Bet Me to Stay

by Candace Havens

  She leaned forward on her elbows. “When I came in, I thought she was hugging you. Like a lover might. That’s why I was trying to run away. I don’t have a date. I already met with my agent, who happened to have great news. I walked in here ready to tell you, and then—I was jealous and it scared the crap out of me because we both know this temporary. Neither of us do long-term very well.

  “And I want to be exclusive, too, even though I know you might rip my heart out in the end. When it does end, it’s going to hurt worse than anything I’ve ever been through. But I can’t walk away, even though I should right now before I go any deeper. How’s that for being honest?”

  And she was. Frightened that losing him would kill her. And that day probably was in the near future. But she liked what they had as well.

  He clasped her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. He did that when he was trying to calm her down, and it worked. The sweetness of it wrecked her.

  Oh God. I’m in so much trouble.

  “Aye. So we’ll be scared as hell together, right? Take it day by day. No need to rush, we just keep going as we are.”

  Right up until you find out the truth about me.

  Tell him.

  “But there’s something I need to tell you. I—”

  “Lass, I told you before. Whatever happened in the past is just that. Neither of us needs to share anything. We know who we are, right?”

  “Yes,” she said. “But this is different. You remember when I was trying to tell you something?”

  “Hey, Liam? We’re out of meatloaf!” Finn yelled from the bar. “Get your arse in gear.”

  “Hold that thought, lass. I need to go pull the other loaves from the oven.”

  Then he leaned over the table and kissed her hard on the lips. There were shouts and hoots around them.

  And it was all based on lies.

  She had to tell him the truth about who she was. Soon.

  He turned to wink at her, and oh, the promise that was there. Heat seeped up from her core, and the mischievous in that grin of his and the waggle of the eyebrows…

  She was in for it.

  Maybe not tonight, but tomorrow. Definitely she would tell him the truth tomorrow.

  …

  The pub had been closed for an hour. Finn had headed out with some of his friends for some fun. They’d had a good night, and the till had been full. He glanced up from the bar to find Cassie staring at her computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard. He’d give anything to know what she was working on tonight. He’d stopped by and given her a kiss now and again, but they’d been busy as hell, so there hadn’t been much time to flirt with her, which she didn’t seem to mind.

  She kept trying to tell him something, and from the look on her face it wasn’t good. He had a feeling it had to do with her past, or maybe her family. But whatever it was, it hurt her. So he planned on distracting her and showing her that there wasn’t anything they couldn’t get through together.

  Hell. He was in it. And while he’d said he was scared, he wasn’t. Being with her seemed the most natural thing he’d ever done. Seeing where this thing between them went—well, he was willing to take the risk if she was. Never thought he’d say that.

  He sat down across from her, and she was so involved with whatever she was working on that she had no idea there was no one left here but her.

  “Lass?”

  She glanced up and smiled at him, her fingers still typing. Then she glanced around the darkened pub.

  “Where did everyone go?”

  “It’s 2 a.m., luv. Time to go upstairs.”

  She was still typing even as she looked at him.

  His eyebrow rose.

  “Two minutes,” she said. “I swear.”

  He nodded and she continued writing. In so many ways he admired her, but her work ethic was sexy.

  Kind of cool, since he worked a great deal himself. Owning a pub meant being around all the time. Though Finn had been helping out more often. And they were doing well enough that he might be able to hire more part-time help.

  Hell, most of it was due to her suggestions. For a writer, she knew a lot about the restaurant world. She’d mentioned being a waitress, and he wondered where that might have been. There was so much she understood about his world, and maybe that was part of the attraction. Everyone he’d gone out with before didn’t understand he had to be around the pub most of the time.

  Then there was that look on her face when he’d seen her hugging Fiona.

  She’d been jealous earlier, every bit as much as he’d been. Maybe he didn’t want to think about that, but he’d been sore about her seeing someone else. He’d been honest with her, and she had as well.

