Liar

by Lia Fairchild

  “Oh, God, Daniel.” Her hand came atop mine, stopping my movement but pressing me harder into her as her sighs floated out into the night.

  I watched as the pleasure rolled through her body like the waves in front of us until it finally subsided into a slow, smooth flow.

  Once she settled, she arched and turned her body, kissing me once more before straddling my hips, pressing against my stiffness. “Mmm…” Her soft lips kissed my neck, moving up behind my ear. “Make love to me, now, Daniel.”

  Fat, wet drops fell from the sky, heating our skin as they landed. I let out a loud sigh, and Gray giggled against my neck. “Okay…take me home, and make love to me.”

  CHAPTER 9

  --------------------------

  Gray

  Had I been dreaming the most blissful dream imaginable? Were Daniel and I really together? The question popped into my head again as we pulled into his driveway. Each time I thought it, I replayed being wrapped up in Daniel’s capable arms…and hands…and mouth, at the foot of the ocean, underneath a dark sky. My attempts to lock the memory in a safe place caused me to miss his question. I stared at him blankly, a grin dancing behind my eyes. “Sorry, what?”

  “I just asked if you’re okay.”

  I blinked and nodded slowly, anticipation growing in my chest. I’d waited so long for Daniel to give himself to me, no holding back. And to give myself to him without fear of rejection. The beach was only the beginning.

  Granger greeted us at the door, tail fanning the air. Daniel ushered him away to the back door while I fought the onslaught of memories from my last visit to that house. That first night with Daniel had meant everything to me, only to be stolen by the very man who’d bestowed it to me. Refusing to let the memory play any part of our present, I kicked off my heels and strode to him where I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I’m so happy to be here.”

  He ran his hand down my scraggly, wind-blown hair. “Me too. It’s hard to believe we made it to this point.” A hand came under my chin. He kissed the top of my head. Then my cheek and my mouth.

  “Believing is what got us here,” I said.

  His smile shone down on me. “You’re just filled with deep thoughts tonight.” He pulled me tight against his body and stared into my eyes. “Can I get you anything?”

  “I’m good. I just want to freshen up a bit.”

  I excused myself to the bathroom. When I returned, Daniel sat in a leather chair in the living room, his eyes fixed in my direction as if he were anxiously awaiting my return. I froze for a moment under his intense gaze. Then I padded slowly over, stopping between his bent knees. With our eyes still connected, he ran a hand from behind my knee up my leg. The flutter in my stomach turned to a sweet ache between my thighs. My mind went right back to the beach and Daniel’s skillful touch.

  Except for the faint trickle of a fountain somewhere across the room, silence surrounded us as our eyes exchanged the passion and lust and longing that had been denied and stored for months. His breathing grew as heavy as mine felt, and I finally moved to break the trance. I slid my dress up to my hips and climbed on top of him, straddling his legs. His eyes widened when he noticed I’d already discarded my underwear. I brought my mouth to his, delivering slow, sensual touches. Needy nudges that begged him to take over…to take me. I felt a hunger billow from his mouth as we kissed. His hands dug into my hair, pulling me harder against his mouth. He ran them down my back, to my hips and ass, kneading and squeezing me.

  “Do you have any idea how bad I want you, Gray? How many times I’ve fantasized about this moment?”

  His whispered words and the building intensity lit a fire that raged through my system. I placed my hands on his cheeks. “I’m yours, Daniel.”

  I opened his shirt, kissing down with each button. I smoothed my hands over the ridges of his firm chest. A desperate need to get as close as possible to him took over as my hands ran down his abdomen. I eased his zipper down and pulled his boxers out of the way, revealing him, bold and beautiful, reminding me of our one special night together. His heated stare took mine, and in that moment, I saw the intense need Daniel had for me. My heart surged in reaction, and my breath caught. I leaned up and kissed his neck with sweet intent. Then I felt strong hands grasp my shoulders. I looked at him, waiting and wondering if I had read him wrong.

