Catching Liam (Good Girls Don't) (7 page)

Liam’s mouth trailed down my jawline, and he lingered at the hollow of my neck, breathing life into my chest and setting my heart to racing with the anticipation of his trek downwards. But he didn’t continue. Instead, he hooked his hand around my head and pulled me gently up to meet his lips, his other hand cradling my back and pulling me against his firm chest. My breasts brushed against his pectorals and a tremor raced down my spine. I needed him like I needed to breathe. He sat up and brought me up to meet him, guiding my legs around his waist. I felt him swelling against my thigh, making my body ache with emptiness. I pushed against him, feeling the length of him, causing my core to stir and pulse with desire.

“Do you—?” he let the question fade away as I reached to my nightstand and pulled a condom from the drawer.

There was no need for more words and a moment later, he slid into me and the ache was replaced with mounting energy. His arms hooked under my shoulders and gripped my back, holding me steady as we moved together rhythmically. Liam’s lips found my breasts, and he circled my right nipple with his tongue, loosing a moan from me as I threw my head back so he could have better access and bit my lip as he sucked each nipple with slow, but eager hunger. Drawing me back to him, the cadence of our movements became faster. He pushed deep inside me and I met each thrust with force, wanting him, all of him, as much of him, as I could have.

My body trembled, each muscle contracting, growing tight with anticipated release. I squeezed my eyes shut resting my head against his, our sweat mingling together, my breath stolen from his own.

“I think you’re amazing,” he whispered, the words tickling my earlobe and shivering down my swollen nerves. My body burst into flames, pleasure splintering through me in great, tremulous surges as he held me, pumping deep inside of me. I felt his muscles tense against me, and he groaned as he came in furious thrusts.

I melted against him, wrapping my arms around his neck and counting the beats of his heart as they thumped against my skin. Our breathing slowed and he brought his lips to mine as he withdrew from me, lessening the exquisite agony of emptiness I felt between my legs. He laid me back across the bed and brought his body close, cocooning me in his arms. He hummed something soft in my ear as I felt sleep taking over my body. I wanted to ask him to stay. I wanted him to be there in the morning, but I didn’t know what to say. I’d spent all my energy for the last few weeks pushing him away. How was I supposed to expect him to stay with me now?

“Liam—”

“Shhh,” he hushed me, kissing the nape of my neck. “Get some sleep. In the morning, I’m making waffles.”

I settled into my dreams still smiling.

chapter eleven

I woke to a familiar vanilla scent wafting through my house. I rolled over in my otherwise empty bed and stretched my arms wide to shake off the sleep still lingering in my limbs. And then I realized something.

Liam had stayed. He was making me breakfast. When I got up and walked into the kitchen, he would be there and that didn’t scare me. It made me happy. Really and truly happy. I wasn’t sure what had shifted overnight to allow that, but then again, if I was being honest, things had been evolving with Liam for a while now. I had tried to ignore that fact, but I couldn’t any more.

My bedspread was MIA and pillows were scattered on the floor, so I grabbed the loose top sheet and wrapped it around me. It felt like a very movie star thing to do. Wrap a sheet around my naked body and go out to my boyfriend.

The heady feeling evaporated immediately. Boyfriend? Had I really just mind-bombed myself with that? Liam was many things to me. Friend, classmate, adorably vulgar Scottish boy. But was he my boyfriend? He had used the term making love last night, and I knew he was all in then. That was perfectly obvious since the first day I couldn’t get him out of my kitchen.

I didn’t know how I felt about it though. I’d managed to avoid boyfriends for years. Not only did they require a lot of maintenance, but it was nearly impossible to keep them from finding out about my condition. And then came the questions, followed by the concern and the nagging, and finally it always ended with:

“I’m not sure I can handle this.”

I could barely handle it myself, but some guy who has known me a few weeks wasn’t sure how he could handle it? As Cassie would say,
fuck you very much
. Being unattached was easier, but then again, Liam came with an expiration date himself. He had to be back In Edinburgh in June. Maybe if I looked at the whole relationship like a short-term lease or a really long vacation, it wouldn’t be so bad. In June we could return back to our normal lives.

