Remi smiled.
That’s sweet, but that’s silly for you to drive all the way here, I’ll just stay – Remi
He hadn’t wanted to tell her about when the job was or anything about it, but the time had come for him to fess up.
I’ll be there in a little bit – Liam
She stared at his response, and wondered what was going on with him. He hadn’t worked at all last night, so she had figured he would be doing that tonight, and didn’t want to be a distraction. Therefore, staying at her parents’ house shouldn’t be an issue for him, unless of course he was worried about something, she thought. Not that she would complain about spending time with him, quite the opposite. She curled up with Peanut and waited. About thirty minutes later Liam arrived. She greeted him at the door, where Peanut immediately jumped on him. Liam bent down to stroke the slobbering pup that displayed just how extremely jubilant he was to see him. Having missed him too, she leaned into Liam to hug him, and when he reciprocated, she instinctively laid her head on his chest. “Where’s your mom and dad?” he asked, embracing her protectively.
“Playing cards at a friend’s house.”
“They won’t mind that I’m here?”
She giggled. “No.”
She then peered up at him and questioned, “Why are you here?”
“I missed you,” he said, unconvincingly. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him, but there had to be more to it. “That’s sweet, but why are you really here?”
“That transparent, huh?”
“Yup.”
He cleared his throat before speaking, which Remi took as not a good sign. “I need to talk to you about something.”
“Sounds serious.”
Liam didn’t say anything, which automatically tipped her off that it most definitely was. “You ready to go and we’ll talk on the way home?” he asked. “I was feeling a little nostalgic being up in my old bedroom and kind of wanted to stay here tonight,” she said, taking hold of his hand. “Want to stay with me?” she asked, leading him towards the stairs, giving him little choice. Liam smiled because his answer would have been yes any way. “Sure,” he replied, as Peanut followed them up.
As Liam took a look around her room, he asked, “You sure your parents won’t care that I’m here, in your bedroom, no less?”
She laughed while closing the door. “I’m twenty-three-years-old, and live on my own, plus my Mom thinks the sun rises and sets with you, they won’t mind.”
She watched him stroll about, and though he appeared interested in the pictures and trophies, that adorned the shelves, there was a subtle preoccupation going on with him. “This room feels like you,” he commented, before sitting on the edge of the bed. She sighed, “It was mine for a long time.”
He placed his hands on the bed and just looked at the oversized pink comforter. “So, this is where you recovered after the heist,” he uttered, in a low tone. She nodded, as she sat down next to him. “And you didn’t even know I existed,” he then said, marveling at that fact as if he had just come to that realization. She placed her hand atop of his hand, and said, “Deep down, I knew.”
She dropped her head to his shoulder and patiently waited to see if he was going to keep rehashing the past or disclose the true reason why he drove out of his way to seek her out. Took a few minutes, but then he finally blurted, “There’s no easy way to say this, so here it goes; tomorrow night, or more like Wednesday morning around one thirty, that’s when the job with Charles is taking place.”
Remi immediately lifted her head and glared at him. With her mouth gaped wide open, she was stunned and unusually silent. “You knew it was coming,” he pointed out. Trying to remain calm, she stated, “I was under the impression it wouldn’t be like the last one, therefore not dangerous.”
Liam countered gravely, “They’re always dangerous.”
“But isn’t this one just a smash and grab?”
“Where did you get that idea from?” he questioned.
“I just assumed.”
“You know I can’t give you any details, but it doesn’t matter, every job has its risks.”
She abruptly stood up. “I get that, but what aren’t you telling me here?”
He sighed. “Exactly what I shouldn’t.”
