CHAPTER TEN
I stood over the kitchen stove Saturday morning, heating up a skillet while I waited for Liam to wake up. I looked over at the couch that doubled as his bed, checking to make sure he hadn't woken up yet. Liam was still fast asleep, which gave me a chance to study his features. His face, always adorned with a smirk or a scowl when awake, was softer when he slept. He looked younger, more approachable this way. I preferred him like this.
I turned back to the stove, turning on the range fan so the smoke detector wouldn't go off and disturb him, but the whir of the fan was much louder than I'd anticipated. I glanced back over my shoulder to make sure the noise from the fan hadn't woken Liam. I wanted to surprise him with breakfast in bed- admittedly not for entirely altruistic reasons. I was trying to butter him up so he'd agree to go to the Winter Ball that night, and they say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
I hummed softly to myself as I cracked six eggs into a bowl and started beating. I poured the eggs into the skillet, then started on the pancake mix. I stirred the pancake batter with one hand while scrambling the eggs with the other.
“I had no idea you were so skilled with your hands,” Liam said, making me jump about a mile.
“Damn," I said. "I was trying not to wake you. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast."
“How domestic of you," Liam teased. "Sorry about ruining your plans to kiss up to me so that I'll agree to go to a dance with you in an extremely public venue."
I sighed exaggeratedly and swung around to face him. One eyebrow was quirked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. I plastered an innocent smile on my face. "I can't just do something nice for you?" I started spooning eggs from the skillet onto a serving plate, then poured some dollops of batter onto the skillet.
“I’m sure you could,” Liam said. “But I’m also sure this is not an entirely string-free breakfast.”
“Well, while we’re on the subject, I think we should revisit going to the Ball. I think it’s a good idea for us to go, for reasons other than just having a good time. Daisy has undoubtedly already told everyone that we’re going. It’ll be less conspicuous if we go than if we hide out at home.”
“I believe one of us is experienced in Witness Protection, and therefore knows best. Spoiler alert- it’s not you, it’s me. We’re skipping the dance. Why do you want to go to some podunk dance anyway?” Liam asked as he shoveled pancakes and eggs onto his plate.
“Don't be an ass," I said, turning off the stove. I poured a copious amount of syrup on my pancakes while Liam looked on in silent disgust. I grabbed my coffee on the way to the dining room table, and Liam followed, taking the seat perpendicular to mine.
“You're not going to win this argument, counselor," Liam said. "But it's cute to see you try. How's your syrup soup this morning?"
I stuck my tongue out at him and then focused on eating my breakfast. I finished chewing an especially large mouthful of eggs and swallowed. "You know that I'll just go without you. It'll make me more vulnerable to attack and be a nightmare for you at work when your superiors catch wind of it."
“You are begging me to have a reason to tie you to the bed." Liam winked at me as he ate a pancake.
“Ugh, just give in. Please,” I said, leaning forward and pouting. Liam continued eating in silence, picking up the remote to turn on the television. I snatched the remote out of his hands and shoved it down my shirt. "And I'm going to kill myself if you turn on any more goddamned golf," I said.
Liam snorted. “You think I won’t just reach in there and grab that remote? You’ve just made getting the remote a way more enjoyable experience.”
I blushed but stood my ground. "I'm stronger than I look." I pulled the remote down my shirt and put it in my waistband. I slumped under the table, satisfied that Liam wouldn't reach over and grab the remote if he couldn't reach it. I fumbled with the remote in my waistband to turn on the television, and I flipped it to a show about desperate housewives in Baltimore. I had a small sliver of hope that Liam would get so annoyed by the vapid show that he'd do anything to turn it off.
Liam just chewed his food, however, and watched the show with rapt attention. I shot him a disgusted look when the first commercial break came on, and I flipped to a different channel. "Hey!" Liam objected. "I want to know what Becky does when she finds out about Anita cheating on her husband!"
I rolled my eyes and stood up, dropping my plate off in the sink on the way to get a coffee refill. I moved to the living room and plopped down on the couch, snuggling up to Liam's pillow. It smelled faintly of him- woodsy, like pine and the way the ground smells after it rains. I discreetly breathed it in, not wanting him to catch me sniffing his pillow like a weirdo, then started flipping channels. I never stayed longer than five minutes on any one channel, mindlessly scrolling through programs. Liam appeared above me from the back of the couch and snatched the remote from my hands. He flipped it back to the housewives show.
