4. Chapter 4
~ELLIE~
“ A nticipation is everything,” I mutter, mimicking Liam from yesterday as I stare at myself in the mirror. I’ve brushed my long, blond hair at least six times. I can’t get the memory of Liam and his hard body almost pressed to me on that bridge, his face so close to mine, out of my mind. I wanted him to kiss me more than I wanted my next breath.
In the privacy of my own home, I can admit that I almost grabbed his face and pulled him to me. Kissed him silly.
Well, I would have, if I’d known how.
Instead, I stood there like a ninny as he casually walked away from me as if nothing at all had happened.
My body hasn’t stopped humming since, and he didn’t even touch me.
“But he’s going to,” I remind myself with a wink. “He’s going to very soon.”
Because he gave me his word, and I don’t think Liam’s the kind of chap to go back on a promise.
Tonight, I’m in a light, breezy summer dress for dinner at Liam’s cousin’s house. I know I was only invited because I’m on Liam’s detail, but I’m glad to go because I’m curious to meet his family.
I don’t know why I’m so interested in my bodyguard, but I am. And for the next month, I can be as curious as I like.
I hear a knock as I step into my sandals.
I reach for my small Chanel handbag and open the door.
Liam’s eyes immediately make a swift sweep over me, from top to bottom, and I feel my cheeks flush.
“It’s just dinner,” he says.
“I know.”
“There’s no need to wear a dress.”
I smile, noticing that he’s dressed down in a pair of cargo shorts and a simple black T-shirt.
“Dresses are all I have,” I say as he leads me down the stairs.
“I’ve seen you in things other than dresses.”
“When I’m home, I can wear what I like. But if I’m going out, it’s a dress or a skirt. I’ve never gone out in anything else. It’s expected.”
He doesn’t say anything for a moment as we walk past the main house to where Liam’s personal car is parked by the guest house. He opens the back door, but I shake my head.
“I can sit up front with you.”
He glances my way. “You usually ride in the back.”
“But this isn’t the official car. It’s your car. I’d like to sit with you.”
He doesn’t reply, just shuts the door, and then opens the passenger side. “Your Highness.”
I sit and put on my seatbelt. Once he’s settled in the driver’s seat, I shift to look at him.
“What’s wrong with you?”
His jaw is clenched, and his knuckles are white on the steering wheel. He’s agitated.
Perhaps even angry.
“Nothing.”
“Wrong answer. First of all, I’m Ellie, remember?”
He sighs.
“And you’re angry. I’ve barely seen you today, so I’m not sure what in the world I could have done to make you cross.”
He sighs again and then takes a deep breath, visibly relaxing.
“If it upsets you so much to bring me this evening, you should have said so.”
“It’s fine.” He clears his throat. “It’s not you, or dinner tonight. I’m sorry for being a dick.”
“You’re not a dick.” My lips twitch at the word. “You can talk to me if you like.”
He shakes his head. “I’m okay.”
“So, we’ll have sex, but we won’t talk? Good to know.”
He swiftly pulls to the side of the road. “I haven’t decided when we’ll have sex.”
“But you said?—”
“That we’d do it my way,” he interrupts. He looks frustrated, his brown eyes on fire. “And, yes, we’ll talk. But damn it, Ellie, this is new to me. I didn’t ask for you to decide that we should give in to this chemistry. It’s a bad idea. Every instinct is screaming at me that this is the worst idea I’ve ever had.”
“I’m flattered.” I’m hurt. He doesn’t have to do anything. Including me.
“Jesus.” He rubs the bridge of his nose. “I warned you that I’m not a nice person.”
“You can take me home if having me with you is such a trial.”
He shakes his head again, watches the traffic pass by, and finally reaches over and takes my hand in his, surprising me.
“I had a bad day.”
“I’m sorry that you had a bad day.”
I wait. I don’t know him very well yet, but I have a feeling that Liam’s the kind of person who will tell me what’s on his mind when he’s good and ready. His gesture of taking my hand is sweet, the touch comforting.
