Page 125 of Lily In The Valley
“You supposed to be my big dog,” I muttered, bending down to scratch behind his ears. “You and I both know she’s about to knock me out, huh?”
He yelped once, like confirmation.
When she finally stepped out, I forgot how to blink. She’d changed into a black sweater dress that hugged her curves and stopped high on her thighs. Sheer, black stockings covered the thickness of her legs, which were stuffed into knee high black leather heeled boots. An oversized denim coat hung off her shoulders. She’d put soft curls in her hair, sweeping the thick strands into a high ponytail with two pieces curling toward hertemples. Lip gloss covered her lips like honey, meant to ruin somebody. Ruin me.
She looked up, caught the stare I couldn’t hide, and raised a brow.
“What?”
“I’m trying to be cool,” I said, my voice low. “But you come out looking like that, make me want to bring you back in that bedroom.”
She huffed a quiet laugh and shook her head, stepping closer, her heels slow against the hardwood. “You always talk reckless when you’re nervous.” Her mouth tugged into that smirk she saved for moments when she got caught off guard, but was secretly flattered. Thatstop talking before I climb you like a treekind of smirk.
“I’m not nervous,” I said, my voice a low growl.
“Hmm,” she murmured, smoothing a hand over my shirt. Her eyes were warm, dancing in the light of the kitchen. “You keep saying stuff like that,” she added softly, “and we’re not making it out the front door.” Then she brushed past me, just close enough to leave the scent of sweet cashmere and citrus in the air.
“Let’s go,” she called over her shoulder. “You’re looking like you want to feed me something without nutritional value.”
“Stop playing with me, Lily-girl. You know vitamin D does a body good.” I followed her down the hall of her complex after locking the door, thinking to myself tonight was going to be a long night.
The restaurant wasa quaint place near the edge of Capitol Hill. It didn’t look like much from the outside but made you feel likeyou were walking into something lowkey special. Brick walls. Hanging plants. A small bar with two shelves of whiskey and guy behind it who looked like he was also the owner, the waiter, and the backup cook.
Kelly shrugged off her coat and sat across from me, her eyes scanning the handwritten chalkboard menu. The way her dress hugged her body had me mentally undressing her for the second time since we’d left the apartment. As she decided on a meal, she sat unfazed, unaware of what she was doing to me.
“You’re staring again,” she said without looking up.
“I like what I see.”
She snorted. “You eye-fucking me is going to make our waiter uncomfortable.”
“I’ll leave them a big tip. They’ll be aight.”
We ordered braised short ribs, grilled salmon, and duck fat potatoes. She made fun of me for calling her water bougie Sprite without sugar. By the time the server left, we were leaned in, elbow to elbow, like the whole restaurant was ours.
“You know what I miss?” she said, pushing a piece of bread into the basil olive oil dip.
“What?”
“Nothing in particular. Just the feeling that I’m not missing anything?”
I watched her for a second, the way she spoke so lightly but meant so much.
“Seattle’s been good for you,” I said.
She shrugged. “Seattle’s been quiet to me. There’s a difference.” She paused. “I used to chase noise, running from my own troubles,” she added. “Now I chase peace, even if I’m not always sure what it looks like.”
“Maybe peace is just being around someone who doesn’t need a translator to understand you.”
She looked at me, eyes softer than they’d been all night.
“Is that what you think this is?”
I didn’t blink. I broke off another piece of bread, swirled it in the olive oil, and held it in front of her mouth.
“I think you feel like home. And I’m not trying to fumble that again.”
Our food came. We made fun of the fact she cut her meat like a surgeon. She used the salmon to show me a new stitching technique she’d been practicing. She stole bits from my plate. I didn’t say anything when she ate half the braised short ribs and most of the potatoes. Halfway through the meal, she dropped her napkin. I bent to grab it and let my hand travel up the length of her exposed leg, stopping just under the hem of her dress.
