Consumed

by Leslie Sansom

  “Liam…Liam…no, not like this. We don’t have time. I want you to take your time and for it to be special.” She was laughing and wiggling all around.

  “Oh come on, I can be very fast, trust me, and you won’t feel a thing, I promise. It will be very special.” I kept tickling her until I had to stop or lose my towel. I covered her body and kissed her a few more times.

  “Tonight sounds perfect. I have something I have wanted to talk about with you for a while now anyway.” I kissed her again.

  “Good. I’ll make a nice dinner…and I have something I want to discuss with you too.” It took an amount of restraint I didn’t know I had to move off of her, but somehow I managed it. I went back to my sock drawer and found the little black velvet box I had purchased so many weeks ago.

  ***

  I didn’t know what it was but something smelled fantastic. I walked in the dining room and Norah was lighting candles on the table next to a large arrangement of flowers. She was wearing the same simple black dress she wore the night of our first dinner together. It was perfect for this occasion. I reached down to my leg and made sure the box was still there. I didn’t know why but I was nervous. After everything we had been through, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. But after what I had put her through, I wasn’t sure if she wanted to be with me. A lot of things had happened to her since she had been with me. She might be worried for her safety if she stayed with me. I was not sure her answer would be yes.

  We ate dinner and kept looking up and smiling at each other. She had made a roasted corn salsa soup, a mixed green salad with an avocado dressing, grilled salmon, and rice pilaf.

  “Your cooking skills haven’t diminished one bit, Norah. This is delicious.” She cleared our plates and brought out a chocolate cake.

  “This is a chocolate, raspberry cake. It’s a new recipe. I looked it up today, but it smells wonderful. So I hope it tastes good.”

  “I’m sure it will be just as wonderful as it smells.” She cut into it and served me first. I took a bite and it melted in my mouth. “So do you want to go first or do you want me to go first?” she asked and it shocked me. I wasn’t use to pressure but I felt it. My heart started beating fast and I pushed the cake away from me. “You don’t like it?” she asked. I took her hand in mine. “Oh no, it’s great, just great. I’m just a little…a little nervous.” She took a bite of her cake then spoke to me with her mouth full. “Why are you nervous?” she laughed and covered her mouth. I handed her a napkin and caressed her fingers when I touched her. I cleared my throat.

  “Norah, I love you so much. When I say you are the best thing that ever happened to me, it isn’t a cliché. It’s true. I’ve never met a woman like you in my entire life. You captured my heart the first time we had dinner in this room, and probably before that. I think I have been in love with you since the first time I touched you. Watching you stand in the room on my yacht moving your hair from your neck and seeing your tattoo.” I took a breath thinking about that moment. “I hoped with all my heart that you would love me too. That somehow you would be able to find a way to forgive me and that we could make it work. I have never been so happy in all my life. I’ve asked you this question before, but this time, I want you to know I am very serious.” I took the box out of my pocket and I stood up, and then kneeled in front of her. I opened the box and took her hand in mine. “Norah, I can’t imagine my life without you. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?” I could feel the tears building in my eyes.

  She took her hand away from mine and wiped the tears from her face. She started nodding and had a big smile on her face. “Is that a yes?” I asked.

  She laughed and took my face in her hands. “Yes. Of course, yes! I will marry you!” We leaned into each other and kissed passionately. “Oh, thank you, baby. I love you so much!” I gasped in between kisses. I pulled away and took her hand again and put the ring on it. I kissed her hand and brought it to my cheek. “What did you want to talk about?” I was still smiling.

  “I want to go back to work.” My smiled dropped.

  “No.” I stood up, sat back in my chair, and took a sip of my wine.

  “What do you mean, no?” she asked.

  “The word is self-explanatory, Norah. But if you need me to say it out loud, I will. No you may not go back to work.”

  “Why?” as if she didn’t know why.

  “You know why, Norah, don’t play dumb. I am not risking you’re safety ever again.” I took another sip of wine.

  “You actually think Nick would try it again?”

  “No. I don’t think he’s that stupid…and don’t say his name to me again.” I stood up and walked over the buffet table to pour more wine.

