Avalanche

by Cambria Hebert

  I giggled.

  Liam pulled Alex’s arm off my shoulders and replaced it with his. “Your time is coming, A. And when it does, I’m going to do all this to you.”

  “Now why would I want to go and get un-single?” He wondered.

  Liam glanced down at me and winked.

  A rush of heavenly scented air burst forward and twirled around us. My stomach growled.

  “They have hot chocolate, too,” he said against my ear.

  “Bellamy.” Alex swept his arm out toward his parents’ store. “May I present The Confectionary.”

  “If it’s half as good as it smells, then I’d say this place has my vote for favorite shop in all of Caribou.”

  “C’mon. My parents are dying to meet you.” He grinned. “They’re definitely interested in the girl who’s making Liam settle down.”

  I glanced at Liam, and he smiled.

  “Fair warning.” Alex went on. “My mother is going to insist you’re too skinny, feed you everything, and then give you a giant bag to take home.”

  Liam laughed. “He’s right.”

  The two guys went forward. Alex opened the door, and Liam went ahead. Before I followed suit, another tingle of something creepy-crawled up the back of my neck. I whipped around quickly and stared down to the end of the block.

  I could have sworn I saw someone disappearing around the corner.

  Liam

  She was too quiet.

  Glancing across the interior of the Extreme, the feeling that something was off grew a little stronger. She was almost somber, watching out the window as I drove.

  I reached across the seat and took her hand, folding it in mine. “You’re not just tired.”

  Bellamy turned toward me. The blond strands of her hair fell over her shoulders like long ribbons. “I ate too much chocolate.”

  I laughed a little. “Well, according to Alex’s mom, you didn’t eat enough.”

  She groaned. “You guys weren’t kidding about that.”

  “Nope.”

  “That place is amazing, though. It’s like this little sugar world in the middle of a snow mountain. I love it in there.”

  I made a sound of agreement. “Yeah, it’s pretty amazing.” I paused. “You know, I’ve been playing around with the idea of opening a small shop at the resort to sell their candy. Maybe see if they would develop an exclusive flavor or chocolate for us.”

  “That’s an amazing idea,” she said, turning her body toward me. “Why haven’t you done it?”

  “Because my father’s still in charge.”

  She was quiet a beat, then said, “And you think by bringing this idea to the table, it will just prove his point that you are capable of running BearPaw.”

  I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, then back at the road. “I never said that.”

  “You didn’t have to.”

  “Just like you didn’t have to say you aren’t just tired,” I countered.

  “We’re talking about you right now.” She sniffed.

  “How convenient,” I retorted.

  “Did you ask Alex’s parents what they think about having a location up at the resort?”

  Shaking my head, I answered, “Not yet. It would be a no-brainer, though. Some of our guests don’t venture down to Caribou. They stay in the resort because we make sure everything they need is there. This would be a chance to get their candy in the hands of new customers.”

  I felt her watching me, so I glanced over. “What?”

  She smiled. “How many other great ideas like that do you have in your head?”

  “Just a couple,” I muttered.

  Bellamy laughed and kissed the back of my hand. “Are you afraid you can’t be passionate about snowboarding if you’re running an entire resort?”

  That hit a soft spot. A spot no one else realized was still there. One I barely liked to acknowledge myself. My voice was quiet. “It’s hard to give up on what you love.”

  “Yeah, I can understand that.”

  The empathy in her tone was very real. I felt it all the way into the pit of my stomach. I gave her hand a squeeze. “You mean how you used to be a chef?”

  She nodded, gazing back out the window.

  “You’ve only been here about a week, Bells. I don’t think your career will vanish that fast.” I paused. “Unless you burned everything you cooked.”

  She gasped and smacked my arm. “Blasphemy!”

  “All I’m saying,” I teased, “is that I’ve yet to eat any of your cooking. I’ve yet to even see you in a kitchen.”

