Because of Liam

by Erica Alexander

  “So, what does that mean?”

  “That means he stays in jail until either a trial date is set or the charges are dropped and we have too much evidence for him to get the charges dropped. They’re comparing the drugs they found on him to the toxicology test done on the girls who came forward right away. We’re sure they will be a match. We’re also reaching out to the girls who reported their rapes and showing them his picture to see if they can identify him as being in the same place they were. If any of them recognizes Jon, it ties him to a crime scene.”

  “Holy shit!”

  “It’s happening, little brother.”

  I run my fingers through my too long hair and drop back on the bed, not even bothered by the little brother comment. “I can’t believe it.”

  “Believe it. We have enough evidence to put him away for a while. But now, the lawyer games begin.”

  “Did you tell the girls yet?”

  “Not yet, I’ll call them now. Wanted to let you know first.”

  “Thanks, Bro.”

  “No, thank you. It was your idea.”

  Ten minutes later my phone rings again. It’s River this time.

  “Can you believe it?” she asks even before I have a chance to say hello.

  “It’s great news. Logan is confident he’ll get some jail time.”

  “Thank you. Thank you for doing this, for having my six and giving me my life back.”

  I smile at her use of the military term. “I’ll always have your six. But I also want your twelve, your three, your nine . . .”

  She groans and I don’t have to see her to know she’s rolling her eyes.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  When I walked into the kitchen this morning, in my purple undies with the unicorn on the front and a matching tank top, the last person I expected to see lying on my couch was Liam. In fact, I didn’t see him at all.

  “I used your toothbrush. Hope you don’t mind.”

  A little scream leaves my lips as I jump and turn around, my hand holding my chest where my heart is running a marathon. “Liam! You scared the hell out of me.”

  A slow smile curves his lips and he stretches on the couch, his arms reaching over his head, his back arching, and then one arm folds under his head while his other hand scratches the five o’clock shadow on his face before it lowers into his bare chest and rests there. My eyes are transfixed on his body, and my mouth goes dry and then waters like I’m looking at the most delicious feast and somewhere in the back of my mind that annoying voice tells me I am. This time, I don’t tell it to shut up.

  “How do you know it’s my toothbrush and not Skye’s?”

  “Because I heard Skye tell Logan your favorite color is purple and since you were kids, you would only brush your teeth if you had a purple toothbrush.”

  He smiles and that hand on his chest lowers a few more inches, stopping just above his belly button. He has an innie, I notice.

  “And by what I can see right now, it is true,” he says. His eyes travel down my body and lazily came back up again until he meets my eyes.

  I remember what I’m wearing but refuse to feel self-conscious about it. I already know he’s attracted to me and we haven’t lashed out at each other since the day we both broke down and made our confessions. And made out. And kissed. We still tease each other. It wouldn’t be us if we didn’t, but it no longer holds the edge of anger it once did.

  And right now, I’m grateful for three things.

  One, that I brushed my teeth before going in search of coffee.

  Two, the fact I’d actually closed the bathroom door before going pee because the last thing I need is for Liam to see me sitting on the potty since it looks like he slept here last night.

  And three, holy mother of all that is hot! Apparently, Liam likes to sleep in his boxer briefs and it’s morning. Have I mentioned that it’s morning? Yep, it’s morning, and he’s wearing tight black boxer briefs or maybe they’re tight because it’s morning and I’m also very grateful for six packs.

  And morning wood.

  My eyes keep jumping between his six pack and the tightness in his underwear and all that before I’ve had my coffee. That’s my excuse for why my eyes are stuck in the space between his stomach and his thighs. And also, why I forgot I’m nearly as undressed as he is.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask.

  “They were making too much noise.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your sister, my dear, is a screamer. I got tired of hearing them going at it, took her keys and came over late last night while you were sleeping. I spent the night on the couch.”

  “Who knew Skye was a screamer? I would’ve never guessed. She must have been holding back when Logan is over here.” I muse.

