Whatever She's Got

by Lyla Grace

  “But….” He gives me a warning look that causes me to snap my mouth shut.

  The rest of the ride to his condo is silent. The elevator ride up is silent. When he places my bags in the middle of his living room, we are still silent. My eyes drift to my suitcases. And I stare at them. I don’t know where to put them, what to do. My whole world just got turned upside down, and I have no idea what comes next.

  When he returns from the kitchen with two bottles of water, he extends one to me. But I just stare at him. “Livie?”

  “Where am I staying?” I ask. The words come out with more bite then they probably should, but I can’t seem to help myself.

  He places the bottles on the table next to him. “Umm…I guess I just assumed you would be staying in my room with me, but you’re more than welcome to stay in the guest room if you prefer. You have enough going on; I don’t want you to feel pressured.”

  “Like I said, I don’t want to impose.” I know I am being a bitch. And even more, I know he doesn’t deserve it. But it’s my default mode. I don’t know how else to control the situation.

  He grabs my suitcases, takes them into his bedroom, and places them on the still-unmade bed…the same bed that only hours ago, we were making love in. “Like I said, you are not an imposition. The bottom two drawers on the dresser are empty, and there’s a bunch of space in the closet. Make yourself comfortable. Because no matter how much you try to push me away, Livie, I’m not going anywhere.”

  I don’t know why I want to pick a fight with him. Maybe because I can, because I need to fight, I need to yell, and I know he’ll let me. “Are you…” I begin. But I stop myself. “Thank you.” He nods in acceptance and understanding before leaving me to unpack.

  The sound of the door closing behind him as he leaves unleashes the emotions inside of me. I fall back onto the bed. I hadn’t realized how tense I was, how afraid until just this moment. My mind wanders back to the flowers Will sent me, my immediate call to the prison to confirm his release, their apology for not contacting me sooner. To say that Will being released had come as a shock would be the world’s greatest understatement. Good behavior, my ass. Nothing about the man is good. I have the scars, emotional and physical, to prove it. Our relationship is the reason that working at Haven House is so important to me. The reason my passion for the job, for the people often results in me working more hours than humanly possible. I want to help these women the way I wasn’t able to help myself for so long.

  I lie still on the bed; the past few hours have been a whirlwind. My emotions were raw enough from whatever is going on between Landon and me, then to have Will show up in my apartment, of all places. That is supposed to be my home, my safe place, my refuge from him and the rest of the world. I have let myself be so consumed with Landon, his heroic behavior, his inviting me to stay with him, that I barely had time to process anything.

  I was supposed to have more time. Will was supposed to be locked up for the next five years. Whoever thought up this parole thing is insane. And the person who determined that he was “changed” obviously never spent significant time with him. Because from what I have seen so far, the man is still dangerous, still a psycho, still someone I don’t want anywhere near me. As I lie there, thoughts of that night flash through my head. Clear as day, I can still see him screaming at me, me trying to walk out the door, his fist connecting with my left eye. I had finally made the decision to leave, to walk away from the verbal and physical abuse, and ended up getting the worst beating of my life.

  The thought alone causes my body to shudder. It has been so long since I have thought about this, allowed myself to think about it. Since Landon walked into my life, I’ve allowed myself to be consumed by him, by how he makes me feel--so much that I missed the call informing me that Will was actually being released. I knew it was coming; I just hoped I had more time. Now what do I do? As much as I would love to lock myself away in this room, crawl under the covers, and just wait this mess out, I know I can’t. I know that Landon won’t allow me to. So I dry my tears, sort of pull my shit together, finish unpacking, and head to the kitchen.

  I find him sitting at the counter, his head in his hands. I take a seat next to him. “Hey.”

  He looks up at me, his eyelids heavy. “Hey.”

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. I just…fuck. I keep picturing him with his hands on you. I keep seeing the frightened look on your face when you ran into my arms.” He shakes his head, trying to clear the visual. “If you hadn’t stopped me, I would have killed him.”

