How!? And why!? And were her tits always that amazing!?
“Hello, Liam,” she said, holding out her hand.
“Uh. Hey,” he managed to responded eloquently, just barely managing to look her in the eye as he shook her hand.
“They, um, invited me. To tag along,” she finally offered an explanation.
He was staring again, he was sure. Ayumi had always just sort of been there. Like ... a lamp. A very pretty, very efficient lamp. She wasn't allowed to be out with his friends, looking sexy and fun and ... and ...
“Wait,” he blurted out. “Are you drunk, too?”
“I wouldn't say drunk,” she replied in an indignant tone.
“You are. You guys got her drunk!” he said, turning on Katya. She held up her hands.
“I didn't do anything, she did the keg stand all on her own.”
“Keg stand?”
“I am not drunk,” Ayumi insisted. “I am ... pleasantly tipsy.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Tipsy. C'mon, let's get not-so-pleasantly-tipsy inside,” Liam snorted.
Tori woke with a snort and started mumbling when he yanked her up onto her feet. She was a tall girl, easily over five-foot-eight, and though her body was tone and fit, she had tits and ass for days. She was not small. Lugging her around at his side was like trying to drag around a petulant sack of potatoes.
“Where are we goooooooing?” she moaned, finally lifting her head and looking around when they walked through his lobby.
“Upstairs,” he replied through gritted teeth. Ayumi dashed ahead and hit the button for the elevator while Katya got around to Tori's other side, trying to take some of her weight.
“Home,” she sighed, almost falling backwards and making him stumble. He groaned and then surged forward, forcing her onto the lift.
“Yeah, yeah, we're going home.”
The ride up was awkward. Ayumi was very obviously trying to blend in with the walls, not making any eye contact with him. Tori startled babbling about all the sexual things she was planning on doing to him, which was at least interesting, but then Katya slapped her hand over her friend's mouth.
“She's wasted, don't pay any attention to her. She was saying the same stuff to me earlier.”
When they got to his floor, he decided not to mess around anymore. He swung Tori up into his arms and simply carried her the rest of the way to his apartment.
“Back pocket,” he said, glancing down at Katya. “My keys.”
She was trying to keep a hold on Tori's mouth, though, so it was actually Ayumi who fished his keys out and opened the door. All while still not looking at him.
She swept through the door and held it open for him. He nodded his thanks before heading to his couch. Then he very unceremoniously dropped Tori onto it. She almost rolled off before Katya caught her arm and pulled her into place.
“Kinda reminds me of me,” she snorted, which made Liam laugh out loud.
“Kinda, but she's still wearing pants,” he replied. She blushed a little, but still laughed.
“For now. Better keep an eye on her – she tends to strip when she's had too much to drink.”
“Don't worry, then I will definitely keep an eye on her.”
“And keep your hands to yourself,” Katya warned him, pointing her finger sternly in his face.
“What do you take me for? I'm not gonna molest my employee while she's unconscious on my couch,” he said, slapping her hand away.
“Sure, sure, whatever you say. I'll break both your knee caps if you touch her,” Katya gave one last threat before turning away from him. “Ayumi, you want to ride home with me?”
“No, thank you,” the quiet woman responded. “I live in the opposite direction. I'll get a taxi. May I use a restroom?”
Liam was still a little unnerved by her presence. And her very visible breasts. He stammered for a moment, then finally just pointed across the room. She nodded her thanks – alcohol had done nothing to diminish her ice cold personality – and quickly hurried into the bathroom off the kitchen.
“What the fuck is she doing with you guys?” Liam hissed, stepping up close to Katya and following her as she headed for the front door.
“She called when we were getting ready, she thought tonight was this thing I'd invited her to. I felt bad, she'd gotten ready and everything, so we invited her to tag along. You know, she's actually pretty fun. Just kind of ... tense,” Katya explained, winding a long scarf around her neck while she stood in the open doorway.
