonight were you planning on f.u.c.king him?"

"Of course not," Lily said, shocked at his blunt statement. She quickly jerked her dress out from underneath his thigh.

"Then that's leading him on, in my opinion."

"Well, thank G.o.d your opinion doesn't count," Lily snapped, sliding across the seat toward the door. "And you should know about being cruel." Lily opened the truck door, sliding down from the seat then turning and slamming the door closed.

Pulling her house key out of her pocket, she went to open the door and then found herself pressed flat against the door. Shade's body pressed against her, his hand planted against the door, preventing her from moving to put the key in the lock.

"It's not a smart move, not leaving your porch light on, Lily. You think I'm cruel? How was I being cruel by telling you that you should quit f.u.c.king with his head? Don't you think that every time he goes out with you he's wondering if this will be the time he actually gets to touch that soft skin of yours." His mouth lowered next to her ear. "If you'll let him touch those firm b.r.e.a.s.t.s."

Lily trembled, but while his body kept her pinned to the door, his body didn't touch hers. It was the heat of his body and the smell of his leather jacket that were attacking her senses, keeping her pinned by fright, while at the same time, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s tightened in response to his words.

"I'm a man, and I'm telling you without a doubt that he walks out of his door to go out with you, he is planning on spending the night between your thighs. I'm not the one being cruel; you are."

Lily moaned, unsure exactly why as Shade took a step back. It took a moment before Lily could gather herself enough to unlock the door and let herself in. When she turned to slam the door in his face, she stopped when he placed his hand on the door.

"I'll have to teach you how to break that hold." He turned, leaving without another word.

She still slammed the door, but he was already pulling out of the driveway so it lacked the effect she wanted. It did make her feel better, though.

She locked the door before going up to her room to get ready for bed. In her room, she caught sight of herself in the mirror, making her pause before climbing in bed. Her cheeks were flushed and her b.r.e.a.s.t.s still felt tight and achy. Her hand went to her forehead, feeling the beginning of a headache.

She opened a door in her mind, thrusting all thoughts of Shade and what she was feeling inside. She couldn't let herself be attracted to him. Earlier, when she had turned to shut the door, she had seen a look on his face before he could disguise it with his usual inscrutable one. She had no trouble recognizing the darkness in his soul that he kept hidden.

She had no intention of falling for him like the other women that constantly surrounded him. She was going to find her cowboy and bring him back to Treepoint, and they would live happily in this house.

Lily laid down, fantasizing about her imaginary man, trying to drive all thoughts of Shade away. She didn't realize when she finally managed to fall asleep his was the last image in her mind.

Chapter 8.

Lily sat next to Charles in church, holding hands, and she wished she could feel for him the way he felt toward her. It wouldn't be too long from now that she was going to have to talk to him. She had already told him they had no future and he needed to find someone else, but he had just shook his head, saying he would wait.

Lily smiled sadly to herself. He would wait forever for her if she gave him the least bit of encouragement. She didn't want that for him, though; it wasn't fair. He deserved a woman that loved him as much as he loved her. She knew she didn't have the stomach to be cruel to him like Shade suggested; she resolved that she could make him understand without hurting him.

Lily stood up when it came time to sing, her gaze caught by Rachel as she sat with her nephew and brothers. Holly and Mrs. Langley sat in the same pew. She and Rachel had worked long into the afternoon yesterday organizing the bas.e.m.e.nt, talking throughout the long day, and she had found herself sharing things with her that she'd imparted only to Beth. Rachel was easy to talk to and she was Lily's own age, sharing many of the same experiences. She would miss their days together when she went back to college, which she was already dreading with Penni's absence.

After church, Charles went to the diner with her and they sat at the same table with Beth and The Last Riders. It was uncomfortable at first, yet gradually everyone at the table just ignored them as they sat at the end of the table talking quietly. All except Shade, whose eyes she could feel on them even though he had his sungla.s.ses on.

"We're going swimming, Lily. Want to come?" Beth invited.

"No, thanks. I'm going to stay at home and relax." Lily refused the invitation, knowing they would refrain from taking their cooler of beer if she went. She didn't want to spoil the day for them.

"Are you sure?" Beth asked.

