Author's Note: Although it is not specified due to my own choice as an author it is my intention that Annie and Liam are not idiots and therefore used protection. Thank you. ;p
Chapter 21
Annie's heart pounded furiously in her chest as she clung to Liam's hand and wove through the smaller crowd of party goers occupying the lounge on the lower level. The music that had made conversation difficult upstairs made it impossible here. Base vibrated through the walls, floor and furniture, working its way into Annie's body until her already racing pulse throbbed and blood rushed in her ears. She couldn't think and didn't want to, the only desire driving her being the need to finish what she and Liam had started upstairs.
Just past the bar a short hallway extended into darkness. Liam didn't hesitate, moving past two tall, skinny doors directly to a wider, normal sized opening. Twisting the knob, he glanced over his shoulder, back into the lounge, and then ducked inside, pulling her along. Moonlight poured through an expansive picture window, illuminating rich mahogany woodwork, plush grey carpet, a seating area with overstuffed leather furniture and most importantly a king size bed framed by an ornate metal work headboard. Annie only had a second to register these luxury surroundings before Liam whirled around, his hands framing her face and pulled her mouth to his. Clutching at the open collar of his shirt, she returned the kiss with abandon, matching the demanding thrust of his tongue stroke for stroke.
When his hands left her face, they traveled slowly down the side of her body, brushing purposefully against her breasts. Her nipples tightened in response and when he gripped her hips, she needed no encouragement to arch into him, and wrapped her arms around his neck for better leverage. No matter what she did, she couldn't get close enough.
Liam had the solution. Without breaking the kiss, he shifted his grip sliding over her bottom to the back of her bare thighs and lifted her from the ground. In response, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he leaned into her, effectively pinning her against the door. The soft thunk of her shoes slipping off her feet and hitting the plush carpet registered on some level, but the sensation of being pressed so intimately against him stole her whole focus. The closed door muffled the music, but the base still pounded through her, further muddying her already lust addled brain.
When Liam broke the kiss, Annie whimpered in protest even as she gasped for much needed oxygen. Those whimpers quickly turned into a moan of pure pleasure as he focused his attention on the smooth column of her throat. Her head fell back against the door as his hands worked their way beneath her top, moving higher with agonizing slowness. Deliberately, he dragged his thumbs over the lace cups of her bra, arousing the hard buds to almost painful tightness. Gasping, she clutched at him. Heat bled through the cotton shirt where she held tightly to his broad shoulders and she wanted nothing more than to run her hands over the bare skin underneath.
"Take this off," she demanded, already dropping her hands to tug the hem up. Eager fingers danced across his muscled abdomen, making it clench.
Liam lifted his head, the moonlight playing right across impossibly blue eyes that glittered with desire. Lips curving, he nipped her bottom lip and offered a dare. "You first."
Annie's eyes widened at the challenge, but she tilted her chin and groped for the hem of her own shirt, pulling it over her head in one fluid motion. Her heartbeat pounded like thunder and this close she was certain Liam could hear it too. Bold and impulsive were two things that typically got her into serious trouble, but no matter how much she adored him, Liam could still push her buttons and she still loved to prove him wrong.
Letting her shirt flutter to the floor, she raised her brow expectantly, turning the dare back on him, but he was too busy admiring all the newly bare skin. The black lace bra stood out starkly against her tan as her chest rose and fell with every breath. The weight of his gaze made her squirm and yet she felt deliciously exposed. Lowering his head, he tasted the flesh along the edge of her bra, his tongue dipping below the lace to tease. Her hands moved to the back of his head of their own accord, urging him further, lower. The sensation traveled straight to her core, further awakening the aching need between her thighs.
"You're turn," she insisted in a gasp when she could catch her breath. Groping blindly, she tugged his shirt up and his arms left her just long enough for her to pull it over his head. Now it was her turn to admire and although it was hardly the first time she'd seen him without a shirt on, now in the dark and with a purpose far from innocent, she thrilled at it.
