The Innocent Liar (20 page)

“Are you okay?” Her voice was concerned, and it didn’t help his bleeding heart emotional state, but he stifled it.

He nodded and then he stood, kicking off his shoes, stripping his socks off his feet and stepping out of his jeans. She watched until he walked around her body to the back of the sawhorse. He could see every inch of her beautiful body, and he reached out, stroking his finger from her lower back, down the skin between her buttocks, and over her anus. Her bottom flinched and her muscles clenched and shook, and he watched her every reaction to him.

He ran his dick between the lips of her sex. Her hips wiggled as she tried to get him inside her, but he pulled back every time she came close. He was glistening with her wetness, and when he ran his come covered cockhead up to her anus, her muscles started twitching again.

“Relax.” He watched her diaphragm fall and her leg muscles loosen, and she turned her head to the side, resting her cheek on the top of the sawhorse. She couldn’t turn far enough back to watch him, but he could see the side of her face, and he focused on it as he nudged gently against her muscles. Her lips parted and her brow creased, but she stayed relaxed and calm. When he nudged harder, her muscles tightened, and she cried out quietly, but he pulled back quickly before her muscles could seize up. He wanted her loose and calm when he pushed all the way in, so he kept nudging gently and retreating quickly, stretching and working her muscles as he studied her face. And when he could finally nudge, sink past her tight ring of muscles, and her body stayed relaxed, he pushed deeper.

He didn’t retreat this time. His pressure was steady and slow, and she moaned as he pushed deeper and deeper. When he was halfway in, he pulled back and then gently pressed farther. She whimpered and moaned, and when she started to pant, he started to thrust. He watched his length sink into her bottom, and he pulsed as his barely restrained orgasm threatened to finish him off. She was so exceptionally tight it nearly hurt, but it was also very nearly the most perfect sensation in the world.

He gripped her hips, pulling her back to his groin as the legs of the sawhorse scraped on the floor. His buttocks were clenching and releasing as he pumped into her, and he started cursing as his hips humped and rocked against her bottom. He wanted to slow it down. He wanted to make it last forever, but he was beyond being able to stifle the release, and with one final push that sank his dick deep into her gut, he came, digging his fingers into her hips as he convulsed and spasmed inside her.

He collapsed against her back, gripping the top of the A-frame her wrists were secured too, and he rolled his hips under one last time, seating himself as far as she could take and sealing himself to her. He was panting with his lips against her spine between her shoulder blades, and she was taking shuttering breaths as her body trembled beneath his weight. He kissed down her spine, slowly leaving her body the farther back his mouth worked. When he reached her lower back, the last of his length left her, and she moaned. He kept kissing, lower and lower until he was over her anus. He brushed his lips gently over her skin, and her muscles danced. He ran his finger gently over the puckered hole, and she hummed quietly.

He leaned to her, kissing the spot he’d so barbarously claimed as his, and as he did, his hands loosened and pulled the restraints from her ankles. He stood, rounding the sawhorse. He kneeled in front of her focusing on her wrists, and once they were free, he glanced up to her eyes. He never quite knew if his smile was convincing or not, but he gave it a try. Her lips pulled up too. Her smile was hesitant, it was shy, and it was so sweet as hell perfect that his lips just kept pulling up.

He led her straight to her bathtub, and he held her in his arms as they rested in the warmth of the water. Her bathtub was entirely too small for them both, but there was nothing to complain about. He had her enfolded in his arms with their bodies twisted and twined together. He slipped a gentle finger into her bottom, and he thrust slowly through his own semen, letting the water wash it away.

He pulled her into his arms once he had her in bed. “Are you sore?”

“A little, but not much now.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. So seeing as this was a trust exercise, you’ll be letting me tie you up too sometime?”

He could feel her lips pulling up in a smile against his chest. “Yes, and I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

“A
re you going back to Salt Lake City when this all over?” Eli inhaled a slow deep breath as he focused on Brynn across his dining room table the next morning. He had been reading a newspaper, but the question had popped into his mind, and he couldn’t seem to focus on anything until he knew the answer. His heart was pounding, and he really hoped she couldn’t hear it.

