by Mimi Barbour
Just then Sadie approached the back door and waited for Liam to come and help her settle the golden retriever in his doggy seat. “Who were you talking to?”
“Me? I wasn’t talking to anyone.” Damn if his cheeks didn’t feel hot.
“Oh, I get it! You’re one of those weirdos who carry on conversations with themselves.” She giggled, and he loved the sound.
“You got me!” He winked in the wicked way he knew turned the girls on, guided her to her seat, and helped her inside.
***
“So you think there’s a dog-theft ring branching out all over the city?”
Stan finished chewing his pizza and nodded. “Sure, we’ve been on to them for a while but haven’t been able to find out where they’re taking the dogs. As you know, the police department doesn’t get involved with this type of crime as much as we’d like to. There just isn’t enough manpower. But when it comes to the elite victims who’ve been hit recently, we’ve had to give up some time and start digging.”
Sadie, who listened to every word, spoke up before Liam. “And, what did they find?”
“We think it’s the Bradford brothers, mean-hearted sons of bitches—s’cuse my language—who are behind it all. They have high-class puppy boutiques and sell to the very rich. Unfortunately, whenever the S.P.C.A. searched their breeding premises, everything seems in order. The dogs look well cared for and healthy, with veterinarians available and all their papers up to date.” He stood up to get another glass of wine, then returned to his seat and carried on with his explanation.
“Thing is—they have a never-ending supply of puppies. Must be from outside this state. And we can’t get the other officials to care very much about following up on that paperwork. The local humane society has helped some, but they can’t trespass and so their hands are tied. Let me tell you, it’s damn frustrating.”
Liam asked, “If you knew which state to look in, would it help?”
“Depends on their laws. Why? Do you have an idea?”
“Oklahoma.”
“Man! That would be the worst possibility. It’s the perfect location for dishonest dog breeders. Without proper state regulations, they’re rampant with puppy mills. What made you select that area?”
“Just a bit of info I picked up from a friend who had some inside knowledge. He said to follow the money.”
Stan’s expression took on a look of interest. He pulled out his cell, got to his feet, and excused himself.
Liam checked Sadie to see how she was taking in the disturbing discussion. She looked so downhearted. An ache began forming in his chest and promised to choke him if he didn’t do something.
Greta shot him a wink and rose to clear the table. “I think we’ll leave you guys now, cause Hotshot promised to take me to a movie tonight and it’s my turn to choose. Chick flick, here we come.”
As Stan flipped his phone closed, she slipped her arm through his and led him towards the back door.
“Whaddaya mean chick flick? No way!” He stopped and turned to where Liam and Sadie lounged on the couch. “I’ll get back to you if I hear anything.”
As soon as the bickerers closed the patio screen, Liam gently slapped at Sadie’s hand to stop her picking at the pepperoni left on the piece of pizza she’d nearly demolished without eating a bite. She threw it onto the plate and set the plate on the table, then leaned back.
All he had to do was turn his head. Her face was so close he could feel her breath. He did so, but slowly, so as not to scare her. Then he watched as her eyes grew larger in the most beautiful face he’d ever seen. Expecting her to move away, he was glad when she didn’t. But he could have sworn she’d turned to stone. Not a flicker, or a blink, nothing.
Earlier, he’d noticed that for once she’d used some kind of fancy pins to control her hair, but he didn’t like to see the golden curls pulled back and squashed. Angling his fingers, he plucked them out and watched the mass settle around her rosy cheeks. She still hadn’t moved.
Then he reached over and slid his hands underneath the softness and caressed her neck. Her eyes closed and a sigh of pure bliss escaped while he manipulated. Her muscles slackened and her body became limp under his ministrations.
This time, he couldn’t pull away without tasting her. His body had already given him hell for the last trick he’d pulled. He’d had no sleep and no reprieve from imagining how she’d taste. Well he was about to find out.
***
God, the man was dense. Would he never get to it? Sadie didn’t know how much longer she could hold out without mewing like a cat in heat. His lips were so close that his hot breath inflamed her already scattered senses.
