by Stella Rhys
“Am I all tan and beautiful?” Riley asked, tossing her newly highlighted hair when I walked in. “I was on the beach like, every day for the past two weeks.”
“Lucky you,” I smirked. “And here I was fixing the ice machine on my own because our repair guys went on vacation, too.”
“Oh, shut up, I know Liam fixed it for you,” Riley snorted, fluffing her hair in the mirror behind the bar. It was true – I tried for days to fix the ice machine but the second Liam caught onto my trouble, he went back there, shed his hoodie and got to work. He was in one of his simple white T-shirts and had just come all showered from the gym but he got quickly hot and sweaty again, prompting all the girls in my staff to gather round, watching and drooling without shame. I couldn’t blame them. I was among them – I was just great at disguising my ogling. “So. How have you been enjoying our favorite bad boy, Liam?” Riley cocked a sharp eyebrow at me through the mirror. My heart stopped for a second.
“What do you mean?”
“A month into living with him and you haven’t killed each other yet. I’m shocked.”
“Oh.” My shoulders relaxed. “Well, we’ve always gotten along.”
“Yeah, but I figured you’d get sick of hearing him fuck bimbos every night and I figured he’d get sick of just…having you there.”
“How nice of you to say.”
“What? He’s hot and single, you’re weepy and heartbroken. Who wouldn’t imagine that you’d be a total buzzkill?” Riley grinned. I snorted, rounding the bar to polish the wine glasses that had just come out of the kitchen.
“I’m thoroughly over Ethan, but you can assume whatever you want.”
“Oh, Sash, don’t get so defensive. We’re all here for you, sweetie, we get it. Ethan was your first love and your first everything. It’s gonna take awhile for you to get over him and all that… wild, rowdy missionary sex.” She could barely finish the sentence before bursting out laughing. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. You should never tell me about your sex life ever again. I’m just not to be trusted.”
I smiled and acted good-natured about it to hide the fact that I was sweating over my sex life as of last night. Once boring, it had become quickly hotter than hell. “Alright. Very funny,” I said, offering a grin. Any other day, I would’ve been at least a little salty about the remark, but I’d just made up for years of bad sex with Ethan in barely twelve hours with Liam, so suddenly, I didn’t care. And I could tell I wasn’t giving Riley the huffy, embarrassed reaction she was hoping for because she suddenly put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at me.
“Something’s different,” she said, her disappointment tinged with curiosity. I paused in the middle of racking a glass.
“What do you mean?”
“You usually get all pouty and wounded when I talk about your shitty sex life.”
“I guess I’m growing up?”
“Doubtful. I think you’re fucking someone,” Riley said, her eyes getting wider and wider. There was no way she knew but my heart was already beating faster as the wheels turned in her head. “Oh God, no, that would be so wrong,” she muttered, clasping a hand to her mouth. “Sasha.” She stared at me, eyes so wide I thought they might pop out of her head. “You’re fucking that chubster who delivers the napkins!”
I let out the breath I was holding. Never had I been so relieved to be accused of sleeping with some random guy. “Riley, I… no. I’m not sleeping with him. Or anyone.” It wasn’t a lie. I hadn’t had sex with Liam. Not yet.
“Oh my God, yes you are! I watch you two flirt all the time! You were just too embarrassed to hook up till I was out of town!” Riley gasped, bouncing on her heels with her signature over-the-top excitement. “Oh my God, Sash. That is so cute. Seriously, don’t be embarrassed. A lot of girls like big bellies. I mean, Trav’s getting a bit of a beer gut,” Riley stuck out her tongue as she spoke of her husband. “But I still love him. Even though he was a boring asshole the whole vacation. He’s starting to get so damned lazy,” she muttered under her breath, almost to herself. There was a pause. “But at least he doesn’t look twelve months pregnant like your little fuck buddy!” she cackled, doubling over again.
“Oh-kay, Riles.” Our staff was starting to trickle in so I just stretched my lips into a tight smile and shut up, hoping to stop the conversation before they could hear.