  “I hope you know this is everything to me,” he said, sitting up. “You’re everything.”

  We maneuvered around the rest of his clothes until all that lay beneath me was a mass of strength and masculinity, everything I needed and wanted. He took hold of the bottom of my dress and lifted it over my head, finally freeing us to connect, skin to skin.

  He pulled me into an embrace, kissing the top of my shoulder and my collarbone, making his way to my breasts. I arched my back for him to gain access. Every spot his mouth touched delivered a soft heat that stimulated every nerve ending in my body until I was half-crazed with want. I couldn’t wait another second for Daniel to bring us the ultimate closeness. Reading my thoughts and my body, he pulled back, leaving me anxious and needy as he retrieved a condom.

  As I rose up, he took hold of my waist, pressed his lips to my heated skin. Ready and eager, my body easily accepted him as if we were two broken pieces being put back together. Daniel groaned in response and buried his face in the crook of my neck. The hot, sweet relief of connection after all this time quickly catapulted me to the edge of desire.

  I moved above him as he guided my hips to the rhythm he desired. Slow and erotic, our bodies continued to rock together. It only took moments for his breath to grow to heavy pants in my ear. He reached under my arms and hooked his hands around my shoulders, pulling me deeper onto him.

  “God, you’re incredible.” His words came out in a breathy moan, alerting me how close he was and triggering my own building desire to release in a burst of electric sensations that surged through my system.

  “Daniel,” I cried out in pleasure, pressing hard against him until he took hold of his own release. We fell into a beautiful, lazy cadence that spread pulsating waves of pleasure over me until we finally both lay still. My head rested on his shoulder with my lips touching the side of his neck. Something inside me wouldn’t let me disconnect from him. A fear of losing that comforting feeling of home. The security of just knowing all was right with the world.

  What felt like a season of time went by with no movement or words from either of us. Only the calm rise and fall of his chest against mine. Then his hand slid up my back, sending chills down my spine. He gently pushed away the damp hair that collected on my cheek and forehead before placing a tender kiss on my warm skin.

  “What are you thinking about?” he said quietly.

  “How happy I am right now,” I replied, still nestled near his Adam’s apple. I felt the muscles on his face move, and I pictured the smile. A smile I took the credit for.

  “I’m going to make it my life’s mission to keep it that way,” he said.

  “I don’t think it’s going to be too hard.”

  He pulled to the side so he could see my face. “I would have been up for the challenge.”

  Though his tone and expression were playful, I answered sincerely, “I don’t want to be a challenge, Daniel. I want to be easy. For once in my life, I don’t want complicated…or challenging.”

  “I understand. And we’ll make it work. I promise you that.”

  He kissed me sweetly, and then fixed those midnight blue eyes on me in a way I’d never seen before. It so overwhelmed me that my eyes began to well up.

  I swallowed and asked, “What about you? Are you happy?”

  One side of his mouth turned up in a sweet, sexy way that left me wanting to press my lips to it. Instead, I waited curiously.

  “I could be happier,” he said.

  I narrowed my eyes on him. Clearly, he hadn’t heeded my warning for simplicity. “What…what do you mean?”

  “I mean, I’m happy, but I could be happier.”


  “All right. So what would make you happier?”

  “If you let me take you to my bed. Make love to you all night long. Fall asleep with you in my arms. Wake up the next day still holding you.”

  My insides filled with a strange mixture of lust and schoolgirl giddiness. I didn’t bother trying to hold back the grin that came. “I did say easy, didn’t I?”

  “You did.”

  Daniel carried me to the bedroom, set me down, and pulled back the covers. I climbed onto the cool sheets, remembering the last time I had lain in his bed. He stood over me, a gorgeous specimen of vigor. A man who represented everything good and strong and secure in my life. I leaned up on my elbows, taking the opportunity to get a good long look at him. Then I realized he was doing the same to me. I suddenly grew self-conscious.