“Hey!” I pouted.
“I have a proposition for you." "Oh?" I sat up and turned so that I was on my knees, facing him.
“We'll go to the Winter Ball tonight for an hour or so, to deflect suspicion about us," Liam said. I squealed and readied myself to launch into Liam's arms. He held up his hands to stop me. "On one condition- you have to do what I say, no matter what, for an entire week afterward."
I wrinkled my nose, ready to protest. “Just do whatever you say, no matter what? Even if it’s against my better judgment?”
“Kelsey, you're supposed to be listening to me anyway. This is just a formality, and a way to have a little fun. Take it or leave it." Liam's tone brooked no argument.
I considered for a second, then nodded. I went in for the hug, squeezing him tightly. "But nothing unreasonable, right? Just normal stuff like ‘Kelsey, don't go into town by yourself' or ‘Kelsey, stop changing the channel.'"
Liam looked offended. "Do I seem like the type of person who would abuse their position of power with unreasonable requests?" I shook my head slowly. "Good. Now, Kelsey, you're always taking baths. That sounds like a wonderful idea. Draw me a bath. I like extra bubbles and the temperature to be precisely a hundred and three degrees. Thanks, doll."
“Get real,” I snorted.
“I guess we can skip the party tonight then." Liam smiled at me smugly, then pulled off his shirt. "I'm waiting," Liam smirked as I determinedly stared at his face.
Conflicting emotions swirled inside of me. Part of me wanted to tell Liam to go fuck himself and to forget about the party tonight. Part of me wanted to play along with his little game until the week was up. An embarrassingly large part of me wanted to do nothing but stand here and gawk at his naked torso.
The part of me that needed more social interaction won out. I stomped out of the living room to the bathroom, ignoring Liam's chortle. I dumped a quarter of the bottle of bubble bath into the tub and turned on the spigot. While the water was running, I found a thermometer in the medicine cabinet and stuck it in the water until the tub was full. Hundred and two degrees. I smiled with satisfaction at the rebellion. I crouched next to the tub to turn off the flowing water and called to Liam.
He appeared in the doorway, clad only in a bathrobe. I swallowed as I took in the sight of him. His muscular legs were flexing under the short hem of the robe. His bare chest was peeking out from the not-quite-tightly-sashed front of the robe. And if you looked a little lower, you could almost make out his- I dragged my eyes back to his smirking face. He waggled his eyebrows at me, and I felt my cheeks redden. This tiny bathroom was feeling much more crowded now that we were both occupying it. "Are you going to stay here while I bathe? If you do, I might ask you for a shoulder rub while I take my bath."
“No.” I swallowed. “I’ll just go look through my trunk to see what I’m going to wear tonight.”
“You go do that," Liam said silkily. I shut the bathroom door behind me just as Liam was dropping his robe. "This water's a little chilly," he said. "Next time, use a thermometer."
Ugh.
***
Several hours later, I'd managed to pick out a dress that was both sexy and upscale. Whoever had packed my trunk for me seriously had a solid eye for size- the dress fit me like a glove. It was white, with a black lace overlay that made the dress look almost gray. The zipper went down my back from my neck to the top of my butt. It looked amazing on me, except I couldn't quite get the zipper to zip all way up. I threw on a long necklace that was at the bottom of my trunk and finished the look with bright red heels that matched my lipstick. I gave myself one last once-over in the floor-length mirror and patted my hair to tamp down flyaways. I opened the bedroom door, took a deep breath, and walked into the living room where Liam was waiting for me.
He looked gorgeous. He was watching television on the couch, wearing a black button-up shirt under a black blazer, with jeans and loafers. He'd shaved, which only served to emphasize his square jaw and chiseled features. It was almost unfair how good he looked without putting any effort into it. Liam looked up from the television and did a double take when he saw me.
I twirled around to give him a full view of the outfit, and he let out a low whistle as he stood up. Coming to stand next to me, he placed his hand on my back. I melted a little under his touch, and he held my gaze. Liam ran his hand up my back lightly, coming to rest at the halfway- up zipper, which he tugged up to the nape of my neck. He kept his hand there. "Kelsey, you know we're trying to fly under the radar, right? Every guy there is going to be staring at you tonight. All the women, too, probably."
