by Malone, Nana
“What do you mean you hate pink? Isn’t that what those reality girls always wear? You love those shows.”
Becca rolled her eyes. “Because I love to make fun of them and their trumped-up drama. I’m not actually one of them.”
He blinked as if the thought had never occurred to him. “Okay, I get it, you’re ticked off, and maybe I could have paid more attention. If you want to get married in Podunk, New Jersey, I’m there. We’re still all booked for the Ironman, and we can just use the resort for the honeymoon. And I’ll spend more time with you. Hell, we should be training together anyway. And you’ll see. I’ll make this right. You just need some time to sleep on this. When you wake up, you’ll see that I’m right. We’ll—”
What the hell would it take to make him listen to her? “I know this tactic of yours, Holden. It’s the same one you use for sales leads. I’m not one of those. I’m a person.” She licked her lips. “Do you know what I’m most afraid of? What terrifies me and gives me nightmares? Do you know?” The bile rose in her throat as she thought of the cloying suffocation.
His voice softened. “Of course, and I promise to always be there to kill your spiders.”
She stared at him, unblinking, as his words sunk in. Then she remembered the night they’d been in her room and she’d seen one on the wall. Admittedly she’d freaked, but come on, it was a spider. Who actually liked spiders?
But he thought her squealing amounted to terrifying nightmares? She ground her teeth. “Spiders do not keep me up at night. They don’t make me feel like I’m being suffocated. I’m afraid of water.” Once the words were out, she shuddered and couldn’t stop them. “I almost drowned when I was a kid. I can still feel the pressure of the water on my lungs. I still remember struggling to reach the surface, but sucking in mouthfuls of water instead. I remember the way it burned. I relive it when I close my eyes at night.”
He shook his head. “But you’ve been going swimming.”
“I’ve been taking lessons so I could survive the honeymoon that you planned. I didn’t have the heart to tell you that it was going to be a bust if I drowned.”
“You really think a few lessons were going to prepare you for the Ironman? See, Becca, this is a perfect example of why I make decisions for you. You don’t think things through.”
She cracked her neck and only by sheer will resisted the temptation to slap him. If only Van were here. She’d have annihilated his ass by now. “I. Am. Not. Some. Flighty. Airhead! I never wanted to do the goddamn Ironman. That was you thinking for me again. I only wanted to survive a honeymoon where there might be a pool or a beach and maybe some kayaking.” She sniffed. “Looks like I wasted my time because that honeymoon is clearly not going to happen.”
She left the ring where it was and stalked to his front door.
“Becca. Wait, dammit. I’m still talking to you.”
Becca shook her head. “Well, I don’t have anything else to say to you.”
She opened his front door, and he stayed her with his hand. “I’m not letting it end this way.”
She tilted her chin and met his gaze. “Too bad for you that you don’t have any say in that.”
Chapter Twelve
Becca blinked away tears as she left Holden’s building. How could she have been so wrong about him? More importantly how had she dealt with his condescending bullshit for this long?
But mostly she felt like an idiot. Like she’d made this bed only to find that there was a broken spring in it.
Once safely in the hidden confines of her car, she allowed the tears to spill. With shaky hands she called Van. It rang and rang, but eventually went to voicemail. “Where are you, Van? I could use some sassy wit right now. Call me.”
She didn’t want to go home. There was still so much of Holden’s stuff there. She’d have to pack it up, and they’d eventually have to do the sad exchange. But the last thing she wanted to do was see anything that reminded her of him.
Before she even registered what she was doing, she scrolled through her contacts to Liam. Hovering over his name, she debated not calling him, but she needed to talk to someone. She needed to feel like her. Her thumb slid over the call button and she waited as the phone rang.
It rang four times, before a breathless Liam picked up. “Becca?”
“Hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”
“No, it’s cool.” He paused. “Are you okay? You sound like you’ve been crying.”
“I—” What was she supposed to say that? She would be okay, but right about now she felt like sludge she’d scraped off her Prada pumps. “I guess I wanted to hear your voice. Had a pretty crappy day is all.”
She could hear the concern in his voice. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Her answer surprised her. “Actually, I was thinking, uhm, if you had a minute, maybe I could go for a swim. I don’t know. I—actually want to be in the water. Accomplish something. Is that crazy?”
“Not crazy at all. You’re starting to relax in the water, and it feels good to you. It can be really calming.”
“I know it’s an imposition, and we don’t have a lesson scheduled, and I’m seeing you Friday, but…” Her voice trailed.
He was quick to answer. “No. Not an imposition. I want to hear from you if you’re having a bad day. Thing is, I’ve already left the pool. How about a glass of wine, and we can hang out at my place. Not exactly what I planned for our first date, but I’d like to see you.”
His place? Her body warmed at the thought. All alone with no one to interrupt them? “Yeah, okay.” Adrenaline replaced the anger and disappointment, and suddenly, she was in a better mood than she’d been in all day.
After he gave her his address, it didn’t take her long to get to his place in North Park. He lived in one of the newer lofts near 30th. The building was one of those modern masterpieces that brought a hint of warmth.
