I reached out and took a hold of the front of his shirt, bringing him, without permission and without reservation, back to his rightful spot where he was pinning me against the wall. There were no more words exchanged. Liam pressed himself against me, and his mouth met mine.
Longing and passion collided in an electric symphony as our mouths connected. He kissed me like he was as desperate for me as I was for him. I had never given myself to anyone the way I gave myself to Liam. I was completely vulnerable, melting in his arms and letting him control every rhythmic movement.
After a long moment where Liam established his feelings for me in a very obvious and tangible way through a passionate kiss, he finally broke contact and pulled back.
He was as breathless as I was.
His chest was moving up and down as he smiled at me, shaking his head.
I ran my hands over my face, feeling like I needed to take a second to get myself together after such a heated encounter. I hated that there were people waiting for us in the next room.
Liam leaned against the side of the dressing room, resting his head against the wall and gazing at the ceiling for a second as he took a deep, calming breath. I reached out and grabbed his hand pulling it toward my mouth and kissing the back of it gently. He looked at me when I did that.
"I miss you," I said.
I had already made myself so vulnerable to him that I figured I might as well go ahead and tell him the truth. There was a mirror on the wall to my right, the one opposite the one Liam was leaning against, and I turned and stepped in front of it so that I could look at myself and make sure I was presentable enough to go back out there. My hair was in a bun, and I smoothed the wispy pieces that had come loose before running my fingertips over my face strategically to make sure my makeup was in place.
My back was facing Liam, and he stepped toward me, positioning himself behind me, and taking me gently by the waist. I watched in the mirror as he took a hold of me and lowered his head, placing gentle kisses on the side of my exposed neck. Chills covered my body as I watched him, and again, I found it difficult to breathe. I leaned back, relaxing into him, and giving him more access to my neck. He kissed me a few more times before glancing up to look at me in the mirror. We stared at each other through our reflections, and I held his arms securely in place around my waist like a seatbelt.
"We have to go out there," I whispered.
"I know."
"I don't want to," I said.
"Me neither."
I turned in his arms, looking straight at him rather than at his reflection. "Don't kiss any of those girls," I said.
He gave me a sideways smirk as if I should know better than to say such a thing.
"Seriously," I said. "She's gonna try to do it. She's too familiar with you. She's a rock star, and they do crazy stuff like that. So, don't let her. I'm jealous. There, I said it. I'm jealous. I don't like her hugging on you. How long are you supposed to hang out with her? Do you have to go dog shopping? Do you have to work with them tomorrow? How long are you in town?"
He took me by the face—his big, warm hands wrapping around my cheeks gently as he stared at me. He grinned at me like he thought it was sweet that I was so flustered. "I'm here till Monday, and honestly, I don't know how much time I'm going to have to spend with the band between now and then. They're in pretty desperate need of security, so I am planning on getting a couple of guys over here as soon as possible, but I might get roped into puppy hunting tonight. I’m not sure. Can I call you after I figure some things out?"
I nodded.
He still had a hold of my face, and he smiled sweetly at me. "Taylor, you have no need to worry, baby girl."
My gut clenched when he said those words. I had focused on my career for so long that I felt like I had outgrown the right to be called anyone's baby girl. I had taken care of myself for so long that I yearned to feel, for once, that someone else wanted to take care of me. Tears rose to my eyes as Liam stood there, staring at me.
"I have never wanted anything as much as I want you," he said.
I swallowed. I thought about my career. I thought about how much I wanted success, and how driven and focused I had been on achieving it. And, in those brief seconds, I asked myself what I would choose if I was forced to pick out of Liam or my work. The answer was Liam. I would give anything to be with him.
"I've never wanted anything this much, either," I said.
He smiled, kissing my cheek quickly before he dropped his hands. "Okay, so give me a few hours to figure out what's going on with the band, and I'll call you."
I nodded.
"You can stay back here if you don't feel like going out there and having them beg you for your dog."
"I don't," I said. "Plus, I need to gather my wits and catch my breath."
He squeezed my hand. "I'll call you in a little while."
"Okay," I said.
And without another word Liam Kennedy turned and stepped out of the dressing room, leaving me breathless and shaken, and altogether full of hope, joy, and love.
Chapter 16
Liam called me that evening at 9pm.
I had a busy afternoon at work, but I had been home since seven, waiting patiently for him to call.
I picked up on the second ring.
"I was hoping you still had my number," I said, answering the phone. "I forgot to give it to you earlier when you came by."
"That would have been terrible," he said. "But I could have always called Courtney."
"How's she getting along in Memphis?"
"Fine. She and Daniel have a bunch of property, so I take Vera out there sometimes to let her roam."
"I can't believe you got a Basset Hound. I can't wait to meet her."
I reached down and rubbed Bishop behind the ears at the sheer mention of another Basset Hound.
"I was thinking about that, Liam said.
"About what?"
"About you meeting Vera. Why don't you and Bishop come for Christmas?"
"This Christmas?" I asked.
Liam let out a little laugh at my question.
