Lily's Mirage (Hell Yeah! ) Read online

  “You said you were avoiding fame and fans, did you just get tired of it all?” He had no idea of knowing that the question she asked meant something more to her than mere curiosity.

  “The joy was gone. I love the craft, I just hated the notoriety. What used to be fulfilling became a burden.”

  Bam! His explanation hit home with Lily.

  They strolled among the trees and flower beds surrounding the house. “I’m sure a lot of people feel that way about their jobs. Accountants. Laborers. Store clerks.” She wasn’t trying to argue with him, just hear his viewpoint.

  A muscle in Blade’s cheek jumped. “Yes, but when your job robs you of more than it gives, it’s time to move on.”

  “I can understand that.” Very well. He sounded like this was more than celebrity burnout.

  “I still have two films that will release within the next year, then the only place you’ll see my face is on reruns.”

  “Reruns can make you immortal.” Something she understood very well and the main reason she didn’t own a television.

  When they drew near to the house, Lily could see the yard was laid out in a manner common to the old South. Rose bushes with tiny blood-red blooms were planted in threes on either side of the walk. Huge blue hydrangeas flanked the steps. There were peach trees, a pomegranate bush and a line of crepe myrtles to one side and on every branch of the crepe myrtles a blue or green bottle hung swaying in the sea breeze.

  “What in the heck is that thing? Some weird type of Christmas tree?”

  Lily smiled. “That, Mr. Jensen, is a spell Ms. Mirabelle Renaud left in the trees.”

  “A spell?” Blade looked perplexed.

  “Didn’t Isaiah ever tell you that he came from a family of New Orleans witches?”

  Blade removed his hat, then ran his hand through the riot of curls. “No, I can’t say he did.”

  “Yes, they’re quiet famous in certain circles. The bottle tree supposedly keeps evil spirits from coming into the house, they are lured into the bottles, then they can’t get out. When the rays of the rising sun strike the bottle, the spirits are destroyed.”

  Bending near to the tree, Blade peered into several bottles. “I don’t see any ghosts.”

  Lily giggled. “I never was sure about the concept, I would hope if I were a spirit, I’d have enough sense to leave the bottle the same way I entered it.”

  Her comment made Blade laugh. “Seems reasonable, but you aren’t evil. Perhaps the evil negates their good sense.”

  “I like your theory.” She slowly mounted the steps. “The blue color on the doors and shutters is known as haint blue, it is also supposed to be a ghost repellant. The mirrors on the porch serve the same purpose.”

  “So, I guess we’re safe,” Blade murmured as he opened the door for Lily to enter the house.

  “Unless, they’re already inside,” Lily said playfully, remembering Seba’s pronouncement.

  “If they are, I hope they didn’t eat our chicken.”

  “Maybe not.” Lily slipped off her shoes at the door and padded barefoot to the kitchen. “If you’ll cut it up, I’ll prepare a quick salad and a packet of microwave rice.”

  “All right.” He pulled his shirt over his head, then flipped on a ceiling fan to circulate a little air around the room.

  Lily tried to keep her eyes to herself, but it was hard to do. “So, if I wasn’t here to entertain you, what would you be doing?”

  Taking a sharp knife from a drawer, Blade considered his answer. “Fishing, I think. Isaiah told me I could use his gear. I might even set some crab traps.”

  “Oh, sounds fun. You should do that, if you catch some, I might cook them for you.”

  Her suggestion made him smile. “You’re on. I’ll do that in the morning. How about you? If I weren’t here, what would you be doing?”

  “Contemplating life, I guess. Like I told you before, I just needed to get away for a while. I have some decisions to make.” This wasn’t something she’d discussed with anyone, but Lily was considering finding some way to leave this world with dignity. She also wanted to do some good with what she’d accumulated, leave a bequest to Grief Share and set up a college fund for Glory Bee and T-Rex’s baby girl, Alice. As they worked together in the kitchen, Lily pushed these thoughts out of her head. “So, Blade, tell me something about yourself that I wouldn’t find in a Wikipedia article.”