“Kind of? That's putting it mildly. You should make her come with you right now,” he said, not particularly wanting Ayumi Nakada lurking around his apartment, making him feel bad about his life choices.
“Pfffft, stop being a baby. Just let her hang out while she waits for a cab. Speaking of which, my ride is here!” Katya replied, glancing at her phone. “Take care of Tori, but don't like take care of her, alright?”
“Fucking hell, Katya, I'm not some rapist who -”
She abruptly stood on her toes and threw her arms around his neck. He stumbled into the hug, causing them to fall into a wall.
“You really are the best, Liam Edenhoff,” she sighed in his ear.
Liam took a deep breath and squeezed her tightly.
The best? I wasn't even good enough for you.
“I'll make sure Tori gets home tomorrow. Take it easy,” he said, gently pushing her away. She smiled and ruffled his hair for a moment.
“You need a chick in your life, Liam. I think you're happiest when you have some nurturing hand taking care of you,” she told him as she headed down the hallway.
“I'm a big boy, Angel Cake, I can take care of my self,” he assured her. She snorted and stepped onto the waiting elevator.
“I highly doubt that.”
She was waving goodbye as the doors shut between them. Liam dropped his smile and slammed his own door shut.
“What the fuck is she talking about?” he grumbled, stomping around and picking up the dirty laundry that was laying everywhere. “I take great care of myself. I get up every day, I put on pants, I usually shower. I vote. I'm a fucking adult, I don't need anyone to take care of me.”
He kept it up for a while, pacing around the large apartment and absent mindedly picking things up. He was so out of it, he forgot Tori was on his couch and dumped the clothes on her feet. So deep in his thought, he didn't notice the soft knocking sound coming from across the room.
Just because she chose a fucking sociopath over me does not mean I'm some sort of man child.
WHY? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING to me? Why did I think coming out was a good idea?
As soon as she shut the bathroom door behind her, Ayumi fell against it. She let her eyes fall closed and resisted the urge to shriek.
She'd actually had a blast with the girls. Tori was a little crazier than Ayumi could handle, but Katya was tame enough to reel the wild child in most of the time. They went from bar to bar, collecting friends and drinks as they went.
And the more drinks they had, the more comfortable Ayumi felt. She found herself talking more and easily with Katya. Laughing and dancing with Tori. The keg stand had been a dare, she would never normally do something like that; but that's also what had made it so fun. She wasn't being normal that night – she was getting a chance to relive the youth she'd never had.
But then it had all gone down hill. Tori'd had too much to drink, too fast, so they'd been forced to cart her home. Then, after lugging her all the way upstairs, they hadn't been able to find her key, and her roommate, Genevieve Stone, was out of town. So back downstairs they went. That's when the worst thing ever had happened.
Liam Edenhoff.
Ayumi strove for professional excellence. She never behaved inappropriately at work, and never outside of it when she was with coworkers or employers. When she'd first realized it was Liam that Katya had been talking to, her heart had dropped. She didn't want him to see her like that, dressed silly and acting ridiculous. It would m
ake him treat her different, and that would change their entire work relationship.
And of course, on top of all that, Ayumi had eyeballs. Liam was a ridiculously good looking man. Tall and tone and sexy, with a smile that could make panties burst into flames. For the most part, she was immune to him. She'd worked around plenty of good looking men in her career, it didn't mean anything. Any time he got flirty, she simply froze him out.
But it wasn't as easy when she was drunk. Drunk and horny – she hadn't had sex in months. Liam was sex, in physical form. She'd heard stories from Wulf and Katya about him, knew the kind of lifestyle he lead. Frankly, she would have expected him to have a girl waiting back at his apartment, so late at night.
But he hadn't. He was alone. And now she was alone. And a lot of very cheap alcohol was racing through her brain, making one thought ping around her head.
If he uses women for sex, why can't you use him?
“Stop it!” she hissed at herself, and she lurched away from the door. She bent over the sink and splashed cold water onto her face. “Do you see what happens when you try to spite Wulfric? You end up in situations like these. Get yourself together, and get the hell out of here. Easy and simple.”
