by Unknown
“I think there are lemonade packs in the drawer that work with the coffeemaker.”
Shelley opened a few cabinets until she found glasses. She filled two with ice and turned on the coffee maker.
Liam fetched the jam from the cupboard. “Bread’s good. A little stale, maybe. I’ll toast it.”
Shelley smirked. If Liam’s fans could see him now, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It was so normal. Weirdly normal. “You really know how to impress a girl.”
Liam paused. “You’re right. Let’s go out. You deserve better than peanut butter sandwiches.”
Shelley poked his arm. “Don’t be silly. Sandwiches are fine. Besides, I’d rather stay here.”
“You’re sure? I guess I’m relaxed around you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think you’re special. It’s more that I think you’re normal.”
“I think I am. At least I try to be.”
“It’s a refreshing change. You’re easy to be with. Comfortable. In the best way. I know I’m not being clear.” Liam sighed.
“No. I think you are,” Shelley assured him.
Liam carried the sandwiches outside, and Shelley followed with the lemonade.
Shelley goggled at the view. “Wow. This is gorgeous. I’d be sitting out here all day long and never get anything done.”
“Eventually the heat would chase you back indoors.”
“Always so practical.”
“I think that’s the first time anyone has ever accused me of being practical. Everyone assumes I’m fanciful because of the Irish and all.”
“I imagine there are a few practical people in Ireland.”
“There are, but we still look out for the selkies.”
“Selkies?”
“Oh, you want to know about the selkies, do you?” Liam’s accent thickened.
Shelley rested her head in her palm with her elbow on the table. “Yes.”
“Well, selkies are magical creatures,” Liam explained.
“Seals that shed their skin to become human women, right?”
“There are male selkies, but they tend to stick to their home in the water. It’s the women who usually come ashore.”
“Why do they come?” Shelley asked.
“For love,” Liam said simply.
“It seems sad that they’re trapped on the land away from their natural environment.” Sometimes going to the zoo made Shelley sad for the same reasons. She knew they did good work, helping to protect and conserve, but she always wondered if the animals wouldn’t like it better being in their proper habitat.
“It’s not that simple,” Liam argued.
“How is that?”
“There was a story my ma used to tell about the selkies when I was a boy.”
“Will you tell me?” Shelley held her breath. She desperately wanted to know more about Liam—the parts he didn’t often share.
“There was a fisherman who was a widower. He had a young daughter to provide for and so he spent long hours at sea. One day, he was walking along the beach, on his way home after a poor catch. Through the mist, he saw a dark-haired woman and, as he got close, he realized she was naked.”
“That doesn’t seem appropriate for children,” Shelley teased.
Liam scowled. “It’s not a big part of the story. Shall I continue?”
“Yes, please.” Shelley smiled and put her finger to her lips.
“The fisherman thought perhaps the woman had been in a shipwreck, and he asked her, but she was in shock and didn’t respond. He picked her up and took her to his home, where she stayed until her ill health passed. She was beautiful and bewitching, and the fisherman fell deeply in love. She seemed to return his affections and his daughter loved her as well. Since she’d come to stay, every day the fisherman’s net was full and, therefore, so were their bellies.”
“The fisherman suspected that his love was a selkie, but he couldn’t resist her and they married. But he was afraid, for he knew that if she found her seal skin, she would put it on and swim away from him forever. So each day, before and after his fishing, he searched the beach for her skin and one day, he came upon it, hidden among the rocks. He took it home and locked it in a chest under their bed.”
“Years went by and the fisherman became prosperous. His daughter grew tall and strong, and life was good with his love by his side. His daughter though, was a curious girl. Always a curious girl. Too much so for her own good. One day she came upon the key for the chest in her father’s pocket and unlocked it. She removed the pelt, mesmerized by its glossy black shine. She put it over her shoulders and went into the kitchen. There she bid her stepmother to try it on for herself and so she did. Soon after, the selkie slipped back into the sea, her human family forgotten forever. The fisherman was heartbroken at the loss of his wife and blamed his daughter, and so their bond was broken as well. The daughter left the house, never to return, and the fisherman aged alone, bitter to the end of his days.”
