Full Circle (14 page)

“Liam.” She dug her hands beneath his shirt and helped him get rid of it. “I need you. Your skin. Your body. On mine.”

“So you’re saying you don’t want these clothes on anymore?”

She growled, her entire body itching to make contact with him. “Don’t tease me. I’m not in the mood.”

It was hard to hear with her face buried in his neck, but she thought she heard him laugh a little, which thrilled her. After everything he’d been through, she wanted nothing more than to make him happy.

“Exactly what kind of mood are you in?”

A slide of her hands down his back revealed he was already naked. She didn’t know when he’d managed that, but it sure as hell wasn’t fair. She didn’t answer, just made a noise and squirmed against him.

He looked amused at her frustration. “Where’s your bedroom?”

Thank God. She pointed breathlessly. “Across the hall.”

He took her there, scattering the rest of her clothes along the way. They didn’t bother with the light, instead feeling blindly for the bed. The moment they found it, she pushed him down and climbed atop him. She dug a condom from the box she kept stashed near her bed and sheathed him herself, eager to move straight to the long, uninterrupted moments she wanted to spend with him tonight.

“Don’t move,” she said. “Just let me touch you.”

She lowered her head to his chest, where she smelled some kind of spicy cologne. It was mind-blowing, how easily she could relax around him now that he knew the truth. How much she enjoyed letting him in rather than keeping him out. His heartbeat thumped in her ear. Though she wanted to give him the world, she could only give him tonight, so she trailed her hand down his torso, kissed his collarbone and immersed him inside her in a fervid attempt to fill their senses with each other until everything outside that room ceased to exist.

Breaking a sweat, savoring his moans, she thrust down and pressed her body against his until he gripped her hips and sucked in a breath. “Hold on, baby. Can I move now?”

She smiled and brushed her hair out of her face. “Yeah.”

“Lie on your stomach. Close your eyes.”

Oh, Liam. Anything for you.
She nestled her head on the pillow while anticipation zipped through her. A moment later, he touched her back, gently massaging her shoulders. He swept her hair to one side and kissed the back of her neck.

“Can I do this?”

When he asked the question, his rigid length bumped her legs, nudging them apart. She sighed happily and reached back to tangle her hands in his hair. Her sighs quickly turned to moans as he moved, still rubbing her back, kissing her neck and whispering words of passion in her ear.

She couldn’t stop herself from calling his name, though it came out a weak sound because she could barely breathe when he was so deeply inside her. She didn’t want to sound weak or vulnerable or any of those wimpy things she’d been before, but she had never known a man like him. He made her forget the image of strength she was trying to project. He made her do things she would never do otherwise. He made her crazy.

“Liam…” Oh hell, there it was again. How many times had she said it? How could she
not
say it when he was about to make her—

She gasped. Her body clenched around him. He gripped both sides of her waist and brought his mouth to her ear again. “Yes. Do it, baby. Do it.”

As if she had a choice. The feel of his body against her back and the sound of his voice only drove her higher. She wasn’t just crazy—she was crazy about him.

When at last she regained control of herself, she turned over, needing to see his face while they made love. She met his eyes and melted at the sight of that smile.

Her chest was so tight she wanted to explode. “I want more of you,” she managed to say. “All of you.”

His expression told her he was ready to give her just that. But as he moved to bring their bodies together again, he paused, hesitant. She met his gaze but didn’t need to ask what he was thinking. The sentiment was right there in his eyes. He wanted to let nature take its course, bring their baby back to life. If only it were that simple.

She closed her eyes. “Liam, I can’t. I have to leave town, and—”

“Say no more.” The flash of uncertainty gone from his face, he lowered his mouth to hers and returned to his place inside her, ready to finish what they’d started. “When you go, don’t forget this moment, Elisa. You and me, right now.”

