Chapter 24 – Liam
“Y ou’ve resorted to bribery now, huh?” I say, stepping into the kitchen. The delicious smoky aroma of roasted pork has my mouth watering, and it makes me that much more aggravated with my father for making me late.
She’s at the kitchen island chopping something, her shoulders shaking with giggles. “Never underestimate my desire to find out what you’re plotting with my passport, Mr. Culver. Eventually, I’ll draw it out of you.”
“Yes, eventually.” Sooner than she might suspect, too. Our trip is next week. But, I’ve persuaded Miles to clear her calendar without tipping her off, got Ivy assembling the perfect getaway wardrobe and begged Wendy and Nell to help ensure I’ve not overlooked any detail.
“I’m supposed to cook tonight,” I say, stepping up behind her, my fingertips brushing over the knot of her ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron.
I’d love to kiss her every night when I come home from work, every inch of her.
I’d love to undo this knot and slip my hands down the front of her leggings.
I’d make her come for me and eat her for dessert before we have our first bite of dinner.
But, she’s asked to go slow and I’m respecting that.
“I know it’s supposed to be an instructional night in the kitchen, but it was getting late.”
Juliana’s an excellent cook and I asked her to help me become a better one.
She shouldn’t have to do all the cooking, especially as her pregnancy progresses and once the baby arrives, or be forced to eat the crap I usually make or take-out all the time.
Thus, three times a week, I’m getting cooking lessons.
When I said I wanted to take care of her, I meant that.
“Dad caught me at the elevator before I could head home to complain about the board and our CFO. The usual BS.”
“Was he being impossible again?” she asks, reading the tension in my voice I’m trying to conceal.
“When isn’t he impossible?” He’s been a terror lately and everyone at Culver is a target, including yours truly. No matter how I try to placate him, I don’t succeed. No one can. But, even he can’t keep me in a bad mood whenever I’m with her.
“Have you told him about our news yet?” she asks, her hand dropping downward. There’s a slight swell now that can still be easily concealed by looser clothes but I’m cognizant of that beautiful baby bump 24/7.
“No, not yet. I’d rather tell my parents when they’re together and I’d rather not spend any extra time around him right now. I’m sorry I kept you waiting for your meal.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Yes, but you’re eating for two.” She has a dollop of something dark purple on her chin as she turns toward me with a sunny smile. I’m certain she doesn’t realize it and my lips twitch.
Placing my hands on her hips, I let my thumbs slip inside the apron and brush over her abdomen where her shirt rides up.
All my aggravations from the office disappear as I drink her in.
Beyond the bump, the only noticeable body change is her breast size now that she’s not battling nausea all the time.
My mouth waters some more and my cock twitches, too.
It’s amazing I’m not walking around with a constant hard-on.
“What’s the sauce?” I ask, whisking the purple stuff off her chin.
She chuckles but then licks her lips when I suck it off my thumb. “Plum chipotle sauce.”
“Plums, huh?” She grins at my knowing tone. At almost thirteen weeks, our baby is nearly the size of one. “Sounds like this dish is beyond my skill set. ”
“You’ll work your way up to roasted pork in no time, but how about we move your lesson to tomorrow night and make this a movie night instead?” Her cheeks turn a delectable shade of pink with her question.
As agreed, we’re taking things slow, but Juliana suggested we have a movie night once a week after our heart-to-heart at Sable a couple of weeks ago.
We take turns choosing what to watch, but we could watch the weather for all I care because I quickly learned that movie night equals make-out night. Yep, no way I’m avoiding a hard-on now.
I can barely focus on how good dinner tastes when I’m counting down the seconds until we sit down together on the sofa in my darkened living room.
I clean up the kitchen at record speed while she picks something we’ll only pretend to watch.
The opening credits have barely ended when I pull her into my lap, claiming her lips and then nuzzling her throat.
I’m already so hard I’m likely going to embarrass myself before the movie ends.
Oh well. Need to run some laundry later anyway.
“Liam?” she murmurs, running her fingers through my hair and setting every single nerve-ending there on fire.
“Mmm-hmm.” I nip her earlobe, tracing her hairline with my forefinger and loving the way she shudders from my touch.
“Were you watching porn last night?”
My hands still and my earlobe nipping ends. “What?”
Her nose scrunches up in the most adorable expression of discomfort I’ve ever witnessed. “I was walking past your door last night after I got up-”
“Because the barbeque sauce gave you heartburn and you needed to sit up for a while. I remember. We won’t buy that brand again.”
She smirks. “Are you taking notes?”
