Liam

by Katie Dowe

  “The Renoir from your apartment is a fake.”

  “That’s not possible.”

  “I appraised it two months ago to the day, as I always do. It was in July, the second week and I did it right here and everything was fine.”

  “I know that,” Liam said impatiently as he put away his coffee and strode over to the table to take a look at the painting. He had kept it inside his bedroom for months and had decided to donate it to the museum, but he had wanted to valuate it first. “It looks fine to me.”

  “Look closer.”

  Liam pulled out a chair and turned the painting towards him, admiring the colors and the symmetry of the painting. He could not see anything that indicated it was not the Renoir that had been hanging from his wall. But he knew that Gerard knew what he was doing and was never wrong. “How do you know?”

  The man pointed out the tiny flaws. “The brush stroke is wrong and the colors are darker. I have studied Renoir for years and I know his style. Believe me when I tell you Mr. Moses, this is not Renoir.”

  Liam sat back against the chair stunned! The painting cost a fortune and it was more than just the money! It was the fact that someone had broken into his apartment and stolen the art, having enough time to replace it with a fake. He never allowed anyone into his apartment except a few close friends, and he trusted them completely. There had been no break ins that he knew about, and it would have been difficult considering that his place was like a fortress. And nothing else was missing as far as he was concerned. No one had been to his apartment – that is except… he sat back against the chair as a thought hit him. No one except her! She was the only one who had been there once, and she had insisted on him taking her there. Now she was conveniently missing! It had been three days since Blake had been searching down leads that led to nowhere. Son of a bitch! If he was not so furious he would be laughing right now at the clever way she had gotten to him. She had seduced him and had made him behaved like a lovesick fool, stringing him along until she got what she wanted, with only one intention in mind! To steal from him! The rage exploded inside his brain and he had to take deep breaths to calm down.

  “Mr. Moses?”

  He forced a smile to his stiff lips. “Let’s keep this between us for now. I will deal with it.”

  “Of course sir. What do you want me to do with this?” He pointed at the painting.

  “Leave it there. Thank you.” He waited until the man had left before he walked over to the cabinet and poured himself a glass of whiskey, downing it and almost choking as the fiery liquid touched his throat. That scheming bitch! She had played him for a fool, pretending that she was attracted to him when all the time she was hatching a plan to get the painting. He did not have to wonder where she had gotten her information about it from! His entire apartment had made the spread in some god dammed society magazine and every item of furnishing, every piece of jewelry and art had been highlighted. The bitch had played him well and had used her delectable body to trap him. He had been a fool who had fell for the oldest trick in the book. What was worse was that he had used resources to hunt her down like a lovesick fool!

  “When I get my hands on her!” he swore viciously and poured another drink but this time he sipped it slowly, his brain already jumping ahead. He was going to turn her over to the authorities as soon as he choked the life out of her! No, he shook his head because even now knowing what she was and how she had used him, his treacherous body still craved hers, so before he turned her over to the authorities he was going to use her body ruthlessly and slake his thirst before he did that. He was going to take his time and use that delectable body over and over again until he tire of her and then he would set her loose to rot in jail! He slammed the glass down onto the counter, striding out of the room he called Blake. “Any word?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Double your efforts. I don’t care if you have to work night and day, spare no expenses and find her Blake!” he snapped, his body tense and angry. “And when you do, find me no matter the time of day and I will come and take it from there. Make sure she does not see you or suspect that you are looking for her. I want the element of surprise to be on my side. And ignore the lead I gave you in terms of the gallery. I have a feeling that the owner lied to me about not being in touch with her and I do not want him warning her that we are looking for her.”

  Liam hung up from him and went into his office, slamming the doors behind him, his body vibrating with an anger so powerful that he had a hard time containing it! He walked over to the window and looked down at the vehicles that looked like tiny moving specks as he planned delicious ways to get his revenge!

  Chapter 10

  “I found her.”

  “Where?”

  “A very tiny place known as Mount Eagles. The cabin is pretty isolated and she runs every morning and every evening. That’s pretty much the only thing she does outdoors. She has not been in town since she got there a couple weeks ago.”

  “Give me the directions.”

  “Do you want me to do anything else?’

  “No. I will take it from here.” Liam hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. It had taken a little more than a week for Blake to find her and with each passing day he had found his rage increasing! Every time he had looked at the fake painting, that he had taken back to his apartment with him, he had felt the rage taking over. But along with that had been the remembrance of the night they had shared in his bed and he had felt the automatic response of his body to hers. She had used him and stolen from him, and he still wanted her desperately! He had tried to tear her out of his mind by going out with other women but he had not been able to touch anyone since he had made love to her, hell! Since he had met her! So when he made his appearance in Mount Eagles, he was going to have his way with her. This time he would be the one using her and when he was done he was going to leave without a backward glance. He was going to spend a few days with her, ravishing her body, or maybe it would be a week. Blake had said that the cabin was isolated and that suited him fine. He would spend the days using her delectable body and then after he had slaked his thirst he would turn her over to the authorities and be done with her! That bitch! He thought viciously. She was going to rue the day she ever thought of using him like that!

