by M. A. Foster
He closes the door and rounds the front of the SUV to the driver side. The reporters are calling his name, but he ignores them as he slips behind the wheel and starts the car before pulling out of the parking space.
“I had no idea this parking garage was here.”
“Where do you think the valet parks the cars?” he asks, slowing to a stop on the side of the small road and shifting into Park.
“True.”
He fishes his phone from the front pocket of his dress pants and begins tapping the screen before bringing it to his ear.
A beat passes before a man’s voice comes through the line. “What’s up?”
“There’s a group of vultures hanging around the exit inside the parking garage.”
“The fuck?” he barks. “I’ll handle it.”
“Thanks.” Tossing the phone into the cup holder, he shifts into Drive and pulls back on the road.
“What was that all about?” I ask.
“I told you, I know the owner. Reporters are not supposed to be inside the garage. Some guests don’t want to be seen, and they use the private entrance.”
“Was that the owner on the phone?”
“No, that was the owner of the security company.”
“Jason Martinez?” I ask.
Rolling to a stop, Liam looks over at me. “How do you know Jason?”
“He’s Gabbi’s uncle.”
“No shit?”
“Gabbi’s brother is Levi.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m not.” I laugh softly. Then it hits me. “You’re the owner, aren’t you?”
“I own the company that owns it, yes.”
I roll my eyes. “Semantics.”
“Do you remember what that place used to be?”
My brows pinch as I try to remember. “Splash?”
Liam nods as he turns right onto the main road.
“You bought Splash?”
“I bought the building, not the club.”
“Why?”
“Because if you haven’t noticed, my club is doing well.”
“It’s a very nice place. Now tell me why you really bought it.”
“Because that’s where we had our first dance.”
Swoon.
My mouth falls open. “My God, Liam. Are you serious?”
His attention briefly drifts over to me before returning to the road. “You asked.” Then he lets out a soft chuckle. “You know, it feels like we’ve come full circle tonight.”
“How so?”
“Our first night together, you were wearing the exact same color dress.”
A grin stretches across my face. “You remember my prom dress?”
“I remember everything about you, Freckles.” I look out the passenger window as he asks, “So, where am I taking you?”
“Go over the bridge and make a right. I’m living at the Luxxe Lofts.”
“The ones on Oceanside near the port?”
I nod, and he lets out a whistle through his teeth. “Those are nice. And they’re not cheap either.”
I shrug. “I’m living with Katie. She’s a designer, mostly clubs and restaurants, but she works for the company who designed them.”
“Katie’s the one with the pretty eyes who looks like my sister?”
I snort. “It’s funny you say that, because I always thought she and Jay could pass as sisters.”
“True.” He pulls onto Oceanside and heads in the direction of the lofts. “How long have you been staying with her?”
“About a month. She’s in London working until after New Year’s, so I’m watching her place until she gets back. Then I’ll start looking for my own.”
“My mom owns a handful of apartment buildings on the island. She could hook you up.”
I look over and smile. “Thanks, but I’m thinking I might buy something. I’ve never owned my own place before. Gabbi is a realtor, and she said she’d help me find something after the first of the year.” I point out the windshield. “It’s the first one here.”
Liam steers into the designated driveway in front of Katie’s loft and turns the engine off. “Wait there.”
Climbing out of the driver seat, he shuts the door before rounding the SUV to my side and opening the door. He holds out a hand and I take it, allowing him to help me out before walking me to the door.
I’m still reeling over his confession as I pull the keys from my clutch and hit the button on the key fob to turn off the alarm before sliding the key into the lock. Liam wraps an arm around my waist from behind and brushes my hair to the side.
“Invite me in.” His lips brush lightly over the shell of my ear, causing a shiver to roll down my spine.
“Liam,” I protest weakly.
“Invite me in, Vanessa.” He curls his other arm around my waist, hugging me in front of him as he runs his lips over the bare skin of my shoulder and presses his cock against my ass. “Please.”
