A Borrowed Life (Carly and Liam #1)

by Stephanie Cholette

  “Serves you right!” I reply without realizing what I’m saying.

  And then I burst out laughing as he turns to me, surprised at my answer.

  “It’s mutual,” I feel compelled to explain, laughing harder.

  His laughter vibrates on his lips that he presses against the mine, his hand reaching for my face to kiss me tenderly.

  We let ourselves slide into the water behind the rock where we cuddle together. We remain silent for several minutes, just enjoying the moment, the nature, the waterfall that flows around us and the relaxation provided by this environment.

  “It’s easy to be with you. You’re simple, amazed by everything, and you’re not afraid to try something new.”

  I don’t answer. It’s better this way. I’d tell him everything and would probably never see him again. Actually, yes I would; I would spend the next week seeing him flirt with other women, having completely forgotten me. I look at him, smiling.

  “I mean, I just want to tell you that I love spending time with you.”

  He brings his fingers under my chin to lift my head to him and forces me to look at him.

  “Even dusty, you’re still beautiful!” he adds.

  What? Oh crap! I am? Oh…! I blush at the beauty of his words. He thinks I’m beautiful. A huge weight comes off my shoulders and I smile, my eyes shinning brightly. Voices sound in the distance as people head our way. We are immediately reminded that we are in a public place and we hurry to get dressed.

  We remain hidden behind the rock as the retired couple walks away. They take pictures of the waterfall unaware that we are there, and not having the slightest idea of what just happened on this rock minutes earlier.

  Liam looks at me with a mischievous smile. I let out a silent laugh and find myself pulled under his arm as he laughs with me. He presses a tender kiss on my scalp and the gesture came so naturally to him, I don’t think he actually realized what it meant. The expression on his face darkens and he looks confused and deep in thought.

  I stretch my head to see the couple walking away. The lady wears a large hat, cream shorts and a beige shirt. Her gray hair falls below her ears without a single strand of hair out of place. The man with white hair has his arm around his wife, and is just as impeccable as she is. I look down at my outfit. Obviously I’m soaked, but I’m also covered with mud, my shoes are nowhere near white anymore and my hair… I don’t even want to know what my hair looks like right now. I wonder if one day I could have as much class as them, and if I could blend effortlessly into their world.

  “Are you coming?” Liam asks, standing behind me.

  He’s just as soaked as I am, his hair just as messy and he’s even sexier because of it. He holds out his hand to me and I get up.

  We resume our journey, our shoes the only part of us that is still dry. The sun does not reach us through these tall trees and the humidity doesn’t help at all. We move forward without saying a word and I notice the grin on his face that he tries to hide.

  “Is there something funny?” I ask him.

  “No, nothing.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “The couple that stopped at the waterfall earlier.”

  “Yes?”

  “They are friends of my mother. I was thinking that they almost surprised us.”

  Oh! That could have been embarrassing. Then he laughs, unable to hold back anymore.

  “And they would have told everything to your mother, I assume.”

  He laughs uncontrollably. He calms down when he sees that I don’t understand why he’s laughing so hard.

  “I’m just imagining her reaction. My mother is… well, let’s just say she’s very special.”

  “I see.”

  No, I don’t see at all in fact. How special exactly? The kind old hag, ultra conservative, or perhaps she’s very religious? I look at Liam and suddenly wonder how he was raised: by whom, and where? It’s not like these questions really matter. There will never be anything serious between us. It’s probably better that I don’t know too much about him. Plus, for each question I ask him, he might return it to me and I’d find myself in an awkward position because I wouldn’t want to lie to him. I prefer to avoid the topic all together.

  We continue our walk on the pathway and we catch up to the friends of his mother, who stopped to photograph a flower. The man is leaning over a sign indicating its name and its history.

  “Mrs. Gallaway,” greets Liam.

  She turns to him with a warm smile.

  “Liam!” she exclaims before taking in our appearance and staring at us from head to toe.

