This Is Where I Sleep (6 page)

“What are you doing here?” Coral asked Brian.

“Working. And you? It’s been so long,” he stated, still holding onto her waist.

My fingers itched to pull them apart. I was man enough to admit I was a little peeved that Coral’s reaction to Brian was a lot more receptive than her initial reaction to me the previous day. Of course, she had just overheard me telling Jeremy to send her back home.

“Tell me about it. How are you?” she asked, finally stepping back to eye him.

“I’m great. It was a long road back, but this guy,” he said, tilting his head toward me, “definitely helped.”

“I didn’t do anything. You’ve helped me more than the other way around,” I commented.

“I highly doubt that. Anyway Scorpion, what have you been up to?”

Coral shrugged. “A little of this a little of that.”

Brian nodded knowingly. “You’re both staying for the game, right? It’s just a scrimmage, but the kids are excited about it.”

“Of course, we are,” Coral answered.

We all sat back down in the bleachers, and Coral and Brian talked about the team and more about the community center. She asked a ton of questions including what his future plans were at the center and how many kids came in on a daily basis. Their conversation flowed easily, leaving me feeling like the odd man out. I reminisced on the days where Coral and I could talk for hours about everything and about nothing at the same time. I want to get back to that place. I wanted to make her understand why I did what I did, but there was hesitation on my part. Not only would my secrets place her in more danger, but there was a lot about my life that had changed in the last few years. She didn’t know everything about me anymore, and that scared the shit out of me.

Coral turned to me as we exited the community center an hour later. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s wonderful what you and Brian are doing here, Li.”

My chest expanded at how easily she had fallen into using my nickname. A nickname I actually hated until she used it.

“Are the financial records for the community center kept on the same books as Bennett Industries?” she inquired as we began the drive back to my office.

“Not quite. Bennett Industries owns the community center as a subsidy, and Brian has an accountant on staff and bookkeeper to do all their recordkeeping. We keep everything as separate as possible, except during tax season. Do you think there could be a link between what Larry found and the community center?”

A contemplative look crossed her face. “I’m not sure. Just want to check every angle. I looked at hours of footage earlier today with Ron and didn’t find anything too suspicious. We’re going to start setting up interviews.”

“Sounds good,” I agreed.

We talked about how the interviews will go over the next few weeks, and Coral’s plan to have Ron interview most of the staff one on one, while she watched from a separate room. I could tell from the way she talked about it that she believed someone inside the company had something to do with Larry’s death, and I was inclined to believe it as well. That pissed me off thinking someone on my payroll could betray the company, and fellow colleagues, in this way.

“I’m going to kick the ass of whoever’s involved in this,” I said, squeezing my fist tightly.

“Down, boy,” Coral teased, patting my clenched fist. “We need to be smart about this. We can get to the ass-kicking later.”

Her hand on mine had a soothing effect. While my anger didn’t disappear, it was put on the back burner for now.

Coral began to gather her things once we entered my office. “I’ll have to check the community center out again before this case is over and I leave.”

The air left my lungs at the thought of her leaving. I might not have expected her to be there so soon, but now that she was I couldn’t imagine her not being there either.

“We’ll begin the interviews tomorrow,” she continued.

I nodded, opting to remain silent as her business-like facade returned. The more laid back attitude of earlier was beginning to disappear and she was now putting her guard up. I didn’t like it.

“You know, you don’t have to rush out so soon. We can order an early dinner and catch up,” I said, shrugging nonchalantly. I tried to play casual, but I felt anything but.

“Catch up?” A perfectly arched eyebrow raised.

I smirked. “Yeah, you know,
talk
, like regular people. Friends, even.”

“Li, I appreciated seeing the community center and even the gesture of you naming the athletic team after me, but we don’t have much to talk about outside this case.”

“I disagree.” The lower register of my voice took on a seductive tone as I moved closer to her. I pulled her leather jacket out of her grasp and tossed it back onto the couch. “We have a lot to talk about,” I nearly growled, pulling her by the waist into my arms, and caressing her cheek with my thumb. I saw a vein in her neck pulse alerting me to the fact that she was not immune to my touch.