  “He’s not worth it,” I tell him.

  His head snaps in my direction, a mixture of fear and love in his eyes. “You are,” he says.

  Seeing how all of this is affecting him makes me regret my behavior earlier. I feel terrible about trying to pick a fight with him. “About before, I’m sorry,” I say. “I don’t want to push you away.”

  “You can’t,” he smiles.

  “Livie, you okay?” Chase says as he hurries into the kitchen.

  “I’m fine, Chase. Landon got to me before anything could happen,” I explain.

  His arms are tight around me, holding on to me for dear life. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” he asks, his tone filled with anger.

  “Chase,” Landon warns, though he used the same tone with me earlier.

  “I could have protected you, I could have…” Chase replies.

  “This, your anger--that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to do something stupid and detrimental to yourself in the name of protecting me,” I tell him. He wants to argue; I can see it in his face.

  Instead, he turns to Landon. “Did you get ahold of Jake?”

  “Who’s Jake?” I ask.

  “Yeah, everything’s all set,” Landon answers.

  “What is set?” I ask.

  “Is there…” Chase begins, but I interrupt him.

  “Quit talking about my life as if I am not sitting right here. Tell me what’s going on,” I demand.

  Landon explains that the only way to make sure that I am free of Will is to put him back in jail. A parole violation will result in him going back to prison--a short-term solution until we figure something else out. Landon and Chase have a mutual friend, Jake Masters, who is a private detective. Landon hired him and his team to follow Will until they catch him doing something, anything that would violate his parole.

  It sounds like a good plan, except for one thing. Will is a lot smarter than they are giving him credit for. He knows how to cover his tracks and the bruises he leaves. There is only one reason he ended up in jail this time. And that one reason was Landon Sutton--him and his promise to get me out of that damn hospital as long as I pressed charges against Will. The man drives a hard bargain and has one hell of a smile to help him seal the deal. The memory, despite the circumstances behind it, makes me smile. Maybe Will wasn’t the reason for my no dating rules after all. Maybe it was Landon. Maybe it was always Landon.

  Chapter 12

  Landon

  What a day. First our date, then Livie telling me she wants to try to be together, and then Will. That son of a bitch put his hands on my woman. As cave man as that sounds, that is exactly what she is. Mine. And I will be damned if he ever lays another hand on her.

  From the moment we arrived back at my condo, she was fighting me, trying to wage a war that there is no way in hell she was going to win. Because she can fight me, she can push, she can shove, but I am not going anywhere. Not now, not ever. I can take whatever she has to give, because at the end of the day I know how she really feels.

  She’s scared. And aside from Chase, she sure as hell isn’t used to depending on anybody. She is doing it to protect herself, to cope. And that’s fine by me. I will be her punching bag, because that means she still cares and she’s still here.

  She sits next to me in the bed. I am checking some messages on my phone, but I can feel the weight of her stare on me. I turn my gaze to her and
find her smiling. Either she’s finally cracked, or…well, I’m not sure what other explanation there could be. “What?” I ask cautiously.

  “It’s always been you,” she says as she kisses my cheek.

  “What has?” I question.

  She shakes her head and lies down, facing away from me. “’Night, Landon.”

  I put my phone down and turn toward her, draping my arm across her. I gently kiss her shoulder as I pull her tighter to me. “Good night, Livie.”

  Chapter 13

  Livie

  Though it feels more like weeks, days pass without any good news from Jake. Seems like Will has been on his best behavior--or, like I told Landon, he is just covering his tracks. I have spent the last several days making a futile attempt to finalize the proposal I am working on for POSH. It seems that my wonderful best friend was able pull some strings and get me a meeting with the Editor-in-Chief, next week. Months I have spent attempting this, and of course it all finally becomes real when my whole world if falling apart. I keep telling myself that if I don’t secure this proposal, I am letting him win.

