A Kiss Before Lying: A BWWM Romance

by M. Skye

  Trying to relax a bit, Draya dropped her crossed arms and sat back. “What is it about me that makes you so angry? You love Ashton, she’s never done anything wrong in your eyes, but I can’t seem to do anything right. You were never proud of me.”

  “I’m always proud of you. Despite my need to control your life, you stepped out on your own and made something of yourself and that failing business of your grandfather’s. You are one of the brightest stars I’ve ever known. I never supported you and I’m sorry.”

  Feeling tears wetting her eyes, Draya stood, turning her back to him. “It’s a little late, Dad. I know this is because Mom is leaving and you need someone else in your corner. You have Ashton, but you will never have me. I’m behind Mom and I support whatever she wants.”

  Standing and placing his arms on her shoulders, kissing the side of her head, he exhaled and Draya felt the room getting smaller. They hadn’t had this much contact in seven years, and it was becoming overwhelming to her. “I don’t want you picking sides. Your mom deserves to move on with her life and I support her decision. It’s not going to be easy to let her go, but I have to do whatever she needs. She’s the love of my life, even if I’m not hers anymore.”

  “What happened to you? You used to be the best man in the world. I used to never question how you felt about any of us, but now, I’m not sure the man I once knew even exists anymore.”

  “I’m sorry, baby; I truly am. I just... I never wanted you to come back here. I thought that if I gave you tough love you would come back home. I never thought seven years would pass and we would be this. I thought—”

  “You thought I would fail,” she interrupted him. “You thought I would come crawling back to you and your mighty wallet.” The tears were covering her cheeks as she stared out the window. “You thought you would have to come to my rescue like you do for everyone else, but I proved you wrong and you couldn’t handle it. Ashton is your favorite because she’s weak. You can manipulate her and make her fall in line, but you can’t make me. I’m my own woman and I won’t let any man control me; not any longer.”

  “Any longer? What are you saying?”

  As angry as she was, she still wasn’t ready to let her father know about her relationship with Damien. There were just some boundaries she wasn’t ready to admit to crossing, even to him. “Look, I’ve been pushed around because I’m a woman, and even though I’ve broken through, it wasn’t easy. Everything that I am is in spite of men trying to hold me back.”

  “And I used to be one of those men, but not anymore. You’re the most incredible blessing in my life, and I need you to forgive me. I’ve messed up Draya, but I’m your dad; just let me be that.”

  Turning around to face him, she saw the look on his face and tried to decide on an answer. She wanted a relationship with her entire family, but she was afraid it might be too late to undo all the damage that had been done. Before she could open her mouth, there was a knock at the door. Although Draya seemed surprised, Andrew seemed to be expecting this. Watching him walk over to the door, Draya threw her hand up to stop him, and he looked at her strangely. “It’s just Mom. I asked her to come in case this didn’t go well. Can I assume that this is going well and send her back to the hotel?”

  Nodding her head, Draya let out a shy smile. Once he opened the door, she called out and he looked at her as if she had stepped all over his heart. “Wait, let her in Dad.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “It’s fine, I just want to talk to both of you.” Swallowing a deep breath, Draya decided to put her cards out on the table and knew she was going to need her mother for that. As tough as she wanted to be, she knew her dad was still intimidating to her. She still feared his judgment, as much as she resented it.

  Closing the door behind herself, Caroline came in, taking a seat as Andrew pulled out her chair. Watching them, Draya would have never guessed he was sick or that they were getting a divorce. They seemed as in love as remembered them being when she was growing up. Studying the way her father still touched her mother with such tenderness, she asked the question that was floating around in her head.

  “What happened to you two? You’re still in love; why are you splitting up?”

  Looking to Draya, taking her hand, Caroline gave a gentle smile. “I still love him, but our marriage has run its course, honey. You just have to let us handle this. Your relationship with your father is more important than any of our issues. You’re going to have to forgive him; I did.”

  “But you’re leaving... why?”

