I’m woken by the buzzing of my intercom. Who the fuck is visiting me at this time on a Saturday? I grunt and moan out loud like a grumpy teenager, before throwing back the covers and stomping to my hallway.
“What?” I demand, wincing at my own voice and the realization that I drank two bottles of wine to myself last night hits. My head starts to thump right at the base of my neck, and I know I’ll need to swallow a handful of painkillers. And soon.
“Oh, I do apologize Ms. Bellucci. We have the gentleman from last night here for you. Shall I send him up?” What the fuck?! I pull the phone away from my ear, as if I was checking to see if I heard him correctly. Didn’t he get the message?
“Can you ask him what he wants? I’m busy” I lie. Holding my palm to my thumping forehead, yeah that’s going to help.
“He won’t say but he does have a rather tasty looking breakfast basket” Rick says sweetly. I groan, why is he being nice suddenly? Without the energy or the brain to argue I agree. I need food, and I doubt I have any in my fridge. While a housekeeper comes by to clean the place, I do my own food shopping. With the merger and this new case, along with countless other things I haven’t had a chance to get to the supermarket.
“Fine. Let him up” I hang up without another word, leaving my door unlatched and trudging to my bathroom to tidy myself up. After brushing my hair into an acceptable ponytail, brushing my teeth and slapping a light layer of make up on I hear the front door close. I throw on some jeans and a light cream jumper before heading into the living room. Taking a deep, calming breath as I do.
Liam is standing in the middle of the room holding a picnic basket. I’ll be damned if my insides weren’t already on overdrive to him being so close. The early morning sun shines in through the windows, dancing on his hair, turning it into thick locks of caramel. The dark denim jeans he’s wearing hang low on his hips, but the evidence between his legs only makes the space between mine throb even more. Damn it. The white long-sleeved t-shirt he wears is pulled tightly against his chest and highlights those toned biceps. I raise a questioning eyebrow at him when he still hasn’t said anything.
“Good Morning” his deep voice cuts through my thoughts and sends sparks to every pore in my skin. My lips tingle at the memory of him kissing me. I’m sure he could make me orgasm with just his voice. I clear my throat, averting his eyes before answering.
“Morning”
Holding up the basket he eyes me carefully. “I brought breakfast”
I give him a small smile but scrunch my brow “I can see. Why?” Sucking in a breath, his top pulls tighter against the muscle underneath and I can’t help but stare. Letting the breath out in a whoosh that seems to fill my flat, he glares at me. Jaw ticking mercilessly and his eyes turning darker by the second, “Because, we need to talk” I watch his lips as he speaks, the way his mouth curves slightly. The taste that his tongue left in my mouth makes me lick my lips, as if trying to revive that flavor. My fingers twitch at my side and I cross my arms, so he can’t see. A smirk crosses his lips, and he cocks his head to the side slightly, eyeing me curiously.
How can I run a company, be in court rooms arguing until I’m blue in the face and not be able to stand my ground with Liam? It’s infuriating. He’s infuriating.
“It’s breakfast Amelia. Come and eat”
I huff, turning towards the kitchen.
“I’m not hungry. Coffee?”
“So, you don’t want me here yet I’m aloud a coffee?” I daren’t tell him that a part of me likes him being here, can you imagine? His head would inflate even more if he got a whiff of the way my body really reacts to him.
“I didn’t invite you. And yes, I’m polite. You don’t have to take the coffee” I hiss before turning towards the machine. Flicking it on and popping two coffee pods into it before turning and facing him. The breakfast basket sits on the polished granite worktop, the scent of freshly baked bread fills my nose and my stomach grumbles, loud enough for the entire Kensington area of London to hear. Liam raises and eyebrow at me, before reaching into the basket and pulling out the goodies.
