Season 1—Seduction—Episode 19

She captured their undivided attention with her beauty and the sapphire gown she wore. Another glimmering creation. One Jax had picked out.

She greeted Lex with a sweet kiss.

He said, “You look sensational. A sight for sore eyes.”

“Thank you. I love the new dress. You shouldn’t have, though.”

“It was Jax’s doing. His favorite color.”

She stepped forward and kissed him as well. “I didn’t realize. So thank you.” Turning back to Lex, she asked, “And what’s your favorite color?”

“On you? Nude.”

With a soft laugh, she said, “You are incorrigible.” Then she asked Jax, “What were you so intently discussing when I walked in?”

“You.” He stared down at her, unwaveringly. “And Katarina.”

“Jax,” Lex warned. They really needed to hash this out further before bringing anything up to Lily.

Especially since her expression turned wary.

She said, “I told you I didn’t want you making comparisons.”

“And I indicated it’s impossible not to,” Jax countered.

Glancing over at Lex, she inquired, “What, exactly, was the context?”

“Why don’t we open a bottle of champagne?” he suggested. “Have a seat. Take a few deep breaths.”

“Excellent idea,” she said, though she was clearly pensive.

She retrieved a bottle from the cooler, served it, and then joined them in an alcove of sofas, sitting in a chair adjacent to the couch they occupied.

Jax got the ball rolling. “We were discussing the fact that we were writing music for Katarina, but it never fully came together until you arrived.”

“Oh.” She visibly relaxed. Sipped. “That’s a huge compliment. Or . . .” Her bare shoulders tensed again. “You’re upset about it?”

“Not upset,” Lex assured her. “It’s more like . . . We’ve reached a crossroads. Of sorts.”

Her head tilted to the side. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Lily,” Jax said. “You in the dresses and the diamonds—hell, everything about you—has inspired us. Motivated us. Helped to pull this CD together.”

“For which we are deeply appreciative,” Lex added.

“You’re very special, Lily,” Jax told her. “And you’ve returned something special to us.”

She stood and began to pace. “Look, I’ll be honest. Technically, I’ve been living in Katarina’s shadow since I came here. But you never actually treated me like that. And . . . I told you I hadn’t been with anyone in a really long time. It’s all because I am deathly afraid of attachment. I lost the most important person in the world to me when I was at a really pivotal point in my life.”

“Makes sense,” Lex said.

“That’s not the only reason I’ve been so closed off since then,” she contended. “I have family. It’s just that they’re the type of people who are committed to their responsibilities. So if I’d suddenly become this overly needy little girl after my mother died, it would have been disastrous for all concerned. It was much easier to just shut down emotionally and do my own thing. And then it just sort of became who I was.”

“But with us—”

“Totally different,” she said, cutting Lex off. “I see that. Though I can’t fully explain it, except to say I knew you were both struggling. I sensed it from the beginning. I knew you both had a past pain—it lives and breathes in your music, which spoke to me from the very first note I heard. Reached straight to the depths of my soul. So maybe this has all become a case of kindred spirits coming together for a good cause. To work through our issues.”

Jax got to his feet. He stepped toward her and clasped her upper arms. “It’s more than that, sweetheart.”

She seemed to melt a little. Lex leaned forward in his seat.

Jax said, “You—” He shook his head. Cleared his throat. And Lex saw him completely change direction, he knew his friend that well. “You really saved us, Lily. This CD is as much an homage to you as it is to Katarina.”

“Jax.” She’d turned breathy again—and damn it, that made Lex’s cock spring to life. “Thank you. I can’t even . . .” She sighed. Then just repeated, “Thank you.”

He kissed her.

Lex didn’t intervene.

When Jax pulled away, he told her, “We needed a muse. And you needed a place to land in order to get your feet beneath you. It’s been a win–win all the way around, right?”

“Yes.” She swallowed hard. Then smiled . . . Though her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “Exactly. That’s all.”

Lex’s heart constricted; conversely, relief washed over him.

Jax had just done what he could not. He’d freed her. Expressed their appreciation and affection without taking it to the next level—to the level it was really at—by revealing their true feelings for her.

So that Lily would be able to leave this house and fulfill her dreams.

~ * * * ~

Lily and Greta were sipping wine at Bristol’s in River Cross, not far from Bayfront. They’d had a couple of hours to slip away, and Lily had suggested the venue. She needed some perspective. And Greta was damn good at providing it.

Lily said, “I still have a few days left in my employment contract, but I’m wondering if you’ll release me, since you’ve already found a permanent replacement.”

Greta’s head snapped back. “Lily. I thought you liked the mansion.

“I do. Of course, I do. But what’s the point of sticking around? I’ll lose some pay, yet I’ll survive considering the salary Lex and Jax gave me.”

“But I have to train the new person and it would be infinitely helpful to still have you around when I do.”

“Greta. Come on. He’s been a butler for over twenty years. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.”

The older woman scowled. “That’s not the point, and you know it.”

“Yes. But . . . The truth is, I’ve served my purpose. I did my job and I also gave Lex and Jax what they wanted. Or needed. The whole muse thing. And in turn, I learned quite a bit about myself. Was inspired as well, in fact. By them.”

