A Chance At Redemption (Madison Square Book 3)

by Samatha Harris

  Cat was curled up on the kitchen island flicking his orange tail casually back and forth. I leaned my hip on the counter and watched as the muscles in Liam’s back moved and stretched while he cooked. My fingers itched to touch him. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to rake my fingernails along the smooth bare skin of his back.

  I reached out and gave Cat a good scratch behind the ears, more to keep my fingers busy than anything else. He stretched and let out an approving meow.

  Liam turned around at Cat’s cry, frying pan in hand as he plated a golden-brown omelet that made my mouth water almost as much as he did. “Good. You two are making friends.”

  “He’s sweet,” I said as I leaned down so Cat could give me his signature head butt.

  “He doesn’t warm up to everyone. In fact, he and I had a long talk last night.”

  “Really?” I asked. My lips curved up in an amused half smile. “And what did you two talk about.”

  “You.”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah. I mean I had to get his okay for you to stay. This was his place first remember?”

  I nodded. “I do. So, what was his decision.”

  Liam shrugged. “Jury’s still out.”

  “Uh-huh. So, I guess I’m going to have to prove I’m worthy.”

  “Or bribe him with bacon.”

  “Bacon?” I asked.

  Liam nodded. “Yep.” He broke off a small piece from the plate and held it out for Cat who devoured it in one bite then continued to lick Liam’s fingers clean. “Works every time.”

  I laughed. “I can see that.”

  “Coffee’s fresh,” he said, pointing to the pot beside the fridge.

  “Thanks.” I headed over to the pot and poured myself a cup, breathing in the rich aroma before I took a sip.

  “Hungry?” He slid a plate across the counter to me.

  “You didn’t have to…”

  Liam shrugged. “No big deal. I like to cook.”

  It looked and smelled amazing. I grabbed my fork and dug in. I took one bite and sighed my approval. It was like heaven on a plate, light and fluffy, smothered in cheese and mushrooms.

  “This is incredible,” I mumbled with a mouth full of food.

  Liam leaned against the counter and dug into his own food. He tilted his head and shrugged off the compliment.

  “Where did you learn to cook?” I asked as I took another forkful of the delicious breakfast treat.

  Liam finished chewing and swallowed. “Our housekeeper when I was a kid.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Housekeeper?”

  “You seem surprised.”

  “I guess I just assumed.”

  Liam took a bite of egg and pointed his fork in my direction. “You know what happens when you assume.”

  I scrunched my nose and fixed him with a pointed look. Smartass.

  “So, your housekeeper taught you?”

  He nodded as he finished the last of his eggs and dropped his plate in the sink behind him. “Yeah, I’m the baby. By the time, I came along my parents had already checked out. Madison was in high school, Frank and Evelyn weren’t far behind her. So, it was usually just me and Rose during the day. Mama had her charities and my dad worked a lot of hours.”

  I nodded and took a sip from my coffee. “I didn’t know you had more siblings.”

  “Yeah, Frank and Evelyn. The clones.”

  I frowned. “Clones?”

  “They are carbon copies of my parents. Frank graduated from Yale, and went to work for my dad’s firm. He’s being groomed to take over when Dad retires. Evelyn married well, popped out a couple of kids, and joined all of mom’s charities. They did what was expected of them and didn’t ask questions.”

  “So, you’re an uncle?”

  Liam’s face fell a bit. “Yeah, but I don’t get to see my nephews very often.”

  I was curious why, but the sad look that filled his eyes when he talked about them convinced me not to push.

  “Where do you and Madison fit in?”

  “We don’t. She rebelled by getting her MBA and choosing the career over having a family, and me well I’m just an all-around disappointment.”

  I frowned. “What? You’re hardly a disappointment.”

  Liam took a sip of his coffee. “Tell that to my father. Not that he had much hand in raising me. Rose practically raised me herself. She taught me to read from cook books when I was four. She’d sit me up on the stool and I’d read the all ingredients and instructions as she cooked. She knew all those recipes by heart, but she would still make sure I read every step.”

  “She sounds great.”

  His eyes softened. “She was.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “She passed away a few years back.”

  My heart broke for him. The sadness in his voice and eyes, made it clear this woman meant a lot to him. I don’t think I could remember the names of any of the staff my father employed now, let alone from when I was a kid.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said.

  “Yeah. She was one of a kind.” His eyes were glassy, and he was no doubt lost in some fond memory from his childhood about the woman who’d raised him.

  “I take it you’re not close to your parents?”

  “Hmm?” he asked, breaking free of the memory. “Oh, no. We’re not.”

  “I get that,” I said pushing the remainder of my breakfast around on my plate. I suddenly lost my appetite.

  Liam drained the last of his coffee and set the mug in the sink. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

  I nodded and watched him disappear into the bathroom.

  The place had come a long way since the last time I’d been there. The bathroom was just studs the last time I was there, but he’d hung the drywall and installed the fixtures and a vanity. The floors had been sanded and polished smooth again. The place was beginning to take shape. I could easily see how nice it could be, and for Liam, he couldn’t beat the location.

