by J. H. Croix
Chapter 23
Liam
Olivia’s looked over at me, her dark lashes spiky and her green eyes luminous in the steam. The moment I’d seen her walking toward her building, I’d known something was off. Her shoulders had been hunched against the rain, her eyes weary when she’d first seen me, exuding a sense of vulnerability. Just now, pain and confusion flashed in her eyes. The soap slipped from her hands, falling to the shower floor with a thump, and she burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.
I didn’t even stop to think. All I knew was I would do anything to erase her pain. I wrapped her in my arms, sliding my hand up and down her back in slow passes and murmuring against her hair. Water sluiced over us and steam billowed around us as I held her. She slowly lowered her hands, relaxing in my hold and slipping her arms around my waist. She trembled slightly, but her sobs slowed by degrees, and I finally felt her take a deep breath. She’d buried her face in my chest and slowly lifted it. I loosened my hold and leaned back enough to look down at her. A bolt of pain slashed me—her pain was my pain. I didn’t have to know what it was about. Her eyes held mine in the misty air.
My chest felt tight, and my heart started to pound hard and fast. Olivia slid her hands around my waist, sliding across my slippery skin and up my chest. The air around us felt electrified. Whatever she’d been feeling appeared to have eased. Her gaze locked with mine, dark and intent. I was becoming accustomed to my inability to control anything that happened with her. Just now, part of me held onto the worry about what had caused her to burst into tears. Me, the man who’d never wanted a woman to read too much into anything, was worrying Olivia would think it was all about sex.
My body, on the other hand, thought it was bloody perfect to have Olivia’s hands exploring me. Her touch became rushed and frantic, almost as if she wanted to lose herself. I reached for her, but she dodged, her lips following her hands. My breath came out in a hiss when she placed a palm on my chest and firmly pushed me. My back collided with the cool tile wall as she shimmied down and curled her hand around my cock, which had gone rock hard in a matter of seconds the moment the energy between us shifted.
She glanced up through her wet lashes, her eyes locking to mine, as she leaned forward and dragged her tongue along the underside of my cock. My head fell to the tile wall with a thunk as her mouth closed over me, and she set to drive me completely mindless.
If there was one thing I’d come to learn about Olivia was she approached things thoroughly. I had enough sense to know she hadn’t become so well-known as a surgeon by chance. No, I was certain she’d been a straight A-plus student, which naturally lent itself to the understanding she was a woman of focus and intent. Just now, that focus and intent was pointed like a laser at me. Or more specifically, my cock. And holy hell was that the best thing ever. In the entire universe. Her warm, wet mouth took me in again and again with her tongue driving me mad in between with long, slow strokes. I was close, so close to release, but I needed to be inside of her.
I reached for her, pulling her up more roughly than I intended, but I was so far gone, all I could think about was getting as close as possible to her. I lifted her against me. She gratified me by instantly winding her legs around me. I could feel the slick heat of her against me and gritted my teeth. I hadn’t thought far enough ahead to cart condoms into the shower.
“Olivia. Wait,” I bit out when she tightened her legs around my hips and arched against me.
She lightly bit my neck and mumbled something. I pushed the glass door open with my shoulder, juggling her against me.
“Where are you going?” she asked, leaning back to look at me.
I was in almost physical pain from holding back, but I managed to speak. “Condom.”
Her eyes widened, a smile spreading. “Right there,” she said, pointing to a basket hanging from the showerhead. Shampoo and other assorted bath products were overflowing, but I certainly didn’t see any condoms. She reached over my shoulder and shoved the shampoo out of the way, coming up with a condom. In seconds, she tore the packet open, and I positioned my cock at her entrance. I forced myself to wait because I needed to see her.
I brushed a wet curl out of her eyes. “Olivia.”
