Dream Under the Hill (Oberon Book 8)

by P. G. Forte

  Her stomach turned over and she crawled closer to the toilet, sure that, in another minute, she was going to be sick again.

  He’d looked at her like she was poison, like he was afraid maybe she’d jump him, or something. Hunh! Not likely. She wouldn’t have touched him… not at any price. And she didn’t want him to touch her, either. She didn’t even want him looking at her, come to think of it. But, he didn’t know that, did he?

  No, she knew he didn’t. Because when she finally worked up the nerve to say so, he’d had the balls to look betrayed – like she’d been the one to hurt him.

  But even that hadn’t been the worst. No, the worst was still to come…

  “Tell me about last night,” Gregg had said, “and don’t leave anything out.”

  And Cara had known right then, that they were in for a really long night.

  She’d nearly groaned out loud, but she’d been struggling to not cry, to not make noise, to do as she’d been told. So, she stifled the impulse, closed her eyes and tried not to think about where she was: staked out like a bug between the two men. She wasn’t naked, but the way her legs were spread, she might just as well have been.

  She had gotten pretty good at setting her mind loose when things got bad like this, and sending it off to play somewhere else. But it wasn’t working tonight. How could it work, with the sound of Liam’s voice in her ears, droning on and on and on?

  There was something about that voice that was always messing her up. It hooked her and reeled her in, like a fish on a line. It seemed like she was always following his voice any damn place it wanted to take her, usually straight into trouble. But tonight, it wasn’t taking her anywhere. It was keeping her here, tied to the present, the last place she wanted to be.

  She shuddered as Gregg’s hand slid between her legs again. And all her muscles tensed in anticipation. It wasn’t that he was always too rough, but there were times – and tonight was surely going to be one of them – when he acted like sex was a contest to see who could inflict the most pain. A losing game, on her part, one she knew she’d never win.

  As his fingers traced narrowing circles around her clit, like wolves moving in for a kill, she started to tremble. Liam’s voice dipped lower, grew huskier, warmer, gentler. And, surprisingly, Gregg’s touch grew gentler, as well. Almost as though he, too, were soothed by the sound. When he finally made contact, it was with the softest of strokes. Cara’s breathing eased, she relaxed against Gregg’s chest and almost laughed as relief flooded through her. She’d been so worried.

  She was ready to open her eyes and smile her thanks at Liam, but the faint hitch in his voice made it sound like he was frowning. So she kept her eyes closed and smiled to herself and chose to remember how he looked when he wasn’t frowning. There were so many little things about him that she loved, and they made it hard not to look at him, hard not to fall for him, hard not to think about him far too much. Like the way his eyes crinkled up when he teased her. The gentle curve of his mouth when he smiled. The way his lips felt when he kissed her...

  She groaned aloud. Oh, God, I don’t want to think of that now! She couldn’t bear to remember how she’d longed for Liam’s lips or his hands or… or anything. Not while it was Gregg who was touching her. Besides, with her luck, Gregg would figure out what she was thinking, and make her pay.

  Sure enough, she’d no sooner thought it when his hand moved lower. Cara’s heart skipped nervously. She caught her breath as Gregg dipped one finger inside her, and then gave vent to a deep, grateful sigh, when he slipped it back out. But then he did it again, first stroking over her folds, lightly, playfully, and then plunging back inside her. And again. A third time. A fourth. Then two fingers slid into her warmth and she gasped in dismay as she felt her muscles clench, contracting around his fingers, squeezing them within her, squeezing even tighter around nothing at all, as he pulled them away.

  Even with the blood drumming in her ears, Cara couldn’t help but hear Gregg’s soft, triumphant laugh as he brought his second hand down to join the first, as he spread her lips and held them wide. Her body arced and spasmed and, suddenly, it was all but impossible to breathe.

  The room had gone completely quiet. She could practically feel the weight of Liam’s gaze on her flesh. Gregg’s fingers glided across her skin, and she could feel the wetness that coated them. Wetness she had put there. Her legs trembled uncontrollably, if she could, she would have clamped them together.

