Chapter 33
Liam
Shake It Out. – Florence + The Machine
The morning air carried the lingering scent of our fire from last night, mixed with the clean smell of lake water drifting through the open window.
Even the coffee tasted different here, richer somehow, like everything was more vivid in this memory we'd created together. Inhaling, I closed my eyes, flicking through images of the last two days. The peace I’d found.
The fucking joy I’d found in having this time with Charity. The damn awesome sex…
“You okay?”
Her voice was soft and tender, and when I opened my eyes, her face was close to mine. Cornflower blues gleaming, her soft, pink, lips pulled into a beautiful smile.
“I’m fine. Just thinking about what happens when we get home.”
Spreading butter onto her toast she raised an eyebrow. “I guess the dinner will be at the top of my list.” She looked up at me, a glint in her eye. “I bet you’re really excited about that?”
I gave her an empty laugh. “Can’t say I’m excited about it. I did speak to Pru, though, before we left town.”
“You did.” Charity put her knife down and sat back in the chair, resting her head on her palm, the tilt of her head catching the morning sunlight in her hair. “What did you say to her?”
“Told her starting this year we have a new initiative where we have a secondary sponsor, and the host gets to pick an extra charity each year. And,” I grinned, “this year I pick a women’s project for those who have suffered abusive relationships.”
“Wow, and how did that go down?” Leaning across the table, her hand rested on mine and I instantly laced our fingers together.
Her palm was warm against mine, rough from years of hard work, but soft in all the places that mattered.
The simple weight of her hand anchored me to the moment—our last morning in paradise, before returning to the world that would want to define what we were.
“She was kind of okay, especially when I suggested calling a committee meeting. You know Pru hates people thinking she’s less than God like.”
Charity’s laughter tinkled through the silence of the room, lighting it up. “I do indeed. So?” She grimaced. “Does that mean we don’t have to uninvite Whitfield?”
I shuddered, still hating the fucker, but I knew she was right. It would be unprofessional to uninvite him, and I could square it with Nate. The water heater made a noise like a groan, which seemed fitting, as I nodded.
“No, I won’t ask you to do that. As long as I can be the one to tell him where his money is going.”
“You think he’ll know what you’re getting at?” Charity’s grin was mischievous—she knew I’d make sure of it.
“Abso-fucking-lutely he will.”
“You could do it in your speech.” She dropped her gaze back to her toast, which apparently was super interesting at that point, for some reason. “You know the one the host has to give.”
“Nope. Not happening, Sunshine.” I knew I’d told Pru that I would, but in hindsight I’d decided no fucking way.
“Please.”
Looking at her pretty, pleading eyes and pouting lips, I almost, almost, gave in.
“Nope.”
She reached forward, placing a palm on my thigh, so close to my dick, my skin began to burn up. “What if I gave you something in return?” She licked her lips and then dropped her gaze to my dick.
“Something you need to know about me is that I’m not a man to be bribed, Charity.”
Getting closer, her mouth to my ear, she whispered, “And two things you need to know about me, Liam, is that I always get what I want.”
There was a pause of silence. “And the second thing?” I asked, my dick suddenly becoming aware of her tits rubbing against my arm.
“I’m extremely good at blow jobs.”
Damn it. Looked like I was doing a fucking speech after all.
“I don’t want to go back to reality,” Charity sighed as we reached the town limits. “This weekend has been blissful.”
It had been. More than that, it had shown me that a life half lived wasn’t a life at all, and I’d been doing that for over a decade. Now it was time to get myself back. I’d still probably be a grumpy fuck, but at least I wouldn’t be doing it living in the past.
I reached for her hand across the console, threading our fingers together. “It’s been incredible. You’ve been incredible.” I glanced at her with a smirk. “The impromptu blowie at the kitchen table being no exception. Maybe even the highlight.” She hadn’t lied about being good at them.
Giggling, she snuggled down into the collar of her jacket and when she pushed her thighs together I knew she was thinking about it too.