Turning the handle, I push the door open and move to step inside, but Liam is still wrapped around me.
“Liam.”
His hold on me loosens, but he keeps his arms around me. Once we’ve cleared the doorway, he kicks the door shut and quickly spins me around with my back pressed against it.
Reaching out, he snags the keys and my clutch from my hands and tosses them on the nearby entryway table before pressing his body against me, pinning me to the door.
Liam lowers his head, slanting his mouth over mine, pushing his tongue between my parted lips and sliding it against my own. His lips are soft, but the kiss is hard and unapologetic. My knees buckle, and I grip his shoulders to keep myself from falling into a puddle at his feet. His hands move to my ass, digging into the silky material as he presses his hard cock into my hip.
Tearing his lips from mine, he drags them over my jaw. “Please tell me you’re clean and on birth control, because it’s been five fucking years since I’ve been inside of you, and I want to feel you wrapped around me with nothing between us.”
“I think the real question is are you?” I fire back, panting.
He pulls his head back just a fraction to look down at me with sincerity in his eyes. “I’m clean, Vanessa. It’s been a long time, and you’re the only woman I’ve ever been with without a condom.”
The slight nod of my head is all he needs before he slams his lips down on mine, claiming my mouth hungrily. Needing to feel his skin, I deftly work the buttons of his dress shirt and slide my hands over his naked chest.
Shoving a hand in my hair, he tugs my head back, exposing my neck as he reaches behind me with the other hand to work the zipper. The thin straps slip down my shoulders, exposing my breasts. He trails kisses down my neck, over my collarbone before sucking a nipple into his mouth and dragging his teeth over the hardened tip.
“Liam,” I gasp, my hands diving into his hair, my fingers curling into the short black strands.
“I got you,” he whispers, briefly sealing his mouth over my other breast, circling his tongue around my nipple before releasing it with a pop.
Lowering himself to his knees, he shoves my dress up to bunch around my waist and his head instantly jerks back. His eyes dart up to meet mine with a mixture of lust and fury. “Where are your panties?” he asks through gritted teeth.
Chest heaving, I say breathlessly, “I didn’t want any panty lines.”
Growling, he curls a hand under my knee, hooking it over his shoulder, then leans forward and places an open-mouth kiss on my pussy before sucking my clit between his teeth.
“Oh!” I scream as my knee buckles and I grab onto his hair, digging my fingers into his scalp as he continues to suck on my clit and I shamelessly grind against his mouth. I’m so close. My legs begin to tremble. He pushes two fingers inside my pussy, easing them in and out in quick thrusts before curling them at just the right angle to set me off. A loud moan tears from my throat and fireworks explode behind my eyes as my orgasm rolls through me. My inner walls clench tightly aro
und his fingers as I rock my hips, riding the wave of ecstasy until my body shudders.
While catching my breath, I barely register Liam lifting my leg from his shoulder and placing my foot on the floor. I hear the faint scratch of a zipper, and when I open my eyes, Liam is staring down at me, his green eyes nearly black with lust. He runs his tongue over his lower lip. “You still taste like heaven.”
Grabbing the back of his head, I bring his lips to mine, our tongues teasing. He brings my leg to curl around his hip, and in one swift thrust, he’s inside me. We groan into each other’s mouth. He swivels his hips and I gasp, breaking the kiss.
“Hold on,” he grunts.
Curling my arms around his neck, I hold on tight as he cups my ass and lifts me to wrap both legs around his waist. He rocks back and slams into me once more, circling his hips and screwing into me as deep as he can get. My head drops back and my mouth falls open in a silent cry.
“I’ve missed this so much,” he growls against my neck as he begins fucking me hard against the door.
A grunt pushes past his lips with each punishing thrust. I feel the familiar tingling sensation in my lower belly as another orgasm rolls down my spine and through my limbs. My legs tighten around his waist as my inner muscles clench around his cock, and a deep groan rips from his throat as we both fall over the edge.
