Gilded Lily by Pauline Allan Page B

control at the office. The hours were brutal between call time and the operating room. He was tired and bored. At least having Nicholas around was a good for him and Lily. The visits at the plantation were always more relaxed when Nicholas was there to make them laugh.
    Tony had needed that reprieve. Hell, he needed it now. The responsibilities between his career, Renee, and his sub were a scheduling nightmare. A good trainer could stand back and be objective, be in control, and make it work. A good trainer would not be stressed and bored. A good trainer could find a sub a responsible dom.
    Tony knew his purpose. It’d been clear since that day he attended Lily’s lecture at LSU three years ago. Hell, his sister had given him one of Lily’s books as a birthday gift, and the urge to meet the author had been overwhelming. He had to have her.
    And now, she was his student, almost ready for a steady dominant, but just not quite there. At least she seemed to think she wasn’t ready. And she needed more than he could ever give. She needed a man to love her. A whole man. A man who could love her back the way she deserved. He loved her. The ache in his heart every time he drove home told him that. But it wasn’t enough, for either of them. He’d trained many subs. Brought them to their knees with tear-drenching pleasure, opened their hearts and minds to the real reasons they needed to submit. His other subs had revelations and personal growth.
    With Lily, she had made that transformation, and it wasn’t enough. She simply craved more than the pleasure he could give her. Tony felt lost. Lily was a true submissive, only existing to please her dominant and in turn find comfort. Lily needed stability, a dom who could be present every day. Tony couldn’t be that for her—that was never his intention. He saw a need in a beautiful woman and knew his special skills would make her life more fulfilled.
    Unfortunately, his life had taken a sharp curve on a straight road. A growing medical practice, keeping up his relationship with Renee, and trying to continue to see Lily once a week were eating any moment of peace he tried to find. The time to slow down, make sure everyone was taken care of without losing his mind, was fast approaching. Hell, his life had already freight-trained over his ass, and he was too tired to get off the tracks.
    It was time to move on, find a man who was willing to take more than just his place with Lily, someone who would love the woman he’d watched blossom into the perfect submissive. When Nicholas had moved in, Tony had hoped Lily would gradually come to rely on his discipline less and less. He needed her to see there was more to life than hiding in that big house and settling for a relationship that could never have a future.
    He cared about her enough to know she deserved better, more than an instructor. Hell, he wasn’t even that anymore with how far she’d come along. He was there more often than not to correct any destructive behavior and to keep her somewhat satisfied. Between him and Renee, Lily was never going to test her wings.
    Teaching her to love herself—that she wasn’t some depraved pervert like her ex had drilled into her psyche—took time and patience. In trying to keep his control, he’d managed to push her away. The way she looked at him told him she knew it was time. He was failing miserably as her protector. Fuck, he was falling flat on his face in the relationship department as well. Renee wanted more. Lily needed more. He wanted to fly to someplace warm, tune out the voices, and drink a ton of Scotch.
    He flicked the turn signal and merged onto the off-ramp. His thoughts drifted to Nicholas. Tony had liked Nicholas. They’d sit for hours, talking and smoking cigars, watching Lily and Renee fuck. Tony hadn’t minded when Nicholas leaned over and stroked his cock. The artist had more talents than just painting. He knew how to get a guy off, and it always felt amazing. The look