Liam finally interjected, “Remi saved mine as well, that guy would have killed me if she hadn’t shown up and wounded him first.”
A perpetual smile had adorned Marlene’s face throughout the entire conversation and continued as she remarked, “You two make a good team.”
Liam and Remi nodded in unison, both silently admitting they’d be lost without the other. Marlene detected that neither wanted to keep drudging up the shooting, so she lightened up the mood by telling childhood stories about her grandson. Remi thoroughly enjoyed that, as did Liam. His rapport with his grandmother was amazing. It was plain to see that she was more of a mother to him than Penny ever was.
When they had finished eating, Marlene removed two half gallons of chocolate and vanilla ice cream from her freezer. She then began to scoop some into bowls, and that’s when Liam got a call from Simon and excused himself from the kitchen. “I know you won’t tell me what’s going on with him, but he looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders,” remarked Marlene. “More so than usual,” she added. Though Remi would have loved to open up to this wonderful woman, it wasn’t her place, so instead of lying, she chose to tell a half-truth. “He has a big project at work that is due in a couple of days; he’s under a lot of pressure.”
Marlene believed her but was suspicious of Remi’s somewhat worried expression while trying to be convincing. “Liam has done a great job at keeping me in the dark when it comes to most things in his life, so I won’t press you for information,” she said, grinning, which was very reminiscent of Liam. Just like with Penny, Remi enjoyed seeing the similarities in his relatives. It was as if she was peeling away another layer of his life. “I’ve only met one other of Liam’s girlfriends, and let me tell you, she was a real piece of work,” Marlene said, not hiding her dislike. Remi stifled a snicker. “I knew she was only with Liam because of his looks and his money,” she added. Remi silently wondered why Marlene wouldn’t think the same of her, but she only had to ponder it briefly because she got the answer. “You’re different,” blurted Marlene. Remi asked, “Different, how?”
Another wide grin popped up as the sweet woman replied, “I can see it in your eyes.”
Immediately feeling self-conscious Remi lowered her head. “It’s not dollar signs I see or what you can get from Liam—its love,” she said, waiting for Remi to look back up at her. And as soon as Remi made eye contact, Marlene said, “All I ever wanted for Liam was for him to be happy, to fall in love and be loved.”
Remi smiled shyly and said, “Well, you got one out of three.”
“Oh honey, I think I got more than that,” she said, tapping the top of Remi’s hand while sounding extremely confident that she wasn’t wrong. Just then, Liam walked back into in the kitchen. “What’s going on in here?” he asked, noticing the close moment between the two ladies. Marlene winked at Remi then replied, “Just telling her some of our family’s dirty secrets.”
Liam quipped, “We don’t have any dirty, all of ours are right out there in the open.”
Marlene smirked as he joined them at the table and began eating the big bowl of ice cream his grandmother had prepared for him. And all three chatted a little more until Marlene announced that at seven thirty she would be attending a Valentine’s Day Party in the main banquet hall. She then casually added that she had her eye on an eligible bachelor that lived four doors down and was hoping he would be going to the party as well. Liam immediately questioned her about the man, his protective nature in full throttle. Marlene answered as much about him as she could when Remi mercifully intervened by suggesting they leave so his grandmother could get ready. Marlene thanked her, but Liam couldn’t resist throwing in his two cents. “You have to be careful, there are a lot of shady people out there, and sometimes you’re too trusting.”
Remi listened and thought, oh the irony. “I’ll always love your grandfather, that will never change, but I miss the companionship, you can understand that, can’t you?” his grandmother asked, her eyes pleading with him. Liam nodded. “I just want you to be careful.”
“I will be,” she said. Remi got the feeling Liam wasn’t going to let his go, so she grabbed hold of his hand and tugged it. “Okay, we’re leaving,” she said, smiling facetiously at Liam. He finally conceded as Marlene embraced Remi and told her how wonderful it was to meet her finally. Remi returned the sentiment. Marlene then stood up on her tippy toes and whispered into Liam’s ear, “I really like her.”
He grinned and whispered back. “I like her, too.”
