“This is your room,” he said once we made our way down the hall. He turned and opened the door; inside there was a huge bed right in the middle of the room. “You have a fully-stocked private bathroom. He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder to the door behind him. “My room is right across the hall. I get up pretty early so when you awake you can head down to the kitchen. It’s on the first floor, make a right from the stairs and follow the hallway down. You can’t miss it. Goodnight.” He stepped closer, placing his hand around my waist. I looked up in anticipation of his kiss, but instead, he used his lips to gently caress my cheek as his hand squeezed my waist. I felt his warm breath on my face, causing me to slightly shiver.
“Thank you,” I said as his lips were still on me.
A second later, he pulled back. “Don’t thank me. This should...” he stopped himself again and ran his knuckles along my cheek before pulling back. He jerked his head towards the room, and I obliged. “Go inside.”
Once inside the room, I closed the door behind me and leaned back against it trying to get my bearings. I’d been trying to keep as much distance between myself and Liam for a week, and now I was staying under the same roof. I sighed as I slipped off my boots, and grabbed my tablet and laptop. I figured working was the best thing I could do right now to get my thoughts off of Liam. I needed to get to the bottom of this case and get it over with, so I could move on. I reviewed the notes I’d been taking of the interviews we’d conducted, I scheduled a time for the next day to go visit the junkyard, and even with Liam’s offer to use one of his cars, I still made a note to visit another rental car dealership.
After a few hours, I started to feel the weight of the day, so I headed to the shower. I took my time in the shower, noticing the numerous different types of soaps, hair products, and moisturizers in the bathroom. For a split second, I wondered if Liam had this set up for other women he’d had stay over. I thought back to the look on his face as he’d stood in the doorway. My thoughts and feelings became scrambled as I remembered the tenderness in his eyes. My last thoughts as I drifted off to sleep were of the look on Liam’s face before I shut the door…it was a mix of want and something else that I still couldn’t quite pinpoint.
Chapter Ten
Coral
I woke up to sunlight streaming in from the huge bedroom window. As I stretched, I was surprised to find that I’d slept much later than normal, so I decided to postpone my morning workout routine. Since I was going to the junkyard today, I dressed a little more casual than normal, opting for a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a tan sweater, and a pair of lace-up sneakers.
After moisturizing and getting dressed, I fluffed my hair a little, happy to see the curly ringlets holding up well, and then grabbed my tablet and phone to head downstairs. I remembered the direction Liam told me to go towards the kitchen. Just outside the entrance I heard movement, and I stopped, rethinking whether or not I should go in, or try to quietly slip out before anyone noticed me. Unfortunately, my grumbling stomach had other ideas. It wouldn’t have hurt to eat before I left.
I continued to the huge kitchen, and the first person I saw was Laura sitting at the table, singing her ABC’s and dancing a little as she ate cut up blueberry pancakes off her plate. She stopped suddenly, turned, and looked right at me. I was struck by her resemblance to Liam. He couldn’t deny this little girl even if he wanted to. Her green eyes widened slightly, before crinkling a little as her mouth broke into a big smile.
“Hi,” she said cheerily and waving.
My heart strings tugged, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to her. “Good morning, Princess,” I smiled and waved back to her.
Her eyes got really wide with cheer. “My daddy calls me that!”
I raised my eyebrows. I didn’t know Li called her that. I’d just said it because it came naturally.
“He does?” I asked as I make my way closer, stooping down in front of her.
She nodded with excitement. “Yup! He says that all little girls should be treated like princesses,” she giggled. It was one of the best sounds I’d heard in a long time.
“Your daddy is a very smart man,” I told her, pinching the bridge of her nose, which caused her to giggle even more. The sound was infectious, and before I knew it, I had joined in on the laughter.
“What are you eating?” I asked, looking over at her plate.
“Pancakes.” She held out her little pink colored plastic fork showing me a piece of her cut up breakfast.
“Well, I’ll be!” I heard a familiar voice behind me and stood.
My lips spread into a grin. “Hello, Ms. Mary.”
