She must have been mistaken.
She spent the afternoon refining her ideas on the sketch pad but was constantly distracted by her stupid awareness of everything that Liam said and did—who he was talking to, where he was standing, what he was saying. She didn’t want to be, but she was.
She’d seen a new side to him today. The Liam she’d known twelve years ago had been a quiet, intense loner, a young man grieving for his mother and trying to pull his life together. He’d survived a brutal childhood dodging his abusive father’s blows, and he’d been touchingly grateful for the small, everyday kindnesses the Fords had shown him. She’d fallen in love with the moments of vulnerability she’d seen in him, with his innate strength and goodness, and, yes, with his handsome good looks and lean, muscular body.
The adult Liam still had the air of a loner. He was still intense. But there was a confidence in him now, a quiet certainty to everything he did. He knew who he was, understood his place in the world. Probably because he’d carved it out himself.
He was an admirable man. Sexy, strong, determined. The kind of man a woman could build a life with.
She smiled bitterly to herself as she stared down at her sketch pad. Build a life. Who was she kidding? She had nothing to offer a man like Liam, or any man, for that matter.
She closed her eyes for a long moment.
Can’t change the past, Zoe, she told herself. She knew it was true, but sometimes…
It had been a long time since she’d cried for herself, but the advent of Liam in her life had awakened all the old hurts. She made her way to the bathroom and sat on the closed toilet lid, her hands gripping her knees as she blinked back tears.
After a while she took a deep belly breath and let it out slowly. Life went on, the world kept turning. She’d learned that lesson long ago.
She left the bathroom and went back to her workbench. She had work to do. Liam was relying on her. She might have screwed up a lot of things in her life, but she was determined not to let him down.
5
LIAM WATCHED ZOE all day. While he was on the phone he watched her. While he was supposed to be helping Vinnie work out a design problem on a high-end custom job, he watched her. If he wasn’t looking at her, he was listening to her talking to his staff, charming them with her up-front honesty and down-to-earth sense of humor. Every time the low husk of her laughter sounded in the workshop his gut tightened.
It was driving him crazy. She was driving him crazy. Something had to give.
At six that evening, Vinnie and a few of the guys road-tested a bike. They always took completed commissions for a spin before handing them over to the customer, testing brakes, steering, suspension, comfort of ride. It was a good time for the team—they liked to see the results of their hard work speeding down the road.
He was on the phone when he saw Vinnie call Zoe out to join the gang. He moved to the doorway of his office to keep her in sight, unable to help himself, even as he assured a customer that his bike would be ready on time.
Zoe was laughing as Vinnie encouraged her to get on the bike. Liam couldn’t hear what she was saying, but he could read her body language. She couldn’t ride, she was scared she’d do something wrong. The men formed a circle around the bike, each offering his own advice on what she should do. After a few minutes she slid one long leg over the bike’s saddle and reached for the handle bars. The guys let up a cheer when she revved the engine. Then Vinnie swung a leg over in front of her and encouraged Zoe to slide her arms around his waist. Someone passed her a helmet, then she and Vinnie shot out into the street in a streak of shiny chrome.
Liam ended the phone call and walked to the front of the workshop to await their return. His jaw was clenched so tightly his teeth ached. He kept seeing Zoe sliding her arms around Vinnie’s waist. It was a repeat of lunchtime when she’d been surrounded by a group of hopeful, horny men—it made him feel just a little bit crazy.
He fisted his hands beneath his armpits and kept them there when the bike turned back into the driveway ten minutes later. The guys gathered around to discuss the ride with Vinnie as Zoe slid off the bike. She pulled off the helmet and shook out her hair, laughing all the while.
She was desire personified, sex on legs, sin in human form.
She was too much.
“Zoe,” he said. “Can I have a word?”
He jerked his head to indicate she should follow him and headed for his office. He waited until she was standing in front of his desk before speaking.
“This is a place of business, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
She stared at him. “I’m aware of that. Is there some kind of problem?”
“Not yet, but there will be if you keep sashaying around shaking your ass for all the guys. This isn’t your stage show. You’re not here to impress anyone except me.”
Her hands found her hips. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I want you in work clothes tomorrow. No more tight jeans. No more tiny little T-shirts. I don’t care what you do in your spare time, but on my dime the guys don’t need to be distracted.”
She glared at him. Her jaw worked for a moment, then her chin came up. “You finished?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
He’d been expecting more from her, some lip, more fight. But she didn’t say another word, simply turned on her heel and left his office.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply. Maybe now he could get a little peace, a little sanity back into his life. Maybe if he didn’t have her gorgeous body shoved in his face all day, he’d be able to keep a grip on his need for her.
He should have known better. He should have known Zoe better, at the very least.
The next morning she strutted into work wearing a leather miniskirt, stilettos and the tiny leather vest he’d last seen onstage at Thrashed. Her eyes were smoky with kohl, her lips a deep, throbbing red. She’d straightened her hair so that it hung iron-straight around her face and down her back. The look she gave him was pure defiance as she walked to her workstation, hips swaying provocatively.
