by LeAnn Ashers
A lot of the guys were even worse because they thought it was my fault. They had the idea in their heads that I was easy. These guys included Tony and his friends.
Liam was my safe haven.
He even stayed back a grade so he would be with me until I was out of high school, which is why he was nineteen when he left.
“What has you thinking so hard?” he asks.
I look at him. “I was thinking of high school and everything you did for me.”
“Those fuckers need their asses beat.” He smirks. “Again.”
I laugh because Liam did get into a lot of fights. “I don’t know how you didn’t get kicked out, honestly.”
“The MC,” he confesses.
“Of course it was.” I laugh again. I knew the MC played a huge part in it because Liam was standing up for me, plus he was a prospect.
“Are you happy to be home, Liam?” It’s something I’ve been dying to ask since the moment he got home.
With me.
His eyes search my face, and I can tell he is catching my double meaning. I internally wince, awaiting his answer. He touches the side of my face. “I am more than happy being home, Baby.”
Swooning is the word you could use to describe me right now. I wink. “Well, I guess I am sort of happy to see you home,” I tease.
He chuckles before digging his fingers into my side, causing me to laugh loudly, way too loudly for this type of restaurant. I cover my mouth while attempting to push him away. The waitress comes back, frowning, but she gives us a break. She smiles at both of us after she gets our drink order. “How long have you guys been together? You are a beautiful couple.”
I start to tell her that we aren’t together, but Liam beats me to the punch. “Ten years.”
Oh my god, he is trying to steal my heart, isn’t he? She presses her order pad to her chest. “Oh my goodness, that is so cute!” She sighs, looking at both of us. “I will put your drink orders in.”
I have no clue what to say to Liam. He is shaking with silent laughter. He did this shit on purpose to leave me speechless. “Mean ass,” I whisper loudly.
He bursts out laughing, holding his stomach, and I shove a piece of bread into his mouth to shut him up.
He pulls the bread from his mouth and goes back to laughing. So I do the only thing a sensible adult can do: I pout, folding my arms across my chest.
He instantly catches on to what I am doing and pulls me into his lap. Which instantly changes my pouting to internally freaking out.
I am in Liam’s lap, holy crap.
I lick my lips, staring wide eyed at Liam, whose eyes are full of desire. “Oh boy,” I whisper out loud. Liam’s head gets closer and closer to me, his mouth stopping at my ear. “Not here.”
I slide out of his lap, trying to ignore the hard bulge. My mouth is dry, and my face is burning with embarrassment. What do you expect from a girl who is still a virgin at twenty-six years old? Liam is the only guy I have kissed, and no one has touched me down there besides me.
The waiter returns with our drinks, and I thank her. After I order, I’m silent. What do I say?
“Fuck,” Liam says. I follow his gaze to see my former best friends, who abandoned me to make my life hell.
“Just ignore those bitches.” I turn away from them and he nods, trying to hide his smile. He scoots his hand under the table, twining our fingers together.
I lean over and lay my head on his shoulder, trying to stop my rising anxiety at the thought of being in the same room as these people. It should not affect me, but these people made my life hell. There is stuff that Liam does not know about. They would try to jump me in the girls’ bathroom and the locker room, and they’d trip me and hurt me any way they possibly could.
It was hell. I am a person who will take up for herself, but it will destroy you living on the edge twenty-four and seven. I don’t want anything to ruin this moment; I want to have the perfect first date with Liam. Wishful thinking, isn’t it?
Paisley
Wishful thinking it was. Liam and I had an amazing dinner. They stayed away, and we spent the whole time getting to know each other better and having fun, enjoying being in each other’s company.
Liam and I walk hand-in-hand out of the restaurant to see six people waiting for us.
Why me?
Liam tightens his grip on me, staring at the wall of people: Holly, Janice, and Beatrice, my three ex-best friends from high school, and their husbands. I have not seen them since I got home from college years ago. Time hasn’t done these three girls any favors. They let themselves go. If they were in the restaurant at all, I guarantee they ate and ran off without paying or used someone else’s credit card.
“Well, if it’s isn’t Paisley!” Janice’s hands rest on her hips. She is wearing a belly shirt with a pair of shorts so short that I think they were meant to be underwear.
“What do you want?” I ask her in a bored voice. I want nothing to do with this. This is beyond ridiculous, and I just had an amazing night.
All three of the girls are staring at Liam. I think in high school they were mad that Liam and I were so close. And now he’s back. That could be why they are doing this.
“Look, this should have been left in high school. Let’s just go our separate ways and be done with it,” I tell her, smiling. Liam lets his hand fall from my back and moves in front of me as if he is ready to push me behind him at a moment’s notice.
The three girls laugh at me mockingly, and I know it’s not going to end well.
Did I mention that I have taken kickboxing for the past couple of years?
From the corner of my eye, I spot the three men moving closer to Liam. Liam stiffens at my side, so I know he has seen the same thing.
On the other hand, I think I need this. I think it is time for me to get revenge. They hurt me throughout high school. I am not the same girl. If they want to fight, we can.
