Liz's Luck [Appledale 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (9 page)

“You are trying my patience, Elizabeth!” he yelled, his face contorting into an ugly mask of hatred. He took a look at her red roses sitting in a vase on the counter next to the register. Ethan had just sent them over that morning with a card that said, “I miss you.” Gary sneered. “With this guy? Who is he? He can’t be better than me.”

Liz lost her patience, the fear leaving and anger replacing it. She felt Amy walk away and sighed with relief. Amy didn’t need to witness this ugly scene. Liz leaned toward Gary. “I’ve tried being polite and nice, but obviously that doesn’t work with you. You want to use me for my money, Gary. You don’t even like me, so leave me alone. Is that clear enough for you?”

Gary didn’t say a word but he gave Liz a nasty look as if hated her at that moment. Then he grabbed her vase of roses and angrily threw them on the floor. Liz screamed and gasped in shock. Glass shattered into tiny little pieces and flew through the air and water splattered everywhere along with the poor roses. Liz instinctively threw her hands up in front of her face in case glass hit her. Gary looked like he wanted to hit Liz, so she clenched her fist and prepared to defend herself, but at the last second Gary pounded his fists so hard on her counter that it shook and walked away without saying another word. He slammed her door so hard she was afraid the glass would shatter. She could hear his tires squealing as he raced away.

Amy came running out of the back room crying. “That was awful, Liz. He gave me the creeps so I called Sheriff Clark.”

It didn’t take more than a few minutes before Ryan and Logan came running into the store. Liz didn’t even have time to clean up. Her legs were still shaking and she hadn’t calmed down.

“He’s gone,” Liz told them softly, looking sadly at the mess Gary had made of her roses.

Amy burst into tears at the sight of the uniformed men. “He scared me, Sheriff, the way he yelled at Liz. I thought he was going to hit her. His face was all scrunched up and red.”

Ryan awkwardly patted her back. He was no good with crying females. “You did the right thing, Amy.” He looked at Logan as if to say, “help me.”

Logan held in his laugh as he helped his boss out. He knew Amy. He was friends with her older brother, Scott. He put his arms around the crying girl and soothed her. “You were right to call us, squirt.”

That got her to stop crying. Amy wiped her tears and glared at Logan. “I am not a squirt anymore, Logan. I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks.”

“So old,” he teased her and hugged her while Liz explained what had happened with Gary.

“Let’s go in the back. You look like you’re going to faint, Liz,” Ryan said, leading her to the break room. He made some coffee and the hot liquid settled her nerves.

“Thanks, I needed that,” Liz said. She wanted to ask why Ethan didn’t come but was too shy to ask. Ryan must have read her face because he smiled. “Gabe and Ethan are out by the park. A minor traffic accident just happened a while ago and they responded.”

Liz nodded and looked at Amy, who leaned against Logan, sniffling into a tissue. “I’m sorry this happened, honey.”

Amy shook her head. Her eyes were red but she was no longer crying. “It wasn’t your fault, Liz. Sorry for being so dramatic.”

“I was scared, too. I thought he was going to hit me, too, but he threw the flowers instead. You can go home now, Amy, and thanks for calling for help. That was smart.”

Ryan’s expression hardened. He felt sorry for the creep when Ethan got ahold of him. Ethan hated bullies, especially when they messed with women.

Logan offered to drive Amy home.

“I’m okay, Logan,” Amy answered, sniffing into a tissue and trying to be brave.

“I know, sweetheart, but Scott will kick my butt if I let you walk home while you’re so upset, so don’t argue with me. Listen to your elders,” he said in mock sternness, pointing a finger at her. “Besides, don’t you want to drive in my cool police jeep?”

Amy giggled and rolled her eyes. “Big brothers are a pain. All right, macho man, you can drive me home.”

They left, arguing about older brothers and their protective ways.

Ryan sat across from Liz and grabbed her hand. They were still cold. “Are you sure you are okay? I can call Doc. He is still at the clinic.

She shook her head but before she could answer Ethan and Gabe came running in, looking concerned. Ryan let go of her hand quickly and teased Ethan. “I’ve heard of your jealous tendencies but I’m taken.”

