Back to Life (10 page)

I
stood up and stretched. Surprisingly, considering the dream I had about her
last night, I wasn’t sporting wood this morning. “You cooked for me?” I said,
as I walked over to her.

“Well,
how could I not? You were so sweet to take care of me last night, so I just
wanted to do something nice for you this morning. Is that okay?” she asked,
looking a little nervous. “I mean, I didn’t mean to invade your space or
anything.”

I
smiled reassuringly at her. “You can invade my space like this anytime,” I
said, and she relaxed. “You look hot in my shirt, by the way. Did you sleep
okay?”

She
furrowed her eyebrows together. “Actually, yes,” she replied before turning
back to the skillet on the stove.

I
moved beside her and leaned against the counter. “Is that a bad thing?”

She
shook her head, making her hair flow around her shoulders. “No, not bad, just surprising.
I woke up feeling calm and rested, which for me is a big deal.”

“That’s
good. I want you to feel calm around me,” I said, and I turned to get two mugs
from the cabinet.

She
turned off the stove and picked up the skillet. She walked over to the
breakfast bar and scooped the whatever she was cooking in the skillet onto two
plates. It was some kind of scrambled egg concoction and it smelled heavenly.
“You do?”

I
poured coffee into both mugs and turned around to walk to her. “Of course I do.
I told you last night, Rory. I like you.” She put the skillet in the sink and
grabbed a plate that had bacon and toast on it, bringing it over and setting it
down. She sat down on a stool and picked up a fork. She looked down at her food
for a second before taking a bite. “Rory, what is it?” I asked, scooping a bite
of food into my mouth. The taste of eggs, cheese, tomatoes, green peppers, and
mushrooms filled my mouth. Oh my God…this girl can cook some eggs.

She
looked into my eyes. “I guess I just don’t understand why. Why are you so into
me, Liam? Is it because of the way I look, with the tattoos and piercings? Is
it because your mom wants us to be together? Is it because I’m all scary and
damaged and you feel like you want to fix me? I mean, what is it? Because I
honestly don’t see what you see in me,” she blurted out. Her cheeks were pink
and her eyes looked the color of molten gold around the irises.

I
stared at her and was completely dumbfounded. “Are you seriously asking me
this? Rory, you are single handedly the most fascinating woman I have ever
known. You are completely bad ass and can handle yourself against anyone, but
you also have this softer side that almost makes you stronger, if that makes
sense. Yes, the tattoos and piercings are beyond hot, but that’s just an added
bonus.

“The
thing about my mother…we both know that she’s been trying and failing for three
years to get us together. We met on our own, and I am glad that we did. I will not
let either of my parents try and dictate my life ever again. I am and always
have been my own man, Rory. I don’t know how much my mother has told you about
my family but the last person that tried to tell me how to live my life got
knocked the fuck out and I haven’t spoken to him in ten years.

“And,
lastly, I don’t think you are scary and damaged. I think to survive what you
have been through makes you the toughest woman I know. What happened to you is
truly sad, but to witness it firsthand is horrifying. I don’t know, I guess
what I am getting at is…” I trailed off, suddenly getting nervous.

I
hadn’t realized during my speech that she had grabbed my hand. “What is it?
Liam?” she whispered, her eyes wide.

“I
don’t just like you. I can see myself falling for you. Hard,” I admitted. I
looked into her eyes, and they were wide with fear. “Oh, no. Great, I have
officially fucking scared you off, haven’t I?”
Shit!

She
shook her head. “No you haven’t…but I am scared.” My heart sank. “I’m not going
to run away, Liam. If anything, you’ll run from me in the end.”

“What?
How could you even think that?”

Her
face went white as a sheet. She looked like she was internally struggling with
something. Finally, she sighed and stabbed her eggs with her fork. “Because
there is more to the story after Mason died that I didn’t tell you. And,
honestly, I don’t want to tell you because I am scared that you will think I’m
damaged and unlovable if I do,” she said, her voice trailing off.

I
scooted off my stool and walked to her. I lifted her face with my fingers,
forcing her to look into my eyes. “Then don’t tell me, Rory, because I don’t
care. Believe it or not, I’m not in ‘cop mode’ all the time. I’m not one of
those guys that’s hell bent on finding out everything about a woman’s past. If
you want to tell me, then I’m here and I will listen. If you don’t, then that’s
okay too. I want to know you inside and out Rory, but if you aren’t ready for
that then I will understand. I will take any part of you I can. You can decide
on your own if you are willing to let me all the way in. I would love that, but
I’m not going to push it. I just want you, Rory, any way I can have you.”

A
single, fat tear slid down her cheek. “Where did you come from, Liam?” she
whispered, her lips trembling.

I
wiped her tear away with my hand. Before I could make a move, she made one
first and jumped off the stool. She pulled my face to hers and kissed me hard,
instantly sliding her tongue into my mouth. Her tongue ring clicked against my
teeth while her lip rings bit into my skin, and I felt myself getting painfully
hard again. I knew if I didn’t stop this kiss now just as it was beginning I
wouldn’t be able to make my hard on go away, and I didn’t want her to feel
pressured. The last thing I wanted to do was push her away. I was about to pull
away from her when I felt her hand slide down and rub my dick through my
pajamas. She let out a soft moan as she ran her hand along the length that she
could feel, and I was surprised I didn’t come right then. I pulled her close
with both hands and picked her up, setting her on the breakfast bar. I rested
my torso between her legs, and pulled her hair back from her neck and began to
lightly nibble and suck below her ear. She had one hand on my shoulder and the
other one in my hair, gently pulling it in pleasure. I moved my free hand up
her toned leg and around to her bare bottom, feeling what was exposed outside
her tiny panties. I was so tempted to slide my fingers past the string of her thong
and feel around her dampness, but I didn’t want to push too far. It was as if
she could read my mind, because she panted, “Touch me, Liam, please.” I wanted
to see her face as I did what she asked, but before I could, my cell phone
rang. I was going to ignore it, but it was my mother’s ringtone. I knew that
she would keep calling or, worse, show up here, and it was too early in the
morning for her know about Rory and me yet. I groaned, and looked at Rory, my
face full of apology. “It’s okay,” she breathed.

