Off the Hook (22 page)

Reaching for her suitcase, Kate shook the rest of the doubt from her mind, then closed herself in the tiny bathroom. She didn’t even give herself time to think about it—she ditched everything she had on and pulled the old jersey over her shoulders, forcing her trembling fingers to work their way around the top three buttons.

The shirt hung a bit below her butt, so she was covered, barely, but maybe she should put her underwear back on.

And looking at her reflection in the mirror, maybe she should shower, too. At least brush her hair.

“Stop it!” she muttered. “Just be thankful you shaved your legs this morning. Now, take a damn breath and get out there before he leaves.”

She eased the door open enough that she could peek out, and there was Liam, exactly where she’d left him. The only thing different was his expression. Gone was the storm of trouble, and in its place was something she’d seen on his face only one time before—and that was when they stepped up in front of the minister ten years ago.

It was hope.

“If you walk out here in something from Victoria’s Secret,” he said, choking on a laugh, “there’s no way you can hold me responsible for what happens.”

The flood of warmth started at her toes and rushed up her body until she stopped quaking behind the door and smiled.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” she said, “but I don’t own anything from Victoria’s Secret.”

“That’s too—” One step into the room and Liam’s jaw fell open, his eyes rounded, and he couldn’t seem to talk for a few long seconds. “I…Is that…”

As he took a step closer, Kate released the top button, which froze him in his tracks.

When she lifted her brow at him, testing, daring, he took another tentative step forward, and she rewarded him by flicking open the next button.

“That’s my jersey,” he said slowly, his mouth curling into a smile that sent all sorts of tingles through Kate’s girlie parts.

“Yes, it is,” she said, toying with the last button. “Would you like to have it back?”

The long, shuddering breath he released made her laugh, which sort of detracted from her attempt to seduce him, but he obviously didn’t care.

“Not as much as I’d like to have what’s under it.”

Flick. The third button sprung free as he closed the rest of the distance between them. They reached for each other at the same time, no hesitation this time, no second thoughts, just a jumble of flailing arms and laughter as she struggled to get him out of that damn rain jacket.

“Zippers
and
snaps?” she grunted. “Really?”

Shoving her hands away, Liam reached behind his head, grabbed the back of the stupid thing, and tugged it up, over, and off.

“Better?”

“It’s a start,” she muttered. “But I’m nearly buck-ass naked and you’re still fully dressed.”

“Not quite.”

If there was one thing Liam was good at, it was multitasking. Toeing his boots off, he slipped his fingers under the shoulder of one side of her shirt and slid it down her arm until it caught on her bent elbow, then he repeated it on the other side.

Kate never took her eyes off his as he finally shook off his boots, then stood perfectly still as he watched the jersey slip to the floor.

“Holy shit,” he breathed. “
Now
you’re buck-ass naked.”

“Yeah,” she laughed. “I was kind of hoping you’d join me.”

Seconds later he was down to nothing but his boxers and one dangling sock, but Kate wasn’t waiting another second for him to lose either one.

Wrapping her hands around his neck, she dragged him down for a long kiss that had him pulling her up close as he growled deep in his throat. Oh God, how she’d missed that sound.

Just as she’d missed the way his muscled arms held her so tight yet so tenderly at the same time. And the way he splayed his hands across her back, sliding them slowly down to her hips, where every touch was like an electric shock. Without even looking, Liam moved his fingers straight to the freckle on her right hip and caressed it until she sighed against his mouth and wrapped her leg around him.

He reached his left hand around for her ankle, smoothing his way up her calf and over her knee, easing his way along her thigh, where he lingered for a moment before lifting her off the floor. Two steps later he had her against the wall, but when she made to drop her leg, he caught her around the knee and moved it back around him.

Kate’s smiling lips never left his, not even as his fingers danced down her hip, lower, softer, seeking the part of her that ached to be touched. As he slid his finger inside, he pushed himself against her, so hard and so ready.

Her breath caught and held as he tucked his face against the side of her neck and groaned.

“God, Kate, you’re so wet.”

“No shit,” she laughed shakily. “Whose fault d’you suppose that is?”

