Seeking Justice (23 page)

Paul and I both spew margarita.

I’ve just settled in bed for the night, my iPad balanced on my knees, when my phone rings.

“Hi.”

He doesn’t say anything at first, then he sighs heavily, and just the sound of his sigh causes an intense longing to be with him.

“Finally decide to answer your phone, darlin’?” His slow drawl has me biting my lip.

“Sorry, I was out with Julie.”

“And Paul?”

I roll my eyes as I set my iPad aside. “Yes.”

“Why did you leave, Caitlyn?”

“Your friend was there and—”

“You were invited, he was not.”

I chew my lip, not saying anything. I wish I were with him right now. He sighs again, and I visualize him running his hands through his hair.

“I’d come get you right now,”—his voice is soft, husky even—“but you have a job, and if I brought you here, you wouldn’t be able to work tomorrow, darlin’.” Every muscle in my lower extremities clenches at his words. “And you need to be here about twenty minutes before the morning meeting.” His voice has lost its soft, seductiveness, taking on his commanding tone.

“Why?”

“I need to speak with you and Holly.”

“O-kay.” An anxious knot forms in my belly. How can just his tone do that to me?

“And Caitlyn?”

“Yes?” I ask softly.

“I want you accessible to me tomorrow. No underwear.” I sit up straight in bed. “You will make yourself available to me anytime I desire.”

What?

“I don’t care if you are in the middle of a discussion with a member, you will excuse yourself and come to me.”

“Liam—”

“Do you understand?” His voice comes out clipped, hard.

Desire and need unleash with a fury within my body. I can barely answer when he growls my name.

“Yes!” I gasp.

“Good. Don’t be late,” he says brusquely and ends the call.

I sit stunned for a moment. I can’t go to work and not wear a bra. Some of the men stare at me as if they imagine me with no clothes on as it is. I’m far from flat-chested and it will certainly be noticed.

Liam answers on the first ring. “Yes, Caitlyn.” He sounds distracted.

“I can’t go to work not wearing a bra,” I hiss. I bear his silence and wait for him to say something, hearing the shuffle of papers.

“Wear a bra with a front clasp. If you don’t have one, I’ll have one delivered—”

“I have one!” I snap.

He’ll have one delivered?
Tonight?
I glance at the bedside clock. It’s after nine. On a Sunday night. Maybe he means in the morning but then that would have to be before seven. I’m suddenly annoyed knowing that he probably has a charge account with some women’s lingerie store. Of course he does. I’m sure he’s bought more than one woman sexy lingerie.

“I don’t need you to buy me underwear,” I say through gritted teeth before hanging up.

I bound out of bed and start rummaging through my closet as I fume with irritation. It would serve him right if I didn’t show up at all for work the next day. I could call in sick. A thrill of excitement courses through me. What would he do if I did that?

Chapter Twelve

J
ustice House is quiet as I walk the hall to Holly’s office. I just pray I don’t run into Bryce. I’m not in the mood for his teasing.

I finally found a dress just that morning near the back of my closet. One easily worn with no bra since there is an extra layer of fabric that drapes across the bodice. A black knit with a loose, layered skirt and a back that has a slit leaving the dress open from the buttoned neckline to the elasticized waist, giving a glimpse of my back. Perfect. Liam had better not gripe about the short length either I decide as I smooth my hand over my hair. I straightened it and it lies sleek and shiny over my shoulder.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited and aroused by the thought of what Liam has in mind for me today. I glance toward his closed door as I stop outside Holly’s office.

“Hey,” I say as I walk in. She’s already busy with paperwork scattered across her desk.

“Hi,” she greets as she stands.

“Any idea what this is about?” I ask as we cross the hall to Liam’s office.

She frowns and shakes her head. “Not a clue. He just said be on time and to come on in when you got here.” She knocks and opens the door, letting me enter first.

Liam stands with his back to us, legs planted apart. Very clear from his body stance that he’s upset, his whole body is rigid. He’s holding his phone to his ear, and he evidently doesn’t hear us coming in because he’s practically shouting.

“I don’t give a damn what you have to do or how much it costs me! I want that bastard to die in that fucking jail cell; do you understand what I’m saying?”

I stop, surprised by Liam’s words and the animosity in his voice.

“Liam!” Holly says sharply.

He turns a frown of annoyance on his face. He immediately looks at me, his gaze holding mine before those sharp blue eyes dip to run down and then back up my body. I swallow deeply, and my body tightens perceptibly in answer to that look. He’s wearing sweats and a sleeveless T-shirt, still damp from his morning workout. He looks unbelievably handsome.

“I’ll need to get back with you, but do what you have to to make this happen.” He ends the call and moves to his desk, sitting down.

I’m processing what I’ve just overheard as he leans back in his chair, arms up with his fingers interlocked behind his head, his eyes still on me. He’s trying to intimidate me. Or us. That’s why he’s sitting, leaving us standing. Is it because of what I heard? There is something serious going on with him and my natural instinct is to help, but I won’t ask my questions in front of Holly.

