“Yeah!” Katie spat. “Bastard!” A beat passed, then another. Katie frowned. “Who’s Steven? I thought we were talking about Brody.”
“So …” My blurry gaze went from Chelsea to Katie. “How do you propose I get even?”
“D’oh!” Chelsea’s eyes practically rolled off her head. “We just told you. Hit on Liam!”
“Hit on Liam,” I repeated in a drunken stupor.
All I could hear was Chelsea and Katie clapping, quickly followed along with their steady chanting of: “Do it! Do it! Do it!”
Reveling in the excitement I heard in their voices, I caved in. “All right, all right. I’ll do it.”
“Yessssss!” Chelsea whooped.
“I’ve got an idea.” Katie began waving her hand in my face to get my attention. “You should surprise Liam by walking into his room …” She paused dramatically for effect. “Wearing nothing but a towel.”
I started to protest, but then I steeled myself to it.
This was the new me. The new Vivian was bold and impulsive.
The new Vivian never backed down from a dare.
I’d show Brody that I’m no boring ol’ Vanilla Vivian.
I’m Spicy Cinnamon Vivian.
Yeah! That’s who I am.
Right. Taking a long, deep, alcohol-infused breath, I staggered back into the house. After locking myself in the bathroom, I stripped down naked and wrapped myself in a fluffy white towel. With a final, silent prayer for courage, I pushed open the door and shuffled into Liam’s room.
The second I stepped into his room, his bathroom door swung open and he stepped out wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.
Now the both of us were wrapped in towels.
Awkward sauce.
I opened my mouth, but whatever I’d been planning to say seemed to die on my lips. His hair was wet and shower water beaded on his muscled chest. My gaze traveled over the thick cords of sinew on his forearms, the hard planes of his torso, and the narrow arrow of dark hair that trailed all the way down to a sizeable bulge. I swallowed. He was all hard angles and edges, and the sight of him half-naked was truly arresting.
Liam’s deep voice snapped me out of my trance. “What are you doing here, Viv?”
“Whooopsie!” I exclaimed with attempted bravado. “Wrong room!”
Good job, Viv. That’s the best you can come up with?
Just kill yourself now and get it over with.
Liam started to speak when Katie appeared out of nowhere. With a swift tug, she robbed me of the towel, leaving me stark naked in front of Liam.
Then I heard Katie and Chelsea’s heavy footsteps as they took off running at a fast clip. “Bye, Vivian! Bye, Liam!” they hollered, shrieking with laughter. The sound of the front door slamming shut followed soon after.
I, too, could have laughed it off and bolted for cover. Instead I stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed with shock. I bit down on my lower lip as my whole body filled with a sick, numbing dread. And for some inexplicable reason, my eyes went to Liam.
He didn’t move. He simply stood there, his searing gaze raking over my body like a heated caress.
An eternity seemed to have revolved between us before he blinked. Then he strode over to the computer desk and grabbed a button-down plaid shirt that was haphazardly draped over the swivel chair.
I found myself watching Liam as he walked toward me, a leisurely, almost predatory quality to his movements.
He caught and held my gaze as he wrapped the shirt around my shoulders.
“This is so-so humiliating,” I said almost inaudibly, feeling perilously close to tears. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t know where to look, didn’t know what to say. Eventually, I settled for, “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” was all he said.
I shrugged my arms into the sleeves and hugged the shirt tightly around my chest.
Liam was silent again and I dropped my eyes to the ground, all hunched over, trying to make myself appear as small and as insignificant as I felt.
There was no sound aside from the low humming noise coming from the computer.
I tried to blink away a silly tear. I didn’t want Liam to see me crying. Every time Brody caught me crying, his inevitable response was: “What the fuck are you crying about now?”
“Hey.” Liam’s voice was as soft and tender as a caress. He closed the small gap between us, and brushed away the lone tear. “It’s okay.”
At his gentle words, more tears streamed down my face. I did not understand where they were coming from. I just knew I couldn’t stop them. And much to my horror, my nose was running like a leaky faucet.
