“I knew you would like it,” he says as he approaches.
“It’s beautiful!”
He takes my hand and brings me closer to the edge. A stone parapet allows us to sit there while staying safe, but Liam sits on the other side, letting his feet dangle in the emptiness. He holds out his hand to me.
“Come!”
“What, on that side?”
“Come on, trust me.”
I breathe in, then put my hand in his. His fingers close tightly around my palm and I step over the parapet. My heart beats faster than I thought it could as I let my feet slip into the void. I can’t breathe!
“If you were going to tell me not to look down, it’s too late,” I tell Liam who laughs.
“Are you scared?”
“No, you?”
My feet aren’t supported and I’m too conscious of the distance between me and the ground to not be terrified. My palms get sweaty and cold shivers run down my spine. I look up at Liam who takes in the scene in the distance before him.
“This is where I come when I want to think about things.”
“You need this adrenaline?” I mock.
“More of a dose of reality.”
“Huh?”
I watch him, intrigued.
“When I’m at my CEO post, I’m in charge; I control everything and everything depends on me, our success just as much as our failures. Many people are counting on me, and if I fail, many families would be left homeless. It’s a lot of pressure, and I am able to take it off myself when I come up here.”
I’m astonished at the depth of feelings he expresses. He looks so comfortable in his role as a businessman, and he’s never let this vulnerable side show before. I can believe that it must be a heavy burden on his shoulders.
“Look,” he says. “How could you look at such a sight, and not feel so small? Here, I’m not the CEO of a large company, I’m just Liam. A man, first, who has no influence on the course of things and life. Here, I’m aware of what I can’t change. I’m not king of the world, and all of my problems lose their importance.”
I turn to see what he sees. It’s true how insignificant I feel standing before the city of New York like this. I’m an ant that follows its own path and the rest of the world doesn’t stop turning.
For the first time since I met him, I see a darker side of the man who seem so solid. I wish I could be there for him, that he would confide in me and tell me about his problems so I can support him. He doesn’t have to go through this alone. Nobody should.
My feet dangle in the air, and I could fall at any moment; one wrong move, a strong breeze, or dizziness and it’s over for me. I swallow.
“Do you come here often?” I ask.
“Not since I’ve met you.”
“Really?
“Do you feel it? Your heart beating, the adrenaline rushing though you, your breath quickening?”
“Yes, I feel it alright,” I reply staring at the void.
“This is the only feeling strong enough to overcome the pain of not having you by my side.”
I turn to him, completely taken by surprise by his statement.
“Are you kidding me?”
“When I can no longer think, when you occupy every inch of my mind and my body suffers from not being able to feel you against me, this is how I’m able to go on.”
I don’t know if it’s romantic or twisted or completely nuts, but in reality, I know exactly what he means. The two weeks we spent apart when we came back from the cruise were the worst two weeks of my life. His absence was sorely felt throughout my body and my head no longer functioned normally. The only thing I wanted was to find him and give up everything to be with him, wherever he was in the world. I had no idea that his feelings for me were just as strong.
Slowly, my shivers subside, my fear vanishes, and I begin to breathe normally again. Liam’s hand lands on my cold fingers, leaning on the stone parapet.
“Please tell me you’ve never had the urge to jump?”
He bursts out laughing.
“I’m not suicidal, Carly.”
I sigh, nodding. A smile appears on my face.
“I just wanted to make sure.”
“How do you feel?”
“I don’t know, I…Better than I did at first, I think.”
I frown. Was this a test? Did he wanted to know how I would react and deal with the fear? To know how a rush of adrenaline would affect me? I sigh. This is stupid! But once again, his need for strong emotions could point to sexual trends I don’t dare imagine. Why do I have fewer and fewer doubts about his second nature that he refuses to admit to me?
“What’s in that room, Liam?” I finally ask, straight to the point.
His expression darkens. He takes a few seconds to think.
“My past,” he finally answers.
“That’s not an answer.”
“But it will have to be enough.”
With that, he moves his legs over the parapet to return to the veranda. He holds out his hands to help me back onto solid ground, pulling me into his arms.
“Do you want to dance?”
“There’s no music.”
He takes his Android phone from his pocket and places it on the table. A sweet melody echoes through the speakers on the wall, and I assume they are connected to his phone. His hand grabs my palm and makes me spin under his arm which he then wraps around me lovingly. He guides my steps as his left hand presses against my back and his right hand close over mine.
“I love you, Carly,” he whispers after a few seconds, looking at me straight in the eye.
His tone is sincere, warm.
“I love you too, Liam.”
I nestle my cheek against his strong chest. His palm rises along my back in an intoxicating embrace that almost makes my body melt, and his fingers slide into my hair.
“I will never forget the evening I saw you at the Lexington’s.”
I look back at that night with bitterness and I regret attending it, but Liam has no idea what really went down over there.
“You danced with Ethan,” he continues, revealing a nostalgic smile. “I didn’t know he was your brother, and I was mad with jealousy. Seeing you in the arms of another man was unbearable, but seeing you laugh so heartily, being more natural with him than you ever were with me was worse than anything. That’s how I want you to be with me. I want it to be me who makes you so happy, me and nobody else. Call me selfish if you want to, but that’s the effect you have on me.”