My body shudders in his arms as we both work to catch our breath. After a moment, Liam pulls out of me, and I sag against his chest before he gives my ass a squeeze, then slowly lowers my feet to the floor. I move my hands to his arms, gripping his biceps to keep my balance.
“Date’s over,” I say breathlessly, fighting back a smile.
Pulling back, Liam stares down at me with an incredulous look. “The hell it is.” Bending down, he tosses me over his shoulder, and I let out a little squeal. “Where’s your bedroom?”
VANESSA
I wake up to a dark room and an empty bed, but I catch the soft murmuring coming from just outside my patio door. I look for my phone on the nightstand to check the time, then realize I left it on the table in the foyer. Slipping from the bed, I move to the glass door. It’s locked, so I can only assume Liam went out through the main room to get to the patio. Carefully, I unlock the door and crack it open. He’s standing in front of the glass wall facing the bay, dressed in only a pair of black boxer briefs. One arm is crossed over his chest while the other is holding a cell to his ear.
“I just wanted to check in.” There’s a brief pause. “She’s asleep.” Another pause. “How are you feeling?” He breathes out a soft laugh. “All right. Get some rest. Love you, too.”
Pulling the door open, I step outside. “Hey.”
Liam’s head jerks to the side in surprise. “Hey. I didn’t realize there was another door.” I don’t say anything. “Is there a reason your friend has a squirrel just chillin’ on her patio furniture?” He gestures to Rocky curled up asleep on the outdoor sofa.
“His name is Rocky. Who were you talking to?”
He runs his teeth over his bottom lip as his eyes flick between mine. “Before I tell you, I think we should talk.”
A knot forms in the pit of my stomach. My first instinct is to walk away and maybe lock myself in the bathroom until he leaves, but I promised myself—and him—that I would try.
“Okay.” Turning, I walk back inside and switch on the bedside lamp before perching on the edge of the bed.
Liam steps inside, closing and locking the door behind him. He scoops his dress shirt off the floor and tosses it to me. “Put this on. I won’t be able to focus if you’re naked.”
I slip my arms into the sleeves and fasten a few of the middle buttons, partially covering my body.
He groans. “You’re so fucking sexy.”
I shift my gaze to the wall of windows.
“Vanessa.” I cautiously meet his eyes. “What was that?” His beautiful face is pinched in confusion.
I shake my head, swallowing past the knot at the base of my throat as I fight back the tears threatening to spill.
“Why are you about to cry?” His brow furrows with concern, and my throat tightens. “Vanessa. It’s not what you’re thinking. Scoot back and get comfortable.”
Shifting on the bed, I put my back against the headboard, stretching my legs out in front of me.
Liam perches on the edge, facing me with one leg bent in front of him. “I met Milana at my birthday party.”
I suck in a breath, but he continues. “Let me tell you my side of the story, and then you can unload on me.”
Grabbing an extra pillow, I hug it my chest. “Okay.”
“She came up to me, wished me happy birthday, and then started talking baseball stats. It blew my mind. She and her dad are die-hard LA Heat fans. She wasn’t a groupie, just a woman who knew baseball. I pretty much talked to her the whole night. Haven’t you ever met someone you just clicked with in a nonsexual way?”
I think about my first day at work and how Mia and I instantly clicked. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Okay. Hold that thought. A week or so passed before I saw her again. I was running on the beach, and I heard someone calling my name. She waved me over, and I went up to say hi, then ran back home. A few days later, and she came by to ask if Cam and I wanted to come over for dinner. Cam was out, but I went. We had dinner. She mostly talked about a movie she was considering. Looking back, I realize it’s at that point I should’ve told her about my beautiful girlfriend. But I didn’t. I let her talk, ate her food, and then I left. That’s where I fucked up.” He sighs and runs a hand through his hair.
