by Joanna Sims
“Hi.” Kate, with her pretty, tanned face and pretty hazel eyes greeted him at the door.
He wanted to kiss her on the lips, but Callie was heading their way, and he wasn’t sure if Kate would appreciate that. Instead, he kissed her cheek, lingering for an extra second to breath in the honeysuckle scent of her hair.
“Dr. B-Brand!” Callie greeted him enthusiastically, as she always did. “Are you hungry?”
He gave Kate’s daughter a hug. “You better know it.”
“I—I made franks and beans.”
Kate shut the door while he followed Callie to the kitchen.
“That’s one of my favorites.”
Callie laughed behind her hand. “You say that about everything.”
Kate hugged her daughter—Liam loved how affectionate they were—before she pulled a Mountain Dew out of the refrigerator, popped the top and then poured it into a glass without ice. Just how he liked it.
Liam guzzled the entire glass in several big gulps. He put the glass down with a smile. “I love Mountain Dew. It’s not the best thing in the world to drink, but man, do I love it!”
Kate smiled at him, opened a second can, poured it into his glass and then pushed the refill toward him. The first couple of nights he had eaten dinner with them, she hadn’t had Mountain Dew in the house. Now she kept it stocked for him.
After dinner, they all sat on the couch, with Kate sandwiched in the middle; on her lap was a giant bowl of popcorn, a little burned, and heavy on the butter.
“What’s on?” Liam asked before he put a handful of popcorn into his mouth.
Simultaneously, Kate and Callie, leaning their heads together, said, “Hallmark Movies!”
Liam stopped chewing for a second, then finished chewing, swallowed and asked, “Are those action movies? Thrillers?”
Callie, her legs tucked up to her chest, rolled sideways toward her mother, laughing. “No! They’re romantic.”
Kate smiled at him. “Chick flicks, back to back, all night long. Can you handle it?”
Liam made a face. “What do you take me for? An old-fashioned guy? I’m modern. I’m sensitive.”
The veterinarian couldn’t really care less about the movie—he cared about the company. He stretched out his legs, letting his thigh press up against Kate’s thigh, and kept a steady stream of popcorn heading into his mouth.
In between bites, he pointed to the screen. “This is a Christmas movie.”
“I know,” Kate said in a dreamy voice. “It’s Christmas in June!”
Callie leaned forward so she could see him. “Do you love Christmas?”
“Yes,” he said truthfully. “I do. I like it in December, though.”
“Shh.” Kate hushed him. “You don’t want to miss the beginning.”
“Absolutely not,” Liam said with a dead-pan expression.
Perhaps it was his full belly, or perhaps it was because he was just really comfortable in Kate’s home, sitting on Kate’s couch, next to Kate, but one minute he was watching a Christmas romance about a woman who unwittingly begins to date Santa’s only son, and the next he was being awakened by Callie squealing in excitement.
“It’s my b-boyfriend!” she announced loudly.
Kate’s daughter jumped up and ran with her phone to her bedroom.
Liam sat up a little, rubbing his hand over his eyes. “Did I fall asleep?”
Kate was looking over her shoulder down the hall toward her daughter’s bedroom.
“Yes,” she said when she turned her attention back to him.
“Did I snore?”
“Yes!” She laughed. “I had to turn up the volume, it was so loud. You really need to get that checked.”
“Man.” Liam shook his head, embarrassed. “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He’d been wanting to sneak a kiss all night, and now that Callie was occupied with her own love life, it was his turn to focus on Kate’s love life.
Liam hooked his finger beneath her chin and gently turned her face toward him. He kissed her, slowly, lightly, taking his cues from her. Kate didn’t deepen the kiss; instead, she gave him one last quick kiss, and then moved her head away from him. He understood—she didn’t want Callie to catch them kissing. Not just yet, anyway.
“I missed you today,” he told her.
She didn’t want to make out with her daughter down the hall, but Kate slipped her hand into his and threaded her fingers into his.
“Isn’t that funny.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I missed you too.”
They sat like that, in the silence, with the next Christmas movie in the lineup playing with the volume on mute, and the sound of Callie laughing and giggling drifting up the hall.
“Did she end up marrying the heir to the Santa Claus throne?”
Kate squeezed his hand with a little laugh. “Yes. As a matter of fact, she did.”
* * *
He had begun to become part of the fabric of their lives. They expected him for dinner more nights than not, and Kate was beginning to count on his counsel. Liam was a levelheaded, thoughtful man. She tended to be black and white in her decision making—Kate also knew enough about herself to realize that she could make snap decisions that she would regret later.
“I know you have some valid disagreements with Callie’s father,” Liam said.
Kate raised her eyebrows and frowned. That was a serious understatement. Callie’s father, Lloyd, had turned out to be a disappointment on every possible level, beginning with his outright rejection of Callie when she was born with Down syndrome. Yes, he had come around over time. But he was always letting Callie down, even as recently as last month, and he was behind in his child support by years. She had always been able to support herself, and her child, so Kate had decided long ago not to complicate her life by pursuing Lloyd for back child support.
