Chapter 13: Chapter 12

LILLIAN

Lillian felt a pang of sadness as her vacation came to an end. It’s normal to feel a bit blue when the freedom of a holiday is over and reality sets in. But for Lillian, there was an extra layer to her melancholy.

This had been the best vacation she’d had in years, and she hadn’t expected to enjoy it so much, especially not with Noah. All she had wanted was some rest and a bit of boredom. But since Noah showed up, she’d had neither rest nor boredom.

And the surprising part was, she didn’t mind it one bit. This was exactly what she needed. Noah was the best lover she’d ever had, but that wasn’t the only thing that mattered.

Even without the sex, she would have been content. But she had to admit, the sex was a huge plus. They talked, they laughed, they did all the things couples—and friends—do.

It was nice. It felt like a honeymoon. In fact, it felt a lot like a honeymoon.

Noah even made her breakfast once. It wasn’t anything fancy. His cooking skills were practically nonexistent, but it was a sweet and unexpected gesture from him.

She told him how much she appreciated it, and he said he didn’t mind spoiling his summer fling. It made sense, and she found that she liked their arrangement. If half her relationships were like this, she’d be a happy woman.

But real relationships aren’t like that. Routine sets in, differences become more apparent, and the best you can hope for is a friendly breakup because both parties are bored. The worst-case scenario involves constant fights, bitterness, or even abuse.

Thankfully, she’d never experienced the latter. She considered herself lucky to have never encountered an abusive partner. She’d met a few jerks, but no more than any other woman.

She wasn’t in a rush to find someone good. She wasn’t even thirty yet. While spending time with Noah, she thought that their situation was close to ideal.

They got the best of each other without the complications of a full-time relationship. They would part ways before they had the chance to grow tired of each other, and they would never have to see each other’s worst sides. She’d seen some of Noah’s flaws while working for him, and she found that they didn’t bother her.

She’d never had this much fun with anyone before, and something told her she wouldn’t with anyone else. Not because she had deep feelings for Noah, but because she didn’t. This kind of relationship offered a different kind of freedom.

No drama. No deep emotions. Just carefree fun and a good time.

“What are you thinking about?” Noah asked, kissing her shoulder.

They were sprawled out on a large couch in the villa’s game room. She would miss this. Not the game room itself, but the choice.

They could choose a different room to have sex in every day, or even multiple times a day. They hadn’t done it in the garden; that would have been too risky. But she didn’t dare suggest it, because she knew Noah would be all for it.

“Do you really want to know?” she shot back.

“Only if it’s about me.”

“It’s not.”

“Then no.”

“You’re such a jerk,” she laughed.

“You think?” he teased, pressing his erection against her lower back.

She rolled her eyes, but he couldn’t see since her back was to him.

“You know, having an erection all the time could be a problem at your age,” she teased. “Are you sure you didn’t take a pill to help you out?”

“It’s not dead, and I don’t need a pill…”

“When you’re with me?”

“Who’s conceited now?” he laughed.

She shot him a look over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him, making him laugh even harder.

“I don’t need them, period,” he finally said. “Not yet, at least.”

“That’s good for you.”

“And for you.”

“You mean for the next two days we’ll be having sex?” she snorted.

“Well, yes. Don’t tell me you’ll miss me?”

“I’ll miss the good sex for sure, and I’m not looking forward to seeing Tamara’s face every day.”

“I’ve told you before, she’s not that bad,” he sighed, kissing her shoulder.

“Don’t let your dick be the judge of character,” she retorted, pulling away from him slightly.

“Feeling a little green?” he teased, pulling her back into his arms.

“Hardly,” she retorted. “I just don’t care for her, and the feeling is mutual. It’s not uncommon, Noah. Most people aren’t exactly fond of their bosses.”

He nodded, understanding. “I can relate to that. But have you ever considered leaving, given your dissatisfaction?”

She sighed. “I’ve thought about it, sure. But I feel stable there. The pay is decent, and I’m good at my job. It’s not exactly my dream job, but even our long-term clients have gotten used to me. They don’t give me a hard time anymore.”

She felt him pull away, and she turned to face him. He sat up, running his fingers through his hair, a troubled look on his face. She watched him, curious. What was bothering him?

“Maybe you should start looking for something else,” he suggested.

“I might,” she said, frowning. “But why the sudden seriousness?”

He hesitated, which was unusual. “I didn’t intend to tell you this, but I made a deal for you before I left,” he admitted slowly.

“No, you didn’t,” she laughed, not quite believing what he was implying.

“Five years,” he said simply.

“Noah,” she admonished.

So that was why she hadn’t been fired. It wasn’t because Asher Ryder was particularly lenient or because he wanted her in his company. It was because he had promised his brother to keep her.

The realization hit her hard, but at least now she understood why Tamara couldn’t get rid of her.

“I know Tamara. She can’t stand you, Lillian. She wouldn’t care about your abilities, and she wouldn’t give you the chance I was forced to give you. So, I made sure she couldn’t fire you on sight,” he explained.

