Colby sunk deep into the massive bed as Liam left to dispose of his condom. She remembered that she was still wearing her heels and took them off. Liam came back and joined her in bed, pulling her into the crook of his arms. Colby laid her head on his chest and moaned contently.
“You sound sleepy?”
She looked up into his face and yawned. “Aren’t you?”
Liam was far from sleepy. He reached over inside the drawer next to his bed. He pulled out quite a few condoms. “I have a few more ways I want to enjoy you.”
He quickly rolled over a top Colby and settled between her thighs. He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her tenderly.
Colby raised her knees up along the sides of Liam’s hips and wrapped her arms around Liam’s neck as they continued to kiss. In no time flat, he was able to get her aroused and ready to go.
Liam planned to make good on his promise.
*****
The small buzzing noise heard in the distance began to grow louder, finally breaking through Colby’s sleeping subconsciousness. She snuggled deeper underneath the covers, hoping to recapture the best night’s sleep she’d had in years. Colby wished the sound would go away. Whose phone is that? she wondered as she began to wake fully.
Initially, Colby was completely disoriented—then she stilled.
A heavy arm draped across her middle, and a warm naked body was pressed against hers as she lay in a spooning position.
The memory of the night before came flooding back.
Colby squeezed her eyes shut as panic settled within her chest. Shit! I actually slept with Liam. Colby didn’t move, didn’t dare breathe as her mind raced with the reality of what she’d done. How am I going to manage this? She may have just flushed her entire career down the toilet.
Liam’s voice was groggy. “You going to answer that, so we can go back to sleep?” The warmth of his breath tickled the back of her neck and sent her body into a now familiar tailspin. She wondered how that was even possible given her thoughts only seconds before.
Colby was unwilling to give up her burgeoning career in exchange for sex, no matter how good—no, great—no, it was actually pretty damned incredible. If she were smart, she would leave.
Colby reached a hand out from underneath the covers and grabbed her phone, sitting on the nightstand. She didn’t even read the messages. Instead, she typed out a text to Lila.
I’m fine. I’m safe. Will be home soon.
Colby mulled over getting dressed and running the hell out of the room, but the feel of Liam’s body pressed up against hers overruled her one remaining good brain cell. Instead, Colby sent the message, turned off her notifications, and placed her cell back on the table. How in the world did she allow Liam to dickmatize her?
Liam could not only sense the tension in Colby; he could also see it in the set of her shoulders. He felt her tense up when he used the back of his knuckles to caress her silky-smooth skin. Colby was in flight mode. He wasn’t sure if she was going to throw the covers off, get out of bed, and head for home, or slide back down underneath the blankets and spend a bit more time with him. She trembled at his touch. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Colby seemed to relax and chose the latter.
Liam was relieved. Something was happening between them, and it was amazing. It was a high unlike any he’d ever felt, and he wasn’t ready for it or Colby to go, not just yet. “I have an idea.” He planted gentle kisses on the back of her neck.
Colby moaned, then turned into his arms. Her head began to swim. “This is crazy.” She whispered, “We can’t do this . . . again.”
“That ship has sailed,” Liam said as he grabbed the last condom on the nightstand and moved on top of her beautiful body, settling himself between her thighs, which parted like the red sea.
He placed a hand behind Colby’s neck, pulling her face to his before pressing his lips hungrily against hers. Colby couldn’t understand how Liam was able to set her body on fire at the simplest touch. Her body certainly understood because it moved on its own accord, answering the clarion call. She pressed her heated skin against his as she crushed her breasts into the muscled wall of his chest.
Liam pulled his mouth away from hers. He palmed both of her breasts, kneading them while using his tongue to leave a hot trail of wet kisses down the side of her neck. “You are just too tantalizing to resist,” he murmured in between long licks while continuing his journey lower.
Colby’s knees lifted automatically as she pressed them against Liam’s hips and urged him to take her. He had to suck in a breath when his cock brushed up against her to calm himself. It was fully erect and weeping at the tip.
