by M. Sembera
The closer his footsteps became, the more she could feel the tiny prickles of anticipation on the surface of her skin intensify.
Stopping at the opposite side of the bar, Braden leaned forward resting his elbows against it, greeting, "'Morning."
Without a reply, she slid a box of fruit loops over to him.
"Cereal?"
Fighting the smile that was trying to come through her tone, Liv replied, "I didn't make it to the grocery store."
"You want me to go for you?"
Shaking her head she took a bite of her cereal.
After three bites, the silence was more than Liv could take and she looked up to see why he was being so quiet.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she questioned, realizing he had probably been smiling at her since he walked in.
"So, Fairmont's?"
"No."
"No?"
"That's what I said."
Braden's smile remained fixed as he asked, "Why not?"
"Because I'm not going on a date with you," she assured with a stern expression.
His smile grew wider as he questioned, "Did you sleep good last night?"
A smile of her own broke free before she reigned it in and took another bite of her cereal.
"Yesterday morning..." he started before she promptly cut him off, informing, "Was a one time thing."
Braden's smile faded for a moment before spreading across his face again as he questioned, "Really?"
Doing her best to brush him off, so they could get back to normal, Liv shared, "Look, the sex was hot but I'm just not into you like that."
Appearing as though he wanted to laugh, Braden cleared his throat and nodded.
What Liv imagined would be a feeling of relief turned into regret, then interest as he walked around to her side of the bar.
"What?"
Leaning as close as possible, without touching her, he questioned, "You're not into me?"
Blowing out a short breath, she insisted, "No."
Another nod preceded his, "Okay."
Liv's breathing picked up as he stepped behind her.
She started to question him, but stopped as he brushed her hair back from the side of her face and whispered, "Yes, you are," in her ear.
Slowly shaking her head, she felt his hands slide around her waist then down the front of her thighs while his lips grazed her earlobe.
"Eat your cereal then," he dared, challenging her like she had done with him the previous morning.
Fighting to keep her composure, she focused on the spoon that she couldn't seem to get a grip on.
The tiny prickles resting on the surface seeped through her skin down into her bones, chipping away at her resolve as Braden pressed his hands against the tops of her thighs. Kneading his way back to her waist with one hand. When his other slipped into the front of her pajama bottoms, Liv surrendered. Leaning her head back, she let out a soft moan that was instantly stifled by his kiss.
"You taste like fruit loops." He smiled against her mouth.
An involuntary groan prevented her from smiling back as the sensation his fingers coaxed caused her to shudder from the inside out.
Reaching back, Liv grabbed the shoulders of his t-shirt, twisting them in her hands as she murmured, "Braden..."
~
A rush of animalistic pride coursed through Braden's veins the moment his name came out of her mouth. His vision blurred and it was possible he blacked out momentarily. Furiously pulling her off of the barstool, he did everything in his power to provoke his name from her lips, again.
When the sweet sound of Liv calling his name echoed in his ears for a second time, Braden's entire body shook as he growled her name in return. Holding himself over her, her back was flat against the table top and her pajama bottoms were still hanging off one of her legs that were wrapped around his waist. He gazed down watching her breathe. With each deep breath, he noticed she wasn't trying to catch her breath. It was as if she was breathing for the first time. Savoring the air around her, around them. As he pulled her against his chest and kissed her, in his mind, he could still see her laying there basking in glorious satisfaction. It was a sight Braden knew he would never forget.
'Damn, I meant to go slow this time,' Braden reminded himself as he sat at the table while Liv was in the shower. It was insane that this was the second time, historically the third, and he was yet to see her naked. What was even crazier was how quickly he lost control with her. It was as if once her body peaked, it then demanded that he follow. He was, by nature, a slow and steady type of guy but this...this thing between them, was throwing him off balance. Sex was different with Liv. One minute he was completely in control of himself then in the next, his brain was on fire. He had always considered himself passionate, in a gentle sort of way. The idea of softly making love to a woman had always warmed his blood but being close to Liv scalded him, burning away every sane thought he had. Before today, he never needed to hear a woman moan his name, he didn't want to own her either, but thirty minutes ago, when both actually happened, he growled his victory.
~
Standing in her room just inside the door, Liv tried to wrap her mind around what Braden did to her. Yesterday, she thought, was a fluke. The sex was fast and good. Not to take anything away from his performance but when she thought it over this morning in bed, she was so turned on and it had been so long, she assumed it wouldn't have taken much to get her there. Today was similar, but with one major difference. He was ferocious. Whatever his body demanded, hers instantly complied. If he had told her to bark like a dog, she wouldn't have thought twice about it. There was no way she was going to be able to look at him now, without seeing his lust coated expression as he growled her name. That was a complication, but one the more she thought about it, could be worked out. As long as they were on the same page.
Liv walked up to the table, set her purse down and took a seat.
Pulling a small notebook out of her purse, she avoided eye contact with Braden as she made his daily list, "You still wanna grocery shop?"
"Sure but a... We need to talk about something first."
The seriousness of his tone caused her to state, "No," as she started to make his list.
"Liv, twice now we've had unprotected sex..."
