"How about a break."
"A break?"
"I doubt you two seeing each other after your heated argument is going to solve anything. Maybe both of you could use some time apart."
"What will that achieve?"
Liam grinned and gave me a squeeze before he slipped his hand in mine. "Want to hear a story about Brian and me?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed. His presence alone was a nice distraction from my current heartache, and a story from his past left me intrigued.
"MEOWWWWWW." Our gazes fell on Pix who was attacking a big fuzzy pink ball.
"Where did he get that?"
"Brian got it."
"Brian got him a toy? So he DOES like cats!" I giggled.
"Brian hates admitting stuff unless he has to, but he's a big softy." Liam winked.
We moved out of the washroom with Pix following us down the hall. The bedroom was on the second floor of the house, and Brian was downstairs working on paperwork. I had a hunch he was giving us privacy which, again, was very considerate of him.
When we reached the bedroom, there were clothes already laid out for me. The maid had put out three different night outfit sets, complete with the underwear.
"How does your maid know my size?"
"I told her."
"And how were you able to get these when everywhere is closed?"
"I asked her to buy a variation of clothes, just in case you ever came to my place. I like being prepared." He grinned.
"Sneaky," I mumbled with a smile.
"Meow." Pix jumped onto the bed and sat on the middle outfit which was a white t-shirt and black boy shorts.
"See. Pix knows what comfort is all about." I giggled and reached out to pet his head. He purred in delight and Liam shook his head, walking over to put the other two sets of lingerie away.
I quickly changed, and we both sat on the bed while Pix hopped from one lap to another with his fuzzy ball.
"One time when we were small, Brian and I got into a huge argument. Like a really big one where we said some pretty mean words and wished we wouldn’t see each other ever again."
"Oh no." I furrowed my brow in concern. "Isn't that a little hard for twins? I mean, I don't know what it’s like, but aren't shifter twins a bit more connected?"
"Shifter twins are connected, and if we concentrate enough we can speak to each other telepathically," Liam revealed.
"You can?! Wait, so when I was in the rain with Brian..."
"He was telling me where you guys were and helping me not freak the fuck out and go beat the shit out of Alexander."
"Well, that's pretty cool. I mean, not the beating up Alexander part. I'm glad you had the restraint not to," I corrected. Liam smirked and nodded before he returned to his storytelling.
"Our parents decided we needed a break, so I went with my dad, and Brian went with my mom. We were apart for one full month, and it was the most miserable time I'd ever experienced."
"Did Brian feel the same?" I asked.
"Yes, and he got into some fights to release his frustration. He came back with a broken arm and a black eye, but he cried his eyes out and told Dad he never wanted to leave me again." Liam chuckled, and I ended up giggling.
"I shouldn't be laughing, but I can't imagine him crying when he's always acting tough," I snickered.
"Ya. He's always been a rough-around-the-edges type. Hard exterior, but a softy at heart. As a werewolf and an Alpha, he can't show his emotions as openly as I can. He's the leader of his pack, and with that comes certain abilities, like being connected to the others. If he loses control of his emotions, they'll feel it and be influenced by whatever emotion he's dealing with."
"That sounds like a lot of responsibility."
"It is. I think werewolves handle it well though. Even with their power struggles, their pack focuses on being strong as one, almost like a family. If one is in pain, everyone tries to work towards finding the problem and solving it. I like their dynamic better than vampires. We do care about our clan and the vampires within it, but it's more of a duty than a family bond," Liam elaborated.
He reached out to pet Pix who was laying on his side on my lap. "The moral of the story is that having the break made me realize how important it was to have my brother in my life. Alexander still cares for you, whether it be friendship or in a romantic way, but he's having trouble acknowledging what he wants. If you two have a break to focus on other priorities, he'll be able to see what he's missing," Liam concluded and leaned in to give me a peck on the cheek.
"That sounds therapeutic," I admitted, liking the idea. "Should I text him? That I won't be home for a few days?"
"Sure. Just say you need a break to work on a few things and won't be home. If you need anything from the house I can go with you if you don't want to go alone," Liam suggested.
"I'm okay. Pix is here, and Rin and Saturn are at Brian's office. I think maybe a week or two will be good. At least by then, his family stuff may be resolved and he'll be back to normal. I mean, I don't think we'll ever return to how things were because that was before I had you in my life. I just want him to be happy for me." I glanced up at Liam who nodded in understanding.
"I know, Sia. Alexander just needs a moment to step back and look at the whole picture. Once he does that, I think he'll get the wakeup call he needs to make his decision."
"Again you defend him, yet he was putting the blame on you."
"When someone is upset, that individual tries to point the finger at someone else. It's not until we sit down and think about everything that we realize who is truly at fault. Alexander thinks all this is happening because I entered your life. He doesn’t understand that I'm not a threat to him. Maybe he doesn't think I'll share you. Who knows? Regardless of what he thinks, when he understands that I'm not a threat and he won't lose his best friend that he secretly loves, he'll come around."
"You have so much faith in him when you barely know him," I pointed out.