Joy.
“Talk about a hot mess.” I gave my nose a vicious swipe with my sleeve.
“Hey.” His hand moved up to cup my face, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You’re not a hot mess. You’re beautiful, Viv.” Then more hoarsely, “So damned beautiful.”
I ignored the small flush of pleasure I felt at his words. Sniffling loudly, I said, “You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.”
Slowly he traced a path along my cheekbone, regarding me with such tenderness that my heart skipped a beat. “I’m not lying.”
“You are,” I muttered weakly.
“I’m not. You underestimate your appeal, Viv.”
I had to look away. The deep intensity in his liquid brown eyes made my heart beat a little faster.
Again he said, “I’m not lying. You’re beautiful, okay? You’re so fuckin’ hot you’re the real reason for global warming.”
“Liam!” I shook my head and delivered a solid punch to his arm. “You’re such a dork. That’s the cheesiest line I’ve ever heard.”
“Hey.” He nudged me playfully. “Is that a smile I see?”
I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep from grinning. “Well, if I’m so hot, then why did Brody sleep with Jenna?”
“He did what?” Disbelief echoed in his voice.
“He hooked up with his ex. He-he said …” My throat grew so tight that I could barely get the words out. “He said I was frigid.”
“Frigid?” Surprise flashed in Liam’s eyes.
“Frigid.” I swallowed.
“Frigid?” Liam said again.
“Yes!” My voice pitched higher. “Which part of frigid did you not understand? Frigid! Sexually unresponsive! Whatever you wanna call it. So he went out and slept with Jenna. And now he’s been calling me nonstop! Why?” My voice filled with bleak despair. “What for?”
Liam stared at me for a long moment, his gaze going from my eyes to linger on my lips. “Vivian, you’re the best thing that ever could have happened to him.” He leaned forward until the distance between our lips could be measured in breaths. “Brody will never do better than you. Never. And he’s calling you because he knows it.”
I started to speak when Liam snaked an arm around my waist and drew me into his arms. My breasts met the welcome resistance of his broad, muscled chest as his lips sealed over mine, silencing me with a kiss.
His lips were moist, warm, and impossibly soft as they molded to mine. Slowly he ran his tongue over the seam of my mouth, tasting and gently coaxing.
My lips parted for him, and his tongue leisurely explored my mouth, stroking, caressing, and teasing.
Surrounded by the heat of his body, I twined my arms around his neck as he moved his mouth over my lips again, and again, and again.
At the grinding pressure of his lips, I gave in completely, my lips matching his, moving back and forth as my body melted into his.
A soft whimper caught in the back of my throat and Liam responded with a groan of his own, threading his fingers into my hair, tilting my head and pulling me tightly against him so he could deepen the kiss.
I could feel his heart thundering in his chest as his tongue plunged deeper into my mouth, joining our tongues in a slow and sensual dance that stoked the wild sensations in my blood.
I’d never felt so sexually aroused�
��just from a kiss.
All too soon he pulled away, as if reluctant to do so, his breathing as labored as my own. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” he whispered against my lips.
My face burned and my heart threatened to hammer its way out of my chest. “You-you have?”
He nodded, tracing a thumb along the corner of my mouth. “But don’t worry, that won’t ever happen again.”
I still couldn’t get over that kiss. It stirred something deep inside me that I hadn’t realized even existed. “It won’t?”
He shook his head and I saw by the reserve in his eyes that something was troubling him. “What’s wrong?”
Was something wrong with me?
Liam drew in a ragged breath. “You’re Julian’s little sister. And I promised him I’d look out for you.”
“So?” I skewed him a glance that was both standoffish and defiant, the buzz from the sangria clearly making me bolder than I normally would be. “Julian’s not here.”
Liam sighed in a way guys do when faced with unreasonable girls. “Article number three of the bro code: you never date your best friend’s sister.”
“Ah.” I pursed my lips. “So what’s article number one and two of the bro code?”