“But he is Callie’s father. And she wants to visit him.”
They were sitting on garden swing beneath one of the old oak trees on the other side of the circle drive. It was a balmy night, humid and a little windy, with a promise of rain in the air.
Kate could hear in Liam’s voice an echo of a man who felt as if he had been geographically cut out of his children’s lives. But Lloyd was no Liam Brand. Liam was a dedicated provider who paid his child support; Liam was a man of honor and decency who treated Callie like a worthy and worthwhile person. Callie’s father had turned out to be a major disappointment on just about every level a man could disappoint a woman.
“I know she does,” Kate conceded. “She wants a lot of things. Not all of them are good for her.”
Liam was quiet on that comment.
She breathed in deeply and let out a long, tired sigh. “She’s never traveled without me. I have always been there, in the background, just in case. Callie has seizures.”
“That I didn’t know.”
She nodded. “And the thought of her flying by herself, to New York...”
“Why don’t you fly with her? You could catch a flight back the same day.”
“I thought of that too,” she answered. “But that’s a lot of money. And time.”
She sighed again with a shake of her head. “I love Callie more than anything. But she exhausts me.”
“Hey...” Liam reached for her hand. “Let’s just table this for right now. You don’t have to make a decision tonight.”
Kate rested her head on Liam’s shoulder. “I’m glad that I have you to hash this stuff out with. You know... I’ve never really had anyone to discuss Callie with before.”
Liam pressed his lips to the top of her head, then rested his chin lightly on her hair. “I love being with you, Kate. I love being here with Callie and you.”
She moved her head back, tilted her
head upward, so he could kiss her lips. It didn’t take any more than that silent invitation to bring Liam’s lips to hers. He brought his hand to her cheek, deepened the kiss. That simple kiss lasted for several minutes, until Liam shifted uncomfortably and made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat.
He rested his forehead against hers. “Come to see me tomorrow, Kate.”
She knew that there was more to that invitation than an afternoon of horseback riding. They had been in a kissing stage of their relationship for a while now—and it was sweet and lovely and tender—but their bodies were beginning to demand more. Much more.
In the low dusk light, Kate stared into Liam’s deep blue eyes.
“Will you?” Liam rubbed his thumb over her lower lip.
She knew what she was saying yes to, and after another second of thought, Kate gave the slightest affirmative nod.
The horse trainer was rewarded for her response with another, deep, slow, passionate kiss from a man she was beginning to fall for, head right over heels.
* * *
The next day, Liam was waiting for her on his porch. When she shifted into Park, she noticed that he was pacing back and forth, his brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him when he opened the door to her truck. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t even know how to say this to you.”
Kate had that sinking feeling that a person got when bad news was imminent. “Just say it.”
Liam had almost a pained expression in his eyes; he looked around as if they weren’t completely secluded. Instead of saying anything, he grabbed her hand and began to lead her into the house.
Off-kilter, and not expecting this greeting, Kate didn’t resist being led into Liam’s cabin, but pulled her hand from his.
“Tell me what’s going on, Liam!”
He shut the door, his head bent for a moment, before he gestured to his groin. “I can’t ride a horse like this.”
Kate glanced down at his jeans and saw, quite plainly, that Liam was obviously aroused. As all women did wonder, she had wondered about Liam’s endowment in that area. There was no need to wonder any longer.
Liam took a step toward her, his eyes so serious. “I’ve been thinking about making love to you, Kate. I want to make love to you. It’s driving me just a little bit nuts.”
She was temporarily stunned and didn’t respond.
“I’m sorry,” he added. “I know I was supposed to take you riding.”
Kate finally laughed and threw her arms around him. “I thought you were going to break up with me!”
Liam took her shoulders in his hands so he could look in her face. “Kate—don’t you know that I’m crazy about you?”
Her heart gave a little jump of excitement as Liam wrapped her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers.
“Hmm.” She loved the way this man kissed her.
A tingling began in that most private spot at the apex of her thighs; it had been such a long, long time since she had allowed herself to even entertain the idea of her own sexuality. She had been Callie’s mom—her protector, her advocate—for so long, that she had abandoned her own needs as a woman. Liam was bringing all of those needs flooding back into her body with a vengeance.
Her hips naturally pressed into his and she wrapped her arms tightly around his body.
“Kate.” He broke the kiss, his voice tense with desire. “Kate...?”
“I shaved my legs.”
That broke the sexual tension, and Liam threw his head back and laughed. His eyes returned to hers as he brushed her hair over her shoulder.
“Oh, Kate. You make me laugh.”
She was laughing too. She had no idea why in the world those words had come flying out of her mouth.
“Was that your way of saying ‘yes’ to making love?”
“Yes.” Still laughing, she nodded. “Shaving my legs is a big deal. It doesn’t happen all the time.”
He took her to his bedroom and peeled back the clean sheets of his neatly made bed; then he peeled off her clothing before he removed his own. His body, long and lean, was a thing of beauty. Kate stared at him shyly from beneath the soft, cool cotton sheets. Was making love like riding a bike? Would her body remember what to do?