“Don’t worry, girl, I’ll keep your secret,” she winked. I gave a thumbs up, not even wanting to get into this. I knew she’d drop it eventually and she did, because shortly after opening, we were so slammed that I had to come out of the office and get behind the bar to sling drinks.
“I see you’ve got the seats roped off,” a pretty redhead called over the counter. She nodded at the three seats at the end of the bar that we kept reserved every night for Liam and the boys. “When do the fighters get here?”
“Oh,” I smiled, still getting used to the fact that we were practically a tourist attraction thanks to Liam and his friends. “I’m not positive they’re coming by tonight but if they do, it’ll be past 9PM.”
“Then we’ll be here past 9PM!” Red declared, toasting her Cosmo before turning to relay the info to her friends. They squealed in excitement as Riley came up behind me with a groan.
“I hate how these little sluts come here just to ogle Liam,” she muttered, running a credit card. “It’s so pathetic.”
“What’s pathetic about it? He’s every girl’s type and they’re giving us business.”
“I just don’t want him sleeping with groupies. He’s better than that,” Riley muttered. I raked my bottom lip between my teeth. I didn’t know what constituted a groupie, but if it was a girl who actively sought after a guy, then I was a total groupie for Liam. Riley glared at me. As usual, she misinterpreted my silence. “Don’t get all quiet, Sash, just say it.”
“What?”
“You think I’m jealous because you think I still have a crush on Liam. Which I do not.”
Except you do. Riley had claimed since marrying Travis that she was no longer attracted to Liam, but every time she got drunk enough, she slurred on about how she’d divorce Trav in a heartbeat if our mother split from Liam’s father, Vic. “I mean look at Liam. Look at those abs. Look at that ass. Am I not a woman? What am I supposed to do? Not want to fuck him? I’d let him do whatever he wanted to me. Just fucking look at that man.” It was always unbridled, nonstop and hilarious, and I’d always have to hustle Riley into another room so she didn’t say anything loud enough for others to hear. She was still infatuated with Liam. I knew she was but I wasn’t going to point that out, especially not now.
“You’re just protective of him. The way he’s protective of us,” I said to quell the situation. It was a total lie but I just wanted the conversation to end. I’d yet tell Aria all the details of my insane hook-up with Liam last night and all that pent-up scandal was still bouncing at the tip of my tongue, desperate to come out. Of course, I wasn’t going to let it come out at Riley.
“Yeah. I’m just protective of him. I love him,” Riley murmured, over-pouring a beer as she gazed out the door. I tried not to overanalyze the look on her face. I didn’t have time to anyway. The bar kept filling up and it only got worse when Liam rolled in with A.J, Max and a couple other guys. The usual ruckus was made as the crowd parted for them, our regulars and bartenders chanting “Cage Kings” the name of the gym and the camp that produced so many of the absolute warriors we watched at the bar during fight nights. We wore our Cage Kings T-shirts and blasted the volume on the flat screens. Regulars who didn’t watch MMA became fans after spending enough time at our bar.
“There are my boys,” Riley grinned, sliding pints across the bar as they took their usual seats.
“Lookin’ good, Riles,” A.J said.
“I got tan! You noticed?”
“Always.” He tossed her a wink. Liam smirked, exchanging a look with me.
“Good workout?” I asked casually, trying to mask my nerves since he
wouldn’t take his eyes off of me. My pulse heightened as he leaned back and took his time to answer me, prioritizing his gaze on my T-shirt. The thin cotton was spattered in beer. I didn’t have to look down to feel how it clung tighter than usual to my breasts. Liam indulged in far too long a stare before replying to my question.
“A little distracted today, but decent overall.” He gave me that crooked little grin that never failed to slay my heart in half a second.
“Distracted? Why?” Riley cut in. “Thanks for saying hi, by the way.” She leaned over the counter and presented Liam her cheek, which he kissed. “You okay, sweetie? What’s got my big strong man so distracted?”