“Wow, that’s so sad.” Liam’s story of love and loss touched her.
“When my mother would tell me the story, I’d imagine that she was the selkie, and she was sharing her own story in the only way she knew. I looked all over the house for her seal skin, so I could give it back to her and free her from my father.”
“Liam …” Shelley reached for his hand, her heart aching for the little boy he’d been.
Liam shook his head. “I don’t want to dwell on it.”
“It’s not dwelling on it. It’s letting someone know a part of you. It’s letting me know a part of you.” Shelley pictured Liam, searching his home for a wayward pelt, longing to make life better for his mother.
Liam looked away, out over the breaking waves of the ocean. “Yeah, not something I share on the talk show circuit.” He paused. “Looking back, I’m not sure why she told me the story. To warn against too much curiosity?”
“Or maybe to show the importance of love and family?” Shelley offered.
“Love and family? Maybe. Perhaps it was a story and nothing more.”
“It’s important because it’s something you two shared.” Shelly was afraid special moments had been few and far between in Liam’s childhood.
“Yes. My ma told a lot of stories. Selkies, faeries.”
“Perhaps you’ll share another one with me sometime.”
“Perhaps I will. We Irish are full of fanciful stories.” Liam drank a long swallow of lemonade and fixed her with a steady gaze. “So, what’s holding you back?”
Disarmed by his quick change of subject, she gave him a puzzled glance.
“With us,” he clarified.
“I don’t know. Nothing. Everything.” Shelley wasn’t sure of all the reasons for her reticence herself.
“That’s helpful.” Liam’s dry tone indicated that it was not the least bit helpful.
“We’re very different,” Shelley said.
“Are we? We’re both musicians.”
“You’re world famous. A superstar.”
“I’m still a man, Shelley. Don’t make me into anything else.”
“Fair enough.” She paused. “My heart’s a little cracked,” Shelley explained.
“I’d be surprised if it weren’t. I’m sure others have tried to snatch you up, though they apparently failed.”
“I’m sure you could say the same.” Shelley knew the tabloids exaggerated, but Liam’s high profile relationships were news.
Liam’s lips thinned. “Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that my fame and money were more attractive than I was.”
Shelley touched his hand. “You know that’s not true.”
“I’d like to think it isn’t. I suppose I let a few of the wrong people into my life.”
“I have as well. I think everyone does at some point.”
“You’re a very forgiving type.”
“Maybe. But Liam, all that aside, I’m not sure I’m cut out for a fling like this. To be honest, I’m afraid of getting hurt.” Shelley d
idn’t see how an involvement with Liam would end any other way.
“I’ll never hurt you, Shelley.”
“I know you wouldn’t mean to. I live a more quiet life.”
“Have you seen me out partying every night since we met? I’m not saying I didn’t, because I did. But I’ve put that behind me. The hard partying, anyway. I don’t want it and I don’t want to go where it was leading me.”
“I’m not judging your choices, Liam. Our lives don’t mesh and it’s never going anywhere, so why should I set myself up like that when I know what’s going to happen?” Couldn’t he see it wasn’t worth starting something when you knew how it would end? Maybe not the specifics, but it would end and it would be painful.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m not really your type, Liam. It’s a novelty for you, a one off.”
“What the hell? How do you know what my type is? Are you saying I’m not good enough for you?”
“No, of course not. The opposite.”
“You’re not good enough for me? Where are you getting all these crazy ideas?”
“Liam, you could be with almost anyone you want. Models. Actresses.”
“Yeah, I did the models and actresses, thank you very much. Literally. Therefore, I should know better than anyone what works for me. I don’t get this. You’re a beautiful, talented woman. Why wouldn’t I want to be with you?”