“Please say it’s mine.”

“Lose the boxers,” she said, whispering against his ear. “And I’ll say anything you want me to.”

With a couple of jerky moves, he ditched not only the boxers but the sock, too, and for a second afterward they just stood there grinning at each other, until Kate leaned up and pressed her lips to his.

“The bed’s over there,” she said, talking against his mouth as she tipped her head toward the bedroom. “The mattress is a little narrow, so it might be a bit of a tight fit.”

“God, I hope so.” He took a step back, then made a diving grab for his jeans. “I raided Finn’s stash.”

Sure enough, out of one of the pockets he pulled out a blue foil packet and held it up for her to see.

“So you carry one around with you now?” she laughed. “Seriously?”

“What are you on about—
one
?” His grin was part embarrassed, part hopeful, and a whole lot adorable. “There’s a couple in that pocket, sweetheart.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but the second his fingers wound around hers, every other thought melted from her brain. All that mattered right then was the feel of his fingers folded through hers as he tugged her down on the bed with him.

The scant few times she’d been with someone else, it had never felt completely natural. There’d always been an awkwardness about it, a clumsiness. But not with Liam. He knew exactly what she needed, even when her desperation couldn’t decide what the hell she wanted or how she wanted it.

Liam knew. Propped up on his side next to her, he kissed her slowly, his mouth hot against hers, his tongue dipping, tasting, and teasing as his hand cradled her face, tipping it up to his.

Half delirious, Kate gave her hands free rein to do what they pleased, to go where they pleased, and if his hitched breathing was any indication, they were hitting all the right spots. Across his chest and over his shoulders, her fingers played against his skin, tickling their way down to his butt, causing him to suck in a sharp breath.

She tried to inch closer, but he smiled and pressed her back against the mattress.

“What’s your hurry?” He chuckled, moving a little lower. “Got a date or something?”

“I just—” Her brain stopped working the second his mouth found her breast. “Ohhh.”

Curling her fingers through his hair, she tried to hold him there, but he wouldn’t be controlled. Instead, he slowed, taking his sweet time as he trailed his tongue from the tip of one breast to the other and then back again.

Kate’s breath came in short, sharp gasps and then froze in her lungs when he slid his hand down her leg to her knee, then up again until she was all but vibrating, arching into his touch, silently begging for more.

“Hold on.” His murmur had barely registered in her ears when his finger slid inside, deeper, as his mouth covered her aching breast.

Kate’s fingers shot straight out, then fisted in his hair as she rode the heat of his touch.

“I can’t…” she gasped. “I’m gonna—”

His mouth was on hers that fast, hot and demanding, tormenting a desperate cry from her throat while he eased her leg up around his waist. He filled her slowly, completely, pushing her toward a place she hadn’t been in a very long time. Not since…

“Perfect,” he murmured, pulling back, then easing inside her again. “God, it’s just like—”

“I know!” she cried, laughing as he grinned down at her.

Her senses swirled, dipped, and crashed with each stroke as he pushed them closer and closer to the edge. Threading his fingers through hers again, he eased her hand down to where they joined so she could touch their shared heat. Kate lifted off the mattress as he thrust into her with one final deep stroke, sending her spiraling off the edge. He held her tighter, closer, until the last wave began to ebb, then he buried his face against her neck and growled her name long and low as he crashed over with her.

Spent, he collapsed on top of her, his heart pounding against her own, his face pressed into the pillow, while she wrapped all her limbs around him and hung on, in case he had any crazy ideas of moving.

He didn’t. Come to that, when they’d been in Vegas together, he’d never been in any hurry to move or ease away from her, and she loved that about him. She loved the closeness, the taste of his skin after they’d exploded together, and she loved to feel him grow hard inside her again, sending her to the brink with the slightest of movements.

Still buried deep inside her, he tucked his arms under her back and rolled them so she was on top, her cheek against his chest, and both of them panting as if they’d just sprinted a half marathon.

Drawing lazy circles over her back, Liam twisted so he could kiss her temple. “Say it.”

“Hmm?” she murmured, feeling more than a little sapped. “Say what?”