  The shower turned on and my mind wandered to him. The man was dangerously sexy. The attraction was strong, but nothing was going to happen with us. After showing up homeless and crashing on his couch, I’m sure whatever feelings he may have had toward me were long gone. I’d hit rock bottom, but I was grateful to have someone like Liam there to break my fall.

  Chapter 14

  Liam

  Showered and dressed, I headed back to the kitchen to clean up, but Gwen had already beaten me to it. For a bitchy self-important princess, she had moments of thoughtfulness that surprised me.

  I heard her voice from the living room and headed toward the sound. She was on her phone, talking in hushed tones. I could make out what she was saying, but it was clear the call stressed her out. Her face was tense and she kept rubbing at her temples as she listened to whoever was on the other end.

  She finished up her call and set down her phone.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “I talked to the leasing office and they agreed to let me at least get my stuff.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, but I have to get everything out of there today.”

  “Today?” She nodded. “Well,” I said. “I’ll make some calls see if we can get a truck and some guys to…” I’d snapped into what Madison calls my fix-it mode.

  “No, Liam. You’ve done so much for me already. Besides, I don’t have anywhere to put it.”

  “You can get a storage unit until you get a new place.”

  Gwen trapped her lip between her teeth which instantly drew my attention to her mouth. The memory of that kiss flooded my head and made a beeline straight for my cock. I wanted to bite that lip. I was dying for another taste of those sweet lips, but she was stressed and worried. Her life was basically falling apart at the seams.

  I dropped on to the couch beside her and reached for my laptop on the side table. “I know a guy with a truck we can use. I’ll give him a call and see if I can round up a few guys to help us out.”
>
  “That’s great but where am I going to find a storage unit?”

  I opened my laptop, dragged a finger across the mouse pad, and pulled up the browser. “Well let’s see there’s this magical thing called Google, and if you ask it a question, like short term storage…” I typed in the words as I spoke, ignoring her annoyed glare that burned a hole in the side of my head. “And voilà a list of storage places that are just a phone call away.”

  I smiled at her, but she didn’t seem amused.

  “How is it you can be condescending and do something nice for me at the same time?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “It’s a gift.” I handed her the laptop. “Why don’t you call a few of these places? See if they have anything available and I will work on getting us a truck.”

  She looked up at me. Her eyes were tired and worried, but she nodded. “Thank you.”

  ***

  Four hours and two trips later, we managed to cram all of Gwen’s stuff into storage. When we got to her apartment, we just started throwing things in boxes. It would take her years to sort it all out, but hell, at least we got it all out of there.

  The place was just about what I expected. It was on the top floor of a new modern building downtown. Floor to ceiling windows showed an unobstructed view of the river. Plush couches in a deep purple sat facing each other in front of a glass fireplace. Everything else was stark white. The walls the floors the fixtures, the couches were the only piece with even a hint of color.

  Her closet was what I imagined the inside of her head looked like. Who needed that much clothing? It was insane. Row after row of shoes and clothes lined the walls of a room that was basically the size of my entire apartment. Racks of clothes overflowed with every kind of shirt or dress I could imagine, in every color. I limited her to one box to go to my place and the rest was off to storage. We might end up needing a separate unit just for her clothes alone.

  Shockingly enough, I was okay with Gwen staying with me. Granted, it would be difficult to be around her all day, every day, and still keep my hands to myself, but I felt better knowing she was in a safe place until she got back on her feet.

  The truck was loaded and the apartment was empty except for one more box, labeled shoes. I lifted the box and looked back at Gwen, who surveyed her empty place. The front door opened and we turned to see a smug little man in a light gray suit.

  He held out his hand out to Gwen. “The key, Ms. Stevens.”

  She slowly removed the key from the ring and handed it to the little bastard. I was glad I was still holding the box because it was the only thing that kept me from punching him in his smug face.

  “Shame it had to come to this. Our attorney will be in touch regarding the outstanding balance on your account.” Gwen dropped her gaze in defeat and nodded before she headed past him and out the door. My heart broke for her as she left. She put up a good front, but the truth was that she’d lost everything. This was just one more thing to kick her while she was down.

  I stepped up to the douche in the suit who was inspecting the place for damage, checking items off his list as he went. “Hey,” I said. I set the box on the floor and pulled my wallet from my back pocket. I handed him my business card. “See that your attorney forwards the bill to me. I’ll take care of it.”

  A fake smile lit the bastard’s face. “Of course, sir.” He didn’t even try to keep the condescension from his voice. “I’ll see to it.”

  I reached down and picked up the box. “You do that.” I sneered and headed for the front door. “Dick,” I muttered, smiling to myself as his offended gasp echoed through the empty space.

  ***

  We managed to get everything into storage except for her essentials. When we got back to my place, I got to work clearing out the hall closet so she could have a place for her stuff. After a lot of cursing and dodging golf balls that rained down from the top shelf, I deemed it safe for her still pretty extensive wardrobe. It was truly remarkable how much shit she managed to cram in that one box.