"Yes."

Not long after, Charles finished, bending down to give her his usual kiss on the cheek before he left.

A cup smashed on the floor and everyone jumped.

"Sorry, my elbow hit my cup," Beth apologized.

"You didn't get cut by any gla.s.s, did you?" Lily saw the smashed cup on the floor by her sister's feet.

"No, I'm fine. Just clumsy."

"I'll call you tonight," Charles said before leaving, ignoring the strained silence at the table.

When they got home a few minutes later, Beth and Razer went upstairs to change into their swimsuits. While they changed, Lily loaded the cooler with cold sandwiches and fruit for when they became hungry. Opening the refrigerator, she found some bottled water and sodas, putting those in the cooler, as well.

As she had taken out the water and soda, she had noticed that the beers Shade had left behind were still inside the fridge. Beth hadn't asked why there was beer in there, so Lily had come to the conclusion that she had asked Shade to keep an eye on her. She felt ashamed that Shade had been put in the position of watching a grown woman.

"You sure you don't want to change your mind and go?" Beth asked, coming into the kitchen.

"No, thanks. I think I'll read for a while in the backyard and get some sun that way."

"All right, if you're sure." Giving Razer a glance, she said, "We may just spend the night at the club, if that's all right?"

"Of course. I'll see you both tomorrow."

Lily watched them leave, remembering the days that she and Beth would go spend the day together swimming. She missed those times with Beth. She didn't resent Razer or the others. It was her own fault she couldn't bear to be around them when they were drinking.

She changed into her bikini before fixing herself an iced tea and going outside into the backyard. She sat down on a lounge chair, putting on some tanning lotion before she lay back to read a self-help book.

She enjoyed lying in the warm sun, especially in the backyard that was completely closed off with a privacy fence and mature trees that prevented anyone from looking into it. It was her own safe-zone of privacy to just be herself since the houses on both sides were one-story and the home behind theirs was empty. It had been that way for years, but it was regularly maintained, and every now and then, they would see a car outside. Their father had told them it belonged to a couple who vacationed there twice a year.

Lily rolled onto her stomach after laying the lounge chair flat. She felt the swimsuit's bottom ride up a little, but she was too drowsy to fiddle with it, knowing no one would see. It was getting a little snug on her and she needed to get a new one. She'd had the same one since high school, though as she seldom wore it, she didn't want to waste the money.

Lily later woke from her nap startled, feeling warm hands rubbing cold lotion into her skin. Her hands went to her side, ready to jump up from the lounge chair.

"Stay still. I didn't want you to burn," Shade's voice sounded behind her as his hands rubbed more lotion onto the backs of her legs.

"That's enough. I was going to go in and get changed," Lily protested.

"Stay and relax. I brought us some steaks to grill. When they're almost done, you can get changed."

Lily wasn't sure, but she thought she felt the faint touch of his thumb against the lowest globe of her b.u.t.t. She started to stiffen; however, Shade was already up and moving away.

Lily turned her head, seeing that he must have been here for a while since the steaks were already on a plate, waiting to be put on the grill he was heating up.

"How did you get in?" Lily asked.

"I have a key."

"What? How?" Lily asked.

"Beth gave me her extra key when you were in the hospital. She'd asked me to pack some clothes for you."

Her sister had neglected to tell her that it was Shade who had brought her clothes to the hospital. Lily was horrified at the thought of Shade going through her bedroom, opening drawers. She remembered the red panties that had been packed for her. Lily was going to let Beth have it when she returned home.

"You can grab a quick shower. The steaks are almost done."

Lily didn't want to get up from the lounge chair. Her top was indecent and her large b.r.e.a.s.t.s were barely held inside the tiny cups.

Fussing at herself for not bringing a wrap, Lily got to her feet and hurried toward the back door, keeping her face averted from Shade's.

A hard arm went around her waist, pulling her toward him.

"Wait a minute."

A finger pressed on the skin just above the flesh of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "You've gotten too much sun. Put some lotion on before you come back downstairs. I'll keep the steaks warm."

"I'm a grown woman," Lily snapped.

"I can see that for myself." His eyes were on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"Jerk." Lily started to wiggle away but was released before she could do so.