A Borrowed Life (Carly and Liam #1)

by Stephanie Cholette

  Liv doesn’t work tonight, and I always feel alone when she’s not here. She is my accomplice, my best friend and it’s especially thanks to her that I can put up with Cayden. Fortunately, the evening is so busy that I don’t have time to think about it. Joe is a regular customer in his late fifties who dines here every Wednesday evening at seven o’clock. He’s always alone, and orders the same burger with fries every time. Tonight, I don’t find him at his table until seven forty-five; he had to wait until a table was available in my section.

  “This Cinderella story has attracted quite a crowd in here, huh?” he says.

  I try to stay as natural as possible in responding.

  “Yes. It will run its course.”

  “Hey, aren’t they talking about the cruise you were on?”

  I shrug.

  “I don’t know. I must say that I haven’t been paying too much attention to these rumors.”

  His smile says it all. He knows it’s me. Or so he believes.

  “Good for you,” he adds.

  “Same thing as usual?”

  “Why change?” he replies, smiling.

  I leave and continue my routine.

  It’s eleven thirty when I finish my shift. I haven’t stopped for a minute and I’m exhausted. I count my cash, separate the tips, and exit through the back door as usual. Again, I find a black car waiting for me in front of the alley. Javen comes out to open the back door of the Lexus. I take a deep breath and then sigh. I’ll have to talk to Liam about this.

  “Mademoiselle,” Javen greets.

  “Hello, Javen. My brother was supposed to pick me up?”

  “Mr. Walker already notified him.”

  “Really?”

  How did Liam know Ethan was supposed to pick me up after work? That’s something I really have to confront him about. I’m beginning to question his slightly unhealthy habit of wanting to know every move I make and wanting to control my life. His obsession for my safety is becoming somewhat worrying.

  I get in the vehicle to find Liam sitting in the back seat. He looks tired, too.

  “Hello, my love,” he says, leaning over to kiss me.

  I snuggle into his arms, happy to see him.

  “Have you been waiting here for a long time?”

  He shakes his head in response, without specifying exactly how long.

  “Rough night?” he wonders.

  “Quite rough, yes. I’m glad to see you!”

  His arms around me is the best remedy for the pain that takes over every muscle in my body right now.

  “Did you have a good day?” I ask.

  “It was long. I missed you.”

  “You did?”

  I look at him with a wide smile and he kisses me tenderly. He approaches his mouth to my ear to whisper in it.

  “I had to cancel a meeting because I wasn’t presentable.”

  I frown, not understanding exactly what he means.

  “I thought back to that last kiss we exchanged, to last night when I didn’t go inside with you. I was hard,” he admits quietly.

  I look down towards his crotch, smiling as I realize he is again. He looks at me with his crooked smile as my eyes question him. I gently place my hand on his thigh and his eyelids close. He releases a heavy sigh as my fingers stroke his penis. He has such a strong effect on me, and it’s so exciting to see what I can do to him! But at that moment, his hand grabs my wrist.

  “I can’t think straight if you touch me.”

  I climb over him, his hands on my waist.

  “Maybe I don’t want you to think.”

  “But I have to talk to you about something.”

  I back up suddenly. Oh this doesn’t sound good!

  “My brother is getting married in a week,” he begins. “I want you to come with me.”

  I sit back on the seat, thinking.

  “I won’t really be able to disguise myself there, you know.”

  “I don’t want you in disguise, I want you to come as you. I don’t want you to be afraid of journalists, or being recognized. I want to be with you, Carly. You are the woman of my dreams! It will be known someday. The longer we wait, the more it prolongs this mystery and myth of Cinderella, and the more the frenzy will become uncontrollable.”

  I take a deep breath while thinking about words. Did he actually say the woman of his dreams? But he’s right. If I continue to see him, it will be known. This is inevitable and it’s probably already too late to turn back.

