by Lauren Dane
“Stop it. I’m on to you, Liv. You get all bitchy when people get close to keep ‘em back. It’s not going to happen with me. I’m in this with you for the long haul. And yes, you do have family dinners every Sunday. With my family, who are now your family. And you’re going to have to deal with that. You can get close to people, Liv.”
She winced and he knew he’d hit home on that one. “Oh man, is this going to get all Oprah?”
He knew her game and didn’t let her get to him. It was all a front.
“You can’t love on your terms, you know. That’s not how it works. Love, real love makes demands. You have to give, compromise. You have to let yourself be vulnerable.”
“Oh man. And what about you? Mr. perfect family and well adjusted emotions, what do you have to give up? Your pussy buffet? If you’re so fabulous why’ve you been fucking your way through every female in town for years?”
He waved that away. “Sharp tongued bitch. You don’t scare me, Liv. I’ve seen your underbelly. And I love you anyway. Do you hear that? I love you. I’m not leaving. Stop it. Let it all go because I’m not going to walk out that door because you’re not perfect. And death isn’t desertion. She couldn’t help it and you didn’t give her cancer. Your father was weak but he’s human. You survived and you’re a strong woman worthy of love and respect. I love you. Maggie loves you. That baby adores you, Liv. He lights up when he hears your voice. My family loves you. Your friends love you.”
Tears ran down her face as she stood and began to pace. He watched her from his chair, wanting to go to her but realizing they needed to play this out until she let it all go. This was the issue, not his omission of the thing with Nancy, not his flirting, not his former skirt chasing ways. Those things were part of it, yes, but it was her flat out terror that everyone she loved she would lose because she wasn’t worthy. That was a huge burden for one person to carry and he planned to knock it off her shoulders, even if he made her cry to do so.
“I’m not a charity case, Marc. Is that it? The novelty of fixing me?”
“You’d like to think so. That way you could blow off what’s between us and continue to hold yourself back or keep hooking up with men you can control and never commit to fully.” He shrugged. “You can’t control me, Liv. I’m your equal. Snuck in there, didn’t I? I didn’t quite get that until I was way too far gone in love with you. I suppose I have my own share of emotional shit to shovel.”
Her hair stuck up from the way she kept running her hands through it and tugging at it. She looked like a pretty porcupine. It made him smile and she made a distressed sound. “What? What are you smiling at, Dr. Phil?”
He chuckled. “I love your sense of humor. I was smiling because I like looking at you. You’re cranky when you’re on the ropes.”
“Oh man, now you’re going to be patronizing on top of judgmental and self righteous?”
“I’m not judgmental, Liv. I’m in no position to judge you, even if I wanted to. And I’m not self righteous. I understand you. Drives you nuts too. We’re going to fight you know. It’s part of who we are. But fighting won’t change how much I love you. You can blow your top and throw a tantrum and I’m still going to love you.” His father’s advice some months back really hit home, then.
“Matt and I never fought.”
“Yeah, and that turned out well, didn’t it?” Ruthlessly, he had to push past his need to soothe her to keep going. “Come on, Liv. Putting Matt between us isn’t going to work. He doesn’t want to be there, first of all. Which is his mistake because losing you has to be the most asinine thing he’s ever done and believe me, I’ve known him my whole life and he’s done a lot of asinine things. And secondly, I’m not threatened. What you and I have is real. It’s messy and complicated and frustrating, but that’s what love is. You fucked my brother for a while. And the fact that he didn’t love you isn’t about you being lacking. It’s about his own shit and your total incompatibility outside of bed. You’re a rock star in bed, Liv. I know you know that. But so what? It’s not everything and you know it. So after a while, people fall away because you can’t live on fucking alone. Brody is a douche bag and never was good enough for you and all the others have been the same. But I’m not them and you can’t hide from that.”