“Quit hiding behind your man.” Beatrice laughs loudly.
Fuck it.
I step out from behind Liam and grab a hair tie off my wrist; then I bend down and take off my heels.
Liam touches my shoulder. “Paisley?”
“Alright who’s first?”
All three girls look at me, then at each other, in shock.
“You guys have been itching to do this for fucking years, let’s get it over with.” My voice is devoid of emotion.
Janice steps forward first and charges toward me. She reaches for my hair first thing. How original. I grab hers, wrenching her head to the side, and bring my fist up, smashing it into her face over and over until it’s covered in blood.
I kick my leg out, tripping her, and she hits the ground with a thud. I look up and see Liam’s face connecting with another guy’s face, knocking him out. He hits the ground next to the other two men.
The other girls scream and run toward me. Liam grabs Beatrice’s hair. “You will not fucking jump her,” he snarls at her; then he lets her go.
I was so distracted by Liam that I forgot about Holly, and she tackles me to the ground. The wind is knocked out of me, and her hand connects with my face in a bitch slap.
“A bitch slap, really?” I flip her over onto her back and punch her hard in the face twice, making a hard crunching sound.
She reaches up, touching her mouth, and spits out a tooth. I stand up, knowing she is done. I walk over to Beatrice, grip the back of her head, and slam it down on the top of Liam’s truck, knocking her out.
“Bitch,” I hiss.
Liam is staring at me with his arms across his chest and a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Bitches had it coming.”
He laughs and opens the passenger door for me, and I climb inside. The three guys are up at this point and are carrying their women out of there.
“Proud of you, Paisley,” Liam says after he shuts his door, and I watch them leave, walking into the dark.
“They tortured me long enough.”
His eyes d
arken, and his jaw clenches. “They fucking did and they won’t fuck with you again.” His eyes search my face, locking on my mouth.
In a split second, his hand is fisting in my hair and his mouth is pressed firmly against mine. I gasp in shock, and he takes that second while my mouth is wide open to fully kiss me.
His hand rests on my cheek, his lips moving over mine in a way I can’t describe, and my body is reacting to it. My hand slides down his chest and under his shirt. I have been wanting to touch his abs for years. I sigh, sinking harder into him, and his fingers pull on my hair, tilting my head back even further. He growls and bites my bottom lip. I groan and move closer.
This goes on a couple of minutes, my hands moving all over his body. A car door slams next to ours and I pull back, my head falling to his shoulder.
“I have been wanting to do that for a long time,” I confess and he chuckles huskily. I sit back in my seat and buckle my seatbelt.
He starts the truck and we head home.
5
A Few Hours Later
Paisley
I take a long shower to wash off the dirt from the fight; then I walk into the living room. I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around the thought that I got into a fight with three girls tonight, the three girls who tortured me throughout high school. I hadn’t seen them for years.
Until tonight.
Liam is leaning back in the recliner watching TV. He looks up when I walk into the room. He studies me. I am wearing another one of his shirts, which I stole right from his suitcase, and a pair of baggy sweats.
I am nervous and, honestly, slightly ashamed of myself for fighting, because that is not me, but I felt like it needed to be done. I had a deep sinking feeling their shit was going to start because Liam is back.
Liam pats his lap, and I stare at the very lap he just patted. He wants me to sit there? I suck my bottom lip between my teeth thinking, what should I do?
That last time I was in his lap an erection was under me.
His eyes narrow and he curls his finger, motioning for me to come over. Throwing caution to the wind, I walk to him. He smirks and, leaning forward, he grabs my hips and sets me right in his lap.
“Now was that so hard?”
My mind goes back to the restaurant—his dick. Yeah, you don’t want me answering that. “Yeah, it was.” I sigh, like it was the hardest thing in the world for me to do.
He leans farther back in the seat, pulling me along with him. My head rests under his chin. “I missed you, Liam.” Moments like these make me think.
His hand runs up my arm, to my shoulder blade, to my neck, causing me to shiver. “I missed you too, Baby.” His voice is so deep. God, his voice has only gotten deeper over the years. It’s deep, rusty, and just absolutely amazing—it sends shivers down my spine.
Tonight was our first date, and that part of the night was absolutely amazing. Those girls came along and tried to ruin it, and Liam stopped one of them from jumping me.
I snort loudly, and he jolts under me. “What’s funny?” he grumbles in that voice. Goodness me.
“You grabbed her by her hair.” I laugh, remembering the sight of her face when he told her not to jump me.
He chuckles, going back to running his hand over my arms and shoulders. “That shit doesn’t fly with me.”
Smirking, I say confidently, “I probably could have taken her.”
He laughs loudly, his head thrown back. I smack his chest lightly. “What? You think I couldn’t?” I sit back, looking at him.
He looks serious, his hand coming up to cup the side of my face. “Sure you could, Baby, you’re a badass.”
He is totally mocking me. “You better not be—” I don’t finish. His lips are on mine once again. My eyes shut. I don’t think I will ever get used to the feeling of his lips.
