Lilly's Choice

Arms wrapped around her waist at the same moment that she heard, "Have I told you you're beautiful lately?" in her ear. Lilly's heart thumped wildly in reaction. She had the same reaction every time she was near the man that the strong arms and deep voice belonged to.

She turned in those arms to smile up into the deep brown eyes of her husband.

"It's been a couple of hours, I do believe." She told Dylan playfully as she wrapped her arms around his neck, plowing her fingers in his still-thick, still-dark brown hair. He pulled her close and nibbled on the ear he'd spoken in.

"Well, then, that has to be rectified immediately", he murmured against her skin. He pulled back from her, gazing earnestly into the big blue eyes of the woman he loved. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world, Lilly."

"And you are the sexiest man alive, my love." She pulled his head down and kissed him deeply, He moaned into her mouth as he cupped her ass through her sundress and nestled her against his erection. She was continually amazed at how much he still wanted her, even after fifteen years together.

The ever-simmering embers of desire flamed to life inside her. Wetness spread through her pussy and she ached to feel him inside her. She wanted this man all the time and with an intensity that never waned. She rubbed against his hard cock just as…

"Mom! Dad! Do you guys mind?"

Their daughter's harried voice came through and the pair reluctantly separated. Lilly had been so caught up in her husband, as usual, that she had forgotten they were in their backyard. Celebrating their daughter, Katrina's, thirteenth birthday. Lilly's face flamed beet red as she glanced around.

Her brother and sister-in-law were attempting to teach Lilly and Dylan's eight year old twins, Michael and Matthew, the game of badminton. Kat's four girlfriends were lounging around the in-ground pool. Both Dylan and Lilly's parents were arguing companionably about something or other as all four attempted to control the gas grill.

Other than Kat, no one seemed to be concerned with them so Lilly focused on the distraught-faced teen standing at her side.

"Sorry, sweetheart. So, are you having a good time?"

Kat rolled her eyes at her mother and blew out her breath. "Yeah. Or at least I would be if you two would chill out."

Kat sounded so aggrieved, Lilly had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from chuckling at her dramatics. She also felt the rumble of laughter that coursed through Dylan as he stood at her back. She elbowed his stomach in warning. Kat would have a cow, as the saying goes, if he let it loose.

"We will, honey. We promise." Lilly said in her best repentant voice. She brushed a lock of light brown hair out of Kat's eyes, which were so like her father's, and asked innocently, "Is there a reason you're over here and not with your friends?"

"Oh, yeah!" Kat instantly perked up, the embarrassment of finding her parents in a lip-lock forgotten. A twinkle entered the girl's eyes as she informed her parents, "Justin just called. His family reunion got done early and he's on his way over. That's okay isn't it?"

Lilly smiled. Justin was Kat's crush; her first. Lilly bit the inside of her cheek again, this time to keep from getting sentimental, as she nodded at her daughter. Kat, in turn, gave both of her parents a big hug before turning to join her gang of friends.

"That one is definitely yours." Dylan remarked from behind her, amusement lacing every word. Lilly turned to find him with a huge grin on his luscious lips.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean, Mr. Dawson?" She crossed her arms under her breast and tapped a sandal against the cement.

With a grin still on his face, Dylan wrapped an arm around Lilly's waist and pulled her against him. He kissed the tip of her nose.

"Sweetheart, if any of our children have your tenacity when it comes to getting what they want, it's Katrina. She already has Justin eating out of the palm of her hand. God help us in three or four years."

Lilly placed her palms against his chest and smiled up at him. She couldn't help it. It was true that Kat, though in looks resembled her father, had always been the one to display more of her mother's personality traits.

"Perhaps. But you have to admit, Dylan Dawson, that my 'tenacity', as you tactfully put it, is one of the things you love most about me." She fluttered her eyelashes at him flirtatiously.

He howled as he pulled her closer into his arms and hugged her tightly. God, how he loved this woman! Every day the love grew and strengthened.

When his laughter abated, he rested his chin on the top of her head and murmured seriously, "Damn right it is! Without it, I may never have realized I had the best woman in the world already in my life."

**********

15 years earlier…

He could tell by the way she rapidly twined a lock of golden hair around her index finger that something was on her mind. After all, when you know someone for ten years, you can read them like a book.