  That grin spread across her face.

  “You’re thinking something naughty,” he said.

  “You know me way better than you should,” she said. “I just wrote something that probably would have been impossible before I met you. It’s funny how good you’ve been for my creativity.” She shut her laptop.

  “You going to let me read that?”

  She smiled. “Maybe someday.”

  “Tease.”

  “You should talk. Last night, I thought I was going to explode before you finally— What are you doing?”

  He was pulling her over his shoulder.

  “Wait, I need to get my laptop, caveman.”

  “We aren’t going far.” Leaving her on his shoulder, he turned off the lights. Then he plopped her up on the bar. “Every time I looked over at you tonight, I’d imagined you holding this bar while I fucked the hell out of you.”

  She slapped a hand gently on his chest. “Dude, you have to stop saying that. My panties just dropped to the floor.”

  “Not happening fast enough for me,” he said as he captured her lips. He’d sported a hard-on off and on all night. She had no idea what she did to him or how beautiful she was. Not once did she notice the looks she received from some of the male customers.

  Lucky for those guys, they didn’t approach her. One had walked past her table like he might say something, but Liam had given him the eye. The man had turned around and re-joined his friends.

  Even Finn had given him a hard time.

  “Why don’t you just put a leash on her? Then you wouldn’t have to watch her like a hawk.”

  “Fuck off,” he’d told his brother.

  “Worried she’s going to run?”

  To which he’d shot him the finger.

  He’d been worried maybe he’d said too much and that maybe this was all moving too fast. That he’d spooked her somehow.

  Her hand touched his cheek, and his worries disappeared. “What are you thinking about?”

  “You,” he said. “I took extra care in cleaning the bar tonight because I wanted to do a buffet.”

  “But we already ate.”

  “You did. I’m famished. Now strip.”

  She laughed. “Uh. No. People can see in.”

  He shook his head. “Windows are tinted enough that you can only see the first few tables. No way to see all the way back here to the bar.”

  She glanced toward the front, and there was panic on her face.

  Something was up with her.

  “But what if someone comes in the back, like Finn or— I’m really not comfortable with this. You told me to tell you when something didn’t feel right. My— I mean, anyone could walk by.”

  “Isn’t that part of the fun, though? I promise they can’t see in, but what if they could see the outlines. Isn’t that part of the thrill? The excitement of getting caught?”

  He liked pushing her boundaries, but he wouldn’t do anything that made her uncomfortable.

  She put her hands on his chest. “I don’t want to disappoint you or be a prude, but this is—” She glanced out the window. “If we were anywhere else in the world, maybe, but not here. I can’t—it feels weird. I’m sorry.”

  “You couldn’t disappoint me. And, lass, no one would consider you
a prude. Ever.” He kissed her then, his hands moving to her arse and pulling her tight against his hard-as-fuck cock.

  She tilted her head and then reached down to cup him. “I can’t believe all of this is for me,” she said as she gave him a shy smile.

  “Been walking around with blue balls for the last four or five hours. I’d have taken you upstairs and had my way with you, but Finn’s been giving me hell for leaving him stranded when we’re busy.”

  A light-pink blush tinged her cheeks. “It’s weird for me that he knows we’re having sex. I want to be like you. I want to not care about the windows, but I do.”

  “Lass, don’t stress. We’ll go upstairs and have our fun there.”

  He went to move, but she pulled him back. “What were your plans here?”

  “To turn you into to a dessert buffet. You enjoyed it so much the other night, I was going to eat whipped cream off your tits and—”

  She put a hand over his mouth and squirmed against him. “You swear they can’t see in?”

  This woman never failed to surprise him. “Swear,” he said against her hand.

  Starting with her sweater, she pulled it off over her head. As she unzipped her jeans, she pointed to him. “Get naked, mister. If I’m doing this, so are you. Two are playing this game.” She reached over and grabbed the trays of garnish. “You’re going to need to order more maraschino cherries.”

