by Unknown
“You deserve to be happy,” Neal said in a cool, loving tone and smiled at his mother. “I’d rather see him suffer, but if this is what you really want and you’re sure you know what you’re doing, I won’t stand in your way.”
Neal’s parents watched as their son carefully made his way up the stairs, and after he disappeared around a bend, they glanced at one another before bursting with quiet laughter.
Chapter 26
Liv scampered about her temporary room trying not to shed any tears as she quickly stuffed her belongings into the white duffle bag with red hearts. Feeling an uneasy mix of regret and shame at having again succumbed to insecurity forced her to mumble a mantra of ‘this is the right thing’ in order to help bolster that flagging confidence.
With a few shirts crumpled in a fist, she plunked down on the edge of her bed and sighed aloud. “It isn’t,” she whispered and fell forward atop the mattress. “It’s wrong to keep thinking and feeling the way I do. I thought I learned that lesson after meeting my real family.”
Neal’s gentle knock before entering went unnoticed, but as he turned to close the door, he asked what was wrong. Gasping, Liv sat up fast and slowly brushed aside a wisp of hair from her watery eyes as she gazed at the tall, handsome man leaning against his cane. The casual smile he offered made her heart thump, and as he started toward her, she rose from the bed in a trembling mass of nerves.
“Before you run away again,” he said as he reached her and smirked when she dipped to one side in order to avoid his touch.
“I know what you’re going to say,” she grumbled on her way to the duffle bag she had set atop an upholstered armchair between the door and a dresser. Stuffing the shirts inside, she paused to stare at the wall. “I’m being a coward again.”
“No.”
Liv squealed internally to hear that low, sultry voice so close to her ear. How had he managed to make those few steps between the bed and her without her hearing him? Too embarrassed to look at him directly, Liv remained with her back to him and lowered her gaze.
Neal set his free hand atop her shoulder, making Liv jump in her skin and close her eyes. Resentment began to rise to know her own body would always betray her. Already, there was a throbbing ache between her thighs, her pulse raced at a deafening pitch in her ears, and her breathing was irregular. And all he did to illicit those things was to get a bit too close.
“I want to thank you,” he said just before his teeth bit gently against her earlobe.
“Don’t,” she managed. Thank her for what? For deciding to walk away again? Terrified to think it might be true, Liv spun in Neal’s direction and caught him smiling at her. “You . . . you’re . . . happy?”
He nodded, and her heart felt as if it might break. The pain in her chest was as unbearable as the one between her thighs. Crestfallen, she started to turn away when Neal held her by an arm, forcing her to look at him. Through a blur of unshed tears, she thought she saw that desire flare up in his enchanting gaze, but it wasn’t possible.
What else had she been mistaken about with this man?
His lips met hers, startling her and making her slowly forget the pain and sadness she had allowed to build up inside without much merit.
“Oh Neal,” she breathed after he slowly broke the kiss and set his forehead against hers. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this confused in my whole life.”
“I heard you,” he said.
“I hope so,” she grumbled, quiet laughter escaping to hear such an odd remark. “If we’re close enough to kiss, we’re close enough to hear one another.”
“No,” he said and exhaled a quick burst of gentle laughter. “I heard what you said in the garden just now.”
Liv leaned back far enough to study his gaze more clearly, but then Neal wrapped an arm about her and let out a dull groan, pressing his lips to the top of her head.
While she tried to remember everything she said on their stroll, Liv let her fingers roam freely over Neal’s sinewy back and tight bottom. Closing her eyes, she smiled, liking the way it felt to be in his warm embrace. Never before had she ever felt so loved and secure as she did in his arms. It was a feeling she had craved from an early age. There were no defenses or solid shell for her to retreat into when it came to being around others, and yet being discovered in a celebrity manner made her skin crawl.
Eyes open wide now, Liv stood with the side of her face pressed against his solid chest, listening to the rapid, sturdy beat of his heart. She looked up at the man who definitely possessed magic and slid her index fingers inside the waistband of his dark trousers.
