Unplanned Love

by Sharon C. Cooper

  Seconds later, Liam stiffened. His release was right behind hers and the guttural rumble of his groan pierced the air before he collapsed on top of her.

  Mercy.

  Yep, they were as good together as she remembered, Charlee thought as she wrapped her arms around him and held tight. Their ragged breaths blended. Neither moved. They laid in that position for what seemed like an hour, but was probably mere minutes, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

  Again, Charlee was experiencing a dream-like moment with him, and a deep feeling of peace fell over her. She wanted to say something, anything that could describe the intensity of how full her heart was. Words didn’t come. She was too emotionally and sexually filled to speak as minutes ticked by.

  “You’re amazing,” Liam said, nuzzling her neck before rolling onto his back, pulling her to his side.

  Charlee snuggled into him, flinging a limp arm across his midsection, too tired to do much else. “Ditto, babe.”

  She was so in love with this man, and the more time they spent together, the more time she wanted with him. If only they didn’t have to return to their everyday lives. If only they could stay on vacation forever.

  That was her last thought before drifting off to sleep.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Liam couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so well. He’d been awake for at least an hour while Charlee lay with her head on his chest and one of her smooth legs draped over his. The soft curves of her body nestled against him felt so good that he wanted her all over again.

  Their night of lovemaking had exceeded anything he had ever experienced, even with her. It was as if they hadn’t been a part for almost two years, picking up where they left off. Neither able to get enough of the other. Sex between them had always been powerfully intense, physically, and emotionally. But last night…

  He released a contented sigh.

  So much for taking their reunion slow. How crazy was he to think he could take anything slow with this force of nature? From the moment they’d met, Liam felt more alive with this woman than he ever had in his life. Taking risks with no regard for consequences was how he operated whenever she was around.

  She was his other half. His rib. His heart. The woman who completed him. It was a wonder he had survived the last two years without her.

  “Go back to sleep,” Charlee said, her sleep-filled, husky voice catching him by surprise. “I can hear your mind working.”

  Liam smiled and shook his head. He pulled her on top of him, but groaned when she rubbed up against his morning wood.

  “Mmm, yeah. Good morning,” she crooned, kissing him while continuing to move seductively.

  “You keep wiggling like that, I’m going to slide right in,” he said against her mouth, cupping her butt cheeks and squeezing. Lucky for them he had thought to pick up some condoms on the way back to the hotel after their boat ride.

  “I would love to get something started, but I think I’m going to need a long soak in the tub before we do more bumping and grinding.”

  Liam’s hands stilled on her rear. “You’re soar?” That was a dumb question. By their third round, in the middle of the night, even he had been wiped out.

  “More than I care to admit.”

  She gasped when Liam rolled them onto their sides. Chest to chest and thigh to thigh, he held her close not wanting her to move away.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were sore?”

  “It’s not that big of a deal. No way was I going to let a little soreness stop me from loving on you. Which is why we both should still be asleep. Getting refueled for another round, later.”

  “Much, much later. I need you at one hundred percent. Are you hungry?”

  She shook her head, curls falling into her face with the move. “Too tired. Besides, it’s too early to eat.”

  “Early? It’s almost nine o’clock. We need to get up and going if you want to squeeze in everything you’ve planned for us.”

  He rarely slept past six, able to operate on as little as five hours of sleep. Usually, he would’ve been up, worked out and had two cups of coffee by now.

  “But first, I’ll get that bath water started.” Liam made a move to get up, but Charlee stopped him.

  “Not yet, I just want us to stay like this for a little while longer. She cupped his jaw with her hand, running her fingers over his full beard.

  Liam covered her hand, then turned it and placed a kiss in her palm. “I missed this.”

  He missed everything about her. The way she stared into his eyes, love brimming in their depths. He missed holding and caressing her, having her hugged up against him.

  How had he let her go? The woman stirred something so incredibly intense within him. There was no way he was letting her go again.

  “I want you to meet my family.” The words were out of Liam’s mouth before he could stop them, but he meant it. He was ready to introduce her to his world.

  After a slight hesitation, Charlee said, “Okay, but why now? Before you said that you didn’t want them in your business. What’s changed?”

  “It’s time.” He gently ran his hand up and down the side of her body as he stared into her eyes. “I should’ve done it before when we were together. It’s just that…”

  Now that he was thinking about it, his reasons back then seemed a little lame.

  “You said that you didn’t want your family in your business, but I sensed there was more to it.”

  Liam sighed. He rolled onto his back and propped one of his arms beneath his head. He wrapped the other around Charlee.

  “That was part of it,” he said. “You have to understand. My family is…a lot. Unless you’ve ever been a part of a large, close-knit family, you don’t understand how easy it is for people to get into your business. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s good. Knowing you have uncles, aunts, and cousins, who have your back is a wonderful thing. Other times, it’s just a…pain.”

  Charlee nodded, her disheveled hair brushing against his skin and tickling his chest. “I can understand that, especially with an introvert like you. It probably can get a little overwhelming when everyone is together. But what’s the other reason you kept me away from them?”