It was early and half the guys weren’t in yet. The few who were took one disbelieving, appreciative look before hastily turning away. Smart men.
Liam felt his blood begin to boil as she bent over her workbench, her long legs on display. He could almost see the lower curves of her ass, her skirt was so short. He didn’t know what he wanted to do more—spank her or get her naked as quickly as humanly possible.
“Zoe,” he said from his office doorway. “In here, now.”
She threw him a look over her shoulder. “In a minute. I need to sort some stuff out.”
She sauntered casually toward the paint storeroom, her high heels clicking on the floor. He swore under his breath, his temper getting the better of him as he strode after her.
He caught up with her easily and grabbed her by the upper arm, hauling her into the filing room, the nearest available space with a door. She shook his hand free as he kicked the door shut. He didn’t want any witnesses when he gave her a piece of his mind.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked.
“Proving a point.”
“I warned you. I told you I didn’t want my men distracted.”
“Your men. Are you sure that’s who we’re talking about, Liam? Because I’m willing to bet that exactly the same amount of work got done yesterday, to exactly the same standard as usual, despite me being around. I’m willing to bet that the only man with a problem with me is you.”
He glared at her. “You look like a hooker.”
“Today I do. Yesterday I didn’t. Interesting that you can tell the difference.”
She held his gaze, daring him to deny it.
“Your T-shirt was too tight,” he said.
Even he could hear how lame he sounded.
“No, it wasn’t. Your T-shirt is tighter. I can see every ripple on your chest through the bloody thing.”
He glanced down at hi
mself, frowning. “Your jeans were a size too small. All the guys were staring at your ass.”
“They’d have been staring at my ass no matter what I was wearing, no matter how I looked. I’m the only female on the workshop floor, for Pete’s sake.”
“That’s bullshit. No man can look at you without wanting to get you naked and you know it.”
She frowned, tilting her head to one side as she studied him. After a long moment a slow, cynical smile curled her lips.
“I get it. You don’t want me, but no one else can have me.”
He swore and ran a hand through his hair. Why did dealing with Zoe always make him feel so out of control?
“This has got nothing to do with what I want or don’t want.”
“Okay, fine. Then I’ll just go out and get to work, then,” she said.
She took a step forward and paused, clearly waiting for him to get out of the way.
“You’re not working dressed like that.”
“I thought we agreed that it wasn’t about what you wanted or didn’t want?”
She tried to push past him and he grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Jesus, Zoe. What do you want from me? What do you want to hear? Of course I want to sleep with you again. I’m not a freaking saint. But I’ve already told you that it’s a bad idea.”
She stared at him. Despite all the makeup and her hard-as-nails clothes and attitude, he could see the vulnerability and uncertainty in her.
“Why? Why is it a bad idea, Liam?”
There was a raw note to her voice, a neediness that undid him.
“Because once I start I might not be able to stop,” he said.
“Maybe I don’t want you to stop. Ever thought about that?”
His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Every goddamn minute of every goddamn day.”
Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
ZOE CLOSED HER EYES as Liam’s tongue slid along hers. He tasted of coffee and desire and her whole body went up in flames.
His arms slid around her, his palms firm on her back as he held her close and kissed her. She fisted her hands in his T-shirt and hung on as he angled her head, seeking more from her. She could feel his hard-on against her belly and she pressed her hips forward, rubbing herself against him.
His hips pressed back, grinding into her. He left her mouth, kissing his way across her cheekbone to her neck. He pulled an earlobe into his mouth, sucking and biting on it gently. Her belly clenched.
“Please, Liam,” she whispered as he traced the neckline of her vest with a finger. He unbuttoned her top and spread it wide, pressing his face into her cleavage. She felt his breath on her skin, a warm, steamy rush of air.
“So hot,” he murmured as he nuzzled her breast through the silk of her black bra. She shuddered as he opened his mouth over her nipple, pulling it, silk and all, into his mouth.
Her knees were weak she was so turned-on. She clutched at him for support.
“Easy, baby,” he said against her skin. His hands slid down to cup her backside, holding her against him.
She could feel the firmness of his thighs against hers, the rasp of his stubble on her skin, the tension in his fingers as he gripped her ass.
She wanted more. A lot more.
She slid her hands down his back to find his butt, cupping a cheek in each hand. He was so round, so firm. She gripped him through his jeans, circling her hips.
Liam made a frustrated noise and used his teeth to tug her damp bra cup down. The heat of his mouth on her bare nipple made her gasp.
“I need to be inside you, Zoe,” Liam said against her breast.
It was a question as well as a statement of desire.
“That’s what I want, too,” she said.
He walked her backward to where a table rested against the rear wall, lifting her and placing her on it. She opened her legs for him, welcoming him between them. He tugged her bra off her shoulders then reached behind her to unclip it. His gaze was hot and hungry as he looked from one breast to the other. She’d never felt more desirable or sexy in her life.
His hands found her knees and she shivered as his thumbs made small, gentle circles on the sensitive skin of her inner legs, his gaze still fixed on her breasts.