“Oh, stop," I said, pleased. "You know, you don't look half bad yourself." Liam rubbed my neck softly, stroking back and forth with one finger. I shivered in anticipation. After a long moment, he removed his hand and cleared his throat. "I'll just get the truck started, and we can head out." He strode out the front door.
I packed all my essentials into my clutch while I waited- lipstick, gum, and my burner phone. Liam honked the truck horn, and I hurried to the front door and grabbed my coat on the way out. I double-checked the locks and bounded down the stairs, avoiding the icy patches scattered down the walkway so that I didn't fall flat on my face in my admittedly not so snow friendly heels. I managed to make it to the truck safely and hopped into the passenger seat and buckled up.
The town hall that the Winter Ball was being held in was only a five-minute drive, but Liam managed to stuff those five minutes with safety warnings and assertions that we would leave at the first sign of trouble. I nodded my head and rolled my eyes at these unnecessary warnings. I was buzzing with excitement as we pulled up to the building and Liam cut off the engine.
“Okay, repeat back to me what we’re going to do in here,” Liam said, turning to me.
“Dance, drink, blurt out our true identities and reason for being in Langdon Falls," I answered. "I know what to do, Amos, my unemployed Floridian husband. Let's go have fun now."
Liam's mouth was set in a humorless line as he double checked that he was armed. He got out of the truck and came around to the passenger door, extending his hand to me after swinging the door open. I grasped it tightly as we walked to the city hall entrance, ostensibly for balance on the slippery ice. We walked through the front door hand-in-hand and were immediately greeted by Daisy and Dolores.
“Amos! Agnes! You guys are stunning!” Daisy exclaimed. Dolores looked Liam up and down with an appreciative wink.
“You know, young man, if you can't find work in construction, you could always try your hand at modeling," Dolores said, leaning into him.
I quickly glanced at Liam's face in amusement but turned back to Daisy when I saw his displeasure. Clearly, she had told the townspeople quite a bit about us. Real story or not, Liam was bound to hate the violation of his privacy. I locked eyes with Big Mouth, who was clueless about Liam's displeasure. I wiggled my eyebrows and tried to communicate with her. Stop talking. Daisy looked at me quizzically, mouthing What? I sighed and steered the conversation in a safer direction. “Is there anything to drink? I’m parched, and far too sober.”
“There’s some punch over there by that wall in the corner, and there are sodas, wine, and beer next to the punch bowl,” Daisy said.
“Agnes, let's go get something to drink," Liam said, taking me by the elbow and leading me to the drink station. Once we were out of earshot of Daisy and Dolores, Liam leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "Your friend has a big mouth."
“Well, good thing she doesn't know anything real about us," I hissed back at him. I was determined to have a good time tonight, and sitting here and getting chewed out by Liam wasn't exactly my idea of a good time.
The ensuing silence gave me a chance to take in our surroundings. The organizers had taken great care to decorate the City Hall meeting room for this party. Red and green drapes glistening with sparkling snowflakes and tinsel adorned the walls. Ornaments ranging in size from miniature to beach ball hung from every ceiling tile, and the room was lined with eight-foot-tall fir trees, all decorated in different themes. The beach-themed tree was the best, and the safari-themed tree was the most confusing. The room looked wonderful.
I handed Liam a cup of punch and poured one for myself, taking a gulp. I sputtered, coughing and gasping for air. Someone had dumped quite a bit of vodka into the punch bowl. Liam smirked at my coughing fit as he sipped his drink. I took Liam by the hand and led him around the room, pointing out interesting trees or people. He nodded disinterestedly, casually scanning the room for threats. I tugged at his hand, causing him to look down at me.
“Lighten up, would you?”
Liam frowned but didn't get a chance to respond. "Isn't the punch lovely?" Dolores asked, appearing beside us with a gaggle of older women trailing right behind her. They were all ogling Liam, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by him. His mouth tightened in a grimace that Liam must've thought passed as a smile, and held his hand out to each lady as Dolores introduced them one by one. I was introduced similarly, but I was far more polite about it. The group of ladies was very interested in hearing all about the newcomers here on vacation from Florida ("How exotic!" declared one woman), asking us question after question. Liam looked desperately uncomfortable.
