“Sorry for me? Let me tell you, I feel sorry for you! When will you stop allowing that man to treat you like his slut? Wasn’t it enough that he married another woman? How much more will you let him humiliate you?” Vicki dripped animosity. “When he humiliates you, I fall into that same muddy puddle and I don’t appreciate being made fun of.”
“I left town, giving him the right to move on. I gave him no reason to wait for me. The fact that he married wasn’t my business and it certainly isn’t a weapon to use against him. As for being treated in an indecent way, I’m an adult and very capable of handling my own affairs. Leave Liam alone. He’s the best man a woman could ever ask for. I was stupid and I realized it far too late,” she said.
“Leave him alone? I can’t do that, my dear. You see, when he is fucking my daughter that gives me every right to say how I feel. Isn’t a mother allowed to be concerned?”
“You can’t be serious,” Holly said loudly, but quieted her voice. “Are you sure it’s not jealousy? You could never seduce Liam into sleeping with you, could you?” Her mother’s mouth dropped. “Like you thought I didn’t know! You all but lapped him up every time he was near.”
Her mother had perfected the demon glare. “If I wanted him, I assure you, I would have had him. You should think about that, sweetie.”
“It must be difficult to envy your daughter because you can’t screw her boyfriend,” Holly whispered.
“Boyfriend?” Vicki’s thin brow curved. “Is that what you think he is? I’d wage a bet that he looks at you with pussy fever and not girlfriend material.”
“What do you want, Vicki? Hashing out the details of Liam’s intentions aren’t why we’re here. Let’s get this over with.”
Vicki’s polished smile spread her mouth. “I want the house and the money. It’s rightfully mine,” she demanded.
Holly knew it would come down to money. It always had. “And you’ll never have it.”
“Do you have any clue what you’re doing?”
“I didn’t do a thing, except call you out.” For the first time ever, Holly stood her ground against her mother.
“This meeting is over.” Vicki slid out of the booth.
Holly remained quiet as her mother stomped toward the door. All heads turned in Vicki’s direction. Holly felt a sense of relief. Now she could eat her lunch in peace.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Holly opened the door and Liam’s heart raced. She was a breath of fresh air. “Is it okay that I stopped by without calling first?” he asked.
“Of course.” Her smile was dull, and he knew why. “I heard about the argument you had with your mother during lunch.” He stepped into the foyer.
“Imagine that,” Holly said as she slammed the door with her foot. “The details are wrong. We didn’t make it to lunch.”
He smiled. She wore clear gloves spotted with paint and held her hands up so she wouldn’t touch anything. Her face was clean of makeup, her sweatpants were baggy and her T-shirt had a stain across the front. Liam would bet his very last dime that he’d never seen a more beautiful woman. “Red, huh? Which room?” he asked.
“The living room. I needed to do something to vent my anger. Painting is the best therapy,” she said. “By the way, who told you about the argument?”
“Danielle,” he said. “Rumors are bad enough around these parts, but from what I hear, you both made it easy for everyone.”
“Sure, maybe we did blast to the whole restaurant what our issues are, but I really don’t care.”
“Yes, you do,” he said. He knew her too well.
“No, I don’t.” She headed back to the living room, leaving him standing in the foyer.
He followed. A blaze in the stone fireplace lit the room and a bottle of wine sat on the table. “Were you expecting someone?”
“You.” She slid off her gloves and tossed them onto the newspaper spread out on the floor. She then opened the bottle and poured each of them a glass. “I’m assuming you’re off duty and you don’t care that I’m not quite the representation of sexy,” she asked as she handed him one.
“Yes I’m off duty and I’d say you’re exactly the definition of sexy. I think you’re trying to seduce me.” A man could hope.
“What is there to think about? I am seducing you.” Her gaze was sweet, and anything but innocent.
He liked her brazenness. “Holly—”
Lifting a finger, she pressed it against his mouth. “Don’t spoil the moment.”
Gently taking her hand into his, he didn’t let it go. “The wine, the fire…it’s very nice.”
“There’s been one thought rolling through my mind all day.” She placed her glass onto the table and came back to him, then brought her hands up to his chest. She tapped one nail against his badge.
“What’s the thought, sweetheart?” Her eyes glazed. He knew that look and it spelled danger.
“You. Me. Cuffs. And a king sized bed.” She undid the top button of his shirt and moved to the next. “By the way, I moved bedrooms. Thought it was time to leave the teen room.”
“I’m getting the idea my handcuffs interest you.” As she reached the last button, his heart skipped. He breathed in, filling his nostrils with her smell—paint, vanilla and promise.
“I’m sure I could find a silk scarf or two that would suit.”
He wasn’t touching her, not yet. “So it’s not my cuffs?” When she moved her lips to his neck, he lost the ability to think. Her hand dropped to his zipper and cupped his balls.
“It’s the jewels.” She gently squeezed him.
“You want me for my balls. Should I be flattered or insulted?” The need to touch her became too strong and he palmed her tight ass.
“No worries. I’ll still respect you in the morning.” Bending to her knees, she began unbuckling his belt.