  We’re still wet, but she clearly doesn’t dare to ask any questions. Mr. Gallaway approaches us and shake hands with Liam before turning to me with a grin on his face.

  “Miss…?” he salutes politely.

  “Scott,” specifies Liam.

  “You can call me Carly,” I say, holding out my hand.

  The man is of an outstanding elegance and merely put his hand under mine as a handshake. His wife takes two steps towards Liam.

  “I didn’t know you were on board. Is your mother with you?”

  “No, she’s still in New York. I’m here with friends.”

  “Ah!”

  The tone in which she exclaims is sweet and controlled. She manifests emotions without feeling them. She turns to me.

  “And you are?”

  She keeps moving her gaze over my clothes, obviously hiding what she thinks of them. I catch Liam and her husband exchanging a knowing glance. Liam suppresses a smile. I return my attention to Mrs. Gallaway, who is still waiting for my answer.

  “Um, I… I’m just here with my best friend, Liv.”

  “Scott, you say?”

  “Carly Bray Scott, to be exact.”

  She nods thoughtfully.

  “I don’t think I know your family, I’m sorry. Do you live in New York?”

  No, not quite. I hate New York. I live in Jersey City, a small suburb close by. Crime is lower there and the area is peaceful, but I don’t think someone wealthy would settle there.

  “Staten Island,” I answer without thinking.

  Liam turns to me with a puzzled frown on his face, but says nothing.

  “Really? Oh, that’s fabulous! Do you live near the marina?”

  “Yes, I have an apartment, I mean condo.”

  “Oh, I see!”

  She doesn’t seem convinced and I immediately notice the look on Liam’s face. He doesn’t believe a word of it, either, and he clearly doesn’t like it.

  “Well then, maybe we’ll have the opportunity to meet again during your stay,” she says.

  “Sure,” Liam says, smiling politely.

  They leave while we continue on a different pathway.

  “Staten Island, huh?” Liam asks.

  I can’t talk, so I reply with a forced smile and a nod.

  “Which building?”

  Oh! I’ll have a hard time answering that because I’ve never really been there. I couldn’t even name one street.

  “Does it matter?” I retort.

  “My company has a lot of contracts in the area. I built a lot of those condos.”

  “I thought you primarily work for businesses?”

  “True, many of the businesses manage real estate property, and we made a great breakthrough in the market when we began.”

  “I see. Well-diversified in the industry.”

  I simply change the subject and fortunately my strategy seems to be working.

  We join Liv and her boyfriend in time for lunch at a small restaurant at the port. Seafood is on the menu and we decide to share a mixed appetizer, sampling it all. Ian tells us how he transformed his parent’s legacy into gold while we enjoy our meal. Liam quietly turns to me and smiles.

  I answer with a smile and look away, and as I do, I notice Liv staring at me quizzically. My best friend pretends not to be impressed with Liam, but I know that the presence of a celebrity intimidates her. I see
it in the way she chuckles or moves her hands; she’s usually not so animated. Over the years I’ve gotten to know her very well, and I can see that she’s also beginning to have trouble keeping up the rich girl disguise.

  Chapter 6

  The sky slowly changes from an indigo hue to a discrete orange color with red shading, promising a hot, sunny day tomorrow. I don’t know why I’m in my swimsuit following Liam onto the beach; he only said he had a surprise for me tonight.

  A black man with braided hair waits further away and turns when he sees us. Liam comes forward and shakes his hand and gets keys to a jet-ski waiting on the riverbank.

  “Have a nice evening!” says the merchant.

  “Thank you.”

  The man leaves, waving his hand. Liam gives me a broad childlike smile and hands me a life jacket that has been left beside the engine. We climb on the Sea-Doo and fly towards the horizon. Liam says nothing about where we are going, but I doubt he even knows where he’s going. Well, I hope he does…

  I cling to his body and lean my head on his back, looking at the colors defining in the sky above us. The wind is on my face, the droplets are whipping at my legs, and the endless sea is stretched before us; it’s just beautiful! After several minutes of driving, Liam slows down and eventually stops completely in the middle of the ocean. He sits up while staring at the horizon, sliding his hands over mine on his stomach and we stay there. I look up and notice we can’t even see the island of Bora Bora anymore.

