Page 34 of Claiming Lily
“I can take care of myself,” I say defensively.
“Apparently not,” Hudson grumbles.
Cole starts the truck and pulls out of the parking lot, but I can feel all three of them glancing at me like they’re waiting for something. The silence stretches until Hudson finally breaks it.
“You’re going to let us take care of you,” he says, and it’s not really a question.
“I don’t need—”
“Yes, you do.” Cole’s voice is firm but gentle. “And we want to.”
Gage reaches into a bag I hadn’t noticed and pulls out a turkey and avocado sandwich, holding it out to me. “Eat.”
The command in his voice makes something warm unfurl in my chest. When I don’t immediately take the sandwich, he gives me a look that’s part concerned, part stern, and entirely too attractive.
“Lily.”
I take the sandwich, and he watches until I actually take a bite before nodding in approval. A feeling I have no business feeling tugs in my chest. These guys treat me like I’m worth protecting, like they’d fight anyone who tried to hurt me and I like it far too much.
As my heart trembles with the possibility of being truly cherished, that familiar voice in the back of my mind whispers its poison: What if it doesn’t last? What if they get tired of taking care of you? What if you’re just another project to them, something broken that needs fixing?
“You’re no trophy, Lily.”
Shoving Matt’s insult to the farthest corner of my mind, I take another bite of the sandwich and try to silence the doubt, but it clings to me like smoke. Nothing this good has ever lasted in my life. Why should this be any different?
Chapter Eleven
LILY
Settled on the couch, nestled in the fluffiest blanket to ever exist, I watch Meryl Streep insult Anne Hathaway. The guys are good sports. Matt hated chick flicks, but the three of them don’t seem to mind the Devil Wears Prada. In fact, I swear they’re enjoying themselves.
After we got to their house, they insisted I sit down and then they proceeded to bring me an ice pack, mountains of snacks, and drinks before shoving the remote at me. I expected them to head back to work, but they all settled down beside me. Though guilt pricks at me for making them miss the end of the workday, I’m not mad they stayed.
I reach for the bag of grapes on the table but Gage grabs it first, giving me a devious smirk.
“Hey, I wanted those!” I nudge his shoulder playfully.
He holds a bunch above my head. “If you want one, open wide.” His voice drops to that low, rumbly tone.
My pulse skips. I give him a mock look of outrage to hide the lust that’s burning through me, crossing my arms and tilting my chin up defiantly. “I am not being fed fruit, Gage.”
His brown eyes dance with mischief. “Why not?”
Heat creeps up my neck. Yeah, why not? What’s the big deal? Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that my teeny tiny crush on my ex-boyfriend’s best friends has grown to the size of a crater and I’m doing everything I can to preserve my dignity.
“Don’t fight it,” he tells me, lowering the fruit even closer. “Just one bite, Lil.”
“You may as well,” Hudson says. “He won’t shut up until you do.”
“Fuck you,” Gage tells his friend half-heartedly.
“Hudson’s right. He won’t stop until he feeds you, Red,” Cole says.
“Ugh, fine.” I tip my head back, delicately plucking a grape from the bunch with my teeth once he lowers it enough for me to grab one. The sweet juice bursts across my tongue. Gage watches my lips, his gaze darkening as I chew. My cheeks warm under his attention and heat stirs in my core.
This moment is strangely sweet. With just me and the guys, a movie playing softly in the background, it’s almost like–
BANG. BANG. BANG.