No harm done.
That’s what I told myself as I shuffled toward the bathroom as quickly as possible. I brushed my teeth, repeating my doctor’s mantra in my head. Today is normal. Today I am strong. Glancing in the mirror, I couldn’t help but feel sexy, wrapped in a sheet with a just-fucked glow on my face.
Don’t get cocky
, I thought and headed for the kitchen. Liam’s face split into a smile when he saw me. His hair was messy and uncombed, and I could almost see where my fingers had clutched it the night before. I admired his bare chest and how his muscles flexed ever so slightly as he grabbed a whisk or reached for the fridge door. He had on jeans, which was a shame, but he wore no belt so they hung low on his hips, displaying the chiseled v that screamed
this way down
.

I was suddenly very hungry.

“Morning, chicken,” he said.

I pretended to glower at him, not quite ready to admit I’d liked how comfortable the nickname sounded coming from his lips, wrapped up in his accent, after last night.

“That smells good.” I scooted around him in the kitchen and stealthily grabbed my medication. He opened the fridge and grabbed a carton of eggs, meeting my eyes as I swallowed it with a dry gulp. He didn’t say anything, but he turned around and caught me around the waist.

“Good morning,” I murmured as his lips brushed over mine, sending a spark of electricity through my body.

“I used your toothbrush,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “I stuck my tongue in your mouth repeatedly last night. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I do actually, but only because that was last night.” Our lips crushed together, our tongues tangling greedily. Liam guided me back toward the fridge, and I grabbed his face, pulling him hard against me and crushing the carton of eggs he was still holding into my back.

“We should not make out in the kitchen,” he said, his eyes full of laughter.

“It’s too dangerous.” I took a step forward. “How bad is it?”

“They haven’t started to fry yet, but if we keep them on that ass much longer, they won’t be able to withstand the heat.” I groaned as he tugged at my sheet and gently wiped the broken eggs from my backside.

“And now I’m the one naked in my kitchen,” I said.

“Let’s hope Jess doesn’t come home,” he said, tipping his head toward the locked front door.

“Jess has seen me naked before.”

Liam cocked his head and nodded. “Tell me more.”

“Perv,” I said, swatting his shoulder.

“I can’t help it. You’re standing here naked. I can not be held accountable for my actions.” He took a step toward me, a wicked grin creeping over his face, and stepped onto an egg.

I laughed so hard that I snorted.

“That’s funny, eh?” Liam reached toward the counter and a moment later a puff of flour blasted over my breasts.

“This is war,” I said, but I didn’t just grab a handful of flour, I dumped the bag of it over his head. It settled over him like a layer of ash and he wiped his face as he laughed.

“You’re cleaning up breakfast,” he said.

“We haven’t even eaten yet,” I said.

He pinned my arms to my sides and kissed me slowly. His lips burning into mine before he pushed open my mouth with his tongue. I sucked it with gentle pressure, and he yanked my body against his. I could feel his erection through his jeans, and I slipped my hand down his loose waistline, gripping it firmly.

“Should we go to the bedroom?” he whispered, but I shook my head as I dropped to my knees, barely noticing the egg shells I landed on.

“Jess texted. She’s at Brett’s. We have the place to ourselves.” I wrenched his zipper down. He wasn’t wearing any boxers, so he sprang out of the loose confines of his pants at full attention.

“What did you, uh, have in mind?” he asked.

“I thought we should expand our study of communications,” I said, pushing him backwards so that his hands gripped the counter behind him.

“That sounds practical. Where should we start?” He looked down at me, and I could see the slight quickness to his breath as he anticipated my move. I let my fingers trace the V cutting across his hips and he moaned.

“I was thinking Oral Communications.” I slid one hand over his thickness and brought my mouth to him, stretching my lips over him and taking his length deep into my throat. I held myself steady, one arm wrapped around his hip and the other jerking in rhythm with the plunging of my lips over it. I could feel him struggling to stay still as his breathing became more labored.

“Fuck, Jillian. You are so beautiful.” I kept my eyes focused up on him as I blew him. When I saw his eyes shut, I urged him with my free hand to grind against my mouth as he came.

A moment later he pulled me to my feet. “Seconds or you want breakfast?”

“I’m starving,” I admitted.

“Shite. The waffles!” He turned around and pulled the charred remains of breakfast from the waffle maker. “Let me try that again.”

“It’s cool. I’m going to throw something on,” I said, heading toward my bedroom.