  “I’m not leaving. I’m coming home; where I belong. I’m moving back here, baby.”

  “But you said—”

  “I need to do some things to clear the air, but I’m staying. Dad is helping me get settled and will be going back to Albany after that. Baby, you’re going to have to let go of the anger. I know what Dad did was wrong, but he is sorry and he wants to know the woman you are now.”

  “How can you defend him? You know how I felt.”

  “I do and I understand. I questioned how I let this happen over the years, but I’m trying to fix things.”

  Looking at her father, Draya felt a soft spot appear. She wasn’t looking at the man who had rejected her for the past seven years; she was looking at the man who picked her up when she fell. She was looking at the man who used to read her bedtime stories and tuck her in at night when she was afraid. Over the years, she had missed that man and she needed him to sort through the crazy mess in her head. Grabbing his hand, she gave it a gentle squeeze and held tighter.

  “I don’t know if you’re interested, but tonight, we’re having an event at the restaurant. It’s our grand reopening and I was wondering if you two would like to come. I mean you don’t have to come together or anything, but I would like you both there.”

  “We would love to, baby,” Andrew cut off her nervous rambling.

  Dropping his hand and smiling, she shrugged her shoulders. “Good. You can meet my boyfriend, Mom. He and Dad have met.”

  Laughing, Andrew shook his head. “Yes, he seems nice.”

  “He is,” Draya announced proudly. “He is going to be happy to meet you, Mom.”

  Feeling like a school girl gushing about her new relationship, Draya stopped for a second to see her parents watching her. Once she realized how she must have looked, Draya blushed and dropped her head. “Don’t be ashamed, honey,” Caroline touched her hand. “It’s great to see you so happy. Are you in love?”

  “Love?” Draya paused, not knowing how to answer. Of course she liked him, she really liked him, but was love the word for what she felt? Whatever the feeling was, it was strong, it was intense, and all-consuming, but she wasn’t quite sure what to call it yet.

  Picking up on her confusion, Caroline cleared her throat. “You don’t have to answer that yet. It’s just good to see you moving on with your life.”

  Letting the moment absorb in her head, Draya exhaled and closed her eyes. While the room was silent, it gave her time to sit and think about how good things would be once this crazy stalker business was cleared up. She had a new man, her business was getting back on track, and now she had her family. She realized she was doing much better with Damien out of the picture. She was finally moving forward and now that she had made up with her father, she knew things could only get better.

  “Tell us about this Liam,” Andrew grinned. “Does he treat you right?”

  “He does. He makes me feel good and we have so much fun.”

  Shifting in her seat, Draya began to tell her parents all about Liam and they seemed to genuinely like him. Her mother seemed more impressed than her father, but she expected that much. Throughout the course of their conversation, all she felt was love and a familiar feeling she had missed over the years; safety. After over an hour of laughter and getting to know each other again, Draya found herself on the couch wrapped in her father’s embrace. Leaning her head against his chest, she had never felt more loved by him, and she to
ok in the moment.

  Letting her eyes close and her breathing even out; she felt herself drifting to sleep. It had been so many years since this had happened, and she had to admit, she missed it. She missed falling asleep in her father’s arms because before Liam, it was the only place she felt comfortable. Having him there now meant so much. She only wished he was staying too. Feeling her mother slip down beside them and place a hand on her back, she thought just maybe it was a possibility. They still loved each other, she knew it. She just had to make them remember just like her mother had done for her.

  Chapter Fourteen: Defining Roles

  “Mmmhhh, God that feels good.” Draya moaned, feeling Liam’s lips tickle her neck. “Baby, we have to stop. We have to go. I’m sure people are looking for me.”

  “Someone is always looking for you, sweetheart. They’re going to have to just wait their turn. You’re mine right now. I missed you all day.” Continuing to run his lips up and down her neck, he gripped her hips, sliding her closer, wishing they weren’t in a building full of people. “You know I could take you right here on this desk, right?”