Liam carried her to the bed while she delighted in running her nails lightly down the sculpted planes of his chest. The grey satin comforter billowed as they fell against it. Eager to touch every inch of him with her bare hands, she moved to his back and discovered the deeper she sank her nails into his skin, the harder he kissed her. Threading the fingers of one hand through his hair, she tore her lips away and teased. "Does that mean you like that?"
Liam said nothing, but the curve of his lips spoke of secret promise and his hand slipped between their sweat slicked bodies and flicked the catch on her shorts. The mere anticipation of where he would go from there was enough to make Annie tremble and her core turning to liquid. She kept waiting for self consciousness to interfere and bring her focus to their vast difference in experience, but even purposely thinking about it failed to taint the moment. This was a game, one Liam started the first night they met, its natural progression culminating in these moments. He pushed her, she surprised him and he upped the ante. The only difference between that first night and now was that she knew he'd be there if she fell. She trusted him.
Slowly, so achingly slow it nearly drove her mad, he drew the zipper down and slipped her shorts off in one fluid motion. Clad now only in her black lace bra and matching panties, he made no secret of how much he appreciated the sight. For the first time that night he was in a position for her gaze to sink low enough so she could see the outline of him, pressing hard against his jeans. Her body pulsed in response and she tried to pull him closer, just to feel his solid weight flush against her practically naked body.
Her slight strength barely had any affect. Grinning wickedly at her, he slipped his arm under her shoulders, and shifted her closer. Hot breath fanned the side of her face as he whispered. "I think it's your turn."
No coherent retort would come to mind as she watched his hand creep beneath the black lace, his palm flat against her stomach. Her breath came in short gasps as he teased her, drawing out the anticipation until Annie thought she might pass out. Finally, he made contact with the throbbing bundle of nerves directly over her deliciously wet center. Much too quickly, his touch skirted lower and she whimpered in both protest and encouragement, her head falling back against his arm.
He toyed with her at first, stroking the tender flesh but going no deeper. By the time she felt one finger delve into her silken depths, her head was swimming from an overload of sensation and she cried out. Within seconds, she was rocking her hips in a slow, steady motion as the friction increased. Liam brought his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply until she pulled away and gasped as an intense wave of pleasure took her breath away. She felt rather than saw his smile, as he nuzzled her neck.
Annie couldn't last long under his skilled attentions and soon she came apart in his hands. For an endless and yet all too brief moment in time, she knew nothing but a near weightless bliss. Liam's arms, the only thing anchoring her to reality. Blindly, she searched for him and he found her with his mouth, eventually bringing her back to him.
Anything but sated, she hungrily groped for the button fly of his jeans and this time he made no move to impede her mission. In fact, the patience and restraint Liam had exhibited to this point had reached its limit and while she worked on pushing his jeans and boxers down his hips, he unhooked the clasp of her bra. Together, they divested themselves of the final articles of clothing standing as barriers between them.
As much as Annie wished to stop and admire him, the way Liam had taken his time with her, their bodies had other ideas. With her thought processes reduced to simple want and need, she discovered him by feel as he indulged her unspoken wish and stretched out over her, one bare leg wedged between hers. For several decadent minutes she devoured him with a kiss, fully exploring the impossibly seductive recesses of his mouth while her hands memorized every inch of skin she could reach.
When the tremors of barely repressed desire in Liam's body matched those of her own, Annie slipped her hand between them, her fingers closing around the length of him, stroking once, twice and watching his reaction with a mischievous smile. "Now I know you like that."
He managed a laugh before she squeezed gently and mirth became a groan as he dropped his head to the pillow they shared, burying his face in her hair. As obvious as his attraction for her was, she felt especially proud knowing she could illicit such a primal response. Wrapping her free hand around the back of his head, she coaxed him back to her. "No more turns. I just want you now."
"Good," he breathed, his chest heaving against hers as he tried to hang on to some control with her hand still fisted around him. "I'm out of games."
"Oh, I doubt that," she laughed, his wicked grin all the evidence she needed that they'd barely scratched the surface of Liam's tricks. One thing was undoubtedly certain. Naomi hadn't been lying when she said he was good with his hands.
