Page 28 of Keeping Lilith
“Don’t let it go to your head. The only other numbers programmed into the phone are Irish and Cass’s, and seeing as I’m living with them, I can’t very well call them.”
Julian would need to thank whoever gave Lilith the phone for putting his number in it. “Still, I’m glad I’m your first call. How are you?”
“Okay. I’m trying to get used to actually having light at night. Not to mention something soft to lie down on.”
The vision of Lilith lying on a bed, her gorgeous black hair spread across his pillow, slammed into his mind, and his dick went hard, imagining having the freedom to kiss her plump lips.
Julian shook his head to dispel the image and take note of what she’d said. The luxury of power and a soft bed, something everyone took for granted, but for people like Lilith, it had been stripped away from her in the blink of an eye. “I’m sure it is. But you’re safe now. You know that, right?”
Had he tempted fate by saying that?
All the top people associated with The Hopeful Sunshine were all still in the FBI facility. Being questioned about the cult and the inner workings of it, Lilith should be safe from them.
Mac had said that a few were being helpful, but Staunton was remaining steadfast in keeping his mouth shut. Which didn’t surprise Julian at all. A man like him wouldn’t enjoy having his power taken away from him, and that was effectively what they’d done. Staunton would remain quiet as long as possible. After all, if he admitted to his crimes, he’d be facing a long time in prison.
“I believe I am. I kept to myself as much as possible. If anything, the women are more likely to come after me. None of them liked me. I never knew why,” she mused.
“I think it’s because you were independent.”
Lilith snorted. “I was far from independent. If I was, then I wouldn’t have found myself back in a cult after one year of freedom.”
Julian wanted to change the subject because he could hear the frustration and anger in Lilith’s voice. Clearly directed at herself. But he also wanted her to talk. The more she talked, the more she would come to realize that she was stronger than she thought she was and that her repeating the same mistake for asecond time would be slim. “You were living by yourself. That’s standing on your own two feet.”
“Just because I was in a hut by myself doesn’t mean I was independent. There were rules I had to follow. It wasn’t my choice to be working in the garden. They assigned me there. Luckily, I enjoyed it. I still couldn’t think for myself. Couldn’t say what I wanted to say, and if I did, I was punished. I’m not sure how you could possibly think that I was in charge of my life and destiny. I wasn’t. Staunton and the other men were.”
What could he say? Lilith was right. She may not believe it, but she had more independence than some of the other women in the compound, particularly those paired up with a man. Those women had little autonomy. Now wasn’t the time to get into it though. It was time to change the subject. “What are your plans for the weekend?”
It was still two days away, but Julian wanted to do something with Lilith. Take her for a drive up the coast to Malibu. Or maybe they could take the train down to San Diego. Or perhaps she’d like to go to Disneyland.
“Not much, probably job hunting. I need to work so I can earn some money. I can’t live with Cass and Irish forever. The sooner I start working, the sooner I can get my own place.”
“I respect that, but I know they won’t mind you staying there for as long as you need.”
“Maybe, but Cass said they got married recently. I doubt they want me hanging around during their honeymoon phase.”
“I have a spare room if you want to stay here instead.” The words burst out of Julian before he even had time to fully process them in his mind.
It wasn’t what he’d meant to say at all, but now that he had, he liked the idea more and more.
“Umm.”
While he may like the idea, Lilith wasn’t comfortable with it. And why should she, considering she only knew the bare minimum about him? She understood more about the old Julian, who’d strutted around Freedom and Love as if everyone should respect him as much as Ralph Williamson.
“Forget I ever mentioned you staying here. But if you really are uncomfortable with Irish and Cass—and I promise I’m not taking over—but I can ask around the office to see if anyone with a spare room wants a roommate for a while.”
That idea didn’t appeal to Julian at all. He didn’t want to think about Lilith staying anywhere other than with him if she didn’t want to live with Cass and Irish. Yet he didn’t have that right. They’d only recently started talking to each other with no animosity. Why on earth would she want to live with him?
“I don’t think I’d feel comfortable living with someone I don’t know who worked for the FBI. And I’m not sure I want to forget your offer.”
Had he misheard Lilith? Had she really said she didn’t want to forget his offer? It was almost too good to be true, considering their rocky relationship. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, maybe I want to take you up on it. It’s weird though. I shouldn’t.”
Julian blew out a breath to contain his happiness at Lilith’s admission. “It’s not weird. And whenever you’re ready, the offer is there. I’ve got a pretty good space where we won’t be on top of each other. I can even set up the other spare room into a TV room or other sort of space that’s just yours. And you’ll have your own bathroom too.”
He would do whatever he had to do to make Lilith comfortable with whatever her decision would be. Just hearing her say that she wanted to take him up on it was enough for me.
“I don’t want to take over your entire home. Do you have a house or an apartment?”