Someone knocks on the door, I think. I struggle to open my eyes.
“Carly,” groans my best friend. “Go get the door.”
“No, you.”
None of us gets up. Another knock echoes in the room.
“Carlyyy!”
“No!”
Liv growls placing a foot on the floor.
“You owe me one!” she complains.
She can be so grumpy when she’s woken up!
“Thanks Liv,” I mumble between the folds of my pillow.
“Anyway, from what I understand, you probably can’t stand this morning,” she jokes as she opens the door.
I answer with a growl that’s suddenly interrupted by Liv’s cry of surprise. She slams the door shut. Did she argue with Ian last night?
I raise my head with my hair jumbled in my face. She turns to me with her mouth wide open, and her back pressed against the door.
“Carly! Liam Walker is at our door!”
“What? Do you know him?” I suddenly wonder.
“Do you!” She whispers, stunned. “Don’t tell me…”
She points her index finger to the door behind her, incapable of finishing her sentence. A timid knock taps against the wood.
“It’s him!” deduces Liv. “You’ve spent the last two nights with Liam Walker!”
“Yes,” I confirm on a puzzled tone.
How does she know him exactly? She opens the door again, trying to keep her cool.
“Mr. Walker,” she welcomes him.
“Hello,” he says, trying not to laugh. “Is Carly here?”
She turns to me grinning, then returns a calm smile to Liam.
“Just one minute!”
She closes the door and runs towards me. Is she gonna make that a habit or what? I’m sure she just beat his record of the number of times someone has closed a door in his face!
“Hurry up! You have to get ready. You can’t answer looking like this!”
“Looking like what?”
She drags me out of bed and puts me in front of the mirror. My hair is disheveled, my makeup is smeared, and I look like I haven’t slept for weeks.
“Oh shit!”
“Here! Comb your hair and throw some water on your face. I’ll get you something to wear!”
“Thank you!”
I brush my hair in a hurry, and tie it in a ponytail. Liv hands me a pair of beige shorts with a white fitted shirt that hugs my waist. She looks up at me and immediately pulls the elastic in my hair. She repositions my ponytail more loose, and a little higher on my head.
“There, that’s much better.”
I brush my teeth, mist some perfume on my neck and I’m ready. I turn to Liv to hug her.
“What would I do without you?”
“Go! He’s waiting!”
I skip to the entrance, smiling like a schoolgirl. I open the door to find Liam with hands pressed firmly against the railing, staring at the ocean stretching endlessly before him.
“Hi.” He turns to me, smiling.
“Hi.”
He walks slowly up to me, takes my face in his palm and kisses me. I stretch my arms on his shoulders to wrap them around his neck.
“Did you sleep well?” he asks.
“Amazing. And you?”
“I haven’t slept that well in a long time.”
I smile with all my teeth as he leads me to the elevators. I can see Liv through the curtains, spying on us. She beckons me to go and I mouth a thank you as I follow Liam.
“What do you want for breakfast?”
“Something light, is that okay with you?” I respond.
“No problem.”
We decide on a French bistro. He gets a muffin, and I pick out a croissant.
“Is your friend accompanying you on the island today?” he wonders.
I nod. “Liv is my best friend. We do almost everything together.”
“Really everything?”
He stares at me with a smirk. I see where he’s going.
“Not everything,” I correct laughing.
“Does she have someone in her life?”
“No. Why?”
He shrugs. “She’s very pretty. I could introduce her to someone.”
I choke a laugh.
“Liv does very well on her own, trust me on that one.”
He smiles.
“I see. Do you think there’s a chance she’ll be busy with someone else today so I can steal you away for a few hours?”
“It’s not impossible,” I say smiling.
I can’t help but notice the woman who walks past us wearing only her bikini top and skirt. She sways her hips at every step and balances her hair behind her shoulders. She smiles at Liam while lifting her hand for a slight wave, and he raises an eyebrow with complete disinterest. He smiles back at me.
