Chapter 24
Britain
“Shut the fuck up!” Jess screams. I have to hold the phone away from my ear so I can retain my ability to hear. “Are you serious?!”
“Yes. Dead serious,” I say.
“I need photographic evidence. A picture of the ring, and Liam…I’ll wait.” I laugh, holding the speaker away from my mouth, “Babe! Can you come here? We need to take a picture.” He walks out onto the deck, two coffee cups in hand, his sweatpants sitting low on his hips. God, he’s my fucking weakness.
“You called?” he asks. I can hear Jess on the phone, “Is that Liam?” I ignore her, though.
“Can you take a picture with me? Jess doesn’t believe me.” His laugh is low and deep, “Of course.” He stands half behind me wrapping an arm around me, laying one of his hands over my abdomen, causing a low burn to start there, again. We take two pictures, one with me holding my hand up and one normal. I text them both to Jess, and he says, “Can you send those to me too, please?”
I nod, blushing, sending them to him, too. I put the phone back up to my ear in time to hear Jess, “Oh my god, you’re marrying a zaddy.” I can’t help the laughter that bursts out. Liam asks, “What’s so funny? I think this is a great picture.” He’s looking at it on his phone.
“Jess called you a zaddy,” I tell him, “Google it.” I laugh. Age gap things.
“How did he do it?”
“Well, um,” not sure what to say, Liam is sitting right next to me. “When I get back to Virginia, I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Sounds steamy,” Jess says, making me laugh. I’m so stupid happy, I’ve nearly forgotten about Georgia’s notebooks.
“So, not to be a killjoy, but I finally found out what happened between Georgia and Ray. It was in a notebook I read yesterday.” Liam reaches over, squeezing my knee for support. It’s hard to believe we were nearly strangers six weeks ago when he took me to dinner, putting his hand on my knee in the car.
“Yeah, and???”
“Ray nearly beat Georgia to death, then raped her when he found out she was leaving him for her boss, Constantine. So yeah, that’s how I was conceived.”
“Oh, babe, I’m so sorry.”
“That’s the first time I said that out loud. Feels weird. Zero stars, do not recommend.” I’m trying to laugh so I don’t cry, and I’ve got that queasy feeling again.
“Okay, say no more. I do just need to know, big wedding or elopement? My scheming starts today!” I look over at Liam. He can hear every word she says. We both silently mouth “elope,” and start laughing.
“It’s unanimous, elope.”
“Okay, eloping, but like also inviting a couple friends and your children. Sounds perfect.” Liam and I both laugh at Jess’ comment. “Guess I’ll let you two lovebirds get back to making babies or whatever it is you do. Eden’s screaming. Tommy doesn’t feed her right, ugh. Love you, babe.”
“Love you too, bye,” and she ends the call.
“I love that you have such a great best friend,” Liam says to me.
“Me, too.” I’m curious, “Who would you call your best friend?” He stiffens a little, dropping the smile.
“I would say Matt, but he’s, uh, not happy with me at the moment.” What?
“What? Why?”
“I really don’t want to ruin this morning, baby. Can we talk about it later?”
“Umm, no.”
“Okay,” he adjusts his posture, bracing himself. “I told him I was going to propose to you, and he told me not to call him again because he can’t think of me without wanting to slam his fist into my face.” What the fuck?
“I thought everything was fine when I asked you if he knew about me.”
“He knew that I was seeing someone, that I was in love, and it was serious. So, Matt did know about you, he just didn’t know it was you.”
“Liam, what the fuck?” I feel like I might be sick.
“Babe, I’m not going to lie to you, okay? I promised I’d tell you the truth, and I’m going to tell you the truth no matter what you ask.” He pauses. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more forthcoming about Matt, but I need you to understand that when it comes to you, there is nothing and no one more important. I’ve known how I feel about you for a while now, and I didn’t want to risk him or anyone interfering with what we have, okay?”
“Uh, okay. I feel a bit misled. You definitely skirted the truth.”
“I did and I regret it, but I did tell him about you. He knows now, hence why he probably wouldn’t call me his best friend anymore.”
“Is that why he texted me yesterday?”
“Yes. Probably. I haven’t talked to him since our last conversation.” Liam’s disposition has totally changed. He was right, this did ruin the morning.
“I need you to be super honest with me right now. Why didn’t you tell him about me?”
“I told you why.”