“A man I knew from the Army died this morning.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Liam. You have my deepest condolences.”
He nods. “He was only thirty-four. A good soldier. A nice guy.”
I swallow and bring his hand up. His skin is warm and smooth against my lips.
“Was he in an accident?”
“No.” He pulls away. I can feel the wall settling back into place, just like that. “He killed himself. He couldn’t stand the nightmares anymore.”
I gasp, watching Liam closely. “My God, Liam.”
“Yeah, well. He wasn’t the first. He probably won’t be the last. But I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
“I’m sure Lauren wouldn’t mind if we reschedule dinner.”
“I’d like to go.” He puts his car back in gear. “If you still want to go.”
“Of course.”
He nods and pulls back onto the street, passing the park where we walked yesterday and then pulls into a long driveway.
The house is large, and I live in some big homes. It’s white with columns on the front porch and black shutters flanking each window.
“It’s a lovely home.”
Liam nods, looking at it. “My grandfather built it.”
“Really?”
“Our great-grandparents helped to establish Cunningham Falls. This property has been in the family for three generations now. I used to spend summers here when I was a kid.”
“It looks like it was a fun place to be.”
“We loved it.”
He climbs out of the car, opens my door, and leads me up the steps of the porch. Before he can ring the bell, a little girl with red hair and a happy, toothless smile flings open the door.
“Liam!” she exclaims. “Mom! Liam’s here.”
“Who are you?” Liam demands as the little one flings herself into his arms. He holds her up high and buries his face in her neck, blowing raspberries. “I don’t know you. You’re too big.”
“I’m Layla.” She giggles with delight.
“Hi,” Lauren says as she hurries to the door, a crying toddler in her arms. “I planned to be way more proper when you arrived, but Asa just fell, and Ty had to take a call, and well…here we are.”
“I’m Ellie,” I say, completely charmed by Liam’s pretty cousin. It’s not at all what I’m used to when meeting new people, and it’s a complete breath of fresh air. “What can I do to help?”
“Come see my princess room,” Layla says. “Please? Mommy said you’re a real princess.”
“I am,” I reply as Liam lowers Layla to her feet.
“My God, what are we doing on the front porch?” Lauren says. “See? I’m a mess. Come inside.”
She steps back and ushers us into a grand foyer with its large table full of fresh flowers.
“You have a lovely home.”
“Thank you,” Lauren replies. Asa watches me with big, tear-filled eyes.
“Sorry,” a man says as he hurries into the room. “There’s always a fire to put out somewhere.”
He shakes Liam’s hand.
“This is Pr—” Liam begins, but I shake my head.
“I’m Ellie,” I say with a smile. Ty holds out his hand to shake mine, taking me off guard. But he doesn’t know protocol. I take his hand and shake it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“We’re happy to have you. Come on in. We’re pretty casual around here.”
“Ty’s about to put the steaks on the grill. How do you take yours, Ellie?”
“Oh, medium, please.”
I frown as we walk through the house to the kitchen that’s open to the living space.
I don’t know why it surprises me that they don’t have a chef. Sebastian and Nina don’t keep a chef on staff.
Most people don’t.
Suddenly, I discover that Liam was right. I’m overdressed for the occasion, as everyone else is in casual summer clothes, and I’m wearing a dress appropriate for a summer garden party.
“Mommy, can I please show Ellie my room?” Layla asks with pleading eyes.
“Sweetheart, let’s give Ellie a few minutes, okay?”
“I don’t mind,” I offer. It’s true. Layla is adorable. “I have a niece and a nephew. I like children.”
“Come on!” Layla takes my hand and pulls me up the stairs to her bedroom. It’s a big space with an en suite bath. The child wasn’t lying.
Her bed is shaped like Cinderella’s coach with flowy, white curtains hanging from the canopy. There’s plenty of pink in here, but the colors are muted and soft.
“This is a beautiful room, indeed. I can see why you love it so much.”
“Does your room look like this?” she asks.