  “Don’t stop now,” Gregg admonished.

  Cara opened her eyes at that, whimpering in confused disbelief. Stop? Stop what? If only she could stop. But, apparently, he wasn’t talking to her.

  “What else you wanna hear?” Liam muttered, in a voice even thicker and huskier than before. “That’s everything that happened. Nothing else to say.”

  “Oh, I doubt that,” Gregg said. “You went to the hospital, didn’t you? Why?”

  Liam sighed. “The other guy there had been cut pretty bad, I gave him a lift. Someone had to.”

  Gregg stilled. “What other guy?”

  “A guy. It’s not important. Someone who’d seen the accident and came to help.”

  “Someone saw the accident?”

  Gregg’s voice sounded calm, but Cara could feel his tension. As his hands tightened on her, she whimpered again, squirming restlessly.

  “Shhh,” he commanded, laying two fingers against her lips. She could smell herself on his fingers, heat flared in her face and then spread lower as Gregg’s hand slid down to cup her breast. She wondered if Liam could smell it, too?

  “Yes,” Liam growled impatiently. “I mean, no, damn it. Shit, I dunno. I don’t think so. I was there before him, so I guess not, but–”

  “Go on,” Gregg said as he pushed the shirt off her shoulder once more. “Keep talking.”

  Cara gasped as his fingers brushed across her bare skin. She could feel her nipple beading as Gregg flicked it with his thumb. She tugged at his wrist, trying to pull him away from her. But, he grabbed her hands and gripped them tight, squeezing them together in one, hard fist, forcing them to her lap, holding them there.

  “Why?” Liam snapped, the disgust in his voice obvious as his eyes rose to lock with Gregg’s. “What difference does it make?”

  Cara’s fingers ached as she tried to pull free of Gregg’s grasp.

  “What difference?” Gregg’s eyes flashed dangerously. His hand clenched tighter.

  Cara swallowed hard, afraid that any minute the bones in her fingers would start to snap. Her hands felt mangled. “Gregg,” she whispered, imploringly, “you’re hurting me.” But he ignored her and continued to glare at Liam.

  “I’m sure you’ve realized by now that this man whose life you saved is Lauren’s ex-husband?”

  There was a moment’s pause. The look in Liam’s eyes was dark, wary, remote. “Yes. I-I realize that.”

  “And do you also realize that it’s for her sake that I chose to overlook your recent... .transgressions? That it’s only because of what you’ve done for Lauren that I haven’t thrown you both out of here yet?” Gregg glanced at Cara and repeated, “Both of you.”

  Cara’s eyes widened in surprise. Her stomach heaved as betrayal mixed with the pain she was already feeling. Acid burned in her throat and she had to clamp her mouth shut to keep from spewing.

  Liam dropped his gaze. “Right. I know that.”

  He knew? Cara closed her eyes, defeated. Tears leaked from beneath her lids. Great. They were all on the same page, then. This was all about Lauren.

  “I assume the officer’s family was called?” Gregg continued, relaxing the pressure on her hands a little, but continuing to hold them immobile. “They were at the hospital when you arrived?”

  Liam’s sigh sounded loud in the quiet room. “Yes.”

  As the blood rushed back into Cara’s hands they began to throb painfully. She gulped back a sob.

  “And the police?” Gregg prompted, “his doctors?”

  “Of course
there were doctors there,” Liam said. “It’s a hospital, isn’t it?”

  “You spoke to them?” Gregg asked, seemingly undeterred by Liam’s remark. His other hand, the one still lodged between Cara’s legs began to move again.

  “No, not to the doctors, but–”

  “But, you spoke to his family, right?” Gregg asked, spearing his fingers inside her once again, and then spreading her moisture over her lips until she could feel her own slickness. “You heard things? You learned something of his condition, the prognosis, so to speak?”

  “Yes.” Liam’s voice was terse, cold.

  “Good. Then you can tell me about it, and I can tell Lauren.”

  “What else do you want to know?”

