Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

by Alexis Winter

  It’s going on nine p.m. when I leave my parents’ house and walk into my apartment. I feed Ace, then take a long hot shower. When I step out, I quickly brush my hair, leaving it wet and hanging down my back. I wrap my towel tighter around myself and step out of the bathroom to find some comfy clothes in my room when someone knocks on the door.

  Thinking that it’s Amy stopping by to talk me into going out with her since it’s Friday night, I open the door with my mouth open, preparing to tell her no, but freeze when my eyes land on Liam.

  His blue eyes look me up and down. Suddenly, he reaches for me, his hands wrapping around my waist as he pulls me against him where his lips meet mine. His tongue slides into my mouth as he takes a step forward and forces me to take one backward. One of his hands leaves my hip, running up my body to cup my cheek and hold me to him. He kicks the front door shut with his foot, and the second it slams, I push him away.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I yell, wiping my mouth to get the taste of him off my lips. My body wants to keep going but no way will I let myself get attached to him again. I’m almost back to normal. I just got my thoughts back.

  “Tyler told me what happened,” he admits.

  “What?” My brows scrunch together as I study him. I suddenly realize that I’m only wearing a towel and my hand comes up to the top, holding it so it doesn’t slip and fall away.

  “I broke up with Tessa a week before we even kissed. I went there that weekend to pick up my belongings from her apartment, and she cried. I felt bad for breaking her heart, and that’s when she talked me into going out for dinner so that we could talk.” The words are rushing from his mouth like a dam broke.

  “I don’t want to hear it, Liam.” I close my eyes and rub my temples.

  “Please, let me finish.” His blue eyes are pleading with me, and I can’t deny him.

  “During dinner, she said she didn’t want to talk yet, just wanted one last normal meal to share and we ended up running into old friends that invited us to the club. I didn’t want to go, but she was relentless. So, I gave in, just so I could get it over with and leave. When I saw you there, you took my breath away. I thought I was dreaming. I never expected to run into you there. Then when I saw the guy you were dancing with—when I saw his hands on you instead of mine, I knew you were the one I wanted. I left and came back here, but she followed me. I didn’t know you came by the ranch. I didn’t know you met her or that she talked to you.” His blue eyes are wide with fear and anger. Is he afraid that he’s lost me? Is he angry at me or with her?

  “Tyler was out back of the barn and heard your whole conversation. He was pissed when he heard that I was selling the ranch. He thought I was just going to fire him without any notice. He didn’t tell me about it until today, when he told me he found another job. I was completely surprised. I have no intentions of selling the ranch, and then suddenly, our phone conversation made sense. I didn’t know why you changed your mind about the job. I thought you had changed your mind about me. If I had known sooner, it wouldn’t have taken me this long to come. I thought you were done with me.”

  I take a deep breath and look up at his blue eyes, and the way his chest is heaving. He looks so nervous, like he’s standing on the edge of a cliff, preparing to jump. “So, you’re not with her anymore?” I ask, leaning against the counter.

  He shakes his head. “I haven’t been with Tessa in weeks.”

  “And you’re not selling the ranch?”

  He takes a step closer and shakes his head again.

  “What do you want from me, Liam?” I’m holding on to the counter, my fingers wrapping around it for dear life. I’m not sure if I’m holding myself up or holding myself back. Either way, I’m holding on and not letting go.

  “I want you, Ves.” He takes another step. “You’re beautiful, and kind, and smart. You love the same things as I do. When I’m with you, I’m the man I want to be. I’m not billionaire CEO of O’Connor Oil. I’m not Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor. I’m just me. I’m Liam, the man that wants a simple life of running a ranch with a beautiful veterinarian that deserves more than I could ever offer.”

  I feel my lips tug up into a smile and I release the counter, crossing my arms over my chest. “You…” I shake my head. “You have a whole other life that’s not here. You have a line of women wanting a piece of you. And you want a life here…with me?”