Slowly, he eased into her, his eyes never leaving her face, even when she gasped and shuddered as she stretched to accommodate him. Experienced or not, she knew what felt good and she had never felt so alive as she did at that moment. Her entire being thrummed with energy and heat, everything seemed heightened. The pulse of the base in the lounge outside, the raspy drag of her breathing mixed with his, the intoxicating scent of their sweat and the taste of his kiss stood out on her mind in sharp relief. She never wanted the feeling to end.
Then their bodies were moving together and an entirely different flood of sensations swept through her, intensifying the connection. Liam's fingers threaded through hers, pinning both hands to the bed as he held himself above her. With his tongue, he scoured the depths of her mouth and she eagerly kissed him back. Something at the very core of her being wound tighter with each thrust of his hips. As the crescendo built within, Annie lost track of time. A week could have passed for all the grip she had on anything other than the feel of Liam's body against and inside hers.
She tried to wait for him, but when she shattered into a thousand blissful pieces she had no regrets. He was deep inside her as her body arched and his kiss swallowed her cry of completion. As she rode that wave of ecstasy, he increased the tempo of his thrusts and moments later followed her over the edge.
Later, when her heartbeat stopped reverberating through every nerve in her body and coherent thoughts once again formed in her mind, Annie stretched like a contented cat and rolled onto her side facing Liam. Propping her head on her fist, she marveled at the sweat slicked beauty of his sculpted upper body. When she finally had her fill - for the moment - of ogling the boy she was lucky enough to call her own, she looked up and found him just as intently watching her. Shaking her head, she bit her lip. "I can't believe we just did that."
"What? Had sex?" he grinned, slipping an arm around her naked waist and pulling her flush against him. She went willingly, curling into his sweat dampened skin. His lips grazed her temple and he murmured. "Pretty sure it happened. I was there."
"No, I mean here, on Teddy's dad's yacht with half the school on the other side of that door," she giggled self consciously.
"Kinda makes it more fun, doesn't it?"
Annie felt the blush creep up her cheeks even as she teased right back. "I don't know. I don't have as much experience as you. We'll have to try it somewhere private. Just to compare."
"Sounds good to me," he agreed, burying his fingers in her hair and coaxing her closer.
"It better," she murmured, mere seconds before succumbing to a slow, lazy kiss that completely short circuited her brain. Wanting better access, she shifted until she was completely on top of him, her tousled hair a curtain shielding them from the world. She couldn't remember ever feeling this good, completely sated and at ease, her body alive and fluid like liquid fire. Kissing him was addictive, but sex was something else entirely. A part of her wished they had slept together a year ago. The experience alone would have made the hell that followed almost worth it.
What felt like only seconds later, something large and solid collided with the bedroom door. Annie jumped and automatically looked over her shoulder, her stomach twisting in anticipation of someone bursting in and catching them. Of course no one did. The door was locked. The disturbance was probably nothing more than one of her drunken classmates seeking out the bathroom. Chagrined, but sighing with relief, she dropped her head to Liam's chest only to discover he was shaking with laughter.
"You okay?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair. "We could shove a chair under the door in case someone tries to bust it."
"Shut up," she ordered, giggling despite barely being able to look him in the eye. Once again her skin felt hot and this time at least it wasn't solely due to arousal. "I hate you."
"You know, when you blush like that," he murmured, ignoring her petulant retort and caressing her cheek. "You're whole body turns pink. I always wondered."
Embarrassment forgotten, she lifted her head fully and eyed him skeptically. "You did?"
"Oh yeah," he nodded, sweeping his thumb over her swollen and tender lips, utterly mesmerized. "Since the first night we met."
His voice was low and rough, pitched perfectly to set her nerves ablaze. At that moment she could have melted into him and given away how completely he could undo her. Somehow, she found the strength to hold his gaze, despite the dangerous heat emanating from his icy blue eyes. Propping her chin on her hand, she lifted an eyebrow. "Is that why you asked me out?"
