Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Because of you I've decided to keep Ash and Lillian's story going for the time being. Thanks for the support and encouragement!

This chapter would technically be classified as M, so heads up to all those who are underage or emotionally frail :)

"Hey, you two."

"Hi." He returned, not having to turn around to recognize that Lillian was behind him. Beside him, Cam muttered his hello, not bothering to pick his eyes up from the bouquet he was currently arranging.

She settled in front of the flower booth beside him, standing perhaps a little more closely than she would have normally done. Four days, only four blissful days of their wonderful secret, but he had yet to have a private moment with Lillian since their conversation by the river. Although he had been trying, their lingering looks and polite chit chat could hardly amount to the steamy affair he had been hoping for, not without being quickly interrupted by his little sister or one of the other townspeople... His eyes fell on hers now, only to discover hers staring mischievously back at him.

"Ash." She nodded her head politely at him, a ghost of a smile on her lips as her eyes darted back to Cam. "I was wondering, could I get you to fix up a bouquet for me? My house is looking a little drab." Her eyes drifted back to his, a stray hip jutting out to brush against his sending the usual jolt to his lower abdomen.

Cam glanced up at them, smirking slightly as he did so. "You can have this one. I was only making it to save the flowers from wilting; it's nearing the end of the season now and they won't last much longer."

Lillian smiled in thanks, reaching in her pocket for money before being stopped by Cam placing the bouquet in her arms. "Don't bother with that, this one's a cast off anyway. Just do me a favour and take this kid with you when you go, he's been bothering me for the past hour."

He felt his cheeks go red but didn't bother objecting, knowing that however little Cam knew he was at least suspicious of their happenings. "Alright, I get the hint." He felt a bit of his air leave him as Lillian shoved the bouquet a little roughly against his stomach. "And what's this for?"

She had already gone on a few steps, and glanced back at him over her shoulder in the same teasing way she had done after the Star Gazing Festival. "Well you don't expect me to carry it do you?"

He had to jog a few paces before he caught up to her, his free arm extending to gently knock against hers. "And what makes you think I'll comply so easily?"

She sent him a crooked smile, winking cheekily up at him as they approached the grove of trees between their two ranches. "Aren't you always going on about what a gentleman you are?"

He couldn't think of a smart enough reply and settled on falling into an easy pace beside her, indulging in finally having the chance to be alone with her; their last excursion seemed to have been months ago, rather than a few days. He glanced quickly over his shoulder, slightly wary of eavesdropping townspeople, before he said rather quietly, "I've been thinking about you."

She sent him a mischievous smile as they rounded the corner to her ranch, careful to keep her tone low as well. "And I you... Come inside. I still haven't gone through all the cupboards and such, I may need help finding a vase." He felt rather like an overexcited puppy as he followed her up the path and to her house, trying to keep his excitement as she unlocked the door.

It had been nearly two seasons since he had last visited her in her home; judging by the stark contrast to what he had last seen inside, she had gone to some lengths to fix the place up. The cobwebs and dust had been replaced by overstuffed furniture and general tidiness; he let out a low whistle as he strolled into the middle of the room, hearing Lillian click the door shut behind him.

"I knew all my teasing would pay off." He chuckled, inspecting the table cloth. "Looks like you really took it to heart."

She clicked her tongue at him, clearly fighting the urge to roll her eyes as she came to stand beside him. "Oh yes, I couldn't have done it without you." She had gone slightly pink about the cheeks, her hands barely brushing his as she moved to take the bouquet. "Here, can you check in that cupboard-"

He cut her off without meaning to; unable to contain himself any longer he had grasped her firmly about the shoulders, tugging her up and colliding her lips with his. He heard Cam's blossom's fall against the floor boards, Lillian having dropped it surprise.

He pulled back quickly and set her back from the floor, grinning at the stunned expression on her face. "Sorry. I've been wanting to do for a while now."

"No, no, just caught me by surprise is all..." She gave her head a slight shake, clumsily stooping to collect the fallen flowers.

He watched her shake her head once more as she set the bouquet safely on the table, chuckling. "Still not used to it yet, are you?"

She sent him a sharp look, fighting the corners of her mouth from turning upwards. "Don't be silly. I was in the middle of talking, I wasn't expecting..." She trailed off as he reached to touch her; as slowly as he dared he traced a small line up her arm, his little finger dragging up the edge of her wrist and about her elbow, finally gliding up her shoulder and onto her jaw, turning her chin towards him as she let of a tiny hiss of breath.

"What's all this then?" He teased, watching as the familiar pink blotched flooded her cheeks. "Lillian, if I didn't know any better, I'd think I had some sort of effect on you."

"No." Her defense was half lost as he began to grab at her waist, his little finger tilting her chin up to him as she struggled to keep her head. "No, you don't. If anything I have an effect on you." As if to prove a point she reached for him, her fingers pressing against his shirt and dipping between the folds of the buttons to stroke his chest.

"Is that so." He sounded slightly hoarse when he said it, his thumb reaching up to trace the line of her lower lip. "Prove it."

