Liam

by Katie Dowe

  “Tell me how much,” he insisted.

  “I am going to die if I don’t have you,” she whispered in an agonizingly aching voice. “Please.”

  “Good enough.” He covered her body with his swiftly, plunging into her with one long thrust, his fingers biting into her hips as he pulled her closer to him. He looked down at her, his eyes stormy as he took her mouth in a savagely, deliciously, brutal kiss as he started to move inside her, the thrusts increasing as she moved beneath him. Liam felt the anger and rage slipping away while he buried himself deep inside her. He should not have insisted on making love to her before he told her what he had wanted to. With her in his arms and buried deep inside her he could not do anything but feel her and the emotions rocketing his treacherous body was so much that he had a hard time remembering that he hated her for using him or that she had stolen from him! All he could feel was her incredibly sexy and passionate body beneath his and her response to his lovemaking. And the fact that he had never felt this way before in his entire life! He held her close as she reached her peak, her body stiffening against his and her moans captured deep inside his throat as he continued to ravish her mouth with his. He came soon after her, spilling his seed deep inside her, his body wracked with shudders as he emptied himself inside her!

  He moved off her when he found the strength to do so. The varying emotions that had consumed him ever since he had met her and when he had discovered what she had done and more so now that he had made love to her, had him feeling weak and disoriented! He shifted and pulled out of her, realizing to his extreme disgust and consternation that he was still hard! He moved over to the pillows, put his hand underneath his head and stared up at the plain wooden ceiling, staring at the dark paneled wood with an absorption that indicated a fascination that he was not feeling! He had come here breathing fire and with a firm decision as to what he would do to her and it had gone horribly wrong! He knew he was going to have to turn her over to the cops but the thought of that made him feel so damned sick that his stomach clenched! He could not bear the thought of her languishing behind a jail cell and he could not just tell her that it was okay either. He had no damned idea what to do!

  “Liam?” Her soft cultured voice dragged him from his reverie and he turned his head to look at her. She had turned sideways to look at him, her dark brown eyes bright and her lips swollen from the passionate and highly erotic kisses they had shared. His gaze did not dare wander further to her provocatively lush curves because he was already hard for her. “Are you okay?”

  He laughed harshly at that. “How proud are you at this moment?”

  “What?” A frown creased her brows.

  “Come now darling,” he chided softly. “You must be congratulating yourself on bringing me to heel. After all I am a man who has been known to make women fall in love with him, without the slightest bit of effort on my part, and somehow you have managed to achieve the impossible. You must be extremely proud of yourself.”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she told him, but avoided his eyes as she looked at his chest.

  “Do you know why I tried to find you?” he asked her softly.

  She looked back at him. “Because you have a hard time taking no for an answer?’

  He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I do have a hard time taking no for an answer,” he agreed. “But I have a harder time being made a fool of.”

  He saw when she stiffened and admired the effort she put into making her expression noncommittal. “What do you mean?”

  “Where is it Amani?” His voice had gone dangerously soft and sent a shiver sliding down her spine.

  “Where is what?”

  His hand moved with such speed that she could not believe when it wrapped around her slim throat and tightened, sending fear darting through her body. “Why don’t we dispense with the games?” he insisted coldly. “We both know that you stole the painting from my apartment and you planned on doing it all along. We also know that when you insisted on coming to my apartment, after you had me under your spell, your only intention was of take the painting and replace it with a very clever imitation. Do you know what I am going to do to you?”

  Amani felt paralyzed with fear as she stared at his glittering gray eyes. “I can explain– ”

  “I don’t believe you can but let’s hear it,” his voice was causal and light as if they were just having a normal conversation, but his hand was tight around her neck.

  “I cannot breathe,” she whispered.

  His hand tightened for a moment and then released her. She took several deep breaths and rubbed her throat automatically as she sought to find the words to explain to him what she had done. She could not involve Hanson in this even though she had done it for him. She was going to face the music all alone and hoped to God that the man who had made such passionate and explosive love to her would show some mercy! But she would have to retrieve the painting and that was going to prove difficult!

  “I am waiting love.”

  She swallowed and weighed her words. “I saw the painting in the magazine and I wanted it–”

  “Try again,” he told her mildly.

  She hauled herself up on the pillows and avoided his eyes. “I grew up in a group home.”

  “I already knew that. You were rescued by Hanson when he took you in. That does not explain why you stole a very expensive piece of art that was slated to be shown at the gallery in December love.”

  Her eyes flew to his and widened. “I could not help it.”

  “Where is it?”

  “I already sold it.”

  His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “How did you manage to remove the painting and replace it with the fake one?”

  “I waited until you were asleep.”

  “I see,” he said almost conversationally, rage simmering inside him as he realized that she had made sure he was weak from the hours of lovemaking and exhausted enough to fall asleep before she made her move! “Is that the first time you have done something like that?”

  She avoided his eyes again and Liam felt the pain of her unspoken admission tearing through his body! “You have done this before.”