“When you get to know me better, you’ll see that I’m not that special.” Shelley knew herself to be average and average wouldn’t satisfy a man like Liam Smith.
“Is this some kind of self-esteem bullshit? Who told you that you aren’t special?”
“I’ve had several boyfriends. They’ve made me aware of my shortcomings.”
“They must have been blind and dumb to let you slip away. Come. Let me show you how I see you.” He held out his hand.
Shelley took it.
Chapter 5
Shelley watched with wide eyes as Liam pulled off his shirt. Her fingers itched to touch his muscled chest, but she was frozen in place, mesmerized as Liam unfastened his jeans and pushed them to the floor. His erection tented the fabric of his boxer briefs and Shelley swallowed, her desire tempered with a touch of apprehension.
Liam’s eyes fixed on hers and Shelley read the desire in his gaze. Before she over thought it, Shelley grabbed the hem of her shirt and removed it.
Liam stepped closer and his eyes fastened on the creamy expanse of skin spilling out the top of her bra. “So beautiful. May I touch?”
Shelley nodded. Liam reached out and slipped his fingertip under the lacy edge. Shelley flushed as heat spread through her breasts and down her belly.
“Do you want to touch me, too?” There was no mistaking his ardor.
Shelley blushed and placed her palm against his chest. She felt the thump of his heart and the warmth of his skin. She skimmed her fingertips down his belly and over the fabric of his underwear.
Liam sucked in a breath as she touched him, encircled him with her fingers, nothing but cloth between. Liam pushed his underwear off and Shelley grasped him again, stroking his pulsing flesh as he stood naked before her.
“Oh, Shelley, that feels so good. I want to see you, too. Let me see all of you.”
Shelley reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. The cups loosened and the bra slid down her arms. Shelley tossed it on the floor and reached for the waistband of her panties. After a moment’s hesitation, she removed them.
Liam reached out and traced his fingertip from her waist, down her hip, and over to the coarse curls at the apex of her thighs. He parted her soft folds and stroked her, spreading her wetness. “Please tell me you want me as much as I want you.”
“I want you. I do, but I’m afraid.”
His head jerked up. “Afraid of what?”
“Not of you. Of disappointing you. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
“I can 100% guarantee that I will not be disappointed. I’m going to make sure you aren’t, either.” He took a foil packet from his pocket and tossed it on the bed.
The conviction in his voice sent a shiver through Shelley.
Liam licked her wetness from his finger and urged her onto the mattress. He followed her down, covering her with his weight. “Am I too heavy for you?”
“No, it feels wonderful. You feel wonderful.”
Liam bent toward her breast and licked around each areola until her nipples pebbled tightly. He took her nipple into his mouth, sucking gently, and then with more force as Shelley arched against him and whimpered for more.
Shelley touched him everywhere—his shoulders, his neck, his back. She entwined her fingers in his hair and pulled his mouth to hers.
Liam gave her what she wanted, ravishing her lips with kisses as he nudged her legs apart. He ripped open the condom and unrolled it onto himself.
Shelley trembled as she spread her legs to make room for him. He settled against her, hot and hard.
Liam bit her earlobe and soothed it with his tongue. “I can feel how ready you are for me.”
Shelley squirmed underneath him. Any insecurity was buried beneath the inferno growing inside her. Only Liam could satisfy her burning ache.
Liam’s fingers explored her slick cleft and dipped inside before sliding back up to the sensitive nerve bundle hidden at the top.
“Yes, I want you, too. I’m ready. I’m so ready.”
Liam positioned himself between her thighs and groaned as he sank into her depths. He pulled back and plunged into her again and again, with slow, steady strokes.
Wanton cries escaped Shelley’s lips and she lifted against him, wanting more, needing more, needing everything. Her fingers dug into his buttocks, urging him faster, deeper.
Liam whispered earthy, sexual words into her ear and she shivered with delight.
“Liam … please …” Shelley begged, though she wasn’t sure what more he could give.
