Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Tori's adrenaline sky rockets when she opens her eyes and discovers the afternoon light doesn't look like afternoon light anymore.
It looks like evening light.
She sits up with a jerk. "Oh my God!"
"What's wrong?" Liam turns to her.
"Where are my clothes? I have to get dressed." She springs out of bed like a wind-up toy and runs around the room naked. "We overslept! I have a million things to do. I'm supposed to deliver Happy Pet Nanny treats to my clients. I'm volunteering at the no-kill shelter tonight, and I need to update some pages on my brother's website."
Liam sits up in bed too, but instead of moving a muscle, he leans back on his elbows, watching her. He seems to be enjoying himself too. In fact, there's a lazy grin on his face.
"Don't just sit there," she berates him. "Get up and help me!”
He scratches the back of his neck and seems to consider it. Finally, he pushes the covers away and stands with a hop.
She can't resist taking a peek at his bare ass.
Very nice.
He yawns as he puts on boxer briefs that seem to have magically appeared in his hand. It figures he'd find his clothes easily.
"Three of the people buying my dog snacks are new. They're going to think I'm a total flake. Ugh." She gets on her knees to look under the bed. Yes, there are her panties. How did they get there?
"Your brother has a website?" He slips back into his sweatpants with some awkwardness, and she remembers his injured knee.
She nods in affirmation as she finally sees her bra tucked under the duvet. Happily, she finds the rest of her clothes under there too. "It's for his company."
Liam's mouth opens. "His company?"
"Yeah, you know." She puts her clothes on as quickly as possible.
"What kind of company?"
Zipping her hoodie up, she remembers something else. "I'm supposed to stop by my mom's tonight." She slaps her forehead. "She'll go nuts if I don't show up!"
"Damn, Tori. Relax. Is this really how you plan your days?"
Instead of answering him, she struggles into her skirt. At least her flips-flops are where she left them, at the foot of his bed.
She slips them on quickly and smooths her hair. "I'm afraid to ask what time it is, but I don’t have my watch on, and I left my phone in the car."
He picks his up off the dresser. "Five thirty."
"No." Her eyes go wide as all the breath leaves her body. "Are you serious? I have to go."
Liam seems nonplussed. "It's rush hour traffic. You might as well wait it out. I'll throw some food together, and we can have dinner."
She stares at him, wondering if he's crazy. "Have you been paying any attention to what I just said? Everybody's relying on me!"
He moves toward her, still limping and still shirtless.
Tori glances down at his leg. "You should put your brace back on." She goes to retrieve it from his nightstand. "Here, I can help. Have a seat."
He doesn't argue and sits on the bed, but when she comes over with the knee brace, he takes it from her. "It's faster if I do it."
"You should keep it elevated and iced." Watching him, she has to admit he is fast. It's obvious he's done this a lot.
"When will I see you again?" he asks.
"Tomorrow."
He glances up at her and seems both surprised and pleased. "Good."
"We have a Happy Pet Nanny appointment. I'm bringing Miss Fancy Pants to my house for a playdate."
He's finished with the brace and studies her in that penetrating way. "That's not what I meant."
She sighs and turns her head. "I know what you meant. But this was the deal, remember? One afternoon. In fact—" She licks her lips. "—I'd like to go back to keeping this relationship professional."
He stands and doesn't look pleased anymore. Thunderous would be a better description. "You've got to be kidding me."
"It's for the best."
"The hell it is."
A wave of frantic energy rushes through her. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."
"Hey, slow down." He grabs her hand. "Listen, I'm going into work tomorrow. I'll text you when I'm done. "
"No, don't text me." She corrects herself. "Well, only if it's because you're picking up your dog."
"You can't be serious about this one-afternoon stuff."
"I am serious. It was fun, but it's over." He's still holding her hand, and she softens her voice. "I had a really nice time today, but there's no point in seeing each other again. I have to move forward with my life now."
"Then let's move forward together."
She rolls her eyes and laughs. "Seriously?"
"Yes, I'm serious."
"We barely know each other, but don't you think it's enough? We're like total opposites. It would be nothing but a distraction from meeting our true soul mates."
"Like you and Dr. Adrian?"
She pulls her hand from his. "You don't have to rub it in. I feel stupid enough already."
"I'm not rubbing it in. I'm just pointing out how you can't plan everything. Sometimes people surprise you."
"Yes, well." She turns her head. "I was certainly surprised, wasn't I?"
Liam stares at her and seems frustrated. "I don't think we're as different as you say we are. And even if we are, so what? I like you."
"I like you too, but it's not enough. I can't waste any more time. I want to find my special someone."
He opens his mouth to argue, and she puts her fingers to his lips to stop him. "Please, let's just have this nice memory of today and leave it at that."
Except he reaches up and holds her wrist, gently biting her fingers.
Her stomach goes quivery. "Don't."
"I haven't gotten you out of my system. I don't want to."
“Don't say that," she moans. "We both need to stop making bad choices."
He seems taken aback. "I don't make bad choices. "
"Oh, really? Was Rachel a good choice, then?"