  He takes another step closer as he nods. “I don’t want that life. I want you. I want to run this ranch and have you by my side every single day.” He takes another step, and now we’re close enough to touch, but I don’t reach out, and neither does he.

  “Your little black book is thicker than my entire phone book, Liam. Tyler told me how many women you blow through. Why should I trust you?” My heart is pounding. I know that if he touches me right now, there is nothing I can do to stop it. I want his touch, even if it’s nothing more than a meaningless fling—the big bang to end this crazy relationship we have.

  “I’m not going to lie, Ves. I have a reputation.” He nods. “I know that. I’ve been with more women than your average man, but I never told any of them that I wanted them by my side every single day. You’re what I want.”

  He doesn’t give me a chance to reply. He takes the last step between us and pulls me against his chest where his mouth covers mine. My arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. His hands find my ass, and he lifts me against him so I can wrap my legs around his waist.

  He begins walking through my apartment, never breaking the kiss as he takes me to my room. When he walks in the door, he turns and presses my back against the wall. Breaking the kiss, he looks deep into my eyes. “I meant every fucking word of what I said, Ves. I want you. I don’t know why or how you got under my skin, but I can’t stop thinking about you.” He reaches for the hem of his shirt, pulling it off and revealing his hard chest and abs.

  “I don’t want anything serious right now, Liam,” I nearly whisper.

  “One day at a time,” he agrees, pressing his lips against mine once again.

  His shirt hits the floor, and his hands immediately fly to the top of my towel, pulling until it comes loose and falls. He breaks the kiss and looks down at my body, causing embarrassment to flush my face.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful, Ves.” His lips crash against mine again and his hands tour my body, squeezing my breasts, trailing down my sides and across my thighs to brush against my core. The second his finger slides against my sensitive nub, I shudder and let out a loud moan.

  I let go of his neck and drop my hands between us, skimming down every hard muscle to free him from his jeans. Pushing them down his hips, his large erection springs free, standing at attention. I wrap my hand around it and pump slowly. He lets out a hissing breath that lights my body on fire.

  He kicks his jeans off his feet as he turns and walks us to the bed. He places me softly on top and crawls up my body. He pauses at my knee to press a soft kiss to the inside. He repeats the process with the other, then slowly kisses up the inside of my thighs.

  “I’ve been dreaming of doing this since the day I met you, Ves,” he whispers against my skin as his lips climb higher and higher up my legs.

  When he makes it to the junction between my legs, he softly runs his tongue across my slit, causing me to call out and jump with pleasure. His hands squeeze my hips, holding them down as he flicks his tongue against me before sucking my hard nub into his mouth.

  My orgasm is slowly building in my stomach. Every muscle tightens, preparing to let it go, to release it so it can flood over me and drown me in the passion he’s causing me to feel. Just as I think it’s at its peak, he slides two fingers inside me and pushes me over the edge. My release explodes and rains down on me, thick and hot. I can’t do anything but close my eyes and hold on, letting it wash over me until I can no longer breathe. He doesn’t move or pull away until I’ve ridden out every last wave and my calls of pleasure ha
ve quietened.

  He removes himself from me, leaving me cold and needing so much more.

  “Where are you going?” I ask in a panic. I’m nowhere near done.

  He bends down and pulls out a condom from his jeans. He turns back to me. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere yet. No way have I had enough of you.” He tears the package open with his teeth and slides the condom down over his length.

  He takes his place between my thighs once again and he lowers his lips to mine. My hips begin moving on their own, sliding his hard cock between my folds.

  “I need you, Liam. I need you inside me,” I whisper against his lips.

  “You have no idea, baby.” He rears back and thrust into me hard, deep, and without warning, causing me to call out loudly. My nails dig into the skin of his back, pulling him closer as he thrusts in and out of me. His hands hold my hips and squeeze my breasts, all the while his mouth moves with mine.

