by Dani René
“Hey, you don’t have to tell me this now.”
“Emma, I found him…” He takes another deep inhale, and my body is now shaking with trepidation. “…He was hanging in our bathroom three months later.” Caramel eyes that usually held such affection for me are now glazed over, and the ache in my chest for this broken man cracks my heart wide open. A loud gasp is all I manage because my mind can’t fathom how a sixteen-year-old boy wouldn’t be severely scarred after seeing something like that.
“Liam, I am so sorry. I mean, there isn’t anything I can say that will make it right or okay…” My voice trails off when he looks at me.
“There’s more.” He offers a rueful smile. “I am, was, well… Fuck. I was an addict for a long time. I was in and out of rehab for years. My brother dragged my ass back and forth. I would be sitting behind bars, or worse, lying dead somewhere if it weren’t for him. I fucked women because they were objects. I treated them like shit because most of the time I didn’t know what I was doing. The next morning, I wouldn’t remember anything.” His voice is a low growl. “I’m still battling a lot of that. Every day is an uphill battle. The ache to pick up a bottle, the need to drink runs in my veins. Jesus, I can’t even stay clean for very long.”
Lifting me, he places me on the sofa and pushes up, stalking to the fireplace. With one hand gripping the brick mantel, I watch the muscles in his back tense. His knuckles are white with the tight grasp he has on the brick, and I am certain it’s going to crumble.
It’s quiet, but I can hear his deep breaths. The tears I have been holding on to spill as I blink. “Liam, please don’t push me away. Everybody has skeletons in their closet. Life isn’t easy. It’s difficult, shit, but you’re stronger than that.” He turns slowly and methodically, his gaze is heated and sad at the same time, making my head spin.
“I wish I could give you what you want and what you need, but I shouldn’t be in a relationship. I’m too vulnerable and I become dependent. If it didn’t work out, I’d break. My willpower is non-existent.”
“So, you’re just walking away?” My question hovers between us, and he shrugs, which makes me angry. “Look, I can’t begin to understand what you went through. But to be honest with you, I think you’re pushing me away out of fear. You’re scared to let someone love you because you don’t love yourself.”
“You don’t understand.” The frustration in his tone is clear, and he’s right, I don’t understand. “I can’t do this. If I fall off the wagon and do anything, like hurt you...”
“You won’t. Liam don’t—”
“It’s what I do, Emma!” His voice booms through the living room. “I will not be able to live with myself if I did.” With that, he storms away, leaving me gaping at his outburst. All I hear is the slamming of his bedroom door as he shuts himself away again.
He is so infuriating. He doesn’t have to treat me like I’m fragile. The truth hurts more with him shutting me out. Padding to my room, I shut the door with a soft click and grab my phone. I know it’s late, but my sister will have to listen to me whine. As soon as I hear her voice, tears well in my eyes.
“Em, are you okay?”
“Liam, he’s… I mean…” A frown furrows my brows.
“I know. Callum’s on the phone with him. God, can either one of you ever behave yourselves?” Her incredulous tone would have me giggling if I wasn’t so heartbroken. I like Liam, a lot. More than I want to admit. But the fact that he’s gone to his brother for advice makes me feel better about our fight. Perhaps he’ll see reason.
“Well, he’s being an ass.”
“And how do you figure that, little sister?”
She saw us together in London. She can’t tell me that she doesn’t remember the way he treated me, like I was precious to him. Even Callum saw it because he told me he’d never seen his brother smile so much. “Tay, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed it. We work. Me and him. In our fucked-up-ness, we work.” She’s quiet and I know she’s contemplating my words.
“I don’t want you to get hurt. You do realize you can’t change him, right? You need to accept him as is and just be there. What if things get rough? Are you going to run like you always do?” Her words sink into my heart. She’s right. Every time I have ever had something difficult to deal with, I’ve fled. When my parents told me they were moving to London, I jumped at the chance to go. Running from the boy who wanted me to move in with him, when I realized he was in love with me and I couldn’t handle the pressure of a long-term relationship. Every time life threw me a curveball, I dodged it and made my escape. Can I handle Liam at his worst? If it came to that, I think I could. Although it’s not enough to think. I need to be sure.