He lowers her hand and then lets it go. He seems annoyed.
"I don't know the story between you two, but obviously it didn't end well. Obviously she didn't run off to Buenos Aires alone."
"It has nothing to do with you and me. That relationship is over."
She studies him and wonders if he still has feelings for Rachel. "Maybe we are sort of alike," she muses. "We both pick the wrong people."
He shakes his head, then reaches for her hand again. "There's nothing wrong about this."
"I don't have time to argue anymore. I have to leave."
"At least kiss me before you go. Otherwise, I might feel cheap and used by our afternoon of lust."
A burst of laughter escapes her.
"Come here." He grins, pulling her in close.
Before she knows it, she's in his arms, still laughing. Despite the things she said, he's stirring up all sorts of feeling in her. Desire, but a kind of happiness too. Liam feels both wrong and right.
It's late by the time she gets to her mom's house. She already texted all her Happy Pet Nanny clients apologizing for not delivering their bag of dog snacks today. She lets them know she'll deliver them tomorrow instead.
One more thing added to another packed day.
At least there's no yellow Charger parked in her mom's driveway, so she won't have to deal with Wayne the pain.
Weeds are sprouting everywhere, and she notes that the grass needs mowing as she crosses the lawn. The house she grew up in is lettuce green on the outside—a color her mom saw in a magazine and thought looked cheerful.
Tori doesn't knock, just walks right in. "Anybody home?" she calls out, closing the door behind her. Familiar smells from her childhood come back—the faint odor of last night’s dinner mixed with stale cigarette smoke.
"In here."
Tori follows her mom's voice into the kitchen. She's there in her stocking feet, still wearing her office clothes. She works for the gas utility company and has for many years.
"Hey, baby girl." She glances at Tori. "Did you just get off work?"
Tori doesn't reply, figuring there's no way she can explain her afternoon with Liam. Not to anyone.
"Would you like a drink?" Her mom's nightly routine is to come home from work, make herself a whiskey sour, and then sip it as she prepares dinner.
"No, thanks."
Tori watches her squeeze fresh lemon juice into a short glass before adding a teaspoon of sugar. There's a large bottle of bourbon nearby. As usual, her mom's dark pencil skirt is too short and tight, her blouse cut too low. Even her hair is too blonde. The heels kicked off in the corner are two inches too high for an office job, not that it stops her from wearing them.
When Tori was a kid, she thought her mom was the most beautiful woman in the world. All her friends agreed she had the prettiest mom. Tori was so proud of her. She used to show them pictures of her mom’s pageant days, and they'd all ooh and ah.
As a teenager that changed though. She saw her mom with different eyes and realized none of the other moms looked like hers. She didn't want a MILF. She wanted someone normal like Blair's mom, not someone who looked like an aging stripper.
Her mother didn't care and did whatever she pleased.
Now as an adult, Tori neither loves nor hates her mom's clothing choices. She simply accepts them. The four-inch heels and the too-short dresses. The big blonde hair that's too much for a woman her age. Although her age has become a moving target. She's been shaving off so many years lately, pretty soon the two of them will have the same birthdate.
She can't help laughing to herself at this.
"Is there an angel tickling you?" her mom asks glancing over. "Or maybe it's a devil?"
"An angel," Tori says softly. Her mom may have her faults, but she loves her.
"I was hoping it might be a devil." She gives her a wink and sucks on a maraschino cherry. "Maybe a sexy devil, with an even sexier older brother."
Tori laughs out loud. "One for each of us?"
"Exactly, baby girl."
She smiles. This is how she likes her mom best. Playful and funny.
And sober.
Speaking of devils makes her think of Liam again, of the way he tempts her, leading her down the wicked path.
A sexy devil, for sure.
"Let me help you get dinner started," Tori says, going over to the sink to wash her hands. She wants to make sure her mom has an actual meal and not a liquid dinner. She also needs to look through her mom’s monthly bills and make sure everything's getting paid.
"Wayne's in Idaho on business, so I was just planning to heat up a Lean Cuisine. Get one for yourself too."
"I can't eat those, remember?" No matter how many times she's told her mom she's a vegan, it never sinks in.
"I don't think they have much meat in them. Some of them are just cheese."
"That's okay. I can't stay long tonight anyway."
"Why not?" Her mom picks up her drink and sips it. "I thought we'd have dinner together."
"Sorry. I just have a lot of things to do." Tori sets the frozen meal in the microwave.
Her mom's tired blue eyes study her. She takes another sip from her glass, and when she speaks, her voice sounds disapproving. " You're not seeing that FBI agent tonight, are you? I hope you two aren’t involved with each other."
Tori glances over. "No, I'm not seeing him."
"Good, because I don't want him in my house again."
"He's just a friend."
Her mother puts her drink down, shaking her head. "I still can't get over you bringing him here. What were you thinking? A fed, of all people."
"I told you he was helping me with Mable. And then I had to come by because Donna called."
"Any more news about Mable?"