He then hugged her tightly for a few seconds, almost as if he wasn’t going to see her for a long time. When they separated, she shot him a curious look, but he deflected it by telling her to have fun at the party. He knew Marlene suspected something was amiss, but he didn’t want her to worry. So even though the thought of her actually being with a man that wasn’t his grandfather bothered him, it wasn’t his business, and he wanted her to be happy. And sadly, he wasn’t going to be around much longer to make sure that happened anyway.
On the ride home, Liam was quiet, again, which wasn’t unusual but she sensed it had to be more than just about Marlene and some random guy. She hesitantly asked, “You okay?”
With his focus never once leaving the road, he replied, “Yup.”
She waited a minute to speak again, and in that time she came up with an idea. “Do you have to work tonight?”
“I should,” he replied, sounding less than enthused. “Why?”
“Well, I thought since Melanie is not there, that you and I could hang out at my place for once.”
Liam glanced over at her and with a sly grin, he questioned, “Hang out?”
“Yeah, you know, hang out.”
Liam acted like he had to contemplate it. “I really do need to work,” he said. Remi understood, but the disappointment was written all over her face, along with slumped shoulders and a defeated posture. “Okay, we can hang tonight,” he said, which instantly perked up Remi’s demeanor. A few minutes later they arrived at the apartment building, and when they got up to their floor, Liam told her he needed to get something from his place and that he’d be right over. While she waited for him, she rushed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and the instance she spotted the bathtub she got another idea. A long, hot bath with Liam, she thought, especially since the tub incident in Miami fell flat. She immediately started hunting for candles and bubble bath. Luckily, Melanie was famous for stocking up on those kinds of essentials and the hall closet had the goodies she needed. As she rummaged through, Liam knocked on the door. Remi hadn’t locked it, so she yelled for him just to come in. The moment he entered, he lectured that she should always keep the door locked. She knew he was right, so didn’t bother arguing with him plus she noticed he had a little black bag with a white ribbon tied on it in his right hand. “What’s that?” she asked.
“A gift.”
“Thought you didn’t get me anything; I didn’t get you anything,” she began rambling a mile a minute. Liam interrupted her. “I got this for you when I was away; I just waited to give it to you.”
Remi smiled. “Sitting on gifts seems to be your thing.”
“You’re catching on to me,” he said, setting the bag on the table then moving slowly towards to the closet. She giggled at his statement and giggled, even more, when he came up behind her and allowed his hands to hug her waist. He dipped his head onto her shoulder while peeking inside the closet. “What are you looking for?” he asked. With the touch of his fingers gripping her sides, she temporarily forgot. He asked again, and this time she mumbled, “Bubble bath and candles.”
Liam’s arms slid all the way around her body as he whispered in her ear, “Are we taking a bath?”
She instinctively tilted her head back against his chest and asked, “Do you want to?”
He murmured, “Mm-hmm.”
She turned her head slightly and kissed the tip of his nose then asked, “Can I have my gift first?”
He t
ook hold of her hand in his, and led her to the bag. She was giddy with excitement as she pulled the ribbon and reached her hand down inside of it. Her eyes instantly grew wide when she felt the tiny box. She held it in her hand, and just looked at it for a second. “I still wish I had something for you.”
An impatient Liam jokingly demanded, “Just open it.”
The moment she did and saw the sparkling blue gem, she was stunned. “Oh, my.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s gorgeous,” she said while staring at the trinket. “But this must have been expensive,” she remarked. Liam just shrugged. It still hadn’t dawned on her its significance until she removed it and held the silver charm in her hand. “It’s a sapphire,” she whispered, recalling the story about her eyes and his favorite score. “I need to sit down for a minute,” she said. Liam pulled out a kitchen chair for her, and after she sat, he gently lifted her wrist and slipped off her bracelet. He then took the charm and put it on for her. As Remi watched him do it, she asked, “You bought this weeks ago, before you and I, were together—together?”
He nodded as he carefully slipped the bracelet back onto her tiny wrist. She looked at the blue stone and smiled. “I was on your mind while you were away?”
He replied coyly, “Kind of.”
