A Borrowed Life (Carly and Liam #1) (11 page)

I close my eyes and let the sensations take over me while my body slowly goes numb. I'm breathless. He’s so deep inside of me and my back arches in response. His lips suck my nipple and his tongue gently circles it. I moan and wave my hips to meet him. I hear a sigh rumble in his chest.

“You're so beautiful!” he exclaims in a breath. “And so soft!”

Water splashes our bodies with slight waves. He thrusts in and out as he stares me straight in the eyes. His look is so passionate and so… tender; it’s almost loving! But I must be mistaking my dreams for reality.

His hand slips between my thighs to stimulate my clitoris. My fingers claw into his shoulders, my nails sinking into his skin. His body immediately stiffens and a masculine cry rumbles through his teeth. His hips come alive with a new energy as he accelerates his thrusts.

The muscles in my stomach throb, and I let out short moans, trying to satisfy my deep urge to scream. Liam breathes just as loudly as I do. His thighs tremble as I bury my face in his neck and wrap my legs around his, my pelvis continuously undulating toward him. A nerve on his neck twitches under my lips and I kiss it, leaving a trail with my tongue. He accelerates his pace even more and I hold him tightly, shouting against his wet skin when all at once I explode.

Liam's hand grabs the back of my head as he comes with me. He presses a kiss against my temple and our bodies limply fall back in the water. Liam kisses me tenderly while his hand caresses my arm and my waist, and then he wraps it around the side of my face. We stay there for a moment completely naked, watching the sky move above our eyes.

“I’ve never had a girlfriend,” he announces to me unexpectedly.

“What?”

Where is this confession coming from? And never having a girlfriend… What? I don't believe a word of it! It's simply impossible and I'm speechless. Wait a second… Is this his way of telling me that's what I am to him? I hadn’t even considered that this is what he wanted me to be. He doesn’t even know who I am; he thinks I'm rich and famous. He probably would expect to see me arrive at his place in a convertible BMW, dressed impeccably after a day of work in a respectable and promising career, not see me finish my shift with my hair completely disheveled and my uniform stained with barbecue sauce. Not to mention taking the bus to my small apartment I share with a roommate.

“I… I'm not sure I…”

“I want to see you again!” he insists. “It will be new for me, that's for sure, but…”

He runs a hand through his hair, blowing out the breath he was holding.

“I want to try it. With you,” he adds.

I look down, pinching my thumb nervously.

“It wont' be possible.”

I didn't want to say that, but I’m doing the right thing. I move away from his arms, needing the distance to keep myself convinced I’m doing the right thing, and I get out of the pool. Liam lunges out of the water and makes me spin around as he grabs and kisses me.

“I won't let you go that easily! I found you, and I want to keep you.”

I let out a laugh, but don't have the time to add anything before he pushes me on a beach chair. My legs fall on the sides and Liam leans over me, staring at me with a sensual look as he moves towards my crotch.

“Let me at least try to convince you,” he adds.

He bends down and gently kisses my sensitive part. I sigh surrendering to him. My head falls back against the cushion and my fingers slide into his hair. His tongue traces large circles, gradually shrinking around my clit and subjecting it to a whirlwind of intense sensations.

He gently sucks it before pushing his tongue inside me, and I feel the tension building up once more. My back lifts off the chair and my legs part as far as they can. I try to hold back, but Liam doesn't give me any chances. He moans against me, moving his mouth from side to side, as if he enjoys it as much as I do. A warm liquid flows from my body and he licks it all, increasing the deep sensations. He lays gentle kisses on me, letting me slowly come back to earth.

He straightens up while I lay there unable to move, trying to catch my breath. His hand slides on my stomach and my breast, up to my throat and stops at my head that sinks into his palm. He helps me sit up and I kiss him, not caring about the saline taste I left on his lips.

I stretch to pick up my dress on the ground. As soon as I stand up, I stagger; my crotch became very sensitive after those two intense orgasms. We put our clothes on and Liam lifts me in his arms to carry me back to my room. I burst out laughing and snuggle against him, feeling his heart beat against my ear.

I feel like crying when I walk into my apartment.

“Carly? Is that you?”

I sniff and smile when I hear Sean's voice coming from the living room.

“It's me. I'm back.”

He jumps up and runs to meet me, hugging me too tightly in his arms. I can no longer breath and I drop my bags on the floor.

“You're suffocating me!” I gasp.

“Sorry!”

He steps back and holds me at arm's length. It seems his long brown hair hasn’t been washed for some time now, and he's probably wearing the same navy shirt he wore yesterday and the day before.

“Whoa!” he exclaims. “You're glowing, and so tan! You'll make everyone around here jealous.”