  Still, every time I turn my phone back on, there is a new message from him. They are all over the place--one telling me he wants me back, followed by one insinuating that he will make me pay for what I have done to him. From the moment we had our first fight, I knew that there was something wrong with him. Why the hell would you want to be with a woman that not only despises you but put you in prison for the last four years?

  And while he has overtaken a great portion of my thoughts these last few days, I try to focus on my one bright spot. Landon. While I would never outwardly admit it, I am enjoying playing house with him. We spend a lot of time just talking and getting to know each other. I love the stories he’s told me about him and Chase and his brother Derek. I have even managed to open up and divulge some of the dirty details of my relationship with Will. And while I want the nightmare known as Will to end, I can’t help but to enjoy the constant attention and affection from Landon. And when we’re not doing that, we are watching movies or having sex.

  It’s amazing how easily everything flows between us, when I finally managed to get out of our way.

  Chapter 14

  Landon

  I hang up the phone. Fuck. It has been days. Eight long damn days, to be exact, since that son of a bitch tried to attack Livie. All this time, Jake has been hot on the douche bag’s trail, but he has yet to do anything to violate his parole. Apparently he is smarter than I gave him credit for.

  Meanwhile, the time I spend with Livie is amazing. We become closer with each passing day, though I fear I am falling into the one place that she is reluctant to follow: love. Physical damage is easy to repair, but the emotional toll the man took on her…fuck. How a woman so amazing can deem herself so unworthy of the one thing that everyone deserves, unconditional love, astounds me. No matter how hard I try, it’s just not something I know how to combat. I can keep her safe, be her friend, show her exactly who she is and what she is worthy of, but how the hell do I get her to believe me?

  The open floor plan of the condo lends me a perfect line of sight of her in the kitchen from my place on the couch. She’s baking. She’s been baking for two days now. Trying to perfect some recipe she found on Pinterest. Restlessness has taken over. And I know just how she feels. As much as I love spending time with her, being forced into this condo makes us feel confined and restricted, despite the significant space that it lends to the mere two people occupying it. I shoot off one last email and head into the kitchen.

  “How’s it coming along?” I ask her.

  She turns to me, apron and hair splattered in batter. “I just can’t seem to get it right.” I take one of the several cookies off the counter and bite into it.

  “I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve here, but these are amazing.”

  She points her batter covered finger at the iPad. “But they don’t look right.”

  Then suddenly it dawns on me. This isn’t about the cookies. This is about her. Trying to prove that she doesn’t screw everything up like she thinks she does. I move in closer, the pad of my thumb caressing her cheek. “Livie, things don’t have to be perfect to be amazing. These cookies, whether they look like that damn picture or not…are the best cookies I have ever had. You’ve perfected them…just in your own way.” I hope she understands the double meaning behind my statement.

  I see a flash of something I can’t quite place light up those beautiful hazel eyes of hers. A smile plays on her lips for the first time in days. “How do you always know the right thing to say?”

  “I don’t.” Because God knows if I did I would know what to say to make her believe me, to fall in love with me. “I just make it a habit of always telling you the truth.”

  Her hands grip my waist, her nails digging into my sides. Sex has been her go-to these past few days. Not that I’m complaining. Whenever she’s upset or starts to get stir crazy, she turns on the sex kitten routine. I’m not sure if playing along is me helping or being selfish, but when she gives me those “Come fuck me” eyes…how am I supposed to say no? But this time feels different. I can feel the smile on her lips as she kisses my neck.

  “Don’t you want me, Landon?” she whispers in my ear, her tone playful, the desperation to escape that I could hear before gone. Then I flash back to the first time she said that to me, outside the limo in Mexico. The idea of her finding another man, his hands on her, his mouth on hers--it still grates on me, even though I know she’s mine now. I push the thought outside my head, because I need to be in this moment with her. I need to be carefree. She’s happy, and I need her to hold on to that feeling as long as she can.