She was wet and ready.
He smiled at the knowledge as he hovered over her belly button. He dipped his tongue into the indention and swirled it around.
Colby moaned.
Liam sat back on his haunches and rolled on the condom. He stared at the naked woman lying in his bed, squirming. Her eyes were closed, and her face was full of passion.
Colby’s legs parted wider. Her hand began to snake down her body, searching for relief. She was just about to touch herself to ease the throbbing when Liam pushed her hand away. “Liam, I need,” she whispered breathlessly.
Her sex glistened, slick, swollen, and waiting. Colby was a vision. It was a passing thought, but Liam wouldn’t mind waking up like this every morning. His own voice was hoarse. “Let me handle this.” Fully sheathed, he gripped her by the hips, pulling her toward him. Her ass butted up against his thighs. He hooked her legs by the knees and threw them over his shoulders. Taking his cock in his hand, he guided it up the fleshy part of her folds.
They both moaned.
Liam reversed the motion. Slowly, he slid down her slick folds, torturing himself in the process. He felt like a teenager new to sex. Between Colby rotating her hips trying to get him to fuck her, and his lack of control, Liam surged forward. Her pussy clamped down on him, and her slick heat was his undoing. He lost it, pounding hard into her body.
Colby grabbed handfuls of bedding, crushing the sheets between her fingers as her head thrashed from side to side. She bit her lower lip in pure pleasure.
Liam knew just how to hit the right spot.
Breathing heavy, he thrust hard over and over.
Colby was on the verge of another orgasm. In the past, those had been hard to come by, but not with Liam. “Liam . . . I . . . oh shit!” She couldn’t catch her breath.
“I know, baby. I feel you.” Liam increased his pace.
Colby screamed out his name as her body exploded.
Liam wasn’t far behind. Seconds later, he followed with his on release. “Fuuuuuuuuck!” He collapsed on top of Colby.
Both their hearts were racing.
Absentmindedly, Colby ran her hands up and down his back, which was covered in sweat. Liam was still inside her. He’d just come but was still semihard. This shit is crazy, he thought.
It took a few moments, but eventually, their breathing slowed, and he pulled out. Colby moaned contentedly. He didn’t want to move. He just wanted to touch and kiss her all day. The real world would crash down upon them soon enough, but for now, Liam wanted to shut everything out and enjoy this time for as long as he could.
Colby felt lighthearted. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had that feeling. She giggled. “Hey, big guy, you’re crushing me.” He wasn’t, but Liam was heavy.
He rolled off but kept Colby close, wrapping her up in his arms. She sighed contentedly as she laid her head on his chest and drew imaginary circles across it. Colby lay quietly for a minute, basking in the afterglow of making love before her thoughts intruded on their makeshift haven. “This probably wasn’t a good idea.”
Damn. Not now. It’s too soon. Liam wasn’t ready. He didn’t want to deal with the reality of their situation. Of course, Colby was right. Sleeping with her was a bad idea, but he was so damn drawn to her. And to his surprise, it wasn’t just abou
t the sex. Never in his life did he actually want to cuddle after his body was satisfied. He lifted her hand and laced it with his. “What happens between us is nobody’s business.”
Colby raised on her elbow, pulling the sheet with her. “True, but this isn’t realistic.”
“I want to spend some time figuring out whatever this is.” They had a connection. One he had never experienced before.
“I’m not sure how we do that. Tell me? Tell me, and I’ll go along with the plan.” What was supposed to be a plan to eliminate the sexual tension between them was backfiring big time.
“We just do it,” Liam said matter-of-factly.
“That’s not a plan, and it’s easy for you to say.”
“Yeah. It is. It’s easy because we’re good together,” Liam agreed.
“Would you feel the same way if this was one of your employees sleeping with a subordinate?” she asked.
“That’s different.”
“No, it’s not,” she countered.