  “Not like this,” She whispered.

  “Am I supposed to feel flattered?” he asked her furiously. “I am the first man you took to bed with you so that you could steal from him?”

  She took a deep breath and realized that it was time for a full confession, regardless of the consequences! So she told him what she did for a living and managed to leave Hanson out of it.

  When she was finished he stared at her in shock! “You are a goddamned thief by profession?” He felt sick to his stomach at that and wondered how on earth fate was so cruel as to allow him to feel this way about a common con artist!

  Chapter 11

  He felt the despair and disbelief channeling through his body with such force that he had to get away from her. This had been a gigantic mistake! He had made an error in judgment in coming here and deciding to try and deal with the matter on his own. He should have asked Blake to deal with it himself, because it had taken just one look at her and had felt his feelings churning and boiling inside his body. He had made love to her and now it was even harder than before. He had fallen in love with a woman he could never be with because of who she was! He was Liam Moses and being who he was it would mean that anyone he was with would be under the relentless scrutiny of the press! He got off the bed and went to get the dark blue dress pants he had taken off, not even bothering with his underwear or his shirt. Without another word he strode from the room and into the kitchen. It had gotten dark outside with a full moon bathing everything in its path. He foraged through the cabinet and when he could not find what he was looking for her opened the fridge and found a bottle of Chardonnay resting on the top shelf. He pulled it out and without reaching for a glass he opened the cork and put the bottle to his head, chugging down the wine until he felt some sort of numbness inside him. He stiffened as he heard her behind him a
nd did not turn to face her.

  “I want to know what you plan on doing to me,” she said quietly.

  He turned just then and held the bottle in his hand like a weapon. His gray eyes raked her body, clad in a thin t-shirt with the nipples outlined against the material. “What do you think?”

  “Please just tell me.”

  He put the bottle to his head and slugged the wine before responding, but not the way she wanted him to. “I hope you don’t mind,” he gestured with the bottle which was almost empty. “I was looking for something stronger.”

  “I would like to hear what my options are.”

  His thick brows lifted. “You think you have options?’

  “So call the authorities and get it over with.” Her tone was defiant but he knew that she was scared. Good! He thought furiously. She should be afraid.

  “Not just yet,” he said with an ironic twist to his lips. “When I found out what you had done I made the plan to come here and use you however I please.”

  She stiffened at that. “And then what?”

  “And then I will turn your beautiful ass over to the authorities.”

  “I would prefer you turn me over now.”

  “You think you have a choice darling?” he asked her coldly.

  “I can get the painting back,” she said desperately.

  “You are going to get the painting back, but in due time.”

  “I am not having sex with you so that you can exact some sort of sick revenge,” she told him with flashing eyes. “You are going to have to rape me.”

  He laughed at that! An ugly grating laugh that had her backing away from him. He slammed the bottle down onto the counter and advanced slowly. Amani forced herself to stay put, determined not to show him how frightened she was. He was going to hand her over for her crimes and she wanted him to get it over and done with. If he agreed for her to get back the painting she would do so, try and convince Hanson to get it back and be done with all this. But he would have to agree to do it that way before. He was standing in front of her and her eyes latched onto his muscled chest with their sprinkling of dark hairs before lifting her eyes to his. He lifted her chin up, his gray eyes unreadable as he studied her face.

  “You think I have to rape you? Want me to prove that I don’t have to resort to that?”

  “Don’t touch me,” she whispered. “Please don’t.”

  “I don’t what to,” he told her roughly, his fingers hard on her chin. “I should be running away from you as fast as I can. You are a goddamned thief Amani and I should be revolted and running the other way, but I cannot seem to help myself. I want you! God help me, I want you so much that I cannot help myself!” He bent his head and took her lips in a bruising kiss that stung her mouth. She struggled for a minute and then when his kiss softened she found herself clinging to him and returning the kiss with a fervor that had him taking her into his arms and deepening it, his fingers digging into her back. With a tortured groan he lifted her and took her back to bed.

  *****

  She fell into an exhausted sleep in his arms, her fingers curled on his bare chest and his arm loose around her body. He had made passionate love to her, the passion so frightening that it had exploded between them and had them clinging to each other. He had made love to her again and spent himself inside her, his body shuddering on top of her. She had fallen asleep without them resolving what he had decided to do with her. He could not tell her because he had no idea what to do. Each time he touched her he went crazy with need and he could not stop touching her! He had no idea what he was going to do or what he should do to her. He could not hand her over to the cops because it would kill him to do so, but he could not let her get away with what she had done. Neither could he come to grips with who she was and what she did for a living. He understood the need when she was growing up and had to fend for herself and his heart twisted at her impossible childhood ,but she was a grown woman now with a college degree. She should have found some other way to make a living for herself. She was beautiful and resourceful, amazingly sexy and a thief! He could not have anything to do with her! Even if she became his mistress she would be hounded by the press who would want to know everything about the woman he was seeing. His life was one big society page and the public was always curious to know what he was up to. Ironically he had been the one to help fuel their avid curiosity because of his way of life. It would not take them long to find out who she was and when they did they would never stop hounding both of them. He stared unseeing up at the ceiling and wondered what to do. He had come expecting to stay a week at most. After he had finished using her body he would just let her go without a backward look and have Blake take over, but he now knew he could not do that! He stared unblinking up at the dark wood, his body stiff and so aware of her naked body sprawled against his that he felt himself hardening! He closed his eyes wearily, no closer to a solution than when he had gotten there!