“And what can I do to ensure a yes?”
“I’ll talk to her,” I say, laughing.
Liam holds out his hand to help me get down the boarding ramp. Once I told Liv, she practically threw me out of the room to explore the island of Bora Bora with Liam. She claims that he’s very famous and it’s the chance of a lifetime. How is it that I’ve never heard of him? She simply couldn’t believe that I hesitated. She is going to explore the wild jungle with her boyfriend of the week. Our ship is leaving tomorrow night and it’s a very short time, but a simple stopover was the plan.
Here I am, walking away from the dock in company of the most beautiful man I have ever met. His fingers intertwine with mine, and I’m so happy that my smile reaches my eyes. I’m well aware of the women who pass us and study me from head to toe, a mixture of surprise and disappointment evident on their faces; the same women who didn’t even know I existed five days ago. It’s normal that they’re surprised because they have never seen me before. I’m not in any magazines and my family is not known or rich for that matter. They simply have overlooked me until today.
All travelers wander along the wharf stopping at restaurants and shops, while Liam leads me to the other side. I remove my sandals and let my toes sink into the sand of the beach. Small bamboo houses supported by strong, wooden pillars rise out of the beautiful blue sea that appears to be sparkling with diamonds. People literally have to walk in the water to get there, but Liam explains that when the tide goes down, they are much easier to access.
After taking in the view for a few minutes, we continue on a touristic trail that extends into exotic and tropical vegetation.
“Are you sure?” I ask Liam, stopping in front of what seems to be a jungle. “It’s not dangerous?”
Liam chuckles.
“It’s for tourists, don’t worry. I’ve been here already. The path is marked and wild animals hide much deeper on the island.”
This is supposed to reassure me?
“Okay,” I answer hesitantly.
I put on my walking shoes and follow him. I can’t help but look around with big wondering eyes. I’m unable to identify any trees or plants, and the change of scenery takes me by surprise. I exclaim with wonder in front a flower that’s four and a half feet high. Liam stops next to me with a wide smile on his face.
“It’s a Bird of Paradise,” he explains to me.
“What, that?”
I point the flower with red, pink and orange hues, and texture that looks like rubber. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
“These flowers aren’t meant for our climate. It’s only here they can fully flourish.”
I nod, observing it carefully and finally recognize some characteristics. I take it that the ones I saw before were not actually bloomed. We continue walking on the path.
“You know a lot about botany?” I ask, a bit surprised that he would know something like that. He doesn’t really come off as the classic intellectual man.
“I like to learn.”
He’s always been vague, so I’m not surprised that’s the only explanation I get from him. The moisture becomes increasingly overwhelming, and I
swear I can feel every drop of water sliding off the broadleaf trees on my skin. I stop abruptly to point out a leaf that stretches over our head.
“Look!” I exclaim in a whisper.
Liam leans over me to observe the silhouette of lizard resting in the sun. Only his shadow shows through the foliage, but we can picture his long tail and can assume his legs are tucked under his body.
Liam smiles and turns to me, slightly surprised.
“What?” I ask.
“Oh, nothing. I’m just a little surprised, and… well, I must admit, impressed.”
“It’s only a lizard.”
“Yes, but most women I know would have fled. No one would even had entered this jungle.”
Oh, I forgot that I’m playing the role of the rich girl. I suspect that a wild excursion into the rainforest is not a very popular choice of activity by the kind of women he usually surrounds himself with. I look away and force a smile on my face. I have no desire to deprive myself of all this beauty simply to keep pretending to be someone I’m not.
I turn to Liam, ready to confess everything, and his eyes fixate on me. His lips still haunt my body and I still want to feel his hair between my fingers… I change my mind. No, I don’t want to lose him just yet. Even if he accepted me not being rich, he wouldn’t look at me in the same way. He would view me as he views the servers of the cruise, and I saw firsthand the respect he has for them.