She quickly stood up and threw her arms around him. She then glanced up at him. “Thank you for the beautiful charm.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, leaning his head down to kiss her lips. They then hugged for a moment, and Remi again stated she’d wished she had gotten something for him. To which he assured he didn’t need anything, that just the bath and some time with her was all he wanted. Hearing that made her feel better because though she absolutely loved the charm, she too would have been perfectly content just spending a few hours alone with Liam. With that, the two agreed to leave their phones in the kitchen, to avoid all interruptions and while Liam ran next door to grab a bottle of wine, Remi gathered up a few votive candles, peach scented bubble bath, and prepared the bath. When Liam got back, Remi had everything ready. With two goblets in hand and a bottle of Merlot, he kicked off his shoes and followed her into the bathroom. After he had set the bottle and glasses on the edge of the tub, he removed his t-shirt and unbuttoned his jeans, while Remi undressed and reluctantly took off the bracelet. A few seconds later, in true gentleman form, Liam held out his hand to assist her into the tub, which was immeasurably smaller than the huge garden tub in the Miami house.
Once she stepped into the heap of bubbles and leaned up against the one end, Liam got in and chose the other side. Facing each other, they both acknowledged how nice the warm water felt and how great it was being in her apartment for once, instead of his. Liam laughed at the overabundance of bubbles. She admitted to accidentally dumping too much in. He didn’t mind though because without her being aware, their little bath excursion might be the last time they get to do that together and he wanted to make the most of it. Complaining about menial things seemed ridiculous.
Remi kept looking at the bracelet and charm that were resting on the corner of the sink. “You spoil me,” she said. Liam grinned as he began pouring them each a glass of wine. He handed her a glass then sat back down into the bubbles. As she sipped the wine, Remi took the opportunity to bring up a rather touchy subject. “Liam?” she posed as a question. “Hmm,” he replied with his eyes closed. “You’re so thoughtful when it comes to me and your grandmother, and…” her words trailed. Liam’s eyes opened, and he looked at her. “Where are you going with this?”
“Did you ever think to maybe help out Jenna and Wendy’s families?” she asked. “Like financially.”
With his long, arms outstretched along the sides of the tub; he sighed before replying. “Money won’t bring them back.”
“I know that, but you’re always so quick to help me,” she reminded. Liam scoffed. “You’re different.”
“I was still a part of that heist, just like they were.”
He suddenly went silent, while tipping his head back. It was clear he was avoiding having this conversation, but she wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily. So, she used the one surefire way she knew how to get him to open up, her undeniable physical presence. She set her wine glass down and slid towards him. Placing her hand on his bubble-covered chest, she said, “Don’t be mad.”
Without so much as a peek from him, he sharply replied, “I’m not.”
“Yeah, you are.”
She gathered up a handful of the peach smelling suds and plopped them right on the tip of his nose. He smirked as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. With his hands, he gripped her arms, forcing her to look at him. “Though I feel bad that Jenna and Wendy died that day, I was so removed from that part of the heist, it didn’t affect me the way you think it should have,” he explained. “But even before you and I were this, I felt a connection to you that I couldn’t shake,” he said then half-grinned as he hesitated for a moment. “God only knows I tried my hardest to push you out of my head and pretend you didn’t exist, but it obviously didn’t work.”
Remi positioned herself upon his one leg and rested her head on his shoulder as he spoke. “You turn a blind eye when it comes to me.”
Predictably she started to cry foul and state she didn’t, but Liam stopped her. “Remi, you do, admit it.”
She sat back up and stroked his face with her hand. “Maybe I just see all the good in you that you refuse to see in yourself.”
“Anything good I’ve done or do will never absolve all the bad things,” he said. “And we’re talking years of heists, robberies, and…” this time Remi interrupted him but not with words, with a kiss. Liam smiled as her lips lingered near his. “It doesn’t bother you that I don’t feel guilty about all the crimes that I’ve committed?” he asked, while slowly sliding his hands up and down the curve of her back. She thought about it then replied, “Yeah, I guess it does.”
His hands rested on her hips as he remarked, “And yet here you are—with me.”
She once again pressed her lips to his then whispered, “There’s no other place I’d rather be.”
Liam smiled while Remi kissed the sharp angle of his jawline. At the same time, her hand sneaked beneath the water, skirting his torso, she grinned smugly the moment her fingers felt just how turned on his was. She began to pleasure him with her hand slowly. In a state of submissiveness, his fingers dug into the skin of her hips, while his head tilted back. With each stroke, she had turned Liam into putty, having complete control over him. She teased his neck with her tongue as her pace quickened, but all of her sudden he grabbed her hand. “Wait,” he murmured, out of breath. Confused, she ogled him, as he said, “I forgot to bring protection.”
