Texas Hellcat
Page 14
I shook my head. “I told you I’m sorry. I was humiliated, and I had to get out of there. I didn’t stop to think,” I murmured as he pulled me into his side and kissed the top of my head.
My heart rate quickened when we stepped inside. I’d never been in an exclusive boutique before. A beautiful young girl met us at the door. Petit beyond reason and insanely beautiful, the salesgirl immediately put me in self-comparison mode. I was feeling rather grungy in my weekend jeans, t-shirt and Birkenstocks.
“May I help you?”
Liam smiled down at me, acting as if he barely noticed the young assistant. “Please, my girlfriend has a gift certificate I purchased for her, and she needs to use it.”
He took the first of the gift certificates from me and handed it to her. Upon opening it, she looked back at Liam as a second young woman walked up.
“Oh, Mr. Covington! I’m sure Faith didn’t recognize you! The owner told us we should be expecting you. We have some things already pulled for Miss Sanger, if you will follow us to the consulting room,” she gushed, taking his arm and leaving me in Faith’s hands. The second woman certainly seemed to recognize Liam, although it didn’t seem as though it was on a personal level. Leaving her practically drooling and hanging on him, I was hustled back to an elegant dressing room where several outfits had already been placed for me to try on. One by one, I modeled the trendy outfits for Liam, who seemed to be enjoying watching me shop and taking an interest in everything I tried on. To my amusement, he chatted away with the flirty salesgirl number two as she drooled over him, but gave me his full attention anytime I stepped out to show him an outfit.
Faith whispered giddily to me as she closed the door to the dressing room, “Most guys are bored and disinterested when they come in with their girlfriends. He’s really sweet.”
I gazed at her reflection as she helped me out of the tight maxi-dress I’d just modeled for him. Handing me a very see-thru white chiffon blouse she added, “And he can’t take his eyes off of you! You’re a very lucky girl,” she breathed. I hesitated as I shrugged into the soft, wispy blouse. Liam was amazingly sweet and generous where I was concerned...and it made me nervous. The way he treated me seemed a million light years away from the cocky womanizer who I’d met weeks ago.
“Isn’t there something that goes under this? It’s really transparent,” I observed, turning back to look in the mirror.
“It’s supposed to be. We have some really beautiful lingerie we show with it, meant to be seen through the fabric. We usually pair it with a pair of dressy satin crop pants or a short sequin skirt for dressy occasions.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I hesitated. I’d never been one to wear a high slit in a skirt or show any boob like most girls my age. There was just something about being poor. On the rich sorority girls this type blouse seemed like a sexy fashion statement. On me or my sister I always thought it screamed “looking for a pimp.”
“Mr. Covington will love it. Come on,” she urged as she handed me a beautiful beaded maxi-skirt. After I’d shrugged into the skirt, I checked the tag. My heart skipped a beat and my knees began to weaken. I squinted, thinking surely I was seeing one too many zeros. As I focused, I realized I was right. The tag said not $80, but $800.
“At these prices I’ll have the certificate used in no time.” I took a deep breath and stepped out of the dressing room.
“That one is definitely a keeper. If we go to my parents club with them you’ll make my sister-in-law jealous in it,” Liam gushed as he stood and met me in the archway into the viewing room. Girl number two was giggling and filling a glass of wine for him, entertaining him between outfits. When he rose to meet me, she quieted, watching him approach me. Was it my imagination, or was she shooting daggers my direction?
I took a deep breath and forced my attention back to him as he circled me. “I don’t know, this seems a little skimpy,” I said. He shook his head.
“It’s beautiful on you. We’re buying it,” he nodded to Faith.
“I don’t know how I’m going to pick from all of these, they’re all so beautiful. I’ve certainly found enough. Let me go and see if I can narrow it down to two or three outfits,” I said.
Liam turned to the other woman. “Gail, would it be possible for you to pair some shoes with the outfits from the other boutique? We’re in kind of a hurry, and we need to be on our way,” he asked as Faith carried the stack of beautiful clothes out of the dressing room and toward the main counter. “Kel, what size shoe do you wear?”