“We hung out a few times after that. Again, there was no flirting. I never gave her any reason to think I was interested other than just being around her. I never held her hand. I never hugged her. We were strictly friends. The last time we hung out was at her house. We were standing on her back deck talking about the same shit we always did. Then she kissed me. I didn’t kiss her back, but I didn’t stop her right away because I was in shock. When I pulled away, I told her I had a girlfriend. I don’t know who was more horrified, me or her. She apologized for overstepping, and I apologized for giving her the wrong impression. Then I left. I realized I’d messed up and let things get too far. I wanted to tell you about it when you came to California, but I knew you’d leave, and that terrified me.”
“Is that why you married me?”
His face screws up in irritation. “No.”
“Why didn’t you tell her about me?”
“I’ll tell you what I told her: because I liked hanging out with her. I’d never had a female friend I wasn’t also screwing.” He grimaces, and I curl my lip. “I was afraid if I told you about her, you’d think I was cheating. If I told her about you, then she’d get all weird and stop coming around. I didn’t have a ton of friends outside of my family and my teammates. Obviously I suck at friendships, but I liked having her as a friend. She was cool.”
“That’s nice.” I roll my eyes.
He gives me a sad smile. “After you left, I didn’t talk to her for a long time. I was mad at her for telling you about the kiss. I blamed her for you leaving. When I finally saw her again, she was devastated. She still blames herself for our breakup.” I shrug, and he narrows his eyes. “The only one to blame for our breakup is me.”
“You’re right.” I sigh. “You may not have physically cheated, but you still cheated.”
His jaw clenches, and I can tell he wants to argue. “I didn’t cheat. The only thing I’m guilty of is not telling you about my friendship with her.”
“Clearly your friendship with her was more important than your relationship with me. You lied to me and her so you could hang out with her. Haven’t you ever heard of emotional cheating?”
“Yes, but that means there were emotions involved. I wasn’t emotionally attached to her. I didn’t seek her out to spend time with her. We were neighbors. Everything I just told you was the extent of our friendship.”
“Were there others?�
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“Vanessa,” he warns. “I never touched another woman the entire time we were together. I knew what I’d be risking. Never in a million years did I think I’d lose you over a woman I had no interest in fucking.”
“You lost me because you broke your promise. I don’t care what your reasons were. You should’ve told me everything.”
“I would’ve if you’d stayed,” he growls, clenching his jaw. He drops his gaze for a moment to draw a deep breath through his nose before lifting his head. “I’m still pissed at you for leaving me the way you did. I know I hurt you, but God, Vanessa, you didn’t just rip my heart out, you gutted me. You were the love of my life. We were married, and you just left.”
“You should’ve told me before I had to find out from her. You broke us,” I snap, dropping my gaze to the pillow in my lap. “Every bit of trust we built over the two years of our relationship shattered the moment Milana apologized for kissing you. I’d never felt more insignificant than I did that day. Like I didn’t belong in your world. I was just a twenty-one-year-old nursing student, and she was this beautiful movie star. It was evident by the look on her face when I introduced myself as your wife that she had feelings for you. I had to leave because my trust in you was gone. I felt worthless. If I’d stayed, I would’ve always wondered if you were going to leave me for her or someone like her. I couldn’t live like that.”
A look of regret passes over his features. “I hate that you felt that way because of me. It didn’t matter if she was a movie star, a supermodel, or Miss Universe. She wasn’t you. What I did was stupid and selfish, and because of that, I lost you.”
I look away for a moment, then back at him. “Are you going to tell me who was on the phone?”
A smirk tugs at his lips. “It was Milana.”
I angrily chuck the pillow at his head and move to climb off the bed.
“Where are you going?” Liam asks through a chuckle, grabbing my ankle and yanking me back to the middle of the bed. I use my free leg to kick at him. “Stop.” He rolls me to my back, straddles my hips, and pins my arms to the side of my head. “Vanessa, stop. It’s not like that. Milana is married to Deacon.”
