Nick and Lilac by Marian Tee Read Free Book Online Page A

expression crossed her face. “What…would others say if they find out…you’re badat Counterstrike? Perhaps…all you know how to play is…Farmville?”
    He cursed, she laughed.
    “You cheeky little imp,” he growled as she continued laughing.
    Lilac made her eyes go wide. “Let me guess…you play Dragonvale, too?”
    The amusement died on his face. With a small wave of his hand, his guards disappeared.
    Suddenly, she felt conspicuously alone with Nick, which was a ridiculous thought since they were surrounded by other gamers. And then he started to speak.
    “Right now, Lilac,” Nick said in a level voice that still made her tremble, “there’s only one thing I can think of playing.”
    When her doll eyes widened even more, Nick swallowed back a groan, every inch of his body hardening with unfulfilled lust. “And if you know what’s good for you, try not to look at me like that.”
    “Like…what?” And then she blinked.
    Ah, well. It was as the Fates decreed.
    Before Lilac could draw another breath, Nick had cupped her chin, lifting her face as his lips claimed hers. The touch of his lips was indescribably beautiful, gentle but possessive as it molded over hers, his arrogance and desire for her communicating itself as he took in her lower lip and nipped it. The kiss was heat, passion, lust, and need – and it was over before she could think about stopping it, over before she could decide if she wanted more.
    This time, her eyes were wide with surprise and confusion.
    Fuck. The effort it took not to haul Lilac against him and kiss her like his body was demanding made Nick tremble in his seat. “I’m doing my very best to remember that we’re friends here, Lilac, but if you keep looking at me like that, I will forget.” He caressed her face with his knuckles, his cock aching at the way she unconsciously swallowed and wetted her lips, the tiny dart of her pink tongue making him think of how it would feel to have her licking his entire body.
    “And if you keep wetting your lips like that,” he warned in a low growl, “I’ll forget I’m trying to play nice, take you to the nearest room we can be private, and let your body know who its master is.”
    He watched how her lips formed a silent gasp, and even that in itself was erotic.
    With other women, Nick would have said something cruder and they would have loved it. But with Lilac, he couldn’t. Not now – not yet. She looked too fragile and even though he still ached to possess her, he wanted her to see he was trying…to be good, to be a friend like he had promised.
    She pulled away, and he let her go, watching the silky lock of hair unwound from his fingers.
    Nick wanted to curse when he saw a now-familiar expression of aloofness fall on Lilac’s face. Dio! What he would give just to know what went on in her mind every time she looked at him like he was not part of her world!
    But he wasn’t, Nick reminded himself. And it was important she realized it early on, accepted that they were different and that this – this goddamn friendship of theirs – would be fucking doomed from the start if Lilac didn’t understand he wasn’t nice like her.
    “You…don’t like me like that. You…think you do, but…you don’t.”
    The words made him look at her sharply, but she had her eyes already fixed firmly on her screen. He laughed mirthlessly. “Unfortunately, you’d be wrong.” Nick paused. “And we both know you want me as much as I want you.”
    She shook her head, her lips compressed.
    “ Liar .”
    Nick’s hard voice made Lilac’s stomach flutter, and her fingers stumbled over the keyboard.
    “What you should really say is that you don’t want to like me like that, but that’s okay.” Nick turned away, facing his own monitor. As he returned his character to the game, he said flatly, “I don’t think I want you to like me that way either.”
    The ride home was quiet.
    After walking Lilac to her door and getting back into his car, Nick