“Thank you for coming in early,” he says cutting into my thoughts. “I wanted to inform the two of you first that I’m implementing a new house rule,”

I frown. Why does he want to inform us first? I glance over at Holly and catch her wary expression.

“Because of the incident in the club Friday night—” My attention flies back to Liam meeting his gaze. “—I’ve decided that employees will no longer be allowed in the bar or In-Justice after their shift ends.”

What?

“What?” Holly asks with alarm.

“You heard me,” he says calmly.

“You can’t do that Liam!”

“Why?” I ask, giving a quick glance at Holly.

“I’m dealing with the situation as I see fit.” Our gazes lock briefly before he turns his attention to Holly. “And yes, Holly, I can do that.”

“How is punishing your employees dealing with the situation?” Holly exclaims.

Liam’s eyes narrow dangerously, but Holly doesn’t seem to notice, or she just doesn’t care.

“I had to revoke a membership this morning—”

“What?” I interrupt. “Not Marc’s. He was trying to prevent the incident.”

Eyes radiating blue fire slash to mine and I almost take a step back from the anger leveled at me.

“Mr. Thomas,
has received a suspension of his membership.” Liam’s voice is deadly quiet, and I quickly decide I’d rather he yelled. He stands, coming around his desk to stand before me, and I swallow against the dryness in my throat under his icy blue glare.

“All of this could have been avoided if you would have told Bryce that,
handsy guy
, made you uncomfortable. Instead, the situation escalated into an altercation.” Anger positively radiates from him.

“Liam,” Holly says calmly. “Cait is new here. It’s easy to forget some of the rules—”

“Except, this isn’t the first time she has disregarded procedure, is it Ms. Shaw?”

Ms. Shaw!

Liam’s eyes burn into mine and then he sighs heavily. Without another word, he strides across the room to the bar.

Damn. I’ve driven him to drink.
Before
the morning meeting.

Holly crosses the room following him. “Okay, surely there is another way—” she begins, holding her hands out in a placating manner.

“It’s this way or I fire Cait.”

I inhale sharply, and Liam’s gaze connects with mine. I feel as if my heart plummets straight to my stomach. The thought of never seeing Liam again fills me with an indescribable pain. He must see that pain as he frowns.

“Liam, you change rules all the time—”

“And I changed the rules this time. Now enough! It’s done.” His eyes come back to rest on me.

“Liam, you’re being ridiculous!”

“Excuse me?” His gaze is positively frigid when he looks back at Holly, his voice that unnerving, quiet tone again.

Why is he doing this? It seems so wrong. He treats his employees well, and to punish all for one person’s mistake doesn’t make sense. I recall what Bryce told me that night as we waited for Liam in his office.

Anyone
involved in an altercation—

It’s the rule—

The expulsion of
all
involved—

If he’s doing this just so he doesn’t have to fire me—I can’t let him do it.

“Liam, I’m sorry, but you can’t do this!” Holly’s voice is strong and assertive.

“Holly, I love you—you are like a sister to me. But right now, you need to get the hell out of my office.”

Holly’s mouth drops open and then she’s stalking toward the door, clearly pissed off.

“Tell Bryce to start the meeting,” Liam calls after her.

I watch as Liam takes a bottle of orange juice from the mini-fridge and fills a glass. He holds the bottle up. “Would you care for some juice?” His voice is brusque.

“No, thank you,” I say softly.

He downs the glass of juice in one long drink.

I take a deep breath to quell the worry that in my effort to set things right, I just might make things worse.

“Liam—”

“Don’t start, Cait.”

“Please don’t do this. When your employees get off work, some of them want to have a drink, relax for a bit. It’s not fair—”

“I said—enough.” His voice is firm, and his eyes hold mine with a hard glare.

I bite my lip and almost back down, but I know I need to put this right. “I’m the only one who should receive the brunt of your decision, not your whole staff,” I say softly. “I’m the one who should be banned—just me.” I take a deep breath. “I promise you, that if you don’t penalize everyone else—I’ll abide by your decision and not give you grief over it.”

Clear blue eyes regard me steadily. He seems to consider the idea for a moment as if giving it careful thought.

“Done.” His tone is decisive as if everything is settled.

Huh?
My eyes narrow suspiciously, a disturbing thought taking shape.

“Now come here.”

Why would he want to keep me from spending time in the night club?

“Caitlyn, come here.”

I mull this thought over as I slowly walk to Liam. He reaches out when I’m close and pulls me into his arms.

“I like this dress but it’s too short.”

I hiss in a breath, my eyes flashing to his amused ones. “You planned this out! This was your objective all along.” My eyes search his. “You don’t want me spending time in the club.” I bite my lip at the sudden realization of what that means. And it hurts. I huff out a soft breath and push against his chest.

“Hey.” He tips my chin up with one long finger, but I keep my eyes averted, not wanting him to see my hurt. “You can go to the club anytime, darlin’. With me.”

My eyes flash back to his. “Only when I’m with you… Liam that doesn’t make sense, why…” My eyes widen in surprise.
He’s jealous?
“You… don’t want me dancing with other men?” I say astounded and push against his chest again as I try to step back.