  “I aim to please.”

  After they’d stripped, he lifted her up onto the bar. Nearly five-foot wide of beautiful mahogany, he’d polished it to perfection so that she’d have a clean place to lie. He’d folded a clean towel and put it behind her head.

  Then he grabbed the spray can of whipped cream and decorated her body.

  “It’s cold.” She squirmed on the bar. God, she was a beauty lying on the bar, her body a smorgasbord just waiting for his touch.

  “Promise, you’re going to be warm in just a bit.” Then he was on top of her, licking the cream off her nipples, sucking and pulling her hard into his mouth. She arched, and he slid two fingers into her heat. She was wet and so ready for him, but he had more to do before he gave her the relief her body craved.

  “Oh, I need you.”

  He leaned up and kissed her, some of the cream getting on his chest, but he didn’t care. Her body was his favorite instrument, and he was about to make her sing.

  Hands tugged on his head as he kissed her, and she squirmed against his cock. Damn this woman was going to be the death of him.

  “I’m not done with my favorite dessert yet.”

  He was pulling her up with him, so that her knees were on his shoulder. He sprayed her with the whipped confection and then delved into her sweet pussy. Eating her into a frenzy.

  “Please,” she begged, her hands fisting by her side. “Please.” And then those hands were on her nipples, pulling and tugging in much the same way he had.

  Hottest fucking thing he’d ever seen.

  “Please what, lass?”

  “Fuck me hard, Liam. I need that fucking cock pounding me hard.”

  Her eyes snapped open as if she just realized what she’d said. Yes, she was becoming more comfortable in her body and that mouth of hers was still hot as fuck.

  “Please,” she said.

  Winking at her, he stayed on his knees and moved so her legs wrapped around his waist. He slipped a condom from his jeans, wrapped his cock in it, and then slid into her warm heat.

  She was already dripping, and a few strokes into her, he put his thumb on her tiny nub and rubbed her hard and fast.

  “Oooooh. Fuck, yes.” She squeezed her tits together and then came around his cock.

  Sweetest fucking thing ever.

  He picked up the pace and gave her what she wanted—hardest fuck of his life and he lost it when she cried out, “Liam!” with such passion it tore something open in side of him.

  Then he was off his knees and gathering her up in his lap. They shuddered together.

  “Every time you fuck me, I think it can’t get any better.” She laughed weakly against him.

  “I know. It’s the same for me, luv. I can’t get enough of you. Even when we aren’t fucking, I’m thinking about how you take me over the edge again and again. I’ve never—I—this is special.”

  That’s fucking eloquent.

  “Good. I like that I drive you as crazy as you drive me,” she said. “And thank you for pushing me tonight.”

  “Never too far, lass. You can always say no, and I’ll never think less of you.”

  “No. It’s good. I’ve been uptight my whole life. It’s time for me to let go.”

  He chuckled. “Lass, I know you like to beat yourself up, but you’re not uptight. You just needed someone who worships your body and appreciates that wicked-smart brain of yours.”

  She tugged on his earlobe; who knew that was an erogenous zone for him. His cock should have been tired as fuck, but it hardened with her touch.

  He lifted her chin and kissed her.

  Then she turned and glanced out the window. The bar across the street was closing and people were stumbling out onto the street to catch their Ubers.

  He turned her face back to his.

  “You meant what you said earlier, right? What we have is good? I mean, I don’t want to sound needy. That totally sounded needy. But I’ve never—nothing’s ever—” She sighed.

  Placing his hands on the side of her face, he kissed her hard, trying to pour out everything he was feeling.

  “It’s the best,” he said. “The best ever.”

  And he meant it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Almost a month, that’s how long she’d been spending most of her days and nights with Liam. It was as if they lived in this sex bubble. It had been the best month of her life. But real life was intruding. She only had a few more days to revise her book and get the final rewritten chapters to Tansey.