He kept his gaze steady on her as she focused on her task. Her tongue darted out between her lips in concentration. He brought his fingers to her chin and gently lifted her face. “Are you sure you’ve thought this through?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
At that moment, he was pretty sure his dick ruled every part of his body. He knew this was a dangerous path considering Holly still clasped his emotions in the palm of her hand and had the ability to send him through hell. He just couldn’t stop the desire that had him strapped in the mouth of the beast. All logical reason vanished when she tugged his pants and boxers down his legs. He was ready for her and as her lips closed around his head, he thought he was done for. Finally getting a handle on his urge to burst, he reminded himself to breathe but it was difficult when she slid her tongue along his length and suckled him straight into insanity. Her throat constricted around his tip, driving a needful fire through him. He couldn’t control the spasms that licked his body like wretched flames. “Holly.” He called her name in warning. “I’m going. To. Come” She continued her art of sucking and warm tingles slithered through him until he released inside her mouth.
When the last shudder wracked his body, she stood and moved toward the staircase, while keeping her seductive gaze connected with his. In a voice that could have put a spell on the devil, she said, “By the time we reach the top step I bet you’ll be ready for round two.”
“Damn.” He reached for his pants and jerked them up, not worrying about the belt. She was right. Even after finishing, he was still as hard as a rock. When it came to Holly, she did amazing things to his body and made him a superman in the sack. Without one thought where she led him, to hell maybe, he followed.
* * * *
Holly awoke to the sound of soft breathing and warmth against her cheek. She opened her eyes and was slightly confused. Smelling Liam’s musk scented cologne, images of sleek body and moans of passion came back to her. She smiled. Snuggling closer to him, the beating of his heart soothed her and his hand on her hip seemed to belong there.
After making love twice, they’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms and Holly couldn’t remember
a better night.
Their lovemaking had been raw, yet sensual. He wasn’t the same lover from the past. His skill had improved. He’d been gentle, yet forceful, bringing her to a new level of completion.
She followed the masculine lines of his body with her gaze. He was a beautiful man. From the top of his head to flat stomach to the tips of his toes, he was delicious. A sheet covered his sex, but it didn’t matter. She knew every inch of him, like a branded image in her mind. There was only one Liam.
A sleepy moan resonated from deep within his chest and he stirred. She brought her attention back to his face. One lid fluttered open, then the other. “Have you been watching me?” he asked with a drop-dead sexy smile.
“Yes. How could I resist such a temptation?”
“Hmm. Enjoy yourself, did you?”
She stretched and sighed in gratification. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a man in my bed. This is as exciting as waking up to presents on Christmas morning.”
His laughter vibrated his chest. “Glad I could bring you some joy.” He smoothed his fingers along her cheek and neck. A tender touch that made her heart race and her stomach do a flip.
“You’ve gotten good in bed. Should I be jealous of the woman who taught you so well?” Although she meant only to tease, a sliver of jealousy passed through her. It should have been her in his bed, in his arms, all these years. Some of her joy faded as reality nestled its way through her fuzzy mind.
“And I wasn’t a good lover before?” he asked.
“There’s just something different about you now. Skill comes with age, I’d guess.”
“At least I haven’t lost my touch,” he said. “I’m not a hermit, but it’s been a while.”
“Tiffany died a few years back and I’d only figure you’re not a second time virgin. I bet there are lots of women in this town who’d love to keep you warm at night.”
“Are you fishing? You only need to ask.”
She nodded. “I guess it’s normal to be curious. Don’t you wonder who I’ve slept with since you?”
“Sometimes.” His hand lowered to her naked breasts and he rolled one bud underneath the pad of his finger. She delighted in the rush of sensation darting to her inner thighs. “Anyway, you’re the lover who taught me everything.”
“Hm?” She lifted up on her elbow and looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“You taught me all of a lover’s secrets, baby. You were my first love and all I wanted to do was please you. You just didn’t stick around long enough for me to pull out all of my talent.” He wriggled his brows.
“I definitely reaped the rewards last night.”
“I know the past is a dark cloud lingering above us.” He sat up, propped the pillow against his back. “Eventually we’re going to have to face it head on. Sometimes I feel like it’s an axe ready to come down on us, but talking about it may help.”
“No we won’t. If we ignore it, maybe that cloud will disappear.” She lifted the sheet to cover her nudity. “If it’s in the past, that’s where it should stay.”
“Oh yes we do.” His slid his fingers through her hair. She nudged her head closer, loving the fondness in his touch. “There are things I don’t understand…and things you don’t either. Like my marriage—”
“Oh.” Discomfort skirted its way through her tranquility. “You really don’t owe me an explanation.” Hearing about Tiffany first thing in the morning didn’t settle well on her stomach.
“Do you really mean that?” he asked.
“No. Yes. Hell, I don’t know.” Honesty was the best policy.
“Ask me, Holly.” He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. “I know you want to.”
“Did you love her?” she asked.
“Yes, I did,” he said without hesitation.
