Chapter 20
Ocean Breezes
Summer
The sand
Malibu
The Boardwalk
Surfing
White-capped waves
New Family
Itried to focus on Nora, my new sister-in-law.
She was gorgeous in her white dress that hung off her shoulders, her beautiful curls hanging loosely down her back. My brother was watching her with tears in his eyes, and it made mine watery too.
Mila, Maddy, and Seraph were all standing in front of me, holding their baskets as we watched two of our favorite people make a lifetime of promises to one another.
I ignored the looks Liam continued to give me.
He was stunning in his fitted tux, freshly shaved, and with a new haircut.
My thighs were officially clenched together because Liam was good-looking on his rough days, but cleaned up like this?
Holy shit. I had to bat away dirty images all morning of me surprising him in some hall closet, just to feel his chest through that suit.
I wanted to run my fingers over every inch of him, see him slip out of each layer until he was in my favorite position: naked and erect.
But I was so pissed off at him that it was ruining the image.
I glanced up at him for the hundredth time and just like always, his silver eyes were on me. His jaw tensed, focused solely on us instead of Nora and Colson.
We were assholes.
I wasn’t sure what Liam wanted. He’d essentially walked out on our argument the day before yesterday and didn’t seem to care that it ended any chance of us working through this argument. It was so stupid.
Cheers erupted, bringing my focus back to the wedding. Colson was kissing his beautiful bride and fresh tears coated my lashes. I wished, with my whole being, they would find all the happiness in the world.
After being alone for so many weeks, I was also starting to crave my own happy ending. And it was hard to be around so much happiness while knowing my future was on the line.
The foundation Liam spoke of was more than in place, and I knew we were ready for that next step, until he assumed I was sleeping with Jeffery.
The bridal line began filing back down the aisle, and I put my focus on Mila and Seraph as Maddy grabbed Liam’s hand.
We converged together into the tent with the rest of the party, and right as we did, everyone seemed to freeze in place, watching us.
Rae clung to Davis, her eyes on us, her mouth gaping.
Nora and Colson, who should have been running off to wedded bliss, had similar positions, as did Millie and a few other people looking on.
Liam peered over his shoulder at me, I looked at him, and then Rae broke the silence.
“You guys, look…” Her mouth wouldn’t shut, and––was she crying?
My brother Colson narrowed his eyes on us and then quickly glanced at Nora, who was smiling deviously.
She finally stepped forward, grabbing her cell phone from Rae’s pocket, and snapped a picture of us.
“You look like a family.”
Mila giggled and loudly proclaimed, “We are a family, silly.”
My heart was a leaf, lost to the wind, pounding in my chest at her words.
Seraph hugged my waist, and Maddy edged closer.
Nora finally spun away, that smile in place, and then everyone else slowly did the same.
Colson begrudgingly walked away with his bride, but not without sending one last glare our way.
What in the hell was that?
And why did it feel like we’d just had all of our secrets exposed?
After the reception ended and a few lanterns lit the walkway back to the house, Liam pulled Mila up into his arms, and I grabbed Seraph and Maddy, leading them into the house.
We went up the stairs to my old room. It was sparse now, with three twin beds moved inside.
Colson had arranged it so that the girls could have this room to themselves.
Right next door was the master, which used to belong to my parents, but now that they’d left, and this house belonged to Colson, it was empty.
I had assumed Colson would take it, especially for his wedding night, but he said he wanted his old room.
“Do we have to go back home tomorrow?” Maddy asked, yawning as she pulled her pajamas into her arms and headed for the closet.
“We have one more day before we have to go back,” Liam said, helping Mila sort out her pajamas. I handed Seraph hers and then moved to help Mila change, carefully taking the dresses and hanging them in the closet.
Seraph pulled her covers back and let out a loud yawn. “What will we do?”
Liam handed me a backpack, and I settled it in the closet.
“Should we try surfing?” I asked, smiling at the girls as they perked up excitedly.
“You know how?”
“I do.”
Liam smirked then dipped to kiss the girls’ heads.
“Get some sleep. We’ll figure it out tomorrow.”
I shut off the light, and the room glowed as Seraph’s star machine threw a million stars in varying shades of blue across the ceiling.