“Well, it was similar to this when I was a little girl,” I admit. “Are those paper dolls?”
“Yeah, my aunt Jillian got them for me for my birthday.”
I sit on the floor next to Layla, and we get lost in the world of make-believe and paper fashions.
“I like them.”
It’s dark now, and we’re driving back to Sebastian’s house. We spent hours with Lauren and Ty and the girls, chatting and laughing. Eating delicious food. Watching the children and their antics.
“I do, too.”
“Did you see when Asa just climbed right up in my lap?”
“The kids took a shine to you,” he says with a smile. “In fact, I’d say they all did.”
“Well, the feeling is mutual. It’s nice to meet new people and make new friends. Lauren invited me to lunch, and she’s an author, Liam.”
“I know.” He smiles over at me.
“I love to read. She gave me this to start with.” I run my hands over the pretty book in my lap. “I’ll start it straight away.”
He parks his car and escorts me down to the boathouse.
I’m hoping, with all my might, that tonight is the night. Because he’s been nearby all evening, and I’ve had perpetual goose flesh. I want him to touch me and do things to me that I can’t even imagine yet.
“Would you like to come up?”
He pauses at the door, and just when I think he’s going to say no, he nods. “For a bit.”
Hello, butterflies. These are new. I’m rarely nervous around people, and certainly not around men.
But Liam is no ordinary man. He’s handsome and mysterious. And even though he laughed and was perfectly fine all evening, I could see the little bit of sadness still in his eyes.
I drop my bag on the kitchen table along with my new book and walk to the refrigerator. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No. Thanks.”
I fill a glass with water for myself. My stomach still can’t stand the idea of wine. But I need something for my suddenly dry throat.
I sit on the couch, expecting Liam to sit next to me, but he takes the chair instead.
“Thank you for allowing me to join you this evening.”
He’s watching me, his hands still on the arms of the chair.
Liam’s the most intense man I’ve ever met.
And my father is a king.
“What are you thinking?” I ask.
Liam’s lips twitch. He leans forward. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m wondering why you’re not sitting on this sofa with me.”
He licks his lips and then stands. With his eyes on mine, he slowly walks across the few feet that separate us. He doesn’t sit next to me. No, that would be too easy. Too ordinary.
And Liam is anything but ordinary.
This man takes a knee in front of me and reaches out to gently tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. His brown eyes are hot, traveling over my face. When they land on my lips, he takes a shallow breath and licks his own, making me long for him more.
His fingertips travel lightly over my skin, down to my collarbone, and then he cups my cheek in one hand and leans in to kiss me.
It’s over before it begins.
A peck on the mouth, and nothing more.
“I should go,” he says.
“Are you playing games with me?” I blurt.
He frowns. “No.”
“Liam, this is ridiculous. I’m not fifteen. I’m a woman, and you’re treating me like?—”
“Like what, Ellie?” He leans in again, his eyes on mine. “How exactly would you like me to treat you?”
“You know what I want,” I whisper.
“And we’ll get there. But I’m not going to carry you into that bedroom, strip you bare, and fuck you into the mattress. You’re worth a hell of a lot more than that.”
I blink rapidly, distraught at the thought of crying in front of him.
“Don’t turn on the tears.”
“I’m not.” I shake my head. “I won’t feel ashamed for wanting you.”
“I’m not shaming you.” His hand is gentle as he cups my cheek again. “And I’m not trying to treat you like a child. I’m trying to pace myself because I want to fuck you into the mattress.”
“You do?” I sound ridiculously hopeful, even to my own ears.
He smiles, a rare expression that would knock a woman on her bum from ten paces. “I’ll be fighting the urge to come in here and do exactly that all night. But we’ll get there. Anticipation, remember?”
“I hate your bloody anticipation.”
“That makes two of us.” He kisses my forehead and then my lips again before he stands. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
He heads to the stairs.
“Liam?”
“Yeah?” He turns back expectantly.