  “Is that a challenge?” Her tone was wry.

  “If it will get me fed? Hell yes.”

  She giggled. “I’d love to cook for you.” Her sigh was sad. “I miss it so much.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say to that. I hated she missed it, but I also was glad she’d had to run here.

  “I gave up being a chef a lot longer than a week ago,” she told me reluctantly. Her face turned back to the window. The sky was darkening already and there were heavy clouds that promised snow.

  “How long’s it been?”

  “Almost two years.”

  I frowned. That was roughly the same amount of time she’d been without her mother.

  What the hell was going on here?

  “So what did you do before you came here?”

  She shrugged. “I worked in a law office. Filed a lot of papers.”

  “That’s like the complete opposite of being in a kitchen.”

  “I know.” Again, her tone was wistful and sad.

  “What happened today?” I kept my voice gentle. What I really wanted to know was what happened today, last week, and two years ago.

  She was quiet a moment, then, surprisingly, she answered, “You ever get the feeling you’re being watched?”

  Something inside me went absolutely still. Was someone watching her? The thought made me feel sick and murderous at the same time.

  “Watching you how?” I asked carefully.

  Bellamy tucked my hand a little farther into her lap, covering it with her free one. “I just got this feeling. A creepy feeling like someone was around… watching me.”

  “When you came out of the store?”

  She nodded.

  Inwardly, I cursed. I should have paid more attention to our surroundings. To her.

  “I didn’t see anyone, though, so it was probably just paranoia.”

  I pulled under the awning of the resort and put the truck in park, letting her idle. “But?” I pressed.

  Bellamy locked eyes with me. “But it was the same feeling I got that night. The night I ran here.” A shiver racked her shoulders, and an uneasy feeling snaked around within me.

  Reaching across the cab, I cupped her face and leaned close. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, sweetheart.”

  She cast her eyes downward and shook her head. “Don’t say things like that, Liam. Sometimes bad things happen no matter what.”

  I pushed up her chin and nearly flinched at the ghosts I saw in her blue stare.

  “Ah, baby,” I murmured and leaned in to touch my lips to hers.

  She sighed and leaned in, and I deepened the kiss.

  When I pulled back, I tried to reassure her. “You’re with me now, Bells. I’ll watch out for you.”

  She smiled sadly, pulled away, and climbed out of the Extreme without any help.

  We walked in silence up to her suite, and then that silence was obliterated by an over-exuberant Charlie. I left Bellamy and overgrown pup on the floor to use the bathroom, and when I came back, they were still rolling around on the carpet.

  I laughed. “I’m ordering dinner. What do you want?” I was starving. She might be stuffed from chocolate, but I needed a steak.

  “Baked potato soup,” she answered. “And Charlie wants a hamburger.”

  “He has dog food.”

  “Pleeease,” she said, peering up from the floor with a big grin on her face.

&
nbsp; Charlie barked.

  They were working against me.

  I laughed. “Fine.”

  A short while later, we were eating—well, I was eating. Bellamy was feeding Charlie the damn hamburger they suckered me into.

  When my cell rang, Bellamy jolted upright, which told me she was still feeling jumpy from earlier in town. I picked up the phone, planning to silence the ringer when I saw who it was. “It’s just my dad,” I told her, wanting to make sure she knew nothing terrible was on the horizon.

  She looked relieved, then went back to doting on the dog.

  “Hey, Dad,” I answered.

  “Liam, we need to talk.”

  I sat up a little straighter. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine, but I would like you to come to my office.”

  “I’m kinda busy right now,” I replied, shoving another bite of steak into my mouth.

  “Yes, I can hear you chewing, son.” He sighed.

  I grinned at the phone, though he couldn’t see.

  “When you are finished with your dinner, come to my office.”

  I glanced in Bellamy’s direction. She was watching me from the floor. It didn’t feel right leaving her tonight. I felt like she needed me.

  “I’ll come first thing in the morning.” I compromised.