“I…” She stopped, lowered her head and shaking it as if trying to break out of a trance. I could feel her try to step out of my embrace, but I tightened my grasp.

I placed a finger under her chin, raising it to force her to look at me. “There’s a lot you don’t know. I would have never left if it weren’t for a good reason,” I said, and brought my lips down to hover just above hers. Just as our lips were about to touch, I heard my door burst open.

“Daddy!” A pint-sized ball of energy shrieked as she sprinted towards me. Instinctively, I stepped back from Coral and stretched my arms wide to scoop her up. I stared down into the face that looked so much like mine.

“Hi, Daddy!” Laura excitedly exclaimed. Her nanny, Anna, wasn’t far behind.

“I’m sorry, she couldn’t wait to see you,” Anna apologized. I looked from Anna to Coral, who was now staring wide-eyed at me.

“Oh, you must be in a meeting. We can come back,” Anna started, but was interrupted by Coral.

“No, we’re done here,” she said abruptly, grabbed her bag and jacket, and made a beeline for the door.

“Coral!” I yelled to her back, but she didn’t even break stride. “Dammit!” I cursed. This was damn sure not how I wanted Coral to find out I was a father.

Chapter Eight

Liam is a father. Liam has a daughter. A daughter who is a spitting image of her father.

Those thoughts kept spinning around and around as I continued my run around Bachman Lake Park.

After running out of Li’s office, I headed straight to my hotel room, threw on some workout clothes, and went down to the hotel’s gym. As I used some of the weights to do a circuit workout, I kept picturing Liam holding that little girl in his arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I wondered if that was the reason he’d up and left me; because he found out Michele was pregnant with his child? But even as I contemplated that, the timing didn’t make sense. That little girl looked to be no older than three years old, and Li had married Michele close to six years ago. And speaking of Michele, where the hell was she? Just yesterday, Li had said that he was no longer married. 

Even during my sweaty circuit workout I couldn’t get my brain to slow down, so instead of going back to my hotel room, I opted to go for a run. I checked the pedometer on my arm and realized I was nearing mile five. I decided to run one more mile before stopping to stretch and head back to the hotel. Questions about Liam and his daughter continued to invade my thoughts. I’d kept a lid on my feelings for him for so long, and seeing him with his child felt like ripping a Band-Aid off an old, but unhealed wound. I didn’t even realize I was clutching my lower abdomen as I sat in my car thinking of Liam being a father. I closed my eyes and counted to ten as thoughts of “what ifs” made their way to the surface. I shook my head, refusing to allow myself to go there. It’d been years, and I would not look back. Liam’s life was here without me. I would solve this case, figure out who Ghost was, take care of him and go back to Savannah.

It didn’t escape me that I didn’t refer to Savannah as home. I didn’t know any place that had ever felt truly like home, not since my mother died. Savannah was close, but it was a place where I rested, not exactly where I comfortably slept.

I reached my hotel suite and slid the key card in, carrying my gym bag over my shoulder. As soon as I entered the door, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I was immediately on high alert. I quickly reached into my gym bag, pulled out my glock nineteen, and quietly placed the bag on the floor. I did a quick scan of the living room and saw everything was as I’d left it. Still, I knew someone else was there.

I turned right towards the bedroom, letting my gun lead the way. As soon as I nudged the door open, I spotted a pair of black oxfords. I recognized the shoes, but I didn’t lower my gun even as I raised my gaze and allowed my eyes to rake over his entire body. His green eyes glared at me as he sat comfortably on the edge of the bed.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” I asked, sarcastically.

“You weren’t going to shoot without knowing who it was,” Liam answered, completely unbothered.

“How did you get into my room?”

“I own the hotel.” That cocky attitude made me want to smack that half smirk off his face. “You gonna lower the gun?” he asked, standing and staring at the glock still aimed directly at him.

It was my turn to smirk. “I’ll think about it.”

“Coral.”

“What do you want, Li?”

“We need to talk.”

“You said that earlier and my answer still stands. We d—”

“Bullshit.” He cut me off taking a step closer.

“Alright, you want to talk. Let’s talk. How old is your daughter?”

“She’s almost three.”

“What’s her name?”

“Laura.”

“After your grandmother,” I mumbled, but he still heard me.