People were starting to filter onto the dance floor as the spiked punch took its effect. Liam grabbed my hand and excused us from the giggling women. “If you’ll pardon me, ladies, I'm going to take my wife for a spin around the dance floor." He nodded tersely at the women and left them swooning behind us as Liam led me to the dance floor.
A Norah Jones song came on just as we stepped onto the tile, and Liam grabbed me by the waist, placing my arms around his neck. I smiled up at him and settled my face into his chest as we swayed. I was starting to feel the effects of both the spiked punch and the slightly too warm room, and my head felt pleasantly heavy. I squeezed Liam’s neck tightly and sighed.
"How are you enjoying the ball, Mrs. Day?" Liam murmured. I lifted my head from his chest to look into his face. He scanned the room again, then his eyes settled on me, crinkling at the corners.
“It’s wonderful,” I said. “Thank you.”
Liam inclined his head to whisper in my ear. “You look beautiful tonight.”
I caressed the nape of his neck, smiling. “You said that already.”
“It bears repeating,” he replied, moving his fingers back and forth on my hips. He gripped and pulled me closer to him, fitting me tightly against his groin. I looked up at him in surprise. His normally sardonic expression was replaced with a new look, one of raw hunger. The evidence of his arousal jutted against my right hip, causing me to gasp lightly. Despite our layers of clothes, it was evident that he was blessed in that department.
“Liam,” I whispered, closing my eyes as his fingers worked their way to my lower back.
"Ssh," he said, kissing my neck. I turned my head and captured his mouth in my own. I stroked my tongue against Liam's, pulling him closer to me. He bit my lower lip, making me moan. Wetness pooled between my legs, and I pulled his arousal flush against me, rubbing him as we kissed. Liam's fingers tangled in my hair, messing up my curls, but I didn't care. I wanted him all over me, in every inch of me. I was lost in him and this moment, and I was ready to tear my clothes off right then and there.
I heard a faint clicking sound just before I saw the flash. Liam stiffened, letting go of my hair and looking around in alarm. “Fuck.”
“What?" I asked stupidly, unsure of what was going on. I was thoroughly aroused by our kiss and wasn't thinking straight. I rubbed the lip that Liam had just been biting and had to refrain from launching myself back into Liam's arms.
“Someone just took a photo of us," Liam said. My arousal was doused with that cold bucket of reality, and I gawked at Liam. He grabbed me and pulled me back to him, resuming our dance. "Act normal. We'll finish this dance, then make our excuses and go home."
“Chances are we aren't even in that picture," I said as we continued to sway awkwardly. "Don't overreact before you have a reason to."
Liam looked at me mockingly. "You're unrealistically optimistic. Come on. We're not taking any chances. Let's go home." The song had just ended, and Liam took me by the hand and pulled me off the dance floor. I tried to tug my hand from his grasp to loosen the tight grip he had on me but to no avail. Liam made his way through the crowd, ignoring the waves from people bidding us goodbye. I glued a smile on my face and tried to look happy about being dragged out of the dance by my caveman husband.
Liam only stopped to get our jackets from coat check, then got into the truck parked right out front. Liam opened the passenger side door, slamming it shut as soon as my feet were inside. He came around to the driver side and hopped in, putting his keys in the ignition. He paused, leaning his head against the steering wheel in silence. I placed my hand on his arm in concern but pulled it away when he reared his head back and started smacking the wheel repeatedly.
“Damn it!" Liam ran a hand through his hair. I kept silent, not wanting to say anything to make him angrier. Liam started driving, not looking at me during the entire drive home. Once back at the cabin, Liam got out of the truck and slammed the door. He stomped up the front steps, leaving me to get out of the truck by myself. I opened the door and jumped down lightly. I walked slowly into the cabin, dreading the coming confrontation.
When I got into the living room, Liam was standing with his arms crossed waiting for me. “We were incredibly stupid tonight,” Liam said. I nodded. “I would never have agreed to go to that dance tonight if you hadn’t kept nagging me.” Nagging? “Or if you weren’t so beautiful that I’m desperate to do anything to please you. Or if I thought about anything other than getting you naked and underneath me.”
