Unplanned Love

by Sharon C. Cooper

  “I forgot how romantic you could be.” She wiped her mouth before taking a big swig from the water bottle. “What made you think of a picnic, and how’d you pull this all together?”

  A shiver ran through her body when he placed a lingering kiss near her ear.

  “I called the concierge at the hotel and asked if he knew of a place that catered picnics for two. He gave me a short list of possibilities. The first two places I called couldn’t squeeze us in today. I ended up contacting a personal assistant who took on last-minute assignments.”

  “Had she done something like this before?”

  “I’m not sure, but she came through and on time. She got everything I requested and had even thought to throw in insect repellent.”

  “In which I’m grateful.”

  Charlee ran her hand over the extra thick blanket. Liam and the woman had thought of everything, including plastic champagne glasses. Since it was technically illegal to drink alcohol in the park, he had opted for lemonade. They toasted to getting back together, and Charlee felt hopeful that they…that she could get it right this time. Deciding to stay in New York with Liam for a few days had been one of the best decisions she’d made in a long time. Spending the day with him still felt like a dream, a dream she never wanted to wake up from.

  Charlee twisted around as graceful as she could in her sundress, her legs laying across one of Liam’s.

  “Thank you for doing this.”

  He covered her mouth with his and kissed her slowly, sending need rushing through her veins. If she had the ability to freeze time, she’d freeze it at that moment and bask in the sweetness that was Liam.

  “It’s my pleasure. I love doing things for you,” he said when the kiss ended.

  They’d been out there for the past hour and a half and the sun was starting to make its descent behind the trees. The picnic really was the perfect end to their busy tour day. With their shoes kicked off, they continued to lounge, discussing Liam’s work and some of the new projects he had taken on. In order to keep up with the demands of all the work that was coming his way, he was considering going into business with another well-known architect whose work he respected.

  Liam stared down into her face, caressing her cheek. After a lengthy silence, he asked, “What does it mean to you for us to be back together? What will that look like?”

  Charlee hesitated, her pulse pounding fast while she searched her mind to find the right words to express what she was feeling. “I want forever with you.” She lowered her eyes, struggling to say more, knowing it would make her even more vulnerable to him. “I’m not gonna lie. The last couple of years without you have been lonely. I knew I would miss you, but I didn’t realize that guilt would eat at me the way it did.”

  He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart, for the part I played in our breakup. I should’ve been the one to fight harder to keep us together.”

  Throughout the day, they both agreed that they should have communicated better and made the necessary adjustments in their relationship.

  “Since then, I’ve been trying to fill a void in my life. That’s been mainly done by working long hours, but I realized a while ago that my career is not enough to keep me happy. It’s you that I need. It’s you that I want, Liam.”

  He lowered his head and kissed her again. “It’s you that I want, too,” he mumbled against her mouth. “Only you.”

  The music on his phone changed to an old slow jam by Luther Vandross, and Liam turned it up.

  “Dance with me.”

  Charlee’s brows shot up, and she glanced around. “Here?”

  “Yeah. Why not here?” He stood and extended his hand to her, gently tugging her up. “You used to love to dance.”

  “I still do. I—I’m just surprised you want to dance out here with so many people. With us being the center of attention.”

  Even though she was perfectly fine with the old Liam, this new Liam was quickly growing on her.

  He pulled her close against his body. One of his hands rested on the center of her back and he took her hand in his as they swayed to Your Secret Love. Charlee laid her head against his chest, absorbing the light scent of his cologne as she got lost in the moment. It was as if the rest of the world faded away, and it was only the two of them rocking to the slow jam.

  He was such a good dancer. Which wasn’t a surprised. There wasn’t much he wasn’t good at. A perfectionist and a little OCD, he was meticulous about everything, which Charlee loved. He was everything she wasn’t and they balanced each other perfectly.

  When the song changed, they continued dancing until one song led into several others. This had been one of the best days she’d had in a long time. It probably had a lot to do with her finally taking a few days off from work and hanging out in one of the liveliest cities in the country. Yet, she knew it had everything to do with the man she was with.

  Charlee lifted her head as they continued to rock to the music. “Now that we’re committed to giving our relationship another try, what will that look like once we’re back in Cincinnati?”

  “Believe it or not, I actually haven’t planned that far ahead.”

  “Whaaat? I can’t believe it. You plot out everything. How is it that you haven’t planned what happens next with us?”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t plan what happens next,” he said close to her ear, then sucked on her earlobe. His intentions were loud and clear.

  A burst of desire shot through Charlee’s body and her toes curled inside of her shoes. If that got her juices flowing, God help her when they got horizontal, which she was looking forward to.

  “I’m a little out of my element here,” Liam continued.” All I know is that I love you, and I want us to try and make our relationship work this time.”

  Charlee studied him, wondering if he realized what he’d said. In the past, he’d always been good about expressing his feelings for her. There was no doubt in her mind that she was still in love with him, but to know their feelings were mutual meant everything.

