Page 6 of Claiming Lily

“You’re staring.”

I am. I can’t seem to stop myself from looking at the way her hair catches the morning light streaming through the dusty windows, or how her lips part slightly in sleep. There’s something about Lily that’s under my skin, and I can’t figure out when it happened or why. All I know is when she’s around, she consumes more space than she should.

I care about this woman way more than is appropriate. Given my friendship with Matt, offering to let her stay with us is a bad idea, but it feels right.

Thirty minutes later, the sound of a truck rumbling to a stop pulls my attention away from the woman curled up on the couch. Gage’s door slams shut. He heads toward us with a steaming cup and what looks like a pastry bag.

“Sorry. Traffic was rough.” Fall is always a busy time of year with the changing leaves and tourists.

“She’s still sleeping,” I tell him, doing a crap job at hiding my frustration that her natural instincts haven’t woken her up after sensing she’s being watched. It only makes me more determined to get her somewhere safe.

Gage’s gaze strays between me and Cole. They share a silent look, knowing me all too well, though if they have anything to say, they keep it to themselves.

If we delay any longer, this project will fall behind today and that will impact our ability to get to others. I’m still trying to prove to my dad that I can handle things so he can go into full retirement.

“All right, let’s get this over with,” I murmur. My heart thuds harder as I move closer to Lily. She’s gorgeous. I always thought she was, but out of respect, I never really let myself look lately. Now that I know she and Matt are over, I drink her in. Plush lips with a bitable cupid’s bow, the gentle slope of her nose, and that long red hair I want to wrap around my fist.

Despite every rational thought screaming at me to keep my distance, I squat down beside her and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The silky texture sends a jolt straight through me. I jerk my hand back like I’ve been burned.

Fuck. What the hell is wrong with me?

I shake my head, trying to clear it, then gently place my hand on her shoulder. “Lily. Hey, wake up.”

She startles, her green eyes flying open and scanning the room before they land on my face. The tension melts from her features instantly.

“Oh, Hudson.” Her voice is raspy with sleep and my name falls from her lips, breathy and soft.

The sound goes straight to my cock. I can’t help thinking about seeing her in my bed and how she’d sound saying my name when I—NO. Stop, she’s Matt’s ex-girlfriend.

Heat crawls up my neck as I help her sit up. Her cheeks flush pink, and she runs her hands through her hair, trying to tame the mess.

“How long have you guys been here?” She glances between Cole and me, then at Gage who’s approaching with the coffee and food.

“Not long,” Cole lies smoothly.

Gage extends the cup and bag toward her. “We figured you might be hungry.”

Her eyes narrow slightly as she accepts them, like she knows we’re lying but decides not to call us on it.

“Lily, what are you doing here?” There’s an edge underneath his gentle tone. He’s as frustrated as I am with the whole situation.

She chews on her bottom lip. I have to force myself to look away from her mouth. Finally, she blurts out, “Matt and I broke up, and he kicked me out and I didn’t have anywhere to go.” She gestures around. “So, I stayed here.”

“Son of a bitch.” The curse rips from my throat before I can stop it. I fucking knew he kicked her out.

“Fucking asshole,” Cole mutters.

“That piece of shit,” Gage adds, his jaw tight.

My hands clench into fists, and rage builds in my chest. What kind of man kicks a woman out with nowhere to go? Dad and Mom had their fair share of arguments when they were getting a divorce. Even when she started dating her best friend, he was never ugly to her or her partner. Hurt, for sure, but never terrible the way Matt is to Lily.

My jaw works as I try to contain the urge to hunt Matt down and teach him some manners.

Lily misinterprets my anger and scrambles to her feet. “I’m sorry, I’ll go. I didn’t mean to be in the way.”

“Lily—” I start, but she continues.

“I shouldn’t have come here. I know it’s my house, but it’s your project, and I’m causing problems and in the way. As per usual.” She laughs bitterly, trying to brush by me.