  “What are you doing? Come to bed.” I moved to cover myself with the sheet.

  “Don’t…please.”

  “You’re staring at me.”

  “I know. You’re breathtaking.”

  I froze under his mesmerizing gaze. Having his undivided focus and attention on me had always made my body hum for him. Before, when Daniel had kept me at arm’s length, that seemed a fruitless endeavor. Now, it was a prophecy of heaven awaiting me that Daniel made good on. He made love to me all night. Slow. Urgent. Tender. Aggressive. Discovering, growing, and bonding until in the early hours of the morning, when we both finally surrendered to a blissful exhaustion that tugged us into sleep.

  Hours later, I stirred, with a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Daniel, calm and warm against my skin, still slept peacefully. I turned to face the opposite wall, wondering why I hadn’t thought to check until then. Obviously, I’d been so entranced by Daniel that I’d never checked if the image still hung there. Should it matter at this point? The trepidation flowing through my veins told me it did matter. There she was: Melissa. Still on the wall in Daniel’s bedroom, where he’d made love to me over and over. I rose up and rested my arms on my bent knees, staring at his drawing of her. How was that image any different from the ones he’d drawn of me?

  I couldn’t take my eyes away from the picture. My heart ached and raced as I gaped at her, fighting the guilt for my jealousy over a woman who’d done nothing to me. A woman whose life had been cut tragically short.

  I jumped when a hand landed on my shoulder. Daniel sat up next to me and put his arm around my shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  I turned my head to see what I could read in his expression. “If you know…then why?”

  His fingers brushed my chin and then slid them to my cheek. “First, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

  My defense mechanisms kicked in and hostility rose in my chest. “What am I thinking, Dr. Harrison?”

  He kept his voice calm and quiet. “You’re thinking I must have loved her deeply to keep that picture there. That I must still love her.”

  “Do you?”

  “No. What I felt for her couldn’t possibly be compared to what I feel for you. It’s like comparing a light rain to a tsunami. Please, Gray. You’re everything to me.”

  “Then why is she still there?” I turned my face away from him to look out into the darkness of the room.

  “That picture is not to remind me of some great love. It’s to remind me of my mistakes. To remind me of my weaknesses. I made a commitment to heal, and what happened to Melissa…what I did…I can’t ever let that go.”

  Anger bubbled up in me. “For God’s sake, Daniel. You didn’t do anything. How can you talk about letting the past go and moving on, when you obviously haven’t done it yourself?”

  My question was met with silence. I turned back to Daniel to find him shaking his head.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You’re right. I’m a hypocrite. But I can’t help it. I didn’t love Melissa. But I’ll always feel responsible for what happened to her.”

  A lump formed in my throat as panic stabbed through my chest at what his words could mean to us. As hard as I fought to keep them at bay, tears spilled out onto my cheeks.

  Daniel brushed them away with his thumbs. “Please don’t cry. And don’t be afraid. This doesn’t change anything between us.”

  “Then why does it feel that way whenever you talk about her?”

  “I said I didn’t love her. What I should have said was that I do love you. That’s the difference, Gray. Dammit, I love you! I think I’ve known it for a long time, but my fear kept me from trusting my own feelings.”

  My head grew dizzy with the onslaught of emotions. The tears didn’t stop, but came faster with his declaration. My breathing became erratic.

  “Hey.” He wiped more tears away and kissed me gently on the lips. “Did you hear what I said? I love you, Gray.”

  I chuckled against his lips, a maniacal, uncontrollable reaction that replaced the words in my head.

  He laughed in response. “Please say something.”

  I’d never said those words to a man before. I’d heard them a few times, but they were as meaningless as every relationship they’d belonged to. Hearing them then felt like a mirage. Like once I dared to say them aloud, the reality would disappear into oblivion. But that was how the Gray of the past thought. I took hold of Daniel’s wrist where his hand held my face. I sucked in a deep breath to collect myself, took a moment to let his words sink in and accept them as real. “I love you, too, Daniel.”