  *****

  Amani did not see him until she had turned into the gateway of the cabin. Liam leaned back against the chair on the porch, his long legs stretched out in front of him, his hands buried in the pockets of his dark blue cashmere coat. Blake had told him that the place was cold, even though it was only the ending of September and fall had not quite set in yet. Liam had driven through the town and admired the quaintness of it. The place reminded him a little of Fallen Oaks, where his friend Timothy had made his home, but this place was so small that it was like a little speck on the map. And it was perfect for hiding out. He wondered where she had found it and also wondered if it had been in her plans from the beginning. Seduce and rob him and then disappear. Did she think he would not have found out? Or had she hoped that when he did, he would not have suspected her? He would have been so besotted that he would never dream that she would do a thing like that!

  Her head was down and her supple and shapely body was encased in a gray and black figure hugging bottom and a top that exposed her midriff. In disgust, he felt his body tightened as he stared at her, as she dropped to her knees and retied the lace of her sneakers before straightening up. That was when she saw him sitting on the porch. He smiled grimly at the look of shock and panic on her beautiful face and saw when she turned as if to run. “I would not recommend it darling,” he rolled to his feet and came to the edge of the porch. “I assure you I am not in the mood to go racing after you but I will if I have to. Come on up, we really need to talk.”

  Amani made her way slowly along the short cobbled driveway, her heart hammering inside her chest as she looked at the tall dark figure standing on the porch, an unreadable expression on his face. What was he d
oing here? And how did he find her? Hanson had not called to tell her that he had found out about the painting. Amani wondered if in fact he had come to find her because of the night they had shared together! Her heart raced at that! She had spent so many nights missing him that seeing him right now made her body ache!

  “What are you doing here?” she asked as she came up the steps and moved pass him. Her eyes went to the overnight case on the ground and she turned to face him.

  “I decided that I would invite myself for a visit.” His eyes met hers as she looked back at him. “Are you going to invite me in?”

  She hesitated a moment and then fished the key out of the tiny pocket on her top. She opened the door and he picked up his case and walked in behind her. “Very cozy,” he murmured as he scanned the place. She did not move any further but turned to face him, her hands folded over her breasts.

  “I did not see a car.”

  “That’s because I had someone drive me here. Where is the bedroom?”

  Amani looked at him startled. “Are you serious?”

  He stared at her, interpreting what she was thinking and laughed, the sound mocking. “I am not ready for that yet darling. We have some things to talk about first.”

  “You cannot stay here.”

  “Why not?”

  “It is not my place.”

  “I am sure the owners would not mind me being here. Why don’t you call and find out?”

  She turned and walked away from him and he followed her into the kitchen. “I already told you that I did not want to see you again–”

  “I got that darling.” He took off his coat and slung it carelessly on a chair in the corner of the room. He sat on a stool at the counter and watched as she put the kettle on. The outfit she had on was molded to every curve of her body and he felt himself hardening much to his disgust. He had seen her coming from the opposite direction and had felt the murderous rage dimming somewhat! That was not acceptable! “But I am so used to having my own way that I could not very well accept that. I decided to come here to persuade you that we should pick up where we left off.”

  “That’s not going to happen!”

  “Why on earth not?”

  “I am no longer interested,” she lied, as she turned and remove the whistling kettle from the flames. He noticed that she only took out one cup and did not offer him anything as she poured the water over the pouch.

  “But I am and that is what is important.”

  She looked over at him. “Don’t you have enough women falling over themselves to be with you?”

  He inclined his head. “But for now I only want you.”

  She sat abruptly on the stool opposite to him and cradled the cup with her long fingers. “That’s too damned bad because I am done.”

  “Fair enough,” he got off the stool and started out of the room. Amani felt the relief and dismay vie inside her, as she watched him leave and forced herself to sit there. She heard the front door open and close, and felt her body tremble as she thought of him leaving without a fight. She should not have said anything to him. She should had walked into his arms and let him make love to her one last time and then she would disappear again, this time to Paris or to another larger country where he could not find her! When she had seen him sitting there on the porch she had thought for one sickening moment that he had discovered her duplicity and had come to find her. But he would have brought the authorities with him, so she had dispense with that thought immediately. He had cared for her enough to come and find her to rekindle things between them and she had let him go! But he had said that he did not have a car, so how could he leave? She put the cup down and went swiftly to the front door and opened it, looking out. He was not outside or anywhere around and she closed the door dejectedly and went into the direction of the bedroom. She turned the light switch on and her heart slammed into her chest as she stared at the man lying propped up against the pillows, his bronze and beautiful body completely and magnificently naked! “I just thought I would make myself comfortable,” he told her mockingly. “Why don’t you join me?”

  Amani walked towards the bed slowly, her eyes riveted on his body, lingering on his swollen sex. “I –I have to take a shower.”

  “I don’t mind the smell and taste of sweat.”