“You don’t work for me,” Liam said stubbornly. He ran a frustrated hand over his face, then reached out to cup her cheek. “I want to explore us.”
Neither of them said anything for long moments. Colby would love to explore a relationship with Liam but how? Colby had to make Liam understand. “I wish . . .” Her voice trailed off. It softened when she spoke again. “I could lose everything. The stakes are so much higher for me.”
Liam couldn’t argue. The stakes were higher for her, and he couldn’t think of one damn argument to counter it. Slowly, his arm lowered. “I’ve never walked away from anything I’ve wanted in my life, and I want you.”
Colby’s eyes pleaded with his. “I’m drawn to you like I’ve never been drawn to anyone too, but on this, walking away is the only thing we can do.” So much for Lila’s stupid plan.
Liam wasn’t sure he could. They’d both already tried to fight their attraction and still ended up in bed together. Now that they’d been together, it was going to be next to impossible. “What you’re asking is for me to pretend that we never had the best sex of our lives? To act like what’s happening between us isn’t happening?”
Colby didn’t respond because it was clear from the look on her face that was exactly what she expected. Sadly, Colby glanced away. She couldn’t hold his gaze.
Liam took a finger and placed it underneath her chin, turning her back toward him. “What you’re telling me is that all we have is now?” Liam stared into her eyes.
Colby whispered, “It’s all I’m able to give.”
Liam was not ready to accept that, but he didn’t have a good enough argument, yet. Instead, he inhaled deeply. Liam meant what he’d said. He had never walked away from anything he ever wanted, and he wanted Colby. Instead of arguing the point, Liam just kissed her so passionately that her toes curled.
“Let’s go take a shower.”
*****
It was late morning when Colby woke again. Liam was still sleeping. Quietly, she reached up to grab her phone.
She had several voice mails, quite a few actually, and even more text messages. The first message she read was Lila’s.
Where are you? Have you heard? Did you see it?
See what? Colby wondered. The next message almost sent her into a full-blown panic.
Oh, my God, Colby! This is crazy!!
Colby was too nervous to read the rest of the texts, so she listened to her voice mail. Again, the first one was from Lila.
Colby James! I know you’re off gallivanting, but you have got to see this! I sent you the link.
Colby switched back to her texts and found the link Lila had provided. Colby clicked on it. Her phone almost dropped out of her hands as she covered her mouth and screamed.
Chapter 19
Liam woke up and immediately reached for his gun that he kept hidden underneath his pillow. Markos and another bodyguard barged into the bedroom, both with guns drawn.
Colby’s eyes widened as she clutched the sheet to her chest. “What in the entire hell?!”
“Is everything alright?” Markos looked past Colby toward Liam.
Liam turned to Colby for a response.
Embarrassed, she yelled, “I-I’m fine! Please. Get outttt!” Slowly, Markos nodded and did as asked.
“My God, Liam. Why do you have goons outside your door?” Colby was freaked-out. “Do you think they heard us last night?”
Liam needed a minute for his own heart rate to slow down. He ignored her questions. His tone was curt. “Why the hell were you screaming like a banshee?!” Before Colby could answer, Liam’s phone began to buzz. He ignored it, something he seldom did.
Liam wanted an answer. “Well? What?”
Colby blinked several times as she held Liam’s gaze and nervously bit her lower lip. After giving herself a moment to pull herself together, she responded, “Lila sent me this.” She lifted her phone so that Liam could see it. She clicked on the link, and a video started to play. “It’s gone viral.”
Liam grimaced. “Shit.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I bet that was Brian calling.”
Colby frowned. “Shit? What’s that supposed to mean? This video is not a bad thing. It’s actually pretty fantastic!”
Liam reached for his phone. “That video of your race with Asher yesterday is going to be a nightmare for Brian.”
“That video shows that I can drive! That I’m someone to take seriously,” Colby said.