I would be like that with him if I could trust him. I want to know that he isn’t hiding anything from me, and that I can fall in love with him without fearing him breaking my heart.
“I’ll try,” I promise him anyway.
We continue to dance in the dark, alone in the world, yet in the heart of one of the most populated cities of the country. The music stops, but we stay in each other’s arms. He presses his lips against my temple, and I feel his breath on my face as his heart beats against my chest.
“There is a benefit dinner in two days,” he announces. “I want you to come with me.”
I sigh quietly. After the dinner at the Lexington’s and his brother’s wedding, I think I’ve had my fair share of social events. It’s not nearly as fun as it looks like in magazines. I really don’t want to find myself in the newspapers again, knowing it will lead to another argument with Ethan.
“It’s for the organization I founded,” he says. “Every year, we organize an evening to raise funds to help develop countries in need.”
“Yes, Ava told me about that.”
“Oh. Did she, really?”
“I never imagined you as a philanthropist.”
“Why not?”
I shrug.
“You were very rude to a waiter aboard the cruise, and you seemed to despise the employees, like they didn’t matter to you.”
He looks down, pursing his lips as if he regretted it.
“Yes, I can be an ass sometimes.”<
br />
I let out a giggle at this more than obvious fact.
“Yes, I agree with that.”
He gives me a look both insulted and amused.
“Are you laughing at me?”
I laugh. “Oh yes, absolutely!”
His fingers tighten on my arms as he pins me against his body. He has a mischievous twinkle in his eyes when they plunge into mine, and he growls through his teeth. “You know I could make you regret your audacity!”
The threat in his tone doesn’t intimidate me at all, but rather awakens a fierce instinct inside of me.
“Oh yeah?”
I surprise myself daring him to try something.
His smile slowly fades and his gaze tries to decipher something in me. He looks down before taking a deep breath.
“So, it’s a yes?” he asks, returning the conversation back to his invitation.
“Of course it’s a yes.”
He leans over and kisses me lovingly. My arms wrap around his neck and I push my belly against him, kissing him back.
“You know what?” I interrupt.
He looks at me, puzzled.
“I met your friends and family, but you haven’t met mine yet.”
“I met your brother, and your roommate, and Liv, too. Are there others I’m forgetting?”
“That doesn’t count! You just briefly met them. And there is also Liv’s brother, Adam.”
“Okay. Well what do you suggest we do?”
“Tomorrow night, if I organize a dinner with them, would you come?”
“Tomorrow night is fine with me.”
I smile widely and kiss him again. I know Ethan doesn’t like the idea that I’m with someone famous, but he will change his mind when he gets to know Liam. Liv will be happy to join us, I’m sure!
Liam puts his hand on the small of my back, and his gaze fills with desire.
“Come with me,” he says.
Before I can answer, he takes me inside.
He leads me into his bedroom and leaves the lights off. He presses a switch to close the curtains, and the room darkens by the second as the slats slide along the windows, cutting off all lights.
“Wait here,” he orders behind me.
I can’t see a thing, so I don’t dare move. I hear him go out of the room. My heart is pounding and my breathing intensifies as my forehead covers with beads of sweat. My eyes, trying to adjust, are wide open trying see something around me. In total darkness, everything becomes mysterious and scary. The slightest noise and the silence are both threatening.
Only a few minutes later, footsteps announce Liam’s return and the door closes quietly behind him. I’m even aware of the little click the lock makes. My stomach is completely knotted. I take a deep breath trying to pull myself together, and then I breathe it out slowly.
I hear Liam’s breathing behind me. How is it that he can see me when I can’t see anything?
“Did you come to see me?” I ask in a low voice.
“Shhh!” he blows against my neck.
A shiver runs down my back.
Tenderly, his fingers slide under the straps of my tank top to lower it, and he presses a kiss into the crook of my shoulder. My head leans to the side and my back falls toward him. He slides his hands into the cups of my bra, rolling his thumbs over my nipples. I let out a soft moan, letting my body melt against him.
Once again, he kisses my neck passionately and his breath grazes my wet skin. He removes my bra and throws it on the floor, and puts his palms on my stomach while pushing my tank top down on my hips. I find myself half-naked in the dark.
His fingers invade my jeans, and slide under my panties. My body shudders in longing for his touch. His hand slides over my labia, but nothing more. He unbuttons my pants to remove them, but then I no longer feel his energy on my skin.
I look around, still blinded. I hear his sigh behind me and my body tenses in anticipation. I feel so vulnerable being completely naked!
A rod-like object with a smooth, flexible texture brushes my ass and makes my muscles tighten. Liam draw circles on my butt, following the bone of my pelvis with what seems to be a feather. He doesn’t touch my vagina, he just skirts my waist and my breasts. It’s a flower! A rose, judging by the smell emanating from it.
The head gently touches my lips, intoxicating me with its deliciously sweet smell. Liam slides it along my jaw, my throat, and between my breasts, and catches my upper body as it weakens. A gesture of his right arm tells me he just got rid of the rose. With his hands, he straightens me up and walks away.