“That is a tragedy,” he called after me.

When I came back, a waffle was sitting on the bar. I sat down and started cutting it up while Liam put more batter on the waffle iron.

“So what are your plans today?” he asked.

“I was thinking of doing something novel, like homework.”

“You’re getting wild this weekend,” he said, sliding onto the stool next to me with his plate.

“I know.” I forked another piece, but my hands shook as I brought it to my mouth, and I dropped it onto my lap.

“Careful there.” He laughed, not noticing my embarrassment. “Here.”

Liam grabbed the fork and brought the bite to my mouth. I pulled it off with my teeth and chewed it with mock ecstasy. When I opened my eyes, his own mouth was open.

“I could watch you eat waffles all day.”

“If you’re making them,” I said.

“I will make you waffles anytime.” There was a promise in his words, and I swallowed hard on the bite in my mouth. I took my fork back and focused on finishing my plate.

“So today?”

I knew he was asking me a question, but I didn’t know how to answer.

“I’m meeting Jess later,” I lied. Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie. I would almost certainly see her today. After all, we lived together.

“What if I told you I had a hot tip on a Chiclets stash?” he teased.

“I would want to know how a fine, young Scottish man happened upon such valuable information.” I grinned despite myself. He knew me so well already, which is exactly what scared me.

“Tonight then?”

I regarded him for a second and turned my attention to my last few bites. Would it be so bad to say yes? To make plans?

“What did you have in mind?” I asked him.

“Rob a liquor store, hold up a bank, you name it.”

“That will certainly get your student visa revoked,” I said.

“Only if we get caught,” he said. “A movie. I thought we could see a movie.”

I almost never went to movies. My budget was too tight to allow much spending money, and I tended to save it for going out.

“I don’t know,” I hesitated.

“My treat,” he said.

“I don’t even know what’s out.”

“Doesn’t matter. I say we find the worst sounding movie and then sit in the back and make out.”

This plan had potential. I hadn’t made out in a movie theater since I was a teenager back when I dated steady guys, one at a time. There were a lot of things I hadn’t done since then, and despite all my new and interesting experiences, part of me longed for the idea of something simple like a date at the movies.

“Deal,” I said.

“I’ll text you the times and you pick the one you want to see the most,” he said. He stood and gathered my dish. “Do you want seconds?”

“Not this time,” I said.

He raised his eyebrows.

“Maybe next time,” I added.

Liam leaned down and gave me a swift kiss on the lips. It lingered like fire there, and I wanted to pull him down to me, but I didn’t trust myself to stop, and I needed space. If I kissed him again, I’d find myself back in bed with him, which was a very tempting proposition, but I needed to think, and I couldn’t do that with him there.

We washed the dishes together, blowing bubbles at each other and nearly breaking half the plates fooling around. When I finally pushed him out the door an hour later, I slumped against it.

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with him. Somewhere deep inside me a voice chastised me. This was an epically bad idea. I was only going to get worse, but a second voice piped up, reminding me that I wasn’t just risking my own heart. I was risking his.

The problem was that I already knew I didn’t have the strength to stay away from him. I had tried that, but Liam pulled me to him like a magnet. The more I resisted, the harder it became. That was the real issue. I knew in the end whether he wound up back in Scotland or if he found out the truth, we were both heading for heartbreak. But for the first time in a long time, I wanted the moments that would happen between this day and the one that was inevitably coming, because I knew they would be worth it.

What I didn’t know was whether or not I could survive losing my heart to him, but thinking of his lips and his hands holding me close to him as we made love, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

chapter twelve

“You will not fucking be
l
ieve who I ran into!” The f-bomb heralded Cassie’s arrival at the apartment before I could pop my head out of my room to see who was there.

“Do tell,” I called as I threw a thin sweater over a low-cut tank top. It was sexy enough without looking like I was going out on a hot date.

Even though I totally was.

“Do you remember Ryan?” she asked.

We plopped onto the couch, and she grabbed for our remote while I searched my brain for any memory of a Ryan. “Wait, the metrosexual wannabe farmer?”

“Yes, him! He’s from New York City—”

“And he wants to be an organic farmer,” I finished for her. “What’s up with him?”

“He’s goddamned gorgeous. Busy playing in dirt,” she said. She flipped through channels, showing no interest in any shows.