  She cupped his cheek and leaned in close. “I love you, too. I never stopped loving you.”

  Charlee kissed him with everything in her, hoping he could feel just how much she loved him.

  When the kiss ended, Liam rested his forehead against hers for a minute before they stretched out on the blanket. Laying on their sides, they faced each other.

  “Like you said earlier, we have things to work through. We just have to figure out where to start,” he said, twirling a lock of her hair that had fallen out of her messy ponytail.

  “I’ll start by promising that I won’t put my career before our relationship. Even if it means quitting my—”

  “Whoa. No. You won’t be quitting your job.” When she started to speak, he held up his hand. “Charlee, I know how important your career is to you. I would never ask you to quit. That’s not what came between us last time.”

  “It sorta was. Between the traveling, last-minute meetings, and I can keep going listing the things at work that hogged my time.”

  “People with just as demanding jobs figure out how to make relationships work. It’s about commitment. We have to be committed enough to want to make this work.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Charlee often took on more responsibilities at work than she needed to. For now on, she’d make sure her priorities were in order.

  “As long as we communicate better, and be straight with each other before situations get out of hand, we’ll be okay.”

  “How about if we plan a date night once a week?” Charlee suggested. “That way we’ll have a designated time that is all about us.”

  Liam nodded. “I’m good with that, and we have to spend time on the weekend together. I’m not saying it has to be a whole day, but we have to carve out time for us.”

  “I can commit to that.”

  “Now what about the traveling? How often are you out of town?”

  “I don’t have t
o travel. Well, not often. There might be times, like this trip, where I think I’d be the best person to close a deal. That’s something I usually know in advance, though. We’re talking maybe two or three times a year.”

  “And if you know about those trips ahead of time, I can travel with you.”

  Charlee couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “I’d like that.”

  Liam pushed loose strands of hair behind her ear. “Let’s head back to the hotel so that we can continue celebrating our reunion.”

  “I like that idea even more. I’m right behind you.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  As they rode the elevator up to their hotel room, Liam could feel the anxiousness bouncing off of Charlee. He might want to get reacquainted with her body, but he didn’t want to rush her into anything.

  He moved the picnic basket to his other hand as they stepped off the elevator and then draped his arm around her shoulder.

  “Listen. We don’t have to do anything that you’re not ready for.”

  She looked up at him, her brows furrowed. “What makes you think I’m not ready for whatever you’re ready for?”

  “I’m just saying that I don’t want you to feel rushed into—”

  “Oh, don’t worry about me. You just better make sure you’re ready, because the moment we get behind closed doors, I’m going to be all over you.”

  “Is that right?” He smiled down at her, not missing the merriment in her pretty brown eyes. “Well, I’m ready for you, baby.”

  Liam let her into the room and barely had a chance to set the basket down before Charlee shoved him up against a nearby wall. He sucked in a breath when her soft hands slid under his T-shirt and worked their way up his torso. Her touch sent waves of desire rallying through his body. If he didn’t slow her roll, this would be over way before they got started good.

  “I guess you weren’t kidding about being ready,” he said, tugging on the back of his collar and pulling the shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor. She wasn’t the only one in a hurry to get them naked, but it had been a long time since they’d been together. He had no intention of rushing anything.

  Charlee’s hands stalled on his abs, and her gaze took in his upper body. She looked at him as if he was a piece of meat. “I didn’t think your body could get any more perfect, but…man.”

  Liam chuckled at the awe in her voice. He removed the ponytail holder from her hair, tossing it on the nearby stand. He loved the way her curls tumbled around her shoulders. He slowly ran his fingers through her soft tresses, and gently gripped a handful, pulling her head back to give him full access to her neck.

  She moaned as he trailed kisses from her jaw down to her bare shoulder and worked his way back up.

  God, she smells good.

  Liam’s mouth covered hers hungrily as desire pumped through his veins. No other woman had the power to turn him on as fast as this woman…his woman. The woman he planned to spend the rest of his life with.

  A groan slipped out, and a tremor shot through him when Charlee cupped his package. Kneading. Squeezing. Applying enough pressure to make him grip her hair tighter.

  “Hey,” he croaked, trying to stay in control.

  “I’ve missed you,” she murmured against his lips.

  Liam ripped his mouth from hers and sucked in a breath. “If you keep that up…”

  She went for his zipper, and he quickly grabbed her wrists. “Not yet. Not until I see all of you.”

  She gasped when he turned her suddenly, switching their position. With her back against the wall, he lifted her arms above her head and held them there with one hand.

  “We’re not rushing this.” He spoke the words just above a whisper. Now all he had to do was get his body to cooperate. He was hard enough to punch a hole through his zipper, but he was determined to take his time with her. No doubt she could feel his erection pressed against her lower stomach, which was fine with him. He wanted her to feel what she did to him.

  “Liam…”

  Not giving her a chance to say another word, he kissed her with a need that was as fierce as a multiple-vortex tornado. His free hand roamed slowly down her body, gliding over her curves as his tongue tangled with hers.