  “You had to see this,” he says to me.

  The orange sun slowly melts into the ocean what seems to be just a few yards away from us. Well, at least that’s how close it appears to be from where we are. A reflection of light stretches over the waves and reaches us. It’s only us, the endless water, and the colors of the sky.

  I observe the scene and feel as if time has stopped. The few minutes it takes the sun to set seem eternal, and yet they pass too quickly. The jet ski balances under the gentle motions of the waves, and a damp breeze caresses our skin. We’re so far from everything that I feel like we’re alone in the world and nothing else matters  how I feel every time I’m with Liam.

  He turns his body to mine and kisses me tenderly. His arm stretch behind my back and he hugs me against him. I move my leg over his pelvis, being extremely cautious not to make us flip over. Liam guides my hips on top of him and I kiss him as his hands grip my waist, under my lifejacket.

  Our position allows me to feel his hard penis under his bathing suit and between my thighs. The thin fabric of my bikini only accentuates the friction whenever a wave lifts our jet ski. My breathing quickens and my body betrays me. I want it here and now, and my hips roll against his in order to let him know. I’m not sure if he’ll dare do anything. After all, the slightest move could make us roll over.

  His hand sneaks between my legs and his forefinger pushes the fabric of my bottom to expose my private parts. The freshness of the breeze only heightens the sensation, and the contrast of the heat of his fingers on my swollen flesh is simply exquisite.

  I let out a soft moan, dropping my head on his left shoulder as he gently massages my clit. My hands slide up his strong arms. His mouth presses against my neck where he kisses me. While straddling him, his middle finger pushes inside me, and the position allows him to stimulate me deeper, in that special place called the G spot.

  My fists clench around his wet jacket and my body tenses up. I can no longer move or even make a sound. He inserts a second finger inside me to increase his circular movements

  “I got you, gorgeous,” he whispers in my ear in a husky voice.

  My hips convulse. I cry of both enjoyment and begging, and in less than a second, everything stops. My muscles relax and my limp body falls against him. My breathing is so loud and it’s as if I just ran a marathon.

  The fingers of his other hand glide through my hair.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, pushing his index finger under my chin to study my reaction.

  I nod as I pull myself together. He smiles, removes his hand and places it under my thigh. Then, with both hands, he lifts me and sits me on the seat, still facing him.

  I tenderly kiss him, dragging my fingers down to his bathing suit. His erection fights against the fabric and I bite my lip, eager to expose it. I untie his shorts and he lifts his ass to help me remove his clothing. My gaze is immediately hooked on his very inviting phallus.

  Liam grabs my face with both hands to kiss me again. His fingers entangle the strands of my hair and he gently closes his fists on it. His tongue caresses mine again and again. He puts me down on his thighs, slowly pushing inside of me. His swollen cock stimulates every bit of my organ as he penetrates me.

  His member fills me so well that I’m breathless. His breathing rumbles in his throat as I move my hips over his. The waves cause the jet-ski to bounce, creating a continuous motion under him. Despite my first orgasm, my body is still very receptive to these new stimulations. Liam tenderly kisses me while I slide over him gracefully, as if we were dancing.

  My stomach begins throbbing again, and I feel the urge to accelerate the pace. Liam moans. He puts his hands behind him to lean on them and pushes even deeper inside of me. The feeling becomes so intense that it paralyzes all my muscles; my mouth is wide open, my back is arched and my body begs to be relieved.

  Liam quickly sits up and grabs me into his hands, gyrating his hips again and again at a merciless pace. I let out short, breathless moans as I melt upon him. He doesn’t stop. His lips brush against my temple in a soft, sensual caress and his heavy breathing shows his pleasure.