  Blade placed the chicken pieces on a platter, then covered them with a paper towel. As he placed them in the microwave and set the timer, he glanced over at Lily. “This is one of those conversations that should be covered in a non-disclosure agreement, but I’ll tell you anyway.” He paused for effect. “I can’t ride a bicycle.”

  “Oh, no.” She shook her head sadly, mischief in her eyes. “No coordination, huh? That doesn’t speak well for…other pursuits.”

  Blade looked offended. “I have coordination, I’ll have you know. I have plenty of coordination.”

  “Yea, sure, I believe you. That’s why you had a stunt double. Did Isaiah do your sex scenes too?” Lily placed the salad on the table and poured them both some lemonade.

  “No, he didn’t. I’ve never required any assistance in the sex department.”

  Lily laughed at his affronted expression. “I’m sure you didn’t.” She couldn’t resist taking a peek at the bulge behind his zipper. There was an imprint, a definite imprint and what impressed her was the girth…my God!

  “So, what about you, Miss Pink Panties?” Blade asked as he took a sip of the sparkling tart drink. “Tell me something you don’t generally tell other people.”

  “Well…I have a trophy on my dresser for giving the best head in south Louisiana.” Blade promptly choked on the lemonade. Lily patted him on the back. “Easy, there. Easy.”

  When he managed to get a breath, Blade wiped the tears from his eyes. His johnson was swelling to near bursting at the image her words produced. “Tell me, exactly, how this contest was conducted.”

  Lily bent over double, laughing at his expression. “Don’t let your imagination run away with you. This involved several girls at a bar with a pile of cucumbers.”

  Blade couldn’t help but smile. “I would’ve loved to witness that competition.”

  “I’m not sure it would’ve been half as funny if there hadn’t been a lot of margaritas involved.”

  “Funny isn’t the word I would’ve used, I bet the whole thing was arousing as hell.”

  Blade moved closer, just one step, and his nearness accelerated Lily’s heart rate like a racehorse out of the starting gate. “I don’t know about that, I…” When he came even nearer, her breath stalled in her chest and her loins ached. “What are you doing?”

  “What I’ve been wanting to do since I first saw you.”

  Both seemed to freeze for a moment, their eyes locked…and then Blade stormed her. His large hands snared Lily’s upper arms, hauling her against him. She only managed to gasp once before he crushed her mouth with his in a searing kiss. There was no testing of the waters, no waiting for an invitation. He forced her lips to part under his, taking complete and deep possession of her mouth.

  Lily grasped those double-wide shoulders, sliding her hands slowly up to wrap around his neck. She arched into him, accepting the scorching kisses. She could feel the pent-up passion in his body and it threw her, she wasn’t expecting this level of desperation – not for her.

  “God, you’re sweet,” he breathed when his mouth slid from hers. Lifting her from the floor, he branded the skin of her neck with his lips, nipping and sucking on the sensitive flesh.

  Lily whimpered when she felt the wall at her back and a thick hard thigh was wedged between her legs, pressing against her tender, achy place and the unanticipated pleasure caused her to clamp her own thighs around him with a soft cry, “Blade, I don’t know…”

  “Yes, you do know. It was only a matter of time, I couldn’t resist you.” He hooked his hands beneath her knees, urging her to ride higher on
his leg. The resulting friction brought her so much pleasure, she almost fainted. “You told me this is what you came here for and I’m ready and willing to give you as many orgasms as you want.” Blade began to feather kisses over her neck and face. “How many, Lily? How many can you handle?”

  Lily opened her mouth to answer and Blade took advantage, slipping his tongue inside and staking his claim, kissing her over and over again. Time ceased to matter, Lily lost her grip on reality, floating in a euphoric dream. When Blade groaned, “You need me and I need you,” her eyes popped open and Lily became aware that she was rocking back and forth on his thigh, straining to get as close to him as she could get.

  Lily placed her hands on his pecs, at first to push him away, but when she felt his heart beating beneath her fingertips, became aware of all the raw male energy, hungry for her…she melted. He was right, she did need him and Lily didn’t care a fig if he was famous or not, she just needed the man, not his reputation. Craving more of the pleasure he was offering, she dug her heels into his hips and pushed up, working herself rhythmically against the hard muscles of his upper thigh. And while she did, he continued to eat at her mouth, consuming her with a ravenous appetite. “Blade, oh, Blade. This is wild,” she whispered as she tore her mouth from his, moving her hands to cling to his shoulders, her nails biting into his skin.

