Chapter Seventeen

            Lillian sat there looking at Drake, still wondering if she had made the right decision. After all her emotions were still raw and Drake looked about ready to explode. He didn’t say anything, just continued to stand there gazing down at her. Suddenly she didn’t like being below him and stood abruptly.

            “Whatever it is you wanted to say, say it so I can go to bed.” She said, surprising both of them. Lillian lightly bit her tongue, shocked that the words had somehow slipped past her defenses. Drake cleared his throat and she thought she saw him smirk, but then his lips returned to their straight line and he took a step closer to her. He stopped when he was almost crowding her and lowered his voice.

            “Forgive me my dear, but I was not the one to keep you out in the cold for so long.” He hissed and she narrowed her eyes at him. Her own anger returning in force as he became so defensive. She crossed her arms and tilted her head at him curiously. She kept telling herself that she had to remain cool and distant with this man or she would only end up hurt again.

            “Allister could tell that I was growing uncomfortable and took me out for some air. He was simply concerned for me.” She stated simply and Drake growled, making her jump as he stepped even closer and reached out to grab her upper arms. She gasped at the shock that ran through her at the contact, but steeled herself against responding to him.

            “I think he was far more concerned with getting you all to himself.” He growled low as he glared at her. She gasped at his insult to her and her cousin. True Allister was unorthodox and enjoyed teasing her, but this man had no right to insinuate anything sinister. She struggled against his hold, but his fingers only dug into her skin, dragging her closer so that their noses were practically touching.

            “Tell me again Lillian. Just how close are you with Allister?”

            Her eyes widened and she hissed back, doubling her struggles against him.

            “How dare you! Let me go Drake!” She shouted and he growled, but did release her so that she stumbled back from him. Her chest was rising and falling quickly as she fixed her hair and glared at him. She shot him a hateful look and quickly pivoted on her heel and stormed back to the house. Quietly muttering curses under her breath at the man that was impossible to figure out.

            “All men are stupid!” She shouted as she stomped up the stairs.

******************************************

            Drake watched her storm towards the house, her blonde hair billowing out behind her. He told himself to let her go, that he had already made a complete a*s out of himself. But it was becoming apparent that he wasn’t going to listen to sense when it came to this woman. He lengthened his stride so that he could catch up with her. He wasn’t done talking with her in any case.

            He managed to reach her as she was stomping away up the stairs and caught her angry burst about men. He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him and it reached her ear. She stopped and twirled to see him following her and she actually scowled. He had to admit she was cute when she was angry. He was distracted from his observation when she growled and poked him in the chest with her finger.

            “I have nothing else to say to you sir. So please stop following me.” She huffed and tried to turn from him again. His hand shot out and grabbed her arm. He pulled her back to him and growled low,

            “But I have so much to say to you.” He saw her flinch at his tone, but he didn’t release her, afraid that she would run off if he did. She continued to glare at him and he took in a deep breath and pulled her closer to him so that he could keep his voice low. Still very much aware that they were in an open hallway.

            “I’m not done with you yet Lillian. What is it that you’re trying to accomplish? What are you doing flaunting yourself around under every male nose? Because if you were trying to make me angry, you succeeded.” He hissed, his other arm reaching up to cup her cheek. He took a sharp intake of breath as his fingers touched her soft skin. His mind fogged, wanting to feel more of it. But before he could move, her hand shot up and slapped wrist away from her.

            He blinked and looked down at her to see her green eyes blazing in fury. The sight sent blood raging down to his groin and his mouth began to dry. She was always beautiful, but when her temper flared…Lillian was gorgeous. She wretched her arm out of his grip.

            “What do you want from me Drake!? First you kiss me in the library and then you tell me you want to forget all about it!” She shouted and he flinched back at her words. So he had been right to think that she was hurt, so this was simply her acting out. He groaned in frustration with himself. He should have known that she would read too much into his touch and that was exactly why he had tried to distant himself. Even if he was failing. He heard a small sniff and focused back on her. She had her gaze down and her arms were crossed over her chest, but he saw the way she was shivering.

            “What do you want Drake? I can’t keep doing this…I can’t pretend…pretend that I don’t feel something when you touch me.” She whispered and finally raised her eyes to meet his. Her green eyes were still angry, but they were also glazed over with unshed tears and the sight of them caused his gut to twist. She shook her head and turned her back on him.