She took her time looking herself over. Hair was mussed up, but still looked cute. Makeup still in place. Eyes a little blood shot, but nothing crazy. She supposed if a stranger looked at her, they wouldn't know she'd had a bit to drink. She nodded at her reflection, then straightened out her shirt.
“You can do this. Just walk out there, thank him for his help, and leave. Then tomorrow, just act like nothing happened. You can do this.”
With a decisive nod, she turned and grabbed the door handle. With her new surge of confidence, she jerked on it sharply, ready to stride through his living room with the same no-nonsense attitude she always wore in his presence. Instead of that happening, though, the door knob simply fell off in her hand. She stumbled backwards, letting out a small shriek as she rammed into a towel rack.
“No,” she breathed, hurrying back to the door. She tried to jam the knob back into place, but it just fell to floor, then rolled under the sink. “No, no, no! No!”
She tried. Ayumi really tried. She found a bobby pin behind his toilet and she attempted to pick the lock. She scratched and pulled at the hinges. Finally fished the door knob back out and tried to reattach it. Nothing worked and she had no choice but to call for help.
“Um,” she said, clearing her throat while she knocked on the door. “Excuse me?”
There was no answer. She continued knocking, for what felt like several minutes, but there was no response. Had he gone downstairs to wait with Katya? Very irresponsible, leaving Tori all alone. Rude. Ayumi frowned and kicked the bottom of the door, then choked on a scream when someone on the other side kicked back.
“Hey, I hear you,” Liam's voice filtered through the wood. “What are you doing, Ms. Keg Stand, throwing a party in there?”
Ayumi groaned. Of course Katya just HAD to tell him about the keg stand.
“No, I'm ... stuck. Your door won't open,” she said.
“The lock is fussy. Push it in while turning,” he suggested. She glanced at the door knob in her hand.
“I don't think that will work.”
“It will, trust me. Happens all the time.”
“Well, seeing as how the knob is no longer attached to the door, I really don't think it's going to work,” she insisted. That shut him up for a second.
“Let me get a coat hanger,” he finally said.
“I tried picking it with a bobby pin,” she warned him. “It wouldn't budge.”
“Jesus. Okay. Stand back.”
“Why?”
“I'm going to break it down.”
“That's ridiculous,” she snapped. “Just call the fire department.”
“I am not calling the fire department to come break down my door because a drunk girl got herself locked inside.”
“That's what they're there for! It's their job!”
“Their job is to put out fires, hence the name. They're not called 'drunk girl rescue team',” he told her.
“I am not drunk,” she growled.
“Sorry. They're not called 'tipsy girl rescue team',” he corrected himself. She kicked the bottom of the door again.
“This thing is probably solid oak, you're wasting your time.”
“Are you implying my manly shoulders couldn't possibly handle this flimsy hollow-core door? I should make you sleep in there. Landon was the last one to use the towels, I'm sure they'll make excellent blankets.”
Ayumi looked down at a pile of filthy towels on the floor and felt bile rise in her throat.
“No, just, um ... wait,” she insisted, trying to fumble the knob into place. “I think I can fix it.”
“Just step back, it'll take two seconds.”
“Just give me a moment, please.”
“Did you move? Because I'm coming in.”
“No!” she yelled, jamming the knob into place so hard, it finally stuck. “I think I got it!”
“One! Two ...”
“Wait, I think it will -”
She shrieked as something banged against the door, causing it to shudder. She jumped back just as the bolt ripped through the frame. Liam came flying into the room, and his momentum carried him across the floor. He stumbled into her, almost knocking them both to the ground. One of his arms immediately went around her waist while he planted his free hand on the toilet tank, saving them from falling into the nasty towels.
“See? That door was no match for my masculine prowess,” he joked, waggling his eyebrows at her.
