La Cosa Nostra, This Thing of Ours (13 page)

Chapter 14

I wake up early the next morning still wrapped tight in Liam's arms. I wiggle loose and he only stirs a little, turning over on his stomach. I sit up and admire the muscular, tan, Italian god sleeping so soundly. I'm very slow and quiet getting out of bed, so as to not wake him, and shut the bathroom door as softly as I can. After using the bathroom, I find Liam's toothbrush and toothpaste. I stare at my still naked self in the mirror as I brush my teeth. I still have black eyes, but it looks more like I am wearing a dark eye shadow and some very heavy eyeliner. There are a couple of hickeys on my breasts and belly. Don't remember him doing that. 

I decide to take a shower using his expensiv
e men's shampoo and body wash. He has nothing girly anywhere in this apartment. I grab one of the giant towels on the shelf next to the shower.  Wrapping it around me, I search the drawers for a comb. It takes me a while to get the tangles out of my hair. I definitely had some just-fucked hair. 

Not knowing what else to do because I have no clothes
, I go back in the bedroom with the towel still wrapped around me. Liam hasn't moved from the position I left him in forty-five minutes ago. I sit cross-legged next to him on the bed, lightly running my fingers up and down his back. 

He stirs with a happy type moan, rolling over on
to his back. His eyes are half open and the second he sees me I get a huge smile. 

"I could get used to this," h
e says with a yawn. 

"Get used to what?" I ask
, now lightly rubbing his chest. 

"Waking up to your beautiful face." S
itting up, rubbing his eyes, he takes my hand and kisses the palm. He gets to his feet and walks toward the bathroom. "Don't go anywhere, Petal. I will be right back," he orders. I enjoy the view of his tight ass as he walks away.

I sit there for a moment, when I hear the shower running.
Time for a little snoopy snoop
. Hopping off the bed, I open his bedside drawer. I half expect to see dildos and condoms, but there are just a few magazines, some books, and some chapstick. 

Next
, I wander over to a giant dark wood dresser.  The more I look around this apartment, the more I believe that no girl has ever spent time here. He has one picture on the dresser. It's of a beautiful woman with his same dark skin and jet black hair.  By the looks of the picture it seems to have been taken in the early 80's. With the clothes she is wearing and the style of her hair, it is definitely and old picture. She is smiling at the camera and holding her belly. She's pregnant, not very far along, but there is a definite baby bump. This must be his mother when she was pregnant with him. It's very sweet that this is the only picture I have seen so far in this apartment. 

I think back to what Sarah had said about not asking abo
ut Sal's wife, Liam's mother. Can I ask now that we have slept together, or will I be shut down? I don't even know how old Liam is. If I had to guess, I would say thirty-one or thirty-two.  Maybe this is some information I should find out. 

Age is not a big deal to me, but me being 23
, I'm sure my family would not like the age difference. I still hear the shower, so I decide to check out the very large walk-in closet. Hanging on one side is an array of expensive suits and a shelf with every color of tie you can imagine. On the other side is jeans, jeans, and more jeans, all expensive name brands, with dress shirts of all kinds hanging.  Then there are shelves and shelves of t-shirts, followed by what have to be a hundred pairs of shoes ranging from shinny dress shoes, sneakers, and flip flops. How can one man ever wear this many clothes? 

Looking down I see my gym bag.
I never actually asked him if he had brought it in, he never offered either. I hunch down in front of it, knowing I have a complete set of clothes. Since I always take a shower after my workout, I was going to go straight to the library from the gym. 

I stare at the bag for a
while, I really do need to leave and get some studying done. On the other hand, I really do want to stay here for the day.  Either way I should get dressed. I unwrap the towel, letting it fall to the floor. Just then I hear the shower shut off and hurry to get dressed. Before he is out of the bathroom, I make it into the kitchen. I really need some coffee. 

While
I am searching the cupboards for coffee, I hear Liam panicked.

"Harper?"
he yells, coming down the hall only wrapped in a towel at the waist, just below that delicious V-cut that makes me stupid. When he sees me there is immediate relief on his face.

"What?"
I answer him, hoping there is not drool running down my chin at the sight of him.

"I don't know.
I just hoped you hadn't left." He comes into the kitchen, standing behind me wrapping his arm around my waist. Pulling me to him, he buries his face in my hair and inhales deeply. "I told you to stay put," he whispers next to my ear. "I see you found your bag." I can't see his face, but if I had to guess by his tone he is disappointed. 

"I have to confess, I'm a
snooper," I admit, turning my head to see his face. His eyes are closed as he nuzzles into me. 

"You
, my Petal, can look wherever you want," he says not opening his eyes, just holding me tight to him like he is getting as much contact as he can. "Please say you will stay with me today," he coos lightly, kissing the shell of my ear. 

"I want to stay–
"

"Then stay," h
e interrupts me. 

"
I need a laptop." 

"I have a brand new one I haven't even used
yet.  Just got it set up and that's it. It's yours," he says without hesitation. I don't say anything so I guess he thinks that is a yes. Turning me around, he stares into my eyes. He cups my face, his thumbs rubbing my cheeks. His lips brush mine, gentle at first then a little harder. He tilts my head up giving me a full kiss. That gentle, you are the only woman in the world to me kiss. Our lips move perfectly together, his tongue so soft brushes over my bottom lip as it enters my mouth. 

I want to yank of
f the towel he has on and tell him to take me. Just when I'm about to, his phone on the counter starts vibrating. He ignores it continuing with his expert work on my mouth. It is enough to bring me to my right mind. I push on his chest and gasp for air. He gives me a wounded stare and brings me back to him. 