Grinning, he looked at the ceiling, remembering. "Maybe. Really, I think I asked you out just to see how you'd react. I wanted to know if you were as cool as you pretending to be."
"Ha! Now you know the incredibly spastic truth," she laughed.
"You had me figured out from minute one," he shrugged. "You knew I was completely full of it."
"Not completely," she disagreed. Liam had more than proven he wasn't all talk, but she was continually surprised to discover how vulnerable he really was under the ultra thick exterior of indifference. "What if I'd said yes?"
Now it was his turn to laugh. "I don't know what I would have done."
"Because of Naomi."
"No, because you never would have let me get away with half the crap I pulled with Naomi," he explained with a shake of his head. Turing introspective, he wrapped a tendril of her hair around his finger, studying the way the moonlight played off the silky strands. He spoke carefully. "I don't think I was ready for someone who…"
"Who what?" she prompted when he hesitated.
"Who made me want to be better," Liam replied, striving for casual, but he couldn't quite look her in the eye. Annie swallowed, understanding how much the confession cost him. By now, she knew him well enough to understand that he constantly felt like he was failing, always missing the mark. She wished she could convince him she wanted him exactly as he was. A little bit wild, a little bit dangerous but completely solid, his honesty all the more devastating because she knew only certain people were allowed to see it.
"You don't give yourself enough credit," she said softly, brushing his hair off his forehead, then threading her fingers through the dark strands to pull him in for another kiss. This one meant to convey everything she felt for him and make him believe that no matter what his stepfather said, he had changed.
Annie's mission was interrupted by another loud crash against the door. Once again she jumped, only slightly less startled this time. Instantly, the delicate mood was broken.
"Oh my god, seriously?"
Liam laughed. "We better get out of here before you have a heart attack."
"You're enjoying this way too much," she muttered, rolling onto her back and clutching the sheet to her chest. With unabashed appreciation, she watched him slip back into his boxers and jeans. Moonlight played over the healing wound on his side, but couldn't detract from the perfection of his muscled upper body. Until tonight she would never have believed his lower half could live up to the standard. Closing her eyes, she snuggled into the pillows, determined to commit every second of the past two hours to memory. After only a few moments, something soft hit her face and the mattress dipped.
"Am I going to have to drag you out of this bed?" Liam teased, having thrown her tank top at her and crawled across the king sized bed. Planting a fist on either side of her, he leaned in, achingly close to her waiting mouth, but refusing to make contact. Whimpering in protest, she blindly sought out his lips and he enticed her all the way to a seated position before giving her what she wanted.
"Why not? You dragged me into it," she pointed out with a smirk when they came up for air.
"You came willingly," he pointed out with a smirk. "Twice if I remember right."
Annie gasped and grinned. Kissing him again, she searched for her bra and panties on the side of the bed. It took effort, but she ignored her self consciousness as she slipped them on, fully aware of his eyes on her. He'd seen absolutely ever inch of her, there was no point in being shy now.
Unable even now to suppress her smile of satisfaction and happiness, her top and shorts were quickly found. Not until she was groping under the disheveled comforter for her shoes on the floor at the foot of the bed did cold hard reality slap her abruptly in the face. In the frenzy of confessing her love and the whirlwind of their liaison, she'd completely forgotten about the other half of Silver's demands.
Rising slowly to her feet, she slipped her shoes on and cleared her throat. Once again, the familiar thunder of her heart echoed in her head, but this time there was no thrill of sexual energy behind it. She tucked her hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. "Liam?"
"Yeah?" he replied, pulling his shirt over his head. Her features must have painted a picture of sudden despair because instantly he demanded. "What's wrong?"
"Are you staying?" she asked without preamble, her voice a shell of the confidant girl she'd been only moments before. "Or are you leaving?"
Liam hesitated and in that silence Annie knew. Her stomach dropped to her feet and she couldn't breathe. Truthfully, she'd always known. From the moment she realized he'd told her about the charges being dropped, but nothing about his future in Beverly Hills, her brain understood what her heart kept hoping steadfastly against. Jeffery hadn't relented, even in the face of proof and at the price Liam's blood.
