Before Sunrise (52 page)

Liam looked over at her. “If I could’ve been
there with you, I would’ve been. I hate to feel like I let you
down. I swore that Christmas, come hell or high water I would be a
good husband for you.”

“
You were. I should have
understood.” She walked over to him. He opened his arm to her. “I
think that’s when I realized what it meant to have a serviceman for
husband. Every military wife goes through the transition, then
acceptance.

“
Of what?”

Kennedy smiled. “The acceptance of the third
person in her marriage, the Navy.”

“
Yeah, well It feels like I
spent more time away from you than with you since we said I do. So
much time has been lost between us, Kay. I wish I could get it
back. Take a nine-to-five job and just be a husband to you, a
father to Mac.”

“
Why? We were strong, we
survived it, and I’m more in love with you than I ever
was.”

“
How was it that year? Going
to your parents for the first Christmas? You said it things were
fine, on the phone. I could remember hearing differently in your
voice.”

Kennedy sighed. “Mama was pretty cold. She
didn’t speak to me the entire visit. No matter what I did. I tried
to apologize, but I swear it was as if my voice caused her pain. So
I gave her space. I guess I deserved her distance with me. I hurt
her really bad, Liam. Even now I think she resents me for it. I
don’t know what to do to make her understand how much I love her. I
think…”

“
What? What do you
think?”

“
I think sometimes she
doesn’t believe that I love her. I think she sees my love for you
as competition. It’s weird. When we thought you died, it was like I
had my mother back. She was there for me like when I was a little
girl. She was there for Mac. I hated it and loved it. So I told her
to stay away. To accept her mothering would mean that I would have
to reject my grieving for you. Does that make sense?”

“
I came between you two,” he
said sadly.

“
No Liam. I did that. My
relationship with my mother is strained because of my choices, and
her inability to forgive me. It’s not your fault. Please don’t add
this to your list.”

“
My list?”

“
Then one you carry around
that makes you think you deserve to suffer. You had your sister’s
name on it before me, and now no matter what I do, you won’t take
my name off the list. I hate you think that you aren’t deserving of
happiness. Of us.”

“
Kay.”

“
I do. I want you to stop
it. I need you, Liam. I need you to believe in us.”

“
I believe.” They stood in
the kitchen, leaned against the sink together in silence. She
dropped her head over on his shoulder and exhaled.

“
I want to talk to her.”
Liam sipped his beer.

“
You tried that, remember?
Didn’t go too well.”

“
We found a way to get
along. I think Gail was warming up to me before I left.”

Kennedy smiled. “Yeah, I think she was too.
Our last Christmas we had together she didn’t try to poison your
food.”

Liam laughed. Oh, how she loved his laugh.
It was deep, such a sexy baritone. She missed those little things.
Now she could have as many little things as she could handle. She
stepped around him to stand in front of him. “I would love it for
you two to get along. For us to be a real family. If you try I
think she’ll try.”

“
Me, too. I want to give you
that. Give Mac her family healed, whole. And hey, I can even put up
with Sally.”

“
You did good with your mom.
Slick move having her stay with me and Phil.”

Liam nodded. “Want to hear something else
shocking?”

“
What?”

“
I think I can stomach Phil,
for Mac’s sake. After I start therapy, of course.”

Kennedy laughed. She came in between his
legs. She reached around him to put the bottle of water in the
sink. “My soldier boy is really trying to impress me.”

“
So?”

Kennedy rubbed her hands over his chest,
smoothing her palms against his scars. “So…what?”

“
So what’s my answer about
the baby?”

Her eyes lifted to his. “What about income?
I got a good job, but it’s not much as far as salary. How much do
we owe to Eric to rent this place? You’ll be discharged, then
what?”

“
I got a little money. They
gave me twenty thousand. And they owe me back salary, but who knows
how long that’ll take.”

“
They?”