Impossible. He hadn’t slipped from her mind during the years they’d been apart, and she certainly wouldn’t forget the way he was with her now…what
was
he doing to her? With every thrust he hit a spot that nearly brought tears to her eyes, made her believe she was his even though she knew she wasn’t and never could be. Every time she thought he’d driven her to the most intense high she could experience, he proved her wrong. He was so deep, her legs around his back, his mouth on her breast, her neck, her mouth. She pulled him closer, if that were possible, pushed herself up to meet him and tasted his kiss. Another climax built inside her.

He put his hands in her hair, a sparkle in his eyes at the way she was losing control.

“Do it again,” he murmured. “I’m going with you this time.”

She touched his face. Her chest was so full of emotion she was having trouble taking a breath. He could do anything with her, and she would do anything for him. Impassioned movements of her body urged him to hit that peak as forcefully as she already had once tonight.

Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the room, and by the dim moonlight on the windows she could see his body, that of a sexy grown man who was going on thirty and had probably been on quite a few dates.

Where had that thought come from?

“Elisa.” Liam’s quiet voice tore her from her disturbing thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, hating the way her face always gave her away. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Not now. Not when they were having such an incredible evening together.

“If you can tell me about the baby, you can tell me anything.”

She sighed. True enough.

“All right. I was thinking about your life. How much I don’t know about it. Did you have a girlfriend in Dallas?”

“I don’t have one now.”

“I know, but—”

“It doesn’t matter.” He leveled her with a serious look. “We can talk about this later if you really want to, but trust me. You are the only one I want.”

His kiss proved his point. Her mind was on overdrive, so she took him at his word and let him hold her.

Besides, she had bigger problems than morbid curiosity about the number of lady friends he’d known over the years. Lying there with him, she had come to the terrifying realization that she would die of heartbreak the moment he married someone else and had a child. The very thought of it cut her soul to shreds.

“Hey, sweetheart, how’s it going?”

Elisa didn’t have to look up from her work to know where the warm greeting came from. Liam stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, massaging them. That did feel good, and she could easily let him continue, given the week that had passed since she’d touched him. It had been that long since they’d had the discussion about their baby—and since his willingness to forego birth control had made it miserably clear he wanted a child and someone else would have to give that to him.

If her body wasn’t capable of carrying a baby to term, she couldn’t take the risk. And there was the huge problem that she was heading to Nashville in six weeks, while Liam had just invested in a home in Windy Flats. Worst of all, he was reacting to the news exactly the way she’d feared—by turning his protective gene up to full power and showering her with affection. She understood that he’d just heard the news of the baby’s passing while she’d had nine years to get over it, but she’d gotten that kind of suffocating attention from her family for years, and it was the last thing she wanted now that her life was back on track.

“Hi, Liam.” She turned her chair and took his hands, squeezing them between hers. “How’s Peanut?”

“She’s all right. Her babies are fine too.”

“And her owner?”

Liam gave her the evil eye. “
Wishes
she had some little ones, I believe.”

Elisa laughed. He had just returned to the clinic after a brief stop at Alexis’s place to check on the kittens, and as Elisa had suspected, the girl’s interest in him hadn’t waned. Her desire to become Liam’s domestic goddess would have been nearly as bad as Mrs. Dale’s interest in Justin if Alexis weren’t so much nicer.

“You know Alexis and I will never be anything but friends,” Liam said. “There are other women in this town I’d like to…get to know.”

“It seems you already know one of them pretty well.”

“Yes, I do. But I’m sure I could learn more about her.” He scanned the waiting room and, seeing no one, leaned down and kissed her.

Elisa closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of her chair, allowing him to nibble on her neck. “You know I can’t resist that,” she mumbled.

“I know.” He tugged at her arm, causing her to blink and rise from her chair. “The office is closed for lunch, you know.”

“Liam—”

“For a whole hour.”

Elisa opened her mouth to object but thought better of it. His idea did sound enticing, and besides, she was tired of their time together being filled with drama. “Where would we…”

He grinned. “This way.”

She followed him down the hallway and into a room that had always been used for storage. “Liam, there’s no space in—wow!”

