“Come for me, beautiful,” he whispers, bringing his tongue closer to my private parts.
He licks slowly at first, inflicting more and more pressure until his whole mouth is pressed against me. I let out a long, liberating groan. He shakes his head, intensifying his movements so gently that they become pure torture. My pelvis undulates towards him as I beg him to finish.
“Please, Liam!” I plead, breathing heavily.
He accelerates, focusing on my most sensitive spot. My legs tense up, my back arches, and I let out a scream as I explode with pleasure. I know the room is completely soundproof, so I’m not afraid of being too loud.
Liam doesn’t allow me to come back to reality quite yet as I feel his erection grow between my thighs. I moan again. A mild irritation protests against his presence inside me, but quickly gives way to the pleasure. He thrusts in and out, again and again. He’s so hard! My sensitive skin can feel every inch of his member as well as every pulsating vein.
His head tilts backward in enjoyment. My body tenses up and my flesh tightens around his penis. He utters soft cries of appreciation without slowing his pace and I reach an orgasm again. While a warm liquid spreads between us, Liam stops for a short moment and looks me straight in the eyes, as if warning me that he isn’t done.
A new thrust confirms my thoughts and my moans are almost desperate. He pauses for a second, then rolls his pelvis again and continues a steady pace until I come again.
“Ah, Liam!” I scream while my enjoyment peaks again.
My body writhes and my heels push against the flour bags.
“Come on, gorgeous, one more time!”
“I can’t.”
“Oh yes, you can!”
And he does it again. I wonder how long I can hold on, and how long can he? I didn’t think I could, but I come again. My body rises abruptly, clenching Liam’s. His arms wrap around me and hold me against him. I appreciate every push he gives me. I think back to those two whole weeks without seeing him and all those nights I’ve missed him. I’ve been wanting exactly this, and I suddenly feel satisfied.
My body is so limp and exhausted, that it’s painful when it contracts again, but Liam is going slower this time. His moans accelerate and breathing intensifies, and I know he’s coming, too. One sudden thrust, then a second, and a third, and he lets out a long exhale before pulling out.
There isn’t much room next to me, but he still finds a way to lie down. I snuggle against his body, both of us drenched in sweat, and let my hand slide over his wet skin. He’s so beautiful! And he’s here, with me! His arm closes securely around me, as if he, too, is ecstatic about my presence.
We get dressed and walk out quietly from the back of the restaurant. As soon as we walk through the door leading to the street, a camera flashes on my right. Liam immediately intervenes between me and a woman trying to take my picture.
“Get lost!” he demands.
“Don’t worry. I’ll have the opportunity to take many others, since I now know she works here,” she says as she walks away.
Liam suddenly turns to me and I can’t move. I’m literally mortified.
“Are you okay?”
“Who was that?”
“Paparazzi. She’s been following me since last night.”
“Following you, like she’s obsessed with you and will stick this photograph on a mirror? Or like this photo will end up on the front page of a gossip magazine tomorrow?”
He sighs and doesn’t dare answer, but he doesn’t need to. His look speaks for itself and my heart beats faster.
“Hey, don’t worry. There will be pictures of us for a week or two, but after that it will be over and they’ll move on.”
“No! No, I really can’t take that chance. I’m sorry!” My voice is tearful and I know that even if it breaks my heart, I don’t have a choice.
“What? What do you mean?”
“I can’t, that’s all! My picture can’t be in these kinds of magazines, ever!”
“It’s not as bad as you think.”
“Oh yes, it is. But you wouldn’t understand. I’m really sorry, Liam.”
I run away, without giving him the opportunity to demand an explanation. I keep running all the way to my apartment. I’m breathless, exhausted, and my lower abdomen hurts, but running makes me feel better.
Sean and Ethan are sitting in the living room, but I don’t even look at them before locking myself in my room. I slam the door behind me and I start crying uncontrollably. I think back to that woman emerging from out of nowhere. I fear she will come back, take a clearer picture of me, and the wrong person will see it and recognize me. A knock sounds on my door.
“Leave me alone.”
“You got a letter in the mail,” Sean tells me.
“Who is it from?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t open it.”
I pull myself together and get up to take my mail.
“Thank you.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I just want to be alone.”
“Alright. We’re in the living room if you need us…”
“Thank you.”
I close the door and he walks away. The white envelope has my name written on it: no address, no stamp, and no sender. Someone must have dropped it off in person. I open it and discover a card with a simple note, typed on computer:
The agreement still stands.
These words are simple, but effective. Mr. Lexington has no intention to let me go that easily. I almost dread how far he would go to make sure I obey his orders. I swallow and my body starts shaking. I’m scared and I don’t know what to do to get out of this mess! I should have known that leaving a message on his answering machine this morning wouldn’t be enough to get rid of him. I fall onto my bed to cry some more.
I wake up puffy faced the next morning. I cried all afternoon and worked all night, fearing this journalist would come back to take my picture, but nothing. Bailey was glad to find out I was going to continue working there because there were some employees whispering rumors behind my back. This morning, I’m afraid to look at the papers.