Liz rolled her eyes but looked at Ethan, starving for the sight of him. “Lucky for you,” Ethan told Ryan but didn’t bother to look at him. He only had eyes for Liz, looking her over. She looked classy and sexy in a green glittery sweater and short black skirt with black tights and heels. Her face was pale and she looked scared.

Ethan lifted Liz out of her chair and hugged her tightly. He could feel her shivering and it was so hard to keep his emotions in check. He wanted to go find Gary and tear him apart. “I saw the mess out there. Did he hit you?”

Liz shook her head. “He was so mad when I told him I had plans with someone else and didn’t want to go out with him. For a minute I thought he was going to hit me. I’ve never seen him act that way before, Ethan. He is always so perfect and calm. It really scared me.”

“Amy called the station in a panic. We rushed over here but he was gone,” Ryan told him. “Legally I can’t arrest him for assault since he didn’t touch them, you know that, Ethan. I want to throw his sorry ass in jail. But there’s no law saying we can’t have a talk with him.”

Ethan let go of Liz. He was angry so he took a couple of deep breaths and started pacing back and forth. Logan had called Gabe, and when Ethan heard the news, his heart had dropped out of his chest. If he needed proof that what he felt for Liz was more than physical he had it. He was scared out of his mind and he had even let Gabe drive because he was so scared. They had already been close to town, but he made Gabe speed anyway.

“I don’t blame you for wanting to kick his ass, Ethan. I want to help you but we are too close to solving this case and then we can put him in jail where he belongs,” Gabe reminded him, watching him pace back and forth.

Liz opened her mouth in shock when she realized they thought Gary was her stalker. She was having trouble processing that information. “What? Gary is my stalker? Why hasn’t anyone told me this useful information?” she said, glaring at Ethan and waiting for an answer.

Ethan loved that Liz had spirit and wasn’t afraid to confront him. So many people barely talked to him because he looked mean and no one would dare to get smart with him, but she did because she trusted him and she knew he would never lay a finger on her in anger. That touched him, knowing that despite his bad behavior Liz still had a generous, forgiving heart and put her trust in him.

Ryan answered Liz’s question since Ethan was just staring at Liz. People didn’t talk back to Ethan and it probably surprised him. “We don’t have the proof yet, Liz. We think he hired someone and we’re working on finding that person. We’re really close.”

Liz sat back down with a sigh, her anger leaving her and sadness taking over. She put her head in her hand. “All my life men have only wanted me because my dad has money. Am I that bad of a prospect that I have nothing to offer a relationship without money?” she asked out loud without thinking and looking so lonely and sad that it broke Ethan’s heart.

“Angel, that is not true,” Ethan protested, pulling a chair up next to her and grabbing her hand and twining his fingers with hers.

“But it is true. Either they want to use me to get close to my dad or they are like you, judging me because of my dad. What is so wrong with me?” she asked.

“Gabe and I will go have a talk with Gary,” Ryan offered.

“Okay,” Ethan said, wanting to go with them and tear Gary apart, but Liz was more important. “Lock the front door, Ryan.” When they left he looked at Liz sitting in the chair, looking so desolate. She was as light as a feather, so he picked her up and sat down with her on his lap like a child. Only she didn’t feel like a child. Liz was petite but she was all woman.

“Liz, baby, look at me for a minute,” Ethan whispered, grabbing her chin and turning her toward him.

Liz felt weighed down and tired by the events of the last two weeks, dealing with Gary, Ethan, and her vandal/stalker. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, waiting to hear what he wanted to say. “I may have had doubts about us not having things in common but I have never not desired you. I’ve dreamt about you, thought about you, and definitely wanted you. What I was dealing with were my own insecurities and doubts. You are perfect.”

“Really?” she whispered, searching his face and seeing nothing but sincerity in his eyes.

“Really,” he answered in a firm voice. “There is nothing wrong with you, Liz. You are beautiful, smart, kind, and I am so sorry I made you feel bad about yourself.”

Liz just sat quietly with her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and letting his words sink in. Ethan ran his fingers through her soft, silky hair. “You looked like a real angel that night at the party. I loved how you felt in my arms and I wanted the music to go on forever so I could have the excuse to keep holding you and never let you go. I have never felt that way before, so maybe I didn’t handle it well and for that I am sorry.”

