“I didn’t see anywhere mentioned that information was privileged,” Dorin replied. Lily growled at him, but James stepped in between them.
“How about we just get to my place and you can try to kill each other later okay,” he offered. With a final glare at Dorin, Lily got into the truck.
James opened the door to his apartment, stepping aside so Lily could walk in first. “You can leave your stuff in that room over there,” he told her pointing towards a door across the living room. “That’s the room I planned on making for A. J. but I don’t have a bed yet.” Why did this feel so awkward all of the sudden? As Lily stood in his living room, he was sure she felt the same, this was awkward.
“I can get a bed tomorrow but for tonight you can sleep in my room and I’ll crash on the couch,” he went on to explain, feeling like a babbling idiot now. Lily glanced at the couch then back at him with a “you’ve got to be kidding me” look on her face.
“You on that couch?” She repeated slowly. “James you’re over six feet. There is no way you can sleep on that thing,” she told him. “You keep your bed and I’ll sleep on the couch. I doubt I’m going to get much rest anyway.”
“No, I’ll be fine,” he argued. “You need to rest Lily. You’ve been through a lot today. A good night’s sleep will do you a world of good,” James insisted as he closed the door to the apartment and trying to act normally.
“James, let’s be realistic,” she argued with a hand on her hip.
“Sorry, but I’m a man of dreams,” he replied back with a smug grin, deciding to try and lighten up the mood. He threw himself backward on the couch in a gesture of staking claim. “I’m sleeping here tonight and there’s nothing you can do about it so might as well go put up your stuff and go to bed.”
“God, I forgot how much of a pain in the ass you can be,” Lily said with an air of exasperation and a shake of her head. “Fine! If you want to sleep like a contortionist, then be my guest but if you can crawl in that bed while I’m asleep I will hurt you,” she threatened sounding more like the Lily he remembered. It was odd, but that little threat seemed to change the mood back to normal.
“About time,” he replied, he smiled and she looked at him confused. “You’ve been here nearly two weeks and haven’t threatened my life yet. I was starting to get worried you didn’t care about me anymore,” he teased and she rolled her eyes, but she had a smile of her own.
“Good night James,” Lily said with another shake of her head and went into the spare bedroom then into his own. James let out a slow breath. See this doesn’t have to be awkward but he wasn’t totally convinced because if he were honest with himself, he’d love nothing more than to go and join her.
Something woke James up sometime later, but he wasn’t sure what it was. All he was immediately aware of is how much his body hurt, especially his neck. He groaned silently as he sat up, rubbing his pained neck. Maybe he should have let Lily have the couch or maybe he should have just slept on the floor. He heard someone in the kitchen and glanced at his watch. It was three thirty in the morning, he’d been asleep for only a couple of hours.
He walked into the kitchen and watch as Lily downed a bottle of beer in almost one long drink. She stank of fear… and arousal, confusing him and causing a hint of possessiveness to wash over him. “Everything okay?” James asked deciding to focus on her fear. She gasped in surprise with a startled jump. “Sorry,” he apologized sheepishly, surprised that she didn’t know he was there.
“It’s cool,” she replied, trying to act cool but he could see she was upset.
“Are you alright? Did something happen?” He asked, growing worried.
“I… uh… had a really, but really, really bad dream,” Lily replied, rubbing her eyes as if she was trying to remove the memory from her mind.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked and was surprised by how adamantly she shook her head.
“No! Dreaming about it was bad enough,” She told him and shuddered. What the hell did she dream about to make her act like that, he wondered but didn’t want to push the subject. If Lily didn’t want to talk about it, there was no way he’d ever get her to talk. “You can have your bedroom back. I don’t think I’ll manage to sleep tonight,” she added after a moment.
“Why don’t you try warm milk with honey instead of beer and you might be able to sleep again,” he offered and she looked at him with a confused expression.
“Why?” She asked him and now he was confused.
“Why what?” James asked back.
“Why are you doing all of this? Why are you even talking to me at all?” Lily replied. “I’ve been nothing but rude to you since we’ve met. I had thought about drugging you and I’ve kept your son from you. Why haven’t you just written me off by now?”
“I’ve got my reasons,” he told her. James couldn’t bring himself to place the blame fully on Lily. He knew her intentions weren’t malicious when she did those things and well if the truth be told with or without the mate connection, James was pretty sure he was in love with Lily.
“It’s because of A. J. isn’t it?” She asked with an unreadable expression. “That whole mate thing you started back in the woods. It’s all about the old fashion idea that if you knock a girl up then you got chain yourself to her do you? Well, I hate to ruin your plans but I’m not going to let you do that James. I agree with friends but let’s not insult ourselves by actually pretending we feel something that was never even there in the first place.”
James let out a silent sigh, she may have changed but apparently not her reactions to being mates and as much as he hated it, now was no longer the time for him to declare his feelings towards her. “This has nothing to do with A. J. okay. I’m not trying to chain myself to you because it’s my duty as your baby’s father all I’m trying to do here and now is be what you really need Lily… a friend.”