"No, but Brody said he'd handle her being towed as soon as the police are done with their investigation." She called her cousin a few days ago, and he said he'd take care of things from here and not to worry anymore. He said he'd help her find a new minivan too.
"Do they have any leads on who stole her?"
"No, I don't think so. Or at least they haven't told me anything yet." She remembers how Liam said he planned to call the detective in charge, but she doesn't mention that.
Her mom sighs. "I'm so sorry about what happened to Mable. You'll let me know if they find out anything new, okay?"
Tori shrugs. "Sure."
Once the microwave meal is finished, Tori grabs a bottle of flavored water from the fridge, which she replenishes regularly, and they both head into the living room.
"I haven't showed you the latest, have I?" her mom says, taking a seat in the recliner. "Look over there and see what Wayne got me."
Tori's mouth drops open when she sees the giant television. "Wayne bought you that?"
"He did." Her mom seems delighted at Tori's shocked response. "You'll have to hear it too. There's a sound system. It's just like being in a movie theater. "
"How can he afford that?"
She shrugs, still smiling like the cat that ate the canary. "Guess things are going real good for him."
"What does he do for a living again?"
"He's a tire salesman."
"Last time you told me he worked for a salvage yard."
"He does both. Sells tires and works at the salvage yard." Her mom sets a dishtowel on her lap and then her dinner. "He's a hard worker, that one."
"And he travels out of state for which job?"
"I’m not sure."
Tori sips her strawberry-flavored water. It all sounds fishy, and she knows she's not getting the full story.
"Oh, and I haven't shown you this either." Her mom reaches around her neck for the gold chain tucked inside her blouse. "He gave it to me last week."
It's a ring shaped like a gold flower with a large sapphire in the middle. It's hanging on the chain. Clearly expensive.
"He says it reminded him of me. 'A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady.'" She smiles. "Isn't that sweet? I'm wearing it around my neck, close to my heart, until I get it sized."
Tori stares at the ring and feels uneasy. "Where did he buy it?"
The ring and necklace disappear beneath her mom's blouse. She picks up her fork. "I'm not sure. He didn't say."
"You didn't ask?"
Her mom takes a bite of the hot food and chews slowly. "Why would I ask? It would be like looking a gift horse in the mouth."
Tori doesn't like any of this. God knows where that ring came from. "I just think it might be good to know where he bought it. Maybe the jeweler would resize it for you at no charge."
"Maybe." Her mom takes another bite of food. "I'm not going to worry about it." She reaches for her glass. "Wayne is taking good care of me. The way a man should take care of his woman."
Liam gets the call he's been hoping for, the one from Nelson asking if it’s okay to invite Shelby to play paintball.
"Sure, that's fine."
"You're cool with it? I thought you guys were involved, but after you called the other day, it didn't sound like it."
"It's no problem at all. Shelby and I are just friends." He puts an emphasis on it since he doesn't want any ambiguity. He's relieved things are working out this way. After he saw Shelby the other day and they had lunch on his patio, he called Nelson and dropped some hints that she might be romantically interested in him. The two of them had certainly seemed to hit it off that night.
"I was sorry to hear what happened with Rachel," Nelson says. "You should have called me sooner."
"Thanks. I just wasn't feeling social."
"Hang on a second." There's some background noise on the phone, and it sounds like Nelson is shifting position. Liam knows he pitched last night and figures he's on the table getting his arm and back worked on. "I get that you weren't feeling social, but we go way back. Hell, I talked your damn ear off during my divorce."
Liam chuckles. "True."
"You can rely on me, you know that."
"I know. I appreciate it."
"And you're sure about me hitting up Shelby for some paintball action? We'll probably get a drink afterward. To be honest, I thought she was cute."
"Go for it. Like I said, we're only friends."
"Okay. Let’s make some plans soon too. I was thinking the other day that we should do another fishing trip when the season's over. What do you think?"
"Sounds good." A couple years ago, right after Nelson's divorce, the two of them went fishing for four days in Oregon. It turned out to be a nice getaway. A chance to relax with an old friend.
After they hang up, Liam tries to focus on the Rizzo file again. The problem is, he can't stop thinking about Tori. He' s been reliving yesterday afternoon constantly. The way she felt in his arms, the way she tasted. It was a fantasy come to life.
He keeps thinking about when he made her come. He loved it. It turned him on so much that he's jerked off to it twice already, replaying it in his mind, examining it.
Except the more he examines it, something about it bothers him. He's nuts for questioning anything, but he can't help himself. It's what he does for a living.
Was it possible that she faked her orgasm?
It's a strange notion, but he keeps coming back to it. He knows all women are different. In his experience though, most women are languid and loose after they come, or sometimes they’re even more excited, but there was no change in Tori at all.
He shakes his head with disgust. What the hell am I doing?
Ruining one of the greatest afternoons of his life, that's what. Tori was sexy and beautiful, and their chemistry was off the charts. He can't wait to see her later today, even if it's just picking up Fancy from her house.
That's the problem with a job where you're trained to spot a liar, to analyze people and their motives, to be suspicious. Especially when it's a job you're good at.
Sometimes it's hard to turn it off.