Liam

by LeAnn Ashers

  He knows all about her, probably because I annoyed the shit out of him because she was all I talked about. “Why don’t you come over for dinner and you can meet her?”

  He nods, raising his beer.

  I face the other two guys, and they look me up and down like I am shit beneath their shoes. “I’m Todd and this is Chris.”

  “I’m Liam. I have been a patch member since I was nineteen years old. Let’s fucking sit over here so we can talk and see why you guys think you deserve to be a part of the club.”

  Tyler smacks me on the back and walks to the table with the other two military guys, Shane and Brett. The guys I do not fucking like swagger over like they own this shit.

  I pull out a chair and face all of them, and I look them over. Todd smirks at me. I arch an eyebrow, dying for him to say something so I can beat his ass.

  “Being in this club is a fucking brotherhood, once you become a full-fledged member you will have a family that will fight, kill, and die for you. That includes your woman, kids, and anyone you care about.”

  “I left the SEALs a year ago, and I want that brotherhood back,” Tyler says, and the other two nod in agreement. Todd and Chris just look around the room.

  “If you manage to fucking get into the club, which I doubt a few of you will…” I eye Todd and Chris. They won’t make it another month unless they clean up their shit. “You will be set for life and so will your family. Starting wage is five hundred thousand a year, and that will continue to grow. If something were to happen to you, your family would be forever taken care of. Prospecting into the club is not easy. If you make it a year then good luck to you, because the second year is hell.”

  Chris’s hands smack the table, and I glare at him. “How? Cleaning the toilets?” He throws his head back, laughing.

  “After we are fucking done with you, you will be begging to clean toilets.” His laughter stops immediately.

  Todd rolls his eyes. “Like you had to do shit. You was a fucking teenager when you became a member, and we all know how you got in.”

  “I got into the club because I busted my ass. I did shit even grown fucking men couldn’t do. Don’t come to me with this easy shit, I had it harder than you ever fucking will.” I took on the job and was trained in being a torturer. That is what I am fucking good at, and I learned it at age fucking eighteen. It was what I wanted to learn, and I had to go through intense shit to learn it. It made fucking hell week in the SEALs a walk in the park.

  “We all know you got in for saving the princess.”

  I sit still. Tyler’s eyes widen and someone mutters, “Fuck.”

  “What did you say?”

  Todd leans in. “We all know you got in for rescuing Paisley.”

  Chris laughs. “I bet you’re fucking glad to be home, she is one beautiful woman. I have tried for six months to get in with that. She told me to back the fuck off.”

  Fire is burning me from the inside out. The shit they are spewing from their mouths will have them fucking dead.

  Todd leans over the table, facing me. “So how did you do it? Keep a woman as beautiful as that piece of pussy locked down for ten years? I bet it’s tight as shit.” He moans, his hand reaching down toward his dick.

  I throw my head back laughing, and he and his friend fucking laugh right along with me.

  This fucking guy is the stupidest motherfucker in the world. Todd looks almost gleeful, and he nudges his friend like he has this shit in the bag.

  I stand up, my arms resting on the table, smirking at him. “You know what, Todd?”

  He laughs again. “What?”

  “You’re the dumbest motherfucker in the world.”

  His face turns pale and he looks down; then he stands up, pushing back his chair. “Run!” I taunt him, sliding out of my chair.

  He spins around, running for the door. I take out my gun and aim right at the back of his knee. I pull the trigger, and he hits the ground like a pile of rocks.

  He screams, holding his knee. I laugh again at how pathetic he is. I walk over to him, and Tyler follows. I press my foot on Todd’s knee.

  He screams loudly. “Oh no! I bet that’s tight as shit. I’m sorry!” I press my foot down harder.

  “Carry him to interrogation room three,” I tell Tyler, Shane, and Brett. I look at the other fucker. “Get your ass out of here.” Chris runs out of the room without a second glance.

  Tyler and Shane lift Todd off the ground and carry him out of the room. I stare at the fucker until he is out of sight.

