Free Blackmailed by the Beast by Sam Crescent

mahogany stair rail.
    “Say the words and it
is. If not, I’ll put it back on the market again.”
    “You mean you already
bought it?” Lily moved past the hall, looking in each room. Before
she would consider moving in, she’d need to clean or have cleaners
come and clear out all the dust and cobwebs.
    “I saw this place, and
it screamed out to me. It hasn’t been up very long for sale, and I
just got the gut instinct it wouldn’t stay on the market that
long.”
    “I agree. This place is
a gem.” She opened a door into which looked like the home office
and closed the door. She glanced into each room, seeing the
potential in the property.
    “It’s so beautiful.”
Every room she looked in, she fell more and more in love with the
place. “We could buy some long corner sofas and sit around the open
fire. We’ll need to come and have everything cleaned beforehand,”
she said.
    Wayne came up behind
her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Just say the word and
it’s yours,” he whispered in her ear, nuzzling her neck.
    Lily giggled, her body
responding again to his intimate touch. After the rough tumble on
the kitchen table, she thought her body would be spent. If
anything, she wanted more of him.
    “You smell good.”
    “Yes.”
    “Yes, what? Baby.”
    “I want the house.”
    He clicked his fingers
and handed her the second set of keys. “Have fun decorating,
baby.”
    Wayne pinned her
against the wall.
    “What are you doing?”
she gasped as he pulled up her skirt.
    “Christening the
house.” He nipped her neck and showed her exactly what he meant,
taking her against the wall. Wayne showed her the wonders of
wearing a skirt with two slits up the side.
    ****
    Lily spent the next few
weeks organizing the cleaning and furniture and getting the whole
house ready for Christmas. This year would be her first without her
parents, and she wanted to make it extra special.
    Thinking about the
possibility of having a baby, she decided it wouldn’t be so bad.
She would have a family of her own to love and care about. Smiling,
she patted her belly. Was there already a little boy or girl there?
After a month of intense planning and changing around of certain
rooms, Lily had the home how she wanted. The garden would have to
wait for the spring and summer. The grass was cut back, and the
trees trimmed, but everything else would be left. She looked
forward to delving into creating a safe haven for herself and her
future children.
    When no one was
listening or around, she would allow her other precious secret to
unleash as she sang to her heart’s content. The only part of
herself she could call her own, her music.
    She’d had people tell
her how wonderful she sounded and even offered to set her up with
people who could help. Lily loved to sing, but in truth, she never
wanted to do it to make a living.
    This was hers and hers
alone. She wouldn’t share.
    They moved in four
weeks before Christmas. She said good-bye to his old apartment, and
the place she knew in her heart she’d never call home, and began
unpacking in their new place.
    Wayne and Lily sat
eating Chinese food in the living room. Lily had a catalogue open
and looked for Christmas decorations.
    “I think purple and
silver will look great on a nice natural tree.” She handed him the
book and took a large portion of soy noodles.
    “What about a green and
red tree or a red and gold?” he offered.
    Lily raised an eyebrow
at him. “Okay, I love the look of the silver and purple. Why them
colours?”
    “They’re my
favourite.”
    “Open up.” He fed her a
piece of chicken, and she passed him some rice. “You did really
good with the house.”
    “Thank you.”
    Wayne took the
container out of her hand. “Before we get too full,” he said,
leaning over to kiss her.
    “You’ve got that look
again,” she said.
    “What look?”
    “Like you want to eat
me.” Lily touched his face and kissed him back. Whenever he was
near, all she wanted to do