Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Three Weeks Later

Jasmine

“I don’t have anything to wear,” I tell Layla. “Renaldo’s is a five-star restaurant. I can’t just show up there in sweats and a T-shirt.”

Layla laughs. “I think it’s sweet that he’s taking you out to dinner to celebrate passing your GED exam. And Renaldo’s is an amazing restaurant. You’re going to love it. I’m surprised he got reservations so quickly. It usually takes weeks to get in.”

“Apparently, he knows one of the sous-chefs there. Someone named Gabrielle. Do you know her? Apparently she’s Beth’s friend.”

“Oh, right. Of course. Yeah, she could pull strings for you and get you in on short notice.” Layla motions for me to follow her down the hallway to her bedroom. “Come look at my dresses. We’re the same size, so I’m sure you can find something to wear.”

Layla invites me to look through the dresses hanging in her closet. I try not to gawk, but she has an amazing wardrobe. I’m used to seeing her in jeans and hoodies, so these dresses come as a surprise. She’s got everything here—from casual dresses to cocktail dresses to sparkly formal gowns. “Wow.”

Layla laughs. “Sometimes I go to fancy events with my parents. I hate dressing up, but the upside is I get to see Jason in a tux, and let me tell you, my man looks good in a tux.”

I don’t know a lot about Layla’s parents, but I know they’re both big shots in Chicago. Her father is a federal judge, and her mother is a district attorney. And her parents have a private chef—that says it all. Apparently, Layla comes from a very wealthy family, but you’d never know it. She’s as down-to-earth as a person can be.

“How about this one?” Layla asks as she pulls a cobalt blue cocktail dress off the clothing rod. She holds it up to me. “This shade of blue goes great with your coloring.”

“It’s beautiful,” I say. “Really, it is. But I need something with long sleeves and a high neckline.”

Layla’s gaze meets mine, and I can tell she understands. “Oh, right. I’m sorry. I forgot.” Of course she’s referring to my scars. “By the way, how’s your tattoo healing?”

“It’s doing great. Do you want to see it?”

“If you don’t mind, sure.”

I pull down the neckline of my T-shirt to show her the tattoo of a coneflower on the top part of my left breast.

“It’s perfect, Jasmine,” Layla says. “You can’t even see the brand now.”

I smile. “Yeah, it’s perfect. Liam found the tattoo artist for me—Chloe Montoya. She’s a family friend. Chloe’s best friend, Molly, is engaged to one of Liam’s brothers.”

Layla returns the cocktail dress to the closet. “Hold on. I think I have just the dress for you.”

She rummages through her closet until she pulls out a pale mauve satin dress with long sleeves and a high neckline. “How about this one?”

My throat tightens as I stare at the most elegant dress I’ve ever seen. I hold the dress up in front of me and turn to face the full-length mirror hanging on the bedroom wall. “It’s perfect, Layla. Thank you.”

Layla’s dark eyes tear up. “I can’t wait to see how it looks on you. You have to send me some pics of the two of you together. Now, sit down and let me do your hair.”

Layla sits me on a chair in front of her vanity and goes to work arranging my hair. She gathers the curly strands at my temples, pulls them back and braids them together. Then she gathers the rest of my hair and pins it up in a bun. She leaves a few tendrils hanging down at my temples and places a few delicate sprigs of white baby’s breath flowers in my hair.

“There,” she says, stepping back. “What do you think?”

I’ve never had anyone do my hair before. “Thank you, Layla. It’s perfect.”

She smiles when our gazes meet in the mirror. “Now try on the dress so we can see the full picture.”

After I put on the dress, Layla takes a selfie of the two of us.

“Thank you,” I tell her as I give her a hug.

* * *

When I leave Layla’s apartment and return to ours, I find Liam in the bedroom getting dressed for our dinner date. He’s got his freshly pressed black trousers on and a white dress shirt. His suit jacket is hanging on a hook on the back of the bedroom door.

His eyes widen when he sees me. “Jasmine!” He steps forward and puts his hands on my shoulder. “You look stunning.” He turns me in a circle. “Your hair! I love it.”

“It’s all Layla’s doing—the dress, the hair. Everything.”

He shakes his head. “Absolutely stunning.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” I say as I finally get a good look at him in his suit. “Very handsome.”

Liam grins as he reaches for his black tie. “You think so?”

“I know so.” I walk up to him and smooth my hands over his shirt front, noting the firm shape of his pecs beneath my palms. I skim my hands over his broad shoulders, then down his arms to his hands.

He links our fingers and brings my hands to his mouth to kiss. “Congratulations, sweetheart. I’m not one bit surprised you passed. I knew you would.”