  Charlee moaned into his mouth, squirming against him.

  He said they weren’t going to rush this, but as bad as he wanted her, he honestly couldn’t guarantee that he’d be able to go slow. Liam had fantasized about having her again more times than he could count. If anyone would’ve told him that they’d get back together, he wouldn’t have believed them. Normally, when he was done with something or someone, he was done. But there had always been something special about Charlee that he couldn’t explain.

  Now, after spending the last twenty-four hours with her, he knew without a doubt what that something was.

  She was the one. It was plain and simple, and he wanted to kick himself for denying the inevitable for so long.

  “Liam, I want you now,” Charlee said in a rush as soon as he moved his mouth from hers.

  Still holding her arms above her head, he reached behind her neck and undid the tie of her dress with one hand. The top of the garment fell down, revealing full breasts that were practically spilling over the top of her black strapless bra.

  He swallowed hard, trying to throttle the powerful current raging through his body at the sight of her.

  “I want you, too,” he finally said, his hammering heart beating so loud against his chest, people in the next room could probably hear it.

  With a flick of his wrist, he undid the bra and tossed it to the floor. Then he stood there, gawking. Taking in all of her beauty. She was even more drool-worthy than he remembered.

  “You’re…you’re breathtaking.”

  “And you’re taking too long.”

  He laughed and released her arms. Before she could move, Liam looped his arm around her waist, bringing her close and cupped one of her breasts. She was more than a handful, and he savored the feel of her in his palm. His body tightened with need as he brushed the pad of his thumb over her nipple before lowering his head. Sucking and teasing, he swirled his tongue around the hardened peak until she withered against him.

  Charlee whimpered, her hands cradling his head. “Liam, I…can’t take…too much.” She wiggled against him. “It’s been too long…” Her words trailed off when he moved to her other breast, his teeth grazing her nipple.

  He ignored her plea, wanting to savor all of her.

  “Okay…okay,” she panted, still squirming against him, only making him that much more hungry for her. “Please, baby, we—”

  “You’re so damn irresistible.”

  Liam got his fill before he finally lifted his head. Staring down into her lust-filled eyes, a sensuous charge passed between them. Something so mind-blowingly powerful that it shook him to the depths of his soul. He didn’t even want to try and put meaning behind the intenseness of the moment. All he wanted to do was love on this gorgeous woman and take them both to a place of no return.

  He stripped the dress from her lithe body, leaving her in only a tiny pair of black panties.

  A low growl started in his chest and worked its way up his throat. Charlee squeaked when he suddenly lifted her, holding tightly around his neck as he carried her across the room. Liam didn’t stop until he reached the bed.

  “Don’t move,” he said when he laid her down. He quickly dug his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a condom. Dropping the wallet, he didn’t care where it landed. His mind was solely on getting out of the rest of his clothes.

  He watched as Charlee lifted her hips off the bed and started sliding her panties down her shapely legs. He almost swallowed his tongue at the sight she made sprawled out on the bed.

  Going slow is out of the question.

  She looked at Liam through lowered lids as he quickly sheathed himself. The man’s body was total perfection from his muscular chest to his ripped abs, on down to his
long, thick erection. Slowly and seductively, he climbed onto the bed, his eyes taking in every inch of her body.

  She tried not to squirm under his perusal, but her skin tingled at the attention. Love sparkled in his intense, dark eyes, reflecting everything she felt inside. Love, lust, need. She and Liam never had a problem in the bedroom, and she couldn’t wait to see if their hot kisses would extend to even hotter lovemaking.

  Without a word, he moved between her thighs, spreading them wider with his legs as he hovered above her. When he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his, she wrapped her arms around his neck. A ripple of excitement charged through her as he eased into her heat, inch by delicious inch.

  He felt incredible. She feared she’d come before they even got started good. She hadn’t been kidding when she told him that it had been a long time. Her body was starving for the connection. A connection that only he could provide.

  As Liam moved inside of her, he nipped then licked an area just below her ear before sucking the same spot, probably marking his territory. All the while, he rotated his hips, first moving slowly as he slid in and out of her, then picking up speed, going deeper and harder with each thrust.

  Being with this man again, like this, was more than she could’ve ever hoped for. Fate had brought them together, and Charlee had no intentions of ever letting him go again. This man was divinely made for her and the person she was meant to be with. No one else would ever do.

  Their moans blended in the quietness of the room as they got lost in the euphoria of their lovemaking. Every touch, moan, groan, and thrust brought them even closer together. Their bodies moved in perfect harmony as Charlee lifted her hips off the bed, matching him stroke for stroke.

  “Ahh, baby,” Liam ground out and holding her right hip higher, his fingers burning into her thigh. He plowed into her harder as his other hand clutched the headboard.

  “Oh, yes,” Charlee breathed, her hands gripping his firm butt as she struggled to hold on. “Liam,” she started, but with another thrust, a powerful current shot through every cell in her body. She bucked against him, shaking violently as a downpour of fiery sensations sent her completely over the edge.