Liam ignored the pang of guilt he felt, knowing Colby was not going to drive in the Cup Series in Atlanta. “A lot is riding on this race. Asher is Lockwood’s number one driver. I can’t imagine this is going to go over well. Brian has a lot of things to put in place before the Atlanta race. Something like this can throw a monkey wrench into it. He can’t get mixed up in the politics of NASCAR right now.”
“Asher is not Lockwood’s number one driver. I took that spot.” Colby could see by his expression that they had no intention of honoring their promise. “Fuck you, Liam!” She got out of the bed, snatching the bedsheet with her as she wrapped it around her body.
Frantically, Colby searched for her clothes.
“Calm down, and let’s talk about this.” Liam rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts.
“Markos!” Colby yelled. He didn’t come fast enough for Colby. “Markos!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
This time Markos knocked on the door before entering. His expression clearly said he was over the dramatics. “Everything okay?”
“Yes,” Liam said.
“No,” Colby responded as she went around the room, collecting her clothes. “I’m leaving.”
Markos looked to Liam.
“Give us a minute,” he said.
Colby wagged her finger at Markos. “No, no, no! I don’t need a minute.” She then turned her wrath back to Liam. “You lied to me.” Her voice was filled with anguish. “Am I just a game to you? Was all this some kind of bet?” Colby glanced heavenward. “How could I have been so stupid?!”
“Colby, that’s not what happened.” Frustrated, Liam raked a hand through his hair. “Calm down and listen to reason.”
If it were possible to set Colby off even more, his words did it. She stomped over toward him, almost tripping over the sheet as she stood toe-to-toe. “I. Don’t. Have. To. Do. Shit!”
Colby turned toward Markos. “Have the car ready!” She stormed off to the bathroom to get dressed and slammed the door.
*****
Several hours later, Liam sat in Brian’s office, listening to him field calls from the media, and also, different vendors he needed to get the cars ready for the Atlanta Cup Series race.
He slammed the phone down. “That was LaCrosse Engines. They suddenly won’t be able to fulfill our order. This shit is crazy. All of this over the possibility that Colby might drive in the next race? Unbelievable.”
“This is exactly what I was afraid of,” Liam said. “You’re going to need to hire a crisis management te
am and PR person. You can’t handle all of this on your own.”
“Somebody from your company?”
“I’ll start with my team to see if they can offer some suggestions, but you’ll need an expert in this field who is also an expert in race relations. Hopefully, we can find someone and have them in place in the next few hours.”
“Great.” Brian pushed himself up from his chair. “You know what I don’t understand? Who leaked the fact that she was on the team to the papers? The video could have been easily explained away until we had all of our ducks in a row.”
“My guess is that Asher leaked Colby was on our driving roster to the papers. I doubt he leaked the video. That doesn’t play into his favor.”
“True.” Brian blew out an exasperated sigh. “We’re like a thousand years past slavery. Why the hell are we even still dealing with this shit?!” He snapped his fingers. “Don’t let me forget—Colby’s a woman—so we have to deal with racist and sexist shit!”
Liam in no way could forget that Colby was a woman.
“You think she didn’t trust that I would let her drive and leaked the video to force my hand?” Brian asked.
Liam shook his head. “No. I’m certain Colby didn’t do it.”
“How are you so certain?”
“I was with her when she found out. She was just as surprised as I was.”
“Right now, everyone is a suspect. I’ve called an emergency meeting with the team to discuss how we will handle this situation.” It was a delayed reaction, but Brian had to back up the conversation. “Wait a minute. You were with her when she found out? Why?”
“We were just hanging out.”
“You and Colby were just hanging out?” Liam’s answer activated Brian’s suspicions. He lifted a brow. “Again, why?”
“We were at dinner . . .”
Brian’s eyes narrowed. “That video was posted this morning. Early this morning. That means Colby saw it this morning. If you were with her this morning and dinner with her last night . . .” Brian stopped talking. He threw his head back as it dawned on him. “You slept with Colby.”
Full Throttle Page 15