“You never date your best friend’s mother and grandmother.”
“Oh.” I paused. “But what if I want you to kiss me again?” I said, or was it just the alcohol talking? I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Vivian.” The word was a low, throaty warning. “It was a mistake. I got carried away.”
“But-but,” I stammered. “You can’t just leave it at that.”
“I can,” Liam said, squeezing my shoulders and putting some distance between us. “And I’m going to.”
He didn’t say another word and the silence threatened to suffocate me.
I began fumbling at the buttons of the plaid shirt, my fingers trembling as I worked my way up.
“Here, let me.” He batted my hand away and swiftly fastened the buttons, the back of his knuckles just barely grazing the curve of my breasts.
My skin prickled as a tremor of awareness shot through my body.
Liam jerked his hand away as though I’d scalded him.
Lowering my eyes, I fastened the last two buttons. When I risked a glance up, I caught him studying me. But this time there was an emotion in his eyes that I didn’t quite understand.
“Sorry.” He cleared his throat twice and it took him a few beats before he picked up the thread of conversation. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Do what?” I asked brazenly. Clearly, the alcohol had stolen away my inhibitions.
Liam shook his head slightly, as if to clear his thoughts. “I should go,” he said.
“Huh?” I stared at him blankly. “What are you talking about? This is your room. I am the one who should go.” In the awkward silence, I ran a hand through my hair. “I-I guess I’ll go.”
Without another word, I stumbled back to my room and closed the door tightly behind me. For a brief moment, I just stood there, speechless, unable to comprehend what had just happened. I felt confused, scared, and exhilarated all at once.
I rubbed the knuckle of my forefinger over my lips. The soft skin tingled even now from the memory of Liam’s kiss. That kiss … it was as unselfish as it was erotic.
I released a shaky breath. I couldn’t recall a kiss ever being like that.
His mouth was pure ecstasy and his tongue had made love to my mouth. With that kiss, I had been tossed headfirst into a blaze of unadulterated passion.
Liam kissed like a man who wanted to give pleasure.
And I’d seen the raw desire in his eyes, felt the tremor of his callused fingertips as they brushed across my breasts. It was so unexpected.
For years, Liam had barely even acknowledged my existence. I had spent my teen years pining after him, making a complete fool of myself to get his attention.
I was always concocting these highly improbable scenes in hopes that Liam would look at me with love-struck eyes and say, “Viv, I had no idea you were my dream girl.”
That and, “You … you complete me.”
Or we’d be standing in the rain, and he’d say, “Is it still raining? I hadn’t noticed.” Because he was far too busy drinking in the sight of me.
Or I’d be descending the stairs in my prom dress and he’d stare at me as if he had never seen me before.
I know. I know. Nauseatingly ad nauseam.
Ah, the inadvertent effects of watching too many rom coms.
Thinking back, when I was just nine, I’d even tried ‘drowning’ in the swimming pool in front of Liam.
But instead of diving into the pool to rescue me, he asked me if I was having fun splashing about.
And just a few minutes ago, he was kissing me.
Kissing me senseless.
Like his life had depended on it.
Okay, maybe I was getting a little carried away.
Maybe he was just trying to be nice.
Maybe it was just a charity kiss, designed to save me from further humiliation.
A whole lot of maybes raced through my mind as I tried to work out why Liam had kissed me.
Suddenly I was startled by a loud pounding. It sounded like it was coming from the front door.
“Vivian!” Silence. “Vivian!” The pounding on the door resumed with renewed force. “Vivian! I know you’re in there. Open the door!”
“Shit,” I uttered a low curse as panic tore through my veins. It was Brody.
“Vivian,” he was yelling again and I immediately sobered at the sound of his voice.
I threw on a pair of jeans, hurried out of my room and slammed straight into Liam, almost toppling backward in the process.
He slid his arms around to steady me. “You all right?”
I nodded, noting that Liam had pulled on a pair of jeans, too.
“Vivian!” Brody was now shouting even louder. “Open the damn door! Goddamn it!”