He took a step toward her, but if he touched her she'd lose it. So, she purposefully moved out of reach and started pulling up the sheets to make the bed. Tears burned at her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She heard Liam's sigh. "Annie-."
"When?" she demanded, the word clipped and sharp.
"I don't know," he replied. "I have to have a clean bill of health before they take me."
Annie's hands stilled over the now perfectly smooth sheets. "You're almost healed."
"I know."
"Where?" she asked, just barely clinging to control of her emotions.
Liam was quiet for a long time and when he spoke, she was startled at how close he'd come. With a low voice that bled apology and sorrow, he tossed one of the pillows at the headboard and spoke. "Upstate Maine."
Stunned despite thinking she was beyond shock, Annie let the silky comforter slip from her fingers. Maine. Liam might as well be sent to another planet. It was all so absurdly horrific, she couldn't help the hysterical bubble of laughter that escaped her throat. Covering her face with her hands, her control broke and the giggles became sobs. Liam wouldn't let her avoid him any longer, grabbing her shoulder and gently pulling her into his arms.
Annie accepted the comfort gratefully, burying her face against his chest. Despite the violent trembling of her body, few tears came. Almost as if she knew on some level that no amount of crying would provide catharsis for this disaster. Even so, she clung to him as if she might lose him any second.
"I should have told you, I'm sorry," Liam said as he held her.
"Why didn't you?" she sniffed, pressing her face more tightly against his chest.
"I… couldn't. Telling you, telling anybody, meant it was real," he confessed, his hand massaging the back of her neck, fingers buried deep in her hair. If she hadn't been so upset he could have made her purr.
"Did you try to change your step dad's mind?" she pressed, grasping for any stone that hadn't been turned.
"Of course," he insisted. "I practically begged him, offered to do anything he wanted."
Pulling away finally, she stared up at him incredulous. "And he didn't take you up on that? I know it kills you to ask him for anything, he must know, too. Why didn't he jump at the chance to have you owe him?"
Liam said nothing. Instead of looking at her, he stared over her head at the wall, jaw clenched. Annie's eyes narrowed. "What? What did he say?"
"I…it's nothing. It's beyond stupid. I won't do it."
Reeling, she pushed him away and stumbled to the window. The rocking of the boat was minimal, but enough to throw her off balance if she wasn't paying attention, which at the moment she was too angry to do. Bracing her hand on the window sill, she turned back to him, furious. "Jeffery gave you an out and you didn't take it?"
"Annie-."
"If it were me, there is nothing I wouldn't do to stay here with you," she declared. A part of her wondered if she'd regret that desperate bit of honesty, but her walls were down. There was nothing left protecting her from Liam. He could break her heart without even trying now if he so chose.
"You don't know what he asked me to do," he argued, eyes blazing and she caught a glimpse of his temper, felt it directed at her for the first time since the beach when she first told him about her plan for Jasper.
"Then tell me," she demanded, unafraid as her own temper fueled her daring. "Tell me what's so horrible that you'd be willing to leave someone you just said you loved to avoid it."
Liam shook his head in disbelief, bracing his hands on his hips. Annie waited, deciding right then not to speak again until he confessed. Finally, he scoffed. "Fine. Jeffery wants me to use you to set him up with your mom. He says if I do that, I can stay."
Shock dissolved her anger in an instant. "W-what?"
"You heard me," Liam ground out through clenched teeth.
Annie heard something alright, but she couldn't believe it to be true. "Jeffery wants a date with my mom in exchange for your freedom?"
"Yup," Liam nodded. "It sounds just as fucking stupid coming out of your mouth as it did his."
"And you said no," she prompted, half question, half statement.
"Of course I said no," Liam snorted. "Actually, I think my exact words were 'go to hell.' Annie, I swear, it never even crossed my mind to do it. I would never use you, or your mom, like that."