I shrug off his praise. “It was just some school tests. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“It’s a very big deal. You aced those tests, Jasmine. After everything you’ve been through, you passed with flying colors.” He leans forward and kisses me. “Now, let’s go celebrate.”

When Liam slips on his suit jacket, I try not to gawk at him. He’s a handsome man under any conditions but seeing him in a black suit and tie takes my breath away.

We grab our coats and head down to the parking garage, hop in Liam’s vehicle, and head downtown. Winter is in full swing now. The drive along N. Michigan Avenue is magical. The stores have their Christmas displays up, the sidewalks are decorated with holiday lights, and there are snow flurries in the night sky. Tonight couldn’t be more perfect.

When we arrive at our destination, a parking attendant meets him at the driver’s door to take the keys. Liam walks around to the front passenger seat and opens my door. He offers me his hand and helps me out of the vehicle. We fall into step with several other couples who are on their way to Renaldo’s.

“This is so unreal,” I whisper, squeezing his hand.

Liam walks me into the restaurant, where an attendant takes our coats and hands him a claim ticket. We approach a fancy wooden podium, where a hostess stands smiling at us. “Mr. McIntyre?” she says with a smile.

Liam nods. “Yes. I believe we have a reservation.”

“You do,” she says, as she hands two menus to a young male server standing with her.

The server motions for us to follow him into the dining room, where we’re seated at a table for two.

He hands us each a menu. “I’ll be right back to take your orders.”

I glance around the room at the elegant light fixtures and the tables covered with fine white tablecloths. “Fancy,” I say.

Liam smiles. “Wait until you taste the food. The owner, Peter Capelli, is a close friend of Shane’s. And Beth’s friend, Gabrielle, is a sous-chef here.”

Our server comes back to our table to fill our water glasses and take our orders. I decide on fettucine Alfredo with grilled asparagus and a salad. Liam goes for the lasagna. For an appetizer, our server brings us a basket of warm, crusty Italian bread and bowls of olive oil for dipping. Liam orders us a bottle of Pinot Noir.

We’re halfway through the meal when a gorgeous redhead wearing a white chef’s uniform approaches our table. Based on the huge grin on her face, I think she must know Liam. I imagine this is Beth’s friend, the sous-chef.

“Liam, hello!” the redhead says. She lays her hand on Liam’s shoulder. “It’s so good to see you.” Then she turns her radiant smile on me.

“Jasmine, this is Gabrielle Hunter,” Liam says. “She’s a sous-chef here at Renaldo’s.”

Gabrielle’s tall for a woman. Her beautiful red hair hangs in a single braid down her back. Her round face is freckled, and her eyes are a startling shade of green.

Then to Gabrielle, Liam says, “This is Jasmine Grant, my girlfriend.”

I’m nervous because I have no idea what she knows about me, or what she thinks of me.

Gabrielle’s smile widens. “It’s about time a smart young woman managed to snag this guy.” She winks at me. “I’ve heard you’re learning self-defense and Krav Maga, Jasmine. How exciting. I hope you’re enjoying your food this evening.”

“Yes, we are.” I relax a bit and return her smile. “Everything is delicious. Thank you.”

Gabrielle nods to Liam. “Well, I’ll leave you two alone to finish your entrees. I just wanted to pop out here to say hello. Your meals are on the house, by the way, so make sure you order dessert.” And then she returns to the kitchen.

When I meet Liam’s gaze, he extends his arm across the table. I lay my hand in his, and he squeezes it. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Yes. Gabrielle’s really nice.”

He nods. “She is. And she’s a very talented chef. She’ll probably be running this place one day.”

Liam raises his glass of wine. “How about a toast? To the future,” he says. “To us.”

After we finish our meals, we follow Gabrielle’s advice and order dessert. I opt for the Tiramisu. I’ve heard about this dessert but had never tried it. Liam gets the cannolis.

When our desserts arrive, he holds up one of the little cannolis. “Here, have a bite.”

He holds it for me as I bite into it. “Oh, that’s good,” I say, laughing as the cream oozes out. Then I offer him a taste of my Tiramisu.

“We’re so cute,” I say as he tries my dessert. I’m smiling so much my cheeks hurt.

When it’s time to leave, we collect our coats, and the parking attendant brings the Jeep around for us. It’s snowing a little harder now, filling the night sky with sparkling flakes of white. The snow covers the sidewalks and buildings, and everything looks pristine and beautiful.

Once we’re home, we walk into the bedroom, and Liam unbuttons my dress. As it slides off me, his eyes widen when he sees the cream-colored silk panty and bra set I’m wearing.

“I splurged a little,” I admit, blushing at the way he’s staring.