  My hands drop to her ass. “Baby, you have no idea how bad I want you.” My cock is pressed firmly against her, evidence that gives her a clue as to just how bad I desire her.

  “Prove it.” It’s a challenge--one I am willing to accept and conquer. She squeals as I hoist her up, her ass landing on the granite countertop. We become a mess of frenzied hands and lips. Clothes are discarded, bowls knocked on the floor, cookies flying. It feels so good to have her back. I slip a finger inside her. She is dripping wet. Damn. Her head falls back and I take her right nipple in my mouth softly sucking the peak until I feel her fingers dig in. I suck a little harder before taking her between my teeth as I slide another finger in.

  Her orgasm hits hard and fast. “Fuck me, Landon--now.” It’s a demand, not a request. Her body is still electrified and ready to go. I capture her lips as I reposition her.

  “Landon, honey, are you here? Oh. Dear. I….” Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This cannot be happening. Pants around my ankles, cock just about to delve into the dripping pussy displayed in front of me, and then my mother’s voice.

  The woman has impeccable timing. “Mom. Out!” I shout.

  “I’m sorry. I….” I hear her stammer.

  “Out,” I yell again. Utter horror is written all over Livie’s face. “Fuck.” I pull my pants back up and rush to grab Livie her clothes. I stand in front of her as she hurriedly puts her clothes back on. “I am so sorry. Just give me a minute. I’ll get rid of her.”

  I walk into the living room to find my mother pacing back and forth. Good. At least she looks as uncomfortable as I feel. She stops when I come in the room. My chest is still bare, my belt undone. “What the hell, Mom?”

  “I’m sorry. I just…Landon, you’ve never had a girl here before…I didn’t expect to walk in on…on… that.” It’s as though her own words return a realization. “But if she’s here, she must be pretty special, right?”

  “I’m not discussing this with you. What did you come here for?” I ask as I fold my arms across my bare chest.

  “I wanted to drop off some financial reports for you to look over and to invite you to dinner on Friday. Derek and Brooke will be there; I was hoping you could come too. You could even bring your, uh, friend along if you like.” The way she says friend, like she is trying to in
quire if it’s something more. Like I don’t know how to read her, the same way she knows how to read me.

  I hear footsteps behind me and give my mother a warning glare before turning to see Livie standing in the doorway. As if she isn’t going through hell enough, now we have this fun little moment to add to the mix. She looks uncomfortable and unsure, which is so unlike her. Usually she commands a room. Part of me is happy that she is nervous to meet my mother; the other part of me wishes it wasn’t because my mother had just walked in on her lying naked in front of me like a meal I was going to devour.

  Her hazel eyes become wide as saucers and flutter open and shut as though she can’t really believe what she is seeing. Not only is she meeting my mother, my mother just so happens to the one and only Gwyneth Sutton, founder and Editor-in-Chief of POSH magazine. Somehow she wills her feet to move, her mouth slightly open in shock as she makes her way to stand next to me.

  I take her hand in mine. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Livie Matthews. Livie, this is my mom, Gwen Sutton.”

  Livie extends her hand to my mother. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Sutton.”

  “Call me Gwen. And believe me, darling, the pleasure is all mine. It’s not very often I get to meet my son’s….”

  I shake my head. “Girlfriend, Mom. Livie is my girlfriend.”

  My mother smiles--okay, beams may be a more accurate description. Maybe it’s been a little longer than I thought since I had a girlfriend, and even longer than that since I introduced one of them to family. “Girlfriend,” she repeats. I am not sure if she is saying it out of pleasure or driving home the fact that I have a girlfriend that she knew nothing about. “I was just telling Landon that I would love for you two to join us for dinner on Friday. Maybe you could even stay the weekend? What do you say, Livie?” Luckily her phone buzzes and she is instantly sidetracked. My mom checks her phone and a moment later says, “Olivia Matthews?”