  “Tonight would be better.”

  Bellamy stood from her seat beside Charlie and nodded. “Just go.”

  I frowned.

  “I’ll be waiting, Liam,” he said and disconnected the call.

  I pulled it away from my ear and looked at it. “He hung up on me,” I grumped.

  “Your father wants to see you?”

  I grunted. “Yeah. I’m supposed to go to his office.”

  “Did he say what for?” she called out as she went into the bathroom to wash her hands.

  I raised my voice over the sound of running water. “No, so it must not be that important.”

  When Bells appeared around the corner, I said, “I’ll see him in the morning.”

  “Why not tonight?”

  I hesitated. Then I smiled, lopsided. “‘Cause I want to be with you.”

  Bellamy came over, took my fork, and put it on the plate, then proceeded to straddle my lap. I palmed her ass and pulled her more firmly against me. “Well, hello,” I purred.

  She ran her fingers through my hair and linked them at the base of my neck. “I’m fine, Liam. Your father wants to see you. You should go.” There was a little bit of something in her voice.

  I wasn’t quite sure what it was.

  I arched a single brow. “What if I’m not fine?”

  Her hands parted, sliding up until she held the sides of my head, leaned in, and kissed me softly. She definitely wasn’t making a very good case for me to leave this room.

  “I’ll be here when you get back.” She spoke against my mouth. Too soon, she sat back, putting unwanted distance between our mouths.

  “Come back here,” I growled and clutched her sides.

  She giggled and pushed me back. “I’d love to see my father one more time. If yours wants to see you, you should go. I won’t get in the way of you and your family, Liam.”

  I’d love to see my father one more time. The words were like a right hook to my midsection. I remembered her dad. Joe was his name. He seemed like a nice guy. Whenever Bells was around him, she glowed as though she were very eager for his attention.

  Looking back at it now, as an adult, there seemed to be something a little desperate about it. How I’d met her in the snow early in the morning. When she’d been practicing so she could impress him.

  Daughters shouldn’t have to “impress” their fathers.

  My hand slid up her side to rest on her neck. My thumb brushed mindlessly at her collarbone. “Where’s your father now, sweetheart?”

  She swallowed thickly. Her hands clenched between us, and she shook her head. Her cerulean eyes met mine, imploring. “Go see your father.”

  I was afraid it would hurt her if I didn’t. As if me turning down this opportunity to see my father would somehow wound her heart.

  “Why don’t you come with?” I murmured, stroking the side of her hair. “You can finally meet him.”

  “I’d like that. But not tonight. Tonight, he’s asking for you.”

  I let out a growl. “Fine. I won’t be gone long.”

  “Maybe after, you could stay the entire night.” The heat in her eyes was unmistakable.

  My cock, which was already at attention, jerked. I wanted to stay. All night. Every night. “Of course I’ll stay,” I murmured, pushing off the back of the chair and bumping our chests together. My arms wrapped around her, and my forehead touched hers. “But I want you to know that we don’t have to have sex. I’m okay with waiting.”

  “What would we be waiting for?”

  I kissed the tip of her nose. “I just want you to trust me, sweetheart. I want you to feel safe with me.”

  She sighed. “Liam. I’ve never felt safer with anyone ever.”

  Then why haven’t you told me why you ran here? I thought it was just a thought. You know, something that stayed in my head, for my brain only.

  Apparently, the question spilled out, filling the room and making Bellamy draw back.

  Her brow furrowed. “You think I don’t trust you?”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what other reason could I possibly have for not spilling my guts.” She climbed off my lap and moved away from me. “Is that what you’re thinking?”

  I stood. “No. I told you what I was thinking. I want you to feel safe.”

  “Did it ever occur to you I want you to be safe?”

  “What?”

  She tossed her arms up. “This is why I was hesitant to get involved. This is why I tried to resist you.”

  “You tried to resist me?” I echoed.

