Falling Into Place (28 page)

* * * *

Liz wanted that innocent boy to stay as far
away from his father as possible, but she knew it wasn’t going to
be that simple. He was stubborn as the rest of his family.

Christian stood up with fire in his eyes.
“Does he have any reason to know about me?”

“Doubtful, not the point though. Here is the
point. He’ll know you when he sees you. He will try to get you on
his side, try to convince you he can train you, or some shit. He’s
crafty, it sounds like a good thing, but you may as well sell your
soul to the damned devil.”

“I wouldn’t do a damned thing for the person
who tried to tear apart the two most important people in my
life.”

“Exactly,” she snarled. “And when he
realizes that, he’s going to hurt you, kill you, hell maim you,
whatever he thinks will do the most damage to us. You can’t fight
him like we can, so your ass is staying as far from him as we can
keep it. Got it?”

“No, that’s not fair. That doesn’t even give
me a chance.”

“Did you find some magic we don’t know
about? Are you going to be able to shield yourself? If so, speak
now.”

“No,” he muttered. “I just don’t want you
hurt anymore.”

“Oh, kid, I got news for you. I can take
anything he throws at me. I’ve been through more shit than you
could imagine, and I don’t share it with you because you don’t need
that in your life.”

“God, so that’s why you drink around this
time of year.”

Her eyes slammed shut. “Yeah. It keeps the
nightmares at bay. So, I’m sorry, Chris, but you don’t need to deal
with James.” She let out a bitter laugh. “I’ll warn you now, when
this is all over and done with, your mother hates me with a
passion.”

“Why?” Christian’s brow scrunched as he
shook his head.

Liz instantly felt like a bitch for putting
it like that. Looking up at the ceiling she tried to find a way to
explain.

Tremaine did it for her. “I found Liz in a
horrible situation when she was twelve. I took her to Robert’s
father because he was better equipped to handle a young girl. I
thought Emily and Liz would get along. I was wrong.”

Robert snapped. “James got in Emily’s head,
twisted the situation. He convinced our sister that Liz was there
to steal everything from Emily, our parent’s love, her things, her
friends. Liz never wanted any of that.”

Liz sighed. “Emily wanted to cast like I do.
She’s a healer, and better than any healer I know, but I always
learned spells faster than most, and Emily hated that. I would have
traded her powers any day. Healing is so much better than the
destruction I can cause. And when I lose control, it gets
ugly.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Christian muttered. “I
would have given anything to heal Delilah she was attacked.” He was
referring to the werewolf who attacked her, the one she killed.

Delilah took his hand. “I healed fast
enough. You were there for me. It was plenty.”

Christian smiled back at her. “My mother
sounds selfish, and ridiculous.”

“James didn’t help. He manipulated her.” Liz
shrugged. “I wanted to be her friend, but that didn’t work
out.”

Tremaine pushed his fingers through his
hair. “I may have made a bad decision. Wilhelm took care of her.
Robert was her friend. Mrs. Murdock also kept an eye on Liz, so it
never got too bad. I just wish I had realized what she went
through, but Liz never complains. She has always pushed through the
shit and dealt with it.”

Liz shrugged. “What else can I do? I can’t
roll over and die. I don’t have it in me. I keep going.”

“Why do you seem resigned, and not upset by
the way you were treated?” Christian threw up his hands.

“Yeah, good question. You never once stood
up for yourself, you just let it roll off. Why?” Robert’s eyes
narrowed at her.

“She’s your family, Robert. I get why she
was like that. It wasn’t right, but I don’t blame her. It had to be
hard to have another girl come in and take everyone’s attention
away from her.”

“I don’t understand. After everything she
did to you, all the hurtful things she said, and then bringing
James back, how can you forgive her?”

“How can you shut her out? She never hurt
you. She only wanted to keep her family together.”

“
You
are my family, more than she
ever was. She didn’t understand that pushing you away was the worst
thing she could ever have done for me. You, Liz, you are my whole
world.”

Her eyes narrowed. “And that’s why she hates
me.” Liz turned to Christian. “A lot of time has passed. I have a
feeling that if she meets you now, she’ll love you completely.
She’s always been very loyal to her family. She won’t let you down
again.” Liz started to back away.