“Neal,” she said. “Besides sex, what is there about me that interests you so much?”
Another quiet burst of laughter escaped him, and then he set a thumb and finger to her chin, lifting her face so that he could better gaze at her in apparent delight.
“That, right there.”
Liv’s eyes narrowed at the way his voice made her body shiver with desire, and she had to resist taking advantage of him. An easy thing to do when reminded of his wound and the discomfort he still seemed to experience. It didn’t occur as often now, but there were still times when she saw him wince when rising from a sitting position, maneuvering stairs, or after having stood still for a few minutes.
“The things you say and do,” Neal continued. “The way your mind works. I like to watch you struggle against yourself, Liv. As tempted as I am to rush in and do it all for you, it’s a relief and pleasure to know you always do the right thing in the end.”
“So, you like that I’m a mixed up ball of nerves?”
His smile warmed her heart despite the unflattering response to a topic she took a bit too personal.
“I like that you’re as child-like as you are mature. You’re all woman and yet have managed to retain a bit of the little girl you once were. It’s refreshing, Liv.”
Her eyes grew as she gazed up into his smiling eyes. “I thought the same thing about you,” she breathed. “That first meal we shared at my place. I thought you were intimidating, and then you seemed boyish and cute.”
The unsure quirk of a brow made Liv giggle. Then Neal’s features softened as he stared into her eyes, making her melt again with renewed desire.
“I wish,” she began and set a hand to the side of his lightly scruffy cheek. “I wish there was some way for us to be together, Neal. I can’t bear the thought of losing you any more than I can bear the idea of being discovered together by your fans.”
For the third time in less than a minute, Neal exhaled more laughter. That time, he rolled his eyes and then growled with frustration. Tugging her body a bit closer to his, he quietly warned her not to go down that long, dusty road again.
“I heard you say you love me, Liv.”
A startled gasp caught at the back of her throat while radiant blush warmed her face. It was another minute before she averted her gaze. Just as she closed her eyes and began to kick herself for being too emotional, she felt Neal’s fingers against the side of her flushed face. She resisted turning to face him that time, and when he ordered her to look at him, she hesitated before barely opening one eye.
Neal didn’t laugh that time, but she could tell he struggled against a humored smile.
“Don’t deny it,” he warned. “I’ve waited too long to hear you say it, and I can’t just let you go now that it’s finally occurred. If you knew what a relief it is to have you say that to me, you’d understand how I feel. Liv, we need to be together. We shouldn’t waste anymore time fighting against something that is so obvious to us both.”
“I do love you,” she softly exclaimed. The dull moan Neal offered in response caused Liv to smile against the lips he planted so firmly against hers. She slid an arm beyond his shoulder and began to play with the hair at the back of his neck. The other hand she pressed against the underside of his pec the same way he did to her breast. The cane had hit the floor with a light tock, and she felt his big, warm hand slide up the side of her
waist.
He stood hunched forward, his head tilted to one side, and he continued to make desperate sounds while he ravaged her mouth. Those hands of his deftly pushing her bra up so that he could fondle her breasts.
“Your leg,” she weakly reminded as Neal began to push her jeans below her hips, gently squeezing a butt cheek with his free hand. “Would you like a blow job instead?”
Neal rose from the gentle curve of her throat and gazed upward with a huge grin, trying hard not to laugh aloud. Moments later, he glanced at her sideways, making her blush.
“You need to understand something, my love.”
Liv squealed as he lifted her into his arms and held her like a bride about to be carried over the threshold. Before she could say anything against the idea of his possibly injuring himself further, Neal spoke in a gruff, dominant tone.
“If I ever end up in a body cast, you have to promise me you’ll insist the doctor doesn’t wrap up my secret weapon.” While Liv giggled, Neal continued. “That way, we’re still capable of having sex. Now, in light of the fact this isn’t a critical wound that requires a body cast, I suggest you stop looking at it as such and let me love you the way we’re intended to love.”
