Love on the Forbidden Side

by Mariah Ankenman

  Thank you Coach Dee and the Peak Town High School softball team.

  Her joy was short lived as Jason raised his gaze to the trees. She saw the exact moment he spotted her, and the gleeful malice lighting his eyes. He raised his gun, her heart stopping in her chest when it pointed straight at her.

  “Say goodnight, Prosecutor.”

  Her mind raced through the wisdom of dropping from the tree, if the odds of surviving a fall were better than those of surviving a bullet. Before she could let go, however, Kline’s body went slack, and he let out a moan of pain as the gun dropped from his grip. He fell to the ground in a sprawl of limbs.

  “Goodnight, asshole.” Liam stood behind the fallen felon, gun gripped like a hammer. He must have knocked Kline out.

  A sob of relief tore from Julie chest. It was over. It was finally over.

  He kicked Jason’s weapon into the bushes then glanced up. “Come on down, honey.”

  His deep, soothing voice called to her, making it possible to pry her stiff limbs from the tree trunk and make her way down.

  Once she touched the ground again, she tore up the hill, running as fast as she could into Liam’s waiting arm, squeezing him with all her might on his left side. He embraced her back, one handed, kissing the top of her head. Tears of relief made wet tracks down her cheeks. She buried her face in his chest, fisting her hands into his shirt, never wanting to let go of him ever again. He whispered comforting words to her, gripping her just as tight. Kline lay unconscious by their feet. The sounds of sirens echoed in the distance.

  “Sounds like the cavalry is on its way.”

  Yes, everything would be fine now. The nightmare was over. A shudder of leftover adrenalin passed through her. They were alive, and she could take solace in the fact that this time she’d fought back.

  And they could get back to their lives now.

  Her smiled dimmed as she realized getting back to her life meant going back home, a home far away from Liam’s. They’d defeated a killer, but now, a new kind of fear entered her heart.

  The fear of her future, and if it would include Liam?

  Chapter 25

  “Ugh, I need a shower.”

  Julie trudged in the front door of her brother’s house, weary to the bone. Local law enforcement had arrived moments after Liam knocked Jason unconscious. A few guys from the Peak Town station she recognized, followed shortly by some of Aspen’s finest she knew well. The police officers handled the scene with practiced ease, taking Kline into custody.

  She and Liam were rushed to the hospital where they faced a barrage of scans, exams, and questions. Liam’s boss, Graves, showed up while she was getting the cut on her head tended to. Thankfully, it wasn’t deep enough to require stitches, just a little surgical glue and she was right as rain. By some miracle, they both managed to avoid concussions and broken bones, but Liam’s shoulder had to be put back into its socket. Apparently, the swelling and previous injury made the task a bit difficult. The doctor gave Liam some pain meds—which he ignored—and instructed him to wear a sling for the next few days—which she insisted on.

  Graves interviewed them both separately. He was a nice guy, a little gruff, but polite. After what felt like days, but in actuality had to have been only a few hours, they were released. One of her brother’s officers drove them home.

  The sickening smell of hospital antiseptic, blood, and dirt clung to her, and she desperately wanted it off. Now.

  “A shower sounds like a good idea.”

  Liam locked the front door, adjusting the sling she knew he hated, but wore only because she asked him to. First, he saved her life, and then he let her fuss over him. Could she love this man anymore then she already did?

  “Wanna share?” A naughty gleam lit up his golden eyes.

  Yes, yes she could. “We should do our part to conserve water.”

  Crooking a finger, she motioned to him, backing down the hall toward the bathroom. A low growl rumbled from him as he caught up with her, right at the bathroom door. He grasped her around the waist with his good arm in a strong yet gentle hold.

  Pulling her to him, he hesitated, gaze traveling over her face. “I…I was so afraid I’d lose you. When you started to distract Kline, I wanted to run screaming down the road so he’d turn the gun on me.”