Her eyes lifted to meet mine, and she curled her legs more tightly around me. Our gazes stayed locked together as I sank slowly inside her. Her eyes widened when I seated myself fully within her creamy clench. A wave of emotion crested within me, and I pulled her closer until our bodies were plastered together. Our skin was slick from the hot water raining down over us. Her nipples were taut and felt so damn good against my chest, I almost came without even moving. But I needed to move, needed to feel her release. With the wall behind me and her twined around me, I couldn’t move much, but I didn’t need to. We rocked slowly together. Her channel throbbed as soft pants and cries came from her. Lust was coiled so tightly inside me, the pressure built and built until she arched against me and cried out. My release followed hers with a raw shout as her channel tightened and pulsed around me.
Her head fell against my shoulder. I held her close and closed my eyes, savoring the feel of her surrounding me. After several long moments, we untangled ourselves, climbed out of the shower and dried off. Whatever had been weighing on Olivia earlier seemed to have dissipated. She dressed in soft fleece pants and a top, made hot chocolate and nudged me into bed with her, all of which I was perfectly happy to go along with.
“On my way home, all I wanted was to get warm and dry.” She paused and bit her lip, her cheeks flushing slightly. I loved it. “I got more than I bargained for, but I still want warm, so we’re watching TV in here.”
She dragged extra pillows into her bedroom from the couch and piled them high. I lay in bed later, listening to Olivia’s steady breathing as she slept beside me. She was definitely warm and dry, and my heart was tripping uncertainly along this road I’d never taken. I was still wondering what had put the pain in Olivia’s eyes earlier, but hadn’t wanted to push. There was also the rather inconvenient fact I had next to no clue how to navigate this emotional terrain. It wasn’t something I’d dealt with before and it set me back on my heels. I liked to feel in control and most of my life I did. Being a world-class athlete, no matter the sport in question, meant a level of commitment, concentration and discipline, all of which signified control on a meta level. I was entirely comfortable feeling as if I was master of the play on the pitch, which dominated my life.
Whatever this was with Olivia had shaken me because I felt out of control, tumbling along in forces of desire and emotion. The last few months of my life in general had shaken me, what with my mother’s sudden death, being signed to a new team in another country, and being sidelined by my knee injury. Of all of those events, my mother’s death and my feelings for Olivia shared the most because they involved my heart. The trade and my knee were things I could manage. My emotions, well they were something else altogether.
When Olivia shifted onto her side, her lush bottom bumping against my hip, I rolled to face her and pulled her close against me, nuzzling into the soft curve of her neck. I fell asleep breathing in the scent of her.
Chapter 24
Olivia
At the sound of a knock on my office door, I called out for whomever it was to come in. Tim Maxwell stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Tim was one of our best physical therapists and rehab coaches. We had plenty of PT’s on staff with incredible skill, yet Tim’s way of approaching clients took his care to the next level. He wasn’t intimidated by pro athletes and had absolutely no problem standing up to them if they tried to push their recovery too fast. He was also one of the nicest guys I knew and a friend. I wouldn’t usually feel the slightest bit of anxiety about seeing him, yet I knew it was likely Dr. Adams had pulled him aside to inform him he couldn’t consult with me about Liam.
“Hey Tim. How’s it going?” I asked, striving to keep my anxiety from bubbling up too much.
He sat down across fro
m my desk and eyed me for a long moment, which served only to spin the anxiety faster inside. “So, I understand I’m not to consult with you if any complications arise with Liam Reed’s recovery.”
I adjusted my glasses and nodded. My relief at talking to Dr. Adams didn’t keep me from beating myself up for even being in this mess to begin with. I’d promised myself I’d find a way to end whatever it was I was doing with Liam, and instead I’d spent another night with him. I swatted those thoughts away and focused on the moment. Marshaling, my composure, I met Tim’s gaze. “That’s right.”
A slow smile spread across Tim’s face. “I never thought you’d be the one in this situation. How’d Dr. Adams handle it when you talked with her?”
“As well as could be expected. I’m just praying whatever the clinic board does isn’t too awful,” I said with a sigh.
Tim’s smile faded. “They’ll do something, but you won’t lose your position here. You’re too valuable, and you did the right thing by going to Dr. Adams.” He paused, his gaze considering. “You surprised me, but it didn’t surprise me a bit the man in question happened to be Liam. That man can hardly keep his eyes off of you. I must admit I warned him off. Liam’s a nice guy, but I’d hate to see you get hurt. I don’t think he’d mean to hurt you, but he’s one of Britain’s favorite heartthrobs and on his way to that here in Seattle. Don’t suppose you’d tell me if this is serious?”