  “Yeah, you could,” she breathed out, hesitantly, “but my dad might kill you. He’s probably looking for me and if we stay gone too long, they’re gonna wonder where we are.”

  Giving her one last kiss, he pulled her from the desk, gripping her ass in his hands. “Using the parent card is low, but I’ll get what I want, eventually.”

  “Oh, I want you to, just later. Give me a few hours and I’ll make you so damn happy.”

  Laughing, he lowered her feet to the floor but still held her close. “I’m happy. I’m so happy just being with you, but being inside you is spectacular. You just don’t know how good you feel. It’s all I can think about when you’re close to me.”

  “All you can think about is sex? I guess that should make me feel good, but it kind of makes me feel like it’s all you want. Am I just your jumpoff, or are we really in a relationship?”

  Liam had been thinking about her every hour of the day and he hadn’t expected her to feel this way. He thought he was doing a good job of showing her how much he liked her, but thinking about it now, they had never really done much outside of their apartments or the gym. Yeah, he was there with her tonight, but he had also put up money to help remodel and people probably thought he was here just for that reason. He had arrived late and headed straight to her office for a quick rendezvous, and hadn’t even made his face seen as her date.

  Running his hands down her arms, he gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry.” When she looked away, he grabbed her chin and brought it to face him. “No, really; I’m sorry. We’re together. You’re my very sexy girlfriend that I can’t get enough of. I love sex with you, I really love it; but I’m crazy about you. I only enjoy the sex so much is because it’s with you. You make it special; you make things real for me.”

  Pulling her closer, he buried his head in her hair. He loved the feel of her in his arms. Her skin was so soft and she smelled so good. He had only been this crazy about a woman once before and he wasn’t sure if he even knew how to display it anymore. Grand gestures were never his thing, but for Draya, he wanted to do something special. He knew he hadn’t done this kind of thing in a long time, but he knew special when he saw it. Draya was a rare find. She was quite possibly the last person he ever wanted to hurt. She seemed to understand him in a way he never thought anyone ever would.

  “I don’t want to push you.”

  “You’re not pushing. You’re asking for a definition of what we are, and I can understand that. Things have been so up in the air in your life and you want normal, I get that.”

  “I want more than normal, but I get what you’re saying and I agree. I’m not an insecure woman, I won’t cry if I say I love you first and you don’t say it back or anything like that, but I’d like to have an understanding of what I’m in. I made the mistake of not getting everything in my last relationship and you see how well that worked out.”

  Kissing her cheek, he ran his hands down her face and grinned. “I’m not him. You’re getting me; all of me. You’re getting stubborn, hard-headed, sometimes hard to get along with, me. Just so you know, if and when you say you love me, I’m going to say it back because I can’t imagine me not being able to love you too.”

  He had never said that to a woman in his life. He knew they were new and things were up in the air, but she was so special that he already felt the makings of being in love. He wasn’t there yet, he knew this; but he knew it was only a matter of time. Each moment he spent with her, he grew closer to saying it. If he was being honest, there were times when she was sleeping and he looked down at her and thought he felt it, but he wasn’t sure. He really wasn’t sure he truly knew what loving a woman felt like, but he was sure if he did, it would be her. She was the first person to open him up in a long time.

  “I don’t want you to say or do anything you don’t feel. I’m not going to force you into something you’re not ready for.”

  “You won’t. I’ve never let anyone make me do anything.” He gripped her hand, lacing their fingers. “You know, I feel like I’ve known you my whole life. I want to know everything there is to know about you. I want to know what makes you smile, what makes you happy, your favorite food, hell, your favorite color. I just want to know you.”

  “I want to know you too.”

  Cracking a smile, he pulled her hand up to his lips. “You want to go somewhere with me?”

  “Somewhere like where?”

  “Just, are you busy later this week?”

  “No, you’re the one with the hectic schedule. I tried to get you earlier and didn’t get a response. Where were you?”