            “I can’t keep allowing myself to...to fall. When you’ve made it obvious that you don’t want me.” She finished and started to take a step away from him. Her words struck a chord in him and he reached for her again, all semblance of logical thought gone. His hand latched onto her arm and pulled her back into his body, his other arm wrapping around her waist to hold her there. He growled at the shocked look in her eyes and lowered his head towards hers.

            “No Lillian. You are very wrong about one thing.” He whispered and crushed her lips under his. She fought him for a second, but it didn’t last long and she was quickly kissing him back. He groaned and released her arm so that he could run his other up her exposed back, moaning as his fingers grazed the soft skin. Feeling her shiver under his touch and the small moan that escaped her lips fueled the flames inside him.

            He tilted her back and deepened the kiss, allowing his hand to run up further and as the tips brushed against her hair he was filled with all forms of images. He slipped his tongue past her teeth as his fingers continued up to tangle in her silken strands. She was clinging to him tightly now, lost in the sensation of his hold. Drake was so lost that he failed to notice the extra presence with them.

            “Ehem. I believe this kind of behavior is supposed to be reserved for the wedding night.” Elena chuckled and the couple instantly pulled apart. Drake looked at his mother with mild confusion as his senses began to return to him. He looked to Lillian and she was bright red once more, but breathing just as heavily as him. She looked between the two and then dashed off, brushing past both towards the safety of her room.

            Elena watched the poor girl go. She hadn’t meant for the child to be hurt, but it was better that she had stumbled upon them and not one of the other sharp tongues. She then turned her hardened gaze on Drake and raised a brow at her son, who still looked a bit dazed.

            “You know that now you have no choice right?” She whispered and he stiffened. He glared at her and snorted, running his fingers through his hair.

            “What are you babbling about woman? Choice in what?” He hissed, still trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. Elena frowned and moved closer to her son, her hands on her hips. She glared up at the dense man and shook her head.

            “You have to offer for that girl Drake, if I hadn’t shown up just now that girl would have been ruined and you know it.”

            Drake growled at this and turned from his mother. He shook his head and tried to deny what he knew was only the truth. Just as he feared, this time his desire had taken full control and he had no intention of stopping. He felt a soft hand on his upper arm and turned to look down at his mother. She pointed her finger at him and smiled, that familiar gleam in her eyes.

            “I suggest you do it now, before you lose control completely. It’s only proper and I raised you to be a gentleman, not a rake. So for your sake, I suggest that tomorrow you have a lovely chat with Lillian and make it romantic. I also didn’t raise you to be a dolt with women.” She said and left him gaping after her as she waved goodnight to him. He growled and stomped off to his study.

            As he slammed himself inside the familiar walls he began to pace as his mind chided him for the trap he had fallen into. He had lost himself, completely. There was no going back now. He was now a doomed man who had fallen into the age old trap of a pretty face. He groaned as he tried to talk himself out of this one. But in the end…his arguments weren’t that strong. The side that was opposed to what his mother suggested was growing weaker by the second.

            In an inner spate of honesty, which was rare for him…he wanted to make Lillian his. And not just for one night. The very thought of another man around her sent him into a jealous rage. He wanted her to be his and for everyone to know it, that way, no other man would ever dare touch her. He growled as he thought of her supple body pressed to his once more, only this time he imagined what she would look like spread out on his coverlets.

            He hissed as the image made his head swim. At this rate he wouldn’t get any sleep. He laughed at that, knowing that he wouldn’t sleep in any case, just as he hadn’t since that first night on that damn balcony. He sighed and lowered himself into his large winged chair. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the scrap that had been there all night. He looked over the lines of his face and thought of what Lillian had said to him.

            “I can’t keep allowing myself to fall…”

            He groaned and set the page on the table next to him and rubbed his temples to relieve the headache that was starting. He chuckled low,

            “Lillian…now neither of us has a say in this. Come tomorrow…you’ll be mine.”

Author's Note

Enjoy my lovelies! Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! I really appreciate it when you take the time to let me know how I'm doing! Thanks for taking the time to follow this story!

Reviews

[Lemonygem]

Yep he exploded lol! Sweet chapter! Looks like Drake can't take it anymore.

[Melodycraft]

! Elena steps in before it has to be a shotgun wedding. Wow. Ok again you know I am full of guesses and comments, and wishes as to where I think this is going, but I'm gonna tuck all that inside except that I am very interested in what is going on in Allister's head...and wondering if we are heading for a resolution or a storm? Kudos!