“I… Um, well, its very high and far from us so…”
I mumble because in reality I have no idea what to say. His puzzled frown makes me fear he suspects something, but he continues on without saying anything. I take a deep breath and promise myself that I’ll be more careful in the future.
He shows me a huge purple flower with petals that are covered with white veins.
“This is a candile. It can reach up to sixty feet high.”
“Really? This one’s just a baby!”
“Yes,” he replies laughing.
We continue but he stops abruptly, gently holding my elbow between his fingers to immobilize me. He motions me to be quiet as he approaches a tree, and I see what he sees. On a branch, a small gray and black blob of fur is curled up into a ball. He advances slowly so he doesn’t frighten the creature who is now aware of his presence. Although its wary, it gently stands on his feet, but doesn’t run away. I have never seen a real one, and I now recognize the koala.
He signals me to approach as he extends his arm to the animal with a branch of leaves in his hand. The animal stretches his neck, one leg and then another, and finally climbs on his arm. I just can’t believe the trust this wild animal has granted him! I believe it’s a gift he has; last night I would have put my life into his hands.
It leans a paw on the branch to take the leaves to its mouth while Liam turns to show it to me. I move my hand slowly to the eating animal, his eyes seeming to close in enjoyment of the meal and I stroke his silky but dirty fur. Sand dirties my hand, but I don’t care this opportunity will never occur again! The koala watches Liam, gently picks up a leaf between his teeth, and leaves. I’m all smiles and Liam expresses a childlike expression.
“Do you realize not many people can brag of even being able to approach a wild animal?”
“You just have to stay calm and have good intentions,” he replies with a shrug. “The animals are very sensitive to what we exude. It’s a matter of control.”
We resume our excursion, discussing anything and laughing easily with smiles glued on our faces. We arrive to the most beautiful scene I’ve seen in my life. Looming a hundred feet above us, a waterfall pours down a cliff into a deep lake that feeds a stream running away in the jungle. Massive, smooth boulders dripping with water skirt the waterfall. I suddenly feel so small. I’m speechless, and the scene seems to have the same effect on Liam, even though he hides it quite well.
After a few seconds taking in the scenery, I become aware of the wetness that settled on my neck. My ponytail fell out a long time ago and several strands of hair have escaped my elastic. I remove the band and run my fingers through my hair to smooth it out before picking it all up in my hand to redo my ponytail.
Liam turns to me and undresses me with his eyes while my arms are high above my head. His attention pauses at my hips, and I see his lip quiver as he swallows before returning his attention to my hair. As I begin stretching the rubber band around my new ponytail, he loses his breath.
With his right hand, he grabs my waist while the fingers of his left hand firmly grab my hair. I slip in his arms, melting like ice in the sun. He pulls my head back to kiss me passionately and all of my strength leaves me at once. My whole body is victim to his disarming power that turns me upside down every time. I can’t do anything to resist him; my brain doesn’t listen to reason once he puts his hands on me.
I let the momentum of his kiss take me away. His lips press against me again and again, and his tongue strokes mine, sliding along my upper lip. I let out a breath of appreciation which encourages him to kiss me even harder. A growl vibrates in his throat and his teeth graze my lip, awakening a fierce desire in me.
He can hardly tear his mouth from mine, and keeps his eyes deeply sunk into mine. His breathing is intense, exposing the greed feels for me. He takes me into the lake with large rocks all around. Slowly, he forces me to step back against one of them. He has a confident stride and a look that knows exactly what he’s doing, imposing his will with his stare. He leans over the rock and slowly lifts my shirt. He kisses my navel and I slide my fingers through his hair, savoring its smoothness.
The waterfall smashes the surface of the water so close to us that we’re sprinkled by a light, refreshing mist. The noise literally transports us to a wild, uninhabited world; it’s as if we’re alone in the world and protected from all harm.
Liam slowly reveals my breast. He licks the underside of it, and his tongue makes its way up to my hardened nipple. He sucks it, running his tongue around it while his left hand stimulates my other nipple. His fingers glide over my arms, bringing them above my head, imprisoning my wrists in his hands. He caresses my neck with his nose and his warm breath.