"Brian somewhat knows him, and he doesn't have any major concerns. I think if he's dumb enough to make the wrong decision to not confess his real feelings, he doesn't deserve to have you. Anyone can make a few mistakes, but if you keep ignoring what is directly in front of you, there will be a time when it’s gone and you’re left with the realization of what a fool you had been for wasting all the chances you had to grab what you wanted."
"So wise." I yawned and rested my head on his shoulder.
"I try to be. Let's see how a two-week break goes. Okay?" Liam suggested.
"Okay. We'll try it," I confirmed.
* * *
After that moment, we'd headed to bed, and in the morning I'd decided to begin my break by texting Alexander and letting him know.
My phone was ruined, but surprisingly Brian had backed it up before it went off and ascended to cell phone heaven.
I was willing to buy a new one when I had a chance later on in the week, but when I woke up for breakfast the next day, there was a brand new iPhone Plus waiting for me on the large white marble kitchen counter.
When asked, Brian gave me the excuse that he'd need to be able to contact me whenever he needed me during work hours so it was a priority and covered by his employee policy. I figured it was his way of cheering me up after the previous night’s disaster, and he was going to do it in his own way.
Regardless of his reasons, I was grateful. I found the courage to text Alexander that I wouldn't be home for the next two weeks while I dealt with business. I didn't expect him to reply, and he didn't. That bothered me in the beginning, but it gave me enough motivation to do exactly what Liam suggested and give Alexander space.
After that, I'd begun my dual private secretary position with the Smiths, and all I could say after two weeks of mayhem was that the brothers were polar opposite when they were in their true work elements.
Compared to Brian's workplace where everyone was serious and would glare at you if you needed to disrupt their concentration, Liam's office had almost the sa
me amount of workers and was more laid back and super friendly.
It wasn't difficult to adapt to Liam's office, and Jaiyana, who was his main secretary for when he wasn't available, was awesome. She was one of those individuals who didn't have a care in the world, but if you didn’t give her what she wanted, she'd put you in your place until you gave her the exact time slot she needed to fit in Liam's schedule.
Not only did she show me around and introduce me to everyone, but she also made sure to stress my position and how they would need to cooperate with me when plans changed for whatever reason. It was as if I'd been promoted right to second tier management, and it was quite satisfying to see how easily accepted my role was taken in by the employees at Liam's office.
Not to say that Brian's office hadn’t been "accepting,” but it had taken a few weeks when I first started this job before I'd gained their trust to not fuck everything up. That or they must have thought I'd be a cocky bitch who'd want to take over the company.
Liam's office was mostly vampires, just like how Brian's was staffed mainly with werewolves, with the exception of a few employees.
When Liam was in his role as CEO, he was kind but strict when he needed to be. It appeared that many people wanted to please him, and would work extra hard to complete tasks before I needed to remind any of them.
Jaiyana had explained that their motto was about working together to build a foundation of unity, and Liam provided very good benefits for his employees which contributed to their relaxed and motivated behavior.
With Brian's work, they were goal-oriented and focused on remaining at the top, which meant they had to ensure things were done earlier than expected for the sake of being on time if something went wrong along the way.
They also had good benefits, but it was more cash value than Liam's which included health, vacation, and a monthly meal cheque bonus when an employee worked overtime or excelled in their role.
Overall, the differences were interesting to see, but regardless of those, both Smith CEO's treated their employees better than 90% of companies of such stature. My only issue was what an ass Brian was when he went into business mode.
I now understood why Liam had been so harsh in the beginning. That was how things got done for the small percentage of employees who loved to test Brian's patience. I wondered if it was a werewolf thing?
To some of the werewolves working here, it almost appeared like a challenge to test Brian's patience. I think every employee who tried to screw up with something related to our tight due dates were put into their place and begged to not lose their job for fucking up.
As for me? It was my duty to fix whatever they screwed up and that happened often. I constantly ran around the office making phone calls or corrections to ensure things went smoothly before the day was over.
The only thing I enjoyed was wearing comfy running shoes in the office because all the running back and forth was giving me multiple blisters to the point Liam scolded Brian, who then gave me permission to wear the white comfy sneakers.
Pix had been following me wherever I went, but I encouraged him to see Alexander a few times a week. I don't know if he did, but seeing as he was a smart cat, I figured he could make his own decisions.
He was currently curled up in my lap, sleeping through the morning ride to Liam's office. I kept my gaze focused out the window, getting lost in my thoughts as we turned off the freeway onto the main road.
I felt Liam's hands slide through my wavy black hair, and I turned my head to meet his softened expression. "Sorry. Did you not like us teasing you?"
"Hmph. You're laughing at my suffering."
"Essentially."
"You're not making her feel any better, Liam," Nick pointed out. Liam rolled his eyes and a sexy grin formed on his lips as he leaned over and gave me a slow kiss that made my toes curl and stomach flip. Damn. When did he get this good at kissing? Was he always this good? Maybe..hmmm.
He smirked against my lips, giving me another firm kiss before he pulled away. "How about now?"
Giggling, I uncrossed my arms and closed the distance between us. I gave him a deep kiss that made him growl quietly.