  He stretches me delightfully, nearly to the point of pain, but it’s something I long for. It’s like when you have a sore muscle and rubbing it hurts but feels good at the same time. I never want him to stop. I finally feel like we’re right where we belong, that this past week didn’t even happen. He pushes me to shatter once again, then rolls us over, putting me on top.

  “I want to watch you, Ves. Show me how badly you need me.” His hand that’s on my hip slides down just enough so his thumb can press against my clit as I lift myself and slide down his length. He feels so much larger this way, and I can control the speed and pressure. I rock my hips against him, and his lips part as his heavy breathing escapes.

  “Fuck,” he whispers as his eyes close and his head dips back to enjoy the pleasure I’m now bringing him.

  While one hand massages my clit, the other comes up to massage my breast, pinching my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. As my orgasm rises to the surface once again, the tingle of my nipple mixes along with it, and I tighten around him.

  “Are you going to come, Ves?” he whispers.

  I open my eyes and look down at him. His lips are parted, and his eyes are vibrant, watching only me.

  I nod as I continue with my movements, not wanting to stop, needing to push myself that last little bit that will leave me screaming and quivering.

  Both hands grab onto my hips, and he thrusts upward, meeting my movements. I let out a scream as my orgasm washes over me, and he lets out a moan that causes my body to tingle with excitement.

  My toes curl, and my stomach tightens. My breathing becomes erratic, and his thrusts become harder and rushed. Just as my climax ends, his rises to the surface. He flips me over and pounds into me again and again, until his hips slow and his soft moans quieten. He lets his body collapse against mine and it feels perfect, like a weighted blanket that eases every negative thought away.

  18

  Liam and I make love over and over again, all through the night. Each time is better than the last. He whispers sweet nothings into my ears while teasing my mind, body, and soul. Finally, we fall into a deep sleep, holding one another tight.

  I wake up in the morning to him peppering my naked shoulder with soft kisses. I stir awake but don’t open my eyes. Tantalizingly slow, his lips move up to my neck until he gets to my ear where he softly nibbles. “Wake up, beautiful,” he whispers.

  “I don’t want to,” I mumble.

  “Why not?” he asks around more kisses.

  “Because in this dream, I’m in a better place than being awake,” I answer, rolling over to face him, but not opening my eyes.

  His right arm is under my neck and his left-hand cups my face. “What if I told you this wasn’t a dream?”

  I open my eyes and I’m stunned by the brilliant blue that’s staring back at me. His eyes, they’re like being submerged in the ocean, only having a small window to look out at the endless blue. There’s depth, and rough waves, but also a calmness that settles every amped up emotion that’s coursing through my veins.

  “You’re definitely worth waking up for.” I offer up a sleepy smile, and he leans down for a kiss that turns into so much more.

  “Tell me something,” he urges, pulling me against his bare chest.

  “Like what?” I ask, twisting in his arms so I can see his handsome face.

  “Something that nobody else knows.”

  I bite my lower lip while I think it over. “I lost my virginity to a boy named Topher Smellanitch. He had these black, plastic-framed glasses, buck teeth, and dark hair that he always kept in a bowl cut. It was the night of my senior prom, but my prom date got drunk and bailed on me. I ended up sitting with Topher all night, sharing a flask of rum. One thing led to another, and we both had sex for the first time.”

  “Yeah?” he asks, surprise written across his face.

  “Yes, and it was awful.” I laugh. “He had braces that cut my lip. And he was so nervous, he was shaking. All I can remember of the night is his skinny body on top of mine, shaking like a chihuahua as he looked down on me with bug eyes because of those thick glasses.” I feel my face burn with embarrassment.

  “You never told anyone about it?”

  “No way! Why would I?”

  He shrugs. “I don’t know. With a description like that, I can’t figure out why you wouldn’t tell everyone,” he jokes.

  I jab him in the ribs with my elbow. “Tell me about your first time.”

  “It’s nothing as epic as yours, I assure you.”