Tim’s comments struck right at the heart of my insecurities and my fears about how far and fast I’d fallen for Liam. I closed my eyes and took a breath before meeting his gaze again. His warm brown eyes eased my anxiety slightly. “I don’t know what to think. You’re as surprised as me that I’m in this situation. Liam…well, he’s a bit difficult to resist…”
“And he really likes you if the way he looks at you means anything,” Tim interjected.
I flushed and continued. “I don’t know what to think. It’s not like we have much in common, but when I’m with him, I don’t think about the fact he’s an international soccer star with half the women in the world drooling over him. I have no idea what I’m doing or where this is going.” I swallowed and fought back a rush of emotion, remembering the other night when I’d fallen apart in the shower. Liam hadn’t hesitated and wrapped me in his strong, solid embrace, nothing other than the feel of being held by him helping to ease the confusion and fear tumbling through me. Falling asleep with him curled around me was the best thing. Ever. Well, that and waking up with him. Better yet, having him inside me with the wild gallop of longing finally sated and an intimacy so intense binding us together, I could hardly stand to think of it.
Tim looked over at me, his eyes conveying warmth and understanding. “Oh hon, I think you might be in love,” he said softly.
My breath caught and I almost cried, shaking my head vehemently. “No, no, I can’t be. This is just lust and I’m not used to it. It’ll pass. Aside from all that, I need to clean up the mess I’ve made by even getting involved with him. It won’t do for me to keep this going.”
Tim arched a brow and eyed me for a long moment. “Okay, two things. First, I like Liam. He’s a good guy. It’s obvious his family means a lot to him, which is a good thing. He doesn’t talk about it much, but I can tell his mother’s death has been hard on him. In no way am I saying that’s good, just that it tells you something about his character. Maybe you should stop worrying about how you’re different. Second, you’ve already cleaned up the mess. You told Dr. Adams. She’s completely removed you from any possibility of being involved in follow up consultations. Sure, you have to deal with the board thing, but you have to do that anyway. Don’t shut yourself off from something just because you have an easy out.”
Tim’s pointed words struck at me. I didn’t like to think I was looking for excuses, but perhaps I was. It didn’t change the reality that I felt I was in way over my head. “No matter what, I don’t even know what Liam wants, and to say our lives are worlds apart is a bit of an understatement. I do surgery, and he plays ball. I mind my own business, and he gets reported on in gossip news.”
Tim shrugged. “Don’t even go there in your head. Focus on what’s happening, instead of all the reasons you’re different. Look around you. Most people that are together aren’t together because they’re so alike. Right now, Liam is into you. Trust me, I see the way he looks at you. You’re obviously way into him, or you wouldn’t even be talking to me about this. I might’ve been surprised, but I’m happy to see you focus on something other than work.” His pager beeped. Tim stood and gave me a hard look. “Do me a favor and don’t let your head get in the way.”
At that, he strode out of the office. I spun in my chair and stared out the windows. The sky was partially clear this morning. Puget Sound glittered under shafts of sun falling through the clouds. I’d felt a sense of relief coming to work this week, finally free of the burden of worrying about hiding what was happening with Liam. Yet, I couldn’t shake the disquiet over my feelings for Liam. With a shake of my head, I batted the thoughts away.
A few hours later I was still at work when my phone vibrated with a text from Daisy. I’ll kill him for you.
Completely puzzled, I texted back. What?
Online Seattle Observer.
I clicked out of our records system and online, quickly looking up the Seattle Observer. Right there on the main page was a photo of Liam seated on a bench outside of the Seattle Stars stadium. It wasn’t just a photo of Liam, but of a woman practically in his lap. If she wasn’t actually a model, she should’ve been. She was willowy with glossy blonde hair. She was leaning forward, her cleavage displayed perfectly for his view. I felt sick—sick with a flash of jealousy and sick to find myself questioning him. I hated it, but I couldn’t help myself from clicking on the photo that led to a brief article that offered me nothing except more anxiety and the clear understanding I was most definitely in over my head.