“You’re beautiful, Kate.” Liam joined her under the covers.
“You’re handsome.” Kate pressed the palm of her hand to his chest, taking comfort in the steady beating of his heart.
To the touch, Liam’s skin was warm and surprisingly soft. Kate lightly scratched her fingernails through the brownish-blond hair on Liam’s muscular chest. She hadn’t ever considered herself to be a chest-hair fan, but on Liam, everything looked good to her.
Smiling at her with his eyes, Liam captured her hand, kissed her wrist. “We’ll go slow.”
“Not too slow.” She moved closer to Liam.
With a satisfied groan, Liam pressed his body against her, his strong fingers roaming her back downward to the curve of her derriere. Their bodies pressed tightly together, Liam pulled the covers over their shoulders, cocooning them in their own private, sensual world. Kate dropped kisses down his neck and along his collarbone, her hesitant fingers exploring the contour of his back and shoulders.
“I am going to make you feel so good, my sweet Kate,” Liam whispered into her ear.
His breath on her neck, the feel of his teeth gently nibbling on her earlobe, sent a shiver a pleasure down her spine. The center of her body ached for his touch.
Eyes closed, her head rolling back onto the pillow, Kate threaded her fingers through Liam’s hair as he pulled her nipple into his mouth. Every touch, every kiss, felt like an awakening of something that had been dormant inside of her for years. Skin to skin, their legs intertwined, Kate sighed happily. Liam had been kissing her sweetly on the lips; at the sound of her sigh, he pulled away so he could smile down at her.
“It feels incredible to finally have you in my arms.” He told her quietly.
“You feel good.”
Liam’s roaming hand slipped between her thighs; his warm hand cupped her, sending little shockwaves down her legs. Perhaps it was years of deprivation; or perhaps it was the fact that Liam was the sexiest man she’d ever known. But, when Liam began to play with her, rubbing her most sensitive nub with his finger, an orgasm, so unexpected and raw, crashed over her body. Her back arched, her arms wrapped tightly around her man, she pushed herself into Liam’s hand. He stayed with her, pushing her to feel more, to keep riding the wave, until she was panting and languid in his arms. Liam kissed her eyelids, and her cheeks, and her neck, all the while murmuring sweet words in her ear.
Kate ducked her head into Liam’s chest, embarrassed. It was so unusual to have a man want to give her pleasure without any expectation of receiving pleasure for himself. Liam held her close, gave her a moment to collect herself. When she was ready, Kate reached between their bodies and took him in her hand; quickly, the harness and the urgency returned to Liam’s body.
“Do you have something?” Kate asked.
Liam leaned back, opened the nightstand drawer and grabbed a condom. He rolled away from her for a moment to put it on and then rolled back to her. The moment he covered her body with his, the moment he pressed himself between her thighs, Kate knew that this union was right for her. He filled her so completely, holding her hands above her head, while he rocked into her.
“Does that feel good?” Liam asked gruffly.
Kate wrapped her legs around his hips and held on for the beautiful ride he was giving her.
“Yes,” she gasped. “Oh, yes.”
He must have felt her tightening around him, must have known that she was building to another peak, because Liam quickened his pace, going deeper, pushing harder.
“Come on, baby,” he urged. “I feel you.”
Somehow,
Liam knew all the right notes to play; somehow he knew all the right buttons to push. Twisting beneath him, Kate cried out again. This time, her orgasm was so intense, so strong, that Liam couldn’t seem to hold back a second longer. Liam buried his face in her neck as he buried himself as deeply inside of her as he could. She felt him shudder and heard him groan; it was the most satisfying sound for her to hear.
“Are you okay?” Liam lifted up so he wasn’t crushing her beneath his weight.
She nodded, afraid that she was feeling too emotional to speak. Making love to Liam...was unlike anything she had known before.
Liam left her for a moment to go to the bathroom; while he was gone, she curled onto her side, snuggled beneath his covers, and looked out the window at the mountains in the distance. She felt Liam climb into bed beside her; his arm went around waist and he pulled her backward into his body.
He kissed her shoulder. “I needed to do that. With you.”
They hugged each other, quietly, until Kate heard Liam begin to snore. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d tried to take a nap in the afternoon and she wasn’t so sure that she could. Instead, she lay beside her man, her mind trying to make sense of this new reality. They had taken a monumental step today; neither of them made love casually. This was, as much as anything, a commitment to each other and a commitment to their growing relationship.
Unable to sleep, and growing restless, Kate turned in Liam’s arms so that she was facing him once again. Fast asleep, Liam didn’t budge. Kate tapped her finger to the end of his nose.
“Liam.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you awake?”
“Now I am.”
She smiled. “I’m bored.”
Liam stretched his arm in the air and opened his eyes; he looked at her groggily. “We can’t have that.”
He ran his hand down her arm. “What do you want to do? Go riding?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Let’s go do that.” Liam started to roll away from her, but she stopped him by putting her hand on his thigh. His eyebrow raised when her hand moved from his thigh to a more private spot.
“I didn’t really mean that kind of riding,” she said, knowing that her newfound brazenness was making her blush.