“Should Trevor be jealous?” I asked.

Cassie’s big brown eyes rolled up. “No way. I can still appreciate something beautiful though, can’t I?”

“Of course.” Ryan was almost too pretty, but he rocked a body that made him look like a male model. It seemed a shame to waste it, or his fashion sense, out on a farm.

“How was last night?” Cassie asked.

I froze, confused as to how she knew what had finally happened with me and Liam. Then I realized she was referring to my absence at Garrett’s. I’d discovered a dozen texts sent last night when she and Jess tried to find me. Each text more panicked than the last and all unanswered.

“There was a fight at the bar, and I got mixed up with it, so they kicked me out,” I said, conveniently leaving out Liam’s role in the evening’s events. But even as I innocently recounted them to Cassie, I felt over-heated, and I was sure she would notice.

“No shit?” Cassie turned, eager for more details, but interest immediately turned to concern when she saw I was flustered. “Are you feeling okay? Do you need me to grab something for you?”

“I’m fine.” I shook off her concern. It was at once reassuring that she didn’t realize I was flushed from excitement and annoying that she immediately turned into a mother hen.

Hen.

I smiled.

“Now you’re just acting strangely,” she said. She watched me with narrowed eyes, trying to decipher what was going on with me.

“More strangely than normal?” Jess asked, lumbering into the room with a stack of ten or so textbooks cradled in her arms.

I stuck my tongue out at both of them and grabbed for the remote, switching the channel to a
Bachelor
marathon.

“She got kicked out of the fucking bar,” Cassie told Jess. “Did you know that?”

Jess shook her head as she slammed the books onto the counter. “How did you get kicked out?”

“She got in the middle of a fight,” Cassie said. She clicked her nails together like she always did when we were gossiping.

Except I didn’t like being the center of the gossip. “I didn’t say I was in the fight. There was a mix-up.”

“You know, I heard about a fight when we got there.” Jess perched on the barstool and shot a mischievous smile my way.

Oh shit.

“You did?” I asked weakly.

“It was the talk of the bar.”

“It was?” Cassie asked, sounding confused.

“You were too busy sexting Trevor,” Jess reminded her.

“Guilty.” Cassie blew her a kiss.

“So everyone was talking about this Scottish guy just laying some asshole out flat. Apparently, he insulted a girl.” Jess paused and waited for me to respond.

I took a deep breath then groaned loudly. “It was not about me.”

“What was it then?” Cassie and Jess asked at the same time.

“This guy sort of drunk-dived me and then he wouldn’t let go, so Liam stepped in. He was just trying to be nice.”

“His version of nice sounds a little violent.” There was disapproval in Jess’s voice.

“Was it totally hot?” Cassie asked me. As usual, she was more interested in the dirty details than judgment.

“He didn’t hit the guy because of me. The jerk called him a sissy Brit and asked him where his skirt was.”

Cassie covered her laughter with her hand, and even Jess smiled.

“And?” Cassie prompted.

“So Liam punched him and then he sort of said something like ‘they’re called kilts and we wear them because of our enormous cocks.’”

Jess fell off the stool, and Cassie’s head dropped into my lap as they both shook with laughter.

“He really said that?” Jess asked, panting.

“He really said that,” I confirmed.

“The more important question is does Liam need to wear a kilt?” Cassie asked. She wiggled her eyebrows up at me.

“I am a lady,” I said.

“Since when?”

“Not fair,” I said with a pouty frown.

“So you got kicked out because Liam hit someone? That’s what’s not cool.” Jess arranged herself cross-legged on the rug.

I hesitated, knowing they were going to blow this little tidbit out of proportion. “No, they kicked him out, so I left in protest.”

“Wait.” Jess said as she held up a hand. “You left with Liam?”

“We left the bar together.” I wanted to drop it at that. At this point I wasn’t lying to them, but I wasn’t exactly telling them the truth, which suited me fine.

“And that sweet Scottish boy didn’t walk you home?” It was moments like this that I cursed whatever remnants of Southern propriety Cassie still carried with her. The girl could curse and drink like a sailor, but she still expected chivalry.

I clamped my mouth shut, deciding that exercising my fifth amendment right was safer than actually telling them that he had, in fact, walked me home. There was no way I’d be able to stop their questions then, and no way I could hide my shifting feelings for Liam.