“Coral Coleman. Girl, if you don’t get over here and give me a hug.”
Ms. Mary was Liam’s long-term nanny and then housekeeper in his childhood home. I hadn’t seen her in years. I moved to embrace her, and she squeezed me tighter than I had been hugged in years. It reminded me of the way my mother used to hug me after she’d gotten sick. As if she’d known her time with me had been precious. I hated thinking about that, so I pulled away and looked down at Ms. Mary’s dark chocolate colored skin. She was well into her sixties, but could pass for much younger. She was probably a good size sixteen but carried it well, and I could tell she still maintained her bi-weekly hair appointments because there was not a grey hair to be found in her relaxed hair as it rested on her shoulders.
“How are you?” I asked, looking down at her.
“Oh, I’m just fine,” she waved her hands, “Just cleaning up after this little Missy,” she said as she ruffled the hair on Laura’s head, causing another fit of giggles.
“So, I see Li still had you doing his dirty work,” I teased.
“Tuh, you know that boy can’t get rid of me. The truth is, he tried. Gave me a nice severance and everything after Laurence and I married.”
That wasn’t much of a surprise. Laurence was Liam’s father’s landscaper. I knew they’d had a thing for one another.
“But I still wanted to do something part time now that Laurence opened his own company with his two boys. I’m only here in the mornings, and it keeps me busy. You know an old woman has to keep herself occupied.” She laughed.
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t see any old women around here.”
“Oh, Coral. You’re still as sweet as punch.”
I chuckled at that. There weren’t not many people in this world who would call me sweet.
Ms. Mary gestured towards Laura. “I see you’ve met Missy here,”
“Yes, I have.”
“My daddy said a friend needed help and is staying with us. Is that you?” Laura asked.
I knelt back down in front of her. “You’re one smart kid,” I said, proud of the way she put two and two together. “Yes, I’m your daddy’s friend, and I am staying here for a little bit. Is that okay with you?” I asked. Honestly, if she were to have any strange feelings about it, I would have had no problem packing up and leaving. I didn’t want to make anything uncomfortable for Li or his daughter.
She shook her head emphatically. “No. I think you’re funny, and I like your hair.” She reached out and rubbed her hand on one of my auburn colored curls.
“Thank you. I like your hair too,” I said, fingering a few of her blond locks.
“Good morning,” Liam’s voice chimed in breaking up the sweet little moment between Laura and myself, causing me to wonder if he witnessed the interaction between us.
I stood and turned to see a shirtless Liam in a pair of basketball shorts and sneakers. The air immediately rushed from my body. It was obvious that he’d just finished working out because his bronzed skin was covered in a sheen of sweat. I eyed the tattoo on his chest and the scar on his abdomen that still made my heart rate speed up. My eyes traveled up his pectoral muscles to his strong jaw and then his eyes, only to find that he was staring at me. His look was so intense I felt as if he was reaching out and touching me.
“Daddy!” Laura yelled. She hopped down from her chair to run
into her father’s awaiting arms, where he swooped her up and planted a kiss on her cheeks.
“Good morning, Princess. Did you finish breakfast?”
“Yes. Daddy, today we’re going to the zoo and then to the library.”
“You are? Now, that sounds like fun.”
I unconsciously smiled at the interaction between Liam and Laura. His smile grew, and my heart did that stupid flip flopping thing again as I watched them.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
“There’s Anna now,” Liam told Laura.
“Yay!” she clapped.
“Come on, Little Missy,” Ms. Mary called out.
“Okay, Princess. Have fun and don’t bite the animals.” He kissed the top of her head.
Laura laughed as he put her down. “Daddy, I don’t bite!”
Ms. Mary grabbed her hand and exited the kitchen just as Li turned back to stare at me.
“She’s beautiful, Li.”
His smile widened. “She’s the best part of me.” His voice was filled with such emotion I knew it was the truth.
I cleared my throat, trying to move on from the moment. “Anyway, I’ll be stopping at the junkyard today where Larry’s car is, then I’ll go back to Bennett Industries to do a few more interviews, and then I need to speak with Jabari to get his help on the laptop and let him know I’m no longer at the hotel.”