“I…um, a seven, I think,” I murmured, wondering how I was going to choose outfits so quickly. Before I could ask to see the outfits again, Gail, the woman who’d been chatting with Liam handed me a pair of woven silk crop pants and a dressy white lace camisole. Liam followed Faith to the counter as Gail spoke to me.
“He wants you to put this one on, he thought you might wear it now. Faith has gone to find the perfect shoes for it,” she said, urging me back into the dressing room. “I can’t believe I’ve met him twice now,” she breathed as I closed the door once more.
“Liam? You’ve met before?” I noticed she was using his first name now. Jealousy suddenly reared its ugly head. Just the sound of her voice caressing his name brought out the worst in me.
She turned as she hooked the hangers carefully on the dainty Victorian dress rack in the room. “Yes, once when we were at UT, and then again today. He’s still larger than life, and gorgeous to boot. I just can’t believe he didn’t go pro,” she shook her head as I paused from removing my blouse.
“Go pro?” I repeated in a question.
“NFL. You know, after playing for UT,” she said simply. “He was three years older than me, but every girl on campus was in love with him. We’d all go and watch practice every day…even skip class and hang out in the Johnson Library parking lot, just to catch a glimpse of him walking to the practice field.”
“Liam played football for UT?” I asked, almost in a whisper. How could I not know this? It’s simple, dingbat. You’ve been so wrapped up in knowing you’re not good enough for him, you never asked him any personal questions!
“You didn’t know, and you’re dating him? You must not be from Austin.” She looked me up and down in disbelief.
“I am. I graduated from UT last May,” I explained. She shook her head.
“We were a few years ahead of you. And he did always seem humble about his talent. I remember once he was quoted in Texas Monthly as saying, “I’m lucky football comes so naturally to me, or I would really disappoint my dad.” Then not long after, he was drafted to play in the NFL, but then turned it down and kind of disappeared from the radar.”
“I can’t believe he never told me,” I murmured.
She snorted as she helped me into the camisole. “Maybe you might want to find something out about him before you bang him again,” she murmured, turning her back to me. The dressing room suddenly seemed very small with the jealous salesgirl in close proximity. After I’d pulled the crop pants up, she handed me a cream colored tie the same silk as the pants to tie my hair back with. I turned and looked into the mirror.
“I look like a deb,” I murmured, wondering for the hundredth time what I was doing here.
“Hmm. Yes, you look great. It’s amazing how just anyone can look with expensive clothes to clean up with,” she replied cattily.
Feeling as if I’d been sucker-punched, I pulled the curtain back to find Faith standing just outside with a pair of iridescent brown strappy-sandals with kitten heels.
“Here, these should do. Mr. Covington is loading your things in your car.”
I slipped the sandals on, and then turned to look in the mirror. “They’re great, but how much are they?” I asked nervously. I had no idea how much he’d already picked out, and I didn’t want to go over budget on the gift certificate.
“Mr. Covington took care of it already. Here, I put your clothes you were wearing in a shopping bag for you, along with the shoe box.”
“Ready to go? The other shoes will be messengered over,” he replied as he took my bag from me.
I turned to the two women. “I really appreciate all your help.”
“It was our pleasure, Miss Sanger. We will look forward to you coming in again in the future,” Faith replied.
I wouldn’t bet on it, I was thinking to myself. I couldn’t even afford the silk hair tie I was wearing out of the store. And I wasn’t all warm and fuzzy at the thought of seeing Gail the catty salesgirl again. I was feeling a bit irritated Liam had just made the choices of outfits for me, but then I mentally scolded myself. He could do anything he wanted. He’d paid for the shopping spree. I was just so overwhelmed by his generosity, and I couldn’t fathom why I was irritated by it. Then it hit me…shades of my mother…memories of the rich men in her life, buying their way into her bed at first with fur coats, later with expensive cocaine. Reeves had charmed his way into her life like that, even showering Dana and me with gifts.