"Dylan, let me ask you something."

He tried not to grin too smugly. "Sure, darlin'. Go for it."

"Would you be willing to have sex with me?"

The question stunned him so much, his whole body, including the stupid grin on his face, seemed to freeze up. In fact, the very air in the house seemed to still.

Okaaaaaay! That was not one of the possible subjects he'd thought she'd talk about. He drained the can of soda in his hand then carefully placed it back on the coffee table in front of them. He glanced over at the woman sitting next to him on the sofa.

Large, sweet baby-blue eyes expectantly gazed back at him.

Oh, shit! She was dead serious.

"Good God, Lilly!" He spoke on a heavy sigh and scratched at the shadowy stubble on his chin. He searched her compact living room for something else to focus on. He zoned in on the array of family photos on the adjacent wall. His brain was so befuddled, it didn't even process that he was even in some of them.

He had no clue how to handle this. Though he'd never been one to shy away from the attentions of a pretty lady, this was way out of his league.

Lilly Mackey was one of his best friends for God‘s sake!. Had been since they were kids.

Even at the unsophisticated age of fourteen, he'd been drawn to her quiet nature. But he soon got to know a young lady that was intelligent, funny and caring. From the time his family had moved next door to hers, they'd been practically inseparable pals.

"Forget I said anything." She retorted dismally and started to rise. He grabbed her wrist, holding her in place.

"Wait a sec, will you? That's a hell of thing to say to a man, Lilly. Just give me a second to get a grip on it."

She flipped her long blonde hair behind a shoulder, a sure sign she was aggravated. Well, she'd just have to get over it because he definitely needed a minute to take all of this in.

Unfortunately, her next words scrambled his thinking capability even more.

"I turned 25 last week, Dylan. I'm still a virgin and don't want to be. Since there are no prospects in my near or distant future, I want you to teach me about sex. It's not that difficult to understand."

"Why me?"

The grumbled words were out of his mouth before he could blink. She shook her head and patted his cheek as if she were dealing with an addle-brained child.

"We're friends and I trust you." The "duh!" was only implied, but he heard it loud and clear.

He considered her sweet oval-shaped face a moment. He practically knew it as well as he knew his own. Her skin was flawless, even without the makeup. Her blue eyes, currently filled with trepidation, were framed by long thick black lashes. Her lips were fantasy-worthy; full and lush. Her nose was small and cute as hell.

His heart somersaulted in his chest as he thought of how much she meant to him. They'd shared so much in the past decade. But this…?

Yet he couldn't deny that his stomach dropped to his kneecaps when he considered that, someday, some other guy would be more than willing to 'teach' her.

Dylan came back to the moment at hand when Lilly tugged her wrist out of his grasp and mumbled, "Just forget it." She boosted herself off the sofa and was halfway across the room when he found himself speaking again.

"Alright."

She turned and stared at him uncertainly. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she said, "What does that mean?"

God! He couldn't believe what he was about to do. He was stepping into a minefield for sure.

"I'll…", he paused, swallowed, blew out a breath "I will help you get rid of your virginity."

She looked like the stunned one then, but she slowly grinned.

"Great. When?"

Lilly's heart raced in her chest as she waited for Dylan Dawson to answer her. She supposed she shouldn't sound so eager, but she couldn't help herself.

Although they'd been nothing but the best of friends for the past ten years, her feelings for him involved so much more than friendship. Unfortunately, he hadn't been hit with cupid's arrow the way she had so her love went unrequited.

She was used to it and could deal with it.

But when she'd turned twenty-five and still hadn't known anything about intimacy, other than from what she'd read and heard from her pals, she had vowed to change her circumstances.

And, of course, her first choice of partners was the man now sitting on her couch looking like he was facing a firing squad. She had to squash the urge to laugh. She knew him well enough to know he was ready to make a dash for his pickup truck sitting in the driveway. But she also knew he wouldn't.

Dylan was a man of honor if nothing else. One of the many qualities she loved about him was that when he gave his word, he kept it.