  He kissed me again, leaving our smiling lips touching. We breathed into each other and then my arms snaked around his neck, pulling him to me.

  “I love you more than my words could ever say,” I said with a slight quiver in my voice.

  His arms went to my back and squeezed me tighter into him, emotion radiating between us. Neither of us moved for several moments while we basked in our mutual affirmation. Then Daniel took my shoulders abruptly and pushed me away. “Let’s go away together.” His low tone vibrated with animation.

  “Go away?” That statement had too many possibilities attached to it not to clarify.

  “Yes. Just the two of us. We need some time together. Where we can just be the two of us.”

  “Oh.” I smiled with relief. “That sounds wonderful.”

  His face grew serious. “But I need you to promise me something.”

  “What?”

  “No more Dr. Harrison references from you.”

  I blinked away, my guilty expression flushed with heat. “So you’re not going to be analyzing me, then?”

  “I can promise you, I’ll try.” A sexy curl formed on his lips. “If you like, I’ll act as clueless as any other boyfriend.”

  “I like the sound of ‘boyfriend.’ But clueless? Um, no.”

  His hands, still holding my arms, pressed me back down on the bed. He rolled on top of me. “‘Boyfriend’ does sound very appealing. And as your boyfriend, I promise that instead of analyzing your brain, I’ll just examine your body.” Then he pressed his lips to mine.

  CHAPTER 10

  --------------------------

  Gray

  A violent pounding shook my front door just as I was about to jump into the shower. I threw on a T-shirt and shorts and hustled to the living room, heart racing at what awaited me on the other side. It wouldn’t be the first time a distressed person had appeared at my door. My neighbors were probably losing patience. As long as it wasn’t Alyssa. My biggest fear was something happening to her in that apartment, especially with Teddy living there.

  I checked the peephole and then opened the door to Nathan—not just distraught and disheveled, but under the influence of something.

  “I’m completely fucked, Gray!” He ran his hand through his dark mess of hair before he stomped in. “She screwed me.”

  “What happened?” I followed him over to the couch, where he fell onto a cushion and leaned on the knees of his ragged jeans. I placed a hand on his back, wary of the frame of mind I hadn’t seen for over a year.

  He turned his head to
me and shook it repeatedly while taking in air and releasing it. “Charlotte…she’s insane. That’s what happened.”

  An icy chill shot through my veins. “Tell me what happened.”

  “She went to Bruce and told him I’d been sexually harassing her. I’m suspended while they investigate.”

  His words were so absurd I almost laughed, but caught myself. It took a moment for it to register. “Oh my God!” I stood and paced across the room. “That’s crazy. She’s crazy.” I turned on my heel, anxiety building inside me. “Why would she do that?” When our eyes connected, it became clear. My gut twist into a thousand tiny knots all at once. “No.”

  He pulled his gaze from mine and stood. “We fought after the dinner at Savoy. Mostly about how embarrassing her behavior was. But then, somehow we ended up talking about you, and she left all hysterical. I thought after a few days she’d cool off and come back.”

  “Nathan, I’m so sorry.” I stepped forward, hesitant about his reaction. “I tried to talk to her that night. I actually thought it helped.” I looked down at my hands, not knowing what else to say.

  He tilted his head to gain my attention. “Hey,” he said, softening. Even in his current state, Nathan considered my feelings. “I don’t blame you, if that’s what you think.”

  “You should. This whole thing is my fault.” When would I stop being the cause of people’s troubles?

  His hands reached out to mine, clasped them firmly, and brought them up to his chest. “Charlotte has major issues. If it weren’t you, she’d have found something else to whack out about. Please don’t feel guilty.” He waited for my expression to change and continued. “Besides, I need you right now.”