  “Then why? Why are you still acting like a caveman?” She stood up and had her hands on her hips.

  “Because I am a caveman, dammit! You know that about me! Why are you acting like you don’t? I say you can’t work, then you can’t work and that’s the end of the conversation!” I made myself a harder drink this time and drank it down fast.

  “You think I’m going to do what you want just because I said I would marry you?” she yelled.

  “No. I think you’ll do what I want because I said it!” I leaned on my hands over the table toward her.

  “What if I got another job? Something closer to you, somewhere you could check on me?” she was really trying.

  “No.”

  “So what’s your plan, Liam? You think you can just leave me in this house all the time? I’ll take this ring off right now, because that isn’t gonna happen!” I held up my hand to stop her from taking the ring off.

  “Okay, okay, stop. Don’t take it off, please. We can work it out.” I walked around the table to her. “I have an idea.” I touched her shoulders. “I have a company. An event planning business, ironically.” I tilted my head. “It hasn’t been doing well, and I was going to sell it.” I took a deep breath. “But what if I gave it to you?” I asked.

  “Give it to me?” she repeated.

  “Yes. I will give it to you, the future Mrs. Hastings.” I moved some hair off her shoulder and gave her a chaste kiss.

  “I’ll give it to you and it will be yours. You can plan parties until your heart is content. The office is right across the street from my building and….I can hire spies to keep track of you.” I laughed.

  “Are you kidding?” she asked.

  “About the spies…yes. About the company…no.” I paused and held her shoulders tight. “But John will be there with you and I will hire you another bodyguard.” Before she could object. “Not forever, just to make me feel better. I won’t be able to work if I don’t know you’re safe.” She nodded.

  “Okay. As long as it’s not forever.”

  Norah

  I stood at the end of the bed admiring my amazing engagement ring. Liam walked out slowly in his boxer briefs with his predatory eyes. He grabbed me and pulled me to him kissing me like he hadn’t kissed me in weeks. And I guess he hadn’t, not like this. He pulled away and quickly pulled the nightgown over my head. We pressed against each other and crawled on the bed. Me in the crab position and him crawling over me. He moved his mouth to my neck, down my shoulder to my chest. I ran my hands down his back and pulled him closer, then I moved them around to his manhood and he groaned in my mouth. I rubbed him feeling him harden and lengthen. He rolled so I was on top of him and I pulled his shorts off. I licked him as I made my way back up his body. I took my time around his navel and sides, because I know he loves it. He moaned and moved his head back and forth. Then he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to his mouth.

  “I love you so much, baby. I’ve missed you so much.” I straddled him and tangled my hands in his hair. “Ride me, baby. I need to feel you.” I settled on him and he held me on him without letting me move for a moment. “Good lord, I forgot how good you feel.” He nestled my neck and made his humming noise as I slowly started to move. Our hands were all over each other. Our
mouths licked and sucked every place we could find. He gripped my hips and twisted to his knees and then covered my body. He pumped inside me a few more times and we rolled again so I was back on top. He laid back as I moved my hips.

  “Ah, shit…I told you I would be fast, little one.” He rolled on top of me and thrust harder and harder. “I’m gonna come. I’m gonna come baby.” I moved my hips against his faster and faster.

  I arched my back and let my release take over. I moaned and pulled his butt against me. He groaned louder and harder than I have ever heard before.

  “Damn, I hope your birth control still works, my future wife.” He leaned back and touched my face. “My future wife. Mrs. Norah Hastings.” He kissed me. “You’re really gonna marry me, Norah?”

  “Yes, Liam. I’m really gonna marry you. And our wedding will be the first event I plan in my event planning business.”

  The End of Book 2

  “Betrayed” Book 3 coming this summer!

  More titles by Leslie Sansom:

  Lost At Sea

  Lost in the World

  Stranger on Route 35

  Sold: Keeping her in the Dark Vol. 1

  Check out her blog

  Thedirtygirlsbookclub.wordpress.com

  Or follow her on twitter

  @lmsansom