  The image he described popped into her mind along with another of Jason turning and unloading his gun right into Liam’s chest. She shuddered, reminding herself it didn’t happen that way. “That wasn’t part of the plan.”

  “I know, but your plan sucked.”

  She drew in a breath to argue, but he held up a hand.

  “I know it worked, but do you have any idea how hard it was for me to watch the woman I love risk herself that way?”

  Her argument flew out the window. Her jaw dropped as her brain tried to process what he’d just confessed. “What?” She was hallucinating. The doctors were wrong, she did have a concussion, and she was having auditory hallucination, because Liam Graham did not just say he loved her. It had been the fevered dream of her one-sided love. Surely, she hadn’t heard him right.

  “The risk was too great, Julie. I shouldn’t have let you do it.”

  She brushed off his argument with a wave of her hand. “No, no, no. What did you say about…loving me?”

  A hesitant smile curled the corner of his lips. “I love you. Have for a long time now, but I didn’t think I was worthy of you. I still don’t, but I do love you, Julie Ryder, with everything I am.”

  Unbelievable joy erupted inside her. Eyes watering, she threw her hands around his shoulders, being careful of his right arm, and, squeezed with all her might. “You big idiot.”

  “Wow.” His brow pulled down. “Not the response a man typically wants to hear after a confession of love.”

  Pulling back, she smacked him, lightly, on his good arm. “If you would have confessed years ago maybe you would have gotten a different response. Think of all the time we’ve wasted.”

  “Honey, no time around you is wasted, even when we weren’t together, just being around you was pure heaven.”

  She sniffled, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. “When did you get so…so romantic?”

  He grinned, the biggest smile she’d ever seen from him…and it made her core melt.

  “I’ve always been like this. I just kept it all inside.”

  “Well, be prepared to start bringing it out, because I love you, too. I always have, Liam.”

  The time for declarations and talking was over. Taking his hand, she pulled him into the bathroom. They came together with a rushed sense of desperation, a need to make up for lost time. He reached over, turning the tap on the shower. The room soon clouded with warm, moist steam. Clothing started to fly, hers easily slipping off. Liam’s shirt got caught on his sling. He swore, yanking the dark blue cloth from his shoulder and tossing it and his shirt to the ground. His pants soon followed, leaving them both naked.

  “The doctor said you needed to wear that for a few days.”

  “I’ll put it back on later.” His lips grazed over her cheeks, forehead, lips, peppering her face with kisses. “I don’t need it right now.”

  “But…you’re injured.” The words panted out of her. She was having trouble catching her breath. Between the affection and the sauna like conditions her head spun like a top.

  “Trust me, honey. My arm is the last thing on my mind right now.”

  She wanted to argue, but his fingers grazed her nipples. She sucked in a stark breath, electricity coursing through her veins.

  “Have to taste,” he murmured right before he lowered his head, swiping his tongue across the turgid peaks.

  A moan of ecstasy tore from her as she slammed her palms down against the wall to keep her balance. He chuckled, lifting her up one handed into the tub. The hot shower jets pounded on her back. Liam’s lips and hands explored her body, worshiping every inch of skin they touched.

  Every nerve ending was on fire. B
etween the life and death episode they just had and then his revelation of love, her heart and body were strung tighter than ever before. His kisses alone had her core pulsing with need. When his fingers drifted between her legs, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

  Liam smiled with pure male satisfaction when the cry of pleasure escaped Julie’s lips. He’d almost lost her today. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid for so many years. Yes, he in no way deserved this wonderful, amazing woman, but damned if he wasn’t going to try every day to live up to her love. Nothing else mattered. Not age, best friends, or anything. Julie owned his heart, and he would do his best to protect hers for as long as she allowed him to hold it.

  As she came down from her orgasm, he glanced at her naked body. Droplets of water cascaded down her perfect breasts and over a very feminine curved stomach to nestle in a thatch of dark curls between the apex of her legs. His fingers still rested there, deep inside her where his cock begged to be. The poor appendage between his legs throbbed to the point of pain. But he held off until—

  “Liam, I need you. Now.”