  “With the right guy, every woman is a screamer.”

  My mouth opens and closes, but nothing comes out for a few seconds. Hell! Why is it everything he says sounds so sexy?

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “Ah, but we both know you’ll take so much more than my word, don’t we?”

  Annnd I’m speechless again, but my eyes keep doing their thing, feasting on Liam’s body.

  “Eyes up here, River.” He catches me and it takes me a few seconds to register what he’s saying and why he’s saying it.

  When my eyes meet his, they’re dark with desire and my skin heats under his stare. I have such a girl boner for him and I don’t want to wait another minute. Not when I’ve fought this for months and denied myself for so long, and not when he’s nearly naked and those boxer briefs do nothing to hide the fact he’s just as aroused as I am, and especially not when every cell in my body is screaming with lust and they’re all yelling his name.

  “River.” His voice is husky, sensual, and it vibrates in my core.

  His chest rises and fills up with air, then releases, once, twice, three times. His strong legs move off the couch and his bare feet hit the hardwood floor. He stands with the grace of a cat—no. Not a cat. A cat is cute and cuddly—he makes me think of a panther. All danger and contained power. He takes a step toward me and then another. I bite my lip, anticipating the taste of his mouth on mine. I want to meet him halfway but instead hold my ground as he stalks his way to me.

  When he’s close enough, both of his hands grasp my hips. He pulls me to him as he takes the last step and dissolves the space between us. His fingers dig onto my hips and then go around my ass and cup me as he pulls me into his body, pressing himself against me. I feel his hardness on my belly and whimper.

  My hands wrap around his forearms and move up until they grab the back of his neck, fisting his hair while tugging his face down to mine.

  His face inches away, his eyes searching mine and asking for permission. I answer the unspoken question with a kiss. I brush my lips over his and then go on my tiptoes so I can get closer to him. I press my body into Liam’s, seeking relief for the ache building between my thighs. His lips part on a moan and my tongue darts into his mouth and stays there. He tastes like my minty toothpaste and Liam. His tongue is hot against mine. We let our lips play. And they play so nice together. My hips push into Liam’s and I find myself rocking against him, but I can’t quite align myself with what I’m looking for. He groans into my mouth and his hands on my ass lift me a little. He gives me a taste of what I want and it’s my turn to groan. Oh God, Liam is far from the first guy I ever made out with, but it never felt like this, this hot, this good. It’s so good, it hurts.

  Liam keeps kissing me and walks me backward until I’m pressed against the kitchen counter. His hands on my ass come around to my hips and he easily lifts me onto it, pushing himself between my open legs, his mouth never leaving mine. When he’s settled between my thighs, his hands on my hips pull me closer to him until I’m sitting on the edge of the counter and my center is aligned with his dick. He pulls his lips from mine and his mouth travels down my jaw and neck. He licks his away around my throat and nibbles on my chin.
His breath is warm on my skin and my nipples are painfully hard. I push into him and the moment my breasts touch his chest I hear a hiss come from Liam.

  His hands drift up my waist until he grazes the sides of my breasts with his knuckles and then his fingertips. His mouth is at my ear and bites my lobe, his lips caressing me as he pushes his groin into my core. He’s so hard and so hot. Or maybe I’m the one who’s so hot. I can’t tell anymore.

  “This counter is the perfect height, River,” he whispers. “I can feel you, all of you. Your nipples on my chest, your pussy on my dick. You’re so wet, I can feel it through your panties. Is all that for me?”

  I have no words left in me. I’m a puddle of need in his hands, so instead of saying anything, I move my legs around his thighs and pull him even harder into me. My body wants to move, but my position on the counter does not give me the room to do what I want. I whimper in frustration and I can hear Liam’s low, sultry laugh in between bites and kisses on my neck. He is fucking my neck with his mouth and I want that mouth somewhere else on my body. Liam’s hands finally take pity on my poor aching breasts and come around to the front to cup me. He is gentle and firm at the same time, his thumbs grazing my nipples, and I swear by the end of this there will be two nipple-sized holes in my tank top. His mouth finds mine again and he teases me with his lips. He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth and then the top, then he bites me. His tongue comes out to play and licks the spot his teeth were just on. His mouth on mine again, he is kissing me with such desperation, I know he’s feeling the same way I am.

