39
Liam takes my suitcase and asks me to wait in the airport’s arrival hall as he and Ralph go to the parking lot. Several minutes later he motions me to join him and hurries me into Ralph’s silver Hummer. The three of us sit in the back seat, and the bodyguards sitting in the front pass Liam and Ralph handguns.
“Her too?” one of the bodyguards jerks his head towards me and before I can refuse, Liam shakes his head no.
“Give us an update.” Ralph orders the bodyguard impatiently, and as we're driving, he gives details of damage to properties and lost lives. “To the bar?” Ralph asks Liam and I close my eyes and groan.
“Drop us off at my house. I’ll join you later,” Liam gives the answer I was hoping for. I turn my head to the window and smile in relief.
The Hummer enters the garage. After we get out of the car, Ralph pokes his head out the window and throws me a piece of paper. “What’s this?” I ask as I pick it up off the floor.
“Remind me to call that stewardess whore.” He winks and laughs as the jeep leaves and disappears down the road.
I go inside the house with Liam and sprawl completely exhausted onto the sofa. Liam sits down and puts my head in his lap.
“Everyone really does have a price.” I raise my arms and stretch. “I found out what mine is today.”
“I know,” he answers and leans forward to kiss me.
“It’s not money,” I say and wrinkle my forehead.
“I know,” he kisses me again.
“It’s more important and valuable than any amount of money,” I muse and push him away when he leans in for another kiss. “My price was my mother’s life.” I groan. “I would have done anything, and I mean anything, to save her from what they planned to do to her.”
“I know.” This time he doesn’t lean down to kiss me. He stands up and pulls me toward the stairs and the understanding that I'm about to give in to my passion arouses my body. When he stops in the bedroom doorway, I jump on his back, and shower him in small kisses on his nape and neck. He grabs me and throws me on the bed, pulls off his shirt and removes his pants. I throw my clothes on the carpet, lie down naked before him and bite my lips, anticipating.
He looks at my body and moans. “I got two for the price of one.” He kneels down by the bed, takes my hand and kisses each finger gently, “I got the na?ve and confused girl who I need to…” he is quiet as he bites my pinky lightly, “who I want to protect, I also got the crazy duchess who makes me burn with passion every time I look at her.” He pulls me up into a sitting position, removes his underwear and I stroke his magnificent erection.
“And who do you want me to be now?” I look up at him, licking my lips with lust.
“Why should I have to choose?” he asks and groans as I take his cock in my mouth and suck greedily. “I’m going to enjoy you both, you’re both sexy as hell!” he strokes my hair and then pushes me back on the bed and climbs on top of me.
I lie on my stomach, satisfied and tired, watching Liam as he puts on his pants. “I don’t want to go to the bar anymore,” I say and put a pillow under my head.
“You don’t have to.” He puts on a white polo shirt and as I follow him with my eyes, I realize that his scars are the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
“I wish it was that simple,” I groan. “My tuition won’t pay itself.”
“Elena,” he sits down on the edge of the bed, moves my hair aside and strokes my bare back. “My Duchess shouldn’t have to work to pay her tuition. I’ll do it for her gladly.”
“That’s impossible,” I insist. “I won’t be tied to you because of money.” He laughs and I turn around and look at him angrily.
“We both know the last thing that would tie you to me would be money.” He combs his hair with his fingers and smiles at me. “You can’t keep swinging between both worlds. You already understand that you belong to me.” He winks and before I can open my mouth to protest, he continues, “And I belong to you!” Now I smile. “Despite all the disadvantages, there are also some advantages. And one of them is that you don’t need to work anymore.”
I wrinkle my forehead. My brain refuses to accept what he’s saying but my heart has joined my body’s passion and it’s stronger than both of them. I’m here because I want to be, because I can’t imagine my life without him right now. My brain is still telling me that this is the biggest mistake I could ever make, but his touch on my cheek makes all the disturbing thoughts go away.
“So… I could just go to school then, right?” I ask cautiously and he laughs again and kisses me on the lips.
“Most of my colleagues' women use their spare time for important stuff like cosmetic surgery, getting their hair done, shopping…” when he sees my disgusted expression he laughs again. “But my Duchess can certainly use her time to study.”
Suddenly I feel that the heavy rock I’ve been carrying on my back for so long is starting to crumble. It feels wonderful, and I'm afraid that my brain will take over again. I jump out of bed, put on the T-shirt he threw on the floor, and run downstairs. When I return, he’s still sitting on the bed, tying his shoes.
“These are the tuition vouchers. Will you really pay them?” I hold them with trembling hands. “Because it’s a lot of money, you know…”
He stands up, snatches them out of my hands and puts them in the back pocket of his jeans. “Let me guess,” He smirks, “Thirty thousand dollars?”
“Yes,” I mumble, worried that he’ll change his mind.
“Okay,” he pulls me to him. “I think I can handle that,” he smiles.
The rock on my back explodes into tiny pieces and I’m overwhelmed by a sense of relief, but my brain is still intruding on my joy and I pull myself back in panic.
“Now you listen carefully,” I wave a threatening finger at him. “If you think that you’ve just bought me, you’re very wrong.” I blow sideways to move a lock of hair that’s stuck to my cheek. “If I feel that this changes how you feel about me, if I think that you’re starting to feel like you own me or even if—”
“Hey, hey,” he cuts me off and takes a step towards me. “My Duchess is back…” he smiles. “Have I told you how sexy you look in that T-shirt?” he asks and presses close to me, slipping his hand inside the shirt and groping my breast.
“Liam, be serious!” I reply angrily, but my body is already responding to him.
He puts his other hand on my ass, pushes me against the wall and unbuckles his belt.
“I’m very serious,” he pushes his hips towards me. “I promised to pay you thirty thousand dollars, and I intend to collect on my debt. Do you do special stuff, too?”
“Liam!” I shout in annoyance and he bursts into laughter.
“Stop being such a prude.” He throws me on the bed and when I smile, he quickly takes off his clothes.