  Cara sighed. Lauren again? Great. ‘Cause she hadn’t heard enough about that bitch yet tonight. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried once more to block everything out and drift away. But, her feet had gone to sleep, numbness was creeping up her legs, and Liam’s voice was in her ears again, making escape impossible. All she could think about was him.

  So, fine then, she’d think about Liam. It’s what Gregg wanted yesterday, wasn’t it? He had Lauren, and she was supposed to have had Liam. Except that wasn’t the way it worked out, because Liam didn’t want her. He wanted someone else. Someone older. More interesting. More mysterious. Someone with depth and talent and her own friggin’ business.

  She could be that person, couldn’t she? Someday? If she worked really hard, and didn’t give up, and did all the things she was supposed to do?

  She wanted to be the kind of person people respected, looked up to, believed in. She wanted – just once in her life – to be taken seriously. To be important, if only one person thought so. To be loved.

  How hard could it be? Other people had that. They had that and lots more, all the time. And here all she wanted was to have it once. To feel like that, and have it be real. Not just imagination. Not just a dream or a fantasy.

  Why was that always too much to ask?

  Gregg’s hand picked up speed, thrumming her clitoris with quick, demanding strokes, until Cara’s skin flushed and her heart began to pound. As she felt the pressure build inside her she tried not to flinch, tried not to tense up, or pull away. It was too rough. He would leave her sore and aching for days, and it just wasn’t worth it. And she knew, she just knew, that if it were Liam who was touching her, things would be different.

  Maybe she’d made a mistake, saying she didn’t want him tonight. Not that she had a choice. He’d already said he didn’t want her first, hadn’t he?

  But if he did...

  He’d be gentle, she could see it in his eyes. He’d be tender and careful and slow. He wouldn’t rush her like this, wouldn’t hurt her like this. He wouldn’t hurt her at all.

  If it were Liam who was touching her now, his mouth sliding up her neck, nibbling softly, his breath fanning her cheek, his hands holding her, stroking her, it would be so different. She wouldn’t feel tense or frightened. There would be no need to wonder what he was planning to do next. No need to hold him off or hold herself back. No need to pretend she was somewhere else. Or that he was someone else. They could both just be themselves, with their eyes wide open.

  And she could be here. She could be whole. Free to say or do anything she wanted. Or anything he wanted, for that matter, without worrying about what that might be or how much it might hurt.

  If she were with Liam, she would feel safe. Safe enough to give him anything he asked for, even if that was everything she had.

  With his voice in her ears, it was easy to pretend that’s how it was. All she had to do was cling to the sound and let the words go. She didn’t know what he was saying, she didn’t need to know. He was talking to her, and that’s all that mattered.

  With her eyes closed, it was easy to imagine they were somewhere else – anywhere else. That it was just the two of them, alone together.

  Liam. She was on fire with her need for him. Her body arched toward the sound of his voice, opening to him, offering itself to him. Yearning for his touch. She wanted to taste him on her lips. She wanted to smell him on her breath. She wanted to press herself against him and feel him surrounding her, filling her, loving her.

  On the brink of climax, with her mouth open in a soundless cry of need, she heard a voice whisper in her ear. “Open your eyes.”

  Gregg’s voice.

  Surprise catapulted her over the edge. As the first wave hit her, her eyes shot open, and she found herself face to face with Liam. She knew what he must see in her eyes: All the longing she’d never expressed, the desire to give herself to him, as much as he was willing to take, for however long he wanted her.

  What she saw in his eyes broke her heart.

  Too late to stop herself from falling, she broke and gave and came undone. Wasting herself on a man who looked at her with loathing and disgust.

  His expression seared itself into her brain. Too late, she shut her eyes and turned her face away, accepting the small comfort of Gregg’s arms as he wrapped them around her and held her close.

  “Yes,” he whispered gleefully as he gently bit her neck, claiming her, marking her. “Like that. Just like that.”

  Her body rocked and shuddered. A wordless sob broke from her lips. Her heart cracked and crumbled all over the place.

  When it was over, Cara lay spent and shattered in Gregg’s arms, struggling to breathe, struggling to keep from screaming and giving vent to all the pain that was swirling inside her, all the rage she could barely contain. “Let me go,” she said quietly. “I need to use the bathroom.”