His first touch released the moan and that seemed to act like a signal. One moment she was angled toward him while he held her head cradled in his big, gentle hands, and the next he’d whipped her around and she was lying across his body while his lips drained every spark of life-giving breath out of her.
Somehow she’d known he’d be able to kiss. That he’d be well versed in that particular method of seduction. But what he did to her went way beyond anything she could ever imagine. She was on fire. Heat scorched like a rope of fire throughout her body and then pooled between her legs—wet, devastating heat. Heat that turned her bones to mush and had her moving restlessly, seeking, aching for release from the ecstasy he'd started. One thing was for certain; whatever the devil wanted to do to her, she was ready and more than willing.
The first touch of his hands on her skin and her thoughts screamed “halleluiah.” Then as he stroked his way to where her breasts peaked and cupped her fullness. It felt wonderful. The warmth of his fingers caressing, plucking, and then caressing again forced more of those distracting explosions down below.
All the while he touched, he also kissed, and she found it difficult to concentrate on his lips. He’d changed from tongue-in-mouth plundering to soft, lip-biting, tongue-sucking torment. She loved it. When his lips moved to her neck and her t-shirt got in the way, she was more that happy to help him remove the obstruction. And when he took off her bra, it only seemed sensible.
Snuggled back against his rapidly moving chest and hearing the ragged sighs he couldn’t hide, she became aware that their lovemaking affected him just as strongly. I'm getting to him. Good!
Just knowing he was equally affected gave her the strength to pull back and undo the buttons on his shirt. She glanced up to see him watching her fingers and then he looked right at her. Hot pools of lust had always seemed such a corny phrase in a trashy novel, but it described the look in his eyes perfectly. Her fingers stopped, and so did her heart.
His didn't. It vibrated. It actually moved around in the pocket that her hand lay against. A frustrated moan broke through her daze as he reached under her fingers to pull out his cell phone. That's what finally broke her trance. Her head flopped forward, and if the scream she heard inside could be let loose, he'd have a fairly good idea of just how demented she felt.
"It's Angelo. I have to answer it," he said in a harsh whisper, as he cradled her body by wrapping one arm around her and rubbing her back. He listened for a few seconds and then spoke the words that put paid to Sadie's fantasies.
"We'll be right there." He stabbed the off button and threw it on the coffee table. The sound of it slamming on the wooden surface somehow gave her a bit of satisfaction. It was a slight indication that he was as pissed off at the interruption as she was.
“There’s something wrong with Angelo Ruiz’s baby, Teresa. He says she hasn't stopped crying for more than twenty minutes since her birth. Now Isobela has started, and he's at his wit's end. Can you call your mom? See if she’ll be willing to check things out? Tell her we'll pick her up on the way."
Chapter Seventeen
"She's hungry." Bea's diagnosis rang in the silence. Everyone had waited in fearful anticipation, hoping that the situation could be resolved without ambulances and a visit to the nearest hospital. For Sadie, hearing those words brought a strange
relief, but it was also a sad testimonial.
"Mio Díos, no! I've fed her over and over. She spits my body out and doesn't want the milk. She won't eat. She won't sleep. She cries and cries—" The woman looked like hell and anguish rang in her voice.
"Isobela, trust me. It isn't your fault." Bea turned to the nearest person, who happened to be Liam, and unloaded the squalling baby into his arms before he could step back.
The fear on his face was a thing to behold and tickled Sadie’s funny bone. Until he tried to pass the baby on to her. Not in this lifetime! She help up her hands and backed away. Her baby skills weren't any better than his. Finally he lifted the hysterical bundle against his shoulder, and began to whisper. Whatever he said worked like a magic chant. The crying eased and the hiccupping sobs slowed.
Bea's soothing voice drew Sadie's attention back to where the melodrama unfolded. The older woman held both the mother's trembling hands. "Isobela, have you been under a lot of stress lately? Maybe not sleeping or eating correctly, drinking too much coffee, or doing a lot of worrying? All this can affect your milk. Your body's production depends on how you treat it, and if you're tired and upset, things stop working properly."