“And you… Are you growing a beard?” I joke.

“Oh! Well no, not really. It just wasn't the same without you.”

“Did you miss me?”

“Whatever! Did you have a nice trip?”

“Magical!”

“Did you have sex, as I advised you?”

“Sean!”

“Hey, we all agreed it would be good for you.”

“Just for that, I’m not telling you a thing!”

I lock myself in my room with my bags, letting him wait. He doesn't say a word and I roll my eyes knowing he's on the other side of the door counting down the seconds before I crack and come out of my room to give him all the details. Sean and I have been friends for a long time and he knows me better than anyone. I’m at nine seconds, then ten… I open the door with a timid expression and find Sean standing right in front of me with a wide, satisfied smile.

Just like our normal routine, we spend the whole evening talking and let a movie play on television without even watching it. We weren’t planning on just listening to it, we just have so much to catch up on!

“Did you meet someone?” he asks.

I look up to heaven for my answer, and my body squirms at the memory of Liam against me. It will forever remain the most beautiful memory of my life.

“That impressive, huh? Details…”

“Why is it that everyone thinks I'm just going to reveal everything, just like that?” I say, snapping my fingers.

“Because it’s intriguing!”

“Forget it!”

“Okay, was he nice to you at least?”

“He was a real gentleman.”

“Was he good-looking?” he asks, picking up a potato chip into the bowl.

“That’s a rather weak way to describe him.”

“Oh!”

I roll my eyes laughing.

“I'll never forget him,” I add as I look down.

I sigh. I know it's true; I will never forget him. Never will a man measure up to him, and I know I’ll never feel a fraction of what I felt for him. I'm beginning to think I was stupid to let him go. He wanted to see me again, but he didn’t know me. If he had known everything about me, would he have still wanted to see me?

“You aren’t going to see him again?”

“No. My life needs to get back to normal!”

I turn to the TV to focus on the film, not wanting to think about Liam. Sean immediately understands the message and does the same.

I twist my arms around my lower back to tie my pocket containing my change, my note pad, my pen and my corkscrew. I tie up my hair in a ponytail and look up at my reflection in the mirror in the staff room, getting a dose of reality. I sigh; the dream is over and I'm back to real life.

“Kill me now!” complains Liv, crumbling onto my shoulders.

“I know!”

“How about you kill me first, and then it's my turn.”

“Don't joke around about that.”

“I have another solution… alcohol.”

“We're going to get fired!”

“So?”

“Very funny! Just hang in there, it will get better.”

“Yeah. In the meantime, know that I hold you personally responsible for what's happening to me.”

“I love you too!”

I leave her alone in front of the mirror while I get ready for my shift. I don’t want to be late, otherwise Mr. Boyle will undoubtedly make me pay for it all evening, and it’s already going to be a long night. Friday nights are the worst; customers are tired, tense and irritable from their long work week, and they want to have fun and think we owe it to them.

I go to the hostess stand and check the section assigned to me tonight.

“What the hell is this?” I protest.

“You have section seven.”

“Four small tables and not even a booth! Is this a joke?”

“No, Cayden assigned you to this one.”

“I have three years’ experience here! These sections are reserved for new employees. I have a rent to pay!”

“There's nothing I can do, sorry.”

I exhale loudly and turn around to see my boss coming out of his office, heading to the same spot he always does when choosing his victim for the evening. I don't know where I find this sudden courage, but I advance toward him with determination.

“Cayden! Section seven! Really?”

“You should have known, Carly. You left for two and a half weeks and others have taken your place. I can't just demote them.”

“Well, yes! That's exactly what you should do!”

“Cayden, you're kidding me!” exclaims Liv arriving behind me, resting her elbow on my shoulder.

“Listen girls, that's how it works, deal with it. Finish your shift and if all goes well, I can maybe give you a better section tomorrow.”

“There is never anyone at those tables. We’ll spend the evening cleaning the other sections and bringing their plates to their tables because they will be too overwhelmed with clients. And while they get all the tips, we won't make a dime!” Liv argues fiercely.

“Well, apparently money is not a problem for you since you can afford two weeks off.”

“This is purely revenge!”

“If you don't like it, quit.”

He leaves and I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. I turn to Liv.

“You know we are his targets tonight.”

“Don't worry! I'm furious enough to deal with it.”

I let my head fall backward and I anticipate the worst night of my life. I press my hands on my hips, letting out a loud breath. Mr. Boyle is angry with us; he's making us pay for taking our vacation and threatening to quit. I'll have to get use to it, though. His wrath will last for a few days, and I can't resig
n
I
really
need the money.