  She made a rude sound. “Yes. I did a shitty job. You’re just too…” She waved her hand around in my direction. “You.”

  “Thank you?”

  A choked sound erupted from her throat. “I’m trying to be serious, Liam!”

  “So am I.”

  She sank down on the edge of the bed, and the mattress dipped slightly toward the floor. “From the minute I looked at you, there’s been no one else.” Her voice filled the room. It was quiet, but it was all I heard. “I tried to move on. Dated a couple guys.”

  I made a sound. I didn’t want to hear about them. I hated anyone who touched her when I wasn’t around.

  She glanced up, a ghost of a smile appearing for just a moment. “It’s always been you. Even when I told myself it wasn’t. Even when I told myself I hoped you weren’t here when I got on that bus…” She laughed humorlessly. “I try to lie to myself. I’m so bad at it.”

  I moved in front of her and dropped onto my knees.

  Her head lifted enough to meet my eyes.

  “I hoped you would be here. When I was staring into that gun… all I saw was you. You were the first thought that came into my mind. You were almost the last thought I would ever have.”

  A gun? Jesus.

  “I’m here, baby,” I all but crooned, wrapping my hand around the back of her neck. “I’m here.”

  “I love you.”

  My heart stopped. My lungs stopped. I was pretty sure the entire world stopped.

  “Liam?” she whispered, peeking up from beneath her blond lashes.

  My voice was rough and hoarse. “What did you just say?”

  “I love you. I always will. No matter what.”

  I cleared my throat. Then cleared it again. I mean, I knew… I knew how she felt. I felt the same. We’d pretty much said it, but not those three words. Not so clear cut.

  I opened my mouth. Nothing came out. I couldn’t find the words that were right there on my fucking tongue.

  “Breathe, Liam,” she murmured.

  I inhaled. As oxygen filled my lungs, the words I’d been searching for tumble
d right out. “I love you, too, Bellamy. So much it literally scares me.”

  Her breathing hitched, and I pulled her off the bed, down onto the floor, and into my lap. I kissed her fast and deep, hunching into her, around her, trying to get as close as humanly possible. Fuck. I could crawl under her skin, and it still wouldn’t be enough.

  Her ankles linked behind my waist, and I kissed with all the pent-up feelings I’d been holding inside. Rolling, I pinned her into the carpet, my body moving against hers impatiently.

  Charlie loped over, breathing over us. Without lifting my lips, I reached around and pushed him back.

  He retreated. Even he knew I wanted to be alone with her.

  My hips thrust against her, and a sound of rough impatience ripped out of me because there were too many layers between us. Too many clothes.

  “Liam,” she murmured against me. “Liam.”

  I lifted just enough. Her face was blurred through the haze of emotions. “Yeah?”

  “We can’t right now. You have somewhere to be.”

  “I’ll go tomorrow.” I lowered my mouth. She turned her head, and my lips brushed her cheek. Not one to be put off, I trailed kisses over her cheek, down her jaw, and then nibbled to her ear.

  She moaned and clutched me to her, then pushed me back. “You have to.”

  The only thing I had to do was get inside her.

  She pushed me again, and I made a frustrated sound. Her palm caressed my cheek. “Your eyes look like the sky before a snowstorm.”

  “I want you, Bells.”

  “I want you, too.” Her thumb traced my lower lip. “After you meet with your dad, okay? Later tonight.”

  “I’ve been waiting eight years. Eight. Long. Years.”

  “A couple hours are nothing compared to that.”

  I took a deep breath and pushed up. Then I bent, helping her to her feet. There was no ignoring the massive tent in my jeans.

  She brushed her hand over it, and I moaned. “If you do that again, I will have you naked and under me in seconds.”

  “I do trust you,” She told me quietly a few moments later, after stepping away.

  “I know.”

  She shook her head. “Remember when I said I’d be your girlfriend until I gave you a reason I couldn’t?”