“What you used to say to me every time we did that in Vegas.”

“What? No.” Laughing, Kate used what strength she had left to try to pinch his arm. Apparently, muscle didn’t pinch.

“A deal’s a deal, Kate.” She couldn’t see his face, but she could hear the smile in his voice. “You said if I lost the boxers you’d say anything I wanted you to.”

“I did?” she asked. “I must have been delirious.”

“Say it,” he repeated, this time with a gentle jab to her ribs, making her squirm. Then she squirmed some more when she realized it was making him hard again.

“Okay, fine,” she sighed. “That was incredible. There, are you happy now?”

“That wasn’t very sincere.”

“No?”

Easing herself off him, she pulled a few tissues out of the box on the side table and handed them to him while she went to the bathroom to get the garbage pail. With that taken care of, she climbed over him again, straddling his hips, then leaned over and tickled his chest with her tongue as she repeated the words again.

“That,” she said, circling his left nipple slowly.

“Kate.” Another growl, only this one sounded more like a warning.

Moving right, she sucked the nipple between her teeth and flicked it with her tongue. “Was.”

His whole body stiffened as she trailed lower, whispering, “Incredible,” as she dipped her tongue inside his belly button, making him fist both hands into the sheet.

“Shit,” he roared. “Get my jeans—in the pocket! For the love of God, woman, hurry up!”

He didn’t have to tell her twice. She had him suited up in record time, but when he moved to roll her over, she refused to budge.

“What’s your hurry?” she said, lowering herself down on him inch by inch. “You got a date or something?”

For every second of torture it was for him, it was double for Kate, but torture had never been so sweet or so freakin’ amazing, and she finally collapsed on top of him; he didn’t even try to move, just pulled the blanket up over them and held her tight in the cradle of his arms.

It was probably a good thing Liam hadn’t taken all of Finn’s stash, or Kate might not have let him leave for the rest of the night. Hell, she didn’t even like it when he climbed out of bed a couple of hours later to go to the bathroom.

What she did like, though, was watching his bare butt as he walked. She couldn’t see him once he went into the bathroom, but she knew what was coming and she wasn’t putting up with that kind of crap here.

“Li—” She’d barely gotten the first syllable out when he leaned back and flicked the bathroom door shut. Grinning, Kate snuggled down under the covers. “Thank you.”

Chapter 10

If my uniform doesn’t get dirty, I haven’t done anything in the baseball game.

—Rickey Henderson

“She’s your
what
?” Ro roared so loud, even Jessie flinched.

Liam lifted his mug and took a long, slow sip as he leaned back against the counter. “My ex-wife.”

He hadn’t given Ronan any time to get comfortable, just dumped the whole story on him the second he walked in. Like ripping off a Band-Aid, it was better to do stuff like this fast.

“Your ex-wife. And so you thought it would be a good idea to bring her
here
? Shit, Liam, why don’t we give Mandy a call and see if she wants to help, too? I bet between the two of them they could fuck the whole thing up for us without batting an eye.”

“Ro,” Jessie said, using her calm negotiator’s voice. “If you’d calm down for a second, we can explain.”

“Explain what? The fact my brother got married
and
divorced and never bothered telling any of us? Or the fact his ex-wife has been here over a month and nobody bothered telling me that’s who she was?”

Even with Jessie’s mouth pinched tight, they could all tell she was trying not to laugh.

“Okay, well, all of that,” she chortled. “But in Liam’s defense, he wanted to send Kate packing the second he realized it was her. I’m the one who insisted she stay.”

“Are you out of your freakin’ mind, Jessie?”

“Clearly,” she snapped, all signs of laughter gone. “Because no one in her right mind would stay here and put up with the amount of bullshit you guys keep slinging at me. So sit down, shut up, and listen.”

Liam could easily hide his grin behind his mug, but Finn had to scramble away from the table and stick his head in the cupboard to hide his. Nobody ever yelled at Ronan the way Jessie did. It wasn’t that Liam or Finn was afraid of him; it was usually just easier to tell him to fuck off and walk away. Very few things got settled that way, but it sure saved a lot of fights.