“I can’t decide what I want to do first,” he said, his voice so low it was barely audible.
“Let me give you a hint,” she said. She took his right hand and slid it up her thigh until she was pressing it against the damp satin of her panties.
His fingers curled into her, finding the edge of her underwear. She bit her lip as he slipped a finger beneath the elastic.
He groaned and lowered his head to kiss her as his single finger explored between her thighs.
She started to pant, already close to losing it.
“Zoe, I’m sorry, I have to see you properly,” Liam said. “I’ve been thinking about you so much…”
“Whatever you want.”
She loved how out of control he sounded, how desperate. She wanted him to want her, to need her as much as she needed him.
She watched with hooded eyes as he dropped to his knees in front of her. He pushed up her skirt, reaching for the sides of her panties. She lifted her butt and he slid them down her hips and over her legs. Then he was spreading her legs wide again, his expression caught somewhere between pleasure and pain as he looked at her.
His eyes lifted to meet hers for one brief, intense moment before he leaned forward. She braced her weight back on her arms as she watched his dark head draw closer and closer.
The first touch of his tongue nearly sent her over the edge. Her whole body jerked and Liam’s hands clamped on her thighs. He pressed closer, his tongue hot and wet and fast against her as he kissed her with big, greedy openmouthed hunger.
Too quickly she felt her climax rising inside her. She fought it, wanting to savor every last second. Liam’s hands slid up the outside of her thighs to her hips to draw her closer again. She tried hard to hold out, but he was so avid, so intense…
Her back arched and her thighs trembled as she came, her hips pushing against the grip of his hands. He rode out her orgasm and kept kissing her, still hungry for more.
She gasped, quivering with arousal. It was too much. He was too much. She grabbed a handful of his hair and used it to drag his head up. His gaze was unfocused, his expression distracted as he looked up at her.
“Liam. Are you trying to kill me?” she panted.
He looked dazed for a second, then he smiled sheepishly.
“If you had any idea how beautiful you are, how good you taste to me…”
A lot of men had said a lot of things to her over the years. Liam’s words blew her mind.
“Come back up here,” she said, pulling on his hair to encourage him.
He came willingly. She kissed him deeply, getting turned-on all over again by his apparently unending need for her. She reached between their bodies to find the stud on his jeans, sliding it free and unzipping him without breaking their kiss. He was hard and silky, ready for her. She wanted him inside her, filling her.
She pushed his jeans down to free him and guided his erection between her thighs. The first nudge of his hardness against her made her inner muscles tighten. Then he was sliding into her, thick and long and exactly what she needed.
He stroked into her once, twice, then his fingers gripped her hips and he stilled.
“Zoe—”
She knew what he was worried about.
“I’m safe, I promise,” she assured him. She didn’t want to be separated from him by a piece of latex. She wanted all of him against all of her.
He hesitated briefly, then he began to move again. He kissed her as his cock stroked her, his whole body hard and focused. He filled her utterly, stretched her, and every thrust sent shivers of reaction through her.
Desire tightened low in her belly for the second time. Liam broke their kiss to press his face into her neck.
“You feel
so good, Zoe. So good,” he murmured as he peppered kisses on her skin.
“So do you, Liam. You feel perfect.”
His hands tightened on her hips and he thrust deeper, harder into her. She met him thrust for thrust, tilting her hips to deepen his penetration. She felt the exact moment when he reached the end of his tether. His body slammed into hers in one final, deep stroke. He pressed his hips into hers, his mouth open on her neck. He exhaled in a rush that almost sounded like a sob. She forgot to breathe as the last shudders of his body tipped her over into her own climax. She tightened around him, milking the last of his orgasm, totally lost to everything but the feel of him in her, around her.
Her heartbeat was still pounding in her ears as Liam’s hand found the back of her head. He held her close for what felt like a long time, their bodies still locked together, his face pressed into her neck. She could feel how tense he was, could feel the bulge of his hard bicep against her back.
She wished she could see his face, wished she knew what he was thinking.
“Liam?” she finally said.
He lifted his head, then flexed his hips and withdrew from her. She felt the loss, the emptiness that he left behind. He didn’t look up as he took a step away from her, concentrating on pulling up his jeans and tucking himself away.
She dropped her own gaze to her knees. Her chest felt impossibly heavy. Just seconds ago they had been one. Now they were two very separate, distant beings. And she still had no idea what Liam felt about her—apart from the fact that, contrary to what she’d initially believed, he found her desirable.
Apparently, that wasn’t enough.
Be careful what you wish for, Zoe, she thought mockingly.
She’d wanted to see how far she could push him. That was what the skirt and the shoes and makeup had been all about. Well, now she knew. She could push him into sex. He wanted her.
But he didn’t want to want her. He resented it, resisted it.
She had a bad taste in her mouth. She recognized it: disappointment. She’d swallowed enough of it over the years to know.
She pushed herself off the table and tugged her skirt down. Her bra dangled from her elbows and she slid the straps back up her arms and hooked it closed. Liam waited until she’d pulled on her underwear before speaking.
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