“You know the code to the door. If you ever want to?—”
“You’re killing me, Princess,” he mutters as he keeps walking to the door. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
I’m all smiles now, despite the sexual tension humming along every nerve ending. He wants me. He’s trying to be chivalrous.
“You’re leaving me?”
Nina laughs as she passes me a can of Coke from her fridge. I came over to the main house to have lunch with my brother and sister-in-law.
“Only for a couple of weeks,” Sebastian says. “We’ll be back soon.”
“Where are you going?”
“Africa,” Nina says. “I’m nervous. It’s my first time.”
“Oh, it’s lovely. You’ll enjoy it.”
I glance out the windows and see one of the patrol boats making its way to the dock.
“You know,” Nina says, “I’m surprised we haven’t had more paparazzi around. Especially with you here, Ellie.”
“No one knows I’m here,” I say and shrug. “Except the family. I’ve kept it pretty low-key. And I’m not expected at any functions until the state dinner next month.”
“We’ll be taking Charles and Nick with us,” Sebastian says. “That leaves just Liam and the ancillary staff for security here.”
“I’ll be fine. Honest. Absolutely no one knows I’m here.”
“Yet,” Nina says. “Because, eventually, someone will snap a picture of you and post it on social media.”
“I’ll stay close to home. I love it here. I’ll also stick close to Liam.”
In more ways than you know.
“See that you do,” Sebastian says, always the protective big brother.
“I won’t be naughty,” I say, lying through my teeth. “I hope you have fun in Africa.”
“Enjoy your downtime,” Nina says. “I’m sure the girls will check in on you so you won’t be lonely.”
“I’ll be fine. Wait. Will I have to cook for myself?”
Sebastian and Nina share a look. “Well, we can hire a chef to bring in your dinners if you want,” Nina says.
“All I need is groceries,” I tell them. “I can cook.”
“Since when?” Sebastian wants to know.
“I’ve spent many hours with Chef at the palace, and I took some private classes. I can cook just fine, thank you.”
“I didn’t know that,” Nina says. “We can certainly have groceries delivered. That’s not a problem.”
“Then it looks like I won’t die of starvation, I have this beautiful place to spend time in, and I’m well protected. Thank you for thinking of me.”
“We’re glad you’re here,” Nina says. “Enjoy it. Everyone needs a true vacation once in a while.”
“I plan to enjoy every minute of it,” I inform them. “When do you leave?”
“This evening,” Sebastian says.
“I’d better pack.” Nina hops off her stool.
“We have people?—”
“To do that for me, I know,” Nina says, rolling her eyes. “But there are some things that I’d like to pick myself, thank you very much.”
She kisses him as she walks past on her way to their bedroom suite.
“You could come with us,” Sebastian offers.
“No.”
“You always loved Africa.”
“I do love it,” I concede. “But I’m on holiday, and it’s quite lovely. But thank you for asking. You and Nina will enjoy it, and I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
“I’m worried about you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t even know why you’re here,” he says, and it occurs to me that I haven’t explained what happened that made me come to Montana. So, I tell him the story. When I’m done, he’s frowning.
“He thought he could bully his way into our family?”
“He did. And he was dead wrong.”
“We really need to reinstate beheadings,” Sebastian mumbles.
“That might be extreme.”
“It’s kind,” he says. “Because I’d rather take him out and have him drawn and quartered. Beheading is too quick.”
“He didn’t rape me or anything.”
Sebastian’s eyes go ice-cold. “He would be dead if he had.”
“I know.”
He sighs. “You’re really going to be okay here?”
“Yes. I’m not a baby anymore, you know.”
“I know that. You’re just not usually a solitary person. You prefer the company of others.”
“Maybe that’s been my problem. Perhaps I need to be here alone for a while, do some thinking, get reacquainted with myself. Or…for the first time, rather.”
“Enjoy it.” He hugs me close. “And let any of us know if you need anything.”
“Thank you. I won’t.”
“Stubborn woman.”
“Independent.” I poke him in the ribs, making him wince. “I’m an independent woman.”
“So you are. And a bully at that.”
“You deserved it.”