  “Carly, I don’t know what scares you so much and I see that you don’t want to talk to me about it. I respect that, but how do you want me to reassure you that everything is going to be fine if I don’t even know what is worrying you?”

  “I can’t tell you. Not now. Liam, I want to be with you and I’m ready to take a risk because I’m convinced that it’s worth it, but I have to be smart about it.”

  “Are you afraid of someone?”

  I turn to him.

  “How did you guess?”

  “It’s pretty obvious.”

  I don’t say anything. I didn’t think it was that obvious.

  “Carly, I spent part of my day doing some research.”

  “What!”

  “Don’t take it the wrong way! I saw the article this morning in the newspaper. I didn’t know why it was bothering you to be in the spotlight, so I wanted answers to know if I should be worried or not.”

  “And what did you find?”

  “Nothing. Nothing before the age of fourteen.”

  I sigh.

  “There are two possibilities, but given your age back then, I doubt you’re hiding from justice for a crime, so it leaves a high probability that you’re hiding from someone. I also spoke to Ethan.”

  Obviously! And my brother must have tried to reason with him, to try to make him understand our relationship puts me in danger.

  “I was very young and… different,” I finally confesses.

  “Different how?”

  “Just different. I was a teenager. I stayed with this family only for a few months before I ran away with Ethan. I don’t know if he would recognize me if he sees me, but I just don’t want to take the risk.”

  “Who would recognize you?”

  “My former stepfather.”

  “Did he hurt you?”

  I shake my head.

  “He wanted to. But he never had the opportunity. He often referred to disgusting things and spoke of the other girls who had lived with him. His wife knew, but she was too afraid to do anything about it. He had two sons, too. For all I know, they are as guilty as he was. One day, I found pictures. I only remember two of them, and I spent that evening vomiting.

  “It was after my adoptive parents’ death that I was placed there, and Ethan and I had lost track of each other, so he couldn’t protect me. One night, Bill tried himself on me. I managed to push him away and ran. A woman who worked at my school took me to her place for a few nights until I tracked down my brother. I couldn’t talk to the police, and I couldn’t go back to their house. My only solution was to run away. I was still a minor, but Ethan was an adult, so we left and we started all over here, in Jersey City. He gave up everything: his job, his studies, his internship. He gave up all of that to be able to protect me.”

  My gaze fixes on the floor. I hate thinking of everything that Ethan has sacrificed for me. I feel responsible for his misfortune, and I will forever feel indebted to him. If it wasn’t for me, he would be a technician in the mechanical engineering field, not a maintenance worker.

  “Why didn’t you talk to the police!” Liam immediately argues.

  I let out a laugh.

  “Liam, I only summarized the situation, leaving out the details of the kind of man he was. There were many before me. Some wanted to sue, but they were never seen again. And honestly, who cares about a teenage girl without family or friends? No one! He knows many people and has important connections to the government. No judge would have convicted him.”


  He takes a deep breath.

  “If he comes after you…” He stops in the middle of his sentence, not saying the rest of his thought. “Where is he now?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Give me his name, I will”

  “No, you won’t!”

  “Carly, I want to protect you from him.”

  “Yes, I got that, and it’s rather intrusive for that matter! But I don’t want you to. My brother has already sacrificed a lot for me and I refuse to live with the burden that you feel you have to interfere, too.”

  “So it’s because of him that you don’t want to be with me? Don’t you think that’s a much heavier burden to bear?”

  It is. It has almost become unbearable. I can’t live with him and I can’t live without him. I’m completely torn between my heart and my head, and I don’t know what to do. The truth is, I’ve changed a lot since I was fourteen and even if my picture is on the front page, there’s very little chance that he would recognize me, even if he were to see it, since he never read these kinds of gossip magazines. Since my identity remains unknown to the public, I give all the power to Mr. Lexington to blackmail me, but if I go out in public, he will have nothing to hold over my head.

  “Okay.”

  “Really?” He turns to me with astonishment.