“I don’t want to.”

“What do you want?”

She shrugged. It wasn’t the confused kind of shrug, though, it was nothing more than her begging him not to make her say it, but he watched her, refusing to let her hold out on him. She finally took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “To be with you.”

“Good answer.” He looked back down at the newspaper he had spread out on his table. She was watching him, asking about the occasional local story he read. It was only a week before Christmas, and he actually did have a conversation agenda for the morning, but at the moment, he was just enjoying the normalcy and calming effect it had on him when she was in his home.

It wasn’t long before she interrupted his newspaper reading—not that he’d ever complain about her wanting his attention. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.” He looked up.

“Why are you such a control freak?” She smiled sweetly, and he laughed.

“Are you complaining about being tied up and sodomized last night? If I recall, you enjoyed yourself thoroughly.”

“You know I’m not kidding about tying you up in return, right?”

“I certainly hope you’re not kidding.”

“But I’m serious. Why?”

He closed the newspaper then, and he pushed it aside, clasping his hands together and studying her. “You know how you said you were afraid of me knowing all your secrets because you’re afraid of how it might change the way I feel about you. I’m paraphrasing.”

She nodded, and her face was suddenly entirely too serious for their pleasant morning together.

“I understand that feeling very well.” He wasn’t going to say anything more about it at the moment, and she nodded, saying nothing else. They studied one another for a moment before he sighed. Time to get back on agenda. “Christmas is next week.”

“I’m aware.” She was smiling again, and that meant he was too.

“I’m closing the shop after Tuesday, and I won’t open back up until after the New Year.”

“Okay…”

“I want to spend the holiday with you.”

“What about your family?”

“And them too.” He watched her. Her lips parted, and she bit the inside of her lip as she contemplated. “Here in my home. Sam too if he can make it.”

“Umm…I’m not sure that’s a great idea.”

“Why?” He watched her. He wasn’t sure how to feel about what she’d said, and it all depended on her reasons more than anything.

“It just makes me nervous. I mean, they’re your parents.”

He saw the worry then, and the anger that was threatening to creep in started to dissipate.

“What if they don’t like me?”

“That’s actually impossible, but on the outside chance they didn’t, it wouldn’t change how I feel about you. Brynn, I want them to meet you. They’re beyond curious, and they’re fully aware I’ve lost my mind over you. It’s time. At least it is for me. If you don’t feel that way, then tell me. It’ll piss me off, but I’d rather you be honest.”

She laughed at that, and he wasn’t sure why. He’d been completely honest, maybe too blunt in his approach, but there wasn’t an ounce of lie in what he said.

“It’s not a matter of my not wanting to meet them. I just want them to like me. They know why I’m here—at least to some degree, and I’m just nervous of what that means to them.”

“It’s important to me.” He watched her for a moment, and she nodded. “If it’s this difficult just to get you to agree to meet my parents, what the hell’s it going to be like getting you to move in here?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer that one. He stood, rounded the table to her, and pecked her on top of the head as she gaped. “I have to get some work done on these designs. I have four to finish, so we can get the bids out by Tuesday, and I’m far too behind on them. I’ll be in my office.”

He almost expected her to follow him. He’d certainly given her food for thought, and he was learning she wasn’t one to bite her tongue. She had an opinion on the matter, and he fully expected her to share it with him when she chose to. But she left him alone, and he spent hours in his office working. He hated it, but he was at least productive, and he didn’t emerge until that evening when he couldn’t ignore the delicious smell coming from his kitchen.

She was at the stove when he entered, and he wrapped his arms around her, peeking at the soup she was making over her shoulder. When he saw the wine bottle on the counter, he lifted it, studying the label for a moment. She either had impeccable taste or she had no idea at all what she’d pulled out.

“What’s the occasion?”

“No occasion. Just thought red would go well.” She took a drink of the wine as he watched.

