I swallowed again.
Because it was Van.
The man I had liked privately for so long. Who amazed me. Inspired me. The man who went from coworker and friend, to lover and protector in a short space of time, and the man I was certain I was losing my heart to.
I knew once I fell for him, there would be no turning back, and life would never be the same.
I huffed out a long exhale of air, looking down at the bag in my hand. I hadn’t spent a weekend with a man in a very long time. I followed Van’s instructions, but I did a little shopping this afternoon in between some appointments. I was sure he was going to approve of what I bought.
The front door opened, and Van stepped out onto his porch. His massive shoulders filled his doorway. Dressed in a Henley with the sleeves pushed up his forearms and jeans, he was incredibly sexy. There was a dish towel thrown over his shoulder, and his feet were bare. The porch light caught the glints of silver in his hair. He frowned in worry as he stepped forward.
“Livvy? You okay, baby?”
His term of endearment melted away my nerves.
It was Van, for God’s sake.
“Just admiring your house.”
His wide grin lit his face, and he held out his hand. “There’s more to see inside. Come with me and I’ll show you.”
I hurried forward, suddenly wanting to close the distance between us. He met me at the stairs, his hand still extended. I slipped my palm into his and let him tug me up the steps. He pulled me close, pressing a kiss to my mouth.
“I’ve been waiting, Liv. I was getting worried. When I saw you outside, I thought you changed your mind.”
“Sorry,” I breathed against his lips. “I was sort of lost in my thoughts.”
I felt his smile. “I’ll let you make it up to me.” He dropped a kiss to the end of my nose. “Now let me get you inside so I can kiss you properly.”
“Okay.”
He led me inside, taking my jacket and bag. As soon as the door shut, he swept me into his arms, his mouth covering mine. His kiss was long and passionate. It said “Hello, and I missed you. I’m glad you’re here.” The way his arms held me close made me feel safe and welcome.
I wanted to be greeted that way every day.
By him.
He pulled back, dropping one last kiss to my mouth. “I’ve been waiting all day to do that.”
I touched his lips with my finger. “I hope it was worth it.”
He captured the end of my finger, swirling his tongue on the digit. “Completely.” He wrapped his arms around me, tucking me close. “I’m glad you’re here, Livvy.”
I sighed in contentment, nestling into his solid chest. “Me too.”
He drew back and picked up my bag. He indicated the rooms ahead. “Dinner will be ready soon. I’ll go put this in my bedroom. I have wine open on the counter, so help yourself. Look around and make yourself at home.”
I found the wine and poured myself a glass, sipping the heady red wine appreciatively. I looked around in admiration. The house was so…Van. The creamy-colored walls were set off with gorgeous mahogany woodwork. The hardwood floors were smooth and polished under my feet. The kitchen was sleek and modern. The large living/dining room felt homey with comfortable furniture in navy and gray. The huge mantel had obviously been carefully restored and updated with a gas fireplace. I could imagine being curled up in one of the deep chairs while the fireplace warmed the room and snow fell outside.
Oddly enough, I could picture Sammy coloring on the rug, and Van napping on the sofa as I read, all three of us content to be close on a lazy day. I shook my head to clear those thoughts. I was getting ahead of myself. Still, I glanced back as I walked toward the kitchen, the image firmly planted in my mind.
Van looked up from the oven as I slid onto a barstool at the high counter. “Hey. How was your afternoon?”
I perched my elbow on the counter, leaning my chin on my hand. “Tiring, but good. We handed over the keys to Mrs. Miller, so the job is done.”
He chuckled and slid a plate of antipasto in front of me. “Why do you think I had the wine ready?”
I popped an olive into my mouth, humming at the salty flavor.
“How was she?”
“Fine. She loved almost everything. I think it helped that Bentley, Aiden, and Maddox were there. The three of them are pretty intimidating as a group. Anything she picked at, one of them had an answer for, which shut her up fast. Especially when Maddox started on the fact that we went over budget because of her demands.”