  “I was working, trying to be able to afford a woman as gorgeous as mine. Not all of us have full ownership of our business. Some of us still have to work,” he chuckled.

  “Hey,” she narrowed her eyes in on him. “I work. Maybe I’m not as hands-on as you have to be, but I do work.”

  Kissing her forehead, he leaned in and whispered in her ear. “I know you work. Anyways, you’re getting me off subject. How would you like to meet someone? There is no pressure or anything, just a simple yes or no.”

  Giving him a quizzical look, she cocked her head and put her hand on her chin. “You make it sound like we’re going to meet the president or something.”

  “Well, to me, she just as important, if not more.”

  “She?”

  “Yeah, I want you to drive out to Savannah with me to meet my mother. I think we’re ready for that. I’ve met your dad and I’m about to meet your mother, so I think it’s only fitting that I give you someone other than Will and psycho bitch, Alea.”

  “We’ve only been dating—”

  “Three months, but I don’t know if you’re counting the time before sex. I do. I know I was moving at the speed of a snail, but I wanted you to want to be mine. I always thought of you as my girl,” he burst in on her comment.

  “I guess I did too. I mean we were spending a lot of time together; every night, and I wasn’t seeing anyone else.”

  “I wasn’t either; not since the night you called me over. I guess I thought we were... well I thought we were just taking it slow. I don’t really know what that means,” he laughed, “but I wanted to at least make sure Damien was out of your system.”

  “He is.”

  “I know, but if you don’t want to go or feel like it’s too soon, we can wait. I just really want you to see that there is someone decent in my family.”

  “Will is decent. He’s crazy, but he’s a good guy.”

  “Yeah, but I want you to see the best we have to offer and my mother is it. She’s the best person I know, besides you, of course.”

  Giving him one of her radiant smiles, she nodded her head and he felt like he had just won a championship. He knew it was a big step, but he felt like he was ready. His mother was one of the biggest influences in his life and having her meet Draya would
only make their bond stronger. He needed her to feel like she was as special as she truly was.

  Walking her out of the office, he closed the door behind her, pulling her closer to him. Clutching her hand tighter, Liam walked out into the sea of faces with his beautiful woman by his side. Seeing all eyes hit them as they made their way around the room, Liam felt like he was solidifying their relationship and making her feel like she was truly his; finally.

  ***

  “Baby, this is some party,” Caroline kissed Draya’s cheek.

  “Thanks, Mom. Where is Dad?” Draya scanned the room nervously. “He did come, didn’t he?”

  Reaching out to touch her arm, Caroline steadied her nervous daughter and offered an encouraging nod. “He’s over there with Liam. Those two seem to be as thick as thieves.”

  When they came from the back, Draya had been whisked away by Rico and Brittney and Liam had to step off for an important call and they got separated. She wasn’t upset, honestly, she was glad to have a minute to compose herself after the request he made for her to meet his mother.

  Draya had to admit, she was thrilled that he thought so highly of her, but she was nervous. She had never met a boyfriend’s mother before and she wasn’t sure what was off limits. Liam had mentioned his mother before and she seemed to be a woman of great character. Draya just hoped she measured up to what she was expecting for her son.

  Looking away from her mother for a second, Draya felt a hand on her arm again. “What’s the matter? You look nervous.” Smiling, Draya knew her mother was always in tune with whatever she was feeling. She could always read her like a book.

  “Do you think we’re moving too fast? Me and Liam, I mean. He’s great, you’ll see that when he comes over, but I don’t know. Maybe I don’t know enough about relationships to know when something is real. What if I’m falling too soon?”

  Pulling her closer, Caroline kissed her temple and ran her hands through her hair. “You know, I missed this with you. We never got to have the relationship talk.” Leaning into her mother’s embrace, Draya felt like a kid all over again and lost herself in the moment. “I never got to tell you how great you are and how any man would be lucky to have you. Don’t second guess your feelings. While you’re hesitating, you could be missing out on one hell of a love story.”