Liz’s eyes filled with tears. Ethan’s words touched a part deep inside her, the insecure little girl wanting to be loved.

She looked up at him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Ethan, is that why you call me angel?”

Ethan nodded and she tried to explain to him how she felt. “I’ve always felt like I never belonged. I know my parents love me in their own way but I was always given over to nannies so I wouldn’t be in the way of their work. I never made close friends because jealousy would get in the way or we moved too much. Stella and Lacy are the first people who didn’t care about my background and have truly cared about me.”

Ethan felt guilty for thinking badly of her and felt sad for her lonely childhood. He stood up with her and put her on her feet, wanting to cheer her up.

“I’ll help you clean up, and we’ll go upstairs and I’ll make you my famous grilled cheese and ham sandwich. All this ‘feeling’ talk has made me hungry,” he teased, wanting to hear her musical laugh.

Liz laughed and rolled her eyes, feeling so much better. “You’re such a guy.”

They cleaned up and Liz took the roses upstairs, refusing to throw them away. The flowers were the first sweet thing Ethan had done for her.

“I’ll buy you more, angel,” Ethan told her, locking the store up and setting the alarm.

“I have a vase upstairs,” she insisted stubbornly. “I don’t want new flowers. I want these.”

Ethan made the sandwiches while she changed into more comfortable clothes. They snuggled on the couch with the lights dimmed low and decided to just put the radio on low and leave the TV off. It had been a stressful day and they both needed to unwind and relax.

“I wish I had a fireplace. It would be so warm and romantic,” Liz said.

“You need a Christmas tree,” Ethan told her, thinking of his own fireplace at home. He’d have to take her to his home and make love to her in front of the fire. As they ate he looked around her small apartment with no Christmas decorations except a small snowman figure on her coffee table. When she was done eating she leaned into him and he put his arm around her shoulder and held her close to his side. She felt small in his arms, almost fragile, but the more he got to know her he realized Liz was a strong woman. She had moved hundreds of miles away from her parents to start her own business and made a success of it. She was born into money yet she was kind and compassionate and lived a normal life. He didn’t know her background so he Googled it and was shocked. Her father could buy this town with pocket change, yet she worked and drove a normal car and lived a regular life when she could be sitting on a beach somewhere sipping a martini. He admired her for that.

“I love Christmas trees and lights and all the stuff that goes with Christmas but since I’m always alone here I don’t bother. I thought about getting a small one but when I went to Clyde’s he only had huge monster trees,” Liz explained with a sad shrug.

He kissed her forehead tenderly. “Well, you’re not alone anymore and next year we are getting a huge monster tree and all the trimmings.”

Liz giggled and felt pleasure run through her at his mention of them being together next year. Hope was a wonderful thing. Liz decided to be bold and take the initiative. She turned toward him and slid her hands under Ethan’s shirt and felt his hard, muscled chest. “Mmm, your skin is so hot and smooth.” She kissed his chest and heard him sigh with pleasure. Liz scooted up closer to him and kissed his shoulder and neck, working her way to his earlobe and cheek.

Ethan smiled. “You’re asking for trouble, angel.” But he didn’t try to stop her. He looked at her and pulled her closer to him and lifted her shirt off of her, leaving her nude from the waist up. He then took off his own shirt. The feel of her bare breasts on his naked chest sent tingles up his spine. Her skin was milky white and silky smooth. Ethan played with her nipples, making them hard. He pulled on her nipple, sending sparks of pleasure through her blood. He loved the sound of her sighs of pleasure. “Oh, Ethan, I love your hands,” she whispered softly with a moan in his ear. He leaned down and captured a nipple in his mouth, sucking hard and pinching the other one.
Liz loved the pain-pleasure feel and she groaned. “Oh yes. I like that.” Liz reached down and felt his hard cock underneath his pants as she caressed him. She wanted to take his cock out of his pants, but he said he didn’t want to have sex yet so she hesitated. Ethan looked at her. “I’ll make you come, angel, but I still think sex should wait until later.”