“I told you to keep your dick in your pants, but you never listen, do you?” Callum’s voice is low. He’s probably worried Tayla will overhear.
“I told her. She knows about everything.” He knows how difficult it is for me to talk about shit. About my past.
“Everything?” His question grates me.
“Yes, everything.”
His heavy sigh comes through the line. “Are you sure you’re not going to fuck this up? Because you know this isn’t a game to her. If you hurt her…”
“I know. Don’t lecture me.” I plead. I want him to trust me.
His response is brutal, but honest. “I don’t have a choice, brother.” Crashing onto my bed, I shut my eyes. All I see are those pretty brown ones. That long, flowing brown hair. Those amazing tits. Groaning, I push up off the bed. “She could be your salvation, but you need to decide if you’re willing to take the chance and follow through. Do you understand?”
“Yeah.” My body’s in pain. The tour took a toll on me and the upcoming local shows will be our last—we all know it. Cal doesn’t want to admit it, but I can’t do this anymore. The knock on my door drags me from my worried thoughts. “Give me a second,” I call out. “I got to go, I’ll see you in a few days.” Once I’ve hung up, I push off the bed.
As soon as I open the bedroom door, those big doe eyes peer up at me. “Hey.” Her voice is wary, but fuck, she’s so beautiful.
“Hey.” A soft pink dusts her cheeks and her plump rose-colored lips quirk into a smile. “You’re an ass, Liam Hayes.”
Nodding, I can’t help but smirk. “Yeah, I know, darling. I have been for a long time and I lost it back there. The pressure of not going down a dark road again is a lot to take on for me.”
“I thought you just wanted to be single so you could fuck anything with two legs.” That smart mouth. I chuckle at her, but the glare she pins me with has the sound hanging in the space between us. Reaching up, I stroke her cheek with the back of my fingers. Her skin is like silk under my touch.
“Peach, if I just wanted to fuck anything with two legs, I wouldn’t be standing here now, making my choice.”
She’s perfect and I’ve never felt like a man worthy of much, but as I look at her, and I mean really take her in, I can see the happiness beaming from her.
“So you’re not going to man-whore yourself anymore?”
“No, baby. If you want this, then I do too.” I pull her closer. The stress that permeates my thoughts is gone. “I want to take you on a date tomorrow,” I mumble in her hair.
“I would like that.” She peers up at me smiling.
* * *
I’ve decided to take her to dinner and show her the side of me that women have never seen. As we pull up to the small diner, my fingers find her lower back as I lead her beside me. This is outside of my comfort zone, being on a date.
Once we’re seated, I ask the waitress for a bottle of sparkling water, and we peruse our menus. Although, there’s something else that has my attention and she’s sitting across from me. “Are you going to stare at me all night, Mr. Hayes?” Emma’s teasing will get her a spanking later, but I can’t stop myself from smiling.
“I am. There’s a beautiful woman in my company, and I can’t take my eyes off her.” She drops her chin, and I
can see the blush on her cheeks. I may not be the romantic type, but with her, I’m willing to try.
“I like you, Liam. I know this isn’t going to be easy, but I want to be here.” The sincerity in her tone tugs at my heart, and my emotions are all over the place.
“I like you, baby.” I reach for her hand and she slips hers into mine. When our skin touches, it’s as if there’s a fire scorching me. Electricity flows between us, and as scared as I was, and still am, I know this woman will be there for me through anything.
With all the shit I’ve been through, I want nothing more than to show her I can be what she needs. In the bedroom and out of it. The waitress comes back with our water, a Coke for myself, and Emma’s fruit juice. Seeing her order something non-alcoholic is evidence enough that this woman cares. That she’ll own my heart. Somewhere deep down, I know she owns it already.