  *****

  She woke up the next morning disoriented, her body sated and wonderfully relaxed. She stretched fully and then realized that she was missing something. Her eyes flew open when she remembered the events of yesterday and last night. She sat up quickly and looked around the room and did not see him. She wondered frantically if he was gone and she would hear pounding on the door, indicating that the police had come to get her! She flew off the bed and hurriedly got dressed, pulling on a pair of snug fitting jeans and a light sweater. She combed harried fingers through her short hair and walked towards the kitchen, stopping at the sight of the fully dressed man seated at the counter sipping coffee and reading something on his device. He looked up as she entered the room. “The coffee is still hot.” His voice was pleasant enough and lulled her into thinking that whatever he had decided it would work to her advantage. After all they felt something for each other and knowing that he would surely be able to forgive her and let them work something out!

  “Thank you.” She walked over to the pot and poured the coffee, coming over to sit opposite him. She wanted to ask him what he was going to do but did not want to bring up the subject.

  “You are not eating?” He lifted his eyes to look at her again. He had not shaved and the fresh growth of hair on his face gave him a decidedly earthy look. He was wearing a thin black cashmere sweater over faded denims and his raw masculinity caused her body to quiver.

  “I am not hungry,” she admitted. “Would you like something?”

  “I never usually have breakfast.” He put the device away and gave her his full attention.

  “That is something you have to learn about me, among other things.”

  “Why is that?”

  “You are coming to live with me darling.” He almost smiled at the blanketed shock on her exquisite face.

  “What?”

  “As a solution to the problem we face I have decided that I will not turn you over to the authorities. As a result of the passion we have with each other, you will become my mistress until we tire of each other.”

  “You must be out of your damned mind!” she exploded.

  He inclined his head at that. “I think I very well might be.” He finished the coffee. “We have half hour before my driver comes so I suggest you use the time to pack up your things.”

  “I am not going anywhere with you!” she blazed. “I don’t care what you do to me. Call the cops and turn me in damn you!”

  “Come now darling,” he said soothingly. “I am not that heartless. I would prefer to have you at my beck and call and be able to use your body however and whenever I have the need to do so.”

  “I would rather rot in prison!”

  “As would Hanson?” he asked her smoothly.

  Amani stiffened as fear darted through her. “He is not involved.”

  “We both know that is not true. You see I have been doing my own little investigation, or rather the man I put on the job had been doing a very thorough one. Did I mention that he was a former FBI agent? One of the best I might add. An
yway, he has found out some very interesting things about the man who rescued you. Things about the gallery that I am sure he would not want brought to light. Very explosive things that I am sure both of you would not want to come out.”

  “Why are you doing this?” she whispered. “I already told you I am going to get the painting back.”

  “That’s not enough,” he told her coldly. “You used me to get the painting and that is not acceptable.”

  “You know the kind of person I am and you want me to be your mistress? Isn’t that demeaning for you?” she sneered.

  “It is.” His mouth tightened at that. “But for the strangest reason I still want you and cannot stop wanting you.”

  “I am not going to be your mistress.”

  “It is either that or Hanson finds himself in jail.” His tone brooked no argument and Amani felt the trap closing around her helplessly. She could have faced the music if she was the only one involved but she could never do that to the man she considered to be her father! He had taken her in and given her of himself in every way possible. She owed him!

  “You bastard!” she raged.

  “I assure you that I am very legitimate.” His expression hardened as he stared at her. “And darling if you think of trying to disappear on me again, kindly remember that I am having Hanson watched. Now go and pack, like a good girl.”

  *****

  All through the five hour journey back home she did not say anything to him. The car had come a few minutes later during which she had packed her things and made sure to lock up the cabin, refusing his help to take her bag from her as the car came to pick them up and barely acknowledging the driver as he greeted her and opened the door for her. Now she had turned her head away to look out the window, deliberately jamming her earphones in and plugging it into her phone to listen to music. He had told her in an implacable tone that she should go home and pack her things, after which they would go to his apartment. He had refused to give her even a day to stay in her place because he did not trust her as far as he could throw her! She had to find a way to get out of this without putting Hanson at risk and right now she could not come up with anything! He was not even interested in her getting the painting back, telling her that it could wait for a little while longer. He was only interested in punishing her! She had no idea that she had fallen asleep until she felt the car come to a stop. Opening her eyes she saw the familiar underground garage and a guard hurrying to the car. She turned to him with a frown. “I thought we were stopping at my place first.”