“That’s a fifteen hundred dollar Ausone Bordeaux.” The wine suddenly shot out of her mouth as she choked at the sticker shock. It went spraying onto the counter in front of her, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Shit.” She seemed to be in shock as she stared wide eyed at the counter. “I just spit fifteen hundred dollar wine on the counter. Fuck.” She rarely used that word, but it most definitely seemed appropriate given her slack mouth and rapidly blinking eyes.

“I should make you lick it up.” He leaned to her ear. “Not only appropriate, but it’s making me hard just thinking about watching your tongue.” He kept his voice low and quiet. He’d much rather she let go of the shock and follow him into fuckville. He didn’t give a shit about the fifteen hundred dollar bottle of wine.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize—I just thought it looked…you know…red…”

“Now you
have
to agree to move in. A bottle like that is only really appropriate for life’s more important moments.”

“Don’t ask me to answer that question right now. I’m having a hard enough time not fainting. Fuck. Eli—”

“Just be glad it’s not the 2005.” He chuckled as he took her glass, tasting it himself. “Now, what did you fix us for dinner?”

“I forget.” She was still in shock.

“Relax.” He nibbled along the side of her neck as she tilted her head. When he reached her ear, he nipped the lobe. “You’re going to work off the money we’re drinking later.”

And she did. A few times that night and the next morning. They slept late—he’d woken her often after all, and once they’d relaxed in the bath and downed enough coffee to keep them conscious until the next time he thought about her naked and his body came alive again, he shut himself in his office again for many more hours of work.

He’d never struggled to keep up on work so much in his life, and it was because all he really wanted to do was be with her. But he managed to complete two designs that had been contracted, rough out two more that he was bidding on, and then start on a fifth rough sketch that wasn’t actually due until after the first of the year.

When they entered the workshop Monday morning, he didn’t bother letting go of her hand, and when she started to loosen her grip and pull away, he clamped down on her hand tight, stopping her. He didn’t give a shit that Jake’s attention was on them as he stood at the band saw, and he knew Mike wouldn’t be offended. Aaron was busy going through the scraps, and he barely glanced up at them.

“Tomorrow’s it, guys, Wednesday at the latest, depending on our workload. Then closed until after the first of the year. I’ll be back down in thirty so we can talk about where everyone’s at with their projects and get a plan together on how we’re going to deal with losing Chris.” He pulled Brynn upstairs with him, as Jake’s resentful glare followed them.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“M
om, this is Brynn. Brynn, my mom, Donna.” Eli’s hand was on the back of Brynn’s neck, gently resting there, and Brynn was so glad it was. His palm felt warm and secure against her skin, and he watched her calmly as she reached her hand out to shake his mother’s.

“Brynn, what a pleasure. You are just lovely.” She gripped Brynn’s hand for a moment before pulling her into a tight hug. The air was practically squeezed out of her lungs as Donna held her.

“Mom, please don’t be weird.” Eli said it with a wry smile, and his mom hit him on the arm as she finally pulled back. “This is my dad, Tom.”

“Look like your father, you know that? Nicer to look at, though, but don’t tell him I said so. He actually still thinks he’s good looking. I keep telling him he’s uglier than snot, but…well, you know him. Stubborn old coot.”

Eli’s father winked at her, and she started laughing. She’d heard her father was something of a looker back in the day—at least that’s what her mother had said, but he was no spring chicken at this point. Tom shook her hand and clapped his other on Eli’s shoulder.

“Really good to meet you, Brynn.”

She couldn’t help but wonder just what he really thought of her. He had been the one on the phone with Eli a few weeks before, very obviously telling Eli they had no business being together, but he was showing none of that now. If she were to believe Eli, he’d done it for her sake, but then, Eli didn’t always hold himself in such high regard. She found it hard to believe his own father was acting on anyone’s behalf but Eli’s.

They seemed completely normal, nice, gracious, everything they were supposed to be. Whatever skeletons were in Eli’s closet, she couldn’t imagine them coming from either of these two. They were entirely too decent. She busied herself in the kitchen with Eli’s mom. Donna had brought another homemade lasagna, and Brynn was actually looking forward to getting to enjoy it this time. Their dinner went into the oven as Brynn made a salad and tossed it with vinaigrette, and once that was done, she headed to the wine cellar. She wouldn’t be decorking anything without permission anymore, but she could at least pick something out.