Before she could get far, Robert was in
front of her with a pop, grabbing her arms to hold her in place. He
growled the words, “Christian’s not going to give you up. Not for
Emily, not when you’ve been there all along. She doesn’t get to
drive a wedge between you and anyone you care about anymore.”

She smiled sadly. “I don’t believe Christian
would listen if she tried. I’m hoping that after all this time
she’ll see the truth. She seems to have changed over the years. She
regrets bringing James back. She won’t make the same mistake. This
time, I’ll finish him.”

“With me,” Robert said.

Tremaine came up behind her. “Me too.”

Delilah spoke up then. “I think we’ve had
enough heavy conversation for the day. Are you all still coming to
the bar?”

Liz closed her eyes but nodded. Robert and
Tremaine answered in the affirmative.

Christian shook his head, his eyes wide.
“We’ll see ourselves out,” he said softly.

“I’ll walk you out.” Robert pulled away to
go with them.

Tremaine scooped Liz up, and sat back down
with her in his arms. “You okay?” he murmured.

She sat back and narrowed her eyes at him.
“Stop asking me that. Of course I’m not okay. I’m better than I was
last night, but there are still a few issues to work through,
obviously.”

“Tell me how to help. You know I will,” he
promised as he slid his hand under her shirt to trace her scars.
Her eyelids slid closed.

“Does that bother you?” he whispered in her
ear.

She shrugged. “Why do you do that? Go right
for them like that?”

“They made you stronger. They’re a part of
who you are.” His fingers played over those marks that he loved,
even if she hated them. He didn’t like how she got them, but that
she overcame everything and carried on. They were a testament to
her strength. “Don’t get me wrong, this is one seriously sexy
tattoo, and I’m looking forward to exploring it with my tongue when
I get you naked, but right now, I want to hold you, touch you, and
make sure you know that I love you.”

A smile finally pulled at her lips as she
shifted in his lap to straddle him. “Then no, it doesn’t bother
me.” She leaned in, brushing her lips over his before deepening the
kiss. His hands found their way to her hips.

Robert must have made his way back to the
room because he purred. “Mmm, I’m glad to see you’re feeling
better.”

She broke the kiss, putting her forehead to
Tremaine’s. “Much, thanks to both of you.”

Tremaine stood, and her legs locked around
his waist as his hands palmed her ass. “I’ve always loved looking
at this,” he squeezed gently and she moaned, “but it fits right
here in my hands. So perfect.” Walking back to the room he sucked
on her neck and she undulated, her heat grinding over his cock,
causing him to groan. “Hard to walk when you do that. I may have to
stop to fuck you up against the nearest surface if you don’t hold
still for a moment.”

“Mmm, I have no problem with that,” she
purred as he stepped through the door. He stood her on her feet and
Robert came up behind her, reaching around to open her jeans.
Tremaine wasted no time pulling her shirt over her head

Liz tsked, “Why am I the only one getting
naked?”

“I like you naked,” Tremaine knelt down to
take her shoes and jeans the rest of the way off.

“Yeah, well I like you both naked too,” she
murmured.

Tremaine reached down to pull his shirt over
his head with a grin.

She turned to start pulling at Robert’s
clothes.

“Now, I want to taste you, make sure you’re
good and wet for Tremaine.” Robert turned her and walked her back
to the bed as her hands moved down his abs to open his pants.

Tremaine watched as Robert laid her back on
the mattress before crawling up between her legs to kiss down her
body. He took his time tonguing her scars. Her fingers threaded
into his hair.

Shucking his jeans and the rest of his
clothes, Tremaine climbed up next to her, his fingers trailing over
her skin as he leaned down to take her mouth in a slow, deep kiss.
He had a feeling he’d never tire of making love to Liz. Their
connection was strong, and Robert only reinforced it, binding the
three of them together.

Tremaine traced a path up her flat stomach
as Robert moved lower to lick at the heart of her. Her body arched
as he caught her pert nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She
moaned as he dropped his head to close his mouth over her other
pebbled tip.