Isobela, who stood clasped in Angelo's arms, lifted her face from his shoulder and stopped sniffling to listen. "This is true? It can be that my milk isn't good?"
"Oh, trust me; your milk is good, but not nourishing enough right now. She needs more."
Bea turned to Liam, who held the now miraculously quiet baby like she was a bundle of hot coals. "Liam, can you take Angelo and go to the drugstore for some baby formula?"
Isobela spoke up, her voice tremulous, her face lit with hope. "I have no bottles. You need to buy Teresa a bottle, also."
Liam forced the baby into Sadie's reluctant arms with a satisfied grin and motioned to Angelo. Within a few seconds they were gone.
An instinct, from somewhere deep inside her female psyche emerged, and unaware of doing so, Sadie began to rock the baby, swaying from side to side. The squirming that had started as soon as Liam had abandoned the tiny mite vanished as she settled down once again.
Pedro, who had been peeking around the door from another room, crept from his hiding place and called to his mother.
"Mamá?"
"Si, hijo. You come visit with the ladies, but when papa returns, you must go back to bed."
Dressed in too short, too tight teddy-bear pajamas, he ran full tilt towards her, and she picked him up and squeezed him gently.
“What is wrong with our baby?” His chubby little hands seized his mother’s cheeks, and his intent look meant business.
“Your sister is hungry. That is why she makes so much noise with her screaming. Your papa has gone with Señor Liam to buy her special food."
"Poor Teresa." His little hand reached towards the babe as if he wanted to stroke her, and so Sadie moved forwards to let him. Watching the touching scene unfold made it extremely difficult for her to swallow. The gentle way the boy patted his sister's blanket and the anxious tenderness obvious in his big brown eyes illustrated to her that this small family operated with love at its core.
"Señora Bea? Once she drinks the formula, will she still need my milk? I-I want to feed my baby like I did with Pedro. Breast-feeding is special for me, and it would break my heart if I couldn't do so any more.”
"Oh, yes, my dear. Your milk is still more nourishing than anything bought in a grocery store. Besides, it's important for your body to keep the milk flowing. Just give her the formula as a supplement, so she feels full."
Bea wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders. "Isobela, you must take care of yourself. You need to sleep. From the bags under your eyes, and those black circles, you haven't had a good rest in days. And you need to eat more protein and drink a lot—milk, juices, and water. If you follow these rules, very soon you'll see her settle down and be a happy, contented baby."
"I will do so, I promise. I've been so worried, but now, thanks to Señor Liam, my worries are over."
Bea—being Bea—couldn't help herself, and Sadie knew it. She wasn't at all surprised when her mother asked the question. Thank you, Mom!
"What did Liam do to help?"
"He has found my Angelo a job and our family a place to live. We are to look after his father and take care of the house and gardens. And we get to move this weekend and leave this horrible place."
"You'll live in the house with his family?"
"He has only a father. Angelo thinks maybe his mother has passed on." Isobela made the sign of the cross and then continued, "According to what he told me, they showed him a beautiful apartment which will be our new home. It is attached to the garage. I can't tell you how blessed we feel to have such a friend as Don Liam."
Pedro piped up and added, “There's a garden for me to play, and lots of grass. And an old man who will maybe be my friend."
"If you behave like a good boy." His mother smoothed his curls.
"I will be the best good boy, Mamá. I promise."
Sadie fell in love with the little man all over again. She felt the muscles in her throat tighten from hearing the happiness in his voice. Swallowing became difficult, and she had to speak low so as not to wake the now sleeping baby.
"He'll love you, kiddo. He won't be able to help himself."
Bea nodded and agreed. "I just met you, and already you're my hero." She laughed when Pedro grinned and hid his face against his mother's neck. Then she turned to Sadie. "That look suits you, my love."