“I’ll
be two seconds, I promise. It’s my mom. Let me get rid of her.” I walked to my
phone and picked it up. “Hey mom,” I said.

“Hello,
darling. How are you? I hope I didn’t wake you,” she said.

I
looked at Rory, who was all hot and flushed. “Oh no, it’s okay. I was up,” I
said, winking at her. Rory’s eyes roamed down to my hard on and she put her
hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter. “What’s going on?”

“Well,
I am actually calling you for a rather big favor.”

“Okay.
What is it?”

“Well,
it involves your father.”

And
now I was officially flaccid.“No way, mom. As much as I love you, I am not
doing anything that involves him.”

“Liam
Grayson Tanner, I am your mother and you are going to at least hear me out. You
know that my birthday is today, and all I want is to go to a nice dinner with
my family. My whole family,” she said. Shit…I totally forgot my mother’s
birthday was today. I had been too busy obsessing over Rory to remember. Now I
really
felt guilty, and I knew I would have to suffer through this dinner with my
father that I haven’t seen in a decade for her.

“Mom…”

“Liam,
I don’t ask you for much. Please do this for me.”

I
sighed in defeat.
Damn it!
“All right. I’ll come. Where do you want to
meet?”

“Can
you come to Noir et Blanc at eight?”

“Sure.
That’s fine. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Tonight.
I can’t wait! Thank you, Liam,” she said.

“Sure
thing. Goodbye,” I grumbled, and hung up the phone. “Shit!” I cursed aloud,
setting the phone down a little rougher than I had intended.

Startled,
Rory said, “Liam, what’s wrong?”

“I
totally forgot it was my mom’s birthday today.”

She
hopped off the breakfast bar and walked over to me. “And, you’re upset that you
forgot to get her a present?” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

“No.
I just got guilt tripped into going to dinner with her and my father.”

She
wrapped her arms around my waist. “Oh no, Liam. I’m so sorry. Are you going to
be okay?”

I
kissed the top of her head. “Probably not.”

“I
know how you feel. I don’t even talk to my parents anymore,” she admitted.
Before I could ask her to elaborate, she looked up into my eyes as she ran her hand
along the bottom of my shirt.

Suddenly,
I had a thought. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get through this without someone
there to help me through it. “Come with me tonight?”

Rory

“What?
Are you serious?” I asked him. We weren’t even technically dating yet. We’d
only kissed two times and made out once, and he already wanted me to meet his
father?

“Rory,
I can’t get through this alone. If you aren’t there to keep me calm, I know
I’ll end up knocking him out. Please?” he said.

“But
your mother…she’ll find out about us for sure if we show up together. Are you
sure you’re ready for that?”

“I
don’t care if she knows about us, Rory. I am happy that I met you, and my
mother happens to love you. That’s just a bonus. But, I can’t force you. If you
don’t want to, I’ll understand,” he said.

I
didn’t want our first night out together to be at a stuffy ass dinner with his
parents, but somewhere deep inside me I was touched that he wanted me there. I
felt happy knowing that I was the one he thought of to keep him calm. And, we’d
had such a great night last night and he’d taken such good care of me…it was
the least I could do. “Okay.”

“Really?
You’ll come with me?”

“Of
course I will.”

He
wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on top of my head. “Thank
you, Rory,” he said. “I owe you one.”

“You
do,” I teased. I ran my hand along his torso and was about to try and pull him
into a full on make out session when he stopped me.

He
smiled a crooked smile at me and took my hands in his. “Listen to me, Rory. I
want to take things slow with you. You haven’t been with anyone in a long time,
and I want it to be right. I don’t want us to just have sex. The first time we
are together, I want us to make love.”

His
words made shivers go down my spine and stopped me dead in my tracks. “Whoa.”

He
held onto one of my hands, lacing our fingers together. With the other hand, he
began to lightly trace a path up my arm and he stopped at my cheek. In my
peripheral vision I saw him start to get hard, and that turned me on
badly
.
I placed my hands on his waist, wanting to slide my fingers past the waistband
of his pants and feel his length in my hand. He must have known my intent from
the look on my face, because he took a hard swallow and stepped back, dropping
his hands at his sides. “Maybe I should get you home.”

I
ran my hands through my hair and took a step away from Liam. He was so damn
sexy that it was becoming increasingly difficult to be near him and not drop to
my knees and take him into my mouth.  The thought of pleasuring him was making
me wet, and I fanned myself with my hand to try and slow my racing blood. “What
time is it? That dinner isn’t until eight, right?”

“Um,
Rory, it’s after noon already.”

“Shit!
It is? Crap, I didn’t even check my phone!” I pulled back from him and ran to
find my clothes. Marissa and Brody must be freaking out wondering when I’ll be
home.

“Relax,
Rory. Just go get dressed and I’ll take you back to your apartment.”

“Okay.
Thanks, Liam,” I called out as I ran to the bathroom to get dressed. I was
anxious to get back anyway…I had to know what happened with Marissa and Brody.
I got dressed as fast as I could, and I walked back out, holding his tee shirt.
He was dressed in loose fitting jeans, a tight black tee shirt, and motorcycle
boots. He looked orgasmic. I held out his tee shirt to him. “Here you go,” I
offered, but he held up his hand.

“Keep
it,” he said.

“Why?”

“So
you can sleep in it again and think of me.”