by Nicole James
Even though they’d insisted he didn’t need to move out, that the farmhouse had always been just as much his as his brothers’, he’d needed space of his own. Being in town, in his own place had felt like the right move. He didn’t regret the decision; he still visited, often coming for Sunday dinners or bonfires.
He parked and got out. “Come on, Buddy.”
The dog jumped down and sniffed around. Liam let him investigate for a few minutes. The phone in his pocket went off, and he answered it.
“Hi, it’s me. How’s your day going?” Velvet’s soft voice filled his ear
“Hi, babe! Good. I’m out at my brother’s place.”
“Oh, should I let you go?”
“No. What’s up?”
“Nothing. I miss you already.”
Liam grinned at her admission, his eyes on the horizon. “I miss you, too. You’re still coming over tonight, right?”
“Um, I don’t know if I can.”
His smile faded. “Why’s that?”
“I may be working late. Sometimes they don’t close up on time.”
“Try please.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Liam got the feeling she was trying to back out. “I need to see you again, Velvet. Don’t you want that, too?”
“More than anything.”
“I can come pick you up. They’ll have to let you leave then.”
“No. That’s okay. I’ll figure a way.”
“You gonna get in trouble?”
The screen door on the front porch creaked.
“No. It’ll be fine. See you tonight.”
“Okay, babe. Call me when you’re leaving.”
“Okay. Bye.”
Liam slid his phone back in his hip pocket and glanced up to see Max coming outside. He was shirtless, in a pair of sweatpants, and barefoot, a mug of coffee in his hand. “Mornin’.”
“Mornin’. You get a dog?” Max ambled down the stairs. The dog sniffed his leg, and Max squatted down to scratch his ears.
“He was dumped off at the shelter last night. Left tied to the door.”
“What a shit thing to do.” Max scratched under the dog’s jaw. “He’s a sweet thing, huh?”
“Pam thought he might be a good fit for Ben.” Liam didn’t see any point in pussyfooting around the subject.
“Ben?” Max’s brows rose.
“Doesn’t every kid his age need a dog? And you sure got the space out here. This dog would be in heaven.”
“Man, I don’t know, Liam. A dog’s a big responsibility, and with the baby on the way…”
“I understand. Just thought I’d give it a shot.”
Max continued to rub the dog’s chest. “He sure is a beaut.”
“You wanna talk to Malee about it? Might give Ben a friend to play with out here, make him not feel so pushed aside when the new baby comes.”
Max glared up at him. “He’d never be pushed aside.”
“I get that, but bro, you and I both know what it’s like when the new baby comes home. You with me, and me with Rory.”
Max patted the dog’s side and then stood, grinning. “Yeah, Jameson and I tried to put you in a basket and leave you out in the yard. If Mom hadn’t caught us goin’ out the back door you would’ve been wolf bait.”
“Very funny.”
Max took a sip of coffee and lifted the mug. “You want a cup?”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
“Since when do I have to ask? You always just walk in.”
Liam shrugged. “You got a wife now.”
“Yeah, so?”
“She’s knocked up. All those hormones… I don’t want to piss her off.”
“Shut up and bring your dog.” Max headed toward the porch.
Liam grinned and followed. “Not my dog, he’s your dog. And his name’s Buddy.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Velvet woke up against Liam’s warm muscled body. Warm was putting it mildly; the man was like an inferno. She lifted her head from his chest and let her eyes travel over his naked body. She moved and felt the soreness between her thighs that would remind her all day long of how much sex they’d had last night.
He’d teased and tormented her, but now it was her turn. She slid down the sheet and moved between his legs. She looked up at him carefully; he had one arm thrown up on the pillow, his other hand rested on his stomach.
She gently touched his cock, stroking it to life. It didn’t take long, and she ran her tongue up it then took him into her mouth.
***
Liam cracked an eye and looked down, his hand automatically fisting in the silky hair that spread over his stomach. Velvet’s mouth sank down over his dick again, and he moaned, clenching tight. His other hand came up to gather her hair in his hands and hold it from her face. He wanted to be able to watch his dick, wet and glistening, pump in and out of her sweet mouth. It had played a big part in the fantasies he’d had of her in the weeks since LA. Especially as he stood in his shower, his hand on his soap covered dick, imagining her pouty red lips wrapped around him and moaning as he took her.
He pumped his hips up, holding her still with his hands in her hair. She moaned around him, but her mouth moved quicker up and down until he felt his release creep up on him. He pulled free and dragged her up the bed, and in one fluid motion, he flipped her onto her stomach and yanked her ass up in the air, pushing her shoulders to the mattress.
He clenched her hips tight and buried himself in her soaked pussy.
She gasped and squirmed, but his hold was unbreakable as he controlled the pace. With this angle, his thrusts could go deeper, and he knew they dragged over her g-spot with each pump.
He kept one hand locked on her hip but dipped the other to toy with her clit. He could feel the pulses of her pussy clenching around him. He ached to his balls with the need to pound into her, but he wanted to get her there first. He stared down at her perfect heart shaped ass and couldn’t help but pop it with a smack.