  Yes, those were the words he needed to hear. Except…

  “Shit. I forgot to bring a condom in with us. Hold on I’ll—”

  He started to pull away, but she placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. “No need. I’m on the pill. And I trust you.”

  There it was. Not only love, but trust. This woman truly was too good for him. He had his last physical six months ago, but it didn’t matter. He hadn’t been with anyone in over a year, and never, not once, had he gone without a condom. Just imagining being inside Julie with nothing separating them was enough to set him off.

  Clenching his jaw, he thought about…baseball. No way would he ruin this by finishing too soon.

  She wrapped one leg around his hip, opening to him, rubbing herself up and down against the hard length of his erection. Baseball wasn’t working. He needed something else, something truly unappealing. Wind Chaser. He imagined riding the giant beast and managed to gain some semblance of control.

  Guess the damned horse is good for something.

  Gazing deeply into her eyes, he positioned himself at her entrance, slowing joining with her until he was seated fully.

  They groaned in unison. Nothing in his life had ever felt this amazing.

  “I love you, Liam.”

  He closed his eyes, savoring the words he had been afraid he’d never hear. “I love you, too. So damn much.”

  He clasped her securely with his good arm and began to move, unable to hold still. The desire to cement their love with something primal and raw was a driving force deep inside him. The water poured around them, steam rising off their bodies.

  It wasn’t long before he felt her tighten around him, a scream rising in her throat. He quickened his thrusts, pouring all the love and desire he felt for this woman into his movements. Then he fell over the edge with her, marveling at how lucky he was to have a woman like her love him.

  “That…was amazing.”

  He wheezed out a laugh, oxygen running low after that workout. “Agreed. Give me a few and let see if we can top amazing.”

  She pulled back, giving him a skeptical glance. “Liam, I know you have stamina, but you’re injured, and it’s been a long day. We can just go to bed, you don’t have to—”

  “Are you doubting my abilities, sweetheart?”

  A pretty blush stained her cheeks. “No. I’m just saying I don’t expect every night to be full of multiple orgasms.”

  “That sounds like a challenge.” He grabbed the shampoo, trying to squirt a dollop in his hand. Tricky thing to do with only one working arm. He swore as the bottle slipped from his grasp. Julie laughed softly, grabbing the bottle and squeezing a small amount into his palm. With his left hand, he tried his best to lather the soap against her scalp. She closed her eyes, moaning as he massaged with less than stellar results.

  God I love this woman. “What do you say we play a little game?”

  “Mmm, you know I can’t resist a game.” Eyes still closed, she smiled.

  “And tonight, honey, we play by my rules.” Leaning in close, he whispered in her ear all the naughty and creative—due to his limited arm mobility—things he intended to do to her tonight.

  Her eyes snapped open, desire darkening their brown irises. Biting her lip, she nodded. “Let the game begin.”

  Tilting her head to the shower spray, he washed the soap from her hair. Tonight, he would spend hours worshiping every inch of her body, but this was no game to him. He intended to weave this woman into every bit of his life, because he wasn’t just playing to win, he was playing for keeps.

  Chapter 26

  Julie snuggled closer to Liam, pressing her nose to his chest right over his heart and inhaling the delicious musky scent of him.

  “I love you, Julie Ryder. With everything I am.”

  Those words still bounced around in her mind, filling her heart so full it felt as though it would burst. Liam loved her. No matter what the future held for them, she would always take comfort in that fact. A happy sigh escaped her.

  “Mmm, good morning.”

  She giggled when he pressed against her, a very hard part of his anatomy rubbing against her leg. Sadly, he wore boxers, so she couldn’t feel as much as she wanted.

  “Is it now?”

  Dim rays of sunlight crept in under the curtains. Birds chirped just outside, bugs buzzed. She could have sworn she fell into a children’s cartoon, all sunshine and happiness.

