16. Callie

In one text, my unexpectedly lovely afternoon with Liam had soured.

Walking out of the part, Eli Talbot had sent one text that left my heart pounding and each breath scraping in my ears.

ELI: I’ll be calling you tomorrow, Callie. After you’ve celebrated your mother’s birthday. It’s about time we talked about arranging your repayment.

I shouldn’t have been surprised that he knew my mother’s birthday; after all, he was rich enough to know everything about me. Still, it was cold and slimy to think of him going anywhere near her, and I did what I could to put those thoughts out of my mind. It was more difficult than I was prepared for, especially since Liam noticed.

Not long after we entered his penthouse, he sent Marie off to wash up from the park and cornered me in the kitchen.

“Callie?”

“Mhm?” Being near him was so surreal. There was a strange disconnect between my desire to be with him, Kane, and Sawyer and what my life was turning out to be with Eli. One felt like a dream but I couldn’t decide if they were the dream or Eli was the nightmare. Waking up would risk losing one of them, and I couldn’t choose.

“What’s wrong?”

I turned my back on him and slid the birthday cake for my mother into his fridge. “Nothing, I’m good.”

“Are you sure?” Liam didn’t touch me but his presence lingered behind me, a comforting warmth that I wanted to sink into but couldn’t. It was too risky.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Fixing my best fake smile onto my face, I closed the door and spun around. “Honestly.”

“You didn’t look fine when we were leaving the park. You looked like someone had given you terrible news.” His brows pinched together and his boyish good looks turned serious. “Is there anything you need?”

Once again, the urge to come clean rose up like vomit. Could I tell Liam? He had a wild past and had been reckless in his youth. Maybe he would understand more than Sawyer would. Then again, he had a child to think about. Marie would come first, and my truth would be a one-stop ticket on the crazy train.

I wouldn’t want to be around myself, and if I were him, I definitely wouldn’t want my child around someone who had gained the weird attention of Eli Talbot.

“I’m just hungry.” Not a total lie. “It’s been a long day, and all this stuff with my Mom just has me hoping for a really good day tomorrow, that’s all.”

Liam didn’t look like he believed me, and even though his attention finally broke away from me, the worry remained in his eyes.

“If you’re sure,” he said softly. “You know you can talk to me.”

“I know.” My fake smile wavered. He was so nice—too nice—and I didn’t deserve it. Instead, I focused on Bianca’s theory that whatever Eli asked for couldn’t be that bad. Maybe it would even be something easy, and then my mother’s care would be secure.

“Daddy!” The tension broke as Marie came running into the kitchen with her cheeks pink from scrubbing. “I’m starving!”

And just like that, we moved on.

Sorting dinner was far more fun than I expected. We debated lightly amongst ourselves about what everyone was hungry for. Liam was easy, while Marie wanted Lasagna. Sadly, a good one would take far too long to make, so we went for something much easier: spaghetti with a meat sauce and more cheese than anyone should be allowed to eat.

Liam was in charge of the meat sauce while Marie and I worked on the pasta. With permission, I showed her how to test if the pasta was ready by throwing it at the white tiles on the wall to see if it would stick. More spaghetti than was needed ended up on the wall, but Marie’s laughter made it all worth it. Even more so when she launched a few strands at her father and a messy food fight broke out.

In the end, we had to boil a second batch of spaghetti, and I was still finding strands in my hair by the time we grated a boatload of cheese to go on top.

There was something so sweetly normal about this that I found myself craving more. My mind ran with itself, wondering what life would be like if I hadn’t met Eli. If I could throw myself into this strange relationship and really enjoy things then maybe my future would be good.

Loading up the plates, we ate dinner in the open-plan dining room, which was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. It reminded me of the view from Sawyer’s office, only we were much higher up. All the cars down below looked like ants, and if I squinted, even the buildings looked like sparklers from the lights blurring together.

Liam said the apartment belonged to Sawyer, but he’d been living here ever since they returned to the city and they both loved it. After eating, Marie showed me the one window that she was allowed to draw on with water markers. The window was near one of the light towers that shone through all her paintings and created a patchwork of colors on the oak floors. It was beautiful, and after some quiet discussion, I added my own drawing to the collection.

I drew a cake since it was the one thing that had brought us together today.

By the time bedtime rolled around, Marie was almost asleep in my arms, so I carried her to bed while Liam dealt with cleanup. Tucking her into bed, I read her a chapter from the storybook she was reading and then kissed her forehead.

“Goodnight,” I said softly. “Have the sweetest dreams.”

“I hope we get to see you all the time now,” Marie murmured.

“What do you mean?”

“Dad says we’re going to be living here,” she yawned. “And I like you so I hope we see you lots.”

I kissed her goodnight once more, then left the room and headed back down the hallway. Liam was already in the lounge with two glasses of red wine in hand. The moment he noticed me, he offered me one, and I took it gladly. It was back to being just the two of us and I had a desire to return to our previous topic of conversation.

“Marie said you’re going to be staying here permanently?” I asked, immediately distracting with a different topic.

Liam smiled over the lip of his glass. “I’m considering it, although, from the sounds of things, she wants it to be definite.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” I took a few sips. “Having her support with it must be good.”

“It is,” he nodded, pacing slowly in front of the windows and half staring out. “I want what’s best for her and at first, I thought that was keeping her away from the city. She’d had a small house with her mother and I wanted to replicate that kind of home. But now?” He puffed out his cheeks and smiled.

“Being back here, there’s something so satisfying about it. Being back around my old life, seeing all my friends again. Being in the city and seeing it through her eyes, seeing her happy.”