I was suddenly nauseated. Was I just like her?
“Kel, is something wrong? Where are you?” he asked softly, pulling back into traffic.
My nerves were working overtime with dealing with the catty, jealous salesgirl, and my head was spinning with over-analyzing our relationship. Liam never told me about his football career at UT. “It’s a good thing football comes naturally to me, or I might really disappoint my Dad.” He’d said early on he’d messed up for a few years, and threw some chances away. Was I another way to get back at his dad? My heart clenched with the thought his infatuation with me might just be a tool to get at his family.
“Kelly, have I done something to upset you? I thought you would enjoy the shopping trip.”
I finally turned and looked at him. We were in busy 4:00 traffic, headed toward San Antonio, but he was focusing on me instead of the road.
“No, of course not. I’m sorry, I’m just a bit overwhelmed. This is all so new to me,” I murmured, still trying to put my thoughts into words.
“What? The relationship? I know I introduced you as my girlfriend back there, and I’d hoped that’s who you are.”
“Me too. I’d begun to hope so too,” I answered softly, studying my hands in my lap.
“Okay, Kel…where’s my hellcat? Where’s the girl who says exactly what’s on her mind and isn’t afraid of anything?”
“It’s…all of it. All of this,” I gestured to the outfit I was wearing.
“They’re just clothes, Kelly.”
“Were you afraid I’d embarrass you at your parents in my clothes?” I asked.
He changed lanes suddenly, crossing two before taking an exit. He wheeled into a restaurant parking lot and threw the SUV into park, turning to me with an angry look.
“NO! I don’t care if you put the jeans back on you had on earlier. You look hot in them, by the way. They give you the curviest ass, and I can’t take my eyes off you when you wear them! I just thought the new things might give you confidence, having to meet my family tonight and all. I’m sorry if I gave you the impression I could possibly be embarrassed by you. Nothing is further from the truth! I can’t wait to introduce you to my family.”
I sat in silence for several moments, still unable to understand my mood and why the day’s events had made me so unhappy.
“Talk to me. If you want, we can take the clothes back,” he said finally, sounding like I’d slapped him.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, it’s me,” I said finally, the tears beginning to gather in frustration. Then I got angry. “What is it about you that makes me want to cry? I never cry,” I said forcefully, willing the tears to stop. I shook my head, and then took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you tell me you played football for UT?”
He’d been watching me as I tried to get hold of my emotions, but I noted his eyes widened at my question.
“You’re kidding. You didn’t know?”
“NO! I can’t believe we talked in the Cajun place about football, about loving UT, the fact we both went there! I even told you I wanted to go to some games next fall! You never mentioned it! Why?”
“I really thought you knew. The guys all razz me at work all the time. Haven’t you ever heard one of them say, “Hey, jock strap,” or “Catch that pass, Covington,” when some girl flirted?”
“I just thought…I don’t know what I thought, just that you were athletic looking, I guess,” I shrugged.
“Part of what drew me to you was the fact you weren’t falling at my feet because of it,” he murmured as he played with a lock of my hair. “Don’t start drooling over me now, Hellcat. I might have to dump you for it.”
“Don’t hold your breath, frat-boy. Dumb athletes aren’t my type,” I retorted.
He grabbed me, pulling me against him in spite of the console between us. His lips were bruising as he forced my mouth open with his, his tongue invading mine in the most dominate manner possible. I couldn’t think of anything but him--the way he felt and the tension in his body as his hands roamed over me. I gasped when he slid his hands under my camisole, under the straps of my bra, his thumb gently teasing my breast. I tried to pull away as his teeth grazed my lower lip, pulling at it sensually.
“There’s my Hellcat,” he whispered, grazing his teeth across my jawline and then finding my ear. “She’s the one who really turns me on,” he whispered, hands leaving my torso and sliding south.
