Chapter 380
“Yeah.”
Lyman didn’t argue with Effie, because deep down, he felt exactly the same way.
Effie went on, “Honestly, if you wanted to go out with them for a bit, I wouldn’t stop you. Just because we’re married doesn’t mean we have to be glued together all the time, right?”
Before she finished speaking, Lyman squeezed her hand tightly.
Effie glanced up and saw the tense furrow between his brows.
His gaze was complicated as he looked at her. “Already tired of me?”
Tired? As if!
“No, that’s not it. I just mean… getting married doesn’t mean you have to give up your friends. You deserve your own space too.”
Lyman shook his head. “I don’t want it. I like being with you. All the time.”
Effie was caught off guard for a moment. “You’ll get sick of me.”
“I won’t. Never,” Lyman said, firm and unwavering.
Something slammed into Effie’s heart, making it beat wildly. She gripped his hand even tighter.
“Ready to go home?” Lyman asked softly.
She nodded. “Yeah.”
As soon as they got inside the elevator, Lyman slipped his arm around Effie’s waist and pulled her close, so quickly she stumbled into his chest.
He tilted her chin up. Effie stared at him, wide-eyed, her gaze shining and glassy, as if she were standing in a pool of starlight—mesmerizing, impossible to look away from.
Lyman suddenly closed the distance, his handsome face filling her vision, then blurring as he pressed his lips to hers in a fierce, possessive kiss. Effie never stood a chance-she could only melt into his arms and surrender.
The elevator doors slid open again. They were home.
Effie managed to gather her wits, gently pushing Lyman away as she caught her breath. “Let’s go to our room…”
Lyman’s eyes darkened. He took a deep breath, clearly struggling to tamp down his longing.
He unlocked the door. The living room was pitch black-her grandmother must have already gone to bed.
Hand in hand, they tiptoed to their room, careful not to make a sound.
The moment the door closed behind them, Lyman caught Effie’s wrists and pinned her hands above head, trapping her between him and the wall.
His other hand gripped her waist, pressing her body firmly against his, leaving not
a sliver of space between them.
Even through the thin fabric of her clothes, Effie could feel the heat radiating from him.
Lyman’s lips found hers again in another deep, hungry kiss. Effie could only gasp, a soft whimper escaping her.
It was like a feather brushing over Lyman’s every last nerve. He lost all restraint— he wanted her, completely.
The next morning, Effie woke in Lyman’s arms, her cheeks still flushed.
Lyman was already awake, propped up on one elbow, watching her with a satisfied smile. “Morning.”
Effie murmured a sleepy reply.
She couldn’t help wondering whe
Lyman got all his energy. After everything that happened yesterday,
he
Coas still so lively, as if nothing
could faze him.
She said, “I didn’t get a chance to ask you last night, so tell me honestly: Was
Uncle Fowler giving you a hard time because of me?”
Lyman was surprised she’d held onto that question all night.
He gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It has nothing to do with you. He’s always like that. He and Uncle Healy both have it out for
me. They want me out of The
Etheridge Group.”
“Really? It’s not because of me?”
“They’ve had all sorts of reasons to go after me. What happened with you is nothing compared to the rest.”
Suddenly, Lyman rolled over, bracing himself with his arms on either side of her, looking down at Effie from above.