“Yes, I named her after my grandmother.”

“Where is her mother? You said you were no longer married.”

I watched as Liam visibly swallowed and lowered his lashes briefly. “Michele died of a brain aneurysm a month after giving birth.”

I closed my eyes in a moment of sadness for the little girl who’d lost her mother before she was old enough to have any memory of her. Before I could open my eyes fully, I felt Liam snatch the gun from my grip. I watched as within less than three seconds, he released the magazine, popped the one remaining bullet out of the chamber, and tossed my now useless weapon to the floor. I forgot how damn quick he was as he grabbed both of my arms by the wrists and hoisted them above my head, pushing me back against the wall with his big body.

“Let. me. go.” I seethed.

“No,” he growled just as angry. “You’re too goddamn stubborn for your own good.”

“I have a damn right to be!” I yelled in his face. “You told me you loved me and then you ran off and married someone else and started a whole family.” My anger propelled me to ask the question I’ve wanted to know all these years. “What the hell is that!?”

“I didn’t start a family.”

I simply eyed him like he had lost his mind. “You have a kid with her Liam.”

He sighed. “Just fucking listen. I married Michele not because I wanted to, but for reasons I can’t get into. I was miserable. She knew our marriage was a sham. We hardly lived together the whole two years we were married. It was a marriage for show. One night I was feeling lonely and missing my best friend. One thing lead to another. We had s—”

I cut him off. “Please spare me the details on how you fucked your wife, Li.”

“Dammit, Coral. She and I were only together that one night and Laura is the product. I didn’t mean for....but she’s here and she’s mine.”

I saw the tenderness in his eyes when he mentioned his daughter. It tugged at something deep within me and I felt drawn to him, but I refused to let him see it. I turned my head to look away from him. He was too close. His body pressed up against mine. His familiar scent. All invading my senses. Senses that are were too vulnerable right now.

“Fine. You said what you had to. You can leave now,” I said, trying to free my wrists from his hold, but he only tightened the vice grip he had.

“Look at me.” His voice was low and the command made my nipples harden.

I silently prayed he couldn’t see them through my thin nylon shirt and sports bra.

“Look at me, CeCe.”

Damn.
Hearing my nickname on his lips like this sent my lower lips pulsating. I turned my head to look up at him.

“I never loved Michele. Everything I told you in Savannah that night was the God’s honest truth.” He lowered his head and his lips grazed the column of my neck, before he nipped my earlobe. The move sent warmth spreading throughout my entire body. I bit my lower lip to keep from moaning out loud. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“You should go,” I protested, but the words sounded weak to my own ears.

“I don’t have to be an expert in body language and facial expressions to know you don’t want me to go.” He slid his free hand up my nylon covered thigh and moved over to cup my mound.

“Li,” I said in a voice that sounded strangely like a moan.

“I’ve missed the hell out of you, CeCe.”

“Don’t call me that.”

This asshole had the nerve to chuckle. A serious curse out was on the tip of my tongue, but before I could get the first word out, he covered my lips with his own. The softness of his lips was a contradiction to the hardness of his kiss. Liam didn’t waste time feeling out the kiss. He pressed his lips to mine, demanded entrance and then used his tongue to explore my mouth. As soon as our tongues touched, the sensations went straight to my core, and caused my already damp panties to become even wetter. The logical part of me told me to push him away and move from his embrace, but when his hand moved underneath my shirt, pushed my sports bra aside, and tweaked my hard nipples, I could no longer think straight.

Slowly, Liam loosened his grip on my wrists, but continued to press my body into the wall with his body weight. I aimed to wrap my arms around his neck to get even closer, but he pulled back before I could. Impatiently, he pulled my shirt over my head along with my bra, and tossed both to the floor. When he lowered his head and swirled his tongue around one erect nipple, the groan that escaped my mouth was the only sound that could be heard in the room. I pushed my chest towards his hungry mouth, encouraging him to suck harder. He happily obliged. He released my left nipple with a loud “pop” and moved to the right one.

“Liam, I need to touch you,” I practically begged, needing to feel his skin against mine. Any pretense of not wanting to be this close to him flew out the window.