  In most cases, the family didn’t bring people they were dating around until it was a sure thing. Until that person knew that relationship was heading toward marriage.

  Liam wondered if there was a part of him back then that knew that he and Charlee wouldn’t make it. Then again, once they were engaged, he had planned on introducing her. It just hadn’t worked out. But now, he had no intention of ever letting her go again.

  Charlee made small, circular motions on his stomach with her finger, pulling him back to the present. Liam really didn’t want to tell her about what happened with his cousin, mainly because it was in the past like Martina had said. Yet, there was still a part of him deep down inside that harbored the betrayal. He gave her the cliff notes version of that particular Sunday brunch when he caught his college sweetheart with his cousin.

  “Oh, my goodness. That had to be awful. Even if it happened years ago, that type of disloyalty is hard to get past. I’m sure the woman is no longer around, but do you ever talk to your cousin?”

  “No. I saw him one Sunday a few months ago, but we don’t keep in touch. He and his brothers live in Chicago.”

  “So, you didn’t take me around any of them thinking that the same thing would happen? That I would betray you like that?”

  Liam glanced down and met her gaze. “I think a small part of me was afraid it could happen again. Never in a million years would I expect someone in my family to treat me the way he had. As for you, I trust you explicitly.”

  “I’m glad, because I would never step out on you. As for your family getting all up in your…our business, that won’t happen unless we allow it.”

  “Yeah, that’s what you think. You don’t know my cousin, Martina. The woman is like a bloodhound when she’s digging for i
nfo on us. She hunts down good gossip for shits and giggles.”

  Charlee fell out laughing. “She’s not that bad. I met MJ once when Rayne had me drop Stormy off at Martina’s house to play with her daughter. She seemed nice.”

  “Until you get to know her,” Liam cracked, but in all honesty, he had mad love for his cousin.

  “I like your family, at least those I’ve met through Rayne. She absolutely adores the Jenkins’ clan.”

  “And they’re crazy about her just like I know they’re going to love you.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting them, but right now, I’m hungry. Maybe you’re right. We should probably get this day started.”

  “Okay, but first…”

  Liam flipped Charlee onto her back, then trailed feathery kisses down the center of her amazing body. She squirmed beneath him as he continued traveling south toward the apex of her thighs.

  “Let me see if I can do a little somethin’ somethin’ to help ease some of your soreness.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Hours later, Liam and Charlee stepped into the coffee shop that they’d visited at least five times within the last forty-eight hours. Charlee couldn’t walk into a coffee shop now without recalling the scene between him and Everett. A turning point in her and Liam’s relationship that she would forever be grateful for.

  Liam held her close, his arm around her body with his hand resting on her hip. Their morning had been just as eventful as the night before, and it had been hard to leave the hotel. Had it been up to her, they’d still be lounging in bed, feasting on each other.

  “Should we eat a little something here and then plan for a big lunch later?” Liam asked, pulling Charlee out of her thoughts as they inched forward in the line.

  Throughout the night and right before her bubble bath, they had snacked on the leftovers from their picnic. “I think that’s a good idea. I’m not all that hungry, but I can go for a small latte and a croissant.”

  “Good morning. What can I get you two today?” the cashier asked.

  As Liam placed their order, Charlee glanced around the cozy shop. Her attention landed on an older couple who she’d seen in there a few times. Apparently, one of them had a love for coffee just as much as Liam had.

  The woman smiled and gave a slight wave, and Charlee nodded a greeting back. She wondered if when she and Liam got that age if they’d be hanging out in coffee shops all day.

  “I’ll go and find us a table,” she said when they stepped off to the side to wait for their order.

  The place wasn’t that big, and all the tables were taken. No one seemed in a hurry to leave anytime soon. Even though Liam probably would kill her for what she was about to do, she approached the older couple she had spotted a moment ago. They were seated at a small table that had four chairs.

  “Hi,” she said. “I know this is probably an odd request, but can we join you two?”

  “Of course, dear,” the woman said, moving to the chair closer to the man instead of where she was sitting across from him. “We’d love the company. I’ve seen you and your young man here a few times.”

  “Yes, he likes the coffee here.” Charlee sat in the chair next to the woman, just as Liam approached the table. “Hey, babe. These nice people agreed to share their table with us since there’s nothing else available.”

  “Yeah, come and join us. Make yourself comfortable,” the older man piped up for the first time since Charlee had approached them. He stood and extended his hand, and Liam shook it. “I’m Mark and this is my wife Josie.”

  “Nice to meet you both. I’m Liam and I assume you’ve already met Charlee.”

  “Not officially, but we’ve seen each other in here a few times.”

  “Liam, I guess you and I have something in common.” Mark lifted his cup. “We both enjoy a good cup of coffee. This place has the best in the city.”