Van smirked and swallowed the cheese he’d been munching. “Maddox’s budget and the one the client sees are two different things. We were well under the real one. Bentley was impressed with how well we did.”
I picked up a piece of Asiago cheese, enjoying the sharp taste. “Yes, he told me. He also promised never to do this again. Once was enough. If I wanted to deal with clients harping at me all day, I would have stayed at my other job.”
Van picked up a thin slice of baguette, adding some cheese and another olive and held it up for me. He leaned on the counter, watching me eat it.
“I’m glad you left that job, Liv. You’re right where you should be.”
“At BAM, you mean?”
The timer on the oven pinged, and he grabbed the oven mitts.
“At BAM, yes. With me at BAM,” he added with a wink. “Especially with me.”
I had to smile.
Liv
“That was the best lasagna I’ve ever eaten.”
Van dipped his head in acknowledgment as he picked up his wine. “It’s one of my favorites. Plus, I can make a huge pan and eat well for a week.”
“You, ah, do have a healthy appetite.”
He threw back his head in laughter. “That’s being polite. My mom always says I ate them out of house and home as a teenager. To be honest, it hasn’t changed much. I burn it off fast and I always seem to be hungry.”
I couldn’t help but eye him in appreciation. His body was amazing. Strong, thick, and powerful. His muscles rippled as he moved, and I loved watching him. He was very sexy.
He met my gaze, one eyebrow lifting in amusement. “See something you like, Livvy?”
I tried not to be embarrassed at staring, but I failed. Van caught my hand and lifted it to his mouth. He pressed a long kiss to my knuckles and laid my hand on his chest.
“Stare away, baby. Whatever you see when you look at me is yours.”
“Mine?” I squeaked.
“All yours. If my body gives you pleasure, stare away. I like knowing I please you.”
The words were out before I could stop them. “Oh, you please, all right.”
He leaned closer, draping his arm across the back of my chair, tugging me close. “I aim to please you a lot tonight, Liv. You up for that?”
I rested my hand on his thigh, meeting his open, honest gaze. His dark eyes were lit from within with a warmth and sincerity I found appealing. His candor was refreshing. He didn’t play games or say things he didn’t mean. He wanted me, and he wanted me to know that. I slid my hand farther up his leg, running my fingers over the growing bulge.
“Certainly feels like you are,” I murmured, tracing the ridge of him under the denim.
He groaned low in his chest. “Unless you want to be dessert, I suggest you stop and let me get coffee and the cupcakes I picked up for you.”
My hand stilled. “Cupcakes?” I hesitated. “What kind of cupcakes?”
He chuckled, lifted my hand from his leg and brushed his mouth over my knuckles. “Cockblocked by baked goods.” He kissed me, his teasing tone letting me know he wasn’t upset. “White with vanilla frosting from Joan’s Bakery. I’ve seen how territorial you get over those at the office. Didn’t take me long to figure out those were your favorite.”
I slid my hand back to his leg, squeezing his cock lightly. “So is this.”
He leaned close, brushing his lips over mine. “Guess what, Liv? You get to have your cak
e and eat it too. You get both tonight. In fact, I got a dozen cupcakes. You get both all weekend.”
I met his intense gaze with one of my own. “Good.”
* * *
Together we cleaned up the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher. Van’s kitchen was well-equipped and organized—much the same as the rest of his house. I gazed around the open concept of the main floor.
“You have such a great place. I love the layout.”
“I did a lot of work to it when I moved in. Like so many older houses, it was a bunch of little rooms. I knocked down some walls and opened it up.”
“It’s lovely.”
He braced his arms on the counter, looking around the room. “I like it. It’s got three big bedrooms, a dry basement, and the holy grail of all wish lists for homeowners in Toronto.”
My brow furrowed. “Which is?”