  I nod. “Still, let’s try to remain discreet.”

  He chuckles. “I’ve never been one to like too much publicity. Not that kind anyway.”

  Yes, well, I know he’s not going to hold a press conference, but I just want to be sure he will remain cautious. I smile and take a deep breath, trying to calm down.

  “You know, I have no idea how to behave at such an event. And I really have nothing suitable to wear for such a wedding.”

  He grabs my wrist to pull me over him, laughing and pressing his lips against mine, his voice rumbling with carnal pleasure.

  “It’s really not a problem. Weren’t you about to start something?”

  He presses a button next to him and music starts playing as if to ensure that Javen wouldn’t hear anything. I kiss him, slowly moving my pelvis on his, and his erection fights fiercely in his pants. I undo his belt and slip my hand inside. Luckily, the tinted window between the front and the rear of the vehicle is raised, letting us have our privacy.

  Liam unbuttons my working shirt and pushes it off my shoulders down to my elbows. He rolls down the cups of my bra to take out my breasts and kiss them. My nipples harden as his tongue makes contact and my excitement is intensified by his caresses. I get down on my knees before him and lower his pants to free his erection that I massage from top to bottom.

  Liam closes his eyes and inhales deeply. I let my tongue run along his shaft to the tip and kiss his cock, pushing it gently into my mouth. Liam lets out a long, liberating sigh and his whole body relaxes. All the tension of his day leaves him in one second of pure happiness.

  My mouth swallows and sucks his penis as I sit up and let my fingers tighten around his shaft. I continue, again and again. His hands reach my arms to pull me towards him, and he unbuttons my pants and removes them. I sit on him again, his penis penetrating me slowly. My back arches and my breasts swell toward him. He removes my shirt, takes my breast between his lips and sucks on my nipple heavily.

  I moan, letting my head fall backward, and I come back to him for a kiss. He presses his lips against mine eagerly. I tighten my grip around his neck and bury my face in the crook of his shoulder as he hugs me tightly in his arms. It feels so good! He moves under me and I sway above his hips in a perfect sync; our bodies make one.

  He doesn’t make me come and won’t let me. He wants to make it last. I stare into his eyes, pressing both hands on the sides of his face. He’s so hot! The car stops at a traffic light and we’re barely conscious of it, but a second vehicle stops right next to us. I see a passenger who’s watching.

  “He can’t see us,” Liam reassures me.

  A strange feeling rushes over me seeing him there with his eyes on us, so close to us but unable to see what we’re doing and having no idea what’s happening in the backseat of this car. It’s like making love in the middle of a crowd without a care in the world. It’s very exciting! Liam utters a moan.

  “Oh, Carly!”

  My movements accelerate. His penis is so deep inside of me that my whole body is experiencing an overwhelming shiver. Liam lifts me, guiding my hips while looking at me straight in the eyes. He pushes and thrusts and I groan, abandoning myself to all these feelings that are invading me. As my cries intensify, Liam’s soft and sensual voice reaches my ear.

  “It’s okay, gorgeous, let it go.”

  On his command, I pour myself over him. My lower abdomen convulses and my legs struggle against the seat as they try to stiffen. Liam grabs my left breast while his other hand firmly grasps my waist. His hips rise, his moans become more wild and his grip strengthens. My body is now only an instrument between his hands and I climax even more. He loses all control and comes inside me.

  How can he be so sweet and hold such a passion inside him at the same time? If only he could let go of all of his instincts, as brutal as they may be!

  We go back to his place at One Beacon’s Court, and the paparazzi are gone. We go up to his room, and once again I walk by this closed door that is beginning to intrigue me more and more. There’s something that Liam isn’t telling me; something dark, and I’m beginning to worry about what that might be. What’s in that room he doesn’t want me to see?

  Liam’s arm wraps around me.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  “What’s in this room?”

  “Some stuff. Maybe I’ll show you someday.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Not tonight,” he says, kissing my forehead.