“Stay right here,” Liam spoke calmly. “I’ll take care of Brody.”
“No! Don’t!” I said in a rush. “Trust me, you don’t wanna get involved.”
“Viv,” Liam said in all-seriousness. “I’m already involved.”
“No,” I said in a panic. “You don’t understand. I don’t want Brody to get the wrong idea. Let me take care of it.” I brushed past him before he could stop me and hurried down to the foyer.
“Vivian!” The pounding got louder, vibrating through the entire house. “Open the fuckin’ door!”
Drawing in a deep breath, I braced myself before unlatching the chain lock. “Brody.” I opened the door and said in a level voice, “What are you doing here?”
“You weren’t answering my calls. You’re ignoring my texts. I had no choice. I had to see you.”
“Why?” I lifted my chin. “What for?”
He didn’t hide the anger in his voice. “We need to talk.”
I started backing away, hoping distance would calm him. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“We can work this out, babes.” He moved forward and reached for me, but I twisted my body out of his reach. “You and me—we’re meant to be. We can work through this. We can get through this. I know we can.”
“There’s no more we, Brody.” Emotion caught in my throat, prickly and raw. “It’s over.”
“No!” Brody began pacing the floor, walking back and forth in belligerent disbelief. “NO!” He threw his fist into the wall. “You do not call the shots! It is not over until I say it’s over.”
I turned and started to leave, but Brody caught my arm. “We can resolve this, Viv. We’re both adults. We can work through our conflicts.”
Liam strode out of the shadows and stepped between us. “Let her go,” he ordered.
“Hey!” Brody raised his hand in a gesture of surrender. “There’s no need to get so touchy. I’m just trying to have a conversation with my girlfriend. So I suggest you leave us alone and let u
s work through our conflicts.”
“Exactly what conflicts are you talking about here?” Liam’s tone was courteous, but that courtesy cloaked an edge of steel. “Huh? What conflicts? If you ask me, there are no conflicts. Conflicts involve two people. And as far as I’m concerned, the problem is you. Not Viv. So don’t you even try and make this about her.”
“Oh, I see what this is.” Brody’s sharp gaze went from Liam to me. “Is that why you’re wearing all that red lipstick, Viv? For him?” he demanded. “I’ve told you before, babes, it doesn’t suit you. Makes you look like a fuckin’ whore.”
“Don’t you dare speak to her like that!” Liam knotted his fist in the front of Brody’s shirt. “You are the problem!” His fist tightened around Brody’s shirt. “And the sooner you realize it, the better. Right now, I suggest you give Vivian some space.”
Brody swiped Liam’s hand away and stepped back. “That’s for Vivian to decide. Not you!” In a belated attempt at tenderness, he turned to me and softened his tone. “C’mon babes. You know how much I love you.”
“I’m sorry, Brody.” I hung my head down. “I can’t do this anymore.”
He stretched a hand toward me and I flinched away before he closed the gap.
For the briefest of seconds, Brody’s anger gave way to a look of stark despair. “I promise you, Viv. I’ll be good to you. I’ll never hurt you.”
Refusal was right there on my lips, but for reasons I couldn’t even begin to explain, I faltered.
Liam came to stand by my side. “You’ve already hurt her. In the ten minutes you’ve been here you’ve disrespected her, yelled at her, and hurt her. I strongly suggest you leave. Now.”
Brody’s hands flexed and fisted at his sides. “You need to fuck off.”
“Maybe I should call the cops,” Liam suggested.
The expression on Brody’s face turned the dread coursing through me into panic.
“Brody no—” Before the words had even left my lips, he lunged at Liam, his fist flying to connect with any part of him.
Liam deflected, caught Brody’s arm and spun him, jerking the limb behind his back. “I’m not going to call the cops. But if you ever show up again, I swear to you I will. Do you understand me?”
“Fuck you,” Brody spat, craning his neck, trying to look over his shoulder.
Vivian's List (Vol. 1) Page 4