“Okay.” Why did she feel a stabbing pain in her gut? Instinct warned her that the conversation should stop, but the ball was rolling.
“The love I had for her was different than my love for you.”
“But we were young and stupid. Did either of us really know what love was?”
He slightly shrugged. “I think we did. Sure, we hadn’t experienced a lot of life but we felt something.”
“Why did you marry her?” The question had weighed on her for years.
“Because she was pregnant by another man and I cared for her.”
Confusion filled her mind. “What? She was pregnant by another man?”
“He’d gotten her pregnant and when he found out, he rejected her. She was afraid that her parents would do the same when they heard the news. So, I agreed to marry her. They believed I was the father.”
“And where is the child now?”
“She had a miscarriage. And it wasn’t long after when she was diagnosed with cancer.”
Holly’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry to hear that. How awful that must have been for her, and for you.”
“Although Tiffany and I never loved each other passionately, we did have a good relationship—one of mutual respect and admiration.”
“You were a true gentleman. Who was the missing father?” Getting pregnant as a teen could have been Holly’s experience. She’d had a scare a time or two when she was eighteen.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“She never told you?”
“She said it wasn’t necessary.” He dropped the piece of hair he’d been playing with.
“Whoever he is, he must be afraid you know the truth.”
“If he is, he’s never come forward and said anything.”
“She was lucky to have you. Most men wouldn’t have stepped up and offered to take the responsibility of another man’s child.”
“At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do,” he said. “Tiffany had always looked at things from a positive viewpoint. I’d made mistakes too. I knew firsthand how she felt being with someone who didn’t deserve the time of day.”
Holly popped up on her elbow. “A mistake? You’re talking about me, right?” An ached crushed her chest. She knew the feeling well after having her heart broken a few times too many. When he didn’t answer, it drove the bullet home. Something snapped inside her and she jumped up out of bed, bringing the sheet along with her. Wrapping the soft material around her nudity, she felt all of the warmth vanish into emptiness. “Your lack of an answer is clear enough.”
“Come on, sweetheart.” He lifted himself higher against the headboard. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? Not a thing. I understand.” She clutched the sheet against her body, as if it were a wall of protection. “You married a perfect woman and that was the life you’d always wanted. I just couldn’t be perfect for you.” In every woman’s life she had a specific, mind-boggling moment when she realized she loved someone. This was Holly’s moment. She’d never stopped loving Liam.
“I never said I wanted perfection. Those are your words. Tiffany wasn’t flawless. However, she was a good person and loyal.”
Holly couldn’t catch her breath. Tears filled her eyes but she forced them away. Crying would only make her look silly. “And I didn’t know how to be those things, did I?”
He squinted. “Why are you taking everything I say as a personal jab? I’m not comparing.”
“And you think you haven’t given me reason to feel insecure?” Her heart plummeted. “As you point out your wife’s great assets, it feels a lot like you’re zeroing in on my faults.”
“You’re being ridiculous. I think you even know you are.” His eyes slanted.
“Well, I think you should leave because I don’t want to be any more ridiculous.” Stomping across the room, the material of the sheet caught underneath her feet, causing her to lose her balance. She caught herself on the edge of the dresser, not daring to look at Liam. She could almost hear his silent mocking. Grabbing sweats and cami from her drawer, she dragged them on. They fit her tight and she realized they were old clothes from her early teens, yet she wasn�
��t going to undress in front of him.
When she turned, he already had his pants on. All memory of their passionate lovemaking was gone and replaced with a cold wall. “Since I’ve come home you’ve given me a hard time about leaving. You act as if I left town to hurt you. Maybe too much has passed between us to ever mend. You married someone else and that can’t be erased, no matter what reasons you gave.”
He zipped his pants; his eyes were on her in question. “Are you mad because I married her, or because I didn’t come running after you like I did so many other times?”
Her hands trembled as her bottom lip quivered. The room wasn’t cold but her body was freezing. “Do you remember the argument we had before I went away?” she asked.
“Yes, I remember some.” His deep voice was full of emotion, making her stomach twist. “I can’t say what happened but it turned ugly and I stormed out. That was the last time I saw you.”
Holly could see the torment in his dark eyes. She swallowed back a sob. “Well, I do know why we fought,” she said. “In fact, I’ve thought about it every day. It’s haunted me.”
He stepped closer to her. “What was it?”
“You had,” she forced her voice to work, “accused me of cheating.”
His eyes hooded. “I didn’t mean that.”
“You didn’t? You seemed sincere when you said troublemakers liked drama. Problems are all I know, right?” Her throat hurt. Taking a short step back, her hip hit the dresser. The metal knobs dug into her skin and she didn’t care.
“I was a kid, sweetheart. We both said things to each other that we later regretted. It didn’t mean that we disliked or hated one another. We apologized and things got better.”
Turning her cheek, she refused to allow the tenderness in his voice and the sensitivity in his eyes to change what she felt now. For her to finish she needed to be tough, as she had been all her life growing up. “Yeah, we’d said things to one another, but not when life had gone sour.”
Sin With Cuffs Page 8