"No, I need to focus.
I have to get some studying in today. If you keep doing that, I won't get anything done but you." I wiggle from his grip and move around the counter.

"Okay
, okay, if it means you will stay, I will keep my hands to myself. For now," he warns with a raise of his eyebrow. "Here," he pushes a laptop in front of me that is on the edge of the counter. It is so sleek and thin I didn't even notice it there.  "Get started so you can be done." He half smiles.  "I'll make some coffee after I get dressed." He takes off down the hall, and I watch until he is out of sight. The tingling in my insides are very distracting. I don't see how I am going to retain anything today.

I open the laptop and
see it is password protected. "What's the password?" I yell. Walking back in with only ripped Levi's, no shirt, and barefoot, the tingling spreads.
Jesus, really? I mean what the fuck, how can someone be that fucking hot all the time?

"I will tell you
, but you can't be creeped out by it," he says, putting one hand on the back of my chair and the other on the counter glancing sideways at me. 

"Umm
... okay."

"It's Petal," h
e says, pursing his lips together, like he is embarrassed. It's so endearing I can't be creeped out by it. 

"Is that with a T or a D?
" I face him, trying not to smile. 

"Can you be any fucking cuter?" H
e grabs my cheeks between his fingers and thumb squeezing so my lips pucker.

I just shrug. "You'll figure it out."
He laughs kissing my puckered lips.

I pull up my email while he goes around the counter to make coffee.

What I see is a massive amount of unchecked emails. The one that catches my eye horrifies me.  An email from my advisor sent yesterday morning. 

"Fuck me hard!" I shout at the screen as I read the email.

"Okay." Liam laughs, turning around, seeing my face as I read through the email. "What's wrong?" Instantly he knows that wasn't a request. 

"The work study program at U of I
has had budget cuts and they're down to only three open slots." I tell him, glancing from the screen to see the confusion on his face. "U of I's Veterinary program, the only way I can afford to go is if I get a work study. The chances for me now are slim to none."

"Ok
ay ... so what does this mean?" he asks, pouring us both a cup of coffee. "Why are your chances slim?" He leans on his elbows across the counter from me. He genuinely seems interested in this. 

"Because
hundreds, maybe even thousands have applied. They have cut the program massively because of budget costs and the economy." I shake my head in disbelief, my advisor had told me with my grades and my letters of recommendation I was a shoo-in. Now she is telling me to basically not count on it. I already have massive student loans. 

"So what
are your options then?" he asks calmly, he can tell I am upset.

"I don't know yet
." Honestly I've never thought about what I would do if I didn't get in. I will probably have to go to a cheaper school.   "Probably go back to Iowa and attend ISU, it is cheaper and I can live at my parents' house," I tell him.

"Don't like th
at option." His face grows grim and he stares in his coffee cup. 

"Me neither, I just can't afford to
go to U of I without that work study." I chew on my thumbnail as I reread the email, but it still says the same thing. 

"How about you don't worry about
it right now." He dismisses the problem as he walks away. "I'm going in my office to do some work so you can study in peace," he says as he disappears in the room off of the living room. He shuts the door behind him.
What just happened? He went from being concerned and interested to basically not giving a fuck in a matter of minutes
. Why do his actions right now bother me so much? What do I expect him to do? Maybe a hug and an 'everything will be all right'.
Damn, I don't know
. 

I sit for an hour at the counter goi
ng over some sample questions. None of it is sinking in.  Between Liam walking away like I am nothing and thinking about U of I, I can't concentrate for shit.   I haven't heard a sound coming from the office since he went in there. Does he have an escape hatch? Maybe he did get me out of his system and this is his way of letting me know that we are done.
Jesus Harper, you have one wild imagination
.

I slam the laptop sh
ut and spin around on the stool staring at the office door.
Okay, Harper, this is just as new for him as it is for you. You told him you needed to study and he is giving you space
. I walk over to the office door and hesitate for a moment before I knock lightly. 

"Yeah
," I hear him say on the other side. I open the door a crack and peek my head in to see he is typing away on his desktop computer. 

I step in apprehensively,
"Thought you could use a little break." He doesn't look up. 

"
Ummm sorry, Harper, I have to go in to the office. I can drop you off at your car," he says deadpan, still not looking at me.
Okay, so that hurt.  That hurt bad
. I stand there a minute processing what is going on. I feel like I could start crying, but I fight it. I knew this would fucking happen, he is not the relationship type. He fucked me, he conquered his quest. Now everything is clearing up for him.

"You know that's ok
ay, I'll just take the bus," I say, hoping to get an argument. 

"Oh
, that would be great, thanks." His voice is like frozen shards of ice stabbing me in the heart. I turn around and walk out of his office shutting the door lightly. I want to fucking start screaming,
"You fucking lying asshole!"
I know that the tears would start, so I don't. I get my bag and my clothes in a hurry and leave the apartment. I make it to the sidewalk before I can't hold them in any longer. Sobbing like an idiot I walk to the bus stop.  Between the email and my dismissal from Liam Tarseta, I can't seem to stop crying. I don't stop at the bus stop, I walk the 5 miles to the gym to get my car.

In that time a
girl can do a lot of thinking. I will graduate with my fucking 4.0 and then I'm getting the fuck out of Chicago.

After I
get home, I am all cried out.
What did you expect really, that's why you fought him off for so long. You knew this would happen. "I have to fuck you to get you out of my system." I replay his words in my head.
The sad is replaced by mad now. I kick a book that is on the floor across the room.