“Seriously?” she groaned, rubbing her eyes. “Why? Why would you do that?”

“I’m not sure,” he shrugged. “Maybe I softened up before I left, or maybe I thought you were a good assistant and didn’t deserve to be fired just because of your looks. It didn’t seem fair.”

“Was it because I didn’t put up with your crap?” she asked.

“I think that had something to do with it, yes.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know. But I don’t often do nice things for people, and you never asked for anything except a raise on your first day.”

“Second day,” she corrected. “After you rehired me. But why should I have asked for anything?”

“Because that’s what I was used to. I had spies in the company keeping tabs on my brother, and I had a spy for the employees too before I left for Europe.”

“And?”

“Do you think those people spied for me out of the goodness of their hearts?” he scoffed. “They wanted something. Better positions, paid vacations, higher salaries… You didn’t.”

“I wanted a higher salary.”

“You demanded one. You didn’t kiss up to me to get it.”

“True, but…”

“No buts. I did what I did, and there’s no point in overthinking it.”

“So, should I thank you now?” she asked sarcastically.

She knew she sounded ungrateful, but this was a lot to take in. They weren’t the type to exchange pleasantries.

They had always been straightforward with each other.

“I didn’t tell you so you could thank me. I told you because you need to be prepared. Once the time I bought for you runs out, so does your job security.”

“If she fires me, I’ll get a severance package, right?” she asked.

“With your current salary, I’d say it would be quite substantial, yes.”

“Then I’ll let her fire me,” she decided.

“Are you sure?”

“I think I can put up with her for a few more years. If I quit, I get nothing.”

“That’s a smart move,” he complimented. “That way, when you find another job, you’ll have your new salary plus the severance.”

“Exactly. But what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Just because I dropped the subject when we first talked about it doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten. You looked out for me before you left. Don’t you think you should do the same for yourself?”

“Lillian…”

“No, really, Noah. After I leave here, I have somewhere to go, even if it’s a job I don’t particularly like. What about you?”

“I’ll find somewhere else I haven’t been yet.”

“And for how long?”

He rose from the couch, turning his back to her.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he announced.

She wasn’t surprised by his reaction. As he moved to leave, she quickly grabbed his forearm, pulling him back onto the couch.

“How long?” she pressed.

“Don’t push me, Lillian,” he warned, his words gritted out.

She didn’t care if he was upset. She was pushing this because their time was running out, and he couldn’t dodge the issue forever.

They say the world isn’t enough, but after three years of constant travel, he’d probably seen enough to last a lifetime.

“I’m asking a question, and you can’t avoid it forever.”

“You’re leaving the day after tomorrow. Why do you want to end this on a sour note?”

“It doesn’t have to end on a sour note. We can talk about it, like normal people do.”

“I just want to fuck you, okay? Can’t we just stick to that?”

“Because I won’t be used as a painkiller,” she said, her tone flat.

“In case you forgot, we’re both using each other for the summer,” he shot back. “That was our agreement.”

“Having fun is one thing; sweeping things under the rug is another, Noah.”

“We agreed on no strings attached,” he reminded her.

“And I’m fine with that. But that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about things. We’ve been doing it already. It’s the only topic you avoid because it makes you insecure.”

“You want the truth?” he asked, not waiting for her to respond. “Yes, it makes me insecure. That’s why I don’t want to talk or think about it. I have no idea what I’m going to do, and after my failure, no big company is going to hire me.”

“Do you want to work for a company again?”

“Hell no!” he scoffed. “But it’s the only thing I know how to do, and I’m not even good at it. So, what do you want me to say? And it’s not like you know what you want to do either.”

“No, I don’t. But I don’t mind talking about it with you.”

She moved closer, wrapping herself around him. It was a tender gesture, and he accepted it, resting his forearms on her calves as she leaned against his back.

She loved the way their bodies connected. She would miss this intimacy, but he didn’t need to know that.

“I’m sorry for being snappy,” he murmured. “But I really don’t like this conversation.”

“Like I said, you can’t avoid it forever, Noah. Isn’t it better to have this conversation here with me, without any pressure?”

“Maybe you’re right.”

“I am. And I have a theory.”

“What kind of theory?”

“Just promise you won’t dismiss it outright.”

“What crazy idea has popped into your twisted mind?” he asked, chuckling.

She could tell he was more relaxed now. She planted a few kisses on his back.

“Are you trying to get me hard again?” he asked.

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not,” she teased, nipping him gently.

“What did you want to say?”

“That maybe you’re not a bad businessman.”

He snorted at that.

“I’m serious.”

“And I failed because I’m so good?”

“Yes, you did fail,” she sighed. “You were bound to. You tried to follow someone else’s path instead of finding your own.”

“And what should that be?” he scoffed.

“I don’t know. That’s something you have to figure out on your own. Just don’t put it off too long. Life won’t wait for you to make up your mind.”

“The same goes for you.”

“The same goes for me,” she agreed, kissing the back of his neck.

Then she slid her hand to his front, taking his cock in her hand.

“What do you say we put this to good use again?” she asked, her tone playful.