  He immediately takes me to his bedroom and I don’t push the subject. After all, it can’t be that bad. I doubt he is hiding corpses in a room of his apartment and that he is actually a serial killer. Some stuff… Does he have a hobby that he’s ashamed of?

  As soon as the door closes, Liam’s fingers slide along my cheeks and push my hair behind my shoulders. He gently unbuttons my black working shirt before removing it. He unhooks my bra and then tenderly caresses my chest, rolling his thumbs on my hardened nipples.

  “How beautiful you are!” he exclaims in one breath while his palms follow the curves of my waist.

  I brush my fingers on his chest, sliding his jacket down his shoulders. I remove his white shirt to slowly strip his body that I appreciate more every time I see it. My hips press against his and I let out a long sigh.

  “Oh, Carly!”

  He leans in to kiss me and our tongues mingle with each other passionately. His hands raise me to sit me on his bed. His fingers slip under the waistband of my jeans to pull them down. He puts his index finger under my chin and lifts my face up, forcing me to look at him. His middle finger pushes between my thighs making my eyes close and my head tilt backward, while I lose myself in this magical sensation that seizes my body. Liam gently runs his fingers through my hair as he begins his back and forth movements.

  Slowly, my back falls onto the mattress and my knees go up to my sides, offering my intimacy to the man before me. I lie on his bed with my legs wide open so he can contemplate me. His eyes are burning on my sex, and I feel I could come just by the touch of his gaze.

  Liam watches me with his lips parted, and his breathing intensifies as he takes in seeing me submitted to his view. He pulls off his pants, releasing a delicious erection that makes me so eager! His cock is nicely swollen and engorged with blood, and every vein of his shaft promises an incredible sensation.

  “This is the effect you have on me when you show yourself to me like that,” he whispers with a desire that seems to choke him.

  He moves over my body, lovingly kissing me while he pushes inside me slowly, inch by inch. He rocks his pelvis to make tender love to me and my whole body trembles. The suction is felt up to my belly, a
nd the pressure makes me lose it again.

  I can’t believe how a man so strong and so powerful can be so delicate and tender. Sometimes I think he’s holding back, repressing a limitless sexual energy in order not to hurt me. I lovingly kiss him. His gaze fixes on mine as his lips barely let out a quiet breath. He doesn’t stop. He thrusts in and out, again and again. I wrap my arms around his neck and push my pelvis toward him forcefully.

  His hand caresses my breast, stimulating my nipple. My lower abdomen contracts, my legs stretch out and my fists clench the sheets over my head. Liam shouts a moan of pleasure, watching my body writhing with the enjoyment caused by his assault.

  My orgasm peaks and explodes around us just as Liam comes inside me. He catches his breath and slides his fingers through my hair. He sniffs my perfume and presses a soft kiss in the crook of my shoulder. He pulls the blanket back to let me slip under it. With his arm around me, he lies down beside me to fall asleep.

  I’m awaken by voices echoing downstairs. I get up but don’t dare put my old clothes from yesterday on. I won’t go down with Liam’s clothes either. As soon as I arrive in the adjacent bathroom, I find my uniform laundered and folded just like last time. I really need to ask who has been taking care of it.

  I put my jeans and my black shirt on and discreetly head to the living room. I find Liam standing in front of a young woman sitting on the couch. He smiles at me when he sees me, and the pretty brunette turns to me with a bright smile on her face.

  “Hi!” she says, rising to her feet. “You must be Carly, right?”

  She holds out her hand as she approaches me, and I can’t help but notice her long, tanned legs carrying her with such an ease. Her purple skirt suits her perfectly and her white bustier accentuates her already perfect silhouette. She has long brown hair gathered in a bun, sparkling blue eyes and luscious pink lips. She’s so pretty! And as for her style, it’s simply perfect! Even Liv would be jealous. A pinch seizes my heart, wondering if these are the kind of women Liam works with all day.