  “So, tell me anyway.” I press my cheek to his chest, so I can listen to his heart while he tells the story.

  “It was with a girl named Mercedes. I’d had a crush on her for as long as I could remember. She grew up right next door. But she blossomed into a woman long before I became a man. She was tall, thin, had these long legs, and was curvy for her age. I was still short and skinny. Didn’t have a single body hair on me yet.” He lets out a short laugh.

  “Anyway, when we were sixteen, we went to this party. I had been drinking all night long, but I found her crying alone in the dark. I guess her boyfriend had broken up with her or something. We were both drunk, doing things we shouldn’t have been doing—young and stupid. So, when things started moving forward, I thought she must really like me. Turns out, she wasn’t drunk, at all and she didn’t like me. She only used me to make her bigger, more popular boyfriend jealous.”

  “Oh, no.” My mouth drops open.

  “Yeah, the next day I came to school thinking I was the big man on campus. That is, until he found out, beat me up, and shoved me in a locker.”

  “He beat you up?” I ask, surprised.

  “Yeah, but it was worth it.” He laughs. “At the time, anyway.”

  “So, where’s this girl now?”

  I feel him shrug his shoulder. “No, idea. Last I heard, she had married the guy that beat me up. He ended up cheating on her and leaving her alone with three kids.”

  “Wow! I’d say that’s karma.”

  “What about Topher? Where’s he?”

  “Working for the FBI, actually. He was always super smart. I think he’s married to the girl he was secretly in love with back then. Her name was Lilly Gram.”

  “I guess at least someone got their happy ending.” He releases me and sits on the edge of the bed, pulling on his jeans. “Are you going to come by the ranch today?”

  I pull the blanket up my naked body. “Maybe. I have to go to the animal shelter and put in my shift. Then I promised to have dinner with my parents. So, if I do, it won’t be until late.” He stands up and pulls on his shirt, making me a little sad to see that those nice, firm abs are covered.

  “How about you have dinner with your parents and dessert with me?” He sits down on the edge of the bed, leaning over me with his blue eyes shining.

  A smile I have no control over spreads across my face. “I don’t know. What are you fixing?”

  He leans down and softly presses his lips against mine. “I was thinking hot fudge sundaes.”

  “With a cherry on
top?” I ask against his lips.

  He snickers. “Whatever you want.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  He presses another long kiss to my lips and stands. “Don’t keep me waiting,” he coos, walking out of the room to the front door.

  When I hear the front door click closed, a smile spreads across my face, happy about the recent turn of events. I have been longing for Liam since I first heard his voice, but finally getting what I wanted, it’s better than I ever could have imagined. He held me close all night, said the most perfect things at the ideal time, and worked me over like no man ever has.

  It all seems too good to be true, and that makes my heart pound with nervousness, waiting for it to end. Then I remember how I promised myself that I wouldn’t get close to him again, and the smile that’s been stamped on my face starts to fade. He is a playboy. He admitted to being with a lot of women. I bet at some time or another, every single one of those women felt this exact same way. That’s just another reason to keep my feelings in check. I’ll see how this plays out, but I won’t let myself get attached. I’ll play along, and when the game is done, I’ll move on to the next part of my life. A broken heart is the last thing I need.

  I quickly shower and dress in a pair of jeans and my volunteer shirt. I let my hair hang free today and only put on a little lip gloss and mascara. I’m walking into the animal shelter shortly after to find Amy dancing around with Daisy in the center of the floor.

  “Someone’s in a good mood today,” I say, dropping my bag onto the table.

  She looks up at me with a big smile. “Daisy is getting adopted today!” Her eyes are wide with excitement. “Aren’t you, Daisy?” she asks, excitedly.

  Daisy barks and jumps around, happy to have someone to play with.

  “That’s great.” I fall onto my knees, petting her and scratching behind her ears. She flops down onto the floor and rolls onto her back, so Amy and I can scratch her belly.