I leave my room to find Sean eating cereal.
“Hi. How are you?” I ask.
“Better than you it seems.”
“Mm! Do you have the newspaper?”
“Yeah,” he says, handing it to me.
I flip through the pages nervously and find nothing at all about me. A surge of relief rushes through me.
The week passes, but the pain doesn’t get better. At the restaurant, things are much better for me and Liv. Cayden isn’t bothering us anymore and our jobs are no longer threatened, but the gossip girls haven’t calmed down; they are aware of every new rumor. I actually learned from them that Liam had acquired the exclusive rights on the picture the journalist took of me. He also told the press that there was nothing between me and him, which has resulted in me not receiving any visits from any photographer or paparazzi.
It seems that my life will finally return to normal. Well, it will once I get rid of Richard Lexington. I think the best solution is to simply sit down and explain my situation to him. I haven’t heard from him this week, so I hope that time has allowed him to calm down. Maybe he will just leave me alone when he sees journalists aren’t trying to interfere anymore?
The evening was long, like every Saturday night. The manager introduced a new uniform that no one really likes. We have the choice between a crew neck shirt with a picture of a steak on the belly, and ‘Want a Bite?’ printed above it on the right breast, or a V-neck shirt with a picture of a chocolate sundae and ‘I’m delicious’ written just above.
All have agreed that it’s going too far; we already have to deal with the customer’s advances just walking through the bar in a regular uniform. Now it will literally be hell. We have a week to get used to it, then the employees who refuse to wear the uniform will be suspended. I walk along the boulevard when I receive a text message. I immediately recognize the numbe
r as Liam’s:
Get to the restaurant on the corner of Fifth avenue immediately.
I only know the place by name, and I know it’s more than I could ever afford. I stand there just staring at his demanding words on my screen. He’s not proposing a date, but rather an appointment. I actually want to go; I want to know what he has to say and I want to see him.
This week has only been bearable because I worked a lot, but once I find myself alone with nothing to do, I miss him and can’t help thinking about him. I decide to go, but he will have to wait. I will first take a shower and get dressed properly.
I get out of the bus and my heart beats out of my chest with each step I take towards the restaurant. I’m more nervous than I was on our first date, and it’s probably because I know who I am meeting, and that I should literally expect anything to happen. I focus on my pace as the wind blows the skirt of my little blue dress, and the gentle breeze whips my hair on my shoulders.
I’ve never been in this area of the city, so I follow the directions I found on the internet. I walk along a street lined with street lamps that light up when it gets dark enough. The lights of the surrounding buildings illuminate my way.
I finally come face to face to the huge glass tower that houses Le Citadin, one of the most famous open air restaurants in the city. I walk up to the hostess stand, and the man behind the counter stands arrogantly in front of me. His tie alone is worth more than anything I’m wearing, so he has probably made the assumption that I can’t afford to eat here. It’s obviously what he’s thinking, and I look down to my worn square heels, my forty-dollar dress and the heart pendant chain that I bought for less than ten dollars.
I suddenly feel very small, like an impostor.
“What name is your reservation under?”
I pull myself together and answer, “Walker.”
He raises a skeptical eyebrow and looks at the list.
“I have no reservation under that name. And you are…?”
“Scott.”
Before the man can even answer, another man with white hair, a black suit and perfectly polished shoes comes up behind me.
“Miss Scott?” he politely addresses me.
“Yes?”
“Follow me, please.”
He proceeds toward the elevators. I briefly turn to the man at the reception desk who is now very quiet. I hesitate to follow this stranger, although he doesn’t really seem threatening. I wonder why there is no reservation under Liam’s name. Maybe it was just last minute? I get into the elevator that opens in front of me. Large mirrors surround us, and before the doors close, the man presses the button for floor thirty-one; the highest floor. I swallow while we go up and I look up at the sky, wondering what awaits me up there, as if I was hoping to see through the walls.
When the doors open, I find myself on the roof of the building. The breeze pushes my hair back and molds my dress to my body. That’s when I see Liam standing in front of me, breathtaking in his tuxedo, next to a table for two set with a tablecloth and lanterns, and surrounded by trees and flower boxes. It gives us just enough intimacy without hiding the beautiful view of the city and the river shimmering in brilliance below.
“I’m glad you came,” he says.
I smile and approach him, extremely happy to see him. As I get closer, his energy reaches me and warms me. He extends a hand to me and takes me by the glass fence surrounding the small private gallery on the edge of the roof.
“This is incredible!” I breathe, marveling at the view.
“I thought a lot about what you told me, you know.”
I turn to him. His gaze is very serious, filled with a nervousness I didn’t know he was capable of having. I almost feel like I’m holding his life in my hands.
“You don’t want to be in the gossip magazines or in the newspapers, and I understand that. I hate it, too. But I don’t intend to give up on this so easily. I want you, Carly, and no matter what it takes, I want to make it work.”
“This isn’t…”
“Carly, I’m trying to prove to you tonight that despite what you may think, my whole life isn’t in the newspapers. In fact, I’m a very private person, and it is possible for us to have a perfectly normal relationship.”
