If You Only Knew (And Then Came Love Book 1)

by Preston, Sara

  “What?” She raised her arms to the sky. “My friends treated me like crap today. How are two complete strangers going to treat me?”

  “Once you meet them, you’ll understand.”

  There was a knock on the door.

  Liza closed her eyes.

  “I’ll get it.” Julian opened the door and two women came inside. “Hey, girls.”

  “Girls?” The taller of the two girls repeated. “Dear brother, I grew out of the girl stage a long time ago.”

  Julian chuckled and turned to Liza. He gestured with his thumb toward the woman he was talking to. “Liza, this is my sister, Terra. And shorty over there is my favorite sister-in-law, Audrey. Girls, Liza”

  “I’m your only, sister-in-law.” Audrey and Terra smacked him at the same time.

  Liza laughed. “Oh I like these two.”

  “Yep, neither of these women put up with any of my shit. I figured you three should get along great.”

  “Wait, you’re still dating a woman who doesn’t put up with your shit?” Terra eyed him and then put her hand on his forehead as if checking his temperature. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”

  “Ha ha.” Julian shrugged off her hand, pulled out his wallet, and walked over to Liza. He handed her a card and kissed her cheek. “Spend what you want and have fun. I’m leaving you in the capable hands of my sisters.”

  “I can’t take this.” Liza tried to hand the card to him. “On top of the fact, I don’t want your money, I can’t sign your name. The last thing I need is to be arrested for credit card fraud.”

  “Why are you so worried about taking my money? You’re not asking for it, I’m offering.” He caught her arms and backed her into the kitchen. “Listen, I know you’ve had a crappy morning. Don’t worry about it. Terra forges my name just fine and no doubt she’ll pick something up for herself as well.” Julian hauled her into his arms.

  Liza looked into his eyes. “I can take care of myself.”

  Julian smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He caressed her cheek. “But sometimes it’s fun, to take care of each other.” He kissed her forehead.

  Liza wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tight. “There are days you know exactly what I need to hear.”

  “Oh how cute! My big brother is playing kissy face.” Terra called.

  Julian flipped her off. “Just remember that for the days when everything that comes out of my mouth is the wrong thing.”

  “I will.” She bit her lower lip.

  Julian brushed a kiss across her lips. “Go have a good time. Because tonight, you’re all mine.”

  “I like the sound of that.” Liza traced a finger under his chin. “Maybe tonight?”

  “You bet your sweet ass.” Julian smacked her ass and winked. He turned to Audrey and Terra. “All right, girls, I’m off.”

  “Oh, we knew that already, boy. You’re always off.” Terra smirked.

  “Ha.” Julian waved at Liza as he left the cabin.

  Terra waited until she heard his car start before she turned to Liza. “Just how much do you want to torture that boy tonight?”

  “Torture him?” Liza let a smile creep across her face.

  “I have the perfect hunter green dress in my closet at home that would look gorgeous with your hair.” Terra scanned through the photos on her phone.

  “And how is that torturous?”

  Terra showed her phone to Audrey first before turning it to show Liza. “It’s slit up to your upper thigh.” She beamed.

  Liza fell in love. “It’s gorgeous. Why wouldn’t you want to wear it?”

  “Green’s not my color. I picked it up on a whim, because it’s a beautiful dress, but I’ll never wear it. I was going to see if my cousin wanted it, but I think it’s perfect for you.” Terra took the phone and dropped it in her pocket.

  “I’ll take it.” Liza nodded. “And I don’t have to spend any of his money.”

  “Oh honey, we’re not done yet.” Terra wiggled her fingers at Liza. She gave Audrey a conspiratorial grin. “The lingerie store is on the way to my apartment.”

  “You and Ava have been talking again, haven’t you?” Audrey shook her head.

  “Who’s Ava?”

  “Ava Steele. Terra’s best friend and resident wild child. If she still lived in Indiana she’d be here today. At the moment, she’s in California, living it up in the big leagues.” Audrey stood up. “Can we get out of here? This place brings back more memories than I care to remember.”

