A grin spread on Caroline’s face. “So, have words of love been shared?”

I froze as a sick feeling rolled through me. The blood fell from my face as memories flashed in my mind of the last woman I loved.

No, I couldn’t love Lila. I wouldn’t allow myself to.

“What did I say?” Caroline asked.

I turned toward Lila, and our eyes locked. By the worry on her face, she knew Caroline had gone too far. I set down the knife and moved to wash my hands.

“I think it’s about time you took over. I’m going to go change.”

“All right. Thank you,” Lila said.

On my way out, I saw the sadness in her eyes and stopped to place a kiss on the top of her head. It was hard not to slam the door behind me. Not that I was angry at Caroline. Under normal circumstances, in a normal relationship, it would be fine.

Neither Lila or I was normal. Caroline’s question simply highlighted it and served as a reminder of the love I’d lost, a reminder of why I could never love Lila.

As I changed my clothes, I tried to remind myself why I decided to interrupt their night. It was for Lila’s sake, to make it easier for her to tell Caroline, to make sure Caroline knew and understood. That way, if anything happened, she would know it was my fault.

No! We will protect her.

I can’t protect myself.

That was why even what I was doing was bad. If they saw, if they knew…

With a sigh, I tried to shake off the remnants. After changing into jeans and a T-shirt, I headed back down.

“How’s dinner coming?” I asked as I entered.

Lila looked nervous, while Caroline looked about to cry.

What the fuck?

Caroline walked to me, her phone clutched in her hands. There were tears in her eyes that looked at me with pity.

“I’m sorry. I Googled you. Don’t worry. I won’t say anything to anyone, even Lila. She wants to hear it from you when you’re ready,” Caroline blurted out.

I froze and stared at her.

Shit. I was not expecting her to do that in the few minutes I was gone. I swallowed hard and kept our eyes locked.

“I need to request that you please make sure you do. Only a few trusted people in the office know. I stress this because what you learned isn’t the whole story, nor wholly true, and I don’t want rumors spreading.”

“I promise. I won’t say a word. It’s not my place anyway,” she assured me.

“Thank you, Caroline.”

During dinner, Caroline thankfully steered the conversation clear of anything about my past, but she did have a nasty habit of bringing up Andrew’s name. By the third time, I caught on, her sly smile giving her away. Lila must have told her about our mutual hatred of each other.

“Wait, you call Jennifer and all the others what?” I asked.

“The Boob Squad,” Caroline said. “I’ve watched them adjust their clothes and fluff their boobs up to make them pop out before they go into your office. It’s hysterical to watch. Dress code all day. Need to see Nathan? Boobs out!”

Well, that explained something.

“They will forever be the B.S. from now on. And don’t worry, I don’t buy any of the B.S.’s BS,” I said with a chuckle.

After a few hours, Caroline headed home and we went about cleaning up dinner.

“Did your phone really die?” Lila asked as she handed me some of the dishes.

I smirked at her as I ran them under the water to rinse them off. “Yes, it died after lunch.”

“How long after lunch?” Her eyes narrowed at me.

My smile broadened. “Sometime around when you got coffee. I was surprised to find she followed you home. I thought she would come over later.”

“Oh, God, you did read it and came over anyway?” she asked.

“Technically, I read half of it…then my phone died.”

“Unbelievable!”

“I thought it was a good idea. One of your friends should know, in case…” I trailed off.

Thankfully Lila didn’t pry.

“You couldn’t have given me a heads up? I was freaking out!”

Her reaction was priceless and worth it.

I leaned down and kissed her neck. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“How?”

I gave her a waggle of my eyebrows. “Oh, I think I have a few tricks up my sleeves…and down my pants.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Do you, now? I’m not sure I’m convinced of your professed prowess.”

My mouth popped open. “Are you challenging my ability to make you come, and come often?”

I loved the smile that spread and the way she bit her lower lip. It was the lightest I’d ever seen her. She seemed relaxed and, though still unsure, a little more comfortable in her own skin.

Once the dishes were done, I had her over my shoulder and headed to the bedroom

“Nathan!” she cried out.

“Time for bed, number one.”

“Number one?” she asked.

“Yes, you’re number one in the Boob Squad.”

“Says who and why?”

A jolt went through me as she grabbed my ass, and I smacked her ass in return.

“Because you show me a hell of a lot more of your tits than they do. Way more of them, and way more often.”

I threw her down on the bed and climbed to hover over her, my knees pushed hers out, allowing me to settle between them. Her hips tilted as I pinned her arms above her head.

She was still smiling at me, and I couldn’t stop from doing the same. There was something lighter about us, even if it was just for the moment. However, as she continued to rock against my cock, the mood shifted.

“Something you want, baby?” I asked. Her response was only to lift her hips and look at me with those fucking erotic eyes of hers. “Words, Delilah. Tell me in words what you want.”

“Kiss me,” she said.

“Where?” I rocked into her, groaning as her breath picked up.

“Everywhere,” she whispered.

I crashed my lips to hers and immediately found her tongue. As sweet as ever, and even more so after dessert. After a minute I released her lips.

She was so free at that moment, so beautiful and happy. Not only that, in her, I felt a sort of peace that was infectious.

“I meant it, you know,” I said as I caressed her cheek.