I look around me. I see other tables a bit further, all empty. I can easily imagine the place being very popular. He must have paid a high price to have it reserved for him alone.
“You call this normal?” I point out.
He chuckles.
His smirk is mysterious and I wonder what he’s thinking right now.
“I just want to show you that my life is not that bad. In fact, it’s you who’s creating the money a barrier between us.”
This observation strikes me hard and I frown. He’s right. I’m the first to say that money doesn’t matter, and yet I’m the only one that sees a difference between our two worlds. He has always treated me as an equal.
We face the city and sit at our table on a cushioned, crescent-shaped sofa and a server moves towards us.
“Would you like some wine, Mr. Walker?” the server proposes.
“The same as usual.”
The server leaves and I take a deep breath.
“Do you come here often?”
I ask because the waiter seemed to know him and his tastes.
“It’s a great place for business dinners.”
“I see.”
Suddenly, he puts a hand on my thigh and slowly lifts up my skirt. My whole body responds and I realize I’ll never be able to resist this man!
“I know a good way to make you relax if you stay this tense,” he whispers in my ear.
My thighs strongly press against one another as I struggle against the urge to let him do as he wishes.
“This isn’t a good idea.”
“You wouldn’t be here if you really believed that.”
“I guess not,” I reply, trying to hide my smile.
He smiles back and I relax as the atmosphere finally lightens between us. His fingers slide gently on my skin that awakens under his touch. Every hair on my body stands as he comes close to my highly sensitive area. The wind refreshes my skin and my dress drifts high onto my thighs. Fortunately, the white tablecloth hides us.
“Let me remind you why you can’t be without me.”
He pushes his hand between my legs. My body tenses as his fingers push aside my panties, and the cold on my most private parts is as shocking as effective. Since I’m getting hungry for this contact, his finger gently tickles my thigh and moves further away toward my knee.
I let out a long breath to calm down. I try not to let anything show, and I smile when his hand comes back to my vagina. His middle finger slowly slides along my vulva to press on my clitoris and all feelings leave my legs. My eyelids close and my lips part to blow out a soft breath. He draws small circles around my clit and my body melts.
“Pull yourself together,” he says as he sees the server coming back.
I straighten my back and show the most sober smile possible. Liam slowly inserts his finger in me, and I need all my strength to not let my face betray me and to stop my body from quivering. Liam is amused by my reaction, moving his finger so discreetly that no one would guess what he’s doing right now.
“Have you decided?”
“Um… I, um…”
I struggle to express myself. Liam’s middle finger turns slowly inside me and I can’t focus on a single word. In fact, I haven’t even looked at the menu.
“Do you want me to order for you, my love,” he mocks.
I turn to him threateningly, but I nod.
“We will have the braised beef with sautéed mushrooms, no vinegar in the sauce. Cooked medium well for Madame and the same for me, and with garden vegetables instead of mushrooms.”
“Perfect, sir.”
I didn’t know he noticed I wasn’t a fan of vinegar? And he remembered how I like my meat cooked? If he was trying to impress me, he succeeded! The server leaves.
Liam’s index finger pushes in me, joining his middle one that slowly rotates in delicious torture. His two fingers start caressing me in and out. I grab the table as discreetly as possible and my back straightens as I try to control the reaction of my body. Liam shows a broad smile that I have a strong desire to kiss.
He presses the palm of his hand against my clitoris, gently massaging my swollen flesh. I can hardly contain myself in front of the employees passing near by. I resist the temptation to let my hips roll on his fingers, and that irresistible tension in my arms that wants to literally pull his hair. My legs want to spread wider to give him more access to please me.
Liam’s left arm closes around my waist to snuggle me against him. He buries his face in the crook of my shoulder. A shiver goes up my body and into my neck, and he presses a gentle kiss on it. My desperate gaze rests on him, begging for him to end it. He glances around and notices the servers have all left.
Suddenly, his left hand closes strongly around my neck as if he had captured me as his prey. He leans me in the crook of his elbow to kiss me passionately, accelerating the pace of his fingers that stimulate my crotch. My hips convulse, my hands cling to his neck and my legs part. I can’t hold in my cry, and my eyes close naturally.
“Open your eyes, Carly. I want you to look at me.”
A hot flash suddenly rushes over me. I obey and plunge my gaze in his, and it’s as if his eyes see into my soul. I abandon all resistance and a hot liquid pours on his fingers. He slows down, letting me gather my thoughts before removing his hand. His lips approach mine, but then he inserts his finger into his mouth.
“Delicious!” he breathes.
Heat flushes my entire body. This simple act is so sexy! He tasted me, all that is most intimate about me and loved it. Liam presses his lips to mine and kisses me tenderly. I slide my hands against his neck to hold his face against mine. He gently sits me back up when the server comes back with supper.
“It looks good!” I say, studying the plate set in front of me.
We eat and talk about many things. The atmosphere is light and pleasant. New York’s lights are beautiful, and I snuggle in his arms to watch them since I have no desire to leave.
A Borrowed Life (Carly and Liam #1) Page 15