Becca paused outside his door as nerves held her temporarily frozen in place. This is Liam. In a few weeks of lessons, he already knows you better than Holden did after a year. Immediately, the tension rolled off her shoulders, and she knocked.
It took him less than five seconds to open the door, as if he’d been waiting for her. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she mumbled awkwardly.
Liam studied her for a minute then pulled her in for a hug. With his strong arms around her, holding her tight to him, everything from the day seeped away. None of it mattered anymore. She wrapped her arms around him and returned the hug.
When he drew back, he studied her for a moment, then dipped his head and placed a soft kiss on her lips. The spark of electricity startled her into a gasp. Yeah, the man was potent, no doubt about that.
Liam released her quickly and stepped back to let her inside. “You looked like you needed a hug.”
She grinned. “You’re right about that.” She followed him into his living room and noticed the game on the television. “Did I interrupt?”
“No.” He clicked off the TV. “It was serving as background noise while I paced and waited for you.”
She giggled. “I find it hard to believe you were pacing for me.”
“It’s true.” He inclined his head toward the kitchen. “Red or white?”
“Red.” She couldn’t help exploring his place a little as he retrieved glasses. His furniture was clearly expensive, and tasteful. Most of it looked broken in, like he actually used the couch and chairs instead of owning show pieces. The pictures on the wall were a mixture of pop art, traditional art work, and movie posters. She noticed one on the wall for Spider Man. “So, Robin, do you want to explain how you’re cheating on me with Spidey?”
His laughter boomed. “A friend of mine was part of the production. I did some design work on his condo, so I got one of the original movie posters.”
“Design work?”
He handed a glass to her, which she took gratefully. “Believe it or not, I actually have a real job as an architect. I took leave in order to
help my mom, but I hope to get back to it one of these days.”
“I don’t know how I feel about this.”
“About me being an architect?”
“About you cheating on me with Spiderman.”
The corners of his lips tipped up into a smile. “I promise, I have room in my heart for both of you.”
She took a sip of wine. “I love your place. Did you design it yourself? The full length windows are my favorite feature.”
“I didn’t design the building, but the interior is my brainchild. I like it, too, though I wish I’d given consideration to the noise factor on Fridays and Saturdays. With the bar and restaurants kitty corner to this place, it can get a little crazy.”
“Do you ever feel...exposed?” She stood by one of the windows and looked out. A similar apartment complex stood across the street. “I mean, with the big windows and all?”
He moved beside her. “I didn’t want to put up blinds—I like the openness—so I had a special reflective film put on the glass. I can see out, but no one can see in.”
It wasn’t until they sat that he asked, “So what has your pretty eyes so red?”
She chewed her bottom lip. Why was she so upset? She didn’t want to be with Holden. Then finally it hit her. “You know how people have this impression of you that’s not at all accurate, but somehow you find yourself playing into their expectations?”
“Yeah. I know exactly how that feels.”
“Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong out here. Like everyone speaks a different language. Like no matter what I do, everyone only sees me a certain way. Most of the people I work with treat me like I’m a Martian because I’m not into the latest Paleo fad diet or running the latest marathon. People can be so dismissive and treat me like I’m an idiot who can’t put two thoughts together.”
“I don’t think you’re an idiot.”
She sighed. “I know that. Just...in general. In my last job, I was used to being on my shit, you know? No one questioned me.”
He reached out and toyed with a wayward curl. “So what happened, exactly? Why did you leave?”
“My boss was my mentor. She was terrific. Really showed me the ropes. Gave me skills I could use in any industry. But then, she married and moved with her husband to London. My new boss wasn’t so into the mentoring idea. And moving up became impossible. I thought it was because he didn’t feel like I was ready for a promotion. But he gave the job to someone with less experience in my department. Turns out he was dating her.”
“Shit. Sorry. He’s an asshole.”
Becca tipped her chin up. “Yeah, I know. So I got this job and a fresh start. I thought it was the answer.” She blushed. “Sorry, this is boring. You don’t want to hear about this. How was your day? I realize I don’t know much about you other than you’re a hell of a swim teacher, especially if you can deal with me.”
“First of all, not boring. I want to know about you. You have a way of looking at things that makes me smile.”
She studied him. “You realize you’re deflecting, right? Every time I ask you about yourself, you brush it off.”
Liam shrugged. “Not much to tell.”
She laughed. “You’re doing it again.”
He grinned. “Okay, fair enough. My dad is a huge asshole. Showed up tonight to read me the riot act for sending Henry to his main competition. He thinks I did it to get back at him.”
Becca frowned. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“You sound so sure of me.”
“You forget, I saw you with those kids. You really care about them. You would only do what you hope would be best for them.”
“Yeah, well, I told him as much, and he didn’t buy it. I don’t know, maybe he’s right.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m sorry, but I’m not a fan of your dad right now.”
He laughed. “Yeah, well. Join the club.” He reached for her nearly empty glass and placed it on the coffee table next to his. Tugging her up, he interwove their fingers. “Come on, follow me.”
“Where are we going?”
He led her to the window and pointed to Alexander’s restaurant. “That’s where I was going to take you on Friday.”
