“Liam must be like his father more than he realizes,” I replied as I fingered the bracelet on my wrist.
“Yes, he is in some ways.” Then she smiled and added, “But don’t tell him. It makes him fighting mad.”
I nodded at her as the others joined us.
“Something smells good, Mama. What’s for supper?” Davis asked, moving to the head of the table.
“Stuffed shrimp--the boys’ favorite.”
“Man, you kids are going to have to come home more often so Mama will cook,” he teased as he placed Sammy in a high chair to his right. Liam moved behind me and pulled my chair out.
“I freshened your wine,” he remarked, placing my glass in front of me.
“Thank you,” I answered, tipping my head back to meet his grin.
“Son, I’ll take some bourbon,” his father remarked.
“Like we didn’t know. I already have your glass,” Ethan answered as he strode into the room carrying three glasses. He placed a wine glass at Chelsea’s place, one at his own, and then moved toward his father with a full glass of amber liquid.
“Now you know why he’s the favorite,” Davis grinned at Liam, and then, remarkably blushed as he moved to gaze at me. I smiled timidly at him.
As Ellen sat down to my right, she passed me a bowl. “Balsamic glazed asparagus and carrots?” she asked. I took the bowl from her.
“Thank you, it looks wonderful.”
“Do you like to cook?” she inquired as she continued to pass the bowls around the table.
“Yes Ma’am, I do…when I have the time,” I added.
“Can she cook, Liam?” Ethan asked. He elbowed Chelsea, who shot him a look.
“I don’t know, she hasn’t cooked for me yet. My hotel room doesn’t exactly have a kitchen. But her roommates say she’s an excellent cook and does all the cooking for them.”
“Liam, you really should do something about that. I thought you were going to look for an apartment in downtown Austin,” Ellen remarked.
“Well, that was the plan, but now I’m thinking I might want something a little more substantial, maybe a house,” he murmured, looking down at me.
“Find out if they can cook before you reel ‘em in, I found out a little too late,” Ethan joked. Chelsea glared at him.
“Ethan Covington, you’re really asking for it tonight! And no, I’m not the best cook, but I’m learning,” she shot back as Davis chuckled.
“Ethan, I don’t think I’d complain if I were you. Not everyone has a wife who’s a pediatric surgeon, a mother, and can cook to boot. Two out of three ain’t bad,” he said as he winked at Chelsea.
Pediatric surgeon! Ethan’s wife…My trying not to be intimidated around Liam’s family just shot up a degree or two. Liam felt me stiffen at his side, and placed his hand on my leg under the table, squeezing it gently. The fact he was trying to put me at ease suddenly made me feel warm. I slid my hand over and closed it over his as he turned and smiled at me.
The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Ellen, who seemed to be aware of everything in the room.
“So tell me, Kelly, where did you go to school?”
“I graduated from UT last May.”
“Good School. Lots of good athletes come out of there…lawyers too,” Davis acknowledged as he reached for another roll. “So, what was your major?”
“Well, I started out an art/history major, but changed it my junior year. I majored in business management and marketing,” I answered quietly.
“So where is your family from?” Chelsea asked.
“My grandparents were from Fredericksburg. I kind of bounced back and forth between there and my mother in Houston,” I answered vaguely.
“Oh, I love Fredericksburg! It is such a quaint old German town. They have the most unique shops,” Chelsea gushed. “Do your grandparents still live there?”
“No, they’re gone now,” I replied.
“Kelly’s been on her own now since she was fifteen,” Liam explained softly, watching his father’s reaction. “Her mother died, and then her Aunt died, leaving her and her sister without anyone. She raised her sister and put herself through school. She’s quite an amazing, woman,” he finished, placing his arm around my shoulders. I blushed profusely.
“Oh, Kelly, that’s remarkable! I really admire you for getting your education all on your own!” Ellen said warmly.
“It’s about time you joined us. Where are your manners?” Davis boomed from the head of the table. I turned to find Allison standing in the doorway.