He chuckled. “A backyard and a garage. There’s a spot to park my truck and a place to sit in the summer. Both of which are hard to get here.”
He flicked on a light and opened the patio door. I stepped onto the deck, looking around, curious. Small, but well laid-out, the backyard had a deck with a built-in gazebo that offered privacy and shade from both the sun and neighbors. A small footpath led to the garage. A tall fence surrounded the yard. There was even a garden—tiny but flourishing. “What a great space.”
He stepped beside me. “Yeah. I planned on adding a hot tub in the corner here, but I seem to be too busy at work to get around to it.” He indicated the garden. “My mom helped me plant that. She loves gardening. Good thing, or it would be overgrown pretty fast. I never have time to work on it these days either.”
“Bentley does keep us busy.”
“Yeah, he does.”
“Are you worried about this new company we have to work with?” I asked. “Do you know anything about them?”
He shrugged. “Not really. I checked them out, and the rep is solid. If Jordan is okay with them, it’s fine. It’s really a simple job for them. Demo and rebuild to our plans. As long as they follow orders, it’s good. I don’t have to like them, just work with them. And they’ll only be there for the first part of the project. As other projects finish, I’ll bring in our own people, then you can work your magic.”
“I guess we’ll meet them on Tuesday.” Jordan had scheduled a meeting for us all to meet in the morning. It would be a planning session, and all the details would be hammered out. Once it happened, the project would begin.
Van nodded, rolling his shoulders, a small grimace crossing his face. He had done the same motion a few times during dinner. “Yep.” Before I could speak again, he wound his arm around my waist. “No more work talk. The only thing I want to concentrate on this weekend is you.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Then let’s start with cupcakes and go from there.”
“Okay.”
* * *
“You missed a bit.”
“Pardon?”
Van smirked and tapped the edge of my mouth. “Icing. You missed a bit of icing.”
“Oh.” I licked at the edge of my mouth. “Can’t have that.”
He laughed. The cupcakes were delicious. Light and fluffy, with mounds of rich buttercream piled on top. Van was amused as I instructed him the proper way of eating them.
“You break them in half and turn the top over,” I explained, demonstrating. “It’s a cupcake sandwich. You get icing in every bite!”
Still, due to the large amount of the sweet frosting, I got it on my face. It never failed. Van shook his head, edging closer, lowering his face to mine. “You still missed,” he breathed. “I’ll have to get it for you.”
His tongue touched the corner of my mouth, sweeping along the edge of my lips. He slid his hand up my neck, pulling me close as he dipped inside. We kissed—long, unhurried kisses that tasted of sweet vanilla and promises of what would happen later.
Until he flinched and eased back, another grimace crossing his face.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
“Van, what is it? You keep grimacing.”
With a deep sigh, he sat back, rubbing his shoulder. “I was helping tear down a kitchen this morning. I had two crew members call in sick, so I had to step in and lend a hand. The sink and counter fought back.” He rolled his neck. “They won.” At my worried gaze, he waved off my concern. “It will settle, Liv. I took some pills. It takes longer sometimes than others.”
I studied him and stood. I hurried to the bathroom and grabbed the bottle of lotion I had seen earlier. When I returned to the living room, I sat in one of the large chairs and tossed a cushion on the floor. I opened my legs and indicated the cushion. “Take off your shirt and sit here.”
“Um…”
“Don’t argue, Van. Just do it.”
His eyebrows rose slowly. “Okay, Ms. Bossy.” He stood and tugged his Henley over his head in the effortless way only guys could do. It was sexy and slow, but I hated seeing the glimmer of pain cross his face at the action. He lowered himself to the floor, squeezing between my legs. I could feel his tension as he eased back, wrapping his arms around my calves.
For the first time, I fully saw his scars. I had felt them before and even glimpsed them, but this was the first time I had actually seen them up close. Deep and long, they ran down his shoulder and back, a crisscross of pain he carried with him at all times. Gently, I ran my fingers over the grooves. He stiffened at my touch.