“Lily, I was rather hoping you might change your mind about leaving altogether.”

This took her aback. “What on earth would make you think that? You’ve moved forward with selecting someone to fill the position.”

“As a precautionary measure, yes. But he has other prospects. It wouldn’t be a problem to cut him loose. He’ll land another job tomorrow.”

Lily gnawed her lip. “Greta . . . I’m going to Europe because it’s something I’ve always felt I needed to do. Something I feel compelled to do. I’m very excited about it.”

“Fine,” she said, clasping her hands on the table in front of her. “You’re going. But not for another week. So why the sudden exit from the estate?”

“It’s just . . . Not a very comfortable scenario anymore.”

Since Lex and Jax had returned from New York and Jax had basically thanked her for services rendered—in all capacities—she’d felt awkward in their presence. There were things she wanted to say to them, about how amazing the entire experience had been, about how much she adored them. But even if she said those particular things, she’d still be taking the easy way out.

The entire experience hadn’t just been amazing. It’d been extraordinary. A once-in-a-lifetime affair.

And she didn’t just adore them. She was, indeed, in love.

With both of them.

She’d realized it when they’d come back from New York. When she’d joined them in the music room and they’d looked at her like . . . like . . .

Like, Thank God we’re finally home. With her.

But she’d completely misread them. And Jax had set her straight. She’d fulfilled a personal need. And a professional duty. Now it was time for them to all move on.

Exactly as was planned from the get-go.

And though Lily was crushed, she couldn’t let on to Greta. Or to Lex and Jax.

She hadn’t gone to either of their suites that night. She’d claimed the champagne had given her a headache.

What she really had was heartache. She’d felt it then. She felt it now.

So Europe beckoned once more.

She said, “I’ve just completely made up my mind. I have to go.”

~ * * * ~

Jax was in a shitty mood. He tried to hide it as Greta told him and Lex that Lily had resigned early. She was still in her suite, packing. But she’d definitely quit.

At first, Jax thought it was for the best. So that she’d follow through on her plans.

Then he’d thought it was all wrong. There was another answer entirely.

Problem was, he’d been the one to give her the perfect out. He’d regretted it when he’d done it. He regretted it now. And Lex wasn’t too pleased, either, though he’d also agreed it was the right thing to do.

Also incredibly hard. Because in the long run, losing Lily was the absolute last thing they wanted.

But all Jax had been able to think about that night was how selfish it’d be to ask her to stay.

What would staying entail, anyway, once he and Lex were in New York, recording, and then on tour? They were going to ask her to wait around from them? For a year or two?

No. That would be unfair.

So let her go to Europe.

But that hadn’t sat right with him, either. Sparking the need now to take the bull by the horns.

He told Lex, “We know exactly what she wants. So why the hell aren’t we giving it to her? She’s given us exactly what we needed. It’s our turn to repay the favor.”

“You clearly have something in mind.”

“She wants Paris. We’ll give her Paris. She wants all of Europe. We’ll give her all of Europe.”

“Jax—”

“Just trust me.”

“You know I do.”

They left the study and Jax rapped his knuckles on the door to Lily’s suite. She pulled it open and immediately said, “There’s no point in me staying the rest of the week, so please don’t try to—”

Jax hauled her up against him and kissed her. With all the aching and longing stored up since he and Lex had left for that trip to New York—without her.

She returned his kiss with equal fervor. Giving Jax precisely the answer he needed.

When he released her, she looked a bit dazed.

He said, “Tell us you don’t really want to leave us.”

“Jax.” She was breathless. “You can’t just command me to do . . . What? Look after an empty floor? An empty music room once the two of you leave here?”

“I’m talking about the relationship, Lily. Tell us you don’t want it to end.”

“But it has to end,” she insisted. A tear sprang to her eye. “You wanted inspiration. You got it. And I got . . . Really pretty dresses.” The tear spilled over. Followed by several more.

Jax’s heart wrenched.

Beside him, Lex said, “I think I know what Jax is getting at.” And he was fully on board with the unspoken plan. “Lily, go to Paris.” He took her hands in his. “But with us.”

Her eyes popped. “What?”

“Two weeks,” Jax said. “I know it’s not the full month you wanted, but we do have two weeks because we finished the compositions ahead of our deadline. And then—”

“And then,” Lex intuitively added, “we have the international tour. Join us. I’m one hundred percent certain your mother will love the itinerary.”

“Lex!”

He released her, and his hands framed her face. “Italy, Lily, is just one of the destinations. Go with us.”

“I can’t even—”

“Lily,” Lex continued. “I love you.”

She gasped.

Jax chuckled. “Beat me to the punch. But . . . Ditto.”

She stared at them both through watery eyes. “I was just your muse.”

“No,” Jax assured her. “You have been so much more than that from the moment we met you. It’s just taken the three of us confronting the past—the ghosts—and moving on in order to reach this point. Lily . . . Sweetheart. We want you. What do you want?”

She smiled shakily through her tears. And said, “That’s an easy one. Both of you. I love you both.” She sniffled. “Jax. Lex. Take me to Paris . . .”