“Oh, come on, Jills,” Jess begged. “I have to go to my study group soon.”

“Skip your study group. We’ll wait her out,” Cassie advised.

I checked the time on my iPhone. If I could get them both out of here within fifteen minutes I didn’t have to worry about them crossing paths with Liam.

“Omigod, are you texting him?” Cassie squealed, swiping the phone from me.

“Is she?” Jess asked from the floor.

“No.” Cassie sounded disappointed.

“You would think we were on an episode of
The Bachelor
with all your imagined drama,” I complained. “It’s not like I got into a fight at the bar. Chill out.”

“You are keeping something from us,” Cassie said. She poked an accusatory finger into my side.

“There was something white all over the counter this morning,” Jess said, eying me suspiciously.

“It was probably dust,” I said. “It’s not like we ever clean.”

“It was not dust. It was flour!” Jess jumped onto her feet and proceeding to dance around the living room.

“No one has ever been this excited over flour before,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

“You’re dressed up,” Cassie noticed.

This was exactly why I didn’t tell them anything. If I wasn’t careful, they were going to insist on taking photos of us when he came to pick me up. It would be one horrible high school prom flashback after another.

“He’s coming over, isn’t he?” Jess asked.

“Don’t you need to head out for your study group?” It was nearly eight already. Liam was going to be here any minute.

“They can wait,” she said, grinning at me.

“Guys,” I pleaded, but Cassie and Jess grabbed each other and pretended to embrace passionately.

“Liam!” Jess cried.

“Jillian!” Cassie pulled her close like they were going to kiss.

A knock at the door startled them apart, and they turned to me with wide, expectant eyes.

“I’m revoking your friend cards,” I said.

“By the way, you lose, Jess. The next latte is on you,” Cassie crowed. She might as well have yelled nah-nah-nah-boo-boo.

“That could have been our latte,” Jess said to me in a pouty voice.

“Sorry, it was worth it.” I grinned at her just as there was another knock at the door.

“Open it,” Jess said, but when I refused to budge, she ran to the door herself.

The door swung open to reveal Liam in his low-slung jeans and a black button-down shirt. Against his fair skin, he looked like he’d walked out of a teenage vampire novel. I gulped and forced myself up.

“Come in, Liam.” Jess opened the door wider, allowing him to step inside our apartment.

Liam’s hand was behind his back, and he gave us a crooked grin.

“Jess, it’s nice to see you,” he greeted her.

Cassie jumped forward, hand outstretched. “I’m Cassie.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Jillian,” he said, taking her hand. “I feel like I already know you.”

“You know,” Cassie said, “I feel the same way.”

Probably because Jess had live-texted our first morning-after to her. I could only pray she didn’t mention that to him now, but knowing Cassie, she probably would. Hell, she might even pull out her phone and show him the pic Jess snapped of him making waffles that morning.

“We have to get going,” I said, grabbing his arm and attempting to haul him out the door before they could embarrass me any more.

His hand swept around to reveal a box of Chiclets. “I was going to get you flowers, but I didn’t know what you liked. Well, other than poor chewing gum and waffles.”

“Oh, she loves your waffles,” Cassie said in a devilish voice.

I was going to get them back for this. One day, it was going to be a boy on the other side of the door looking for
them
. I made a mental note to ask their moms for old baby photos.

“I love making her waffles.” Liam was enjoying their attention a little too much. I couldn’t let him spill the beans.

“We have homework to do,” I lied.

“Is that anatomy homework?” Cassie’s eyes traveled down the length of Liam as obviously as possible.

“We’re going to see a movie,” Liam said. He took my hand, and then he leaned in and planted a full, hard kiss on my lips. I melted on the spot, my free hand absently reaching up to clutch his shirt.

“Whoa! Save that for after the date,” Jess said. We broke apart, and I looked sheepishly at my best friends. There was no hiding any of this from them now.

“If she’s lucky,” Liam said with a smile.

“I’ll expect waffles in the morning.” Jess winked at me.

I pulled Liam out the open door, pausing when I realized I didn’t have my wallet. “Hold on.”

I walked back in, keeping my head down and reached for my wallet on the bar, but Jess grabbed my arm and gave me a peck on the cheek.

“He’s a catch,” she whispered in my ear.

That’s exactly what I was afraid of.