Her eyes widened. The boxes and file cabinets that had filled the space for years were gone, replaced with a cherry wood desk and black executive chair, one smaller chair for guests, and a wall adorned with diplomas. She swallowed a pang of envy when she spotted the one from the university she’d attended with him, as well as a degree from the graduate school she had once hoped to attend.

If she had told him about the pregnancy while she was still pregnant, he’d have dropped everything to be at her side. Instead, he had made it to exactly where he wanted to be, because she had kept her mouth shut. It was the one bright spot in all that mess.

“When did Justin give you an office?”

“A few days ago. I spent the weekend getting it ready. It’s small, but it’s mine.” He closed the door, took her hand and led her to the extra chair, where he sat and pulled her onto his lap. “Mine to do whatever I want with.”

Elisa loved that look in his eyes, a combination of pride for his accomplishments and desire for her. She brought her mouth down on his. His fingers found their way beneath her shirt and onto her bare back, brushing over her bra strap. She shivered and ached to feel him closer to her. They had to say goodbye eventually, before the first of September, that much was certain. But how on earth would she do it? She didn’t know how she could ever thank him for showing her how to enjoy intimacy again.

Wait a minute—sure she could. For once, the memory of the wanton things she used to do when she was younger made her smile. Now she actually had a man to do them with—an honorable man who wouldn’t take advantage of her desire.

She eased off his lap and knelt down in front of him, caressing him through his dress pants. She kissed her way up his leg, wishing they could close up shop and go home for the day. She wanted to please him. He deserved every bit of her attention.

A loud knock rapped on the door. “Liam, you in there?”

They both jumped. Elisa shot to her feet, exchanging a concerned look with Liam. When had Justin arrived? Why wasn’t he at the hospital?

Another knock. “Answer me if you are, man. I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

They hurried to straighten their clothing and regain their composure. Elisa’s heart pounded. Her brother’s voice had only contained that much doom twice before—long ago when she’d told him she was pregnant, and a week ago when he had burst into the hospital after Laura had gone into premature labor. She prayed nothing had happened to Caleb.

“Yeah, come on in,” Liam called.

Justin appeared in the doorway, looking so disheveled that Elisa wondered when he’d last taken a shower. His face fell even further when he saw her standing there, but he seemed too distracted to care about the unprofessional implications of her being in Liam’s office with the door closed.

“I need you to leave,” he said promptly. “I have to talk to Liam.”

Uh-oh.
Maybe her brother did suspect something.

“Justin, I—”

“Go!” he barked. “Don’t even think about arguing with me. You’re lucky you still have a job.”

Dark circles shadowed Justin’s eyes, and he looked like he hadn’t shaved in a week. Liam forced himself to stay in his chair despite the way Justin paced, rubbing his eyes and then his chin. After the way he’d kicked out Elisa, Liam wasn’t sure he wanted to be on the receiving end of whatever his boss—and he hoped, still his friend—had to say next.

“Liam, man…I don’t know how to say this.”

“Look, if it’s about Elisa, we—”

Justin waved. “I don’t care about that. In fact, if it were any other time, I’d be thrilled. That’s not why I’m here.”

What was going on in Justin’s head if it had nothing to do with his relationship with Elisa? If the bad news involved Caleb, she would have been included in the conversation.

Liam leaned forward. “Why don’t you sit down? You’ve got a lot going on. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”

Justin stopped pacing and raised his hands in despair. “That’s just it. I need you at the clinic right now, and I have to do something awful to you.”

His heart beat a little faster. Had Justin changed his mind about the partnership?

Finally, Justin sat. “All right, look. There are rumors going around town.”

A nauseating taste settled in Liam’s mouth. He didn’t know people well enough to be included in the grapevine, so he hadn’t heard what they were saying beyond Mrs. Dale’s refusal to let him treat Rainbow. But he had seen a few nasty looks thrown in his direction, the ones he kept hoping he’d imagined.

Please, don’t let this happen again. Not after I lost my mother. Lost my child.