  You can do a lot to me, and I will not care one fucking bit. But you fuck with Paisley, I will fucking kill you and do it laughing. You do not disrespect her. You do not do one single fucking thing to her unless you want to die or be tortured within an inch of your life.

  You do not mess with her.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Paisley’s father, Torch, walks into the room with Kyle and Techy on his ass.

  “Replay the tapes, Techy, and show him.” I am still pissed off beyond fucking belief.

  Techy takes out his phone, and the guys gather around as he replays Todd’s voice for them, which doesn’t help my fucking anger one bit.

  Torch stalks out of the room, straight for interrogation room three. I guess the fucker didn’t think that her father was the vice president of the club. I step into the room behind Torch to see his fist landing directly on Todd’s face. One by one, everyone gets their hits in, beating the shit out of him.

  He deserved every fucking second.

  I care about Paisley. She is the sweetest girl I have met in my entire life. Nobody disrespects her. She has been my heart since I was seventeen. She already owned me.

  “After you dump the fucker off, come over for dinner at eight?” I ask Tyler, and I give him Paisley’s address.

  He picks the fucker off the ground and tosses him in the back of his truck. He will live, but he will be hurting for a long-ass time.

  I get a text from Paisley telling me she is getting off work an hour early.

  Paisley

  Finally! I think as I walk out of the hospital and straight to Liam’s truck. It’s parked right in front, and he is leaning against it.

  He is the ideal man.

  “Hey.” I smile at him, and his hands land on my hips, pulling me into him, and he kisses me deeply. I shiver, standing on the tips of my toes, getting closer.

  I love that we can do this now; it has been such a long time in the making. Over the years I have stared at his lips wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

  He pulls away and kisses my forehead sweetly. “Tyler, my friend from basic, is coming over for dinner—is that okay?” he asks.

  I nod instantly. “That is perfectly okay.”

  Liam opens his door and helps me inside his truck. As he settles into the driver’s seat and puts his hands on the wheel, I notice his knuckles are broken.

  “Whose ass did you beat today?” I ask him.

  He laughs and looks down at his knuckles. “Nobody important, Paisley.”

  I fold my arms across my chest, smirking. “Mm-hm,” I mumble, giving him shit.

  He laughs and rubs my thigh. I feel like fire is shooting up my spine.

  I can feel Liam looking at me when he is not looking at the road. My face is burning with embarrassment because I reacted that way from just a touch on my thigh. You have to realize that I am a twenty-six-year-old virgin, and that is something not many women can say. The longer I am around him, the more I think about it and the more anxious I am to get to know Liam in that way.

  “So when did you meet up with your basic buddy?” I ask him, ready to get my thoughts out of this realm.

  “He is one of the prospects for the Devil Souls.”

  Ahh yeah, I remember meeting a Tyler who is prospecting for the club. “How crazy that he is a prospect after all of these years.”

  Liam nods. “He remembered me talking about the club and decided to go for it.”

  “It’s
awesome that he remembered all of these years. I am glad you have your friend back.”

  Liam shakes his head, smirking at me. He pulls the truck to a stop in my driveway.

  “What is it?”

  “You.”

  My stomach sinks. What does he mean me?

  He looks at me finally. “You’re just the sweetest, Baby.”

  “Oh.” My heart is doing flips in my chest. My hand rests on my chest, and I can feel it pounding under my palm.

  God, my heart may not be able to take it.

  Liam

  I watch as she sets the dining room table. She is wearing a pair of jeans and my T-shirt, and her hair is hanging in curls down her back.

  She is perfect.

  I also love the fact that she is wearing my shirt. I don’t think that Tyler will try to poach my girlfriend, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want everyone to know that her ass is mine.

  She looks up at me, catching me staring. She smiles and lowers her head, hiding the fact that she is blushing.

  It’s hard to believe that someone like her has waited for years to be with me. She could have had anyone she ever wanted. But for some unknown reason, she wanted me. One thing I know I won’t do is make her regret being with me.