She shrugged while once again reaching underneath the water. He held her face with his hands, kissed her softly on the lips then whispered, “I want you.”
Incredibly those three words trumped everything, so she carefully climbed out of the tub. “What are you doing?” he asked, observing the beautiful woman standing in front of the medicine cabinet. Dripping wet and soapy bubbles oozing off her nude body, she looked fantastic. “Any preference?” she asked, holding up three different kinds of condoms. “Are those yours?” asked a surprised Liam.
She laughed. “Uh-no!”
He told her to choose. Remi began to shiver before she got back to the tub, so Liam told her he’d warm her up. He helped her back in then held her close against his body while he turned on the faucet to get the water hot again. Surprisingly, Liam hadn’t lost his erection, and as Remi lied back against his chest, his hands rested on her waist then slowly moved beneath the bubbles towards her inner thighs. The slyest of smiles graced his lips as a slight groan escaped her mouth. She hadn’t been with tons of guys, but enough to make comparisons, and bar none, Liam had them all beat. It wasn’t just his looks or body for that matter; it was the way he touched and kissed her. For someone who had claimed to be callous, she thought, he sure was capable of bei
ng incredibly affectionate. His hand ventured between her legs, completely turning the tables on her. She revered at how easily he reclaimed domination. Not that she would complain. She tipped her head to the side, to access his mouth where the taste of the Merlot lingered on his full lips. As their kiss deepened, Liam’s hands roamed all over her body. She wondered how long he could hold out. He must have read her mind because he then shifted both their bodies around to move her beneath him. Liam stood up to roll the condom on then dipped back down into the water on top of Remi. She curled her legs around his as he slid inside of her. Slow at first but holding out that long, caused Liam’s patience to falter. Careful about putting all his weight on to her, he forcefully gripped the sides of the tub. Remi held on to his forearms, relishing his strength as the veins and muscles bulged from the pressure. Each thrust, she moaned more and more, until they both finally climaxed. His arms collapsed into the tub and Remi moved so he could lie with her again. She snuggled up to him, and he kissed her forehead. Euphoric yet tired, they lied there for a while, quiet and contemplative, neither wanting to budge. That was until the water got cold. “Guess we better get out,” she reluctantly suggested. When they were drying off, Remi laughed and said, “I thought you were going to break the tub.”
Liam admitted that he had thought that at one point as well, as he slipped on boxers and a t-shirt. Remi grinned as she threw on her robe and put the bracelet back on her wrist. Liam suggested they see what was in the kitchen to eat because they had just worked off their dinner and worked up an appetite. Both started looking, and at the same time, she held up a loaf bread while Liam pulled out a package of American cheese from the fridge. They both immediately laughed as it was evident they were on the same wavelength. He offered to grill the sandwiches, but Remi shooed him away. “Let me cook for you this time,” she said. He put his hands up in defeat and took a seat on a stool where he watched her get out a frying pan, a tub of butter, and knife. It was such a simple act but a most enjoyable one, at least in his eyes. Unfortunately, he made the mistake of glancing at his phone that was sitting a couple of inches away on the counter. There were four missed calls and twelve text messages. He sighed. Back to reality, he thought as he picked it up and began scrolling through them. They were from Simon, Chris, and Charles. The latter also left the voicemail messages. Before listening, Liam gazed at Remi standing at the stove. With one hand resting on her hip and a metal spatula in the other, looking adorable, it pained him to have to hear Charles’ grating voice, which would most certainly ruin the moment. So, Liam chose not to let that happen. He put the phone back down and decided those messages could wait until morning. “I don’t cook many things, but grilled cheese is one of my specialties,” she bragged, turning her head just enough to peek at him. “Among a few other things,” he said, winking. “Is that a compliment?” she asked, flipping the buttery toasted cheesy concoction onto a plate. He climbed off the chair and ventured over to her. He took a bite of the sandwich, licked his lips then replied, “Yup, you have many talents.”
UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask Page 34