“There you go again, arguing. You could thank me for bringing you breakfast. But I guess there’s more for me considering you aren’t hungry” he says smugly, flicking his eyes between my moaning stomach and my eyes, before sitting down on one of my bar stools with a smug smirk on his gorgeous face. I shake my head at his brashness. This is the worst case of the morning after the night before. I slam his coffee down in front of him before pulling the milk from the fridge.
“Thank you for the food” it comes out as sarcastic as I meant it. The freshly baked sour dough bread sits in a quaint wicker basket, alongside some fresh butter. It smells heavenly. There’s a selection of fruit in a plastic container alongside waffles, miniature pancakes and two of the tiniest bottles of maple syrup I’ve ever seen. Liam pulls out a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice, setting it down between us before pulling out two plates and some cutlery.
My stomach is in knots with Liam sitting so close. My hand trembles slightly when I lift my coffee mug to my lips. Liam tucks in so I help myself to some of the waffles before adding a handful of fresh berries and syrup. The first mouthful is like heaven on my tongue. I savor it before swallowing only to realize Liam’s eyes are on me.
“What?”
“Nothing” his deep voice makes me quiver, and I turn my eyes away. Wiping his hands on the napkin in his lap, he takes a swig of coffee and I admire the way his throat works. His Adams apple bobbing slightly with each swallow, and I can’t help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss him there. I shake my head before swallowing my own food.
“I’m not eating this because you want me to. I’m eating because I’m hungry, and I like food” I clear up with a slight smile. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of thinking I will do everything he tells me to.
“You must be hungry all the time then” he eyes me questioningly before lifting a forkful of waffle into his mouth. If he hadn’t just insulted me I would be dreaming about the food that gets to sit on his tongue. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be that food. “Excuse me?” What the hell was that comment supposed to mean?
“Well, this is the calmest I’ve seen you. It’s also the first time I’ve seen you eat. Simply putting two and two together. I do believe that’s also the first time you’ve even slightly smiled at me. You’re a hangry person”
“What the hell is hangry?”
“Hungry and Angry” he points out, lifting his now empty fork and pointing it in my direction, “If you don’t have food you’re hangry”. I let out a small huff of a laugh, “You’re unbelievable”
“I’m also right. Don’t get me wrong, I love a woman who eats”
“I always eat. I work out often enough, so my ass doesn’t grow to the size of the entire south London area”
“I know now to bring you food and you’ll more than likely be nicer to me” At that I snap my eyes back to his, only to see him smirking at me. My mouth hangs open in disbelief that he’s just so full of himself!
“Well, you’re damn sure of yourself aren’t you” I take a swig of the crisp orange juice, it’s icy coldness soothing my hangover sore throat.
“I am, and I always get what I want”
“Don’t tempt me” I fire back at him. I so badly want to call him out on his self-righteousness, but my inner strength wills me not to tempt him. God knows what he would do after his reaction last night. But a part of me also wants to find out.
“I dare you to say it Amelia” his deep voice cuts through my wandering, lusting thoughts and I choose to ignore him. Finishing my last bite and pushing my empty plate away. Sensing that I’m not going to answer him, Liam finishes his coffee before saying,
“You didn’t mean what you said last night” his assertive tone cuts through the otherwise early morning silence. I cock my eyebrow in silent question before placing my cutlery and napkin on the plate, enjoying the warmth that’s spreading through my stomach now.
“You enjoyed it, and you wanted more” The ocean blues of his eyes never leave mine, and I want to hide away from them. It’s like he can see right through me and my tough exterior. I can’t have him thinking I’m weak. He more than likely has a hidden agenda that I have no idea about, my hidden paranoia fights its way to the forefront of my mind. I never trust new people. Scolding myself for thinking too much into it, I shake the thought away. I only need to trust him in work, nothing else. I do know however, that my nipples harden at the mere idea of him being on top of me. That huge slab of muscle pressing down on me, his hips working between my legs. A half smirk spreads across his beautiful, kissable lips and I recoil a little.