She let her fingers run over the exposed necks of the bottles, admiring the collection. She didn’t need to know anything about it to see it was something of a passion for Eli. When he walked in on her, she jumped.

“Not sure I trust you in here anymore.” His smile was taunting, and she laughed.

“How about this one?” She held up the bottle for him to see, and his eyebrows rose in appreciation.

“It won’t bankrupt me. And it’s a good choice. You better grab the one right beside it too.”

“Are we getting drunk with your parents tonight?”

He chuckled as he took the bottles from her hands, and as he turned to head back out he spoke. “You have visitors here.”

Sam hadn’t been sure if he’d be able to make it, and she was smiling ear to ear, knowing he must have. At least she’d have someone here who knew her and loved her beside Eli. She wasn’t sure why she felt like she needed a team in her corner too, but she did. His parent’s might be fabulous, and they certainly seemed it, but there was nothing that would give her more confidence than having someone there for her too.

She walked back out toward the kitchen and living room, and then she paused for a second. Hadn’t he said visitors? She was sure he had, but she was also sure Sam wasn’t dating anyone, and then she heard it—one of her most favorite voices in all the world.

“…miss her terribly, and I just can’t wait to see my girl…”

Brynn couldn’t stop the shriek that erupted from her throat. As she ran, she started crying. She slipped around Eli as he set the bottles on the kitchen counter, and then she was dashing into the foyer and straight into her mother’s arms. She was sobbing, not even able to speak, and her mother was too, wrapping her arms tightly around her.

Brynn knew Eli’s parents were standing there, greeting Sam and her mom, but her eyes were closed so tight, clutching her mother in her arms and crying like a child. She was incapable of worrying just how crazy she must look.

“Oh, Brynn. My sweet little girl.” Her mother was trying to talk through her tears and through Brynn’s hair as she held onto her.

It wasn’t until her mom pulled her back and cupped her cheeks in her hands that Brynn finally started getting her sobs under control.

“Well, for heaven’s sake, let me look at you.” Her mother smiled, and it was the most recognizable thing Brynn had ever seen. She knew that smile from a lifetime of seeing it.

When Brynn sniffed her nose and started wiping her tears away, she finally looked around. Donna had tears in her eyes as she watched them, and when Brynn glanced to Eli, his nose and mouth were twitching as he sniffed his nose and quickly wiped a tear from his eye. Donna didn’t miss it, and it was then that her own tears fell. Tom wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and she smiled through her tears at him.

“Umm…” Eli cleared his throat as he looked at his parents. “Could you show Brianna and Sam to the two guest rooms at the end of the hallway?” They nodded, and as Tom and Donna walked from the foyer with her mom and Sam, Eli studied Brynn for a moment. His chest rose and fell, and then he walked to her, pulling her up into his arms. “God, I love you so much.” He spoke against her ear, and she started crying all over again.

“Thank you.” She pulled back, clutching his cheeks.

“Can’t take the credit. It was just my idea. Had to get Sam’s approval of course, and he orchestrated Operation Brianna to get her safely and secretly here. He was worried your husband might be watching her, but he apparently decided the risk was low enough to chance it.” He smiled. His eyes were still glossy, and that alone warmed her heart more than she could explain.

“Well, thanks for having such a great idea.”

“Merry Christmas, Brynn.”

“Merry Christmas.”

The voices that had trailed away were once again getting closer to them. The women were chattering like old friends already, and Brynn wasn’t surprised. Her mother was personable to just about anyone, and from what she could tell, Donna was too. The men of course already went way back, so conversation between them was easy too, and as they all sat at the dinner table, she was likely the quietest one, or perhaps Eli. He was far too busy watching her to make small talk. Eli’s father was sitting at the head of the table with Sam at the other end. The mothers were across from each other by Tom, and she and Eli were across from one another next to Sam.

There was a ridiculous amount of laughter, an even more ridiculous amount of wine, and after Eli came back with a fourth bottle, he handed it to his father, who admired the label.

“Nice.”