  She stood at the side of the bed and his gray eyes met hers. “Take off your clothes darling.”

  She did so automatically, feeling the desire pouring through her body like actual flames! He waited until she had divested all her clothes before he reached out a hand and stroked it over her breast, watching the nipple hardened as he teased it. He had decided that first things first, he would use her body to slake the enormous thirst inside him and then he would tell her the real reason he was there. He had thought about talking to her but his desire for her had far outweighed the need for him to have a conversation with her, and to tell her his reasons for being here. He moved over and she climbed in next to him. He turned and propping his head on his hand as he studied her body, still glistening with sweat. “Why did you run?”

  She moved restlessly under his smoldering look. “I knew you would not accept that I only wanted one night.”

  “Wasn’t that a little extreme? Picking up and running away from your life just to avoid me and prove a point?” He trailed one finger between her breasts and down her flat stomach, causing the tremors to start.

  “There are some things that you do not know about me.” She moaned as he forced a finger into the dip of her navel.

  “Like what?” His finger was now dangerously close to her sex and Amani could feel her body vibrating with need.

  “My name is Amani Lin-“

  “Lincoln, I know, the guy named Hanson at the gallery told me all that,” he told her calmly. He did not want her to think that she could somehow confess to areas of her life that she thought he should know. Truth or dare was for much later! Much, much later! He thought as he bent his head and ran his tongue over her lips. Her mouth opened automatically and his tongue dipped in slowly and started teasing hers. His fingers dipped inside her and he felt a jolt at the wetness he found there, his fingers making slicking sounds as he eased into the tight passage slowly. Amani’s fingers sought his muscled arm and her fingers dug in hard as her body drifted towards his! He delved further inside her mouth as he sought to deepen the kiss, his body shuddering as the familiar overpowering passion took over and his control started to slip! But he was determined to prolong it, determined to draw from her raging response and prove to her that he was the one in control now. When he was finished with her she would be crying out his name and begging him to take her! He ended the kiss, his gray eyes smoky as he stared down at her passion filled face and her parted lips. “Liam,” she whispered.

  He did not respond but increased the pressure of his fingers, watching as her lips parted and she started panting. Her clenched hands beat against his hard muscled chest as she frantically moved her hips against his fingers as he increased the thrusts. His thumb caressed the protruding flesh and watched as her mouth opened in a low, long moan. But he was not ready to give her release yet. He intended for her to suffer not only for what she had stolen from him and the way she had used him to do so, but for making him feel this way about her. Even now, lying next to her naked body, he could not hate her and he could not stop… wanting her! For that she had to suffer in the worst possible way and when he was finished he was going to find other ways to make her suffer as well! He pulled out of her just as she was reaching for the peak and he did so slowly, lingering at the opening, his fingers just inside her at the edge, denying her what she most wanted! He pulled out slowly and as she watched with feverish eyes she moaned. She watched him rub his fingers over the tip of his engorged erection. He made a production of it, titillating her senses as he used the same fingers he had thrust deep inside her over him, then going down to slide the skin back and forth slowly. His gray eyes lifted and he saw with satisfaction that she could not tear her eyes awa
y from what he was doing. It was killing him as well, not being inside her, but he could deal with it! She dragged her eyes away and looked up at him, her eyes begging him to take her, her body moving unconsciously closer to his but he was not ready yet, not just yet! He moved over her and rotated his hips slowly so that his erection was just at her entrance, touching her mound, moving to enter her briefly before pulling away just as she reached for him and her legs lifted. Instead he started kissing her again, his tongue delving into her mouth, plunging in and then out as he deepened the kiss, the passion exploding between them and making her reach for him, drawing him to her as her hands reached up and clutched his shoulders, her nails digging into his taut muscled skin. By the time his mouth left hers to kiss her chin and venture further down, Amani felt as if she was on fire and that the fire would never be quenched!

  His mouth continued its descent and lingered at her quivering stomach before going further down. By the time he reached her sex she was a quivering mass of unadulterated passion and the feelings threatening to overpower her was more than she could bear! His tongue touched the protruding flesh and she screamed! Her body jerking madly as his tongue dipped inside her. Amani’s fingers curled into tight fists on the sheets, her body rigid as his tongue delve into her, thrusting slowly at first and then increasing the pace as her hips jerked towards him. He held her hips steady, lifting her as he continued to thrust his tongue inside her. Amani beat her clenched fists on the bed, her head moving from side to side as he continued his ruthless lovemaking. But just when she reached the peak he stopped! “No!” the word was torn from her throat as she looked at him accusingly, her eyes feverish, her body so worked up that she could not stop trembling!

  “Do you want me darling?” his voice was thick and he had to make an effort not to plunge into her right there!

  “Yes, please.” She reached for him but he evaded her hands.

  “How much?”

  “God! Please Liam, please.” She opened her legs and his eyes were drawn to the wetness of her curls and her protruding flesh. He could feel the passion exploding inside him and the aching stiffness of his erection.