Jerking her head up, she glared at him, asking, "You got somethin'?"
"Like a condom?"
Narrowing her eyes, she snapped, "No dumbass, like an STD."
"Whoa! No! Not what I was tryin' to say."
"You sure? 'Cause I have just enough time to kick your ass and call the doctor's office before I go to work."
Holding his hands up, Braden replied, "I swear."
Nodding, Liv looked back down at the list, informing, "I get a birth control shot every three months."
She could hear the relief in his voice as he replied, "Cool."
"We done?"
Braden hesitated before saying, "Yeah. I'm good."
~
Staring at seven different types of lettuce, Braden had been in the grocery store for a good hour and still hadn't made it out of the produce section.
"Romaine," Charlotte stated as she stepped next to him.
Smiling wide at her, he questioned, "What?"
Rolling her eyes at him she laughed, "Liv likes Romaine. Lettuce."
"Thank you! I didn't think I was going to make it past the vegetables on her list."
Shaking her head at him, Charlotte held out her hand, saying, "Let me see."
Handing her his list, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm picking up your brother's roast for tomorrow night."
Pulling a pen out of her purse, she started writing on his list.
"Did you ask her out?"
"I did."
Smiling at him, she coaxed, "And?"
"She said no."
Appearing genuinely disappointed, Charlotte replied, "Awe, I'm sorry."
Shrugging off her sympathy, he assured, "Na
h, it's all good."
"Really?"
"For sure. Its better this way."
With an understanding nod, she agreed, "Yeah, you're probably right."
"Thanks," he laughed as she handed him back the grocery list.
Charlotte walked away, looking back at him as she invited, "Dinner tomorrow at five thirty, okay."
"I'll be there." Braden replied before looking down at the list.
Laughing and shaking his head, he thought she was helping him. Instead she wrote, 'Roses are red. Violets are blue. I stopped by the shop to say hello to Liv. Somebodies putting it to her, and I'm betting it's you. ;)'
M16H
Pacing in front of her door, Liv waited for Braden to arrive. After spending the first forty five minutes she was awake, lying in bed, thinking about the last two days, and her conversation with Charlotte when she stopped by the shop, she came to a decision. If she wanted mad, passionate sex, and Braden wanted to give it to her, then why the hell not. Charlotte had suggested setting a few rules for having sex without relationship type attachments. She'd get around to that. In the meantime, there were things she had never experienced and wanted to try. Braden was still all the things she needed him to be to make it through day to day life. This was sex. Just sex. It didn't change anything between them. It only meant a little redefining to their friendship.
Liv glanced at the clock, then down at herself. Her white fitted night tank fell right above the center of her thighs. Reaching down, she made sure her white tube socks with red rings around the top were pulled all the way up to her knees. An eager smile formed when she recalled him saying her socks were sexy. It was good he thought so because it was rare she went without them. Over the years, Liv had acquired forty two pairs of the exact same socks, to insure she always had a clean pair available to wear. She knew it was a bit odd, but there was something about knowing they were there in her drawer, that gave her comfort.
For a moment, she wondered if she should do something with her hair. It was brushed but a little wild without being fixed. Dashing to her bathroom, she felt pressed for time. He would be here any minute now. Sweeping her hair up into a loose bun, she did one last quick check in her bedroom mirror as she walk past it before hurrying back to the living room.
Before she made it back to the door it opened. Wanting to lunge at Braden, she fought the invisible pull, forcing herself to stand still.
"'Morning," he greeted, closing and locking the door behind him.
His coppery red hair wasn't combed back like it normally was. It was short in the back but the top was wild, messy and almost stood straight up all by itself.
She wanted to run her fingers through the front of his hair, but remained in place, repeating, "'Morning."
Narrowing her eyes at him, she watched a smile start at the corner of his mouth before it spread across his face. He wasn't going to move.
Braden was just under five feet away from her, heightening the anticipation. It was an interesting little game he was trying to play. One that she was sure would spark excitement if things started to get a little boring. However, simply waiting for him to arrive was all the buildup she needed, and if he thought he was going to win he was wrong.
With a smirk on her face, she informed, "I'm not wearing underwear."
The smile fell from his face seconds before Braden was right in front of her, pulling at her hips and kissing her relentlessly.
~
In the shower, Liv mentally checked off living room floor from her sex list. She liked the variety of locations but even up against her door the first day could still be somewhat considered missionary. As much as she disliked the idea, she was going to have to have a sex conversation with Braden. There was no good reason not to, but since she had been avoiding the subject for years with him, it made her feel uncomfortable. Sure, there was a joke here and there, for the most part, that was how she kept things on a friendship level. Not necessarily so she didn't think about him in that way, more so he wouldn't think she thought about him like that.
Liv walked up to the table while Braden was sitting there eating French toast and looking over his list. She couldn't keep herself from relishing the fact that he was eating her food. It was silly in a way. One of her favorite things about him was that she could tell he enjoyed eating what she cooked. He always bit off too big of a bite then took his time chewing. Almost like he couldn't wait to get the food in his mouth but once it was there he wanted to savor it.
