Lost in You

by Jules Bennett

  “Stay with me,” he whispered in her ear.

  Instantly, the body that had been trembling moments ago went tense. “Liam—”

  “Just tonight.” Why was he begging? Damn it. He knew full well asking such things meant this was more than what they’d agreed on, but he couldn’t stop himself. “We won’t do anything in that bed but sleep.”

  She lifted her head, those bright eyes zeroed in on him as if she could see into his soul. And maybe she could. Perhaps she was one of the few people in this world who actually wanted to get that deep.

  “I’ve never slept in a man’s bed before,” she whispered. Shaking her head, she pressed her palms against his chest and gently pushed him away. “I can’t. I just . . . I can’t.”

  Fear. He knew she spoke from fear. Her voice shook and she couldn’t meet his eyes any longer. Some men might see her rejection as a personal jab, but he knew her better. He stepped back, helping her off the counter without another word.

  Silently, they gathered their clothes and dressed. She’d had a little sundress in the living room he hadn’t spotted before. Now with her flushed face, her tousled hair around her shoulders, and that simple yellow dress with boots, she looked so wholesome, so vulnerable.

  She smoothed her hands down the front of her dress as she faced away from him. Liam came into the living room, stopping just short of touching her.

  “I want to know what happened to you.”

  Macy stilled, but didn’t turn. “No, you don’t.”

  Liam curled his fingers around her bare arm, gently so she didn’t feel trapped. Because that’s what all of this boiled down to.

  “If we’re going to keep seeing each other, I deserve to know. I won’t be like your other guys, Macy.”

  Throwing him a glance over her shoulder, she drew her brows in. “You’ve never been like any other guy. Before . . . before my incident I was infatuated with you. You’ve always been different for me.”

  The soft curtain of her dark hair covered part of her face, but he could make out her eyes and she was serious. She’d had feelings for him for a long time, longer than he’d ever thought. A viselike grip tightened around his chest. He had no clue what to do with this information. Whatever was going on here was something more than he’d ever anticipated. He’d tried to avoid it, had fought himself, fought her, but the reality was they had crossed a line both physically and emotionally.

  Liam stepped around to stand directly in front of her. Cupping her face, he directed her gaze into his.

  “I won’t force you to do anything.” She started to look away, but he gave her a slight jerk. “But you can’t keep hiding. I won’t let you.”

  Moisture gathered in her eyes. “And what about you? When are you going to stop hiding?”

  Liam clenched his jaw. “I’m here, aren’t I? Hard to hide from this family.”

  “They love you,” she told him with a slight smile. “They won’t let you run, either.”

  No, they were giving him free rein to do what he wanted. Stay, go . . .

  He stared into Macy’s bright blue eyes and ignored the slam of regret. How could he feel this strong and want to leave at the same time? He had goals, damn it. But right now, seeing this pain in her eyes, this determination to push through to get him to open up, his goals seemed to fade away.

  “I need to get home.”

  She pushed around him and he let her go. He watched as she went to the door, then stopped and turned back around.

  “I didn’t even ask about Braxton.”

  Liam shoved his hands in his pockets. So were they just moving on like nothing had happened? Like she hadn’t just exposed herself by coming here, by allowing their intimacy without protection, and then showing just how vulnerable she was by not staying? He would play this game, but only for so long.

  No matter how shallow a relationship they’d agreed upon, he would figure out what was holding her back. Had anyone ever attempted to heal her? Doubtful she’d let them, but he wasn’t giving up.

  “He was a little banged up, but otherwise fine.”

  “I heard Rand hit him.”

  Liam couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah. Asshole was drinking and driving. I imagine his days as mayor are over.”

  He’d been a thorn in Braxton’s side for years, and so damn arrogant. Liam wasn’t sorry the mayor would be out of a job. Though Liam wished Braxton hadn’t gotten hurt or a mangled truck out of the ordeal.