“No, please don’t feed me some bullshit line. Be honest.” My voice is shaking, I need him to be really fucking honest with me right now.
“Fine, I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want to risk you wanting him more than me, you choosing him over me. I’m not going to play fair or fight fair for you. That’s the honest truth. I wanted you, still want you, all to myself. He let you go, but I won’t make that same mistake.” He lets out a long breath, “Is that what you wanted, Britain?”
“Yes,” I move, straddling him, taking his face between my two hands. I kiss him hard. “All I want is fucking honesty — good, bad, or indifferent.” I kiss him again. “And I want you. I’m with you.” I release his face and pull away. He has tears in his eyes. My chest feels tight, and there’s that warmth in my belly again. “Liam, I love you.” I kiss the side of his face. “I want to marry you.” I kiss a falling tear off his other cheek.
He doesn’t say anything, just pulling me into him tightly, burying his face against my neck and shoulder. I just sit there stroking his back until he releases me.
“Can I come with you…on Tuesday?” he asks.
“You want to come to Virginia?” I’m a little bit surprised.
“I don’t want to be away from you.”
“What about Sonoma?”
“I think it’s probably for the best if I take a step back from work and that project in particular. On Monday I’m going to start looking for a project manager to replace me. I can work remotely on the broad vision or selections, but day-to-day needs to get handed off.” He’s brushing the hair out of my face, softly.
“I want to meet my future daughters, and I want to see your house.” Crap.
“So, a couple of things: I have to talk to Damian before I introduce you to the girls. I feel like I need to give him the same courtesy he gave me about Summer. Which, I will call him today. And then, where would you stay? I don’t know how I feel about you moving in, even though I really want you to, because of the girls. They need to meet you first, get comfortable with you. I don’t want them to feel like I just asked a stranger to move in with us.” I see his face fall a bit. It was easy to forget we’ve been living in this fantasy for the last six weeks. I want to make this work, but there’s logistics and real life to deal with.
“I’ll stay in a hotel, and I’ll start looking for a rental. I can even start looking for a house, depending on what we want to do. I’m here for the long game, Britain. You don’t need to move me into your house next week, I get that. But I need to be in your life. Really that’s all I need.” Ugh, he’s perfect.
“Well…if you’re coming with me, there’s no reason we need to wait until Tuesday, is there? I mean, I love Spearhead, but I’m also excited to take you home. And the good news is you’ll only need to get a hotel for one night the first couple of weeks. The girls get out of school June 7th, and then June 8th I drive them to camp for two weeks. So as long as you stay somewhere else that night, we can buy ourselves a little bit of time.”
“Sounds perfect.” He’s smiling again.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay staying in the house I used to share with Damian? I feel like if it was reversed, I’d think it was weird staying in your ex-wife’s house.”
“Well, you’re staying in my ex-wife’s house now. Does it feel weird?” My eyes go wide, and I smack his shoulder. He just laughs. “I’m kidding, baby. It’s just a house, and if it’s where you’re at, that’s where I want to be. However, I may have already started looking for a new house or land to build on. I’m gonna need a project to keep me busy.” He pats my leg. “Also, we can’t leave yet. Sandy’ll kill me if we don’t show up at Colton’s tonight. I’ve also been keeping her at bay all morning. She wants to come see your ring.”
“You already told your mom?” I ask, unable to stop the giggle from slipping out.
“Yes.” Such a momma’s boy.
“Where’s my future daughter?!” Sandy says as she bursts into the great room. I just laugh. Gaining Sandy as a mother-in-law is the cherry on top of getting engaged to Liam. I haven’t had a mom in my life for a long time now.
“Hi Sandy,” I say as I get up from the couch. I know I have the biggest smile on my face. I’m genuinely happy, which seems crazy after the day I had yesterday. She heads straight for me, pulling me into a warm hug. I know where Liam got all his affection from. It’s a shame she’s not a grandma, she was born for it. Well, not a grandma yet…
“Okay, darling, first I need to see this ring. Second, we toast.” Jim walks in behind her, carrying a fancy bottle of champagne. I show off the ring. I can’t believe how much I love it. It’s unique and big, but I love that it’s old most of all. Somehow Liam knows exactly what I like, it’s mind boggling. I know he said the emeralds match my eye color, but when I see them I think about the foothills turning green. It’s such a beautiful transformation that happens once a year, and it’s fleeting. You have to soak up the green hills for that short time before they turn to gold. I always loved it as a kid, and somehow this ring is a permanent reminder of them. It’s perfect.