He laughs as he holds me with little effort, quickly bringing his mouth down on mine. I resist for just a moment, and then I’m melting against him. He deepens the kiss, one large hand moving to the nape of my neck, holding me firmly. The other cradles my bottom as he presses my body to his, his erection hard against my soft belly.

Warm lips slide across my jawline to my ear, biting the lobe as his hand slides up under the skirt of my dress, caressing my bare bottom. Right in my ear he murmurs, “I told you—no one touches what is mine.” His hand grips my bottom firmly.

I moan softly, my hands sliding around to cling to his waist.

“No one takes from me what is mine.” He brings his mouth back down on mine, kissing me deeply. His tongue probes my mouth boldly, limiting my ability to stand as my knees weaken. By the time he ends the kiss, leaning his forehead against mine, we’re both breathing heavily, and I’m clutching his T-shirt to keep my balance.

“You are mine, every delectable inch of you.” His breath is warm and spicy as it flows across my face. His hand encircles my throat, and he tips my head back as clear blue eyes hold mine with their intensity. “Are we clear on this?”

I breathe “Yes” as my hands move up under the back of his T-shirt. I try to lean in closer, I want my mouth on his skin, but his grip on my throat tightens, and he forces my head back once more. I gasp softly, closing my eyes. Why does this turn me on as it does? His control.

“Look at me,” he demands. I look up, feeling slightly dazed. “You belong to me. I do not want other men touching you.” I nod as much as I’m able with his hold on my neck.

His eyes narrow, somewhat menacingly. “If I have to remind you again, you won’t like the consequences, darlin’.”

My eyes widen, and I inhale sharply. Not from his words so much as the sudden, sharp clenching of muscles in my lower extremities.

His hand releases my throat to slide to my back, deftly undoing the button that holds the back of my dress together at the neckline. Pulling one side of the dress down my arm, he bares my shoulder and breast. My nipple puckers immediately, begging for attention.

“Very nice, darlin’.” His soft, slow voice causes my heart rate to beat faster as his fingers close in a tight pinch on my exposed nipple.

“Liam!” I gasp, clutching at his back.

He rolls and tugs my taut nipple between his fingers as the fingers of his other hand dig almost painfully into my bottom. When his head lowers, I moan softly, arching my back slightly, presenting my breast more fully to him. But it’s not my breast he goes for I discover as his mouth comes down on my shoulder in an open-mouthed kiss. I moan deeply, and when he bites down, I cry out softly, my body shuddering against his.

“Shhh.” He licks at the spot as I bite my lip. He then nips and sucks his way across my shoulder, licking up the side of my neck as I tremble in his arms.

“Fuck you taste good,” he says, his hand gripping a handful of hair at the back of my head, pulling my head back before taking possession of my mouth in another deep kiss. I slide my hands up into his hair, pulling gently, and he groans deep in his chest.

I whimper softly when he pulls his mouth from mine, not wanting him to ever stop kissing me.

“We have a meeting to get to, darlin’.”

I push my bottom lip out in a pout, and he laughs softly, giving my nipple a quick pinch before pulling the bodice of my dress back up to cover me. I blush when he gives me a lascivious wink, before spinning me around to fasten my dress.

Fingers trail down the center of my back, from my nape, dipping beneath the material of my dress, to the base of my spine. My breath catches, and I bite my lip, my body shuddering with need. I want him, right here, right now.

He fastens the button, and then he turns me around to face him.

“Ready?”

I hear the suppressed laughter in his voice and look up to catch the sparkle in his eyes.

Why does he do this to me? He makes me want him with an intensity that has me forgetting everything but my need for him—then he leaves me hanging.

I huff softly and turn to deliver an elbow to his stomach. He grunts dramatically and then laughs. That laugh causes all types of reaction in my body.

“We need to go, sugar, we’re late,” he says as he heads to his desk.

“Liam.”

He looks up, raising a dark eyebrow in question.

“You never had any intention of issuing a house rule forbidding employees in the club or bar after their shifts, did you?”

He glances at me but doesn’t say anything as he opens a desk drawer.

“Did you even cancel that guys membership?”

He looks up again, his eyes as hard as his expression when they meet mine. “I most certainly did cancel Travis Holt’s membership.” He looks back down at the drawer. “He’s lucky that’s all I did.”

I frown slightly. “What about Marc?”

Liam slams the drawer closed. “You’re awfully concerned with another man, darlin’.”

I snort softly. “I’m only concerned because he really did nothing wrong. I feel bad enough that his membership was suspended. If it had been revoked…” I shrug. I would have felt like shit
.
And I know I would have felt obligated, at the risk of alienating Liam, to make things right.

I start toward the door and as I reach it, I call over my shoulder, “I rescind my offer.” I smile as I close the door, knowing it won’t take him long, and he doesn’t disappoint as he catches up with me in about five seconds. Oh, this is fun I realize as he pushes me up against the wall. He must think so too as there’s a wicked gleam in his eye.