“Where do you want me to drop you, anyway? Home or your office?”
Sighing, she replied, “Home. I’m working from there today.” She cleared her throat. “I have a phone meeting with Whitfield after lunch, but otherwise I’m catching up on paperwork.”
“Please say hello to him for me.” My tone was dripping with sarcasm, but I didn’t care—the guy was a poisonous prick.
“What about you? Much on today?” She did right in changing the subject—I was gripping the steering wheel like it might be Whitfield’s neck.
“Same as you. A few invoices to chase up, and I need to check in with Joe about the remains, see if they know who it is yet.”
“Do you need to know?”
I shrugged. “Not really, but I kind of feel responsible for them. They’ve been buried there for at least ten years, and no one has missed them. It doesn’t seem right, does it?”
A soft kiss landed on my cheek. “Despite what you like people to think, you’re a good man, Liam.”
“Hah, you weren’t saying that when I was dodging your calls about the dinner.” I appreciated her sentiment, though. I appreciated that she saw the real me.
“I won you around, though, didn’t I?”
Laughing deep from my chest, I turned off the main road—we were almost out of time. “Are you saying you used your feminine wiles this weekend just to get me to commit to the dinner?”
“No.” She landed a playful slap against my chest. “You’d already agreed to it.” She paused and then rushed out, “The sex was just to make sure.”
We both burst out laughing, and as Charity hugged my arm, resting her head on my shoulder, I knew that this was what I wanted for as long as possible.
“I think we should go public,” I announced.
She didn’t move away from me, which was a good sign, even if she didn’t respond straight away.
“You do?” she finally said, almost in a whisper.
Instantly, doubt settled in. “We don’t have to, if you don’t want to, or if this was just a one-off, or—”
“I’d like that.” She hugged me tighter, and relief rushed through me. “I just didn’t think you’d want to.”
“Well, I do,” I replied past the lump in my throat. “No big announcement or anything, but I don’t want to hide what we have either.”
“Me neither.” Her voice was quiet, but the words were strong. “But another thing you need to know about me, Liam.”
“You’re not averse to anal?” The question was more of a joke than hopeful, but…
“No!” She slapped me again, this time not quite so playful.
“Okay, what?” I asked, grinning like a Cheshire cat and enjoying the brightness I felt inside of me.
“I won’t be a pushover about the dinner, just because I’m sleeping with the host. Is that clear?”
When I looked at her, there was a determined jut to her chin, her bright, blue eyes were steely and unwavering.
I leaned closer and dropped a quick kiss to her temple. “Wouldn’t want it any other way, Sunshine, believe me.”
We were pulled up in front of Charity’s house and had been making out for at least ten minutes. Neither of us seeming to care who saw us, so much for no big announcement because at least three neighbors had walked past, one of which I was sure had doubled back to get a good look.
“I should go,” Charity eventually announced with a sigh. “I need to check in with Carla before I start work.”
I looked at the clock on the dash to see half the morning had gone already. So much for an early start so we could both be back at work as usual on a Monday. Then again, I hadn’t planned on driving home with the imprint of Charity’s red lipstick still on my dick.
“Dinner tonight?” I asked, already feeling my stomach knot at the idea of missing her.
“That would be good. Want me to cook?”
Frowning, I took a strand of her hair and wrapped it around my finger. “No, I’ll take you out. I’ll see if I can get us a table at Sophie’s dad’s place in Clementine Hills. You like Italian, right?”
She grinned broadly. “I love it.”
“Great.” A quick kiss to her lips and then I pulled away. “I’ll let you know what time I’ll come get you.”
“I can come get you,” she suggested and I growled. “Okay, okay.” Her lips twitched as she tried not to smile. “I’ll look forward to hearing from you, Mr. Brown.”
“Yes, you will, Miss. Dawson, yes you will.”
It struck me as I drove away, checking in my rear view mirror that she was safely inside her house, that yesterday had been the anniversary of Mallory skipping town. For the first time in fourteen years, it hadn’t even crossed my mind.