  After what seems like a lifetime, he pulls away and rests his forehead on mine. His eyes are closed, both of our breaths coming out in fast, shallow pants. His hands on my breasts still squeeze harder and he pinches my nipples. A small gasp leaves me and I feel that pinch to my core. Liam drops his head to the hollow in my throat and kisses me there.

  “I love this little spot”—he kisses it again—“right over here. Don’t ask me why. I have no idea. I just do.” His tongue darts out and he licks it and then his lips trail down my chest until his face presses into the swell of my breasts. He rubs his cheek on one side and then the other. The day-old beard is rough on my skin and I love it. I love the way it feels. My hands run through his hair. It’s even longer now. He has not cut it since the first time I saw him and I like it. I like the way his hair grazes the top of his shoulders and how I can grasp fistfuls of it and guide his head where I want it. I tug his hair now and arch my back into his face. He groans into my cleavage. I tug his hair again and I get the same response. Liam likes it when I pull at his hair.

  “River.” My name leaves his lips in a whisper just before he closes those same lips around a nipple and sucks on it through my tank top. His mouth opens wider and he takes as much of me as he can. And I know I could come, just like this, his dick grinding into my pussy and his mouth sucking on my tits. I think he can tell how close I am. His mouth switches to my other breast, trading places with his hand, and I can feel the fingers on my nipple even more now that the fabric of my tank top is wet. He’s shaking, his body trembling against mine. He pulls his mouth from my aching nipple with one last lick and rests his forehead on my chest, and I can tell he’s trying to gain some control. My arms go around his shoulders and I can feel the tension in them. Digging my fingers into the tense muscles, I knead them. After a few moments he relaxes a bit, but he is still so hard against me and I am still aching to have him inside me.

  Liam lifts his head from my chest and looks me in the eyes, and I can see his desire. I can see his want and the struggle to hold himself back right now.

  “Tell me what you want, River. You have to tell me what you want. I won’t go any further if you don’t say it.”

  For a moment I wonder if he is doing this to tease me—if this is one of his games again. We’ve been playing at it for so long, maybe he’s falling back into old habits, but when I look into his eyes, I understand. This is not a game for him. This is serious. He is taking this very seriously, and he wants me to be clear about what I want. He’s giving me all the power. The power I need to make the choices I want. And what I want is Liam. I want all of him and I want him right now. I’m not shy and I don’t hesitate when I tell him exactly what I need.

  “I want you, Liam. I want your hands on my body. I want you to touch every inch of my skin and when your fingers are done, I want you to follow with your tongue and your lips. I want your fingers inside me and I want to taste myself in your mouth when you kiss me. And I want to do the exact same things to you. And when neither one of us can take it any longer, I want you inside me, and I want you to fill me up so completely that we change the laws of physics and two bodies can actually occupy the same space at the same time. That is what I want, Liam. Can you give me that?”

  He releases a breath. “Thought you’d never ask.”

  His hands go around my face and he kisses me gently and then looks into my eyes. “If you want me to stop at any time, you’ll tell me, okay?” He waits for my response and I nod. “No, River, I want to hear you say it. You will stop me if you change your mind. You have the right to stop me, do you understand it?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “And you will tell me if I do anything you don’t want me to, okay?”

  “Liam?”

  “Yes?”

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  He laughs. “Now, there’s the bossy River I know and love.”

  Did he just say he loves me? No, that’s just an expression, he does not mean it.

  “Liam, put that mouth of yours to better use.” I challenge him and his eyes go darker, and knowing I’m the reason for it turns me on even more.