“You go right ahead and splurge all you want,” he says.

He pulls me close and kisses me, his mouth hot and hungry on mine. Then he lifts me up and sits me on his dresser. He nudges my knees apart and steps between them, pulling me close to the edge. He’s so close I can feel his erection through his trousers.

One of the biggest surprises that has come from my relationship with Liam is that I can enjoy sex. In the beginning, I was so afraid I wouldn’t be able to—that my life on the streets had ruined me for intimacy. I was also afraid that my scarred body would turn off a partner. But Liam sees my scars as a badge of courage. He says they symbolize what I endured.

Now I’m comfortable around him in my bare skin. I love how he looks at me—with hunger and need. Like he can’t get enough. He looks at me like I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.

Liam’s hands come up to cup my face. “Did you enjoy our dinner date this evening?”

Nodding, I run my hands up and down his upper arms, enjoying the feel of his hard biceps beneath my fingers. “It was lovely. Thank you.”

His gaze darkens as it drops to my cleavage. He unfastens the front clasp of my bra and watches as the cups fall aside. With his index finger, he traces a careful circle around my flower tattoo. “This is healing nicely.”

I lean forward and kiss him. His fingers slip up into my hair, and he holds me close. Our kiss deepens. He drops his hands and cups my ass, pulling me against him, letting me feel his hardness. “I want to eat you up,” he says with a smile. “I can’t ever get enough.”

I loosen his tie and pull it off. Then I start unbuttoning his shirt. No matter how handsome he looks in his suit, I’d much rather be looking at his bare chest and those lean, chiseled muscles.

My bra ends up on the floor at our feet, along with his shirt and tie. He slips a finger inside my panties and encounters my slick desire.

He groans. “These are in my way,” he says, and then he carefully tears my delicate panties in half.

“Hey, those are new!” I complain, laughing as I fight a grin. “I bought them just for this evening.”

“And they served their purpose beautifully. But right now I need them gone, and I’m too impatient to let you undress properly. I’ll buy you more. I’ll buy you all the panties you want if you promise to let me rip them off you.”

And then he unfastens his trousers, shoves them down along with his boxers, and steps closer. His erection defies gravity, thick and heavy as it lifts in the air. Liam grabs a condom packet from the top dresser drawer, rips it open, and rolls the condom on.

Holding my gaze steady, he fists his erection and brings it to my opening. “I love you,” he says.

I smile. “I love you, too.”

“I loved you first,” he counters.

Grinning, I lean in and kiss him. “I sincerely doubt that. I fell in love with you in that dark alley when you first rescued me. You were a real-life knight in shining armor. What girl doesn’t dream of having one of those?”

He brushes my cheek with his thumb. “You started out as a damsel in distress but you became the kickass heroine of your own story. When the time came, you rescued yourself.”

As Liam slowly guides himself into me, our gazes lock, and we lose ourselves in each other’s eyes. He rocks forward slowly, gently sliding into me an inch at a time until he’s fully seated. I wrap my legs around his waist.

Holding me securely, Liam moves us to the bed, lying me down, and then coming down over me. He rocks into me, slowly at first, then more forcefully. I dig my heels into his ass, urging him on. The feeling of him inside me is exquisite. His mouth locks onto mine as we move together, breathe together.

His thumb slips between my legs, and he strokes my clit in steady, relentless circles. He knows my body so well, and he’s such a generous lover. He always makes sure I come before he does.

Before long, pleasure builds deep in my core until it sweeps through me, lighting up my nerve endings. I cry out, a high-pitched breathy sound that Liam drinks in. He follows me immediately, his own orgasm making his back bow as he surges into me with a rough, deep cry of his own.

He pulls me close, wrapping me in his strong arms, and we rest for a moment, just enjoying the closeness. When he eventually pulls out, we finish undressing, then head to the bathroom to dispose of the condom and clean up.

Once we’re back in bed, naked beneath the covers, we lie quietly in each other’s arms, enjoying the closeness and warmth of our bodies.

Liam presses a kiss to my temple. “Sweet dreams, Jasmine,” he whispers.

He’s well aware of the bad dreams that sometimes haunt my sleep. It’s been better lately now that Tony and his men are in jail awaiting trial. The judge decided they were all flight risks given the number and the severity of the charges and denied them bail. Based on the extensive evidence that’s been collected since my escape and subsequent rescue, Troy is convinced that they’ll get life in prison. Tony destroyed so many lives—all those poor girls who never got their chance at freedom.

As I roll to my side, Liam spoons me from behind. His strong arm wraps around my waist, a symbol of his strength and protection.

Just as I’m dozing off, the last thing I hear is his whisper, “I love you best.”