"That's like two weeks away," I said.
"I know."
"I have awards season coming up."
"Don't you think you can slip away for a few days?" he asked.
"Plus, I can't take Bishop over there to meet your family. That would just be awkward and weird that I named my dog that. It's going to make it obvious that I had a big crush on you. I already thought about changing his name, anyway, since he's just a puppy."
"So change his name," Liam said easily. "Whatever it takes to get you guys over here."
I took a deep breath, thinking about that. "Where are you?" I asked.
"At my hotel."
"Can you come over and we can talk about it in person?"
"Yes," he said easily.
"So, you're coming now?"
"Yes. Text me your address and I'll leave in ten minutes."
"Are you done working with the band?" I asked.
"I have two guys flying here tomorrow. They'll be here in the evening sometime. I'll tell you about it when I get there."
***
It was thirty minutes later when Liam arrived at my house. My dog (who I had already begun to think of as not Bishop) ran to the door, barking when he heard Liam knock. I had the television turned to a nature show. I had been curled up on the couch watching it by myself, so when Liam got there, I pulled him into the living room with me. He kicked off his shoes and comfortably fell onto the couch like he had done it a hundred times before, coaxing me into the seat next to him. I curled up beside him, staring at the side of his face instead of the television. It was turned down so low that we could barely hear it, anyway.
It was almost impossible for me to believe that he was sitting on my couch. I had thought of our time together in August as a bright, shining moment in my life—one that I would never get to repeat. Yet here he was, in the flesh, sitting on my couch. I reached out and touche
d the side of his face with my fingertips. "You grew some whiskers," I said, loving the way the short facial hair shifted under my fingers.
He smiled and rubbed his own jaw. It was only a couple of weeks of growth—not anything that would hide his handsome face.
"You let your hair down," he said.
I reached up and ran my fingers through my dark, wavy hair. I had just brushed it, so my fingers easily slid through it.
"What am I gonna name him?" I asked, glancing at Liam.
"You mean the dog?"
I nodded, and he shrugged.
"No one would care if you kept his name Bishop."
"If I ever would plan on trying to visit Memphis, I'd have to change it. I'd be too embarrassed to tell your family that was his name."
"Well, you better change it, because you're definitely coming to Memphis."
"I am?" I asked, snuggling closer to him.
He put his arm around me, drawing me closer. "Of course you are. I don't know how often I'm going to be able to make it out to Los Angeles, and four months seemed a little too long to—"
"Four months was soooo long," I agreed, cutting him off.
"So, we need to think of a name, then. Victor, Vinny, Vernon, Virgil…"
"What's with all the V names?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I thought it would go with Vera. I figured they'd get married."
This statement made me laugh. I actually pictured the two Basset Hounds in bride and groom outfits.
"Vernon's pretty hilarious," I said.
I leaned forward and looked at my dog who was right next to the coffee table, curled up on one of his beds. "What do you think about Vernon?" I asked.
He lifted his head and tilted it at me when I asked the question.
"Vernon? Victor?" I paused between saying the two names, and I am not kidding when I tell you that the dog literally winked at me when I said Victor. It was so plain and clear and perfectly timed, that Liam and I both turned to look at each other with wide eyes.
"Did you see that?" I asked.
"Did he wink?"
I nodded.
"When you said Victor?"
I nodded again.
"Victor's a nice, tough name," Liam said.
"I'm good with Victor," I agreed, leaning back to cuddle up next to Liam again.
"I guess it's settled. You and Victor are coming home for Christmas."
I giggled. "I thought you meant the name was settled."
"That too, but also the trip."
"I think I can do it," I said. "I was going to take a couple of days off for Christmas, anyway. I think I could extend it enough to take a little trip."
Liam squeezed me. "Good. I'm so glad."
"Did the girls end up buying a puppy?" I asked.
He let out a breath of a laugh and shook his head at the thought. "Yes, they did. That's what I've been dealing with for the last few hours. They actually made a good decision, though."
"What?"
"The breeder had an older puppy. She was like eight months old. They were going to use her for breeding, but they changed their mind and decided to sell her."
"Was she potty trained and everything?" I asked.
Liam nodded. "I wasn't going to say anything if they were set on getting a puppy, but I definitely encouraged them to go with the older one once we figured out she was available. She was really cute. She reminded me of Vera—black and white with brown markings on her face. We had to go by the pet store and get food and a leash and everything. They spent a fortune on her before it was all over with—buying little outfits and everything. That poor dog. I had just gotten back to my hotel when I called you."
"And, somehow, you managed to fit in work while you did all that," I said.
He shrugged. "They really needed some security. A couple of them have husbands or boyfriends who moved here with them, but they don't know what they're doing with security. I've got two guys coming tomorrow and a third will join them on the tour."
"What'd they name the dog?"
"Her name was Pepper at the breeder's, but they're talking about changing it to Sassy or Sweetie to go with the name of the band."
"I guess Victor's not the only dog to ever get his name changed," I said.