  He gives me a wicked smile and that mouth of his promises to do wicked things to me.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  This girl is going to be the end of me. Yes, it has been a long time since I got laid, but it has nothing to do with the way I feel every time I see her. From that first encounter when she dumped her fruity girly drink on me to this very moment, River has inhabited just about every thought that’s been in my mind. It’s either me being pissed off at something she says or does or me being amused by the stuff that comes out of her mouth, and as of late, it’s me being jealous of every guy who looks her way.

  My hands go around her hips and I pull her up and off the counter as her legs wrap around me and lock on my hips. Her arms are around my neck and I hold her to me as I make my way to her bedroom when it hits me. I don’t have any condoms.

  “Please tell me you have condoms.”

  “No, I don’t. But Skye might have some in her room.”

  “Let’s find out.”

  I walk to her sister’s room with River wrapped around me. She leans down to open the door because I’m not letting her go.

  “Her nightstand,” River says and I bring her to it and sit on the bed so she can open and look through.

  “Bingo!” River grabs a box, opens it and starts to take one condom out.

  “No.” I shake my head. “Take the box.”

  She raises an eyebrow at me.

  “Okay, leave one for my brother.”

  River takes two condoms out of the box and puts them in the drawer, keeping the box. “Based on what my sister said, Logan is not a one-timer.”

  I smile then. “Neither am I.”

  We make our way to her bedroom and she closes the door and locks it. I bring her to the edge of the still unmade bed and let her legs slide off me as I let go of her. She kneels on the bed, moving back into the middle, and I follow her, sitting back on my heels so we are the same height. She leans over and puts the box on her nightstand.

  It’s early and her curtains are closed, but the morning light filters through the gauzy material, giving the room an ethereal quality. Or maybe it’s just the knowledge that I’ll soon have River that makes it feel that way.

  I search her face to make sure there’s no doubt in her mind. That there’s no fear. I find none.
Then, I kiss her again. I start it gently, tasting her, letting my lips graze hers and brush over her face. I kiss the tip of her nose and the corners of her mouth. I kiss her temples and her closed eyes. I brush her hair back, away from her beautiful face and tug the chestnut locks until she tilts her head back, giving me access to her neck. I kiss, lick, and nibble every inch of her neck before I move down into her collarbone and trace it with my tongue.

  My arms wrap around her back, keeping her from falling back on the bed. Soon but just not yet, I tell myself. She is trembling in my arms and her hands grasp at my shoulders and when I lower my head and lick the space between her breasts, her nails dig in. I gasp at the momentary pain, but in an instant, it turns into pleasure. I pull my face away and smile at the twin wet spots I left on her tank top. She looks at me and her hands are moving over my chest and her mouth meets mine for a brief kiss before moving down to my chin and following the contour of my jaw. River suckles at my neck and it’s my turn to shiver. She nibbles at my ear and licks a path from my neck to my shoulder where the tattoo starts. She traces the wing tip design with her tongue. As she touches the colors embedded into my skin, I know she can feel the raised ridges of my many scars, but she does not avoid them or pull away. She traces each with her fingertips and then she licks them and kisses away the tainted memories that made me get the tattoo in the first place. With each touch to the scars on my chest, River kisses away all the pain and the sorrows associated with them until there is nothing left but beautiful artwork. She moves around me and to my back and does the same to the dragon and the eagle. I close my eyes and just feel. She finds each individual scar and kisses it, and with each kiss I heal. With each kiss, I let go. With each kiss, I forgive. With each kiss, I am myself again.

  My eyes are still closed when I feel River move around and kneel in front of me again. I’m overcome with emotion, with lust, with gratitude, and with love. When did this happen? When did I fall for this girl? Every time she pushed me, every time she made me angry, every time she made me laugh, and every time she made me want her, she gave me a piece of my life back. I don’t trust myself to speak right now, so I do the next best thing. I make love to her. This may have started as just sex and lust, but at some point, without my ever being aware, it turned into something else, but I don’t think River is ready to hear the words yet. She has her own demons to conquer, so I will tell her I love her the only way I can. With my body and with my actions.