“AHHHH!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, which scared Peanut, who leaped onto Liam’s lap. “You frustrate the shit out of me,” she snapped. Liam petted the shaking pup while trying to calm a pissed off Remi at the same time. “I know you hate hearing this, but you have to understand that it’s for your own good that you don’t know anything, because if something happens, the less you know, the better it is for you,” he explained. “What does that even mean?” she asked, her annoyance coming through loud and clear. He carefully moved Peanut aside so he could join Remi. Once he stood in front of her, he looked her in the eye to hopefully hammer home the harsh truth without divulging too much. “Just suppose I was arrested,” he began to say which instantly caused a severe reaction from her. “Wait—arrested!” she cried out. “Just listen,” he demanded in a soothing voice. “If I end up arrested, you know they’re going to come to you and ask what you knew about the job, and with a clear conscience, you can say, you knew nothing,” he said. “Do you understand now?”
She tentatively nodded, but then astutely surmised, “There’s still more to this, I can sense it.”
Liam found her perception endearing, if not somewhat exasperating. “Liam,” she barely got his name out before he interrupted. With his arms thrown in the air, he shouted, “Oh God, I just wanted to let you know about tomorrow night!”
Not one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, Remi was completely taken aback when Liam’s frustration was right out there. “I know you want me to understand, but you have to see this from my point of view, you’re telling me that there’s a good possibility that you could end up arrested, or worse, and I’m supposed to just be okay with that?” she questioned. His head dropped, as he sighed. He was exhausted, but it wasn’t just physically, it was also emotionally draining. Seeing him like that, was hard to witness, Remi was in unfamiliar territory. “Liam,” she whispered, taking a step towards him, extending her hand to his face. “I’m sorry,” she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek. “I won’t press you for any more information.”
A slight grin crossed his lips. “I didn’t mean to upset you, I just wanted to be here,” he said then wrapped his arms around her body. “No, I needed to be here.”
Remi’s heart completely melted hearing that. At the same time, it also felt as if he were saying goodbye, which took her right out of their idyllic moment. He also quickly changed the subject. “I finished the project.”
“That’s great,” she said, trying to sound happy for him. “I’m so tired,” he uttered. Remi took the initiative by slipping out of his grasp and crawling onto the bed. Peanut curled up into a ball on the floor while Liam removed his jacket and followed Remi. Once lying beside her, he exhaled as if he was completely relaxed. He closed his eyes while Remi snuggled up against him. “You just want to sleep?” she asked.
“I am really beat.”
She understood and moved to let him be, but Liam grabbed hold of her arm preventing her. “Where are you going?”
“I was going to let you sleep.”
He flashed that signature grin while skimming his fingertips along the side of her cheek. “I don’t care what we do, as long as we do it together,” he said in such a way, that Remi definitely knew he was treating this night as if it were possibly their last. She had to force herself not to crumble into a blubbering mess of tears, so she leaned over to kiss him. But when his lips parted in anticipation, she hesitated. “For whatever the reason, I’m glad you came to me,” she said, smiling all the while still fighting the urge to bawl. He smiled as he lifted his head just enough for his lips to meet hers. It was a soft, gentle kiss. Though both were completely on board with a total throw down, no holds barred all night sexfest neither
felt it was right. Instead, they each casually undressed and slinked back underneath the covers. For a few minutes, they just lied there with their bodies intertwined and enjoyed the feeling of the nakedness of one another. It wasn’t sexual it was just pure. Liam stared up at the ceiling, thinking about how Remi had laid there after the heist, with her head severely injured and no memory of what had happened to her, a thought that pained him. And the fact he refused to check on her, though Chris insisted on inadvertently doing that for him, a part of him felt he still should have seen how she was doing. Inside he laughed, as guilt used to never be part of his repertoire, but now it was eating him alive. Just then, he snapped out of his heist related funk by the softness of Remi’s lips kissing the 4-inch scar on his abdomen. It tickled causing him to squirm slightly, which was Remi’s primary goal. “Did I get your attention?” she asked, purposely placing tiny kisses all the way up his torso, and across his chest. “Mm-hmm,” he murmured, fully content. She continued up his neck until she reached his mouth. “I know you already know this, but you really do have an amazing body,” she whispered, her lips lingering above his. Liam grinned, appreciating the compliment coming from a sincere place, as Remi finally kissed him on the mouth. While his hands slowly probed the curves of her body, he etched inside of his mind, every dip, every line, every freckle, savoring the tiniest of detail as never to forget how she felt at that moment. She soon maneuvered on top of him, giving Liam ample view of her physique. As she sat perched upon him, he gazed longingly at her body then sat up and cupped her face with his hands. While looking her directly in the eye, he remarked, “Do you have any idea just how beautiful you are?”