“Neal,” she moaned, kissing him beneath his ear as he turned and headed for the bed. He was dragging the foot of his bad leg, making her feel responsible for whatever pain he might be in. She shrieked to be tossed atop the bed, and then she giggled as she let her body bounce a few times before finally settling comfortably atop the most luxurious mattress she had ever slept on before.
“I’m fine,” he growled, standing beside the bed as he unfastened his trousers. “If I make any noise, its because I’m in ecstasy and not pain. Well,” he said and regarded his words while gazing sideways and upward. Another of her giggles had him gazing at her with a slight smile. “I suppose it could be called pain, but only because I know it will end far too soon.”
“You’re stalling,” she accused, tossing her jeans over the other side of the bed.
“I’m what?” His retort was filled with incredulity, but Liv was too aroused to let anything stand in the way of what she wanted now. While waiting for Neal to enter her simmering body, she rubbed her thighs together and gently squirmed; making quiet noises of impatience that had Neal gritting his teeth.
He hadn’t wanted to take his time or appear hesitant, but just stepping out of his pants required more effort than normal, and he wasn’t going to let her see him wince. Not now, when the only thing standing in his way was a dull, throbbing pain in his thigh that tried desperately to outdo the dull, throbbing ache of his erection.
Liv’s lips parted as she reached for and wrapped her fingers around that appendage, tugging Neal toward her and making him grunt. She leaned even closer and kissed the tip before blowing softly. The agonized gasp Neal offered in response made her smile.
“Stop,” he warned, gripping her wrist a bit too tight, until her fingers loosened and he was able to free himself from her erotic hold. Setting his good knee atop the bed, he smiled tightly at her. “Just once I’d like to last a good thirty minutes before coming undone, Liv. You make it impossible with your lusty ways.”
Liv whined, lying on her back and spreading apart her bent legs, gazing with longing at his erection. Neal took a deep breath, amazed to feel the same way he had that first night they shared together back in summer. This never got old or even familiar, and for as long as Liv remained by his side, Neal knew every day with her; every night spent in her arms would be as wonderful and satisfying as any other.
After pulling her panties down around her ankles, Neal kissed her intimately before carefully straddling her hips. He couldn’t help the smile that flickered behind narrowed eyes as he felt his ego swelling. Watching her squirm with need and listening to the sensual sounds that escaped her luscious lips stroked his pride. It was difficult not to feel proud or become unstable in her dynamic presence; to see her beautiful eyes half closed beneath thick, fanned lashes above the pink tint on her cheeks. The sexy way she bit down on a pretty, manicured fingernail while breathlessly and eagerly begging him to enter her delectable body made him thankful to be alive.
“I’m so glad you’re mine,” he groaned near her lips. The manicured nails were sliding along his back now, giving him chills of excitement, and longing. Neal set his teeth on edge as he hissed, “Show us your tits, love.”
The way she wrinkled her nose made him want to laugh, and before she could insist that he show her his chest first, he sat back on his heels and pulled the navy cotton material over his head, tossing the long-sleeve t-shirt atop her jeans. After shaking aside his bangs, he watched with a desirous smile as Liv fold her arms and raise her pink sweater over her head.
Neal moaned as he rested against an elbow, his erection settling against the base of her stomach while he feasted his eyes on her luscious curves. A hand slid underneath a breast to hoist it up, and while Liv struggled to grip his cock with both hands, Neal leaned forward to fondle and suckle both breasts.
He knew and took a slightly sadistic bit of pleasure in the fact that Liv wasn’t a big fan of foreplay. Not all the time anyway. It depended on her mood and the situation, but she was always up for sex. When she was this horny, the act itself was all she wanted or cared to receive from him. Unfortunately for her, it was the one thing Neal had to hold off giving until the last second if he hoped to drag it out for as long as he possibly could.
In his eyes, Liv’s body was like a magnificent symphony piece he would never get tired of playing; a masterpiece that deserved his reverence and contemplation. A beautiful song he hoped would never end.