“See. You want this Amelia, I know you do. Stop trying to fight it”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” I feign my innocence and go to move away from the counter, but a strong well-manicured hand wraps gently around my wrist holding me steady.
“Yes, you do. I know you feel this. You argue with me and pick at every little thing because you don’t want to acknowledge it” he says pointing between our two bodies with his other hand. I glance at his long fingers wrapped around my small wrist and my heart rate picks up speed. I hate the feeling that he has power over my body, the way it reacts to his touch drives me insane. I should pull away, tell him to leave me alone and to get out. But I don’t.
“So?” I question as if I’m some clueless teenager. I know there’s feeling there, I don’t know what it is, and it’s scaring the crap out of me. How did he just hit the nail on the head with this? I couldn’t even understand my own feelings! Never have I felt this so out of control around a man, and I hate myself for it. After a few minutes of silence, I stand pulling my wrist gently out of his hold and place my dish in the sink, turning and leaning on the counter behind me. The feeling of uncertainty is unwelcomed in my stomach, and I can still feel his hand wrapped around my wrist like a burn. I can’t feel like this, it sends me on a downward spiral every time I feel powerless. That’s it. Liam makes me feel powerless and I can’t be. Clearing my throat, I will my eyes to meet his.
“Look. Last night was nice, yes. However, I don’t sleep around, and I don’t intend on starting now. I know that’s the lifestyle your used to, but you won’t find that with me. So why don’t you just stop? We can go back to being business partners, end of story” My voice comes out loud and steady, the sun dances off the blue swirls in his eyes, making him look all dream like. I don’t like big headed, cock-sure men usually, but the way he looks at me makes me want to come to my knees and let him use me for his own pleasure. Squeezing my legs together, I look away, aimlessly eyeing the weird painting I paid way too much for at some auction last year. I have no idea why, a two-year-old could have painted the damned thing.
“Can I explain?” he asks, tilting his head and bringing his hands in front of him on the counter.
“You don’t need to explain anything to me, I already told you” I cross my arms across my chest, still stupidly believing they will protect my already worn-down chest from his words. I don’t want anything from Liam, well, that’s a lie. So, why do I feel like he’s about to reject me? And why the hell do I care?
“Amelia just shut up and listen to me, will you?” his hand smacks the table in front of him, those long fingers splayed like he means business, his voice rising a few knots, filling the space between us.
I sigh, before nodding and waiting for him to explain whatever to me.
“I never explain myself to anyone” he starts.
“Then don’t start for my benefit” I huff, but he ignores me and carries on talking.
“I don’t play around Amelia. I fuck women but only ever once. I never drag them on, hell I never even take them out for dates. The thing in my office was wrong, but you must understand that Cassidy thinks that we had more than what we did. It was never serious, and I made that perfectly clear from the start. I am not that man Amelia” he repeats what he said last night.
“Why are you telling me all of this?” I demand. I don’t care! Yes, you do. I close my eyes in the hope that this will all disappear. That I can dig out my ice cream and burrow beneath the covers for the day.
“Because I like you” he states none too gently, throwing his arms up lightly as if in disbelief “I want to do what we did last night again. And again” his voice is serious, but there’s no hint of a smile on his face. I blink in response, is he serious? I don’t know if I’m supposed to believe this, should I believe him? Without any fight left me, I sigh, letting my head fall back slightly before I hear Liam stand. Craning my neck, I see him strutting towards me, his jean clad thighs flexing beneath the material, I steady myself as he approaches me.