Ayumi felt like she couldn't breathe. It had been a while since she'd felt a man pressed up against her, and Liam was a whole lot of man. Just about every inch of him was touching every inch of her, and between that and all the champagne she'd had, she was finding it hard to think straight.
“Your door,” she mumbled, glancing around his arm. “I'm sorry. Send me a bill, I'll pay for it.”
“What? No, you're not taking this away from me. That broken door is like a badge of honor. A testament to how virile and strong I am. I should get it framed and hang it on my wall. I'm not letting you pay for it,” he laughed, looking down at her.
It was an awkward, charged moment. Being so close to him, feeling his warmth, smelling his cologne. She'd spent a lot of time in his presence, and she wasn't blind, so of course she knew that Liam was good looking. But she'd never really noticed how thick his hair was, or how chocolatey his eyes were, or how strong his arms were.
Am I panting? Oh my god, I think I'm panting. Is he staring at my mouth? Well, if I wasn't panting before, I am now.
“I think I can stand now,” she finally breathed out, still not able to look away from his face. He glanced down, as if he hadn't even realized they were still holding onto each other, and he cleared his throat.
“You want a drink? I think I need a drink. Let's get a drink,” he babbled as he stood her upright.
A drink was the last thing she needed – she was almost entirely sobered up. She should get her ass out of the danger zone as quickly as possible, before she did something incredibly stupid. Her phone was sitting on his counter top, all she had to do was take it out and hit the Uber app. Easy peezy. Done and done. She'd be home in half an hour, safe and snuggly in her bed.
But instead of doing any of that, she numbly followed Liam across his apartment and sat at the head of his table. She didn't say anything, just watched as he pulled a bottle out of a large bag of flour. He grinned as he put it on the table, then he grabbed two small glasses before sitting down next to her.
“Do you always keep your liquor in flour?” she asked, wondering if it was some strange custom she'd never heard of. He snorted.
“I do if I don't want my addict brother to drink it all,” he replied, not looking at her as he poured them healthy drinks.
“Oh. Of course. I forgot,” she mumbled, sipping at the cle
ar liquid. Pine-y gin flowed over her tongue.
“No worries. I try to forget, too,” he chuckled, then he clinked his glass against hers before taking a huge swig. “So what made you decide to go out on the town with the dynamic duo?”
“A lapse in good judgement,” she responded without thinking, then she winced. Luckily, he laughed loudly and poured himself another drink.
“Ah, so you are human! Capable of making mistakes and everything,” he teased her.
“It doesn't happen often.”
“Doesn't seem like it. But it does sound like you guys had fun,” he commented, glancing over at the couch. Tori was rolling onto her stomach, mumbling something in her sleep.
“Surprisingly enough, we did.”
“That's good. I firmly believe that everyone needs loosening up once in a while,” he told her, toasting his glass to her. She toasted him back and they both drank all the contents.
“I feel like you exist in a permanent state of loose,” she told him.
“And I feel like there's a 'your mom' joke in there somewhere. Just give me a second.” He poured them more liquor.
“I went out because Wulf was being patronizing,” she suddenly blurted out. Liam started laughing again.
“No! Wulf? Patronizing? I simply cannot picture it!” his voice was so full of sarcasm, he almost had an accent. She smiled, spinning her glass in her hands.
“He wasn't rude,” she said quickly. She wasn't about to bad talk Wulf. “He was just ... I think he thought he was being nice. He was being nice. It just didn't feel very ...”
“Nice?” Liam offered, downing his third shot.
“I know you all think I'm some ice queen, incapable of having fun,” she said, staring down into the clear liquid. “Just because I behave a certain way at work doesn't mean I'm really that way.”
She looked up to see Liam nodding. He was leaned back in his chair, staring blankly across his apartment. For a moment, she wondered if he'd even listened to her at all. Then he sighed and finally looked at her again.
“I'm not trying to be rude, but don't you work all the time?” he asked.
“Pretty much.”
“So if you work all the time, and you act a certain way when you're at work, doesn't that just mean ... that's who you are?”
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