Remi instantly blushed. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t heard it before, but it was the way he was looking at her while saying it. His hands inched moved downward, skimming her breasts then resting on her hips. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he suddenly confessed. Remi closed her eyes, as she was in a state of utter exhiliration, or more like blown away by his unexpected admission. His hands gripped her hips but just as he was about to lift her up, he announced, “Hold on.”
She laughed because she knew what he was doing. Though a part of her would have liked nothing more than making love without any kind of barrier, neither was in a position in their lives to be having a baby. Although having a baby with Liam would be all kinds of wonderful, she thought, it wasn’t realistic. As Liam reached over the side of the bed to retrieve his wallet, which contained one condom, Remi quickly shooed the thoughts of babies from her mind. When he popped back up, Remi waited for him to prepare then carefully lowered herself down onto him. A slow, methodic pace, was all they both wanted. No frantic rushing, no race to the finish line, this time, with their hands clasped together; their bodies joined as one, they looked into each other’s eyes and reveled in unbridled ecstasy.
Afterward, both satisfied and tangled in each other’s arms, Remi giggled. “I better go lock the door, wouldn’t want my mom or my dad to walk in and see us like this.”
Liam grabbed a bottle of water that was on the nightstand, but before he sipped, he asked if he could have some. “Of course,” she said. Holding the bottle reminded him of when they first met. “Do you remember when I gave you the water, in the vault?”
“You were very intimidating, yet you gave me crackers, water, and ultimately saved my life,” she said, almost gushing. “And now you buy me gifts, take me away to Miami, and make mad passionate love to me,” she said dramatically. “Who would have guessed this is where we’d end up,” he remarked, gently stroking her wrist, taking note of the bracelet. Remi looked at it and commented, “My mom went bananas when I showed her the charm.”
“Did you tell her the story behind it?”
Remi scoffed. “Oh yeah, I told her my eyes remind you of some gems you once stole.”
He started tickling her. “Okay, wiseass, you know what I meant.”
She belly laughed so hard, both temporarily forgetting about the upcoming job. Liam desperately needed that diversion, for many reasons. However, it was getting late, and unfortunately, he had a lot to do the next day. He needed sleep, but he hated to waste the last night he had with Remi by nodding off. “You look tired,” she said while throwing her leg over his. “I am, but I’m okay,” he lied. “I’m tired too,” she said, giving him a reprieve. “You sure you want to sleep?” he questioned. “Hmm, yup,” she replied, resting her hand on his bare chest. Liam covered her hand with his, and whispered, “Sweet dreams.”
She muttered, “Goodnight,” as he kissed the top of her head while pulling her body protectively close. It took her all of two seconds to pass out, but as worn-out as he was, it took Liam a few minutes longer. His hooded eyes scanned the dimly lighted room then he focused solely on Remi. He placed his hand on her head, weaving his fingers through her hair towards the scar. When he felt the raised skin, he realized they had come so far from being the hostage and the captor. He silently admitted that she made him want to be a better person. Unfortunately, it was too late. There wasn’t any point in dwelling on what he couldn’t change. Instead, he could appreciate what he had at that very moment—just Remi, sleeping in his arms.
The sun was nowhere near rising, but Liam had already been up for a while and almost fully dressed. Remi opened her eyes and mumbled, “What time is it?”
“Five,” he replied, buttoning his jeans. Remi sat up slowly, rubbed her eyes then questioned if he was leaving. “Yeah, I have a lot to do today,” he said, sitting back down on the bed. Still half out of it, with her bedhead tresses falling haphazardly across her forehead, Liam slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Do you want a ride home then a ride to work?”