  “What kind of memories?” Liza grabbed her purse and tucked Julian’s credit card inside her wallet.

  “My first time with my husband was on this property.” Audrey said as they headed out of the cabin. “There was no cabin here at the time, so it was in the back of Jake’s car.”

  Terra threw her head back and laughed. “Dad read Jake the riot act when he found out you two had sex.”

  “I feel like I’m missing out on a really funny story.” Liza said as she climbed into the backseat of Terra’s car.

  “You have to understand, Audrey is essentially another one of our sisters. Jake may have brought her home, but we adopted her into the family right away.” Terra got in the driver’s seat.

  “I grew up in foster care and didn’t have the greatest experience.” Audrey looked down at her hands.

  “I know all about the foster care system. One of my best friends from Elementary school was in the foster care system. She was beaten by her foster father and at the age of ten he raped and killed her. I took this job, because of her.” Liza wiped the tear from her eye. Talking about Susie made her cry.

  “That’s so sad.” Terra hugged Liza.

  Audrey hugged her next. “I hated the foster care system. I felt like such an outcast. I was made fun of a lot. Jake saved me one day, him and Everett brought me home the next day and I’ve been with the family ever since.” Audrey shrugged. There was a wistful look on her face.

  “Aww – sounds like you ended up with your happily ever after, that’s sweet.” Liza smiled.

  “I thought I had, as well. Until Jake disappeared on me. Five years ago, he came home from a conference said he was leaving to start a company in Houston and that was it. Out the door he went.”

  “What?” Liza’s mouth dropped open. “I thought you two were still married?”

  “We are.” Audrey nodded. “Neither one of us has filed for divorce.”

  “How come?”

  “Because stupid me still loves him. I don’t think I’ll ever get him out of my head. Give it another year and I may, but I guess I’m still living in denial.”

  “I don’t think I could ever do that.”

  “It’s not the easiest thing in the world, but I’ve made it so far.”

  “Happy thoughts, ladies, happy thoughts! We’re going to buy lingerie!” Terra pulled out onto the highway.

  “You’re buying lingerie – I have no one to wear it for.” Audrey laughed.

  “I don’t have anyone to wear it for either.” Terra shook her head.

  “Let’s go shopping.”

  *****

  Julian leaned against the wall at the charity event. He adjusted his tie.

  “Your date and your sisters are fashionably late.” Jackie came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “Naturally.” Julian smiled. “What’d you expect? Terra’s in charge of getting her ready.”

  A punch landed against his arm. “Ouch.” He turned to see Terra and Audrey behind him. “Where’s Liza?”

  “We told her to enter from the front.” Terra sent a grin Julian’s way. “You can thank me later.”

  “Huh?” Julian’s eyes scanned the crowd. Coming in the front door, in a sea of sparkling hunter green. His mouth went dry.

  The crowd parted, as she walked across the room, looking straight at him. Heads turned, all staring at her. A pang of jealousy surged.

  “Try and keep her by your side and you’ll
do fine. ? Remember it doesn’t matter who looks, unless someone is touching.” Jackie kissed him on the cheek. “Good luck.”

  They met in the middle. He cleared his throat, stepped back, and looked her over from head to toe.

  Liza twirled around with her arms out. “You like?”

  His eyes gravitated to the thigh high slit on her left side. He hauled her into his arms, blocking out everyone and everything else. “You did that to torture me, didn’t you?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Liza smiled as she ran a finger down his chest.

  “Sure you do.” He caught her hand and twirled her around, dipping her at the end of the spin, and making her squeal. His fingers caressed her bare thigh and he brought her up to her feet. “Stunning, sexy, and I’m going to have a hell of a time keeping my hands out of your dress.”

  “Well, try and keep control of yourself because your mother’s watching us.”

  Julian glanced behind him to see Terra and Audrey grinning at him and his mother trying to fight her own smile. “Not that I care, but what did that little slice of heaven set me back?”