  Liam’s left arm was wrapped around her, his hand grazed her breast, teasing over her nipple covered only by a thin T-shirt. She inhaled herself and smiled, his T-shirt. A soft moan left her as his ministrations woke her appetites, stiffing the soft bud into a hard peak. An answering tightness coiled deep in her womb.

  Okay, maybe not a children’s cartoon.

  The way he made her feel was definitely not for the PG crowd.

  “It will be soon.” His deep voice rumbled against her chest, sending shivers of anticipations over every nerve in her body. “As soon as I get you—”

  He stopped, going unnaturally still.

  “Liam?”

  “Shhhh.” He held a hand up.

  She pressed her lips together, listening. There, a sound at the front door, like a key turning in the lock.

  “Stay here,” he commanded, rising from the bed.

  “Liam, it’s probably just—”

  He waved away her protest. Grabbing his gun from the bedside drawer, he crept toward the bedroom door. She knew they were both still on edge from what happened yesterday, but Kline was in custody. FBI custody. No way the guy was getting out of that. Besides, even if it was someone intent on harming them, they wouldn’t use a key to get in. The only person who would have a key would be…

  Realization dawning, another kind of horror filled her. Jumping from the bed, she ran after Liam who had already made it out the door and down the hallway. In her haste, she forgot to put anything on over the large FBI T-shirt she’d fallen asleep in after their shower. Liam stood before the front door, weapon held high in his left hand, thin black boxer briefs his only covering.

  “Wait, Liam. It’s—”

  Her words were cut off as the front door opened and there stood her worst nightmare. Her big brother and his wife.

  Ugh, shoot me now.

  Crazed killers with murder vendettas she could handle, but her big brother walking in on her and his best friend in a state of undress…he could put two and two together. “Oh, shoot.”

  She rushed to Liam’s side, throwing her shoulders back, bracing for the question she knew was coming.

  Jake and Kayla looked surprised to see them up, but her brother’s shock quickly gave way to suspicion as he took in their lack of clothing. His gaze narrowed, arms crossing over his puffed up chest. Yup, he’d gone into big brother mode.

  “Is this what it looks like?”

  She wrapped an arm around Liam’s waist, deter
mined to stand by him. Her brother would not take his anger out on Liam. She was an adult; she could make her own choices about who she had a relationship with. Jake would just have to deal.

  Liam stood his ground, proudly facing off against her brother and his best friend. “If it looks like I’m in love with your sister, then yeah.”

  Warmth poured over her body like a hot spring. She was still getting used to Liam saying the words to her, to hear him declare it to others—her brother no less—made everything inside her melt.

  To her utter shock and surprise her brother started to laugh, doubling over to slap his knees. “Hell, man. It’s about damn time.”

  “What?”

  “Oh come on, kiddo. Everyone could see how crazy you two were about each other.”

  They could? She hadn’t seen anything.

  “Glad you two finally worked things out. Of course, I feel I have to say if you hurt her I know these mountains like the back of my hand. There are a lot of places to bury a body that no one would ever find.”

  “Jake!”

  “Ryder!” Kayla smacked her husband on the shoulder.

  Liam ignored both her and Kayla’s protest. “I get it. No worries on that front. I’d lay down my life before I let anyone hurt Julie.”

  Her brother nodded, like some stupid man code had been enacted.

  Why do we put up with men again?

  Liam leaned down to brush a kiss against her forehead. Tiny bits of electric shock zinged from the contact, spreading down to her toes and back up.

  Oh right, that.

  “Wait a minute,” she glanced back and forth between her brother and his wife. “What are you two doing home? Aren’t you supposed to be in Vegas for another few days?”

  “Maggie called us.” Kayla came up to grab her in a warm embrace. “She told us what was going on. We took the first flight back.”

  Her sister-in-law stepped back to allow room for her brother. Jake grabbed her in a big bear hug, lifting her off the ground. She squeezed him back, not fully realizing until now how much she needed this.