“
The shadow people.” Liam
smirked. Kennedy remembered when things changed for Liam, after he
became a SEAL. When he wasn’t just a soldier but something more.
And ‘they’ would call on him for missions he couldn’t explain.
These missions would make him silent for an entire day when he
returned to her. They were the kind of missions that brought Alexa
Sinclair into their life. She never knew who ‘they’ were. So she
called them the ‘shadow people.’ And he remembered.

“
When I was at the furniture
store I saw that Phillips 76 that’s closed down over off Daniel
Street. I’m thinking of buying it and turning it into a auto body
repair shop.”

“
Really?” Kennedy said. She
wrapped her arms around his neck. Her finger played with the silky
hairs at his nape. He heaved her up into him, and turned her to sit
her on the sink. “You want to be a mechanic? Will you wear a tool
belt and your pants down to the crack of your ass?”

Liam laughed. “That’s a plumber, silly.”

“
Oh. Well I think it’s
perfect. So let’s make a deal.”

“
Deal huh?”

“
Yep. Let’s get on our feet
first, okay? A year. Then we try for a baby. How’s
that?”

“
Six months?” Liam asked,
nuzzling the space between her chin and collarbone.

Kennedy sighed. She let her head fall back
and arched her neck to the lips brushing over her pulse. His mouth
was granted free rein. “If in six months we think we are solid,
then yes.”

“
Damn, I love you, girl,” he
said. He untied the front of her robe. “Can we at least practice?
Starting now.” Liam nodded as if answering his own question. “Yes,
let’s practice.”

Kennedy ran one hand through his hair and
the other down his nape and back. He brought his mouth to hers. The
exquisite sensation of his lips brushing hers unchained the raw
lust she had for him. She moaned into his mouth when his tongue
stabbed forward and claimed hers. She felt so damn hot for him she
could barely stand it. His hand was smooth as it rode up her
thighs, her waistline, to cup her breasts.

He stopped kissing her to rub its peak
between his finger and thumb. His eyes lowered to them; he didn’t
bother to disguise the naked desire in his beautiful blues. His
breathing became shallow, and his rubbing became soft pinches. “Not
so hard, Liam,” she moaned. He punished her nipples
unintentionally. He was always so fascinated by them she had to
remind him they were attached to her body and sensitive.

“
Sorry,” he said, lowering
his face to run his tongue over one then draw it into his mouth for
a gentle suckling.

“
Better,” she sighed,
stroking the back of his head. She shivered uncontrollably. One of
hand went to the small of her back, forcing her to arch her breast
into his greedy mouth while his free hand began to stroke the
burning ache of her pussy.

Liam’s fingers grazed her clit and she cried
out. Her suffering was continual. When would he release her from
her torment? Liam lifted his mouth from her nipple and his eyes met
hers, as he thrust two fingers into her channel. “You are so wet
and tight for me, like always, babe.”‘

Waves of fire licked through her and each
sensitive nerve below tingled as he finger-fucked her again. She
gripped his shoulders, her backside slipping on the metal sink.
Liam fingers thrust in and out of her in a slow, steady motion.

“
Do you like this?” he
asked, that coy smile again tugging his lips.

She quivered and gasped as a
third finger went inside to stretch her unmercifully.
“Yes, Liam, yes.”
Writhing
and twisting on the sink, s
he heard her
pathetic voice and wanted to smack herself. How could she be
reduced to this, and he was still teasing her? Her brain was mush.
She couldn’t think of single reasoned thought when he fucked her
with his fingers this way.

His finger play caused her to slip off the
counter. He withdrew his hand so he wouldn’t hurt her. Kennedy
couldn’t catch her breath. She grabbed his cock and he grunted. She
gripped it hard and he smiled. “Now. Stop playing with me and do
me.”

Liam turned her to the sink and bent her
over it. She put her hand to the tile wall above the hot and cold
knobs, below the window sill. She felt her robe lift to her back as
cool air wafted over her feverish pussy. He began to rub her ass as
if admiring it. Her eyes filled with tears she was glad he couldn’t
see. They were tears of relief and happiness. She loved him so
much. The reality of having her husband back this way hit her with
waves of déjà-vu. This was how it had been with them long ago.