  One thing is for certain: fuckers would line up down the block trying to take my place, but that shit is not happening. Todd is lucky to even be breathing; I wanted my bullet to be buried in his head instead of his knee.

  I plate the steaks on the grill and walk back inside right as the doorbell rings. Paisley sets the steaks down on the table. “Let your friend in, I got this.”

  Too fucking sweet.

  I open the front door. “Hey man, come in.” I hold the door open and he steps inside the house.

  Paisley comes around the corner, looking like walking sin. Tyler looks at her and then at me. I know exactly what he is thinking, but the fucker won’t say it because I wouldn’t like that.

  Paisley stands at my side, and I put my hand on her ass. She looks slightly shocked, but she plays it off and reaches out for Tyler. “Nice to meet you, Tyler, I’m Paisley.”

  He shakes his head. “I heard a lot about you.” He gives me a mocking look. “You were all Liam talked about during basic.”

  She grins at him happily. “I can guarantee my friends all think the exact same thing about me.”

  Paisley

  I bet I could get my friend hooked up with Tyler; he would be perfect for her!

  Liam honestly shocked me when he put his hand on my ass. He was staking his claim in front of his friend, and I honestly loved it. I love that he is possessive of me.

  What girl wouldn’t want that?

  Liam sits down beside me at the table, and Tyler is in front of us. Tyler is a good-looking man. He is a big guy, and his hair is slightly longer than Liam’s. He has this dangerously tall, dark, and handsome look going on.

  “So, Tyler, are you single? I have a friend that is,” I blurt out. They would be so cute together.

  He and Liam laugh, and Liam runs his hand up and down my leg. I put my hand on top of his, my fingers twining with his.

  “Yes, I am.” He takes a pull of his beer.

  I clap my hands together, wondering how I can get them together. I gasp when it comes to me. “Liam, a blind date!”

  He just grins at me, full of amusement. I roll my eyes and look at Tyler, who is chuckling under his breath.

  Vanessa seriously needs someone in her life. She needs someone to care about her and make her feel safe. She had a fucked-up childhood, and she’s dated but never had a serious boyfriend.

  “I will show up,” he tells me and I grin at him.

  I feel Liam moving closer, and he presses his lips against my ear. “That smile is only meant for me,” he whispers. My whole body shivers.

  I kiss his cheek. “Alright let’s dig in.” My stomach growls for the tenth time since I have been home. I am a foodie. I could eat all day long, and then an hour later I would be starving again.

  Throughout the meal, Liam is always touching me. He touches my leg or plays with my hair. I love how affectionate he is.

  I get out of the shower around ten o’clock, and I slip on another of Liam’s shirts and a pair of pajama pants. I walk into my bedroom, only to see Liam lying on his back, shirtless, with his arms behind his head.

  God, give me strength not to do unthinkable things right now.

  I swallow hard, trying not to let on how affected I am. I throw my clothes in the laundry basket and try to play it cool while walking to the bed, but on the inside I am anything but that.

  Liam pulls back the blanket for me, and I slide into bed beside him. I look at him, and he turns over, his thumb pressed into my bottom lip.

  “Baby,” he whispers, before his mouth brushes mine so softly it’s almost feather-like. I dig my fingers into the back of his head. I leave my eyes open, staring deeply into his. I smile, my lips moving against his ever so slightly.

  He tilts his head to the side, his thumb stroking my cheek. I giggle, biting my lip, and move my head forward, trying to kiss him.

  He lowers his head to kiss the side of my neck. I instinctively tilt my head to the side, his lips nibbling, kissing.

  Oh my goodness.

  I shiver, lift my leg, and let it rest on the back of his thigh. He takes that cue to move between my legs, still kissing my neck and throat.

  His hand slowly slides down my side to my thigh, which is draped over his hip. I want him so much, so much.