She stretched her arms while nodding. “That sounds good, if you have the time.”
“I have the time,” he said, smiling as Peanut jumped up to lick his cheek. “Let me just throw on my clothes, and we can get out of here before my parents wake up,” she said, hopping off the bed. As she quickly moved about the room, Liam was kind enough to sneak downstairs to let Peanut outside. The whole time he prayed he wouldn’t run into her mom or dad. Once Remi was ready, she gave Peanut a doggie biscuit, wrote her parents a note then her and Liam drove back to Philly. Not much was said, as Remi was still somewhat sleepy, while Liam recounted in his mind all the things he had to accomplish before tonight. They made a quick stop at Wawa for coffee then when they got home, they went their separate ways. Remi checked to see if Melanie had returned from her trip, but she was still asleep, so Remi quietly grabbed a quick shower then inhaled the rest of her coffee while noshing on a bowl of Rice Krispies. In the meantime, Liam looked online to find a Notary Public. The ideal situation would be to have set up a meeting with Simon and lawyers, but there just wasn’t enough time. Therefore, doing it this way was Liam’s only option. A sense of sadness plagued him. He respected Simon, and enjoyed working for him. Especially after he took off a month, and still had a job to come back to, no questions asked. He felt as if he were pretty much shitting on Simon, but hoped someday he would understand Liam’s position on this.
On the way to drop Remi off at work, she innocently asked about what his plans were for the day. Being vague was something he was exceptionally good at, so his short response wasn’t surprising. “Just have to tie up a few things.”
His choice of words sent up major red flags, because once again it felt as if he knew something bad was going to happen. When his hand rested on the gearshift, Remi placed her hand on top of his. Even as he put the truck into park, her hand remained firmly on top the whole time, which garnered a small grin from him. “You know, it doesn’t matter what you say or don’t say, I’m still going to worry about you,” she affirmed. Staring at her hand, he acknowledged, “I know that.”
“Will I see you later?” she asked. “I’ll pick you up when you’re done work,” he said.
She removed her hand then leaned over to kiss him hard on the lips. In fact, the intensity of it stunned him. “What w
as that for?” he questioned. She devilishly smiled. “Didn’t want you to forget about me.”
He licked his lips as she stepped out and while he watched her get safely inside the building, he uttered, “That would be impossible, Remi.”
He then drove to the Notary and called Chris to see if he could come to his apartment around one.
Remi, along with the other assistants waited for Olivia to arrive for an impromptu Tuesday morning meeting. They were all conversing about their private lives, but Remi kept to herself. She couldn’t shake the thought of Liam falling back into thief mode, even worse, into a gunman. The longer she sat there she began scribbling on her notebook and pondered about the job with Charles. All of a sudden, Olivia breezed through the door and announced that they were going to do another fundraiser. Everyone cheered, while Remi sort of just half-smiled. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t enjoyed working on the last one because she did, it was just not exactly where her mind was at the moment. Olivia started talking about all that was going to be involved, but Remi didn’t hear a word she said. “Are you with us this morning?” asked a displeased Olivia. Remi tossed out a quick apology but it came across false, so Olivia did something she hadn’t done before, she dismissed her from the meeting. Once back at her desk, all Remi wanted to do was call Liam and beg him to come pick her up. In fact, she had the cell phone in her hand, but then remembered him saying he had a lot to do today. She’d just be a hindrance, she thought. Her heart told her to call him, be with him, spend every last second she could with him. But her head told her to back off. “What should I do?” she asked aloud, just as Olivia sauntered up to the desk. “Your job, for one thing,” the angry boss suggested in a nasty tone. Remi cringed, knowing how badly she had fucked up. “I’m sorry, my mind is a little preoccupied.”
“What else is new,” she countered harshly. Remi was taken aback. “I think I’ve been very understanding when it comes to things you’ve dealt with by allowing you to take time off, no questions asked,” said Olivia. Remi sat there quietly, just nodding.
UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask Page 36