  “Of course,” Gregg answered, giving her a quick hug before he set her free.

  Her legs tingled with the return of circulation, making standing painful. She barely noticed it. She didn’t look at either of the men as she pulled her clothes into order. She couldn’t look at them, though she could feel their eyes on her, could feel them watching her.

  She kept her face blank, neutral, composed. She turned toward the bathroom, and then, on an impulse, she turned back again. “Thank you,” she murmured as she bent and kissed Gregg’s cheek.

  His eyes widened in faint surprise. “You’re welcome.”

  As she turned away again, he grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her back to him. He studied her face, his expression one of puzzlement. But she met his eyes, and even managed a small smile. “Bathroom?” she reminded him gently.

  He nodded, and once again, let her go.

  She walked away with her back straight and her steps steady, but by the time she’d closed the bathroom door, her hands were shaking so hard, it took her several tries before she could turn the lock. She was sobbing as she turned the water on, full force, in the sink, and retching before her knees even hit the floor in front of the toilet…

  And now, just thinking about what had occurred had her tossing her cookies all over again. Vomiting up hatred and anger, despair, anguish – along with what was left of her heart and several stray pieces of her soul.

  Until she was left with nothing but pain, and a cell-level certainty that, no matter what it took, no matter what she had to do, or who she had to do it to, she would never let herself be hurt like this again.

  * * *

  Liam was furious. As Cara slipped by him on her way to the bathroom, it was all he could do to rein in the impulse to grab her. His thoughts were such a sorry mess of rage and lust and confusion, he counted it a miracle he could still exert any control at all. It had been pure hell sitting here all evening; unwilling to stay, unable to leave, watching, equally horrified and enthralled, as Gregg pawed at Cara. God knew he wanted to do something to end it, but what excuse could he use? It wasn’t like she was objecting to Gregg’s treatment of her. In fact, it had become pretty damn obvious that she enjoyed the way he teased her and toyed with her.

  Obvious, but still damn hard to accept, and Liam still didn’t want to believe it was true. But with that faint smile glimmering across her lips, what els
e was he supposed to think? She welcomed what Gregg was doing to her, she wanted it.

  And Liam wanted her. That was pretty damn obvious, too. Painfully obvious, in fact.

  She looked like a fallen angel, with her legs spread and her eyes closed, with her head thrown back and that sexy-sweet smile playing over her mouth. His desire for her was a physical imperative, only slightly less demanding than the need to draw breath.

  Liam...

  She whispered his name and the sound of her voice echoed inside his head. He began to sweat. He knew she hadn’t spoken aloud, and even with the bond between them, he doubted he’d become clairaudient in the last few minutes. No, it was his own imagination, his own desires that were giving rise to these fantasies. Not that it mattered to his aching cock, which continued to stir and swell and harden. He couldn’t help but imagine how it would feel to explore every inch of her body, first with his fingertips, then with his tongue; tracing over every crease and fold, each tender curve, each gentle swell; dipping into each crevasse.

  As her breathing grew more ragged, so did his own until, at last, he was staring at her openly, transfixed by the passion in her face. She was so beautiful, so close, and it was so easy to pretend that it was he who was pleasuring her.

  “Open your eyes.”

  The shock of Gregg’s words brought Liam back to himself in an instant. His gaze searched out the other man’s face. A vicious anticipation gleamed in Gregg’s eyes, a cruel, triumphant smile curled his lips. The smug bastard was enjoying himself a little too much.

  The shock of it was like touching dry ice. Liam’s heart froze, his mind recoiled. Understanding streaked through him. He’s doing this on purpose. He’s using her. He’s using her... to get to me. And, it’s working.

  Only one thing stopped him from launching himself at Gregg’s throat – Cara’s soft gasp of dismay. He looked at her. Pain and awareness filled her eyes and his heart plunged even closer to despair. Oh, Christ, I’ve embarrassed her. She must have forgotten I was even here, and now she’s caught me watching her.