  He lifts his head, and his eyes are dark with want. His lips finally connect with mine, and I groan and tilt my hips, trying to get any kind of relief. His hand is on my thigh, slowly moving toward…

  I freeze, waiting to see what he is going to do.

  His hand moves closer and closer, goose bumps trailing in its wake. His finger stops at the edge of my panties, his lips break from mine, and I open my eyes to look at him.

  His eyes are searching my face and I nod, giving him the confirmation he is wanting. His fingers wrap around the strap of my underwear, pulling.

  I gasp as his thumb presses against my clit. “God,” I gasp once again, fire shooting through me.

  Liam sits up, removing his hand. He grabs the bottom of my shirt, I lift my arms, and he pulls the shirt over my head and drops it on the floor. He throws my underwear down right along with it, leaving me completely naked under his gaze.

  The urge to hide myself is strong. Liam perches himself over me, sliding down my body, his face stopping right above my breast. He looks at me one last time before his mouth latches on.

  “Fuck,” I hiss, fire shooting straight down to my pussy.

  His hand goes back between my legs, his thumb stroking my clit. He switches to the other breast, sucking and pulling.

  Driving me insane.

  He kisses his way down my stomach, my back arching. My hands are above my head, gripping the headboard.

  I can’t believe this is happening right now.

  His hand leaves, and I look down to see his head right between my legs.

  I squeeze my eyes shut—is he really doing what I think he is? I feel his breath right before his tongue drags across my clit. His hands wrap around my thighs, lifting them until they are on his shoulders.

  I bring my hands down from above my head to settle at the back of his head. My toes curl, and a finger slowly slides inside me, curling. I throw my head back. My legs are shaking—I am right at the edge.

  I clench around his finger, my whole body stiffening. He curls his finger and sucks at the same time, and I come hard.

  My whole body is shaking, and I cover my face with my hands, coming down from this amazing orgasm.

  Liam kisses both sides of my thigh, and I shiver and look at him. He smooths my hair out of my face, rubbing my cheekbone.

  “What about you?” I ask him.

  He shakes his head. “Baby, this was about you.” He covers me with the blanket, and I turn over and lie on his c
hest.

  “I can’t believe that just happened,” I whisper and he chuckles loudly. His fingers drift down my back softly. “It will happen again and again, Baby.”

  Excitement flows through me, butterflies swarming my stomach, and his fingers softly, tenderly rub my back and stroke my hair, causing my eyes to drift closed.

  At moments like this it hits me how blessed I am. I have waited for Liam to come home to me since I was eighteen years old, and now I am twenty-six.

  The feel of him holding me right now? It was so worth it, and so much more.

  “Liam?”

  “Yeah, sweet girl?”

  I smile into his chest. “I am glad you’re finally home.”

  He kisses the top of my head. “I am glad to be home.”

  I close my eyes, kiss the back of his hand, and tuck it under my face.

  “Goodnight.”

  “Night, Baby.”

  6

  Paisley

  One Week Later

  Why did I agree to go fishing with Liam? I regret that decision as I glare at the clock sitting on the nightstand; it reads 4:00 a.m.

  He wants to be on the water right at the ass crack of dawn. Don’t get me wrong—I love me some fishing—but night fishing is just as great in my opinion.

  “Baby.” He laughs loudly, pulling at my feet.

  I kick my legs, burrowing my head deeper into the pillow and tucking the blanket under my neck.

  He laughs again, thoroughly amused by me, apparently. I am not a morning person, not one bit. The blanket under my neck is pulled away, and my hand scrambles trying to catch it.

  It’s tossed onto the floor, and I look up at Liam, ready to hurt him. He holds his stomach, bent over because he’s laughing at me so hard.

  “Baby, we have to go! The fish will be biting soon,” he informs me, grinning at me ear-to-ear. I am trying to ignore the fact that he is absolutely gorgeous.

  “I am cold. I have to brush my hair and get my clothes on,” I whine, pulling the shirt I am wearing down over my legs.