Pulling the chair next to his out, Liv sat down and placed her elbows on the table. Folding her hands together, she rested her cheek against them, waiting for him to look over at her.
"What's up?"
"How experienced are you?"
With a confused smile he replied, "In..."
"Sex."
Setting his fork down on his plate, Braden shifted to face her.
"Why?"
Blowing out a loud breath, Liv griped, "Just answer the question."
"I haven't slept with a lot of women," he answered with an uneasy tone.
With a slight laugh, she replied, "Good to know. Not what I was askin' though."
Seeming a bit more at ease now, he admitted, "I don't know what you mean then."
"Positions, scenarios, locations, you know, experience."
~
It took Braden a good minute of Liv sitting there with eyebrows raised, and dead silence for him to comprehend what came out of her mouth. Acknowledging the fact that he didn't know much about her in that area, he couldn't help wondering why she was asking.
"Are you?"
"You really need to work on your conversation skills."
As things he'd like to do to her flashed through his mind, he could feel himself starting to sweat.
"I can't answer unless you do."
Giving him a dirty look, she blurted, "Why not?"
"I don't have anything to compare it to."
Glancing around, Liv appeared to be thinking things over.
Leaning back in her chair she was matter of fact as she stated, "Mostly in bed. I've done it in a car twice. Except for that, only in bed up until Monday. Missionary. Nothin' fancy."
He could feel his throat constricting as he tried to swallow. The palms of his hands started to ache. Needing to be filled with some part, any part of her.
Clearing his throat, the only thing he could get to come out of his mouth was, "Damn shame."
A smile broke out across her face as she offered, "I'm down if you are."
Pushing his plate to the center of the table, he reached over and pulled her out of her chair and onto his lap.
~
Standing by the stove next to Auggie, Braden thought about how backwards it was that the girls were in the living room waiting on dinner and the guys were in the kitchen preparing it.
"You rode with Liv?"
"Nah, we just got here at the same time."
Seth gave a curious expression as Braden confirmed, "Really, I'm not being sarcastic."
"How's the library comin'?" Auggie asked, opening the stove to pull his roast out.
Backing out of his way, Braden replied, "Slow, I spent all damn day at the grocery store yesterday, then the paint I ordered didn't match the curtain and..."
Seth started laughing as he closed the oven door behind Auggie.
"What?"
"He's cooking, you're grocery shopping and decorating."
Auggie looked up from his roast with a hard scowl before teasing, "Guess that means your gonna have to take up sewing."
Braden laughed, adding, "You never heard the saying real men crochet?"
"I think sewing and crochet are two different things..."
Patting Seth on the back, Auggie laughed, "You would know."
Seth's face turned a little red as they laughed and called the girls into the kitchen for dinner.
~
Once Penny and Seth left, Liv said it was time for her to take off and Braden saw no reason to stay either. Aft
er thanking them for dinner, because Auggie made the best roast he'd tasted in a while, he caught up with Liv at the end of the driveway.
"See you tomorrow," he assured, walking past her on the way to his car.
Lowering her voice, she shared, "We can pick back up Friday."
Swiftly turning, Braden felt panicked as he reminded, "It's Thursday."
"We're still on for beer and pizza."
Giving her a confused look, he shook his head at her.
"I'm pretty sore."
Braden's chest swelled at her words, "Oh yeah?"
Rolling her eyes with a smirk on her face, she replied, "Later," sliding into her car.
Turning back to his car, he opened the door and slid in.
There was no way he'd be able to hold out until Friday. Really, it was in her best interest, not to skip a day. Everyone knows sore muscles need to be worked out. Besides, she wouldn't be able to hold out either. He was going to make sure of that.
M17H
The farmhouse had been in Braden's family for generations. Passed down to Kieran, from his father. The Caffrey's were tradesman. Each sect had its own skill and for the most part they stuck with it. Kieran's bunch happened to be markers. The only people who ever saw the inside of the marking room were the markers, or a man set on permanently declaring their heart with a Celtic one on the left side of his chest. It was a Caffery tradition, one that had never left the farmhouse. That was until Penny took over the title, moved the marking room to her house and now here Braden was about to paint the ceiling purple.
As Braden leaned against the wall, staring at the old marking chair in the corner of the room, the one Penny wouldn't take because she said it reminded her of a dentist chair. He rubbed the left side of his chest. Liv called it his badge of honor in order to poke fun at him. Looking back, he had no idea why he wanted it so bad. He recalled falling in love with it the moment his mom showed him the lily drawn on a square scrap of paper. Even after Lily married Kevin, he kept it folded in his wallet. Carrying it with him for years until he had, what he thought at the time, was a reason to have Kieran place it on the left side of his chest. When he thought about it now, it was less of a reason and more of an opportunity that presented itself. Braden hated Lily and everything that came from his relationship with her. Except for his tattoo. There was a part of him that knew he was meant to have that mark. Brooks asked him once why he didn't get it covered up. That was honestly never a thought for him. Lily may have been the reason behind it but the crazy part was, she never even saw it. It was over between them, for the last time, before he'd had the chance to show her.