“Thought you’d like that. Ask Brynn what we drank the other night.” He rounded the table, sitting back down and letting his father uncork whatever the hell kind of wine he’d grabbed.

When she glanced at Tom, he was cocking his head at her in question as he worked on the bottle. “So, tell me, dear Brynn, about this fabulous bottle you had?”

She wasn’t entirely sure the man wasn’t mildly drunk. But she was in too good a mood not to enjoy this. “I don’t know.” She spoke pointedly. “But it was red, and it was delicious.” She smiled, and Eli chuckled as he stretched his leg out and let his calf trail along hers.

His father’s eyes found Eli next, utter intrigue written all over his face. “Try my Ausone Bordeaux.” Eli’s eyebrows shot up in amusement.

“God, not the Magnum?”

“No, not even the 2005. Just the 2006. Still…”

“Oh, you boys and your wine.” Donna lifted her glass to her lips as she spoke.

“You’re one to talk, dear. You cost me five thousand dollars once.”

“I was thirsty.” She said it with a bobble of her head, and then she shrugged her shoulders, smiling as she did.

Tom chuckled and shook his head. He seemed to adore her, and Brynn was in heaven at the moment just watching everyone.

They cleared the table quickly, and when their parents moved into the living room, she was left standing across from Eli. He smiled at her, waltzing casually over to her, scooping her up, and settling her on the counter in front of him. She didn’t intend to sour the mood, but half a second later, she managed to.

“I think I should sleep in one of the spare rooms.” She almost cringed when she saw the cool glare he fixed on her. He was being too calm and controlled. He was most definitely able to get angry and be a jerk, but he also pulled off the controlled dick move with perfection too.

“I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t have an extra room for you.” He continued to study her with his be-careful-where-you’re-going-with-this expression. It was two parts intimidating and one part sexy as hell to be caught in the line of those searing dark eyes.

“Yes, you do. You have five bedrooms and an office. Your parents are in one, my mom another, and Sam a third. And that leaves a room still open for me.” She could hear their parents chatting up a storm in the other room, so she set her incredulous tone free to be a bit louder than she likely should be.

“Yes, well, your side of the family is already taking more than their fair share.” He turned from her dismissively, starting the dishwasher and ignoring her.

“Eli! That’s ridiculous.” She hopped down from the counter and marched over to him. She had her hands on her hip, but he didn’t turn back to her until he was ready.

“
You’re
ridiculous.” He glared down at her. “You know, I’m really trying not to get upset about this, Brynn. Don’t push me.”

“Get upset! At least then you’ll confront this logically and stop spewing bullshit.”

His nostrils flared as he studied her for a moment before responding. “Fine. You want to understand my logic?”

She gave him her best
no duh
face.

“There isn’t a single person in this house who doesn’t know you and I are sleeping together. Furthermore, every single one of them knows I love you. Lastly, I don’t owe them an explanation, or an apology for that matter, for any of it. Do you think we’re doing something wrong?”

“Of course not.”

“Then stop acting like it. If you want to sleep in a spare room, go ahead, but be warned, it will piss me the fuck off.”

She shook her head at him in frustration before spinning and marching away and right into her mother who was rounding the corner from the living room.

“Oh, Brynn. Sheesh! In a hurry?”

“No…no, just…it’s nothing.”

“Well, then, come have a talk with me.” Her mother linked their arms and pulled her down the hallway toward the bedrooms.

Brynn glanced back to see Eli still watching her wearily. Brynn curled up at the head of the bed once they’d entered her mother’s room, and her mother set her bag on the bed. She was riffling through it, and when she grabbed her cosmetic bag, she opened it quickly, pulling out her deodorant.

“Sorry. I’ve just been traveling entirely too long.”

Brynn smiled and said nothing. She was enjoying the very sight of her mother and not much could ruin that—not even Eli being impossible, or was
she
being impossible? Her mom closed her bag back up and flopped down on the bed with Brynn.

“So, Fiona, huh? Lovely name.”

“Fiona Apple was playing on the radio. It just grew on me.”

Her mother laughed as she rolled over onto her back, staring up at the vaulted ceiling above them and humming. “Beautiful place.”