Liam spoke with such warmth in his voice that I wandered closer, wanting to soak up some of those good feelings.

“It’s all I could ask for. It helps too, that the women are gorgeous.” Liam paused and swiveled to face me. “Well, one woman.”

I laughed softly, and my cheeks warmed. His words fed into my greedy need for a distraction and the comfort he offered.

It was the perfect thing to take my mind off of Eli.

“One woman?” I asked coyly, drinking slowly. “She sounds interesting. What is she like?”

“Well.” Liam set his glass aside, then took mine from my hand with his fingertips lingering on my writ. That touch turned into a light grasp that pulled me closer. “She’s absolutely beautiful. She has long brown hair. Stunning eyes that look gold in the sun. Full pink lips. Supple, soft skin.”

He punctuated every sentence with a kiss. My lips. My cheek. The hinge of my jaw.

“She smells like fruit and vanilla. Some kind of berry too. She has this amazing curvy body and when she laughs, I feel like I can take on the world.”

His kisses moved from my throat to my bare shoulder where his teeth snagged the strap of my summer dress. He slipped it from my shoulder, then used his fingers to do the same with the other strap.

“She sounds… unreal,” I murmured breathlessly.

“You have no idea.”

As my dress slipped from my body, leaving me in a black bra and panties, Liam gripped my shoulders and pulled me close as he kissed me deeply. Our lips slid together, weaving over one another as we kissed and gasped, then kissed some more. He moved, and I moved until my back was pressed up against the cold glass of the window. The touch was alarming against my heated skin, and I gasped.

“She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Liam’s teeth snagged on my lower lip and pulled until the elasticity of my lip caused it to slip from his teeth. “The most beautiful woman I’ve ever tasted.”

I blinked and Liam was on his knees, pulling my panties down and then sliding one of my legs over his shoulder. He situated himself beneath me, and I was forced to balance on the tip toes of my other foot. His hot breath ghosted over my pussy, causing my core to clench and a rush of damp heat swept south.

“Fuck,” I gasped, struggling to keep my balance. I had nothing to hold onto, and when Liam’s mouth delved into the sweet heat of my pussy, I could only scrabble against the glass and pray I wouldn’t fall.

Liam moaned deeply. His tongue lapped through me in powerful strokes, and each one sent me higher and higher. Soon, the cold glass was nothing more than an afterthought and the ache in my calf didn’t matter. He was pulling me closer and closer to the edge with every lick, every kiss, and every strong suckle. He focused on each lip individually, teased my clit with the point of his tongue then thrust it inside me. He was trying to taste my deepest area and I wanted him too.

Moans fell from my parted lips in a breathless stream while his powerful grip on my thighs left my legs throbbing. I was close.

“Liam,” I whimpered. “I’m gonna?—”

My orgasm stole my words with my next breath. I came so hard that my eyes rolled back and my aching toes curled even harder. Liam moaned louder, and his tongue licked through me at a feverish pace to ease me through my pleasure.

It was incredible, and I was still breathless by the time he stood up and cupped my face.

“Turn around.”

I obeyed with little thought. Liam unclasped my bra and slid it free while I stared out the window. The heat from my body had left an outline of condensation, an outline that Liam then pressed me against as his own now naked body slid against mine.

His cock slid between the heat of my thighs, and Liam reached around my waist to hold me. As the ridge of his shaft pressed against my over-sensitive pussy, he nibbled at my ear lobe and moaned softly.

“I want someone to look up. Someone to look up and see how beautiful your naked body is pressed against the glass. I want them to watch as I take you apart.”

Liam kicked my legs apart so quickly that I barely had time to take a breath before he thrust his cock deep inside me. I pressed my palms flat against the glass and whimpered.

Then he started to fuck me.

It was insanely erotic to see the city spread out before me as Liam pounded into me. His moans were sharp. He crowded me against the glass so that I had no room to move myself. Seeing the lights and the buildings stretch out like a stone sea was surreal, especially when it felt like the glass could give way at any moment.

My stomach flipped, my heart raced and sweat caused me to slip against the glass. My stiff nipples were trapped in place, and I could only imagine how lewd this would look to anyone taking a roof stroll this late at night.

“Fuck,” Liam grunted against my shoulder between kisses. “You feel so fucking good. It’s like you were made for me, you know that? Fuck. Fuck you’re amazing!”

“Yes,” I gasped, moans ringing my words. “Made for you. I was made for you— fuck!”

We came together, overpowered by pleasure with the city at our feet. It was the most intense orgasm of my life, heightened by the fact that for a few long moments, it felt like we were floating together. Flying over the city with the world below us.

Liam repeatedly kissed me deeply, as he carried me away from the window and we collapsed together on the couch. Limbs tangled, and our bodies became one as exhaustion took over.

“I really should get home,” I murmured into his chest. “I have an early start.”

“Soon,” Liam coaxed softly, stroking my hair. “Rest first.”

I did have to leave, but before I knew it, Liam playing with my hair sent me to sleep so incredibly fast and nothing else mattered.

I awoke to the watery light of 4 a.m. trickling into the penthouse. We remained cuddled during the night, but Liam had nestled against the back of the couch, so it was easy for me to slip from his grasp and grab his clothes.

I wasn’t one to fuck and run but as soon as I woke up, nerves pained my gut. Eli slammed so hard back into my thoughts that I had consideration for nothing else.

I kissed Liam’s sleeping face, then slipped from the apartment, trying to sort myself into something presentable.

I had to confront Eli. He wanted to demand something from me today, and the only way I could stay in control was if I faced him down myself.

On my own terms.