  She squeezed her arms together and her boobs popped up a bit. He drug his gaze to her eyes, only to find her grinning at him. She was playing with him. Sexy.

  “Nothing.” Their eyes met. “It was hanging in Terra’s closet and she’d never worn it.”

  “You picked her dress over a shopping trip?” His lips curled.

  She leaned closer, resting her forearms against each of his pecs, her hands on his shoulders. She shifted her arms, pressing her boobs closer together.

  He tried to keep his eye contact, but when she dropped her gaze to her own cleavage, he gave into the temptation. Black lace peaked out from the dress. As if he wasn’t hard enough already.

  “We did go shopping.” She brought her lips close to his ear. “The corset alone was one hundred and fifty dollars. Then there’s the black lace thong.”

  Julian swallowed hard and then smiled. He traced the bodice of the dress, sliding his finger between the dress and the corset to take a peek. “I don’t care how much you spent. It’s the best investment I ever made.” He buried his hands in her hair and pulled her close to him. “I think we should head to my place.”

  Liza wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “Nope. You got me all dressed up, you’re going to have to deal with me in public for awhile.”

  *****

  As they were dancing later Julian felt a tap on his shoulder. The classic, ‘I’m cutting in tap.’ He frowned and turned his head to find out who had the audacity to cut in on him and Liza. No one was there. Next thing he knew Liza was out of his arms and dancing away with his grandfather.

  His lips curled up into a smile. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  Gramps danced Liza back over to where Julian was standing.

  Julian gave the man a hug. “Liza, this is my grandfather, Don Vitalli. Gramps, my girlfriend, Liza.”

  “Girlfriend, huh?” Don held out his hand to Liza. She accepted and he brought her hand to his lips. “And what a beautiful woman she is.”

  “Stop flirting, old man. You’re not as young as you think you are.” His grandmother joined them as well.

  Julian kiss her cheek before introducing her to Liza. “Gram Lucille.”

  “You do realize I have full intention of taking her away from you—-for one dance that is.” Don smiled as he grasped Liza’s hand and stepped closer to her.

  “And you’re the only one in this room who can get away with that.” Julian raised his voice to the old man, who pushed him away as he swept Liza onto the dance floor.

  “I would have done it anyway.” Don twirled Liza away.

  “It’s hard to believe you two are in your eighties.”

  “That’s just rude, don’t remind me.” Lucille put her hand on Julian’s arm. “Unless you’re set on dancing I’d prefer to sit down. My feet argue with heels anymore.”

  Julian gave her his arm and led her to a nearby table. He stood and watched as his grandfather danced with Liza. She threw her head back at something he said.

  “He’s got her laughing already.” Lucille shook her head. “That old man is a riot. He proposed to me two weeks after we met?”

  “I know the story, Gram.”

  “You two look good together. Do you think this is serious?” She pushed the chair out next to her. “Sit, you make me nervous.”

  Julian looked over at his grandmother, but didn’t sit down. “We only met a week ago.”

  “You never were the greatest of listeners.” Gram stood long enough to smack him in the back of the head and then returned to her seat. “Two weeks I knew that man. And you know what? We’ve been together for the last seventy-one years. Who says it takes years to fall in love?”

  Fall in love.

  His chest constricted and the air went out of his lungs. It felt as if he’d been hit head on by a car. He stumbled into the chair. Love. He’d thought he’d been in love before . . . but this was so much different than anything he’d ever experienced. He rested his head in his hands, trying to catch his breath.

  “Maybe a week is all you need,” Lucille whispered as she rubbed her hand over his back.

  Liza knelt in front of him. “Are you okay?” She lifted his chin so they were looking each other in the eyes.

  Concern was etched in her brown eyes. God, she was beautiful. Who’d have thought he’d fall in love with anyone after a week of being with her. Maybe Gram was right. He pulled her into his lap. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Do you want me to take you home?”