If only he could learn to reign in that intense desire she so easily stirred up from so deep within him. It would be ideal to go hours before finally ending in such a climactic crescendo as was always the case now. If he could make himself last at least long enough for Ravel’s Bolero to play out inside his head while making love to Liv, he might not feel so self-conscious about it. The issue of timing never came up in the past, so perhaps that was why it seemed like a big deal to him with Liv. All Neal knew was that their intimacy tended to lean more toward animal instincts, and with a back seat flair that left him feeling embarrassed and apologetic.
Using a few fingers to keep her somewhat satisfied, Neal continued to suckle and fondle her breasts. Liv climaxed and then whined with dissatisfaction, making Neal smile to know how horny he made her. As he smoothed a hand along every inch of her delicately smooth skin, he kissed her until both their lips swelled from the pressure.
Liv had managed to get the tip of his cock inside her, and as she purred with pleasure, Neal glanced down at her progress. She wasn’t able to lift her hips with half of his lower body resting against her thighs, making her frustrated.
A surge of overwhelming pressure began to build inside him, making him throb. Growling with his own frustration, Neal slid his way down her quivering body, kissing her as he went. His attempt to hold off the inevitable caused Liv to whine with obvious dissatisfaction.
With his lips pressed against her flat stomach, Neal smiled after Liv had slapped his head. She tried to kick up a fuss, too. Neal countered by exhaling enough to allow more of his weight to rest against her, keeping her relatively immobile.
“I warned you,” he growled, pressing gentle kisses along her hip. “I only get one shot, and –.”
“Shoot already,” she grumbled, grabbing a fistful of his hair and tugging hard enough to make him wince with gentle laughter. As he reached backed to free himself, she pinched his cheek with her other hand, making him cry out with pained laughter. “If you don’t shove that thing inside me right now,” she warned, “I’m going to find someone who will.”
Neal quickly rolled onto her stomach and eyed her in a way that made Liv blush. She appeared remorseful but not wanting to back down and that had an immediate effect on his mood. Relaxing, he smiled and slid forward to kiss her full lips.
“Wife,” he said
as he gazed into her shimmering, sensual eyes. “You’re not the type to behave in a way that would hurt anyone.”
“Are you?” she asked and then whined while punching the side of the mattress. “You’re stalling! I don’t want to talk, Neal.” She faked sobbing in a way that made him laugh, but before she could strike him again, he mounted her. His thigh was giving him trouble, but Neal ignored it to concentrate on the moment.
With one arm beneath her hips, and while resting on both knees, Neal lifted her backside and rocked the bed in a steady, rhythmic motion. With Liv’s supple legs wrapped about his hips, and with her arms extended at either side of her head, Neal watched her writhe and cry out to him with excess delight at the things he was doing to her.
The smile never left her adorable face. A selfish, self-satisfied smile, he knew, and yet it was what Neal intended to give her the rest of their lives. She deserved to smile and get her way, and Neal wanted to be the man to keep that smile from ever fading from such a beautiful face.
“Sing to me, Liv.” Neal moaned as he drew near to his own climax. “Sing.”
Closing his eyes and smiling at the melodious sound now filling his ears, Neal raised his head and opened his mouth, adding a resonant symbol crash to mark the end of their concert piece.
“God,” Neal groaned as he fell face-forward beside Liv and remained perfectly still while she continued to writhe, moan, and softly giggle with delighted satisfaction. A few seconds later, Neal faced her with a start. “You did it again,” he grumbled, turning on his side and drawing her quivering body against his chest. He was angry and it showed, but Liv was still in another world and didn’t notice or seem to care. “Are you on the pill or not, Liv?”
She purred, turning toward him, and curling up under his chin.
He gently swatted her behind. “I’m serious.” He leaned forward to glance at the trousers lying in a crumpled heap beside the bed, and then he frowned at Liv. “I’ve got a pack of condoms in my back pocket. I always carry them now that we’re together. I’ve imagined this moment since I got shot, too. Always amazing, always satisfying, and always wrapped up good and tight. And yet . . .”