The home was filled with these interesting details—angled ceilings that rose up to a wall of tall windows or even angled ceilings that met with an interior wall and a row of small square interior windows. She loved his home. This was her first time in this room, and she loved it as much as the rest. Could she really make a home with him here? She wanted to, there was no denying that, but could he really be ready for that?

She had little time to contemplate it before her mother rolled back over and studied her. “I’ve missed you so much, Brynn. I can’t tell you what it means to be able to spend time with you.” She didn’t have to say any more than that. It wasn’t as if Brynn didn’t know exactly how she felt. “This is more time than I’ve spent with your father since we were married.” She laughed.

“Can’t be that bad.”

“No. It’s not. We’re beyond our regrets and our failures. Worrying about you put my feelings about him into perspective. He loves you very much, regardless of how much of your life he missed. You shouldn’t ever question that.”

“I don’t.”

“Anyway, we had plenty of time to talk about you and your life here.” Her brows were raised in good natured challenge. “I like Eli. I like his parents too. They’re good people. There’s no question of that.”

And that’s when Brynn saw it—the
but
that sat behind her mom’s words. It was coming as sure as Brynn was sitting talking to her now, and she didn’t want to deal with it.

“But are you sure it’s the right time to be thinking about men?”

Brynn let out a deep sigh. She should have expected this. Who wouldn’t question such a thing under the circumstances? “I’m not thinking about men. I’m thinking about one man, and I happen to be in love with him.”

Her mom watched her seriously for a moment without speaking, but her mom was no better at holding her tongue than Brynn was. “You spent a number of years in an abusive marriage—a marriage you only just escaped a few months ago. I just wonder if you don’t need time to heal. You went through so much, and from what I understand, he’s been through a lot in his life too. I just…I don’t want to see you rush into anything. He rescued you when you needed rescuing, he gave you a home when you needed one, and he’s the first man who’s treated you with the respect you deserve. It would be hard for any woman not to fall for that in your position.”

She wasn’t trying to be cruel, but God, she sure was.

“Please don’t try to make me question my feelings for him. That’s not fair. I made a mistake marrying Lars. I didn’t know who he was, and by the time I figured it out, it was too late. I didn’t stay with him because I lacked self-esteem and needed to somehow be defined by a man. I stayed because I didn’t have a choice.”

She shook her head in frustration. Her mother looked guilty for even speaking, and her reaction made Brynn feel guilty. It shouldn’t, but it did.

“I know. I didn’t mean—”

“Then, please stop.” Her voice was as pleading as her words. “Why can’t you just be happy for me?”

Brynn’s eyes were filling with tears. Her mother’s support would have really been a nice thing to have, and to this point, she’d thought she had it. To say she was disappointed was an understatement. “I’m not broken. I’m not being emotionally swindled by him. He loves me.”

Brianna looked at Brynn as her eyes teared as well, and then she nodded. “I’m sorry. I just…I’ve just spent so long worrying—God, I’m still worrying, and I just want you to be okay.” Her voice was broken. “I feel like I let you down.” There was no controlling her emotion then, and she started to cry as she reached for Brynn’s hand. “I should have seen it, should have known what was happening, stepped in before it was too late. The things that man did, that he allowed to be done to you, I just want to kill him, and I just can’t stop worrying.” She tried to smile, but it fell as quickly as her tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I’m okay.” She couldn’t manage her crying any better than her mother could, and Brianna nodded as Brynn tried to reassure her.

“You are. You’re going to be just fine. And I’m sorry I said…I shouldn’t have. You’ve had to be so much stronger than I ever have, and I trust your heart, your mind, your soul. That strength won’t let you falter easily.” Brianna stood then, shaking off her tears and pacing for a moment as she cleared her head and wiped her eyes. When she looked back to Brynn, she laughed a nervous laugh, maybe guilty, and Brynn smiled. “He really is a good man. Sam’s said as much, hell, Sam’s said far more. Can’t seem to stop singing his praises. Said he can be difficult too, but that he wasn’t worried about that anymore with you two.”