She didn't need telling twice; stretching up onto her toes she pressed her lips against his, moaning slightly as he responded with equal enthusiasm. Doubling his grip on her waist he pressed his hips against hers, his knees nearly buckling as she drew back slightly for air, her ragged exhale into his mouth seeming to reside somewhere in his spine.

They were both struggling for dominance, constantly dancing around each other and trying to gain the upper hand. He hated to admit it, but he was quickly losing; she pressed herself roughly against him, the feeling of her against his chest making him groan in want; taking advantage of his temporarily open mouth her tongue dived in to wrestle with his.

Somehow she had managed to fit him against the table, her body pressing against his so hard she had forced him to half-stand half-sit with the wooden edge wedged uncomfortably against his lower back. She seemed to be trying to prove a point; he was gasping by the time she pulled away, her lips abandoning his and seeking pleasure elsewhere. She left a trail of kisses down his left cheek, pausing only to nibble on his earlobe before moving downward.

"L-Lillian..." He voice broke as she found the sensitive spot just below his jaw. He knew he would have to stop this soon, yet his mouth was incapable of forming words. He felt her suck harder against his neck, her fingers travelling up his chest and tugging his suspenders off his shoulders. He tried again, his voice much quieter this time, trying to focus on finding words rather than her fingers un-tucking his shirt and beginning to attend to the buttons. "Lillian."

She pulled away, grinning lopsidedly at him. "Say it." She said quietly as she popped the last of the buttons open, her nails beginning to drag across his chest.

"S-say what?"

She dragged her fingers up and over his him, beginning to pull his shirt down his shoulders. "Tell me that I have an effect on you."

She had successfully removed his shirt. Leaning into suck on his neck again, he felt her fingers trail down his abdomen, coming to knot in the line of hair leading to the button of his trousers. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady. "You have an effect on me, Lillian." He felt her pull back slightly, listening, her breath warm against his neck, her fingers still working against his stomach.

"How?" She whispered.

He felt almost lightheaded and became aware of the fact that he had stopped breathing. He chuckled, gasping slightly. "How don't you? When you first came to town you annoyed he hell out of me. I couldn't stand you, I couldn't believe someone could be so stubborn and rude. But even then you were always on my mind." She had pulled all the way back, her eyes finally meeting his. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since the moment I saw you. And it's only been getting worse since I saw you on the mountain. A day hasn't passed since then that I haven't had to start my day with a cold shower."

The speech wasn't romantic nor had he meant it to be; he figured now more than ever was the time for honesty. Nevertheless she looked rather touched, her swollen lower lip quivering slightly before she glanced down, trying to avoid his gaze once again.

"... You have an effect on me too." She said quietly, her fingers abandoning his stomach in favour of looping through his own. "Maybe not at first, but now..." She grabbed his palm and brought it up to her left breast, pressing it hard against the flesh just below her collar bone. Faintly, he could feel the quick pulse of her heart. "I can't look at you without it going crazy."

"...Lillian..." He moved to take his hand back but she stopped him, her hands catching him about the wrist.

It all seemed to happen very slowly. He watched her shrug out of her vest, the denim falling to the floor as it did a million years before in the barn, her left hand reaching up to undo the ribbon along the neckline of her dress. He could feel his heart thumping against his ribs as she pulled back slightly, her arms slipping up into her sleeves and emerging suddenly, the loosened neckline crumpling to her waist and revealing a very lacy expanse of fabric and underwire. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he dropped his eyes to the floor, watching with a mixture of horror and excitement as Lillian's bra dropped to his feet. He had never seen a naked woman before.

"Ash?" Her voice seemed to come from far away; it seemed as if all his blood had left his cheeks and migrated south of his abdomen. He watched as her fingers stretched out to gently grasp both his wrists, turning his palms and moving them until they fitted neatly over her breasts.

He groaned, her fingers moving onto of his and guiding him as he squeezed; she felt so perfect under his palms, fitting so well into his fists that he could have sworn she was made just for him. One of her hands reached up for him, turning his face towards her. He couldn't stop himself from admiring her, her two perky mounds felt like heaven beneath his hands, a pair of bright pink nipples poking out between his fingers; before he gave it a second thought he brushed a thumb over one, watching as it became hard.

She let out a hiss of breath, her hands dropping from his shoulders and fall to his hips, her thumbs tracing the v-shaped muscle that fell below his trousers. He could feel himself beginning to rise beneath her, his thumbs still tracing her nipples. "Is that good?" He asked, surprised by how thick his voice sounded.

She nodded, her pink face darting to his to plant chaste kisses along his jaw. He didn't know what made him do it, but he supposed it was more curiosity than anything; moving his hands to her ribs he pulled her away from him, leaning forward and mirroring the chaste kisses against her nipple.

The effect was immediate; her hands left his hips and darted into his hair, tugging him against her breasts and urging him on. He was eager to make up for her having the upper hand before; summoning as much nerve as he dared he flicked his tongue against her, his teeth gently grazing her breast.

"A-Ash..." She moaned his name, tugging him up from her breast and pulling his mouth to hers, pulling him so hard against her that he could feel her nipples firmly against his chest. She was responding with such enthusiasm that she was nearly tipping him backwards.