She watched as he ran his long fingers through dark brown collar-length tresses and couldn't help the lusty sigh that escaped. He was absolutely delicious to look at. Between the hair, awesome tan that he acquired in his work with abused horses, and gorgeous dark eyes, he reminded her of rich luscious chocolate.

Her all-time favorite food!

Those sexy dark eyes met hers and his full mouth quirked up at the corners.

"If you're actually going to go through with this crazy-assed scheme, then I guess now would be as good a time as any", he answered finally.

As always, his baritone drawl made Lilly's insides quiver. Add to that what he just suggested and it was safe to say she was nothing but a liquefying mass.

The idea that she would finally know what it was like to be held in his arms, to feel his kiss, sent searing heat through every inch of her five foot four frame.

With a nod, Lilly turned and continued across the small living room to a well-used stereo tucked into the corner. She loaded several compact discs into the unit that held seven at a time and adjusted the volume. The crooning of Dean Martin filled the silence.

She was creating mood, she told herself. She was stalling for time, her inner voice chided her. God only knew why. She'd only been dreaming of a moment like this for…ever. But, now that it was in front of her, she was nervous as hell. Bolstering her waning courage with a very deep breath, she turned toward the sofa once more. And nearly fell on her face.

Dylan had taken those moments to make himself more comfortable. He'd removed his old scruffy cowboy boots and the tails of the chambray shirt he wore had been pulled from the waist band of his jeans. The top three snaps were undone, giving her a glimpse of dark chest hair. He'd rolled his sleeves up to right below his elbows. His firm forearms also held a spattering of dark hair.

Her fingers itched to feel it all and she curled her hands at her sides into fists. Dylan, watching her now, leaned back against the couch cushion and crooked his finger at her.

"Come here, Lilly."

His voice had gone low and husky. Heat instantly infused all of her body parts, especially her breasts and pussy. Willing herself to relax, she put one foot in front of the other until she stood in front of him.

"Now what?"

The breathless anticipation he heard in her voice caused his body to respond instantly. His cock hardened rock-solid and his heartbeat raced a mile a minute. Frankly, the reaction surprised him. Though he personally thought she was gorgeous, he'd never considered…

Mentally sweeping the thoughts aside, he stood and held out his hand.

When she clasped his hand, he felt a tremor transfer from her body to his.

"Dance with me."

He spoke in a whisper and pulled her into his embrace. He urged her hands up to his shoulders before placing his hands along either side of her voluptuous waist.

They began rocking slowly back and forth, already in sync.

Being a few inches beyond six feet, Dylan towered over Lilly. It had never been more apparent to him than at that moment. As they swayed to the romantic music, his erection nestled against her stomach and her rigid nipples brushed just under his ribcage. He got nearly dizzy from the sensations.

Lilly rested her head near Dylan's heart, oddly comforted by the sound of it racing as much as hers. She breathed in the scent of him and goose bumps broke out along her arms. He wore a cologne that reminded her of the outdoors, but he had a musky essence that was his alone.

It threatened to turn her bones to mush every time she was near him.

When a second song began, Dylan began to sing under his breath. Lilly raised her head and locked onto his eyes with hers. He continued to sing lightly, all the while running his fingers gently from her waist to her spine. Waves of electricity seemed to flow through her entire body from his touch. Her mouth went dry as dust and she licked her lips with the tip of her tongue.

Dylan's eyes followed that little pink tongue as it ran along her plump lips. His mind was bombarded with visions of what those lips, that tongue, could do. His cock twitched and swelled.

Without taking his eyes away from her, he maneuvered them until he could resume his seat on the sofa. Lifting Lilly onto his lap in the process. They shuffled their bodies until her thighs straddled his hips. She gasped softly at the tingle in her thighs as denim scraped against denim.

"Lilly"

Dylan said her name softly and she raised her eyes hesitantly from where they'd become stationary on the top snap of his shirt. When their gazes connected, Dylan placed a finger under her chin. Tilting her head slightly and gently nudging her closer, their lips joined and their breaths mingled. His hands spanned her waist and Lilly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Flames of lust shot through Dylan so fast, he was literally lightheaded from it. He rubbed his lips back and forth over hers. He badly wanted to thrust his tongue inside of her mouth and tangle with hers but he was afraid of rushing her or scaring her. So he was surprised as hell when he felt her tongue run along the seam of his lips. He opened his mouth slightly and met her tongue with his.