My feet skim the water tentatively, but my body rests entirely on a stone in the jungle, and a man absolutely beautiful and so strong holds me prisoner there. I’m his! He straightens up to remove his t-shirt, revealing his dreamy chest. A thin layer of sweat beads over his abs and his hair slowly soaks under the mist. Seeing him in this exotic vegetation and in this wild landscape is an incredible turn on.
Every muscle in my body tenses up while I wait impatiently for him. I want him inside me now! I notice his crooked grin and sparkling eyes and realize he has other plans for me. He observes my vulnerable body. I sit up to reach his mouth, and his hands jump nervously, as if he wanted to stop me. However, if that was his intention, he changed his mind and let me.
I unbutton his pants and I sense the deep breath he takes in seeing my fingers so close to his penis. His muscles contract. I slide my hands over his thighs and buttocks, and I see him smile at me. When our eyes meet, he bites his lower lip understanding what I’m about to do, and begs for it with his eyes.
I bend to drag my tongue over his testicles, and a sweet rumble of appreciation comes out of his mouth. I make sure to stimulate the sensitive spot under his testicles, as well as the base of his penis. I feel him becoming impatient. I can tell he wants more from me, but I like to make him suffer.
I stroke his shaft with my lips while looking at him with a seductive gaze. He holds his breath, not saying a word and not making a sound. I place my mouth against his crown to slowly take the tip in my mouth. He loudly exhales all the pleasure he feels. His legs weaken and his thighs quiver. The hand he pushes in my hair is tender and affectionate.
I continue, reveling in his reaction.
“Don’t make me come,” he warns me.
I suck up and down, in movements that takes him to cloud nine. As soon as his erection swells and hardens in my mouth, I stand
up. Liam then grabs my neck to kiss me. His body presses me against the rock and his arms trap me as he leans on his palms. He has a look that conveys danger, but his threat is sensual and very inviting.
He pulls off my shorts and underwear all at once and I find myself completely naked, in full view of anyone coming on this path. My body gives in to the contrast of the moist air and fresh mist, and it lights an intimidating and stimulating sensation in me. I totally surrender to these feelings that are beyond anything I have ever felt.
Liam slides his hands along my body while savoring every inch of it. He smiles before pushing my thighs open and revealing my private parts. Like last time, his look deliciously devours me and my breathing increases. Gently, he inserts his penis with a cruel, yet arousing slowness. He stands before me as I lay on a rock at a perfect height for his hips to begin a constant in and out rolling movement. His hands caress my chest to stimulate my nipples.
I can’t take my eyes off the man before me. He intensifies his thrusts, again and again, until I feel his pelvis stiffen. He closes his eyes and clenches his teeth. He’s about to come. No! I’m not ready and I know what’s next. The pain of an orgasm that I won’t have. Not with him! I couldn’t take it. My hips contract and I try to speed the sensations. Liam opens his eyes and slows down.
“Easy, beautiful. I won’t let you down,” he reassures me.
His words have an immediate effect on me and my whole body relaxes. He lets the knuckles of his right hand slide down from my nipple to my stomach where he tenderly presses his palm. I gasp as the sensations increase within me. His thumb begins stimulating my clitoris, and simultaneously my head tilts backward and my back arches.
He resumes a faster pace. Suddenly, I feel it rise inside me. This feeling of pure happiness that tightens all my muscles. The excitement reaches its peak and Liam keeps accelerating. He lets out a guttural cry as I lose contact with reality. I’m in another world, on a cloud somewhere in paradise. My body is invaded by an earthquake that completely paralyzes me, and then a sweet pleasure flows between my thighs.
Liam drops a kiss on my breasts before kissing my lips and letting himself crumble on top of me.
“I don’t know what is it that you do to me, Carly,” he desperately breathes, “but you have made me completely crazy!”
A Borrowed Life (Carly and Liam #1) Page 7