His elbows collided rather loudly with the wood of the table just as there was a knock at the door. He sent her a horrified look as she pulled away from him, managing to only keep herself upright by straddling his lap, no doubt feeling his want for her pressing against her thigh. "W-who is it?" She called rather shakily, trying to extract herself from him without making too much noise.

"It's Laney. I was wondering if we could talk."

She looked at him in a rather alarmed manner as he leapt off the table, landing as quietly as he could against the creaking floor boards. He tossed Lillian her bra, already looking for a hiding place as she began to speak. "Oh Laney! What a surprise!" She paused as she jerked her dress up over her shoulders, looking as though she could have hit him as he reached to smooth some wrinkles from her neckline. "Just give me a second, I've just been... er, changing, I fell in the stream trying to catch fish and I'm soaked."

It was a rather unconvincing lie, but it would have to do. Gathering his shirt, he allowed Lillian to shove him rather unceremoniously behind a dresser, forcing him to crouch awkwardly to avoid being seen. He watched as Lillian looped her vest over her shoulders, reaching for the door knob.

"Hi, sorry about that. You caught me right in the middle of it." She sounded rather breathless, the back of her skirt rumpled and uneven along her thighs. From where he was he could see without being seen; he watched as Lillian shrugged out of the way, Laney walking past her and looking about the house.

"...So I see." The waitress's eyes seemed to linger on the jostled table before returning to Lillian, narrowing at her swollen lips and rumpled hair. "Isn't it getting near the end of hand-fishing season?"

Lillian went rather red about the face, her habit of nervous talking not helping the situation. "That would probably explain why I had such lousy luck. Didn't catch a thing all day, can you believe it? I probably should have asked Ash first, he's the one who taught me how to do it in the first place."

"...That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." He watched Laney pick up the bouquet that had been forgotten on the table. "He didn't get these for you, did he?"

"No. Cam gave them to me, apparently they're near the end of the season. He just wanted someone to take them before they wilted." Laney send her skeptical look, making another flood of pink rush though Lillian cheeks. "Is that why you came all the way here? To ask me where I got my flowers?"

"No." Laney paused, straightening the table cloth they had rumpled. "I just wanted to make something clear between us."

"And what is that?" He had to admit, Lillian would take a challenge from anyone; he could already see her gearing up for a fight, her arms crossing defiantly.

"That you should stay away from Ash." He had never heard Laney speak so sharply; her back was to him but he could tell she was glaring at Lillian. "Look, you're not new here anymore, and I'm done making excuses for your behavior. You have no right to just waltz into this town and just pick whatever guy you want for the taking! Ash and I have a history, you know. He's mine. Always has, always will be."

Lillian scoffed. "Laney, this is crazy, listen to yourself-"

"It's not crazy!" Laney hissed, her hair beginning to come unpinned from her usual bun. "I've seen you two, walking around town together. What exactly happened, huh? One minute you're at each other's throats, the next you're running around going on dates..."

"We aren't dating, Laney!" He felt his chest expand with pride, glad that Lillian was beginning to yell back. "I don't know how to get this through to you, but there's nothing going on with me and Ash. And even if there was, isn't it up to Ash to decide who he wants to be with?"

"Bullshit!" He hardly ever heard Laney swear, the coarse language sounding strange coming from her mouth. "I see the way he looks at you, the way he's always looked at you ever since you came here. Even when you two were fighting he always looked like that... Don't you know, he used to look at me like that? Before you came along he was crazy for me, like he couldn't get enough..."

"You're delusional." Lillian hissed, her fists balled to her sides. "I'm done indulging you in whatever this is. Get out of my house."

"Fine!" Laney brushed past her so hard Lillian was nearly thrown off balance, pausing in the doorway. "You just remember this: that boy is mine. Everyone in town agrees; since the day we were born we were supposed to end up together. I've been there for him since day one, and I'll be there long after whatever it is between you dies out."

She had barely stepped outside the door frame before Lillian slammed the door on her, the same way she had done to him all those weeks before. He got to his feet, watching as she clicked the dead bolt until it was locked, resting her head against the wooden panels of the door.

"Coast is clear?" It was a rather lame thing to say but he couldn't think of anything better, still unable to see her face. He watched her nod, not bothering to look at him as he approached her.

"Coast is clear." She repeated, sighed heavily as she turned to face him. It seemed as if all the intimacy of the previous moment had been lost, her eyebrows knitting together as she stared at her feet.

"Hey." He said quietly, his palms reaching for her shoulders, her thumbs beginning to work at the tension that hadn't been there an hour ago. "Don't let what she said bother you. You know it wasn't true, right?"

"It's not bothering me." She was such a bad liar, shrugging out of his grip and finally meeting his gaze. "I'm just thinking... If we ever decide to not keep this a secret, she deserves to know first. And you should be the one to tell her."

"Why me?"

He watched as she left his side, her tone icy as she approached the kitchen, no doubt about to make them both a cup of tea. "Don't you know Ash? Apparently you two have a history."

As always let me know what you think! Please review!