She stared at him, openmouthed, and he leaned back in his chair. “You can’t work me, Liv. I know you’re a bitch, I know you’re cranky, I know you’re loving, I know you’re smart and funny, I know you’re giving and generous. I’m not walking off because you’re not flawless. I don’t want a diamond, I want a wife.” He smiled when she paled.
The man was infuriating! Liv snorted and resumed pacing. “You don’t want a wife, Marc.”
“Yes I do. I want you to marry me. Normally, I’d ask you on Christmas, it’s a family tradition you know. But instead I’m asking you right now. We can get married on Christmas instead. Yeah, the more I think about it, the better it sounds. What do you say?”
“You’re asking me to marry you in the middle of a fight? Are you out of your mind?” Her heart thundered as hope warred with terror.
“Liv, I lost my mind when I kissed you on Founder’s Day. We’ve established that already. That night when I first touched your lips I knew. I fought it for a while but it was useless so I gave in. And I didn’t want to resist you any more anyway. It’s funny but I don’t think I truly knew just how much I loved you until today when you took me to your momma’s grave. Because not only did you share that with me but it opened up that last barrier, the big one. People you love leave you.”
Grief, rage, fear and the ember of hope he’d stoked burst through her and a sob tore from her lips. “You don’t know anything!” But he did. Damn it, he did. How is it that he did and she didn’t?
Is this what people meant when they referred to a moment of clarity? Everything fell away then as she stood, weeping, letting it all rush through her. Jesus. He was right. Maggie was in her heart because they’d been friends before she lost her mother and how could she not love Nicholas when he came from the sister of her heart? But even Cassie and Dee she’d kept from loving fully. Matt, sweet wonderful Matt had never been right for her but he hadn’t been a challenge to be with. In the end she’d left because she knew he’d never love her but holy crap, she’d never really loved him either, not totally. She’d thought she had but as she compared it to the way she felt for Marc, it was a shallow, pale thing.
How is it that she never really confronted this? How could she not have known? She knew she had a basic fear when people around her got sick but this was huge. Man, like self help book huge. And Marc saw it. He saw it and he confronted it and he fought it. For her.
Dimly, she realized she’d slid to the floor and he’d moved closer, his hand on her thigh. “Let it go, baby. I’m not going to leave you. I love you. I adore you. You’re worth everything, don’t you see that? I didn’t leave you. I came after you. I will always work for you, for us. Because, Liv, that’s what real love is. I can’t guarantee I won’t die.” She caught his shrug through the veil of her tears. “That’s beyond my ability to promise. But I’m a healthy guy, I work out, I eat right, I wear sunscreen and I want decades of happiness with you. All things that are in my favor long life wise. And being with you will keep my mind sharp because you’re a pain in the ass. A beautiful pain in the ass and worth it, but crotchety, cranky, defended, defensive and sulky sometimes too.”
“Is that supposed to be flattery?”
“Nope.” He kissed her forehead and pressed some tissues into her hands. “It’s honesty.”
In a rush, she threw her arms around him, clutching him tight. “I love you so much, Marc.”
He stood, still holding her tight. “And I love you, Liv. You gonna make an honest man out of me? You haven’t said anything about my proposal. I don’t have a ring. I’ve been looking but I planned on asking you in a few months at Christmas. We’ll get right on that. Well, after we have sex, because that’s necessary.”
&nbs
p; “Sex first.” Fear still lived in her heart, even as she tried to beat it back.
“Nope. I’m not some floozy who’ll just sleep with any old gal. I need a promise of marriage first. For my honor and all.”
She laughed and the fear loosened its hold. Taking a deep breath, she looked him in the eyes and defied the fear of losing him. “Okay. You can’t dump me when I get old though. I forbid it. You made your bed by marrying an older woman.”
“Deal. Wow, you’ve made me a very happy man.” He started walking toward the bedroom.
“You saw it all, Marc. You saw inside me, past the bullshit and you loved me anyway.” She started crying again.
“Because you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And you know my flaws too. Yeah I did fuck my way through every woman in town. I do have some issues about living in the shadow of the Chase men. Trying to act like it doesn’t matter so I never really treated myself like I mattered. Not emotionally anyway. You knew that about me and you loved me anyway. How lucky am I?”
