Tiger Lily: Part Three by Amélie S. Duncan Read Free Book Online

his seat back and was waiting.
    I inhaled and pushed back before standing. My pulse increased with every step as I closed the distance between us and stood before him.
    He took my hands. “I have few friends, Lily. My work and life are complex. I don’t get to be as social and I was brought up to suspect everything and everyone. Alan, who’s marrying Dani, like Ian, is one of those few who became my friend. I’ve known them both for over ten years. However, when it comes to you, I will let Ian’s friendship go. I’ve learned that much. The only thing that saved him was finding out how he helped you in my absence.”
    He looked at me, examining my expression, then continued. “I don’t want to play games. Ian wouldn’t appreciate or deserve to be played, either.”
    I knew he was referring to my using Ian as a pawn to push Melissa out of our lives as well, and I immediately felt bad. Particularly because Ian had helped me. I nodded my head rapidly. I didn’t want to be the reason their friendship ended. Just the thought made me ill. “I understand. And I’m sorry,” I sighed.
    He exhaled. “I accept. In regard to Melissa, she is an old friend I’ve known practically my whole life. Her life isn’t perfect, and she’s not perfect, but I won’t throw her away because of her feelings. You didn’t cast Gregor away, and he’s in love with you.”
    My mouth dropped open. “He knows I don’t feel the same way. And he accepts it. I don’t believe Melissa holds the same sentiment.”
    “Gregor tried to warn you against me with Maggie. Remember? I wanted you away from him, but you wanted to keep that friendship. That makes this similar. So you’ll need to trust me.”
    My shoulders hunched and I looked down. My stomach dropped. “Gregor didn’t do what she did. After what she did and said, you shouldn’t be around her. I don’t want you around her.”
    “I’m furious with her for her behavior this afternoon. That hasn’t changed. But I shouldn’t abandon her friendship because of her feelings. I chose you, Lily.”
    “For now,” I said, interrupting him. I stared at my bare feet.
    “Come here,” I didn’t fight when he tugged me forward and down onto his lap. “You know I didn’t put a time limit on us. Have I given you reason to doubt me?”
    I stared at my hands as they rolled up the ends of the tie on the robe. “I don’t trust her. I don’t feel secure with you being with her.”
    He took the ties from my hands and opened my robe. “I think it’s more to do with you not having confidence in me. That will come in time, along with your belief that you’re mine,” he slipped the robe past my shoulders. “Take off your robe and fold it, then move your food over next to mine,” he said.
    I narrowed my gaze. “Why? You want to play a sex game in the middle of our argument.”
    “This is not a game, this is you being mine. I’m commanding and demanding. I’m all consuming. This is me, as I truly am. This is me giving you what I believe you need from me,” he said and released me. I immediately felt empty, but I sat there and thought about what he had said. His demand was sexual in nature, and the heat that was working through me, along with the throb in my sex, had me ready to do what he asked. Still, my mind wondered if I needed to acquiesce to him to feel assured in his feelings for me and not Melissa. Wouldn’t the same assurance be achieved by his saying he loved me?
    My heart ached at how much I wanted those words from him right now. But he’d been given plenty of opportunities to say as much today, and he hadn’t. He wasn’t ready.
    What he was ready for was to try to make me feel closer to him, and in that he was right. I needed that much from him right now.
    Jonas exhaled long as I unclasped my robe, his stare fixed on me as I folded the robe, per his directions. Then I walked over to my seat and placed it down, lifting my plate and setting it next to his. I returned to stand