Read Tiger Lily: Part Three for Free Online Page A

everything. You will be spoiled and adored, as you so rightly deserve.”
    His words were heartfelt, and I drank them in. But my mind grabbed hold of the last time I had heard similar words, and the change that had occurred in that relationship after those words were spoken.
    Jonas cupped my face. His eyes fixed on me. “Did I make you sad?” The empathy in his expression had the truth I would normally hold onto flowing from my lips.
    “Declan used to say things like that in the beginning, too. He was generous and kind. But then he wasn’t. Towards the end, he called me a ‘fat spoiled princess.’ I guess the idea of being spoiled makes me think you’ll think…”
    “No. Never,” Jonas said, cutting me off and cupping my chin. “I’ll never do that to you.” He squeezed me closer. “I know sharing those details doesn’t come easily for you. So thank you for telling me. But please know, I’m not Declan.”
    I nodded, unable to speak. I tried to smile, but my lips trembled too much.
    His gaze was pointed on mine as he continued. “He was leagues beneath you and never deserved you. He will pay for hurting you. That, I will make sure of.” He kissed me tenderly.
    “Have I received any more messages?” I asked in a small voice.
    His jaw tightened. “If you did, I’d never tell you,” he said bluntly. “That’s a closed subject for you and your wellbeing. Promise me right now you will not try to retrieve messages or pursue any contact with him. This will be our resolution on the matter.” From Jonas’s stern expression, he wasn’t open to compromise.
    I gave him a nod and said, “I promise.”
    “It’s late. Let’s go have dinner and discuss what we will do with the rest of our week,” Jonas said, changing the subject.
    He moved us to a sitting position and my arms involuntarily moved around his shoulders. He then lifted and moved me off the bed, walking us into the bathroom where he sat me down next to the sink. Turning on the tap, he dampened a cloth.
    I parted my legs a little and he moved between them, widening them more. He then thoroughly commenced with an embarrassingly intimate cleanse between my thighs. He had done as much before, so I didn’t interrupt him, though it still puzzled me. Finally, I asked what this cleaning ritual was all about. But he responded with another question within a question, asking, “How does it make you feel?” for the second time today. Though it irritated me, I decided to answer.
    “It feels good, but it still embarrasses me. So why do you do it?” I asked.
    He walked away and collected matching terry cloth robes for us to put on. Once his was in place, he held mine open. “Taking control, caring for you, even cleaning you; it turns me on. And I know, even though you blush pretty for me, that you’re turned on too.”
    I put my arms through the sleeves of the robe and he closed and cinched the tie in place. “So you do it just to turn us on? You must have another reason. I’d like to know,” I pressed.
    He sighed and gazed at me, a hint of amusement at what I imagined to be a rapt expression on my face. “Because you’re mine, and I want you to feel like you’re a part of me,” he said.
    I beamed at him. “I want to be.”
    He rested his hands on my shoulders. “Then you are.”
    Jonas took my hands. “Lin left dinner for us. We need to eat and plan out the rest of our week.”
    “Can’t we just wing it?” I whined. “I mean, I’m on stress vacation. Can’t I just rest in front of the TV or read a book?”
    He laughed as we walked together out of the bathroom. “I wish I could wing it, as you so eloquently put it, but to spend time with you and still meet all my business obligations, I have to plan.”
    We walked together down the stairs to the living room, the sound of Paul McCartney and Wings still playing in the background. The song “My Love” started and a pang went through my heart. I lowered my head while Jonas eyed me