  Gwen came around the corner with an armful of hair products. “Here,” I said as I gestured to the empty closet.

  “It’s a closet,” she said.

  I reached up to scratch the back of my head. “Yeah, well…you need a place to put your stuff, so…”

  “You’re giving me your closet?”

  I thought that was clear, but based on the look of disbelieve on her face, I could’ve been wrong, so I nodded.

  Tears welled in her eyes and she launched herself at me. Hair products fell to the floor as her arms wrapped tight around me and her face was buried in my neck. She took me by surprise at first. I didn’t know what to do but soon the sweet smell of her hair and the warmth of her skin made me relax. I wrapped my arms around her and gave into the hug. I allowed myself just a second to enjoy the feel of her body against mine.

  “It’s just a closet.” I chuckled.

  She leaned back and met my eyes. “It’s you. I don’t deserve you.”

  I stared down into her eyes as a tear slid down her cheek. This was a girl who spent a lot of time and a lot of money so people would think she was beautiful, but to me it was moments like this when she was the most striking. The honest, vulnerable moments when the mask she wore was washed away and I got the slightest glimpse of the girl underneath.

  She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and my eyes followed the movement. I was suddenly very aware of the fact that we were still pressed against each other, wrapped in each other’s arms, and it felt good.

  Without thinking, I reached up and cupped her cheek, wiping her tears away with the brush of my thumb. She leaned into my touch and exhaled as her body relaxed into my arms. She looked up at me. The blue of her eyes held me captive as I began to close the small distance between us.

  She tilted her head up the slightest bit and her breath tickled my lips as I leaned in farther. Suddenly a crash sounded behind us followed by an angry meow and paws thudding lightly on the hardwood.

  The spell was broken. I braced my hands on her waist and cleared my throat. I stepped back and her arms slipped from my neck, her fingertips trailing down my chest as she lowered her arms. I swallowed hard, trying to keep control when every instinct inside me was screaming for me to take her against the wall.

  “I’m gonna head downstairs,” I said my voice cracking. “You know, check in.”

  Gwen took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I should get started with my stuff. Get it out of the way.”

  I nodded and gave her an awkward smirk.

  I was heading for the door when she called out to me. “Liam?”

  I turned back to her.

  “Thanks again,” she said. “For everything.”

  ***

  I stalled for as long as I could downstairs, but things were pretty dead. Jason had the bar covered and there were only a few tables occupied at the moment, so Jenna was keeping busy with some side work.

  I was sitting at my desk recounting receipts for the third time that night when I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up to see Sam’s hulking figure standing in the doorway to my office.

  “I hear you got a roommate,” he said.

  “It’s only temporary.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “She had nowhere else to go. What was I supposed to do?”

  Sam raised an eyebrow.

  “What?”

  “I didn’t say nothing,” Sam said.

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “She’s a pretty little thing.”

  “And?”

  “And it’s been a while for you, hasn’t it? Come to think of it I haven’t seen you so much as talk to a woman since you’ve been here.”

  “I’ve been busy. This place doesn’t run itself you know.”

  “Oh, I know, boss. But that girl up there is the first one I’ve seen get under your skin.” He shook his spatula toward the ceiling.

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Maybe it
should be.” He raised his eyebrow and fixed me with a pointed look, then went back to the grill.

  I leaned back in my chair, looked up at the ceiling, and let out a long breath. She hadn’t even been there for twenty-four hours and already I was going crazy. I wanted to kiss her. I would’ve if Cat hadn’t knocked over that picture frame. Gwen was everywhere, at work, at home, just everywhere. There was no escaping her. Could this shit get any more complicated?

  ***

  After I rearranged the stock room and checked in at the bar one last time, I headed back upstairs. A few empty boxes were stacked neatly in the corner, all her stuff seemed to be tucked away. My place looked the same, but it felt different—not bad just different.

  Gwen was asleep on the couch, a tangled wad of hangers at her feet and one still clutched in her hand. Cat was curled up on her stomach snoozing away. Even he seemed to have taken Gwen in. I smiled to myself, made my way over to her, slipped the hanger from her hand, and put the rest of them into the laundry basket that sat beside the couch. I leaned over and gave Cat a scratch behind his ears. He lifted his head and leaned into my touch before snuggling back against Gwen, who didn’t so much as flinch.

  She looked so peaceful, so sweet. Her hair piled in a knot on top of her head, her breathing slow and even. My chest tightened as I watched her. She’d been through so much and today was no exception. I felt this unexplainable pull toward her. I wanted to hold her close and keep her safe. It was crazy and completely overwhelming. I’d only know this girl for a few months, and for most of that time, I didn’t even particularly like her. There was just something about her.

  I grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch, spread it over her, and tucked it around her shoulders. Cat meowed his annoyance that I had disturbed his slumber. He hopped off the couch and disappeared down the hallway. I couldn’t help myself, I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She shifted in her sleep and settled deeper into her pillow.

  I was headed toward my room when I heard it. Her voice was soft, just barely above a whisper but I heard it: “Liam.”