* * *
I can’t believe it’s Friday already. Spending this past week with Emma has given me new confidence to work at a relationship with her. Spending time with her as a couple has been eye-opening. The radio blares as we make our way to Napa. Her parents opted to stay in LA today and head up for the wedding tomorrow morning. Yesterday was probably my favorite day. I made her a special dinner and gave her the honesty I’m slowly learning to come to terms with.
“When did you become so romantic, drummer boy?” Her naughty gaze is pinned on me, watching my every move. I’ve lit candles all around the living room. The dinner I cooked, from scratch, is plated and waiting for us to devour it. But I take my time, walking her to the table, pulling out the chair, and waiting on her, bringing her a glass of wine. I know she’d rather not drink, but I am strong enough to get through a dinner. I know I can.
“Since I met this girl, you see, she’s seemingly turned my world upside down,” I say as I slip into the seat opposite her. Picking up my sparkling water, I wait for her to do the same with her wine glass. “You’re an incredible force of nature. Like a tornado crashing into my life, knocking me on my ass, you’ve taught me to feel more in a few days than I have in months, years even. I want us to work, Emma.” When I finish my speech, I see the tears shimmering in her eyes. Without another word, she nods.
“Me, too.” Those two words are my anchor, holding me steady in the uncertainty that my life has become..
The drive to Napa was long, but having my girl beside me was perfect. As I pull up to the vineyard, I park the SUV and jump out, rounding the car to help Emma. As I’m pulling the luggage out of the trunk, my brother and Tayla join us. The sisters hug each other, and I can tell they’ve missed one another.
“Brother, are you two okay?” I glance at Callum and nod with a big smile. He returns it, and the tension in him fades.
“Liam, you big oaf.” Tayla grabs me in a tight hug, and I lift her, spinning her around. Her squeal is loud and I chuckle. She’s a slight, petite little thing, both sisters are. As we head inside, I turn to my sister-in-law.
“Your folks will drive up alone. They asked if they could have a day in LA, so they’ll arrive tomorrow.” She nods.
“Mom called and told me. Thanks for waiting for them.”
“It’s no problem, let’s get checked in, baby.” I turn to my girl, and everyone stares at me. “What?” Callum chuckles and slaps me on the back.
“Just never thought I’d see the day, brother.” His words ring true because I never thought I’d see the day, either. It’s been a long time coming, but I know that I need to change. I want to change.
As soon as Emma and I are checked in, we make our way to the room. It’s spacious and the bed is huge—perfect for long nights of making love. “This is amazing.” She twirls around and the shorts she’s wearing have my eyes glued to her pert little ass, making my mouth water. I think she should tattoo “Peach” on it. I’d bite it every day.
“Kierra, have you and Ryan done the nasty? I mean the way you two look at each other, it’s as if you’re about to rip each other to shreds.” The three of us are sitting at a small, round table in the cellar of the winery, drinking the most incredible Merlot I’ve ever had.
“No, we have not done anything.” Her tone is incredulous, but I can’t help giggling. “We’re not… I can’t be with him, not yet.” We all nod and gulp down more alcohol, which seems to be warming me up.
“You two should get it over with, just take the plunge. He wants you and you want him, it’s obvious.” My sister’s voice is soft as I pull my beeping phone from my purse and Liam’s name blinks at me.
*Get up, walk up the stairs, turn right. *
Slipping my phone back into my purse, I turn to Tayla. “Watch my purse, I need to find the restroom.” The girls nod as I head toward the staircase.
I reach the top of the stairs and turn right, as instructed. It’s quiet, and I’m sure we came in through the other hallway. Suddenly, a hand tugs me into a room and I am plunged into darkness. “My sweet, sexy Peach. I need you.” Liam’s deep baritone is hoarse. I recognize the lust in his tone.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you boys supposed to be having a bachelor party?” I hiss into the dark. He’s got me pinned between his hard body and the wall. The heat of his breath fans over my cheek, and a whimper slips from my lips when I feel his tongue trace the shell of my ear.