“I guess I left them upstairs,” she answered sarcastically.
“Watch your tone, young lady. I’ve had about enough out of you the past couple of days,” Davis warned as she plopped down in a chair.
“Allison, fix your plate and join us,” Ellen urged gently.
“Allie, Kelly was just telling us about her degrees. She went to the University of Texas too, just like your brothers.” Davis was obviously baiting his daughter. I felt a small pang of sympathy for her; she couldn’t be more than sixteen. She probably hadn’t made a decision about a prom dress yet, much less where to go to school.
“Well, kudos to Kelly and my brothers for picking the right school. I think I’m going to join the Peace Corps or something. School isn’t my thing,” she shot out as she spooned some of the shrimp on her plate.
“Do you even know what the Peace Corps are, Allie?” Ethan asked with a smirk.
“Volunteering or something?” she shot back as she rolled her eyes.
“Or something,” Liam added with a wink at me. “Dad, let her have a date first. Then she can decide on college and a career.”
“Lucky for me I don’t play football, huh hot shot?” Allison retorted as she played with her food.
Liam stiffened beside me.
“Cause I’d already have everything planned out for me, down to the last touchdown and NFL draft,” she continued to bait him as her mother cleared her throat.
“Allison Marie,” she warned.
Allie ignored her mother as she continued. “Although, I think I’d be smart enough not to screw the head coach’s daughter the night of the draft and get caught naked and locked out of my hotel room with the paparazzi watching,” she continued. Everyone stopped eating.
“Allison, that’s enough! I’ve raised you better than to purposely embarrass your own family in front of company! You can leave the table and return to your room!” Ellen’s voice rose just enough to let the family know she meant business without losing her lady-like demeanor.
I could tell for the first time since I’d known him, Liam was embarrassed, and having a hard time gaining his composure. It was my turn to relieve the tension. I placed my hand on his leg and gently squeezed, like he’d done to mine earlier. I felt him relax his shoulders a bit. A heavy silence still hung over the table.
“Well, at least I know now why you jump when camera’s flash,” I broke the silence. Liam looked at me disbelievingly. Ethan broke out into guffaws. A smile broke across his face as Davis joined in, laughing as loud as Ethan.
“Really, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what’s gotten in to her lately,” Ellen apologized, shaking her head and looking to her husband. He placed his hand over hers, the gesture unnoticed by their sons but certainly not by me. I smiled as I watched them. Liam’s father appeared to adore his mother.
“It’s a tough age. She’s too old to be a kid, but not ready to be an adult. Two of my roommates are still going to school and can’t make their minds up about a major in spite of their parents threatening to cut the money off. She’ll find her way,” I assured them as Davis studied me. I dropped my eyes, suddenly wishing I’d kept silent.
“Kelly’s right. Her brothers are both successful, and excelled at everything they did. She is just feeling the pressure, on top of being the only girl. I know how hard that is,” Chelsea said as she rose to retrieve Samantha from her high-chair.
“You were the only girl in your family?” I aske
d.
“Yep. I had two older brothers, and one younger. Both my older brothers are doctors too. The pressure was on,” she said, picking her baby up to kiss her on the cheek.
“What about your younger brother, Chelsea?” Liam asked. “What did he finally decide to do?”
“Oh, he was the smartest one of the bunch,” Ethan retorted. “He dropped out of the University of Colorado, and now he is a guide for a river rafting gig in Durango. He lives with three other guys in a converted school bus.”
“Wow, that’s ambitious,” Davis said as he pushed back from the table, bourbon in hand.
“Well, he’s doing what he loves and living off the land. I’d say that’s pretty successful,” Ethan replied, shooting Liam a knowing look.
“I guess we aren’t all cut out to be doctors and lawyers,” Liam observed.