She sucked in a breath and shattered into orgasm, coming so hard for him, his restraint snapped. All it took was the image burned in his brain of her mouth on his cock and he exploded, slamming home and shooting into her. “Fuck!”
He pulled her up on her knees, still hard inside her. She moaned as his hands closed over her breasts, and he pinched her nipples hard. She whimpered and clenched down on his dick again.
“Yes, baby. God, I love that,” he growled. “You take me so good.”
He lowered them both gently to the bed and gathered her in his arms. He stroked his calloused hands over the soft skin of her back, down to her ass and up again, over and over.
***
Velvet cuddled against Liam, enjoying his gentle touch until he broke the silence.
“Babe?”
“Hmm?”
“What’s your real name?”
She bit her lip, hesitating before answering. She lifted her head from his chest. “It’s a stupid name. I hate it.”
“Come on. It can’t be that bad.”
“Veleena.”
Liam tried to stifle his grin. “I was wrong.”
She smacked him on the shoulder. “Jerk.”
“Sorry. It’s a real…pretty name. But Velvet suits you better.” He ran his hand up her arm. “Velvet. The word just makes me want to touch your skin.”
She rolled to her back and took his hand, guiding it slowly up her chest, the whole while her eyes locked with his. It was all the invitation he needed. He lowered his mouth to hers and moved over her again.
“Damn, woman. You’re insatiable.”
“You made me this way.”
An hour later, after they’d gone another round and recovered, he smacked her ass. “Come on, pretty girl. We’ve got places to go.”
Once they were dressed, Velvet grabbed her sling bag and tied her pullover jacket around her waist. Liam locked up the place and they skipped down the stairs. He tugged her into the bakery. Mrs. Heinzlemann greet
ed him with a smile and soon they had coffee and warm pastries in hand. As he was paying, she passed him a paper bag, smiling and nodding at Velvet. “Schöne Frau.”
He grabbed it and winked at her. “Ja.”
Velvet couldn’t help her curiosity as they walked out of the shop. “What did she say to you?”
“She said you were a beautiful woman.”
Velvet grinned. “I knew I liked her.”
Liam chuckled.
“So you speak German?”
“Don’t be too impressed. I only know a little.”
She gobbled the pastry down and made a grab for the bag, but he held it out of reach.
“Na uh.”
“What’s in the bag? It smells delicious.”
“I had her pack us some sandwiches for lunch. You’ll have to wait.”
Liam stopped at a motorcycle parked at a spot half a block down, and Velvet’s eyes swept over it. It was backed into the spot, its rear tire to the curb. It was slung low and long with gleaming black paint and shining chrome pipes. “This is yours?”
“Yep.” He shoved the last of his pastry in his mouth and licked his thumb.
“I didn’t know you rode.”
“Been riding since I was in high school.” He drank down his coffee, tossed it in a trashcan on the curb, and then tucked the sack into his saddlebag. He jerked his chin at her sling bag. “You want me to put that in here?”
“Sure.” She passed it to him. Once he had it tucked away, he took two helmets out of the other saddlebag and handed her one.
“You ever ridden before?” he asked, strapping his on and slipping a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. He stepped to her, carefully pulling the shades she had pushed up on her head down over her eyes.
She grinned at his attentiveness. “No, I’ve never been on one.”
He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, drawing her hips forward until she was flush against him. When he lifted his head, he asked, “You okay with taking the bike? If not, we can take my truck.”
She found it sweet that he would ask, wanting her to be comfortable with this. She stepped back and put the helmet on her head. “I want to ride.”
“My kind of girl.” He buckled the strap under her chin and moved to the motorcycle. Throwing his leg over the seat, he lifted the heavy bike off its kickstand and fired it up. It roared to life with the unmistakable rumble of a Harley. He looked back at her and jerked his chin. “Climb on, darlin’.”
She did without hesitation, pressing close against his back and wrapping her arms around him.
“You good?” he asked over his shoulder.
When she nodded, he pulled out and they roared down the street. Her exhilaration factor went from zero to off the charts in two-point-six seconds, and she couldn’t keep from grinning. Everything was different riding down the street on the bike. She felt the wind on her face and the power of the bike under her. She had an unobstructed view of the scenery around her; it was totally different than riding in a vehicle.
He stopped at a light a few blocks down and put his boots down on the pavement, then patted her thigh with his left hand. “You good?”
“This is awesome!”
He chuckled. “That’s my girl.”
The light changed, and they roared off.
Soon they were riding down Interstate 70 and headed up into the mountains. They rode for about twenty minutes before Liam exited and made a left turn down a dirt road. Velvet had never been up into the mountains around here, and she couldn’t help being in awe of the beauty all around her. Still, she wondered where they were going. About a mile down the road, she had her answer; he turned again at a small sign that read Wild Horse Refuge.
There was a closed metal gate. He stopped the bike, and they climbed off. She was surprised when he walked over, opened the gate, and rolled the bike through. “What are you doing? Are we supposed to be here?”
“Yeah. The gate isn’t to keep us out; it’s to keep the horses and foals from wandering off the protected area.”