“Naturally. I wasn’t watching porn last night, but I’d love to know what led you to ask.” Not like I never watch porn. Research for the club and all. But, none of it can turn me on the way simply kissing the lady in my lap does.
“I heard… moaning.” She glances away before burying her fa ce in the crook of my neck. “Shoot me now. It doesn’t matter if you were. I was just curious and then curious if waiting for more with me was making you-”
I press a finger to her lips, understanding how she tends to overthink things. “I wasn’t watching porn. I’ve been watching instructional videos.”
“Was it ‘How to make women moan?’ Because I think you’ve already mastered that.”
My grin is unrepentantly smug, but I cradle her closer to my chest. “I was learning about birth partner massage techniques during the later stages of pregnancy and labor. One of the dad books mentioned it, and that class we attended didn’t.
” Her eyes grow wide. “The women in the video tended to be rather vocal about back rubs so I guess it sounded… interesting. I just want to do my part.” Her eyes are watering now.
Shit. “Obviously, I’m just along for the ride.
Rubbing someone’s back is a far cry from pushing a baby out of your body and-”
This time, she’s the one pressing a finger against my lips. “Have I told you how much I love that you want to learn so much?”
The question is rhetorical, and it makes me ludicrously happy. My chest feels like it’s expanding with every breath. It aches, but it’s a good ache. “I love learning. I love knowing anything that will help me help you with the birth and the baby.”
“Liam, would you show me what you learned?”
Movie make-out night soon achieves a new level of torment.
I pull the ottoman over to the sofa, turning it so we can both straddle it like a horse. “Should I…” She trails off, pointing to her top.
“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Turns out, she’s comfortable with the top off. I may not survive this. She’s got her bra on but there’s still so much lovely skin on display.
“Uh… take a seat.” Juliana dutifully takes a seat between my thighs once I’m in position. “Lean forward just a bit… on your elbows.” She does. Even with the leggings on, her ass is inches from my cock. Fuck me.
“This will be a bit trickier when my belly is bigger.”
“I’ll get us a special chair or bench if necessary.”
The instant I say the word, my mind goes right to that night at Sable. Hers must, too, because she glances over her shoulder at me, a mischievous grin forming. “What kind of bench, Liam?”
“Fucking hell, you’ve gotta behave for me, honey,” I warn her. She laughs, enjoying this, the minx. How am I supposed to focus on massage techniques now? But, I do. I want to show her I’m committed to being a helpmate when the time comes.
The massage itself is gentle, meant to ease her aches and relax her.
With closed fists, I knead her shoulders, drawing forth lovely moans before long.
My fingers start a squeezing motion on her neck next.
Her head droops forward and all the tension seems to leave her body.
I make careful circular motions with my thumbs along her lower back, relishing those dimples on either side of her spine.
I want to kiss them. Hell, I want to lick every inch of her.
“Liam…”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Don’t stop.”
I could drive nails with my dick right now, but nothing will stop me from doing as the lady says.
Every moan and whimper of relaxation is a triumph, something to savor.
If only I could be earning them in other ways, too.
Slow, slow, slow, I chant to myself. Maybe once she’s tired of the massage, we can return to kissing.
In the end though, the massage has a somniferous effect on Juliana.
Her moans trail off and she slumps forward on her elbows completely, snoring softly.
Grinning to myself, I shut off the movie.
I didn’t get to kiss her until our lips were swollen tonight, but I’ll take this.
“Come on, sleepyhead,” I murmur, lifting her off the ottoman.
Her eyelids are heavy when she smiles up at me. “Sorry. I guess I’m tired.”
“Because you’re growing another human inside you. No apologies or you get tickled, Jules. Let me carry you to bed.” She doesn’t argue. Her fingers curl into my shirt and that fierce protectiveness roars through my blood yet again.
Besides the fragrance she wears, some other aroma fills her bedroom this evening. It’s not the lemony bath products. Christ, that night I helped her shower is my favorite fantasy to relive when I’m in the shower and beating off to thought of Juliana.
Am I nuts or does it smell like something blueberry in here? “Oh fuck,” I mutter when I realize it is indeed blueberries I’m smelling. The bottle of blueberry-flavored lube I’d found online and gave her at the club is sitting on her nightstand… along with her vibrator.
Pressing her face against my chest, her whole body shakes with laughter. “Sorry. I was home early and didn’t mean to leave that out.”
“What did I say about apologies, Jules?” She knows better than to fear my menacing growl as I lay her down on the bed, but her eyes pop open and she starts to squirm. “Are you going to tickle me, Liam?”
“Maybe… or maybe you’ll let me help you out the next time you want to come instead.”