  She was so close to being finished.

  Her phone buzzed. She glanced down and then sighed.

  If she didn’t answer, there would be hell to pay later.

  “Hey, Mom, sorry I haven’t called.”

  “Or texted or sent an email. We’re your family. You need to at least let us know you’re alive.”

  “I’ve just been really busy.”

  “If you were here with us at the bar, you could pick your hours.”

  “Mom, I love you. But that isn’t my life anymore. I actually love my job.”

  “Darling, you belong here with family. I—ooohhhh.”

  There was loud bang and then her mother cried out in agony. “Mom? Mom!”

  Oh, hell. Something happened.

  She stood up and was at the door before she even thought about where she was going.

  “Lass, you okay?” Liam called out from behind the bar. They were in the middle of the afternoon rush.

  She held up her phone. “I—yes. It’s an emergency. I need to help a—uh, friend. I’ll be back in a bit. Can you take my laptop upstairs? I’ve got to go.”

  Running across the street, she pushed through the lunch crowd. She skidded toward the kitchen, nearly slipping on the wet floor.

  Inside, her mom sat on a stool by the steel prep table. “Mom, are you okay?” Her father was kneeling down, putting ice on her mom’s knee.

  Everyone turned to look at her.

  “I slipped,” her mother said as Bruno, one of the barbacks, handed her some ibuprofen and a glass of water. “My fault, I wasn’t paying attention. And how did you get here so fast?”

  Shit. “I was already heading this way, so I ran.” True enough. “Do you need to go to the emergency room?”

  “It’s bruising and a bit swollen, but she’ll be fine,” her father said. He was the type that if you broke a bone, he’d just straighten out the appendage and tie a stick to it. He’d been a medic in his younger days and pretty much treated everything as battlefield triage.

  “So you were finally coming to see us? Why didn’t you
say so?” her mother said, eyeing her warily. “You sounded so put out on the phone that I was bugging you.”

  Double crap. Fine. “I didn’t lie. I have been very busy and I’m on a deadline. But I thought I’d come say hi in person, so you knew I was alive.”

  “Ahhh. And this has nothing to do with the fact that you’ve been slinking in and out of the pub across the street at all hours of the day and night?” her mother asked. The kitchen was suddenly quieter than it had ever been.

  All eyes were on her, but she wasn’t the shy little girl who let people walk all over her anymore.

  Even if that girl had bile burning her throat at the moment. How could she think they wouldn’t notice? They had spies everywhere. Her brother or one of the servers had probably seen her through the window.

  She prayed to all that was holy no one had seen her last night on the bar with Liam. Though it had been one of the best experiences so far. Forbidden and fun all wrapped up in one sexy package.

  “It’s not all hours of the day and night. I’m doing research for a project. And it’s not up for discussion right now,” she said.

  Her mother’s eyebrow went up, and she could have sworn she saw her dad smile before he turned his eyes toward the floor.

  “So which one are you dating? Can I expect grandchildren soon?”

  “Oh my God, Mom! Really? No. Kids? I can barely look after myself. Also, none of your business which one. I mean, I’m not dating—it doesn’t matter.” No way could she lie to her parents. It was one of her greatest weaknesses when she was a kid. Her brother and sisters were pros at fibbing, but as much as she could have saved her ass multiple times, she’d always sucked at it.

  You seem to be adept at lying to Liam. Ugh. Not now.

  “I’m glad you’re okay, but if you want me to stay and have a late lunch with you, we need to veer toward safer topics like politics and religion.”

  There was a trickle of laughter all around.

  Her mother crossed her arms. “You look beautiful,” she said from her perch on the stool.

  “Thank you. That is an acceptable compliment.”

  “Whichever one you’re dating seems to have had a good influence on you. When you aren’t scowling at me, you almost look happy. Are you ashamed of us? Is that why you haven’t brought him around?”