“Oh, bubba, I must say, you did good.” Sandy has tears in her eyes when she finally looks up.
“Thanks, Mom. I just picked the ring I felt most drawn to, one that reminded me of Britain.”
“I’m not talking about the ring, honey.” I blush. Sandy just pats my hand, giving me a wink. “Okay, now a toast, and then I promise we’ll leave you two alone, okay?” I just nod in acknowledgement. Liam already has the champagne open and four glasses set out. Shit.
“Um, I’ll just toast with ginger ale.” I think Sandy and Liam may have strained necks tomorrow over how fast they both whip their heads around to look at me. Both of them are wearing the same wide-eyed look.
“Migraine medicine…doesn’t mix well with alcohol. Sorry for the scare.” I let out a small laugh, trying to wash that moment away. Both parties relax, lowering their shoulders, releasing their breath.
“Oh, honey, don’t be sorry, but do be careful. I almost just died and went to heaven. It’s been a big day!” She’s laughing, and when I turn to look at Liam, he just offers me a half smile. He passes Sandy and myself a flute. Going back for one for him and Jim.
Once we’re gathered in the great room, Sandy clears her throat and begins. “Well, I can’t believe this is finally happening.” She pauses to release a laugh, “But here we are, and I couldn’t be happier than if I’d planned this myself.” She looks up. “Georgia, baby, you’d be so proud of our Britain. I know you’d be so happy, too.” She looks at me. “She always loved Liam.”
I can feel the tears beginning the silent run down my face. Sandy turns to look at Liam, “Son, I maintain, if you mess this up, I will disown you.” Liam just nods his head in affirmation. “To Britain, sugar, I’m so glad I get to finally call you one of my own. And to the both of you, I wish you many years of happiness.” She raises her glass, but adds one more thing, “Thank heavens there’s no such thing as chance, cheers!”
We all clink glasses and take a sip. Before I can even put my glass back down, Liam is ushering Sandy and Jim back out the door. I laugh, but he’s lucky to have them. Sandy calls back to me, “I’ll see you tonight, darling!”
“Sounds good,” I call back as Liam shuts the door. As soon as he turns around, I recognize the look on his face and my skin instantly heats. My cheeks go red and I get wet. He’s stalking towards me, “Baby, again? Already?” I ask. He just nods, silently, a smirk on his face. Oh my god, this man is insatiable. He picks me up, fireman style, throwing me over his shoulder. I yelp at the surprise.
“Where are you taking me?!”
“To our bed.”
“You’re an addict!” I yell at his back as we bounce up the stairs, my hands holding onto his shirt for stability. Once we get to our room, he throws me gently down on the bed, then crawls on top of me.
“Yes, Mrs. Millar, I am an addict.” Holy shit, Mrs. Millar. The way he says it sends wet heat into my panties. I bite my lip from anticipation.
“I’m addicted to your pussy. You should have never let me feel you this morning, I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to get enough.” He’s stroking my neck with his thumb, slowly increasing the pressure. “You need to tell me, what’s too rough for you, baby?” There’s no such thing when it comes to him. I want it all.
“I can’t think of anything you’d do to me I wouldn’t want. I know you’d never actually hurt me.” He puts his hand over my throat gently and squeezes, giving me a questioning look. I just nod, feeling my inner thighs begin to clench and burn.
“What’s our safe word?”
“Mom.” Nothing can kill a moment more than that word. He just nods his head before his demeanor changes and he moves off me.
“What’s my name, Bambi?” he asks as he starts undressing me, pulling down my sweats and underwear, then helping me remove my t-shirt.
“Liam?” I know what I’m asking for when I say this. I’m so wet, I’m leaking. He rolls me over onto my stomach, spanking me hard, and I cry out from the sting.
“No.” His voice is hard, I fucking love it. “Try again, Bambi.”
“Sir?” He spanks my ass again, not quite as hard this time, and I let out a little moan.
“Wrong, again. I need you to fucking say it, Bambi.” There’s urgency behind his voice. I’ll submit.
“Yes, Daddy.” He grabs my hips, pulling my ass against his bare, hard cock so I’m on my knees now. I plant my elbows on the bed so I can push back against him as he grinds into my crack. He nudges me forward, then runs two fingers through my lips, pushing my wet heat down to my clit, circling it, before dragging them back up to my asshole where he applies gentle pressure. My inner walls are clenching, begging to be filled.