Liam Reed, one of Britain’s favorite footballers, with Millie Morton, the one and only woman believed to come close to stealing his heart. Ms. Morton remains a favorite on the runway and will be on hand for the Seattle Stars exhibition match in a few months. She made a surprise appearance in Seattle a bit sooner than expected. While the match is for show only, Mr. Reed is expected to be back in play by then. We’re all looking forward to the potential fireworks. Meanwhile, there have been no further sightings of the mystery woman seen with Mr. Reed here in Seattle.
Everything I’d just said to Tim came slamming to the fore. My life was so very different from Liam’s. I needed to get my mind back onto my career, not be wondering what I might mean to Liam, while he was flirting with a woman who’d apparently seen fit to fly to Seattle to visit him. This photo was representative of every reason why I needed to take my heart out of this game with Liam. I sat right where I was, unmoving for several long minutes, before texting Daisy again. No need to kill him. A wake up call for me.
I set my phone down and swallowed against the tightness in my throat and the tears pressing hot at the back of my eyes. After a few shaky breaths, I nodded to myself. This was the best thing. I needed something to push me to stop being so foolish.
Chapter 25
Liam
I drained the bottle of water Tim handed me and set it down on the floor before glancing to him. “Well?” I asked.
Tim stood with a hand on one hip, his breath coming in steady heaves as mine was. We’d just finished a forty-five minute run on the treadmill with Tim putting me through a grueling interval workout with simulated hills and abrupt jolts to force me to brace my knee. Despite the fact all of it happened on a machine, it felt damn close to what I’d be doing in active play. Tim nodded slowly. “You’re looking good. I have to say, I’m pretty tempted to clear you a week soon, but I don’t think Coach Hoffman will go for it.”
I grinned, a massive sense of relief following immediately. “You don’t say? Well, I’ll bloody fight ol’ Bernie on this.”
Tim
returned my grin and shook his head slowly. “Don’t think you’ll win that one.” He sobered. “Honestly, Coach Hoffman takes good care of his players. I’m more used to coaches who want to rush recoveries. Hoffman would prefer you back without having to turn around and send you right back to me. I’ll let him know I think you’re ready, but you’re welcome to keep working out with me until the initial deadline we selected.”
I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest. “Right. I’d be shocked if Coach let me start sooner.” With a shrug, I pushed off the wall. “You’ll be seeing me then.”
I started to head toward the shower when Tim said my name. Turning back, I arched a brow. “Yes?”
Tim and I happened to be alone in the gym, but nevertheless, he walked to me. “Olivia,” was all he said.
The moment he said her name, my heart gave a resounding thump. Olivia. Not more than a few minutes passed in any given day that I wasn’t thinking about her. Ever since last weekend, she’d been dodging me again, which bothered me far more than I’d like to admit. After our last night together, I’d started to face what she meant to me. Although it unsettled me, I could hardly tolerate the idea of her not being a part of my life.
I realized Tim was waiting. “What about Olivia?”
“I’m going to guess you’d already ignored my request to steer clear of her before I mentioned it.”
I held his gaze and nodded slowly. I respected Tim and had enough sense to know he was only out to take care of Olivia. If I hadn’t already known he was in a committed relationship with a man, I might’ve experienced a flash of jealousy—a feeling I’d most certainly never experienced.
Tim looked as if he was considering his words carefully. He crossed his arms and tilted his head down, the warning in his gaze clear. “I’m not sure if she told you, but she let her director know what was going on. As a result, she’s under orders not to consult on your case if needed. She’s an adult, so she’s obviously responsible for her own choices, but you have to understand this isn’t the kind of thing Olivia does. She’s not what I’d call experienced with relationships and certainly not with men like you. I respect you. I honestly think you’re a decent guy, but you’d best not hurt her. There aren’t many people like her in the world—she’s nothing other than honest and good-hearted and one of the most brilliant people I know.”