“Not as lucky as you’re going to get in a few minutes.”
Marc sat back on the bed and looked her up and down. “Absolutely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Inside and out. Take your clothes off for me, sugar.”
She toed off her shoes and socks and then stood straight, her gaze on him. Sliding her hands up her torso, she smiled when his eyes widened as she paused to trail her fingertips over her nipples. Slowly, she slid each button loose until the front of her sweater was open and she let it drop.
“I love that bra. You need a dozen more.”
A quick flick and she popped the catch between her breasts and let the bra follow the blouse.
“Now, I don’t normally get crass in the presence of such a fine lady and all, but your tits are fabulous.”
She chuckled and traced the nipples, round and round until her breath hitched and his eyes widened, glued to her movement.
“Hoo boy, that’s hot.” His hands convulsed a few times on his thighs like he wanted to touch her.
Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she moved her hands to her jeans, lowering the zipper and bending forward to pull them off.
She turned to grab a chair and moved it to the foot of the bed. A quick yank on each side of her panties and the ties loosed and they fell away, leaving her totally naked.
In for a penny. She sat, hooking a leg up on the arm of the chair. His aroused groan emboldened her and she met his gaze.
“Go on then, sugar. Show me how you like to be touched.”
“First, take your clothes off. I want you to have your cock handy.”
He took a slow breath and got to his knees to get rid of the sweater and then shimmied out of jeans, socks and underwear. Reclining, he put some pillows behind his back and raised an eyebrow at her. “Your move.”
Liv couldn’t believe she was going to do this in front of him but she felt so sexy she couldn’t stop. He made her feel wanton and she liked that a lot.
Wetting a fingertip with her tongue, she moved back to her nipples pinching and rolling them until her breathing grew shallow and she felt her pussy slicken in response.
“Touch your pussy, Liv. I can see how wet you are. I want you to know while you’re doing it that my tongue will be there later on. I’m going to eat you until you can’t come any more. Over and over again. I love your taste.”
Wow. Her entire body tightened at that. She knew he’d do it too. And boy did she look forward to it.
One hand slid down her belly, her fingertips lightly grazing her labia, teasing them both until she could no longer stand it. She slid her fingers into the wet flesh, finding her clit swollen. Without even meaning to, her hips lurched forward when she touched it. She wouldn’t be long, she wanted him too much and was already very close.
He crawled off the bed and knelt on the floor between her thighs. “Keep going. I just wanted a better view.” He laid his head on her thigh and reached out to hold her wide open.
She was too far along to be shy so she covered her clit with her thumb and slid two fingers deep. Both of them moaned softly as she began to roll her hips.
Closer and closer, her clit hardened and her pussy grew wetter, hotter. He blew over that humid flesh and she cried out, sliding her thumb back and forth over her clit as she climaxed.
The muscles in her body were still jumping when she found herself picked up and dropped into his lap, pussy sliding down onto his cock as he’d sat where she had in the chair.
“I know I said I’d go down on you, and I will soon. But I had to be inside you right this minute. I’ve never in my life seen anything sexier. I’m so damned close I thought I’d come while I watched you. But I’d rather come inside you. Just an appetizer to take the edge off. Ride me, sugar.”
Squeezing her knees between the outside of his thighs and the chair, she rose and fell on him. Electric pleasure arced up her spine each time he filled her fully. Her hands rested on his chest for balance and his roved her body, played with her nipples, kneaded her thighs and shoulders, caressed her face and ran through her hair.
She tightened herself around him, adding a swivel each time she took him into her completely. She knew he wasn’t lying when he said he was almost there, his thighs trembled. Satisfaction that he’d been so aroused by her so completely roared through her.
Bending to him, she kissed his upturned lips. “I love you, Marc. For seeing all of me and loving me anyway.” She increased her speed. “And for saying I was a rock star in bed.”