I inhaled sharply but furrowed my brows as Liam took a step towards me angrily. "You know nagging is a sexist term, right? You've got to stop saying that."
"Shut up, Kelsey." I shut up as Liam stopped right in front of me, looking at me with eyes blazing, searching, deciding. He seemed to come to a decision, and his mouth came down on mine hard, punishing, firm.
I moaned into his mouth and grabbed his face. He pulled off my coat without breaking our kiss and lifted me up by my hips, carrying me to the wall and pinning me there. The slightest pull, and my legs opened wide of their own accord, allowing Liam to align himself against me completely. I gasped at the sudden contact of his erection to my soaked panties. Liam trailed kisses along my neck as his hands explored, going from my hips to my breasts, which he palmed through the thick material of my dress. I looked on, mesmerized, as he worked my body like a fucking fiddle.
“Do you know how sexy you are?” he murmured, kissing me again. “All the things I’ve been fucking dying to do to you since I first saw you in that office? You’re unreal.”
I didn't say anything but responded by kissing him deeply instead. Liam was the one that was unreal, I thought as his hands explored lower and lower. He reached between my thighs, fingering the black lace of the thong I'd worn tonight. Liam grinned as he ripped the underwear off me in one move. He winked at me while putting it in his back pocket.
“Naughty boy,” I whispered, grinning back at him.
“You haven’t even begun to see how naughty I can be.”
“Show me." I bit his ear, spurring him on. I gasped when he licked his thumb and placed it directly on my clit. Liam rubbed back and forth as I writhed, needing more. He drank in my reaction, his jaw clenched, his eyes never leaving mine. I gyrated my hips, and Liam plunged a finger into me, crooking it so that he made contact with my G-spot. I screamed. After weeks of sexual tension, I was ready to fall apart in Liam's arms.
“That's it, baby, come for me," Liam urged, pumping his finger in and out of me as his thumb worked my clit. "You promised to do as I say for the next week. Come on my hand. I command it." My breaths were getting shallower and faster now. The tension in me was building towards the edge of something fierce. Liam took my earlobe into his mouth and sucked, and I broke apart with a cry. I rocked on his fingers as I rode out wave after wave of my climax, eventually going limp in his arms. Liam placed a gentle kiss on my head and lowered me from the wall to the floor. I stood on shaky legs, looking at him through a haze of desire.
“Let’s go to bed,” I said, taking him by the hand.
“Kelsey," Liam said. I turned back to him and was bowled over by the dark desire in his eyes. I pulled him down for a long kiss, smiling up at him, then pulled him into the bedroom, where we stood facing each other in silence.
I pulled my dress down slowly, standing before Liam in just my heels and necklace. His eyes drank me in thirstily, and the bulge in his pants was painfully hard. Liam shook his head slightly to clear it, then pulled his pants off while maintaining eye contact with me. He pulled the covers back and jumped into bed. He patted the space next to him, and I grinned, then climbed in next to him and slid my body against his. I reached under the covers and grasped his erection.
Liam hissed softly at the pressure and his hips lifted in encouragement. I stroked up, holding Liam's gaze so that I could savor his every reaction. He leaned forward to kiss me, and our tongues danced while I continued to stroke up and down, increasing my speed but never changing my grip. I watched Liam's breaths grow shorted when I played with his sac. I used my finger to put pressure on the sensitive area just below his sack and his eyebrows furrowed. Liam shouted his release and ropes of hot, sticky liquid jetted onto my hands. I wiped him and my hands off on the bed sheet, then gave Liam a peck on the lips. He smiled at me languidly, gathering me up into his arms and placing me on top of him so I was straddling him. I leaned my head against his chest and sighed.
“I’m sleepy,” I said, tracing circles in his chest hair.
Liam grunted. I looked up at him through my eyelashes. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was becoming slower and evener. He was falling asleep.
“Kelsey?” he murmured.
“Yeah?” I looked up into his tired face.
“We’re never taking a chance like that again,” he grumbled.
I prepared myself for a fight, but Liam had fallen asleep. I shook my head and leaned my head back down on his chest, closing my eyes. Our fight could wait for another day.