He lifted his face from my breasts. “Then touch me,” he directed, right before he pressed his lips to mine again.

With my hands free, I began unbuttoning his shirt, and slid it and his Armani suit jacket down his strong biceps. I felt goosebumps rise along his arms as my fingers moved over them. I attempted to lean back to stare at his bared chest, but Liam swooped down and hoisted me up by the legs, causing me to wrap my legs around his waist. He strolled over to the bed and seconds later, I felt the plush sheets kissing my back as he came down on top of me. He leaned back on his knees in between my legs and stared down at me. My eyes fell from his face down to his large chest. I smiled, seeing the Texas flag tattoo. I reached up to trace the flag with my finger, remembering going with him to the tattoo parlor on his twenty-first birthday to get it done. My gaze moved lower and I saw the four-inch scar that began from the left side of his upper abdomen and nearly reached his belly button. I ran my finger along the ragged, raised edges of the scar, also remembering the fateful day this happened. I closed my eyes, remembering exactly how intertwined our histories were. His body literally told the story of us.

“Look at me,” he commanded, hovering over me.

Slowly, I opened my eyes to stare into his which darkened with passion so much so they almost looked black.

“I never left. You were always right here,” he said at the same time he lifted my hand to cover his heart. “If you don’t believe anything else, believe that.” He held my hand to his heart, leaned down, and kissed me again.

I moaned into his mouth as his thickening erection pressed into my center. I didn’t know what to believe at that moment, but I knew I wanted to feel more of him. Even if it was just for the time being. Liam must have felt the same too, because he released my mouth, pulled back and began pulling my running leggings and thong down. He moved quickly, removing my sneakers and the rest of my clothing, discarding them somewhere on the floor. When he lowered his head, it was then I remembered I’d just come back from a sweaty run. I pressed my hand to his shoulder to stop him.

“Liam, I just got finished running. Maybe we should do this in the shower,” I said, rising to move. I was stopped by his hands around my waist.

“Don’t move.” He glared at me and lowered his face to my quivering pussy lips.

I thought he was going to put his mouth on me, but instead, he moved in closer with his nose and inhaled deeply.

“Mmm.
For five years
, I’ve only had the memory of your scent. You’re not going anywhere.” He groaned as he inhaled me again and then began tonguing my clit.

“You’re so damn nasty,” I said around a moan as I plopped back down on the bed. “Oooh,” I moaned as his tongue began making circular motions around my engorged clit. I felt his lips kiss my labia and his grip around my waist tightened as he pulled me even further into him. I couldn’t keep still. This felt too good and I wanted more. I began pushing my hips up and moving my pelvis in a circular motion.    

“That’s it, baby. Fuck my face,” he growled, seconds before he pulled me even closer to his mouth. His tongue lashed even more quickly against my clit and his lips slapped and slurped up my juices.

It felt so good my back arched off the bed. “Liam, what are you doing to me?” I moaned.

“I’m writing my name on this pussy.” It’s then he pressed his tongue hard against my clit and I came apart. “Oooh, shiiit!” I yelled as the most wonderful sensations overtook me. I hadn’t felt that good in a long time. I was still trying to catch my breath, only for it to be snatched again when I felt Liam’s stiff thickness push into me. I felt every inch and ridge as he filled me up, maintaining eye contact the whole time. He used his eyes and body to tell me what his mouth already did. I felt overwhelmed, overcome with emotions that I’ve only felt for this man. I turned to look away, but he used his hand to cup my neck and chin.

“Don’t you dare. Look at me,” he ordered and shifted his hips to move in a rhythm that had my pussy singing his praises. He didn’t immediately pound into me, instead he took long, measured strokes to allow me adjust to his girth.

“More, Li. I need more,” I begged.

The cocky smirk he gave me caused my pussy to flood even more. He picked up the pace, using his free hand to pull my leg around his waist. He began pumping into me even faster, while moving his hand to massage my clit.

“Oh, God!” I gasped.

“That feel good, baby?”

“Yesss,” I hissed, raising my hips to meet his heavy strokes.

“Five fucking years, I’ve been missing this,” he pushed into me with each word. He lowered his face to mine and kissed my lips, then removed his hand and began sucking on the sensitive column of my neck.