  When Macy turned back to the door to go, Liam didn’t want her to leave feeling unsure or as if this was complicated. Granted they had complication stamped all over their relationship. He wanted her to feel at ease because that was the only way he’d truly earn her trust and she damn well needed someone to talk to about this.

  “Come back tomorrow,” he told her. “You’re going to start working on party experiments.”

  She flashed a smile back at him as she opened the door. “I’d like that.”

  And then she was gone. As if she hadn’t come in here, rocked his world with that greeting she’d given him. He hadn’t even known he had a fetish for a girl in an apron, but he sure as hell wouldn’t look at those things the same ever again.

  Liam vowed to give her the space she needed, but he wasn’t backing down. Now more than ever he wanted her in his bed . . . for a totally different reason than he’d started with. She said he was different for her; that gave him all the ammunition he needed to get her to fully heal.

  Because, damn it, she was different for him, too, and he wasn’t about to let another man show her the right way a woman should be treated.

  Chapter Fourteen

  How much did a teenage boy eat?

  Liam slid two more pancakes onto Brock’s plate. The boy had showed up at nine and Liam knew something was up. Without questioning him, he let Brock in and started breakfast. Clearly something was going on, because no teen was up that early when he didn’t have to be.

  “Not working at the resort today?” Liam asked as he refilled Brock’s juice.

  Brock shoveled in another hefty bite and shook his head. “Not until two. I have to help clean the rooms when the guests leave.”

  “You want more bacon?”

  “Nah,” he said around the pancakes. “I’m getting full.”

  Liam turned to clean up as he hid his smile. Brock had inhaled five pancakes and seven pieces of bacon. Obviously he was in a growth spurt, or at least that’s what Sophie always said. He and Brock had bonded from the start, but it still wasn’t like him to just show up for no reason, let alone on a Sunday morning.

  Liam worked on cleaning the kitchen while Brock finished. Once he was done, Liam put the dishes in the dishwasher and started it up. Turning back to the island, Liam rested his palms on the granite and leaned forward.

  “Ready to tell me what’s wrong?”

  Brock attempted a smile, but shook his head. “I don’t know, man. Being a teenager sucks.”

  Liam laughed. “It only seems that way now. Trust me, being an adult sometimes sucks more.”

  Brock leaned back in the bar stool and crossed his arms. “Well, at least you can afford a nice car.”

  So that’s the issue. “That’s because I work my ass off to have nice things.”

  “You live in an apartment over a hardware store,” Brock stated dryly.

  “For now. In Savannah I had a killer condo right next to a park. My condo had a balcony off the master bedroom. I have a nice amount of savings and, yeah, I have a nice car. When you want something, you have to work for it. Nothing is just handed to you.”

  “I don’t want things handed to me,” he mumbled. “But I want a nice truck. Like Braxton’s. Well . . . like the one he had before it was smashed.”

  Liam leaned down on his forearms and considered his words. Teenagers were touchy creatures, but he felt he could be completely honest with Brock.

  “Have you thought about the fact that some teens don’t have any car? That you’re actually lucky you have one a
t all?”

  Brock lifted a shoulder. “I know. I really do get it. If I still lived with my old man, I wouldn’t even have a bicycle to get around with.”

  Liam hated the fact Brock was ever with such a worthless piece of garbage posing as a father.

  “Okay, then let’s look at another angle.” Liam’s mind started working overtime. “Why don’t you look for a part-time job? Something that maybe you could do just on the weekends or a few hours after school.”

  Brock’s eyes widened. “How would I do that and still help at the resort? They need me.”

  Liam knew full well they were using him at the resort to teach Brock responsibility and so he could save a little money in the process. They’d definitely get along just fine without him.

  “I think Zach and Sophie would be fine with it,” Liam explained. “Talk to them first, but I bet you could find a part-time job that maybe you could do in addition to the resort. Then you’d have two sets of income coming in. You’re almost done with high school, so you’ll be able to put in more hours in the summer.”