  “Ride me, beautiful. Scrub that sweet pussy on my leg.” Blade smiled as she framed his face, seeking his mouth once more. Every curve was pressed against him, her diamond hard nipples were stabbing him in the chest. When she curled her tongue round his and sucked on it, he felt his balls tighten, his cock turning to stone. Fire charred his veins as his hands went to her hips and he helped her move – up and down, harder, harder. He could feel the tension in her body and he knew she was about to break. She wasn’t alone, his whole body was teetering on the brink of fuckin’ insanity.

  “Blade! Oh, God!” Blade held onto Lily as she ground her way to ecstasy. Damn, this was the most erotic damn thing he could ever remember. When she shattered, trembling in his arms, he was so weak with desire that he could barely stand. He didn’t need to look down to know precum was leaking from his cock, the spot would be clear on his jeans. Tremors quaked through his body and he had to fight the need to tear her clothes off and fuck her raw. “Good, baby?”

  “Oh, yes, God, yes.” She trembled against him, completely boneless in her rapture.

  Blade held her tight, desire eating him alive. He buried his face in her neck and breathed deep, willing his cock to heed his warning, now was not the time. This woman deserved more from their first time than to be nailed to the wall. No, she merited candles and satin sheets, a soft mattress and champagne. Giving Lily a tender kiss on her quivering lips, Blade set her gently on her feet. “I think the chicken’s ready.”

  Lily tried to collect herself. God, she’d just dry-humped a Hollywood heartthrob. “I’m sorry.”

  Blade caught her hand as she tried to run away. “Don’t you dare be sorry, I loved what we just did and I want more.” He pulled her close to his big body, pressing her to his chest. “The next time you come, I want it to be all over my cock.”

  Lily found herself blushing, completely flushed with a combination of embarrassment and arousal. “You kissed me and I got carried away.” On shaky legs, she finished setting the table. “It’s just been a long time and I haven’t done it often enough to develop any…restraint. I’m sorry.”

  Every word she said only made Blade want her more. “I don’t want you to have any restraint, not where I’m concerned.” He carried the food to the table, sitting across from her. “Look, at me.”

  Lily raised her eyes, her cheeks still hot.

  “I haven’t done this in a long time either.”

  She shook her head. “You’re a star, you can have all the women you want.” She remembered her parent’s marriage, the constant bickering about her father’s faithlessness and her mother’s retaliatory affairs.

  “I haven’t wanted any women.” Blade dry-scrubbed his face, tossing his hat into a neighboring chair. “If you kept up with such things, you’d know why.”

  “What do you mean?” Lily pushed her plate back, she had no appetite.

  Blade swallowed a bite of chicken, as good as it probably was, it tasted like cardboard to him. He pushed his plate back also. “Two years ago, my daughter was murdered by an obsessed fan. They snatched Katy right out from under my nose, at a fan appreciation day in Chicago. One minute she was holding my wife’s hand, the next she was gone.”

  Lily felt her heart break in two for Blade. Taking his hand, she squeezed it tightly in her own. “I’m so, so sorry. No wonder you were skeptical of me.”

  “I’ve been bitter,” Blade admitted, the familiar pain rising to engulf his heart. He looked past Lily and out the window, noticing how the afternoon sun glinted off those damn blue bottles. The ghost that haunted him had long blonde braids and sea green eyes. “I blame myself. She was mine, my responsibility, my little girl.”

  Lily could feel Blade’s sorrow like it was a tangible thing. “I can see how much you loved Katy, there’s no way you were at fault.”

  The beautiful woman’s support and confidence in him touched Blade like nothing had in a long time. “I did love her, I do love her.” He shook his head, then clenched his hand into a fist. “This woman, the psycho, she took Katy and we searched, the police searched. But when we found her, it was too late. And for what? She just wanted something that was mine and once she had it…she destroyed it. She killed my little girl.”

