Page 17 of Keeping Lilith

“Take your time.”

Lilith gave him one last look before she disappeared out of the kitchen. Julian swiveled and gazed out the window at Cass and Irish’s backyard, taking in the lush green foliage of the magnolia tree and the surrounding plants. There was something tranquil about it all. There was a bench tucked underneath the tree, where Cass and Irish likely took some time to sit there together and separately.

“I’m ready.”

Julian wished he’d taken a few seconds to prepare himself for the sight of Lilith in slim fitting pants that reached mid-calf on her. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, and trying to say anything was impossible. The women at Freedom and Love, and The Hopeful Sunshine wore long dresses so their legs weren’t exposed. The sleeves on their dresses always came to the wrist.

This was the first time he’d seen how long and lean Lilith’s legs were. The image of them wrapped around his waist pummeled his mind all on its own. His cock stirred to life, and thankfully, a chair blocked Lilith from seeing his reaction to her presence.

She still wore the same blue top, and it matched the color of her pants.

“Is there something wrong?” Her voice trembled with uncertainty.

“No!” he practically shouted, and then cleared his throat. “No, you look great.”

Lilith hooked a piece of hair behind her ear, the movement a clear sign that his raised voice had made her nervous.

God, he was an ass. He didn’t want that for her. Julian wanted her to relax when she was around him. Then again, what had he done to reassure her she was safe with him?

Nothing.

He had done nothing to prove that he differed from the men she’d known. Granted, he hadn’t been given much opportunity to show her, considering her world had been turned upside down only the previous day.

Julian blew out a breath. What Lilith didn’t know was that he was as nervous as she was. The woman standing in front of him had no idea how often he’d thought of her after Freedom and Love had dissolved. Had wondered about her. In the dark of the night, when he should’ve been sleeping, he’d experienced a whirlwind of thoughtsthat always seemed to go back to Lilith. It would’ve been so easy for him to ask Cass to see if she could find where Lilith was. Cass would’ve wanted to ask him why he was looking for Lilith, but she wouldn’t have probed him for answers. She would’ve let him come to her when he was ready.

He'd done none of that because he’d been afraid that after she’d gained her freedom, she’d find someone to love her. Someone who would know what a treasure she was. Someone Lilith loved with her whole soul. So he’d pushed his thoughts of her to the far corner of his mind and went about his business.

“Do you want to stop off at the bank?” he asked, when the silence stretched to an unbearable length between them.

“I think it will be a good idea.”

“Right, we’ll do that, and then maybe we’ll pick up some food and take it to the beach so we can have a picnic.”

“A picnic on the beach? I like the sound of that. I never got an opp—well, I’ve never done it, so I’d like to.”

How much had Lilith not experienced? What had she done during the time of leaving one cult and then getting involved with another?

She’d gotten her driver’s license. That was one thing. But he suspected that if she’d been living in California, she’d been working jobs that barely covered the cost of living.

What had her parents done with the money they’d received from the Freedom and Love coffers? Had they not given Lilith anything?

None of that mattered at the moment. He would find that out over time because he planned to make sure that Lilith didn’t fall back into the trap of another cult. “Okay then, that’s what we’ll do. Bank, food, and beach. Sound good?”

“Yes.” A ghost of a smile appeared, and Julian took that as a victory. A small one, but one all the same. She hadn’t shot his ideas down, and she’d lost that look of fear that had hidden in the depths of her eyes.

His plan was to have many more victories with Lilith.

Chapter Nine

Lilith scoopedup a handful of sand and sifted the warm grains through her fingers to form a small pile where they fell. The waves crashing onto the shore was a sound she would never forget.

The last time she’d been in Los Angeles, she’d visited the beach once, but a fog had rolled in, obscuring the vastness of the ocean.

After that one time, her life had been consumed with living and working to make sure she had enough money to cover her rent.

The trip to the bank hadn’t been a joyous one for her. Her bank balance was sick looking, and there wasn’t near enough in it to get a deposit together, let alone enough money to cover a couple of month’s rent while she looked for a job.

The choice was to take up Cass and Irish’s offer to stay at their place. She didn’t want to go where the other women from The Hopeful Sunshine had been taken. She wanted a clean break from that place, and being around them would only be a constant reminder. It may sound harsh, but she had to look after herself. Maybe she could see if she could get a spot in a shelter, but her situation wasn’t as dire as some women who needed tostay there to be safe. Not to mention, she needed to find a job, like yesterday.