What’s he planning now? I remain nervous and impatient. Suddenly, a warmth wraps around my breast. He simply passes his hands over them without touching. My nipples swell and I can’t stand the wait. I want him to touch me, to take me, and kiss me.
“Liam!” I beg.
“Shhh!”
Then, his lips sensually close on my earlobe in a divine suction that tears a groan from me. He kisses my navel, and his mouth slides down to my hip where his teeth gently scrape my skin. I moan. My legs weaken and my fingers instantly tangle in his hair, but he grabs my wrists and pushes them away, forbidding me the slightest touch.
He grabs my hips into his hands and spins me around, my back now facing him. He kisses my ass, his tongue skimming my skin. I immediately have the reflex to lean forward, granting him full access, and I hear him growl appreciatively. At that moment, his fingers push between my legs to rub my clit.
“Mmm, you love it,” he says.
I smile, happy to satisfy him like this. He sits up, leaning his body against mine. He must have removed his shirt at some point because I feel his skin on mine directly. His index finder brushes my lower lip when his commanding voice whispers in my ear, “Lick it,” he orders.
The command has a devastating effect on my body, fueling an already powerful desire. I can only obey and I close my eyes as my tongue slowly slides along his index finger.
I feel all of his excitement at this simple gesture and I’m carried away by the same feeling. My whole body shivers. A roar rolls down his throat and his palms slide up my breasts that he grips firmly. My body becomes a tool into his hands, and I let myself fall against him as he buries his face in the crook of my shoulder. His thumb and forefinger close on my nipples that he pulls, again and again. I moan at each sensation that stimulates an electric shock directly to my lower abdomen.
He turns me around to face him, throwing himself at my breasts to kiss them strongly, and I can’t restrain a cry of pleasure. My body causing him this much desire is such a turn on and I don’t see how I could ever resist him, no matter what I find out.
He sucks my nipples slowly, one at a time. My fingers slide into his hair without him pushing them away this time. He gently presses his mouth against mine, finally granting me this kiss that I’ve been wanting. His tongue rolls on mine in a long, sensual stroke.
He guides me to the bed where he drops me gently on my back without stopping to kiss me. I realize as he climbs over me that has taken off his pants too, as well as his underwear. A hard penis presses against my labia and I quiver, impatient to feel him inside me.
Finally, the long awaited salvation comes and he plunges his cock in me. Each inch increases the pleasure already at its peak. He begins his back and forth movements at a cruel pace. My fingers clench in his back, releasing a fierce cry out of him. He’s more excited than ever and increases the speed of his thrusts; again, and again and again.
“Go ahead, let it out, beautiful!” He growls between his teeth. “I want to hear you. I want you to wake up the whole building.”
On his order, I release the cry that I was repressing. My back arches, my nipples harden, and my legs stretch to the extreme. My toes fold and Liam doesn’t stop. I keep screaming as the orgasm intensely vibrates throughout my body. Liam yells out in response, releasing himself inside me.
I slowly come back to myself as he gradually stops his back and forth movements, keeping his eyes riveted o
n my expression of gratitude and total submission. Right now, I would absolutely do whatever he asked me to. I’m his body and soul. He owns me and I know he won’t let me go.
He lets himself fall beside me, pulling the covers of his bed over our naked bodies. I snuggle against him immediately, exhausted and drained by the orgasm he just gave me. His arms wrap around my body and he kisses me lovingly.
Chapter 13
“Miss Scott, I am Detective Turmel. I would like to talk to you about the investigation. I’ve been trying to reach you for a while.”
I hear a sigh of exasperation on the other end of the line as I take the message on my voicemail.
“It’s just to inform you that, unfortunately, we have no evidence or witnesses that will allow us to continue the investigation. If you haven’t received any other threats, or if no one has attempted anything in the last week, I will report it as an isolated event. Call me back, please.”
I hang up and shake my head. I should have known. I sigh, putting my phone back in my purse. I place my pocket of change in my locker before leaving the restaurant after my shift. I suspect Richard is the one behind all of this, and I know the police will not do anything to him. If it is him, he’s probably the one who pushed to close the investigation, and that doesn’t reassure me at all.
A very powerful and influential man is out to get me, and he obviously has no problem threatening or killing me. The worst thing is that he would get away with this without a single accusation; nobody would ever believe the great Richard Lexington could be a murderer. And the people close to me who know about this whole situation would probably be in as much danger as I am right now. He’s the kind of man who has developed a social circle so important that he’s pretty much untouchable. I have no intention of talking to Ethan or to Liam about it. They would worry about me and wouldn’t be able to do anything for me. How am I going to get out of this!
Anyway, tonight is the dinner with my friends and Liam, and I have no intentions to let this news ruin everything. I chose the relaxed atmosphere of a pub at the corner of my street for the occasion. There is so much pressure in Liam’s world that I preferred to stay away from it tonight. Tonight, there’s only the six of us, nachos, beer and billiards. The place usually isn’t very busy, so Liam most likely won’t be recognized.
A Borrowed Life (Carly and Liam #1) Page 23