"Nope," Liam said. "I don't think they mind much, either. He doesn't seem too stressed about it."
I glanced at Victor who was laid out on his bed, sleeping like a log. I tentatively snuggled closer to Liam, resting my head on the front of his chest. I was still somewhat shy and reserved, but the urge to be next to him was so great that I had to act on instinct—even if it was out of my comfort zone. He had on a thermal shirt that was thicker than a T-shirt, but I could still feel his warmth and his muscles under my ear. He put his hand on my head, absentmindedly scratching me.
"How are things going with work?" he asked.
"Great," I said. "I hired two new cutters and another tailor. One of the cutters was actually someone I knew from London. He's really good. He had always wanted to move to the U.S., so it worked out for both of us. We've got awards season coming up. It's been really busy. How about you? How's work? How's your family?"
"Work's been busy for us, too. I placed two guys in Istanbul last month. I've never been to Turkey, so that was an experience."
"I've never been to Turkey, either."
"It was really nice—at least from my experience. I tend to get the royal treatment no matter where I go because the people who hire us are usually filthy rich. The guys are really happy with their positions over there, though, and they've made some new connections. They said there might be need for a few more guys. I'll have to take you with me if I go back."
"You never know," I said. "I might end up opening a store in Istanbul."
"What about Memphis?"
"What about it?" I asked, tilting my head up to look at him.
"Maybe you should end up opening a store in Memphis."
"Maybe I should," I said. "How's your family doing?"
"Everybody's good. Owen and Darcy got married a couple of weeks ago. She's having a rock wall installed in their house, so I've been going over there to help them with that."
"A rock wall?"
"Yeah, you know, for rock climbing. We've got one at Alpha that Owen uses all the time, so Darcy's having one installed at the house."
"Just in their living room?"
Liam chuckled. "In the gym. It's about thirty feet tall with a curved wall. It's awesome. It's even nicer than the one we have at Alpha."
"Are they rich or something?"
"You could say that. Darcy's parents owned a ton of real estate and they left it to her when they passed away."
I remembered talking to Owen and Darcy when they were in California, and I would have never guessed that about them—although, I would've never guessed that about the rest of the family, either. They were just regular, jeans-wearing people, which was quite refreshing after the clientele I normally entertained at my store.
"I was thinking we could drive over to Arkansas," Liam said. "When you come for Christmas."
My heart dropped at the suggestion. I had been thinking of light fluffy things like the Bishops in jeans and the fact that I should go ahead and learn to ride my motorcycle, so the out-of-nowhere comment caused me to feel speechless. I was petrified by the suggestion, and my initial instinct was to say 'no way', but instead I said nothing.
"I could go with you," Liam suggested when I stayed silent. "I'd be happy to do that. We wouldn't have to stay long or anything."
"I don't know," I said. "That's not at all what I was expecting you to say. I'll have to think about it."
I didn't want to seem heartless and deny him right there on the spot, but at the same time, I really could not see myself knocking on my parents' door after nearly a decade.
Liam adjusted and squeezed me around the shoulders, snapping me out of my terrified trance. "You don't have to do it, Taylor. But you also don't have to be afraid. It wouldn't be a big de
al for us to drive over there and say 'hi' to them while you're in the area. It also wouldn't be a big deal for you to wait till the next time you come, or the time after that. I'm not trying to rush you into anything. You don't have to do it at all if you don't want to. I just want you to know that it won't be as scary as you think, and I'd be there to help you if you want. We could do it together."
Chapter 17
Liam stayed at my house for the rest of his trip to Los Angeles. I had an extra bedroom with a comfortable bed, but he insisted that he wanted to sleep on the couch, so he spent three nights in my living room before heading back to Memphis.
He woke up before me every morning, and I would come out of my bedroom to find his pillow and blanket neatly stashed on the end of the couch and a fresh pot of coffee brewed.
He even drove my motorcycle over to the Bishop dealership and had the seat replaced so that we could both fit on it. He had some other modifications done as well, but I really didn't know enough about motorcycles to understand what he was talking about—the seat was the biggest visible difference and it meant that I could ride on the back with him. We went out on it twice while he was in town.
We got to know so much about each other during those days. Both of us worked during the day, but we had enough free time to share hours and hours of conversation in the evenings. I had never been so real and honest with anyone in my life. It was a vulnerable yet beautiful feeling letting Liam Kennedy know the real me.
We ate meals together, and laughed, and talked, and kissed. He stayed next to me and held me close like a protective shield, and I had never realized how desperately I'd been lacking that sort of human contact.
It was a rude awakening that following Tuesday when I woke up and there was no one in the house besides Victor and me. I missed Liam like crazy and counted the minutes until Christmas when I would see him again.
My trip to Memphis would only last four days, but it was better than nothing. I would head back to L.A. bright and early on the morning of the 26th so that I could get back to work. I thought about leaving Victor at the doggy daycare in Los Angeles just to make the trip easier for me, but I wound up making plans for him to come along—he needed to meet Vera, anyway.
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