  When the big man’s voice broke, Lily couldn’t stand it. She rose to her feet and went around to hug Blade’s neck. He pulled her into his lap. “Did they catch the killer? Did they bring her to justice?”

  “No, not yet,” Blade whispered the words with such anguish that Lily almost couldn’t breathe.

  “I’m so sorry, I understand you now. I understand why you’re here, why you feel the way you do about everything.” As she cradled his head to her breast, Lily felt such a connection to him, a connection she couldn’t ignore. “I never lost anyone the way you lost Katy, but my mother was killed on the set of a movie and my father committed suicide because he couldn’t escape the guilt.”

  A twinge of familiarity nudged the back of his mind. Blade let her words sink in. “Your parents were in the industry?”

  She kissed the top of his head, then whispered as if imparting a grave secret. “Lord and Cecily Conn.”

  He knew the names, they were a power couple, many had compared them to Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, what with their tumultuous lifestyle and notorious scandals. “So, that makes you…Lily Conn.” Blade stared at her with disbelief. “I remember you in Princess. You were more famous than your parents ever thought about being.”

  3

  “Fame is highly overrated.” Lily tried to get up out of Blade’s lap, but he held her in place.

  “Stay put, I need to hold you. I can’t believe this. You were huge…and then you just disappeared.”

  Speaking to someone who understood, freed something inside Lily. She began to pour out her heart. “I hated it then, I hate it now. My parents pushed me. I didn’t have a choice. I did it to make them happy. After…they died, I wanted to forget I ever lived in that world. That’s why I don’t own a television, I can’t stand to see the reruns and the stupid docudramas about the tragic lives of star-crossed stars.”

  “I feel the same way,” Blade confided, rubbing his lips on her shoulder. “I’ve threatened lawsuits over that very thing, I don’t want Katy’s last hours celebrated and dissected like other exploited child murders. One of these days they’ll find the one who did it, and when they do, I’ll be there to identify her. I have my own suspicions and I’ve hired a team of investigators to find the monster.”

  “I’m so, so sorry.” Lily ran her fingers through his hair, offering him comfort. “Now, I understand how you feel and I agree with you about avoiding fans and craving solit
ude, especially if they ask you about Katy. The world forgets celebrities are people too.”

  “Yea, they do. Fame is just artificial happiness.” Blade began to stroke her back. “You never know if someone really cares about you or just the persona. It’s amazing how lonely you can be when surrounded by people.”

  Lily was amazed at how close she felt to this man who was a stranger to her only a day ago. “We’ve both lost someone in a way no one ever should.” They sat there for a few minutes, absorbing strength from one another. “How about a swim?” Lily finally asked. “I think we need to get out in the sunshine.”

  Blade let out a cleansing breath. “All right.” He filed the memories of his little girl in the special place he held her in his heart. “I think that will do us both good.”

  Setting aside their cares, Blade and Lily stored the remaining food, quickly picked up the kitchen, then retired to their rooms to change clothes. When Lily joined him, he couldn’t stop staring. She wore a black strapless one piece that covered everything, yet only made him want to see more…and touch more. He ached to rip that suit right off to get at those magnificent tits, then lower her to the bed and indulge in a hot, hard-edged afternoon fuck. “You look amazing.” He couldn’t keep the admiration out of his voice.

  Lily blushed. “Thank you.” She was about to tell him that he looked nice too, when he grabbed her hand.

  “Come on, I’ll race you.” He grabbed two towels where he’d placed them on the back of a chair as he charged by.

  Laughing, they took off out of the house and down the trail. When they reached the seaside cabana, Lily found a couple of inner tubes, while Blade stripped off his shirt. “Hey, I love these things. Have you ever used one?”

  “When I was a kid.” He couldn’t help but smile, her beautiful face was awash with excitement. “Let me put a little more air in those and we’ll try them out.”

  Lily held the big rubber tubes as Blade made sure they were optimally filled. “You know, my folks used to take Flora and I to the ocean, sometimes in California and sometimes in Mobile or Galveston. They loved to hold court on the beach and my sister and I would get one of these tubes and just ride the waves. Our folks would get so wrapped up in each other and their fans, that it’s a wonder we just didn’t float off.”