"There. Now we’re even," I purred.
"I'll just roll the window up now and let you know when we've arrived," Nick announced and didn't wait for either of us to reply as the black tinted window rose.
"Nick's really awesome," I praised.
"He can't hear that, but I'll tell him you said so."
"Why can't he?"
"Soundproof." Liam winked and my smile widened.
"Intriguing," I hummed. We continued kissing, and if it weren’t for the fact that Pix was on my lap, we would have done a lot more than the intimate touch of our lips.
When we were both out of breath, we pressed our foreheads together. "Hmm. I have a question."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Have you been taking your blood tablets?" Liam asked.
I was quiet which made him lean back and give me a look that made me groan. "No."
"Anastasia."
"I don't like them, and I forget!" I defended.
"How can you not like them?"
"They're like iron pills and they make your shit all shittier," I argued.
"That's bullshit."
"Maybe, but you'd have to take them yourself and test it out in the bathroom."
He shook his head and sighed. "At lunch, take your pills."
"No."
"Sia."
"I don't need to. I don't take them unless I really need them."
"And let you pass out on the job? Hell no, Sia. Are you even carrying some on you?" he asked. I pouted my lip and sighed, reaching for my purse and opening it up to show him the fresh pack that was next to my Louis Vuitton wallet.
"See. Brand new."
"Who reminded you?"
"Alexander," I mumbled.
"He texted you?" Liam asked.
"No. There was a note in my purse. I normally use this one for work, but I switched because I didn't know if I'd need more items when switching between you two, but I've gotten used to the scheduling so I took it out and saw it."
"Do you miss him."
"...ya. I thought...maybe he'd call or text or email? I've actually been on my email game without him around," I admitted.
"Because you don't want to miss his email if he sends you one," Liam murmured. I nodded and my shoulders sank.
"How can you, and even Brian, read me like a book, yet Alexander can't understand me?" I whispered.
Liam wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into a side hug. "I'm sure he does but doesn't want to admit he's wrong. Brian and I are older and wiser. We've been through shit and learned from our mistakes. He just needs to mature a little, and this break will help out," Liam assured me.
I sighed and nodded. "Yes. I'll just have to continue doing my thing...but you're still okay with me staying with you, right?"
"Getting to wake up to your beautiful face every morning is priceless."
"My drooling, zombie looking self, with her tangled black locks, bad breath, and half asleep desires to kiss you." I laughed.
He chuckled and shook his head. "It's all worth it." I couldn't help but laugh harder.
It was so weird that we'd been official for more than two weeks, yet it felt like we'd been dating for years.
"I'll take my pills at lunch, alright?" I reassured him.
He nodded in approval. "Good. I just want to make sure you're healthy, Sia.".
"I know, baby," I mumbled, leaning to kiss the top part of his neck.
He moaned. "Hmm. Baby, I have a meeting later."
"Even better," I muttered against his chest, sucking slowly before I bit it. I was tempted to actually bite him, but I resisted the urge, replacing it with pleasing him.
"Sia love. We're almost at work."
"A minute," I argued, and began to gently graze my teeth against his skin. I ran my tongue along his neck as I unbuttoned the top three but
tons of his white dress shirt. My lips skimmed down his neck to his shoulders, and I sucked and nibbled, causing Liam to moan quietly as he enjoyed every moment of the exchange. I wasn't satisfied until there were red hickey marks all over the top part of his chest and a visible hickey on the middle part of his left side that gave me great satisfaction.
Grinning at my love bite masterpiece, I buttoned up his shirt. My body still pulsed with a thrilling joy at hearing Liam's moans and quick breathing, encouraging me to make a mental note to have passionate sex with Liam tonight after work.
"Your eyes are turning silver, love," Liam whispered.
"Hmm. Can't I just stop traffic?" I mumbled.
He lifted an eyebrow. "Can you?"
"I could. Hmmm but you have a meeting. Boo," I huffed.
"Meow."
Pix stretched before he hopped off my lap to land on my purse. He squeezed himself inside and was quiet.
"I think Pix approves of alone time," Liam suggested.
"How close are we?"
"Five minutes."
"I guess no one would notice if I made it ten minutes." I grinned wickedly.
"Are succubi able to do that?" Liam asked. I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed onto his lap, his hands landing on my waist as he leaned back in his seat to stare up at me.
"I can do whatever I want," I whispered as I reached out to trail his bottom lip with my thumb. I knew my powers were in control, and if I had to shut down 14th Street to have my way with Liam, I certainly would.
Liam smiled, his eyes turning red as his hands slipped beneath my dress that had risen up when I climbed into his lap. I shivered at his touch and bit my lip as I leaned forward, my lips inches from his.
"Ten minutes."
"Fine with me, but remember I have a meeting in twenty."
"Understood," I murmured as I let my power flow out like a wave. Liam didn't know I could use a hint of magic, and it only amplified when I was in this state of mind.
Liam noticed the sudden change as the sounds of car horns, busy streets, and the loudness of the streets silenced.
"Magic?"
I grinned at his observation and claimed his lips.
SEDUCE MY HEART Page 7