Sadie backed away. "Don't get any ideas." Her touchiness belied her true feelings. Watching the tiny face between the folds of the soft, blue, well-worn blanket had instigated the most unique flow of emotions she'd ever experienced.
Visions of a different baby, Liam's baby, with his features and his dimples, evoked tingles of pleasure that started in her tummy and strangely made her knees feel weak.
***
While driving, Liam glanced into the rearview mirror and teased Bea in the back seat. "Thank you for your kindness tonight, Miss Nightingale. It was really appreciated. The Ruiz family has no money, and they fear doctors since they're here illegally. I hoped your nursing knowledge would be enough to help them."
Bea, surrounded by her black bag and her huge purse, smiled. "Teresa's basically healthy and seems well-cared for. So is their little boy. Therefore I knew they weren't being neglected. There had to be another reason for the baby’s symptoms.”
“They’re good people.”
“As you guaranteed earlier. It's not Isobela's fault that her milk hasn't enough sustenance to nourish the baby. I’m glad you explained how stressful things have been for them lately. It did help me in my prognosis. Isobela needs to sleep and let her body become stronger. Birthing is traumatic; it takes a lot out of a female's constitution.”
His voice droll, Liam added, "Not so easy on the old man, either."
Bea chuckled in sympathy. While the men had gone to get the formula, Isobela had shared her experience with the women about Teresa’s birth. In fact they’d had a bit of a giggle after listening to her graphic details.
"Once they get settled in their new home, and she has the benefit of some good wholesome food, she'll be just fine. Speaking of good food, what time do you want me and the girls to pick you up tomorrow, Sadie?"
Sadie turned to look into the back seat. "Why? Where are we going?" She knew her voice came out sharper than she'd intended, but being shocked out of her fantasy world of picking up with Liam from where they’d left off earlier, she hadn’t taken the time to filter her attitude.
"To the lake, remember? You promised! We want to get an early start. Is that a problem for you? I've got all the food and necessities organized, so all you need to do is bring a swimsuit and a change of clothes."
"Aw, Mom. I totally forgot, and I—"
"Uh-huh, Sadie. You don't get to back out at this late date. We've all been looking forward so much to having family time. The girls downloaded two of the
top romantic comedies, I baked and cooked all your favorites, and we've loaded up on all the good junk food. It'll be a blast, sweetheart."
"Sounds wonderful! Don't know how you can refuse." Liam grinned wickedly in her direction, and under cover of darkness, she pinched his side. Hard! Heard the expletive and felt some satisfaction. Turncoat!
They pulled up in front of the house, and Bea leaned over the seat to give Sadie an awkward hug. She squeezed Liam's shoulder in farewell and opened the car door. Before she could step out, Liam had made his way to her side and leaned in to offer his hand.
"You are one sweet man, Liam. If I weren't old enough to be your mother, I’d lasso and corral you."
"Hey, I like older women." He kept her hand as he led her up the front walk, her bags tucked safely under his free arm.
Once they approached the door, Bea passed him a card and whispered in a voice only he could hear, "Here's the address and phone number of where we'll be for the next two days. If you were to show up Sunday morning to rescue Sadie before she loses her mind, I know she'd be thankful. Never underestimate how far a crazed girl might be willing to go in payment for such a sensitive deed, my lad."
"The heck with Sadie. How about you and me getting it on? You're just my kind of chick."
Sadie flinched at the loudness of her mother's bellowing laughter and shook her head when she heard Liam join in. One was just as bad as the other. But the warm glow that started in her body couldn't be stopped, and so she let it fill her and erase the pissy feeling she'd gotten when her mother had reminded her of her earlier promise.
Visions of spending the night with Liam wilted and died. Her hands clenched as she crossed her legs and tightened the throbbing areas in her lower half that had dared to anticipate a return to where they'd left off earlier.
Chapter Eighteen
After dropping Sadie at her house with a light embrace and a friendly kind of kiss, Liam took his unsatisfied body, still aching from the earlier disappointments, and escaped from temptation as fast as he could without looking too much like an asshole.