Mila sat up. “Wait!”
Liam and I turned toward her, still near the door.
“Where will you be in case I have a bad dream?”
I was about to open my mouth, then realized I had to stop rushing to answer them. Liam was back now, and I wasn’t their mother.
I waited for Liam to respond.
“Right next door.”
“No, Daddy. Haley. She knows how to get me back to sleep when I’m scared.”
Silver eyes found mine as a blush crept up my neck.
“I’ll be right down the hall.”
Mila tilted her head. “Why don’t you just share a room with Daddy? You sleep in his room at home.”
Liam coughed, lowering his head.
“I slept in there while your daddy was gone, honey.”
She didn’t seem to understand that.
“But don’t you love Daddy?”
Oh gosh, where was this coming from? And why now?
“Mila, honey, it’s time for bed. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” Liam promised.
I blinked, shuffling backward out of the room.
In the dim light of the hall, I paused as Liam towered over me.
No one else was on this floor with us, and it felt like we were tucked away inside a bubble.
There were no words as Liam tugged my hand, leading me into his room.
The master didn’t look anything like it used to.
It seemed many of the rooms had been gutted and remodeled.
I couldn’t be more grateful as the light breeze from the ocean carried through the room.
It was warm enough that the windows would stay open all night, allowing the fresh air to flow through the house.
“We need to talk,” Liam muttered close to my ear, pressing a lingering kiss along my neck.
My memory served up the image of him walking away the other night, and I slipped past him.
“How convenient that you’d like to speak now.”
Liam turned with me, watching as I slipped out of my shoes and pulled the pins out of my hair. My hands went to the top button at my back, quickly hoping somehow this time around I’d manage to unfasten them without his assistance.
He came closer, and my heart thundered in my chest at the sight of how perfect he looked in his suit.
“You’re being stubborn.”
“You’re being rude, not to mention the lack of gratitude. I tried to do a nice thing for you, and you made me feel horrible about it.”
His fingers lingered on my back as the dress pooled at my waist. Then he unclasped my bra, leaving me with no choice but to step out of the material in just my thong.
“Black tonight?” Liam’s hands skimmed my spine until he grazed the top of my underwear. “I liked the purple.”
“Lilac…it’s my favorite color.”
His hand wrapped around my hip, pulling me flush against his chest.
“How did I not know that about you?”
My hands went to his chest, digging into the lapels of his jacket.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
He hummed, his chin going to the side of my face then suddenly we were swaying.
“You didn’t dance with me tonight.” Liam remarked, close to my ear. The breeze from the ocean ruffled the curtains, forcing them to shift in the unruly wind.
Both of Liam’s hands went to my hips, pulling me impossibly closer, mashing my breasts against his broad chest.
Desperate to fulfill the fantasy from earlier, I pushed the material of his jacket off his shoulders until it fell to the floor.
Then I dug into his bowtie, unraveling it and pulling it free from his collar.
The buttons at his throat came undone at my gentle touch, all while we swayed to a silent tune.
“I overreacted to the Jeffery thing.” Liam confessed, tightening his grip on me as I slowly freed him of his shirt and vest.
It was my turn to hum, encouraging him to continue.
“I was jealous. And while it doesn’t make me happy to know your new friend has been around my home, I understand the position I put you in.”
“When you left me in charge of your children for almost three months?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed, as his left hand moved lower, skimming my ass cheek.
“Forgive me.” His posture changed as I trailed a line over his muscled chest and strong pecs. He curled in, lowering his arms almost in a hug. But then his hands closed over my ass, and he lifted me.
I let out a surprised sound as Liam carried me to the bed.
My anger began to thaw, my righteous indignation fizzling as the weight of missing him mauled my chest.
He watched me with a hunger that I wanted to keep in my heart forever, then his fingers gathered at his waist, freeing his dress pants until they fell to the floor as well.
I raised up on my elbows, watching him.
“Forgive me,” Liam repeated.
I smiled deviously and had a wicked thought.
“Beg me,” I slid my thong down and parted my legs, “with your tongue.”
Liam hovered over me, his lips spread in a cunning smile, and I relaxed into the pillows as his head found its way between my thighs.