Standing in my own little bubble has always been my way of protecting myself, but around Liam that bubble bursts. Frying my nerve endings along with it. He stands so close that I can feel the heat radiating off his skin, he leans in almost pressing the tip of his nose to mine. I catch my breath before looking up into his eyes. God, I like this, being so close to him, wrapped up in his strong arms, his spicy, autumn scent filling my nose making me want to do nothing more than bury my head in his steel chest. Moving my gaze away from his, concentrating on the disgustingly tight shirt pulled across his chest, “I hardly know you Liam” my voice comes out as barely a whisper against the fabric of his shirt. Reaching up with his large hand, I stiffen, waiting for him to touch me. Knowing it will be the end of all my arguments. Knowing that as soon as his skin meets mine, all my willpower will fly out the window, only to go crashing into the concrete below. With one, well-manicured finger he moves my chin up, forcing me to look at his lust fills eyes.
“Stop fighting me and get to know me” his words fall in breaths against my lips and I can hardly fight the urge to kiss him. Moving his hand from my chin he caresses the side of my face in a gentle touch. Holding me there and without breaking eye contact he leans in closer. The hint of mint mixed with coffee is intoxicating and I can do nothing but let him kiss me. The baby blue of his eyes darkens as our lips connect and I barely stifle the moan that betrays me. I shouldn’t be doing this, but all thoughts of retribution flee when he pushes his tongue past my lips. My arms drop away from my chest, stupidly letting him into my space even further. All reasoning is forgotten as I bring my hands up around his shoulders and dive them into his hair. God it’s soft. I pull him gently, urging him closer to me and I hear him growl.
The sound comes from deep within him and my sex clenches at the thought of doing that to him. I’m like a starved baby bird having its first meal, sucking and biting at his lips and tongue. Bringing his hand down slightly to rest on the curve of my neck, he uses his hips to gently ease me backwards, so I meet the counter. I nearly combust between Liam and the hard surface. Shock fills my blood stream as lust overpowers every other emotion in my body. How can I enjoy him taking over my senses so much? I gasp silently at the sudden influx of feelings, my nerves going haywire as to what he could do to me. His hands come to my bum, cupping my cheeks firmly in his palms before he reaches behind me and lifts me. I squeal a little as he deposits me on the counter, but he ignores me and continues his mission of tongue fucking my mouth. A loud ringing in the distance startles me, and I pull my head away reluctantly. Instantly missing the feel of his lips on mine. Liam sighs before pulling back and reaching into his jean pocket, his eyes clenched shut for a second before he eyes me apologetically and bringing his phone to his ear, never letting go of my hip as he does.
“Hello? Yes of course... I’ll be there right away” I drop my arms from around his shoulders as he hangs up and shoves his phone back into his pocket. The one-sided conversation I heard sets a rock of disappointment into my gut. I wanted to keep going, to keep kissing him. Resting his forehead on mine, and letting our eyes meet, Liam brushes his thumb across my bottom lip, so I playfully graze my teeth across the tip. A moan of desperation escapes his lips and I can’t help but smile.
“This isn’t over Amelia. I’ll call you later”
“I’m out later” I whisper back.
“Then I might see you. Stop fighting this. Your attitude is refreshing” I pull back slightly but bite my tongue. Knowing that my attitude is what’s probably drawing him to me, I keep quiet. He smirks before saying “I know you’ll enjoy it once you give in” his determined tone leaves flames across my skin, all the way down there. A small smile appears on his lips, before he gives me one last searing kiss. I miss his lips the instant he pulls away, brushing my cheek gently with the pad of his thumb. I let my eyes linger on his beautiful face, before he pulls away slowly. Turning on his heel and stomping his way out of my flat, the slam of my door makes me jump and I let out a ragged breath of air. I will myself to move to my feet, but all I can do is grip the counter behind me.
The ache between my legs is throbbing with need, my chest rising and falling against the tight fabric of my shirt. I know this is a bad idea, surely it can’t be good to get involved with someone you work with? Groaning I jump down from the unit, gathering the discarded breakfast materials and putting them away. All I can smell as I walk around the kitchen is Liam, he’s all around me and my still swollen lips remind of what could have been. Images of him in his office spring to the front of my mind and I instantly scold myself. This is a bad idea. But I happen to like this bad idea.