His erection pressed against the juncture of
her ass cheeks, hard and strong. She didn’t need lubricant; she was
wet and ready all over for him. Kennedy moved back against him
wanting him to go there. But he let it slip down to her opening. He
nudged the head against her tightness, demanding entrance. She
heard him groan and sigh in pleasure as he thrust forward. Her body
began to respond as he sank deeper and rising on her toes, she
lifted her ass to take him even deeper.

Liam’s thrusts were long and slow, taking
his time, the rhythm he preferred. She dropped her head to the
faucet. The cool steel against her feverish brow made it all the
more erotic. Kennedy licked her dry lips and rolled her ass. She
received a stinging swat as punishment. Her clit tingled and she
almost came.

“
You feel so damn good, Kay.
I could stay in you forever,” he grunted, and thrust harder and
faster. Kennedy bit down on her bottom lip and began to roll her
ass again. She couldn’t help it. She wanted much more. Either Liam
had forgotten the rules of their game or didn’t care. He branded
her with each stroke and their loving consumed them both. He rocked
in and out of her until she and he became one.

Exhausted, she nearly fell into the sink
when he withdrew. But Liam caught her and turned her to face him.
The old Liam would throw her over his shoulder and carry her to the
bedroom as she feigned fright. He wasn’t able to do so with his
leg. So they made a new ritual. As she shook and quivered against
him they walked out of the kitchen, hand in hand.

***

Eric dropped the kickstand on his
motorcycle. He sat back and stared at the apartment doors. After an
eternity, he removed his helmet. What would he say to her? What
could he say? Thanks for the good time but it’s over. By the way, I
prefer you not see another man for the next five years, then come
holler at me? She’d been on his mind all damn day. He thought he
had it all figured out: women, his cock, all of it. But this had
nothing to do with what he knew. All of this shit came from a place
he’d never visited before. He had really screwed up.

She opened the door after two circumspect
knocks. He felt like shit when she looked up at him with those
brown eyes of hers. She wore long blue-and-white cloud pajama pants
that covered her feet and hung low on her waist, low enough to show
a hint of her hip and the sweet angle of her pelvis. What the hell
was she thinking answering a door dressed like that? And she wore a
cut-off tank and no bra. Her nipples bloomed under the thin fabric
as the cold wind pushed in on her. He was going to have to make
this quick and then bounce.

“
Why are you here? When I
called you said for me to leave you alone. So why are you
here?”

“
I didn’t say that. I said I
couldn’t talk to you.”

“
Same thing,” she said, her
voice choked with emotion. Tears began to well in her
eyes.

Eric sighed. “Harper, let me in. We have to
talk.”

She nodded, the stepped aside. Something was
wrong. His fucking legs didn’t move. He wasn’t sure why, but he
couldn’t move a muscle. She affected him more than he realized. And
even more after the night they shared. Flashes of her body under
his, over his, the feel of her, inside and out. All of it hit him
all at once. After he had dick-numbing sex, he lay there next to
her stunned. She curled up against him and slept peacefully and he
wanted to get all Samurai and fall on his sword. Then she rolled
over in the moonlight that spilled over the bed from the window. He
got a good long look at her. Damn, if she wasn’t the most beautiful
creature. He lay next to her afterward, just staring down at her,
thinking that if he was just five years younger and she was five
years older, he’d consider wifeing her. Putting her up in a place
where he could come home to her in nothing but an apron. Craziest
shit to ever cross his mind.

“
Are you going to come in or
what?” Harper frowned.

“
Yeah, sorry,” Eric said
softly. He stepped inside. He held his helmet in his hand and
looked around. Her place was all Harper. Colorful, feminine, it
even smelled pretty.

“
Want something to
drink?”