“Does it hurt?” I asked.
“No,” he replied. “Your touch never hurts.” He drew in a long breath. “They’re ugly, though.”
I leaned down and feathered kisses along the marred skin. I traced each line with my mouth, making sure to touch every one. He shuddered in long spasms that raced down his spine.
I pressed my mouth to his ear. “Nothing about you is ugly, Van. Your scars are a part of you—a part of your past that makes you who you are.”
“Who am I?” he asked, his voice so low, I had to strain to hear him.
“Mine,” I replied. “You’re mine.”
He turned his head fast, capturing my mouth and kissing me hard. He buried his hand in my hair, holding my face close as he ravished my mouth. When we broke apart, my breathing was erratic, and his eyes were intense and wild. “I am yours, Liv. Completely.”
I could only nod.
“And you’re mine.”
“Yes,” I acknowledged.
“Let me take you upstairs.”
“Once I get rid of your pain.”
“Liv…”
“Please?” I asked. “Let me do this.”
He captured my hand and kissed it. “Okay, baby. Go ahead and try.”
* * *
Van
I’d had massages in the past. Therapeutic, deep tissue, hot stone, every kind there was, in order to try to alleviate some of the discomfort at times. A few proved somewhat effective; some were a total waste of time.
Liv put them all to shame. Her touch was different. Her surprisingly strong fingers found knots and spasms and worked to ease them. She stroked and soothed. Pulled and released. Dug in and opened pathways that took away some of the pain. The whole time she worked, she hummed, the sound low and pleasant.
“I like that.” I informed her. “You have a great tone.”
She laughed quietly. “Sammy likes it when I sing to her.”
“Me too.”
She dropped a kiss to my neck. “Good.”
I let my head fall forward, totally relaxed as she worked. Normally, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t relax under the hands of a masseuse. But Liv was different. Her touch was different. I was able to allow myself to only feel. I basked in her touch. In her words that kept echoing in my head.
“Nothing about you is ugly, Van. Your scars are a part of you—a part of your past that makes you who you are.”
“Mine. You’re mine.”
I was hers. There was no doubt in my mind. I belonged to her, and she to
me. The same with Sammy. She had crept into my heart as well, and I needed them both in my life.
Liv tilted my head, her fingers digging into the juncture of my neck. It was a constant stress point for me, and I groaned as she found the nerve that always seemed to be inflamed.
“Too much?” she asked.
“No,” I replied. “Keep going.”
“I need closer,” she murmured and shifted, draping her leg around my chest. I wrapped my arms around her calf and lowered my head. As she worked, the pain morphed into relief, the constant ache dissipating. My body felt loose, at ease for the first time in a long while. My shoulders sagged as the pressure released, my arms going slack, unable to hold her anymore.
“Can you lie down on the couch? On your stomach please.”
I knew I should protest. Tell her she’d done enough. But her touch was addictive, and I wanted more of it, so I did as she asked. She settled on my thighs, working my lower back.
She continued to work and hum. The world seemed to recede, quiet settling into my brain. I felt adrift and at ease. I shut my eyes, unable to keep them open anymore.
Slowly, free from pain and surrounded by my Liv, I slipped into sleep.
* * *
I woke up, my eyes slowly focusing. The room was dim and quiet. In front of me, sitting on the floor, was Liv, her Kindle light faint in the dark. Her head was resting against the sofa cushion, her legs drawn up to her chest. Reflections of flames from the fireplace flickered on her face as she read, seemingly absorbed in her book.
Briefly, I was confused. The last thing I remembered was Liv working on my back with her magical fingers. I realized I had fallen asleep, leaving Liv on her own.
Great.
“Liv,” I groaned out her name.
Her head turned, a gentle expression on her face. “Hey.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “I am so sorry.”
She frowned, confused. “Why are you sorry?”
Vested Interest Box Set Books 4-7 Page 40