He stared at me as he cocked his head to the side. I willed myself not to let my eyes drop down and stare at his washboard abs again. I almost managed it, but I was too tempted. The tattoo, the scar all reminded me of our history together. A history that was so entwined sometimes that I didn’t know where I stopped and Liam began. Soon I felt something cold and hard pressed against my back. I came back to my senses and realized my back was pressing against the white granite countertops. I looked up to see Liam’s face only a few inches away from mine, and his arms braced the edge of the counter on either side of me, effectively trapping me. That dark emerald color in his eyes had returned. I opened and closed my mouth a few times trying to form words.
“Wh-what are you doing?” I asked, trying to sound normal.
“I noticed you staring. See something you like?” The deep, richness of his voice rolled over me, and I almost let out a dreamy sigh. Instead, I bit the inside of my cheek and did my best to rein my emotions in.
“Liam, stop the bullshit and go shower. You’re getting your nasty sweat all over me.” My words were a lie. He knew it, and I knew it. Li’s sweat was anything but nasty, but I was not giving in again. We’d already gone too far.
“Hmmhm.”
I turned my head to the left seeing Ms. Mary had returned. From the smirk on her face, I assumed she’d watched our entire exchange. Years ago, she’d said how perfect Liam and I were for each other…no matter how much we’d insisted we were just friends. I could tell this little scene was only reigniting that same dream fairytale in her mind. It was time to extinguish those thoughts before they got too out of control.
Without turning to look back at Liam, I used my hip to bump his arm catching him off guard, and stepped out of his hold.
“Go take a shower. I need to go get a car from the rental place to use,” I said, trying to change the subject and forgetting all about breakfast.
He lifted his brows and smirked. “Care to join me?”
Before I could respond, I heard Ms. Mary’s laughter from behind me. “Some things never change,” she said as she finished putting the last of the pots from breakfast away. “I’m heading out now. My man is taking me out to lunch, and I want to make sure I look good for him. You crazy kids enjoy yourselves. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.” She whisked out of the room, giving us one last look and laughing again.
As I stared behind Ms. Mary, Liam said, “She always said you’d be a hard nut to crack but to be patient.”
“What?” I asked, confused.
“Nothing. I’m going to shower and then we’ll go to my garage to see what car will best fit your needs.”
“Li—” My protest was cut off as Liam’s lips met mine. The kiss was brief, a parting kiss before he turned and made his way down the hall and up the stairs to shower.
“There’s green tea in the cabinets. I asked Ms. Mary to buy some this morning,” he called over his shoulder.
I was left standing there trying to figure out what the heck had just happened in the last fifteen minutes. I rummaged through the cabinets, found the tea, and made some before calling Jabari. Better speaking with Jabari about this case than going over this warped relationship between Li and I.
Chapter Eleven
Liam
“I’m fine, Jabari. It’s no big deal.”
I heard Coral’s voice as I entered the living room area and the smile that touched my lips was instant. I was going to be one hundred percent honest right now; I was thrilled to have Coral under my roof. I dreamt of it for years. Hell, I worked for it for years. This house wasn’t built on a whim.
“I told you I was fine. Let’s move on to something that matters.”
I frowned hearing those words. I heard Jabari’s sigh of concern through the speaker phone and knew he was probably just as concerned about Coral’s safety as I was. I hated that because Coral didn’t seem as worried about her own safety as she should be. My girl was tough as hell and often thought of her own safety last and went out of her way to protect those around her. Speaking of which, I knew there was something she was hiding from me. And whatever it was, it felt big. I was not about to stand by and let anything happen to her.
“Are you sure you’re alright? No one was there when you entered the suite?”
“No one would have gotten within five feet of her,” I answered Jabari, who had just asked that last question into Coral’s speaker phone.
She abruptly turned to me and narrowed her eyes.
“Liam?” Jabari’s confused voice came through the phone.
“It’s me.”
“How’s it going? Coral tells me you found the laptop.”
“Yeah, we got it but need help getting into it.