I pulled away and gazed at him. Fire burned in his eyes--fire for me. I was terrified, and I couldn’t explain that feeling any more than I could explain why I’d felt so worthless and undeserving of the gifts earlier. All I knew was I couldn’t get enough of him, and when he touched me, all reason left me. Nothing else mattered.
“I feel a million emotions when I’m with you, and I don’t understand any of them.”
“Tell me, baby,” he urged as he looked back and forth into my eyes.
“I’m afraid of being like her. I’m afraid of making the same mistakes,” I whispered.
“Who…Dana? Kel, you’re nothing like your sister,” he said, shaking his head.
“No, Liam…Her…my mother,” I finally whispered. His expression softened as he reached his hand out to caress my cheek. I continued, “My mother was beautiful. She was a blonde, blue-eyed bombshell, tiny and gorgeous. Men fell at her feet. She was the kind of woman every man who saw her had to have her. They’d buy her clothes, furs, jewelry…and then later, drugs. Cocaine was her drug of choice.”
The light dawned as a pained expression crossed his face. “Kelly, that’s not what this is. I am so sorry. I just wanted to make you happy, that’s all, I swear. I never meant to make you feel cheap.”
I swallowed the rather large lump in my throat and nodded at him. Taking a deep breath, I continued, “I really started feeling edgy in the dressing room when the sales girl pointed your football career out to me. I realized everything has been about me and my past. I’ve never asked you about you. I feel bad about it. I don’t even know for sure what you’re doing at our company.”
He smiled slightly. “I’m boring. What do you want to know?”
“What are your parent’s names?”
“My mother’s name is Ellen, and my dad is Davis. I have an older brother named Ethan, and a younger sister Allison. Anything else?”
“I gather your family is wealthy?” I asked.
“I guess you could say that. I’ve had a privileged upbringing as I told you before,” he said, a flash of pain briefly crossing his face. “Don’t let the money fool you. My family has had their own share of trouble. You know the old saying, ‘Money doesn’t buy happiness.’”
Liam put the SUV back in drive, and pulled out into traffic. After about a mile, I decided he wasn’t going to tell me anymore unless I asked specifics.
“What about your brother…Ethan? He’s the one I heard on the answering machine?”
“Yeah.
My older brother. He went to UT, graduated with honors from law school, just as my father ordered. He married the girl my father wanted him to. He’s the perfect son.”
“And you’re not?” I asked after several moments. He glanced in the rear-view mirror and then signaled to change lanes.
“No. Far from it. I tried to be, then rebelled for a while under the pressure. I really resented my dad for a long time. Then I realized how sad it all was – how sad my dad was.”
I watched him for several moments. He seemed to be warring with himself, choosing the right words to carefully explain their family dynamic.
“How so? How was your dad sad?”
“My mother sat me down one day, after I’d pissed away the NFL with some really stupid decisions. I didn’t know it at the time, but that life wasn’t what I wanted. I was angry at my father for pushing me toward football so hard…pushing me to go pro. My mother explained why. It suddenly made sense to me.
“What made sense, Liam?” I asked softly. He was opening up some old wound for me, and it made me feel more special than his buying me expensive clothes.
“My father and his motivation for pushing me. I was smart enough to figure out he was reliving his lost youth through me. But what I didn’t realize was why he was pushing Ethan and me both so hard. He was still trying to please my grandfather, and as my mother pointed out, pleasing my grandfather was something my father would never be able to do. My mother also explained sports were the only way my father knew to bond with us boys. He showed his love through his love of the sport, and being able to share it with us.”
“He was pushing you because of his own father? You’d think he’d learn from his own dad and not repeat history,” I said softly, understanding what made him tick so much better now.
“No. Not his father, my mother’s father. My mother married someone who didn’t live up to her family’s expectations. My grandfather is a tough old Texas bird,” he commented as he changed lanes again. “My mother was the one with the wealthy family. My dad didn’t have a pot to piss in before he married her.”