  A warmth invades my chest as a shiver runs down my spine. All my energy travels straight to my lower abdomen to violently explode in a powerful orgasm. My nails dig into his shoulders and Liam screams at the same time. His hand holds my head against him and his thrusts gradually slow to a stop. We stay there motionless for a minute, while we catch our breath and pull ourselves together.

  I’m exhausted and can hardly open my eyes.

  “Hold on, beautiful. We have to go back now.”

  Liam’s voice brings me back to reality and I realize that we’re still in the middle of the ocean.

  “I won’t go too fast,” he says.

  I sit up and nod. As I get up on my feet, I pull up the bottom of my bikini to put it back on, and Liam does the same.

  I sit back behind him and put my arms around his waist, and he turns his head to kiss me. This kiss was different; it was softer and more tender. I could almost say it was loving if I didn’t rationalize that he’s only known me for three days. He starts the engine and turns around to return to the island, not exceeding ten miles per hour.

  The breeze keeps me wide awake the whole way and it suddenly makes me want to let my feet drag in the ocean. The softness of the waves between my toes is both refreshing and relaxing. I can see the smile Liam tries to hide when he notices what I’m doing. I let out a giggle and press a kiss to the corner of his lips. He laughs with me.

  I’m literally floating on a cloud when we return to the beach. The man who rented us the jet-ski joins us, and Liam exchanges one last handshake with him after giving him back the keys. He places his palm on the small of my back and accompanies me to the ship. Good thing, since walking right now requires extra effort.

  I walk into my room and immediately let myself fall flat on my bed. My eyelids are heavy and my head goes numb as I sink into a deep sleep. Suddenly, I’m bounced on my mattress. What? What’s going on?

  “You didn’t think you’d get away with it that easily, did you?” I hear Liv’s voice in my ear. “Come on, I want all the details!”

  “I don’t think you want all the details.”

  She laughs, sitting on her heels while I stretch and roll onto my back.

  “We went to watch the sunset in a Sea-Doo.”

  “Really?”

  “Why does that surprise you?”

  “It’s very romantic. It’s not typical of Liam Walker.
”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Simply that his reputation precedes him. Be careful with this guy. I see it in your eyes, you’re starting to like him more than you should.”

  I nod. Yes, I know she’s right, but it’s stronger than me. Besides, I think it’s already too late. I never stood a chance the minute I laid eyes on him the first time!

  “Don’t forget that he’ll go back to his world of the rich and famous in five days, and you’ll be back to serving people who aren’t even worthy enough to speak to him.”

  I frown and grimace.

  “Thank you for your encouragement! I like knowing how you feel about our job.”

  “Oh stop it!” she complains as she lays next to me. “You hate that job as much as I do.”

  I smile without having the energy to respond. I don’t even want to think about it. I close my eyes, letting my mind wander into the memories of my wonderful day on one of the most beautiful islands in the world.

  “What do you mean, his reputation precedes him?” I suddenly ask as her words come to mind.

  “Are you serious? You really have never heard of Liam Walker?”

  “He’s the CEO of an architectural firm. Should I know him?”

  “Yes! Financial magazines often write about him.”

  I lift my head to look at my friend, giving her a puzzled frown.

  “Since when would I read those magazines? I mean, it’s not like he’s a model, or an actor, or lead singer of a band. He’s not a celebrity.”

  “Oh, yes he is! When you’re among the richest men of the country, beautiful as a god and single, you quickly become famous.”

  “He’s much more than that,” I respond with a sigh.

  She takes a deep breath before resuming her speech.

  “What I’m trying to say is that he literally has women lining up for him. And he’s not the monogamous type, if you know what I mean.”

  “Mmm,” I groan. “This is different.”

  “It’s different! Carly!”

  “I feel it,” I interrupt her. “It’s in the way he kisses me, and touches me, and even how looks at me…”