A moan broke free as she tumbled over the
edge. “Oh wow,” she panted as she fell back against the bed.

Tremaine sat up with a pleased smile.

Robert grinned at him. “I think she likes
it.”

“You were always good at that,” she murmured
as her hips shifted restlessly.

Tremaine leaned in to taste her desire on
Robert’s lips. Robert met his passion head on and Tremaine fisted
his hair as he pumped his own length a few times. He’d made love to
her only a couple hours earlier and he still needed be inside
Liz.

“Oh fuck, that’s so hot, I could watch you
two all night,” she groaned as she climbed to her knees, her hand
trailing down her stomach. She whimpered and Robert broke the kiss
with a raised brow.

“Did I not do a good enough job?” he purred
before crawling to her.

“Oh, you did,” she took his face in her
hands and kissed him hard. It was Tremaine’s turn to watch as
Robert’s hands greedily pulled her against him.

Tremaine could hardly stand it as he lay
back on the bed. “Now, Robert, I was good and let you taste her
sweet nectar, but I need her now.”

Robert pulled back, tipping her face up.
“You still okay with this plan?” he murmured.

She slipped past Tremaine to reach into her
bedside drawer. Licking her lips, she turned back and tossed the
tube of lube to Robert. “Yeah, I can hardly wait.” She threw her
leg over Tremaine to straddle his lap.

He looked up at her, knowing there was
hunger, lust, and love all in his gaze. “Liz, do you have any idea
how badly I want inside you?”

“I hope as badly as I want you there.” She
traced her fingers over his taut muscles and then looked back at
Robert with a sigh. “Between the two of you, there’s so much for my
eyes to feast on. I’m only sorry I don’t have as much to
offer.”

Robert smacked her ass playfully. He growled
into her hair. “You are the most captivating,” he nipped her ear,
“sexiest,” he licked down her neck as her head tipped to the side
to grant more access, “Most delicious and beautiful woman I know.
So don’t, not for a single second, say otherwise or I will bend you
over my knee and paddle your tight little ass until you beg me for
my cock.”

Tremaine could feel her desire as she slid
against his length.

Her brow rose as she looked over her
shoulder at Robert. “And that’s supposed to be punishment?”

Robert swatted her again, not hard, just
enough to make some sound and to tease. She jumped in response, her
slick heat gliding over Tremaine’s straining cock as her eyes slid
shut.

Robert chuckled, “You like that?” He did it
again.

Tremaine nodded, his voice husky. “I know I
do.”

Robert pushed her down onto Tremaine’s
chest, her ass high in the air. Tremaine reached around her to
spread her perfect cheeks and watched as Robert slid his fingers
into her. She moaned, pushing into his hand.

“So wet, Liz. I had no idea this would turn
you on so much,” Robert growled.

“Yeah,” she groaned, “because between both
of you having your hands and mouths all over me I’m supposed to be
appalled when I can do nothing but feel?”

Robert must have done something that felt
really damned good because her nails hooked into Tremaine’s arms
where she gripped him. Then she made that needy whimper.

“I love that sound,” Robert purred, but
reached between Tremaine and Liz to pull her up and against his
chest. “But right now, I think Tremaine needs a little
attention.”

“Liz, I need you,” Tremaine whispered as he
stared up at her desire glazed eyes. He felt Robert’s hand wrap
around the base of his cock, standing him up.

She slid down over Tremaine as he filled her
up. Her head fell forward as her hands landed on his chest. “Trem,
baby, fuck,” she gasped, her inner muscles clamping down on
him.

He groaned and held her hips to keep her
from moving because her silk walls were like heaven. “Damn it, Liz,
I never imagined anyone would feel this damned good.”

She stilled as she stared down at him.
“What?”

“Oh, doll, I have never craved anyone half
as bad as I need you. No one has felt half as perfect as you do.
I’m not ever giving you up.”

* * * *

Liz was overwhelmed to see the pure love in
Tremaine’s warm brown eyes as he watched her. He sat up, his hand
cupping her face as he took her mouth in a sweet kiss. Robert swept
her hair off her shoulder and leaned in to place a tender kiss at
the base of her neck.