“I can help with that. Is Coral giving you any trouble?”
I chuckled at that. “Hell yeah she is, but it’s the kind of trouble I like,” I said winking at Coral. She narrowed her eyes even more at me, and it made me smile. I knew that look had intimidated many of her opponents, but I couldn’t help think how cute she looked. All scary like that and shit. It turned me on. I know. I know. Something was wrong with me.
“Anyway,” she stated, rolling her eyes. “My job is to make sure you stay out of trouble.” Coral finished, glaring at me.
My smile widened as I stepped closer. “Oh? Keeping me out of trouble?” I came to stand directly in front of her, peering down into her upturned face. “But it’s so much more fun when we get in trouble...together.” My voice was low and deep, the innuendo in it not missed by anyone. I knew this because aside from the way Coral bit her lower lip and swallowed deeply, I also heard the chuckles ringing through the phone from Jabari.
“I see you’re still the only one who can make this one speechless.” Jabari continued to laugh.
“Fuck you, Bri. No one asked you,” Coral chimed in only making Jabari laugh harder.
“See? Her response to me was immediate.”
“Glad you all can get a laugh in at my expense. Now, can we get back to the matter at hand?” Coral pivoted and stepped around me, putting more distance between us. I listened and watched her as she continued to talk to Jabari about the case.
As she talked, I remembered that she’d be going the junkyard where Larry’s totaled car still was. I had Larry’s fiancé request that the vehicle not be touched until I gave the okay. I told her that he might have had some work files in there. No need informing her that her fiancé’s death may have been more than just a simple accident.
I pulled out my phone to text Ron to send over Mitch, one of our top security guys. I wanted Mitch to go with Coral to the junkyard and
be her tail for the remainder of this case. My gut told me Coral could use the extra security detail and after last night, I was not about to ignore my instincts.
“Alright,” I began as I slid my cell back in my pocket and noticed Coral was off the phone. “Let’s go see what you’re driving today.” I placed my hand on her lower back and began escorting her out the back entrance to my huge garage.
“I should have known.” I noted the humor in her voice as she stared, shaking her head, looking at the lineup of vehicles. I only kept about five of my cars on this property. I had a storage facility for the rest.
“I bet this is only half of what you own.”
I grinned and looked down at her. Those hazel eyes shining with laughter assaulted me and for a brief second, I felt as if I was falling into them. Coral must have noticed because she soon took a step away from me, breaking our physical contact and stare.
“You were close. This is about one-third of all my cars.” I had been fascinated by cars since I was a kid. My home garage housed my BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini, and two Maseratis. The other ten vehicles I owned were kept in the storage facility.
“What do you need with so many cars?” she asked.
“You know better than that, CeCe. It’s not because I need them. It’s my appreciation of them. I’m a collector.”
“Whatever. These are all way too pricey for me to drive around town for however long I’m here.”
The reminder that she was only here for as long as this case was open was a punch to the gut. If I’d had it my way, she’d already know her stay here was anything but temporary.
“Nonsense,” I said. “How about the Beamer? You should be familiar with driving one. You still have it?” I asked, changing topic a bit.
She turned, looked directly at me, and I knew she knew exactly what I was referring to. As a graduation present, I had given Coral a brand new BMW. It was a beautiful white with cream colored leather seats. I searched for weeks, thinking of what to get her for graduation, and as soon as I saw it, I pictured her in the front seat. In my mind, her mocha colored skin paired with the white and cream colors looked perfect. Of course, my father was pissed when he found out but asked me if I gave a shit what he thought. The look of surprise, awe, and joy on her face had been gift enough for me. Though, after those emotions, came the guilt. She felt ashamed at having purchased a pair of monogrammed cufflinks and a matching monogrammed briefcase for me, but those gifts had been perfect. She knew one day after my military career I’d take the helm at Bennett Industries and wanted me to be prepared. I wore the cufflinks almost every day, and I used the briefcase so much it got beat up, and I had to get a new one. I still have it, though. Those were the little ways I kept her close to me when she wasn’t physically near.
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