One hand is curled around my face, controlling my movements. His lips move over mine, like he is making love to them. Pulling, sucking, and licking. His other hand is stroking my back tenderly under my shirt. I shift myself in his lap until I am straddling him. I just want to get closer.
My hand sinks into his hair and, as he sits up, my back arches. His dick is growing harder and harder under me. It’s literally taking everything in me not to grind myself against him.
He grabs my ass, and I jolt and accidentally press myself hard against him. I can feel my face turning hot with embarrassment.
He stops kissing me, his eyes on my face. Oh my god, he can see me blushing. He smiles sweetly—he can tell, for sure. “Paisley, Baby, never be embarrassed. If it was up to me, I would be making you come over and over. You’re not ready for that, yet.”
He is right. We may have been friends for a while, but we haven’t explored this part of us yet—this is new territory.
My face is still burning with embarrassment as he moves toward me, and my eyes close, thinking he is about to kiss me, but instead he starts kissing my entire face. I laugh, trying to push him away, but he continues kissing me everywhere, and his fingers dig into my sides.
“Mercy!” I scream, tears rolling down my face from laughing so hard.
He finally relents, a beautiful full smile on his face. “You’re so beautiful.” He pulls me into a hug.
Is he not the sweetest man alive?
God must really love me—or I must have done something that he is proud of—to have blessed me with such a man.
My mind wanders to the thought of sleeping in his arms all night long, something I have often fantasized about.
“Want to cuddle with me? Sleep in my bed tonight?” My words come out in a rush, before my brain can catch on.
He never says a word, but stands up with me in his arms. I guess that he is for it. He pulls back the blanket and sets me down on the sheet.
He settles down beside me, grabbing the remote off the nightstand, and turns on the TV. It lights the room with a soft glow. I scoot over in the bed, making more room, and he lies down beside me. I take my cue and lay my head on his hard, muscular chest.
Liam
I look down at her, lying on my chest, her hair fanned out behind her. She is beautiful; it’s hard to believe that I am with her right now.
I have wanted her for ten long fucking years and, a couple of times during my years as a SEAL, I thought I might never come home. The thought of her, home, and the prospect of us being together someday kept me going.
Tonight those three fucking bitches reared their heads once more. They made her life hell throughout high school. They were her friends until the moment the janitor attacked her, and then everything changed.
They did shit that I never knew about until years later. Paisley held on to the fact that they were her friends at one point in time. She isn’t a violent person; she’d rather talk through shit. But tonight, she did exactly what she needed to do and beat the shit out of them.
I am not that fucking way. I’d rather knock you the fuck out than deal with your shit. I have always had this overwhelming need to protect her from the world, to protect her sweetness. She has been a huge part of me since she was sixteen and staring at me with her big eyes.
A hand pats my face. “Go to sleep, Liam,” she whispers, dropping her hand and snuggling in deeper.
I smile into the dark room. This is what I have waited so many fucking years for.
My Paisley.
Paisley
I stare at the entrance to the hospital in dismay. I want to be anywhere but here. I want to spend every minute with Liam I possibly can.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, but I continue staring at the hospital.
“I don’t want to work today.” I cross my arms across my chest, pouting.
He laughs, his hand wrapping around my throat gently and pulling me over, and he kisses the side of my face. “I will be waiting for you here, when you’re off.”
I smile. “That will be the highlight of my day.”
His eyes darken, his hand tightening on me. “Fuck yeah, it is.” He spli
ts the distance between us and kisses me with a deep, raw passion that makes my toes curl.
I pull away, biting my bottom lip. “My day is already better.” I wink and step out of the car.
“Paisley, what did I say about that shit?”
I laugh and wait for him to walk around the truck. He grabs my hand and walks me to the front door. It’s only a few feet away, but Liam is extremely protective. He has been that way since we were teenagers. But now? He is on another playing field.
We walk inside the door, and he leans down and kisses me one last time. My fingers twist into his shirt as I kiss him back hard.
I break free, kiss his cheek, and reluctantly let him go., His hand is firmly planted on my ass. I blush, stepping back.
“Bye, Baby,” he says and I walk through the door, waving at him.
Liam
I’ve gotten a text from Kyle every hour telling me to come meet the new prospects, who have been going through the process for six months already. It’s not easy becoming a full-fledged member. It takes a full two years of experience to even be considered. They want my opinion on these guys, and that’s why I am here.
The five prospects stand up as I walk into the club. Respect, check one. I look all of them over. I can tell three of them are military and the other two are not. I like the three military guys instantly. “Military?” I ask them, since they are in the front. The other two guys are already sitting down, looking almost fucking bored.
“Marines, my name is Shane.” He shakes my hand, looking me dead in the eye. Check number fucking two.
The other guy stands up. “Marines also, Brett.”
Now the last guy. I finally get a good fucking look at him. “No fucking way. Tyler?” He laughs and hugs me.
We were in basic together, but then we were sent to different bases. “How have you been, man?” I ask and he steps back.
“I just got out a year ago. I remember you talking about the MC and decided why not give it a go? How’s Paisley?” he asks, giving me a sly fucking smile.