Liam and I helped Ellen clear the table, and then I loaded the dishwasher while Ellen wrapped the leftovers and placed them in the refrigerator. When we returned to the living room, Chelsea was rocking Sammy to sleep as Ethan and Davis talked legalities about one of their companies.
“Son, how are things going with Austin, Inc.?” Davis turned his focus to his younger son.
“Interesting. There are just a few more loose ends to tie, nothing major.”
“Good. I hear there’s a lot of talk about this big gala the company helped to throw in Austin this weekend.”
“Yes, and they have Kelly to thank for the success of the fundraiser. She managed the entire project and pulled it off without a hitch.”
Davis’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Well, congratulations. That’s a major accomplishment. I mean no offense, but it was a big event to pitch to someone fresh out of college,” he said in amazement.
“Well, actually it kind of fell in my lap. I did all right,” I said, embarrassed by all the praise.
“She did better than all right. This dickhead VP they’ve put in charge of the marketing team dumps every project in her and the other two girls’ laps, and then leaves all the work and details to them. He’s lucky he’s kept his job this long. I think Kelly has had a lot to do with them not firing him before now.”
“Well, I think you will have a bright future there, or anywhere you choose to go. You sound like a hard worker and innovative thinker.”
“Thank you, Mr. Covington. I hope so,” I replied, humbled by his kind words.
“Call me Davis, please,” his dad urged. I nodded and looked up at Liam’s smiling face.
“And it sounds like they need to lose the dickhead VP,” Davis continued, considering Liam’s expression. “If they’re cutting waste, I’d say he’s the place to start.”
“They’re already on it, Dad.”
My eyes shot to Liam, who only smiled down at me.
“Dad, we should be going. We’ve got over an hour’s drive back to Austin, and I have an early morning meeting,” he explained.
“Well, it was so good to meet you. We’ll just have to come to Austin soon to see you, and hopefully take the two of you out to dinner?” Ellen posed as she hugged me.
“We’ll look forward to it, Mom.”
“Bro, keep your ears open, and watch your back,” Ethan warned. Liam nodded to him. “I’ll call you when I have some more information about the situation,” he added as Liam glanced down at me.
Fifteen
I broke the silence after we’d driven a mile or more. “Liam, what did you mean about Dan? When you said they were already on it?”
He glanced sideways at me. “When you get to work in the morning, Carter won’t be there anymore. Stuart and some of the other VP’s have been aware for some time Carter was all talk and no show. You were monitored by them as the gala job unfolded. They saw for themselves how things were working in your department. You just reinforced everything they already knew when you upstaged Carter in the meeting.”
“Oh…so they fired him today?” I asked, barely a whisper.
“Yeah, they did. Stuart thought it best if you were away from the office. He’ll meet with you and the other girls in the morning about Dan’s replacement. So, you have a big day in front of you tomorrow, Hellcat.”
My mind was reeling. Somehow, somewhere in the deep recesses of my heart, I felt a pang of regret. Why would I feel sorry for Carter? He’d done this to himself, but ironically, I felt responsible. I knew it was crazy, but an overwhelming sense of guilt once again dulled my mood. I fingered the bracelet on my wrist as I watched the rolling hills pass by out the passenger window.
Once inside Liam’s hotel room, I headed for the bathroom to soak in the tub and mull over the day’s events. I was suddenly withdrawn without even realizing it. Without a word to him, I entered the bathroom and started my bathwater, unaware he silently watched me from the bedroom doorway.
“Okay, Hellcat…spill. Why the mood?”
“What?” I kicked my new sandals off and then unbuttoned my slacks.
“You were quiet on the ride home. You came in here without a word. I can read your moods pretty well. I know when something’s bothering you.”
“I’m just a little overwhelmed.”
He took two steps toward me, cocked an eyebrow at me, and then grasped the hem of my camisole, pulling it up. I raised my arms over my head. After he dropped it on the floor, he turned back to look at me. I shuddered, suddenly feeling exposed, both my feelings and my state of undress. He stepped closer, his breath blowing in my hair as he placed his hands on my naked waist, skimming the lace of my panties.