They rode the bike farther up the dirt trail several miles, its engine rumbling quietly. Liam finally coasted to a stop where the dirt road split. He dug out Velvet’s sling bag, the paper bag, and some bottles of water and shoved them into a nylon backpack. He stowed their helmets, but they kept the sunglasses. Slipping the pack on his back, he held his hand out to her. “Come on.”
She took it and they walked a trail that followed along a creek bed. Velvet was in awe of the rugged scenery all around them. “How big is this place?”
“Thirty-six thousand acres. Made up mostly of rocky canyons and plateaus. This entrance isn’t too steep, though. We’ll follow the creek bed. It’s not too far of a hike in. There’s one hill at the beginning, then we’ll continue on a fairly flat wash for a long while.”
“You’ve been here before?”
“Once, a long time ago.”
“And there are wild horses here?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then I’m glad I brought my camera.”
He turned to smile at her. “Is that why that bag is so heavy?”
She grinned back. “Yep.”
“You like to take pictures?” he asked as they walked.
She shrugged. “It’s kind of a hobby, nothing serious.”
“And what are you serious about?”
She huffed out a laugh. “I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that.”
“There must be something.”
“There is. I’m just not sure I want to share it.”
He looked over at her. “Hmm. Mysterious.”
“Not really, just… I wouldn’t want you to laugh.”
“Why would I laugh?”
She shrugged.
They walked along the trail in silence for a few steps before he stopped and turned her to him. “Velvet, I promise I won’t laugh.” And then he did the one thing that was her undoing. He made an X over his chest. “Cross my heart.”
And with those three little words and that gesture, she was a fifteen-year-old girl again, asking him to promise to do right by her tattoo. She started to get choked up and was afraid he would see it and think she was crazy for getting so emotional. So she fought off the feeling with a flippant reply, turning to walk again. “Fine. Whatever. It’s no big deal.”
He fell in beside her. “Then tell me.”
“I want to open a coffee shop.”
“Really?”
“Yes. A quaint little vintage coffee shop with multi-paned windows like an old English shop. And there’d be a fireplace and books to read—lots of books, shelves full of them, and a little corner for children with a colorful rug for them to lay on and read while their parents sip my amazing coffee drinks.”
He huffed out a soft laugh. “Wow.”
She came to an abrupt stop, whirling on him. “You find it funny? The tatted-up girl wants to do something so… so vanilla and mundane? Oh, the irony of it, huh?” There was more irony to it than that, if he only knew she couldn’t even read, he’d be laughing his ass off. She stalked off, but he grabbed her arm, stopping her.
“Wait a damn minute. That’s not what I was thinking. You could never be vanilla, Velvet. Not in a million years.”
“I saw your reaction.”
“I’m in awe, is all. You have it worked out, down to the last detail. Hell, I can practically see the place in my head.”
“Really?” She stared intently at him. It would mean the world to her if he liked her idea.
He chuckled. “I can even smell the coffee.” He took in a deep breath. “And it smells delicious.”
She giggled and shook her head, looking down to kick a stone. “You’re delusional. And teasing me.”
“I’d go to a place like that.”
That brought her head up. “You would?”
“Hell, yeah. I think a lot of people would go there.” He took her hand and began walking again. “I think Grand Junction could really use a place li
ke that.”
She stared at the ground. She’d never thought of settling permanently in Grand Junction and certainly never imagined opening her coffee shop there.
“I’d love to do whatever I can to help you make it happen.”
No one had ever offered to help her. “Are you serious?”
“Serious as a heart attack, lady.”
“Thanks, but… Well, for now it’s just a dream. It was a goal I thought I’d gotten close to but…”
“But what? I thought your calendar was selling well.”
“It was. It did phenomenal.”
“You didn’t make enough to get started?”
“I…” She paused, hesitant to admit she’d been swindled.
“Velvet?” He stopped her again.
She took a deep breath and blurted it out. “I had a location all lined up. I was this close to signing the lease and putting up the money. But it all fell through.”
“How? Why?”
“My photographer took off with all the profits.”
“You’re shittin’ me.”
“Nope.”
“Son-of-a-bitch, sweetheart. I’m sorry. How much did he take?”
“Fifteen grand. It would have been almost enough.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I shouldn’t have trusted him.”
“Why?”
She just shook her head. “I keep getting used.”
He searched her face. “Let’s find him and kick his ass.”
“He’s disappeared and changed his number. I tried contacting the woman he was dating, but she says he broke up with her just after the show, and she hasn’t seen him.” She realized she was really bringing the mood of the day down. Shrugging, she shook it off and continued walking. “Spilt milk. Nothing I can do about it now.”
“So that’s why you’re working at House of Ink? You needed a job?”
“It was the first thing that came along. It’s just until I can get some modeling jobs lined up or something.” She hadn’t told him that her brother owned the shop and didn’t plan to admit it now.
“I see. So you won’t be staying in town?”
He sounded almost heartbroken. She smiled and bumped shoulders with him. “I’m finding more and more reasons to stay.”