I get to work. Quickly, the seats fill, then empty, and fill again. All the customers ask for the other sections because no one wants to sit at a small table with uncomfortable wooden chairs. Throughout the evening, the guests migrate into the bar on the other side of the restaurant. I take chicken wings, nachos, and beer pitchers to the tables occupied by men listening to the football game.

“Hey, sweetie!” I hear a man call at me.

Ugh! I hate when it starts this way! It's always a bad sign.

“Can I help you?”

His large, round and fat face leans to the side as he studies my curves and I feel like throwing up. It's this kind of client that has the ability to make you feel completely naked.

“A pitcher of beer, a dozen chicken wings, and can you join me, love?”

“Um, sorry, that won't be possible.”

“Come on! Just sit with me, your boss must give you a nice discount?”

My smile is frozen on my face and I do my best to keep it there. The worst is that this order will go on another waitress's bill and she will get the tip. Why am I smiling?

That's when my eyes land on my manager who is watching me carefully and waiting for the slightest mishap to take place. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I take a deep breath and muster up all the patience I'm capable of.

“So a pitcher of beer and twelve wings. I'll bring that out to you right away. And as for the invitation, I'm sure it will appeal to another woman who is single.”

“Oh, you have a boyfriend. He's lucky.”

I don't answer, hoping that Cayden didn’t hear. It's policy here to let customers believe we are single. They are also more generous tippers if they think they have a chance with us and if they can flirt freely.

I head to the kitchen to put in the order.

“Carly!” Cayden barks.

I turn to the boss who storms toward me. What have I done this time?

“Go home”

“What?”

“If you didn't come to actually work, then you have nothing to do here. I think you're still on vacation in your mind, so you should just come back tomorrow.”

“Wow! I have no idea what you're talking about, I haven't stopped for a minute and I’ve helped everyone tonight.”

“Yeah, and meanwhile, you had customers at a table in your section that weren’t greeted. You had one minute, but it's too late now. I gave it to another waitress.”

“What! This is unfair!”

“Too bad. I no longer need you tonight, anyway. Have a nice evening.”

He turns on his heels and leaves. Shit! It's this kind of evening where I get a serious urge to throw anything and everything. I go down to the basement to close out my shift and clock out. It won't be difficult, as I've only had two customers, and made a whopping nine dollars in tips.

I sit at a table and bury my head in my arms. I want to cry. I flash back to being on the ship with Liam, without a worry in the world, in the tropics and far away from everything. I remember how he had the ability to make me feel like a queen, and that none this crap would happen to me as long as I was with him; nothing would be able to touch me. I doubt  anyone acted like this with Liam Walke
r
one of the richest men in the country.

Suddenly, a huge
CLAP
bangs on the table next to me and I jump. Looking up, I come face to face with his beautiful smile, and his penetrating eyes just brimming with confidence; Liam. He's on the cover of the magazine that seemed to just fall from the sky.

“Boyle is a fucking bastard!” Liv grumbles, sitting next to me.

“He pulled the same shit with you, too?”

“And he claims it isn’t personal, ha!”

“And you're rubbing salt in the wound why, exactly?” I ask, pointing at the magazine.

“There’s an article in there you might be interested in.”

“I really don't want to know how his world is perfect again and how he's doing just fine without me. I don't want to think about him right now. I can't,” I end in a whisper.

Liv then runs her hand through my hair.

“Darling, are you hurting?”

I nod. It's useless to pretend that I don't miss him. I miss him terribly and I need the support of a friend.

“Oh!” she sympathizes, squeezing me in her arms. “I'm so sorry, Carly!”

“I'll be fine. Eventually.”

We stay there for a while and I stare at his picture on the front page. He's so beautiful! I had almost succeeded in convincing myself he wasn't
that
perfect, but I realize he's simply divine.

“Alright, since you don't want to read it, I will,” Liv says, seizing the magazine.

She moves away while I try to pull it out from her hands and gets up, clearing her throat.

“Liam Walker, famous multimillionaire, handsome as a god, and the most popular bachelor. This man has everything going for him, but who will manage to put her hands on his heart, you wonder? Who will be the very special woman to warm his heart of stone? Well, it seems that a gem has managed to do just that. Who is this mysterious woman? All we know for now is that they met aboard a cruise destined for Bora Bora. Nobody knows who she is, but she kept his attention the whole trip, which is quite an accomplishment! Our sources say he is not the same since his return, and there has been no sign of the mysterious brunette. The fragrance of love is in the air!”

Liv interrupts her reading, seeming to reflect.

“Hmm, I wonder how much they would pay to know the identity of this woman?”