"I know," she assured him absently, her mind racing. It was ridiculous. Absolutely absurd. There was no possible way it would work. Vividly, she recalled her mother flirting with Jeffery at the courthouse, then her humiliation and distaste when she discovered he was a married man. Maybe… "You should do it."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm serious, Liam," Annie insisted, nodding to herself as details clicked into place. "We can make this work."
"Annie, are you…are you crazy?" he demanded, staring at her with wide eyes like he'd never heard anything more insane in his life. "Why would you want your mom anywhere near my step dad?"
"Oh, I don't," she assured him, closing the distance between them and laying a hand on his arm. A smile crept over her features. "I don't want your mom anywhere near him."
"Yeah, well. That makes two of us."
"So, let's do something about it."
Liam searched her upturned face, illuminated by the moonlight. Something he saw made him groan and shake his head. "Oh no. You've got another plan, don't you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I know that look," he said, sweeping her hair behind her ear, letting his fingertips linger on her skin. "I saw it when you told me you wanted to set up Jasper and look how that turned out."
"The charges were dropped!"
"And I got shot," he reminded her needlessly with disbelieving laugh.
"Yeah, well…I'm pretty sure Jeffery won't think to bring a gun on a date with my mom," Annie pointed out. "He's a skeeze, not insane."
Faced with that bit of logic, Liam could only stare at her. She could see him struggling and held her breath as he debated with himself. He had to agree to this, she couldn't go behind his back and force his hand like with Jasper. Finally, he closed his eyes, shoulders slumping in defeat. "I'm gonna regret this, but…what's the plan?"
In a burst of wild enthusiasm, Annie actually jumped off the floor and kissed him. Eyes shining, she revealed her very simple idea. "We tell my mom. Everything. She plays along and… blows the date or something so Jeffery will think it just didn't work out. You keep up your end of the bargain and stay."
"Why would your mom agree to this?"
Truthfully, Annie didn't know that she would, but she was pretty certain she had the perfect angle to play. "When she found out Jeffery was married, she was humiliated. She's going through a divorce. Adulterers aren't all that high on her list right now. Plus, I think she'll be just as upset as I am that you're step dad is manipulating you."
"Annie, this is crazy," Liam insisted, although without much conviction.
"I won't do it unless you're with me," she promised. "I may be crazy, but I learned my lesson with Jasper."
He grinned at that, and put both hands on her hips, pulling her a little closer. "Don't make promises you can't keep."
"Liam," she admonished. "Don't try to change the subject. Are you staying or not?"
He took an excruciatingly long time to think about it. Looking past her at the floor, his lips pressed into a tight line and made the dimple on his right cheek stand out. She clutched his arms tightly, her lip caught between her teeth as she held her breath. Finally, she couldn't hold back. "Liam?"
"Staying," he said, his still wary expression melting slowly into a grin as he kissed her before she could do anything but pull in a much needed gulp of air. Just a little while ago, she would have sworn she knew every way Liam could kiss her, but apparently he lived to prove her wrong. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she sank happily into the connection, the weight around her neck loosened, if not yet fully gone. His mouth moved on her, pulling so deep she swore it touched her very soul.
When they pulled apart, he whispered breathlessly. "If we don't get out of here, we'll end up right back in that bed."
Tempting, oh so tempting, but Annie managed to extricate herself from the warm circle of his embrace. "We've been gone for hours. If we don't get back, Silver will think we've fallen overboard."
"And she'll probably have Teddy call the coastguard or something," Liam rolled his eyes as she tugged him toward the door. With a twist of the knob, the lock popped and she pulled the door open a crack. Music blasted into the formerly quiet space. Whatever had been crashing into it earlier was gone. The hallway was cloaked in empty darkness. Slipping outside, Liam pulled her up short just past the threshold.
"No matter what happens," he promised lips against her ear just to be heard. "I'm not leaving Beverly Hills. If this doesn't work, I'll figure something out."
Annie turned to him, her smile matching the brilliant beating of her heart. Automatically, without a second's hesitation, she uttered three little words. "I love you."