“I’ve heard great reviews.” It had been touted as one of the most romantic restaurants in San Diego.
“The food is killer.” His thumb stroked over her knuckles. “I had planned on doing this differently. Feed you, entertain you, the whole thing. But you’re standing here with me, and I keep thinking of how you taste.”
* * *
Liam prayed he wasn’t rushing things. Every cell in his body wanted Becca and wanted her now, right here.
Her voice was low, her brown eyes round. “How I taste?”
He placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her face to kiss her. Before he did, he trailed his thumb over her bottom lip and nodded. “You have a unique flavor. I feel like I can drown in you. I love the way your lips feel.”
She didn’t wait for him to kiss her. Instead, she lifted to the balls of her feet, looping her arms around his neck, and slid her lips over his.
Her lips were warm and tasted like wine...and Becca. He gorged himself on those lips and she moved closer, pressing her full breasts against his chest. Using his tongue, he parted her lips and dove deeper, needing to have more of her.
Suddenly, she made a little squeak in the back of her throat and broke the kiss. She took a step backward and smacked into the window. “Ouch!”
He released her immediately but couldn’t help chuckling as he ran his hand over the back of her head. “You okay?”
“Yes. No. Not really. I mean, I want you. But I…”
“Afraid to jump into the deep end?”
She heaved a sigh, causing her breasts to rub against his chest, and he bit back a moan.
“You know me so well. How is that possible?”
He put his hands on the sides of her neck and stroked her skin with his thumbs. “I actually don’t know you at all, Becca, but I want to.”
She licked her bottom lip. Her breath hitched. “And I...I want you to.”
“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.”
“Not at all. It’s just...I recently broke up with my boyfriend.”
Ah. So she was on the rebound. He should show her the door, but he wasn’t willing to let her go. It felt too good to be with her. “And you’re scared to jump into a new relationship?”
“With anyone else, I would be. With you, I’m not scared of anything.”
“You sure about that?”
Her nod was adamant.
Thank God. He lowered his mouth to her ear. “I want to kiss you until you don’t care about anything or anyone.”
She made a little noise again. Not a squeak...closer to a moan.
“And I’ve been dying to touch you,” he whispered. He lifted the hem of her shirt, trailing his fingers along her warm skin to the edge of her bra. Slowly, he dragged his thumb over the soft lace to her nipple. “Right here.”
Her body arched into him as if begging for more.
He’d gladly oblige.
He moved his mouth across her cheek, laying soft kisses on her as he went until he was looking down into her eyes again. He drew slow circles over her nipple, drawing it into a tight bud.
Another moan broke from her lips, this one louder.
She slid her hands into his hair and dragged him to her, fusing their lips together. Becca slipped her tongue into his mouth, and his brain short circuited. With a low growl, he palmed her breast, testing the weight as he pressed her up against the glass.
A shudder ran through her body as he unhooked her bra. She didn’t complain when he broke free of her embrace and lifted her shirt over her head. She lowered her arms and let her bra slide to the floor. Dear God, her breasts could be a wonder of the world, they were so lush.
He had to touch her, feel her satin skin. He wanted to watch her nipples tighten to stiff beads for him. With a low groan, he k
issed her again. When she opened her mouth and licked his bottom lip, mimicking what he’d done to her, he cursed.
Heat exploded in his body and his cock throbbed, begging for relief. He filled his hands with her breasts and pressed his erection into her belly. “You’re so beautiful, Becca. Do you know that?”
“And smart,” she added with a grin.
He laughed, and so did she. “And smart, and courageous, and generous...should I go on?”
“No, you should kiss me again and lose those jeans.”
His hands moved to her waist, and he turned her to face the glass window. “You first.”
She unhooked her jeans and he shimmied them down her legs, sliding down to kiss the back of her thighs as he went. He tossed the pants over his shoulder before he propped her hands against the glass. She bit her lip, and he eyed her in the reflection.
She was beautiful and smart and funny. There was something about her that made him want to take care of her and cherish her in a way that he’d never taken care of anybody else. And she was here with him.
He stripped completely, holding her gaze in the window. She watched as he undressed, soaking him up with her eyes like he’d done to her.
“Your body is amazing,” she whispered. Her gaze dropped to his swollen cock, and she licked her lips again. “Really, really amazing. It’s like you were carved.”
Her voice was low and throaty and dripped with sex and longing. His cock jumped, aching to be inside her. “One second…”
He disappeared into the bathroom, came back with a condom. She watched with interest as he sheathed himself. When he was done, he drew up behind her. Becca stayed positioned at the window, just the way he wanted her, hands on the glass, her chest rising and falling with her fast breaths, ass presented to him like an offering.
“Hurry,” she whispered.
He fingered the lace of her panties, then dragged them down over her hips. As he put his hands on her waist again, she arched her back and spread her legs.
He licked his lips as he slid a finger between her folds. Damn. She was so fucking wet. He’d planned to take it slow, but he wanted her so bad. He wasn’t sure if he could take his time. With his hands on her hips, he lined his cock up to her slick core.