  Brock nodded. “I just don’t want Sophie and Zach to think I’m trying to get out of helping.”

  “They’d never think that, trust me.”

  “Since my little fender bender last year, Zach is a bit more protective.”

  Liam completely understood why. There was no amount of time that would pass that would completely erase the pain and heartache of that night when Zach had been driving and wrecked, ultimately altering their lives. They’d all been younger, but the effects would last forever.

  “Zach will be protective so long as he’s alive, so don’t expect anything else.”

  Brock pushed from the bar and came to his feet. “I guess I’ll talk to them if you think it’s a good idea.”

  Liam stood straight up and pulled in a deep breath. “I think they’d be upset if they knew you wanted something and were too afraid to ask.”

  Brock rubbed a hand through his messy hair. He’d need it cut soon, but that wasn’t Liam’s place.

  “Are they making you wear a suit to the wedding?” Brock asked.

  From the tone, Liam guessed Brock would rather go without a new set of wheels than get in a suit. “They’re not making me,” Liam corrected. “I’m going to put a suit on because if I don’t, Cora and Sophie would be disappointed.”

  Brock laughed. “Yeah, I guess they would.”

  “You wore a tux to the prom. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  Brock lifted a shoulder. “I guess not, but that was different.”

  From the sheepish look on Brock’s face, Liam knew the difference. “Talked to Alli since then?”

  “Maybe.”

  Typical teenage boy. Liam didn’t blame him for keeping some things private, so long as they were the right things. “You’re welcome here anytime,” Liam told him. “But make sure you don’t close off the communication with Zach.”

  “I already had to tell them all about my prom date,” Brock groaned. “Believe me, there’s plenty of communication.”

  “Don’t—”

  The knock on his door stopped his thoughts. Macy. She’d said she’d stop by today. When Brock had knocked, Liam had thought for sure it was Macy, not that he was sorry to see Brock. He rather enjoyed the little bonding time they had. But Liam was more than ready to see Macy, to get past the intensity of last night, and continue to build on gaining her trust.

  “Expecting someone?” Brock asked.

  “Actually, yeah, but you don’t have to go.”

  Liam crossed the room and pulled the door open. “Morning,” he greeted Macy. She wore another little dress like the one she had on last night. With boots. Bare legs. She was truly trying to torture him and he loved every minute of it.

  “Hi.” Her smile widened as she stepped inside and caught sight of Brock. “Do I need to come back later?”

  “I already got what I came here for,” Brock stated as he headed toward the door. “I’m done.”

  “He means to say he pounded pancakes and finished off my bacon,” Liam countered. “He’s using me for my cooking.”

  “So am I.” Macy laughed, throwing Liam a sassy grin. Damn, she was gorgeous when she wasn’t so on guard. He wanted her just like this. Relaxed. Not a worry in the world.

  The way she smiled at Brock and the easy banter between them warmed Liam.

  The idea hit him hard. “Brock, you don’t have to work until this afternoon, right?”

  Brock nodded.

  “Then stick around and maybe you’ll learn something,” Liam added.

  Macy’s face lit up. “Yes, stay. If nothing else, you’ll get entertainment from watching me test his patience.”

  Oh, she tested him all right. Liam brushed past her, needing even the slightest bit of contact. But he had to keep things in perspective. Nobody knew what was going on between Macy and him. Well, maybe they suspected something, but he wasn’t about to add fuel to the proverbial fire.

  “I don’t know,” Brock muttered.

  Liam rested his hands on the edge of the island. “You want to impress the girls? Then it starts right here. Trust me.”

  Macy lifted her brows, crossed her arms over her chest, and smiled. He didn’t know what had her in this mood, but she seemed different than last night. Maybe the emotional turn they’d taken had her wanting to trust him more.

  But on the coattails of her trusting him, he knew she’d want the same in return. There was too much pain in his past, too much that didn’t relate to her. He didn’t want to expose himself in that way. He wanted her to feel safe, to feel . . . what? Loved? That wasn’t something he could venture into right now. If ever.