“So, what’s on your mind? You seem melancholy tonight,” he murmured as he kissed my neck. I leaned my head back to give him access.
“I guess I’m just feeling guilty. I had no idea they were watching Dan. And the things I told you about him,” I began. He shook his head.
“Kelly, you only confirmed what I already knew. You even tried to sugar-coat the way you felt about him in the beginning, remember? You’ve been nothing but loyal to the company, and he’s the one who underperformed and shrugged his responsibilities off, passing your and the other girls’ work off as his own. Sooner or later that kind of thing sneaks up on you. Paired with his over-all disrespect of women, I’d say that’s what got him fired, Kel…and he damn well knows it. “
He circled me with his arms. As his hands met in the back, he slid them down inside my panties, drawing them down my hips. I pressed against him. My bra was next, and he made short work of it, pulling the hook together with his thumb and forefinger, releasing the clasp in the back. As he slowly slid the straps from my arms, I reached for the snap on his jeans.
“You have too many clothes on, Covington,” I whispered.
“Do something about it, Hellcat,” he replied in a challenge.
I slid slowly down his body, thinking about the escapades his sister had alluded to. Liam had obviously lived a wild life before he met me, and I was afraid what we’d had together so far seemed tame in comparison. As his comment came to mind about all the things he wanted to do to me, I felt I needed to be bolder. Finding myself on my knees in front of him, I grasped his zipper with my teeth, pulling it down slowly.
“Kel, what are you doing?” he whispered, sliding his hands into my hair.
I widened my eyes purposely as I gazed up at him, his jeans now open, his manhood straining against the dark fabric of his boxer-briefs. When I grasped the band of his briefs with my teeth, he shook his head.
“Kel, have you ever done this before?”
I stopped, wondering why he was hesitating.
“Kelly, I asked you a question,” he whispered, placing his hands under my arms and pulling me up to look into my eyes.
I shook my head silently.
“You don’t have to do this, Kel.”
I looked back and forth into his eyes, and then whispered, “What if I want to?”
His swift intake of breath at my comment let me know he wanted it too.
“You said you wanted all my firsts,” I reminded him. All he
could do was nod. I slid back down, taking his briefs with me. When I slipped my lips over him, he shut his eyes and moaned.
“Oh, Kel…baby,” he gasped as I took him fully in my mouth. My heart was pounding. What if I wasn’t any good at this? All I had to go on was what I’d read in Tana’s erotic love novels, so I fell back on that, swirling my tongue around him and pulling to the tip, then sliding him back in. Liam’s hands worked in my hair. No matter how fast or slow I handled him, every change seemed to excite him more. His erection pulsed, growing larger as I continued to work it. I felt so powerful, that I had so much control over him. I’d heard other girls talking about oral sex and it had always seemed like something I could never do…until now. As he continued to moan, his excitement built, grasping my head in his hands. I could feel my insides clench, the warm sensation spreading with every sound he made. This was even more intimate than regular intercourse, and I realized there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to see him like this…falling apart in my hands…to know he wanted me this much.
As I continued to take him in rhythmically, I felt him push, then hesitate, and I knew he was close. I was terrified, I didn’t know if I could see this through till the end. As if he read my mind, he made the decision for me.
“Kel, baby…wait, no,” he whispered, pulling out of my mouth just before he pulsed, his orgasm in full force. He pulled me up into his arms, hugging me to his naked body fiercely for several moments, his lips in my hair. After he stilled, he grabbed a towel, cleaning everything off that covered both of us.
He picked me up and placed me in the large tub. Climbing in after me, he pulled me onto his lap. We lay like that for thirty minutes or more, until the water became lukewarm and our hands wrinkled from soaking so long. He played with the skin on my palms and fingers, molding the skin as it wrinkled.
“Kelly,” he whispered, burying his lips in my hair.
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