Liam lifted her legs onto his shoulders, thrusting deep, and Shelley unwound inside. Her skin burned and her muscles quivered. Pleasure surged into every cell of her body. She spasmed one last time as Liam cried out, and she gathered him close to her, stroking his back.
~ * ~ * ~
Liam sat at the piano and tested out a melody that’d been sticking in his head for days. It was catchy and ideas for lyrics began to form.
As Rob walked through the door, Liam rose from the piano bench. He embraced Rob with one arm while he thumped him on the back with the other.
“How you feeling, man?” Liam’s concern was genuine. This was Rob’s second stint in rehab in less than a year.
“That whole thing is bullshit, you know?” Rob twirled his drumsticks in his hands.
“Uh …” Having been in rehab, Liam knew it wasn’t a glorified vacation—at least not if you wanted to stay clean.
“The suits should be happy though, right? It’s all good for the tour.” Rob tapped out a short lick on the tabletop.
“So, you think you got a handle on things?” Neither Liam nor Sean, their other bandmate, did drugs, but Rob always seemed able to find plenty of trouble on his own.
“Absolutely. Gotta be more careful, that’s all.”
“Rob …” Liam had been through his wild phase, but put it behind him. He hoped Rob was able to do the same.
“Anyway, where’s Sean?” Rob paced the floor, twirling his drumsticks in his hands.
A tall, lanky man with sandy hair appeared in the doorway, carrying an instrument. “Did someone call my name?”
Rob spun a drumstick into the air and caught it. “About time you showed up, slacker. What’s the world coming to when I’m more prompt than you?”
“Hell in a hand basket, that’s for sure.” Sean placed his bass case on the floor.
Usually, Liam enjoyed the irreverence of his band mates, but today it rubbed him the wrong way. The release date for their album was set, but he still wasn’t happy with a few of the tracks. The record
label was hounding them, and they had a tour to prepare for.
Liam bit back his thoughts. He didn’t want to spend all day smoothing things over. “I thought we’d practice and work out some rough spots today. Jared’s ready to come do the engineering whenever we’re ready.”
Rob rolled his eyes. “We don’t need a record company watch dog.”
Liam frowned at Rob’s characterization. “He’s not a watch dog. He’s an engineer and he’s good.” Jared had done most of the work on the tracks they’d already finalized.
Rob dismissed Liam’s statement with a wave. “Whatever. I say we find a few ladies and go for a sail. I called my guy and it’s all arranged. We just need the ladies.”
Sean snapped his fingers. “I think an ocean breeze is what I need to clear my mind.”
Rob pulled out his phone. “It’s settled then. I’ll make a few calls and find us some company.”
Liam held up his hands. “Whoa, guys. I’m all for down time, but we haven’t done any work yet. Why don’t we save the sail for a celebration after we finish?” This was ridiculous. Five minutes and Rob was proposing they knock off for a party.
“What are you? My grandma?” Rob’s attitude had never been good and rehab didn’t seem to have improved it.
Liam crossed his arms. “Seriously guys, we need to wrap this shit up.”
Rob stuck his drumsticks in his back pocket and scrolled through the contacts on his phone. “Sean and I are going for a sail. You going or not? Bring your freaking guitar with you. We’ll play on the boat. The girls will love it.”
Liam breathed in deep and exhaled through his mouth. Today was not the day to start something. “Fine. All right. It’s cool. We’ll practice on the boat.”
Liam loved his bandmates. He really did. They were the brothers he never had. But sometimes, just like real brothers, they drove him to distraction. This wasn’t the first time they’d butted heads and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
~ * ~ * ~
Liam walked down the gangplank with a loose, relaxed stride. He’d had his doubts about the boat trip, but they’d worked out a few of the kinks that had been causing them problems and even brainstormed on a new song. Both Sean and Rob managed to consume alcohol without getting drunk. He could have done without the groupies, but they mostly left him alone when he hadn’t shown any interest in them. Overall, he’d call it a success.