  “So, you’re staying, right?” Macy asked Brock.

  Liam glanced at his nephew. No matter that the teen only came to live with Zach a year ago—he was family. They were all family with deeper bonds than most who had the same DNA. Brock fit in like the perfect puzzle piece they hadn’t known they were missing.

  “Sure, I’ll stay.”

  Macy reached over and wrapped her arm around Brock. “This will be so fun.”

  Liam didn’t know if Brock actually wanted to stick around or if he was giving in to the pressure. Either way, Liam wouldn’t have this morning go any other way. He wanted Macy here to take the edge off the intensity of their relationship. Did they have a relationship?

  Yeah. They did. Whether he wanted to put a label on it or not, they had a relationship. Even if they were only intimate a short time, there was a bond they were building.

  “Let me clean the counter real quick.” Liam shot Macy a wink, and on cue she bit that lip. Yeah, there was no forgetting what had happened here last night. He just hoped he could control himself if she put that damn apron back on.

  * * *

  Macy stared down at the mess that was mac ’n cheese bites. “Well, they’re not burnt, so that’s a plus.”

  Liam set another pan of freshly baked bites on the island. “And they’d be better with the bacon crumbles on top, but someone ate all the bacon I had.”

  Brock grabbed one of the cooled bites and popped it into his mouth. “Yeah, bacon would be amazing on these things.”

  Macy wrinkled her nose. “Are they good? Just tell me they’re edible because I think my dad would love something like this.”

  Brock reached for another. “I know I’ll be at the party if you have these.”

  Macy picked one up, stared at the elbow noodles pressed together by various kinds of melted cheeses and butter and some seasonings Liam swore would make this the best appetizer she’d ever tasted. But he’d let her do it all. She’d seriously done this.

  “If you’re not going to eat that, I will.” Brock started to reach across the island, but Macy pulled his hand back.

  “You’ve eaten the entire time we’ve been here,” Macy scolded. “This one is mine.”

  With a shrug, Brock grabbed another. Macy took a sample bite of hers to see if it was truly edible. Going o
n Brock’s reaction, they were amazing, but teenage boys loved food in general, so that wasn’t the best judge.

  “Well?” Liam asked, leaning an elbow on the counter as he waited for her response. “Pretty amazing, right?”

  The cheeses literally exploded in her mouth and Macy didn’t even attempt to hide the groan that escaped her, nor did she try to hide the fact she inhaled the rest. Once she finished savoring each flavor, she glanced to Liam, who had a wide smile on his face. He tipped his head, the habit she’d come to just accept where he was concerned.

  “And you didn’t think you could cook,” he teased.

  “Hey, I did the sliders,” Brock stated. “Can I take some of those with me?”

  “Sure, but don’t take all the credit, kid. I smoked the pork yesterday. You put them together and baked them.”

  Macy listened to the two bantering back and forth. Liam was so good with Brock. She couldn’t help but wonder if he ever wanted kids. Not a topic they needed to get into.

  But did Liam have any aspirations beyond living in Savannah? She knew he wanted his old life back and couldn’t fault him for the need to return to his comfort zone. After all, she’d come right back to hers when life got too hard to handle. But she wondered if he was growing used to being here. The completely selfish side of her wanted him to stay, to see where this was going, because with each day that passed, she grew more and more used to the idea of having him in her life.

  And that scared the hell out of her. If Liam ended up leaving, she’d survive. She wouldn’t like it, she’d nurse a broken heart for some time, but she couldn’t keep him here. He had to figure out his own life and what truly made him happy.

  “I’m going to go get ready for work.” Brock clutched his to-go plate and grabbed his keys from the counter. “I’ll talk to Zach today about that job.”

  Liam slapped a hand on Brock’s shoulder. “I think he’ll surprise you. They want you to be responsible and this is a good way of showing that. They won’t think you’re letting them down, I swear.”