  “More than anything.” Julian nuzzled her neck. “But not for the reason you’re thinking.”

  Liza laughed. “You’re incorrigible.”

  Gramps watching him. “You sure you’re okay?”

  Julian smiled. “What can I say? She’s so beautiful she knocked me off my feet.”

  “Back to the lines, are we?” Liza rolled her eyes. A long curl fell forward and dropped into the v of her dress.

  Julian reached for it, touching the creamy white skin of her chest.

  She smacked his hand gently and brushed the hair behind her ear.

  “Lucky hair.”

  Liza wiggled in his lap. Her ass moved against his erection.

  His eyes drifted closed and he stifled a groan. He caught her hips, stopping the movement. Bringing his lips to her ear, he whispered, “Much more of that and we’ll be finding an empty room.”

  Liza blushed.

  He held her hips in place when she tried to stand. “Stand up in front of me.”

  She stood.

  He pressed himself against her ass. “I don’t know how much more torture I can take.”

  She turned around looked deep into his eyes. “We’ll go soon.”

  The desire he felt was mirrored in her eyes. It aroused him more. “I’m going to step into the hallway for a bit.”

  She kissed his cheek.

  He squeezed her hand and turned to head out into the hallway. He needed to calm down or they wouldn’t make it to his place.

  *****

  Liza walked into the hallway a little while later. Julian had been gone about ten minutes. The event organizers announced an auction. Since, she’d never been to a charity event before, she had no clue what to expect. As she turned the corner, a hand grabbed hers and he hauled her around to him. She smiled when she saw it was him. “You scared me.”

  He backed her into the wall and pressed himself against her. “My resolve is gone.” His hand slid down her neck, tracing the line of her collarbone, she moaned. He slid his finger between her cleavage and traced it around the edge of her dress.

  She felt her nipple harden as he brushed it. He covered her breast with his hand and then moved lower. He caught her bare thigh and lifted it wrapping her leg around his waist so her hips angled against his. His hand trailed up her leg and under the dress.

  She writhed.

  He pressed hi
s erection into the crease of her legs.

  She let out a soft gasp as he moved ever so slightly, driving her wild. Just a few layers of clothing stood between them.

  “My place?”

  “Yes.” Her breath came in short gasps. He had her so hot. Would she be able to wait until she got back to his place?

  “Ah-hmm.” A throat cleared behind them.

  Julian turned his head to see his mother.

  “Julian Isaiah Brennan, get your hand out of her dress!”

  “But Mom.” He gave Liza a gentle smack on the ass before pulling his hand out from her skirt.

  Jackie shook her head. She walked past the two of them and as she did she patted Julian on the shoulder.

  Liza couldn’t hear what she said, but Julian’s eyes widened and his face turned beet red.

  Jackie waved as she glided away.

  “What did she say?”

  “She said I should at least take you home first.”

  Liza laughed. “What?”

  “You know what’s really funny?”

  “What’s that?”

  Julian tugged at her hand. “I’m going to take her advice.”

  Liza smiled as they headed for the door.

  Chapter Seven

  Julian pressed Liza against the wall, caressing her face with his hands. He kissed her neck. “I want you.” He placed her hand against the bulge in his pants.

  She squeezed gently.

  He moaned.

  Julian pressed his lips to hers, his tongue plunged between her parted trembling lips. Her lips were soft under his. His hands pushed the fabric of her dress out of the way, revealing the black lace thong. “Nice.” He slipped a finger inside her.

  There was a sharp intake of breath as her eyes widened. Her body arched against his hand.

  His thumb found her clit. Moisture coated his fingers. “Someone’s ready for me,” he whispered.

  “Please.” She moaned as she shoved his tuxedo coat off his shoulders.

  Julian stripped his coat off and tossed it on the floor.

  Liza’s hands trembled as she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. She pushed the material away. “Wow.”

  Julian chuckled.

  “Julian?” Liza placed her hands against his chest. Her lips quivered.

  “What?”