“This is mine, too, Bambi.”
“I have nothing that isn’t yours, Daddy.” He rewards me by slamming his cock into me in one deep thrust, never relieving the pressure on my other hole. I cry out.
“That’s right, Mrs. Millar, you’re mine. All mine. For the rest of your life now.” I moan as he continues thrusting. “Flip over, I want to see your pretty face when I choke you.” Fuck me.
“Yes, Daddy.” He slips out of me, and I immediately turn over. I spread my legs for him, eager, dying for him to fill me again, and as soon as he does, he slams his hand over my throat, pinning me to the bed. His grasp is firm, but never hard enough to prevent my air flow. He begins thrusting and grinding against me as I lift my hips to meet and take him in. I’m panting and crying in fucking ecstasy.
“I can’t believe you like this shit, Bambi.”
I nod. “I love it, Daddy.” He releases a groan.
“You like being filthy for me, don’t you? Even when you’re being bad, you're still my good girl, though. Isn’t that right?” Call me “good girl” one more time, please. A moan breaks free from me. His right hand hasn’t left my throat, but his left hand reaches for my breast, cupping it roughly before pinching my nipple hard. I start begging.
“Daddy, please.” My hands are gripping the arm holding my neck, my hips grinding against him with each thrust.
“Please what, Bambi? Call you a good girl? Tell you how fucking dirty you are when you’re writhing underneath me? Please let you come? Which is it?” Yes, all of it.
“Tell me how dirty and filthy you like me, please?”
He lets out a low chuckle. “I should’ve fucking known that’s what you’d want.” He slams into me deeply, holding himself there as he grinds down. “If you can’t tell by now, I love it when your filthy fucking mouth tells me about all the vulgar things you’re thinking. I love it when my dirty girl eats my fucking cum for breakfast. I love it when my naughty wife’s pussy is leaking my cum, making a mess of our sheets.” Oh my god, the moan that breaks free is half cry, half gut-wrenching. I fucking love this man, and he’s mine. My breathing quickens, and I start bearing down on his length buried in me.
“Oh, baby, I still can’t believe you fucking love this. I’m so fucking lucky I get to call you mine.” He releases my neck, pulling out and slamming into me again. “You were made” he thrusts, “for,” and he thrusts again, “me,” and he slams back inside me. We both come at the same time, his warmth flooding my channel, my muscles pulling him deeper into me. My back is arched and I’m screaming as he continues thrusting into me roughly, spilling every last drop of his seed, the sound he’s making somewhere between a groan and shout.
I can’t believe I went so long in life without having sex like this, with him. He’s the only person who understands what I want, exactly how I want it. I want him to dominate me, and punish me, and still love me unconditionally. And that’s exactly what he does.
As we both begin coming down, he leans down to kiss me. Then he whispers, “That’s my good girl.” I can’t help the stupid smile that spreads across my face. He pulls out of me, but instead of moving off, he moves backward, pushing my legs wide apart and putting them over his shoulders. He runs his tongue up and down the length of my pussy, consuming the combination of his cum with mine until he latches on my clit, sucking. That’s all it takes and I’m coming again. My thighs tighten around him and I grab his hair, holding him in place as I shamelessly grind my sex against his tongue. Crying out his name, over and over.
I’m about to push him away from my overstimulated clit, when he finally releases me, looking up at me.
“God damn, Bambi. Each time I think you’ve given me the best sex of my life, you go and make a fucking liar of me.” I blush hard.
“That was the best sex of your life, babe?” I’m fishing, and I don’t care one bit.
“Definitely. Before that, it was this morning. And before that, it was the night on the deck. Then it was the morning I left for Sonoma. And before that, it was the night before. All my ‘bests’ have been you, baby. A lot of my firsts, too.” He winks at me. Dropping his head down to my stomach, just laying it there while we talk.
“What firsts?” I find it hard to believe I can give Liam any firsts.
“You’re the first woman I’ve ever made love to, not just fucked. You’re the first woman I’ve ever loved. The first woman I’ve ever been bare with and the first I’ve ever choked. You’re my first fiancé and you’re going to be my first wife…and the first mother of my children.” He lifts his head, placing a kiss on my lower abdomen, making my heart soar.
I run my fingers through his hair, and say quietly, “I love you, Liam.” He just nods against my stomach and says, “I love you more.”