It was at this point that Max and I exchanged looks. He and I seemed to be the only ones who ever detected the blatantly flirtatious way in which Riley spoke to Liam. She wants him, he mouthed to me, his dark blonde hair still wet and dripping onto my bar. I smirked as I wiped the droplets off with a rag and slid him a pint, mouthing back, oh yeah.
“Is it a girl?” Riley pressed on when Liam gave her some generic answer about his distraction. I went stiff, catching Liam’s mischievous eye before he turned back to Riley with his answer.
“Actually, Riles, yeah. It’s a girl.”
My heart stopped. I flashed him a look but while he grinned wickedly for me, he wouldn’t look at me. Liam. Don’t you dare, I willed him silently, my heart pounding as Riley gasped and began her interrogation.
“No way. You finally developed feelings for one of your little groupies?” she asked scandalously. “How the hell did you let that happen, King Playboy?”
Liam laughed as he leaned over the bar, his sexy, bite-able shoulders stretching the cotton of his white T-shirt. “It’s one of those long-time-coming situations,” he said. He looked at me, his green eyes gleaming. “Spanning almost a decade, really.”
Riley slapped her hand to the bar. “No! You? Holding in feelings for that long? Shut your mouth!” I bit my lip, feeling the heat of A.J and Max’s stares. They knew about Liam and me. If they didn’t know for sure that we’d hooked up, they were definitely suspecting it now because of the way I was blushing, shaking my hair into my face and busying myself with glasses that were already polished. Riley was incredulous. “Are you hearing this, Sash?” she grabbed my arm to physically pull me back into the conversation. “Liam says he’s been in love with a girl for like, ten years and didn’t start doing something about it till now. I’m calling total bullshit. Right?”
My heart pounded but I shrugged casually as I gazed at Liam. “I don’t know. It could be true,” I murmured.
“It is,” he said, his stare intense on me. I forced myself to look outwardly unfazed.
“So like, what, you used to date her and she got away?” Riley asked, dying of curiosity. Liam took a drink and gave that low, sexy laugh.
“I never dated her. Never so much as touched her till last night. But it was well worth the wait,” Liam grinned before wincing and shifting in his seat. A.J laughed.
“Dude’s getting hard just thinking about it.”
“A.J! Please don’t talk about my stepbrother’s hard-on in front of me,” Riley scolded, despite the fact that she liked to guess Liam’s dick size every time she had tequila.
“Sorry. Thought it’d be a crowd pleaser,” A.J snorted, nodding at the girls behind us who were no doubt staring and eavesdropping. He called out to them. “I’ve seen it in the showers. Solid ten inches. But he’s got nothing on me!”
We all groaned but with that came a burst of giggles from the girls and suddenly, A.J was off and mingling with Red and her friends, drinking from their Cosmos and dropping all the same lines I heard him use every week.
“Clearly someone’s getting laid tonight. What about you?” Riley asked Liam, pressing on so aggressively that Max shot me another one of those, damn, she’s thirsty kind of looks.
Liam cocked an eyebrow. “What about me?”
“You going to fuck this girl tonight?” Riley asked.
“I’d like to,” Liam answered. He grinned. “I could do it now. She’s in this bar.”
“What?” My heart stopped as Riley shouted. I stood behind her, shooting daggers at Liam and shaking my head as subtly as possible. “Liam! Where? Which one is she? I need to see how hot this girl is – show me now!”
“She’s right next to you,” Liam grinned, soaking in my panic as Riley scanned the bar, the hint going straight over her head.
“Which one? Where?”
“The one with the tits, Riles.”
“Liam,” I hissed, my cheeks getting red. I glanced at Max, who read right through the situation. His eyes narrowed and I realized that he hadn’t known about Liam and me until this very moment. Guilt and shame washed over me. God, I had been so out of my mind, so desperately in need of Liam’s touch that I hadn’t even thought of the repercussions of us – what would happen, how people would react when they caught wind of what we had done.
“Oh my God, is it that one?” Riley pointed at a model-esque blonde. “She’s not even that pretty!” she hissed as I mouthed stop it to Liam, my panic choking my throat. I swear to God, I begged silently. He didn’t listen, only laughed. He was punishing me, reveling in every second of my torment.