Oh my god! She tasted so good!

It was Dylan's last coherent thought as he let the pleasure of kissing his best friend take control of him. He settled back against the couch cushion, draping Lilly along his body. Her breasts pushed against his chest, begging for his attention. He was happy to oblige.

Lilly knew if she died then and there, it would be with a grin on her face. Kissing Dylan was the absolute best. She was so happy and felt so good right at that moment she thought her heart was going to burst into a million pieces. She knew for sure it would when she felt Dylan's fingers slip under her sweater. His fingertips were warm as they trailed up her stomach to just under her left breast. She nearly swallowed her tongue, and his, when he moved aside the cup of her bra and took her in his hand. He teased her nipple with a brush of his finger.

"Oh, God, Dylan."

She murmured it against his mouth. She wanted to scream it but didn't want to lose the fun she was having kissing him. She nestled closer to him instead, trying to show him she didn't want him to stop.

As she did, she brushed against his cock and felt how hard, and large, he was. He groaned into her mouth and her heart nearly stopped. She did pull away from him then, scared to death she'd hurt him.

"What'd I do? Are you alright?"

*********

"I'm fine. Just give me a minute."

He spoke through gritted teeth. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose until he could gain back some control. Her wiggling against his crotch had nearly undone him. He had to get hold of his body's urges or this evening was not going to end well. He inhaled several more times, making sure he was back to simmer, instead of boil over, before opening his eyes.

Lilly was gaping at him, horrified, and tears were hanging from her lashes. As he brushed them away with his thumbs, he shushed her quietly.

"It's alright, baby. You didn't do anything wrong." When she looked no less convinced Dylan took her hand in his and placed it against the zipper of his jeans. Her fingers brushed against the hard ridge of his cock and he hissed in a breath. When she would have jerked away, he held fast to her.

"I'm very turned on right now, Lilly, that's all."

"Can I…?" Lilly's voice was unusually timid and trailed away on a wispy breath. She blushed and averted her eyes quickly but he had a good idea what she was asking. Without a word, he reached down and undid the button on his jeans and eased the zipper down. He lowered the waistband of his briefs and his erection eagerly sprang from its confinement.

"Go ahead, sweetheart."

Dylan's voice was but a whisper and she looked into his beautiful dark eyes instead of down into his lap. She was intrigued and terrified all at once. The man must have developed the talent for mind-reading because he nodded once in encouragement as he said, "It's alright. You won't hurt me."

He watched as she took a fortifying deep breath before she looked down. Had he not been taut as wire anticipating her touch, he would have laughed at the way her eyes bulged. As she carefully reached towards him, he noticed her fingers were shaking like the leaves in autumn.

She didn't know what she expected, but the first touch shocked her. His cock was hard, but the skin was smooth and warm. She trailed her fingertips along the ridge of him, totally awed. Even in her inexperience, she knew Dylan was well-endowed. As her hand traveled up his considerable length to the plump head, a powerful shiver went through her. She stroked him gently, up and down along the vein that was most prominent. Moisture gathered in her pussy and she squirmed in his lap. She raised her eyes to his.

He was watching her hand. His lips were parted and his breathing was heavy. His already dark eyes had turned black. With her free hand, Lilly undid the snaps of his shirt. She parted the fabric to reveal a glorious chest with a light covering of dark hair. Brown nipples that she longed to taste and she unconsciously licked her lips. Instead she brushed a fingertip along one, smiling when it pebbled.

Dylan was so entranced by the sight of her hand around him, he gasped in shock when Lilly touched his nipple. His gaze locked on hers and his throat closed up. Desire was so evident in those big blue eyes.

"Touch me."

Her command-plea was a whisper but he felt it to his soul like a physical blow. She raised her arms above her head as he grabbed the hem of her knit sweater and pulled it slowly up her body. He lost more and more of his breath as her body came into view. Her skin was luxuriously smooth with just a tint of a blush.

He dropped the garment to the floor as he focused on her satin-clad breasts. To say Lilly was generously blessed was putting it mildly. The mounds nearly spilled out of the contraption they were held in and her cleavage…he could gladly get lost in it.