  “I’m finding that out.” Liam draped his arm on the back of Charlee’s chair, his hand grazing her back. She loved having his hands anywhere on her, and all morning he had found every excuse to touch her.

  Her cheeks heated, and she lowered her gaze, staring down at her fingers interlocked in her lap, as she recalled all the ways he had touched her. If she hadn’t already been hooked on him, she would’ve been now after their lovemaking marathon. The man was…perfection. Their reconciliation had to work this time because she didn’t know what she would do if he walked out of her life again. There was no way she could go back to things as they were.

  “Since we’re both retired, we usually ride into the city a few times a week to hang out. Even more this week since the weather has been so nice,” Josie said, cutting into Charlee’s thoughts.

  For the next few minutes, conversation flowed easily as if they’d all known each other for years. Liam and Mark discussed their jobs, realizing they had much in common. Mark had been a graphic designer for forty years and occasionally did work on the side, while Josie had recently retired from family law.

  “You two are a lovely couple. How long have you been together?” Josie asked.

  Charlee glanced at Liam, unsure how to answer and found him studying her. His New York Yankee’s baseball cap was pulled down low, but not low enough that she couldn’t see love radiating in his eyes.

  “We’ve been together off and on for a couple of years,” he said, holding her hand under the table.

  Her heart melted a little more. There had been moments since running into him at the bar, where it felt as if no time had passed between them. His words that day in his kitchen, about them not being able to go back, came to mind. They might not be able to go back, but it definitely felt as if they had picked up where they left off.

  “Mark and I have been married almost forty years.” Josie smiled at her husband whose love for her reflected on his face.

  “We used to see each other on the subway every morning, until one day I decided to invite her out for coffee,” Mark explained. “Six weeks later we were married.”

  “Wow, you guys didn’t waste any time,” Liam said.

  Josie shrugged. “What can I say? I’m easy.”

  They all laughed, and Mark kissed her cheek.

  “When you know…you just know.”

  “And I knew.” Josie stared lovingly at her husband before turning her gaze to Liam. “Just like I think you know. Maybe you should marry your lovely woman.”

  Whoa. Charlee hadn’t expected that and didn’t dare look at Liam, hating he was being put on the spot.

  “Maybe I should,” he said without missing a beat.

  Charlee’s head jerked toward him, shocked by his words. She expected him to laugh or do something that would let her know that he was joking. That didn’t happen. His expression was as serious as usual.

  In her heart, she knew she would never love another man. But, from the moment Liam told her that he wanted her back, Charlee remained cautiously optimistic. She didn’t want to get overly excited that she might finally get her happily-ever-after with him. Even when he mentioned her meeting his family, she agreed but didn’t want to get her hopes up that that would somehow lead to marriage.

  “While you’re in town, if you decide you want to make your union official, give me a call.” Josie handed Liam a business card and he chuckled, turning the card for Charlee to read.

  I’ll marry you, was in bold, script lettering across the top. Her name and registered marriage officiant beneath it.

  “Don’t let her pressure you into doing something you might not be ready for,” Mark said. “She’s always trying to marry people off.”

  Josie nudged shoulders with her husband. “Oh, hush. Anyone can tell that they’re in love. Why not get married?”

  It wasn’t often that Charlee was left speechless. This was one of those moments. She’d marry Liam in a heartbeat but didn’t want him pressured into asking her again.

  Josie proceeded to tell them how many couples she had married over the years, with Mark piping in with details. B
y the time the conversation was over, the two had enlightened them on where they could pick up a marriage license, the cost, and how to get married.

  “So, if you need my services to marry your woman, just call.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Liam said non-committal, glancing at the card again before slipping it into the back pocket of his jeans.

  “Thanks for the information,” Charlee finally said, a little amused by the whole exchange. To be honest, she was a bit intrigued by the idea of eloping. “We should probably get going. Thank you so much for letting us share your table.”

  “It was a pleasure to meet you both,” Mark said as they all stood.

  Josie touched Charlee’s arm. “Maybe we’ll see the two of you before you leave town.”

  “You never know.” Liam gave Charlee’s hand a little tug and guided her out the door. They were planning to do an uptown bus tour to check out a few museums and the Empire State Building Observatory. She’d been to New York a few times, but that was the one place she had never toured.

  “Well, that was…interesting,” she said once they were outside.

  Liam slipped on his sunglasses. “Yeah, it was. We go in for coffee and end up learning anything we wanted to know about eloping in New York. But hey, anything can happen.”

  “Ha! Yeah, right. Like you’d ever consider eloping.”

  “Hey, it could happen. I agreed to go along with anything while we’re on this trip, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah. I remember.”

  They headed up the street to hop on the double-decker bus, and Charlee played Liam’s words around in her mind. Even though he’d been going with the flow while they were in New York, he would never consider eloping. Besides, they had just reunited. There was no way they could get married.

  But it was a fun thought.

  *

  Charlee sat on the foot of the bed, toed off her high-heeled sandals and then flopped back. Her arms spread wide on top of the comforter as she stared at the ceiling.