His laugh died into a gasp of her name as she felt him come, his fingers tightening on her hips just this side of pain.
Standing, he took them both to the bed and they collapsed in a heap. “I can’t do anything else but love you, Liv. I was meant to do it. Born to.”
Chapter Fourteen
Liv and Marc walked into the Chases’ front foyer the next evening. They hadn’t told anyone they were back and they’d had a few errands so they’d returned from Atlanta the day before to finish them.
Polly came around the corner, distracted, reading glasses perched on her nose. She stopped when she caught sight of them both. “Oh! You’re back. Honey, welcome back.” She rushed to Liv and hugged her tight.
“Thank you. It’s okay that I’m here?”
Polly frowned a moment. “I can’t believe you’d ask that. Of course. It’s more than okay. You’re supposed to be here. It’s Sunday night and that’s family dinner and you’re family.” She grinned at Marc. “I’m going to go add two more places to the table. Go on through, everyone’s in the living room.”
Marc winked at Liv as they walked back and into the room where the rest of the family had gathered.
Maggie called out a pleased hello and Liv was engulfed by hugs from Shane, Kyle, Edward, Matt and Cassie. Nicholas made piercing cries, demanding her attention and she got to all fours next to where he’d rolled over and pushed himself up on his blanket.
“Dude, you’re an amazing little genius aren’t you? Rolling over and pushing up! Pretty soon it’ll be eating your first Cheerio and sitting up. Then college.”
He grinned at her as he lost his balance and rolled back over. Sitting up, she picked him up and rained kisses all over his face.
“I think I’m jealous,” Marc said as he dropped a kiss on the top of Nicholas’ head. “She likes you more than me, kid.”
“Uh, Liv?” Maggie moved closer.
“Don’t, not yet. Wait until Polly gets in here or there’ll be hell to pay,” Liv murmured.
Maggie just kissed her square on the mouth and grinned.
“Wait, can we see that again?” Matt said and Edward bopped him with a pillow.
“Lamb? I think you need to come on in here,” Edward called out.
Polly click-clacked into the room and smiled at the sight. “What is it, Edward? The potatoes are done and I was getting ready to smash them.”
“You were supposed to tell me so I could do it, Mom.” Cassie
frowned at her.
“Oh I was right there. But you can now.” Polly laughed.
Liv handed Nicholas to his mother and let Marc pull her to standing.
“We have an announcement to make.” Marc put his arm around her waist. “Liv and I are engaged.”
Polly whooped so loud Nicholas began to cry but only for a moment as every adult within reach swooped in to kiss or comfort him. Assured he was the center of the universe again, he calmed down.
Polly hugged both Marc and Liv to her tight, followed by Edward and then everyone else.
“I can’t believe I didn’t even see that ring,” Polly sniffled and looked at the pretty diamond engagement ring on Liv’s left hand.
“We just got it this afternoon. I moved into Liv’s house last night. Well mostly. I figured you all could help with the big stuff.”
“Into our house you mean.”
Marc smiled at Liv and she felt like a princess.
“When’s the wedding?”
“Christmas Day. I know it’s an odd day but I like the connection to tradition and I’ll never forget our anniversary that way.” Marc laughed.
“Christmas? That only gives us eight weeks!” Polly looked aghast.
“We want it simple, Momma. We’d like to do it here if that’s okay with you. Just family, like we’d do anyway. We don’t need catering except for the cake because we’d have dinner here as it is.”
“Is it okay? Of course it’s okay! My goodness, congratulations to you both. Olivia, welcome to the family, honey. And Marc, you’ve done well.” Edward nodded at his son.
“I owe it to you, Dad. You raised me right and gave me some great advice.”
“He did, did he? And what advice was that?” Liv grinned.
“To never share his advice with my fiancé.”
After dinner when the women were all chattering about wedding details, Marc sat with his brothers and his father, watching a football game.
“You chose well, son. I mean that. Olivia is a good woman. She’ll be a fine wife and keep you on your toes.”