“Nah.” Liam drew his hand over his mischievous smile. “Not that one, Riley. The brunette. Five-foot-five. Light brown eyes. Fuckin’ face of an angel.” He was describing me to a tee. Riley remained completely clueless. She’d never suspect me but still, I was about to have a heart attack. “Shouldn’t be that hard, Riles,” Liam said as I white-knuckled the rail. “She’s easily the hottest girl in the room.” Hurt flashed in my sister’s face. I felt bad about it. As her wild eyes looked around, Liam turned his fiery gaze to me. “And no matter how pissed she is at me tonight, I’m going to make her come harder than she’s ever come in her life.”
You fucking asshole.
“I have to change the keg,” I muttered, rushing away from the bar. Liam was toying with me and as much as I’d done the same to him last night, tonight, I was pissed. Fucking with Riley to get a rise out of me was messed up but I really shouldn’t have put it past Liam to do that. He wasn’t afraid of telling Riley about us but he knew I was. He knew my relationship with my sister. I yielded to her because it was easy. She was bullheaded and dramatic and I was quickly realizing that I couldn’t let her find out about this, and that I was going to have to work my ass off to keep it all a secret from her. Fear, shame and fury boiled in my veins as I headed into the back. As long as I was at the bar tonight, Liam was going to tease me.
So instead of changing out the keg, I walked out, hailed a cab and got the hell out.
Chapter Five
Going to Aria’s apartment was a bad move, but I wasn’t ready to see Liam when he got home. I was angry at him for making me into his entertainment at the bar, and I was pissed that he did it at Riley’s expense.
“I guess now we’ll both be hiding this secret from family members who are in love with Liam,” Aria sighed when Jenna went onto the balcony to smoke. I’d interrupted them during a boozy Thursday night in, both of them pretty sloshed by the time I showed up. “At least you don’t live with your Liam fanatic,” Aria sighed. “Jenna grills me about Liam every chance she gets. She’s even gotten her friends obsessed with him now.” I wasn’t surprised. Jenna had head cheerleader mentality – she’d been prom queen in high school, was president of her sorority at college and still chose company based on how well they dressed and followed her lead. Her obsessions always became their obsessions and I was well aware of the fact that she’d assembled a mini fan club for Liam. It was her way of assuring an audience for when she finally hooked up with him. She’d done the same with her current hook-up, hyping up her “super hot boss” so that her friends would go crazy when she finally revealed they’d had sex.
In reality, her “super hot boss” was balding with a beer gut and offered little besides his millions of dollars, which he occasionally used to
buy Jenna presents. Apparently, Jenna’s fan club of fangirls dwindled when they found out what he looked like, which was probably why she was back on the prowl for a heavily prized hook-up. It would up her hot chick credibility again, and for someone as shallow as Jenna, that kind of thing was important.
“Oh, don’t make that face, Sasha,” Aria pleaded. “And don’t you worry your cute self about Jenna. If she finds out, I’ll do everything I can to keep her under control.”
I heaved a sigh, realizing the full scope of attention that would be drawn to our relationship if it ever got out. But then I immediately chided myself because I honestly had no idea what Liam and I were or were going to be. I couldn’t call what we had a relationship. I couldn’t call us anything.
“I don’t know what I was thinking when I pulled that little stunt on him last night,” I groaned to Aria. “I didn’t think it through. It was just all this drama culminating into one big, horny lapse in judgment. Just… Ethan, Liam, all the girls he brought home. The fact that I’ve wanted him for so damned long.”
“The fact that you’ve never had an orgasm before.”
I frowned. “I have.”
“Solo. Those count but you should definitely experience a penis-given O before your twenty-sixth birthday.”
“You’re probably right about that.”
“I am. On behalf of your starved libido, I vote ‘yes’ for hooking up with Liam. As much as humanly possible. Just tell him he’s not getting any unless he keeps it all under wraps. At least from Riley.” She lowered her voice as Jenna returned. “And this one. Just to be safe.”