“This”—his hand drops between my legs—“is what I want to do. This sweet pussy needs attention, and I’m aching to fuck you deep and hard.” Suddenly, he spins me around and pulls me with him. The office we’re in overlooks the restaurant and the tasting room.
There are people milling around the high tables, and the dining room is packed. “What are you doing?” The window allows us to see them, but can they see us?
“I told you, I’m going to fuck you. Hands on the window.” I obey his command and bend at the waist. He lifts my short red skirt over my hips. When he takes in the thong I’m wearing, I hear another deep growl.
“You like?” I wiggle my ass toward him, and a loud slap rains down on my ass cheek, eliciting a yelp from me.
“Don’t fucking tease me, baby.” He presses against me, and I feel his thick erection against me. His rough hands grip my ass and he growls. “Mine.”
I hear shuffling, then without warning I’m filled, stretched, taking him deep inside my body. People shuffle around below us as he fucks me, sending waves of pleasure through my body. My blood heats with desire, and my orgasm tightens low in my stomach. That familiar pleasure, the ache easing with every slow thrust of his thick, hard cock. My toes curl as desire coils like a snake, tightening, tugging, waiting to strike. It’s hot, dirty, and I love being fucked while people unknowingly wander around downstairs.
“Liam… please?” The words strangle in my throat as his fingers find my clit, rubbing slow circles around it, teasing me. Keeping me on the precipice of oblivion. The ache burns from my core, deep within my very being.
“You’re so fucking perfect, my gorgeous girl.” His words are strained with his own pleasure, his release not far off. “I want you with me, baby. I want that pretty pussy to squeeze me, to soak me in your sweet fucking cum that I’m going to draw from your very fucking soul.” His words ignite a primal ache in my gut, and I fly over the edge as his fingers pinch my sensitive bud.
Liam’s body locks, and his ejection thickens inside me, filling me more than I ever thought was possible. His hot seed shooting inside me. Owning me. Making me his.
We stand silently, catching our breath. He softens inside me, and when he slips out, I can’t help wincing at the emptiness I feel without him.
“Let me clean you up baby.”
“That was naughty, Liam.” I giggle, watching him on his knees in front of me, cleaning me with the tissue he pulled from his jeans pocket. I smooth my skirt down and glance at my favorite panties, now a ripped scrap of material on the floor.
“I’ll take care of this.” He grabs them and shoves them in his jeans.
“And you expect me to walk around the rest of t
he night without underwear?” I stare at him in the dimly lit room.
“Yes, and when you get to the hotel room later, I’m going to make you come again on my tongue, my fingers, and then my cock.” A cheeky wink, and then he laces his fingers through mine.
“I really need the restroom,” I whisper as we head toward the staircase.
“Okay, darling. I’ll be at the table.” I nod and plant a soft kiss on his scruffy cheek. His stubble is a day old and feels incredible against my heated skin.
He heads downstairs and I turn to find the restrooms. They were down here somewhere. I love how Liam takes charge with me, makes me feel cared for, cherished, and wanted. I would almost say loved.
It’s only been a few days that we’ve been dating. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I know I’m falling for him. It’s something I never wanted to do. Fall in love. But with Liam, it comes naturally. That need to be with him all the time. Every second of the day.
I push open the door of the ladies’ and find it empty. A cold breeze has goosebumps rise on my skin. I’m going to kill him for making me walk around without panties. Heading into one of the stalls, I lock the door. I can hear the soft music and voices from downstairs filter up.
At the sink, I glance in the mirror and gasp at my messy hair and rake my fingers through it. The warmth of the wine and the buzz of the orgasm still has my body thrumming.
As I turn to leave, the door clicks and I come face-to-face with familiar eyes. My heart kicks in my chest, and my body is no longer thrumming with pleasure, but shivering with fear. Cold, gray eyes bore into me—an evil glint visible in them—and I step back instinctively. “This is the ladies’ room.”
“Oh, I know that, love.” A thick English/American accent has recognition hitting me. It’s him. Even in the dim light, I can recognize that it’s the man who stalked me in London.