Chapter Twenty-Three
I t took Liam a long time to catch up on his chores, but Val knew he’d been spending a lot of time doing other things so she wasn’t too surprised that he had a lot to do. By the time he got to bed it was way past his usual bedtime. Val was already in bed, but she couldn’t sleep.
“Liam?”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“I wasn’t really asleep. Too busy worrying about what’s going to happen.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “I can’t promise you that the shit won’t hit the fan, but I can promise you that you’re not in this alone. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“Why are you so good to me?”
“Because I love you.”
Val sat up and stared at him. “What did you say?”
He smiled and pulled her head down to kiss her. “I love you, Val.”
“You don’t have to say that. It’s enough that you married me.”
“I know I don’t have to say it. I mean it. I love you.”
Oh, God. She hoped it was true. Liam wouldn’t lie to her but… She knew he cared about her and the baby. But was it really love? If he really loved her it had happened awfully quickly. Because she knew for a fact that while he had liked and respected her, he wasn’t in love with her when they married.
“I’m sensing you don’t believe me.”
He kissed her, long and sweet. She started to speak but his hand covered her breast and his fingers plucked at her nipple. That’s all it took. When he moved his hand down to cup her, she was already wet. Sometimes she wished she didn’t respond to him so easily, so quickly. Really, most of the time, all she had to do was look at him and she wanted him.
He pushed up her top and she raised her arms to let him take it off. Then she felt his mouth on her nipple as he sucked it strongly into his mouth. Laved it with his tongue while his hand plumped it up for him. He moved to her other nipple, giving it the same loving treatment.
Val put her hands in his hair, moaning his name. “Liam.”
He raised his head and met her gaze, his eyes filled with a passion she could see in the moonlight filtering through the shades. “Val.”
“I want you. Now.”
He smiled and got rid of his boxers, then stripped off her pajama pants and her panties in one move. One of his fingers dipped inside and she arched up to meet him. “I want to make sure you’re ready,” he murmured.
“Always.”
He rubbed her clit, his fingers continuing their assault on her senses. Urging him on, she felt him at her entrance, and then he pushed inside, filling her. Stroking in and out. She wrapped her legs around him and gave herself completely up to the sensations he elicited. He rode her gently, driving her higher with each thrust.
“Oh,” she gasped. “I’m about to…”
“Come for me,” he said. “Come with me.”
Her orgasm hit and she shattered, feeling him pulse inside her. Hearing him groan as he let loose. They stayed entwined but he rolled over, bringing her on top. “Don’t want to squash you.”
“You didn’t.” She looked down at him, smiling a little at the satisfied expression on his face.
“I really do love you, you know. I think I fell for you on our honeymoon. But I didn’t want to admit it.”
She’d loved him since she was thirteen years old. An impossible, unattainable love. And then the unbelievable happened and she married him. Could they have a real marriage? One where they stayed together because they loved each other and not solely because of the baby?
*
Val had lived in Marietta all her life, with the brief exception of when she went to college in Miles City. But that was still in Montana and not all that far from Marietta. Having lived in Marietta for so long, though, she knew all about the rumor mill. And the rumors were swirling with a vengeance about her, her possible pregnancy, and Trent claiming the baby was his. Oh, and if Trent was the baby daddy then why had she married Liam McFarland?
The first inkling she had that the rumors had started was when she stopped at the Java Café to meet Letty and ordered a smoothie instead of her usual latte. Sally Driscoll, the barista at the café, fixed her smoothie, then as she handed it to her said, “I guess it must be true.”
“What’s true?” Val asked automatically.
“Well, you did order a smoothie and you nearly always have a latte or even a double shot latte.”
“I wanted a change.” Val had a sinking feeling she knew where this was headed.
“Right. Caffeine isn’t good for babies.”
Since she’d had warning, she wasn’t poleaxed but she was surprised, even though she knew exactly who to blame for this rumor. “I wouldn’t know,” she said, and took her smoothie to a table along the wall.
Letty walked in and waved at her before going to the counter to order. Val could tell by her expression as she walked to the table with her coffee that Letty had gotten an earful.
“I’m going to kill Trent,” she told Letty.
“I’ll help. What does he think this will accomplish?”
“Other than ruining my life, I don’t know. Thank goodness my parents don’t get to town a lot but gossip this juicy will reach them sooner or later. I’m going to have to tell them the truth.” And she didn’t even want to think about her father’s reaction.
“So he really wants to claim the baby? Does he plan to ask for partial custody?”
“I don’t know what his plans are. Liam and I consulted a lawyer and Trent can demand a paternity test. But I won’t have to have it until after the baby is born.”
“Speaking of Liam, what does this mean for you two?”
“I’m not sure.” Liam had said he loved her. He’d said he wanted the baby. She believed he wanted to raise the baby with her. But God, it was going to be such a mess with Trent involved. Could he get partial custody? She couldn’t imagine he’d want it but what if he did? What kind of father would he be? A man who’d denied paternity until he’d heard someone else wanted the child? That didn’t augur well for his parenting skills, in her opinion.
Whereas Liam would make a wonderful father.
“I don’t know what it means,” she repeated. “Once my parents hear the truth, there’s no reason for him to stay married to me.”
“Of course there is. You love each other. Don’t you?”
“I love him. But he didn’t marry me for love, Letty.”
“So? That doesn’t mean he hasn’t fallen in love with you.” She looked at Val and tapped her fingers on the table. “How’s the sex?”
“Letty!”
“What? Don’t tell me you haven’t done it yet. Not after our talk.”
“Of course we’ve ‘done it.’ It’s been weeks.”
“Sex is very important in a relationship, especially a marriage. So is it ho-hum or fabulous or somewhere in between?”
Val knew she was blushing. Which was silly but there it was. “It’s amazing.” And he liked it too. She didn’t doubt that. “But that’s beside the point.”
“Not really. But you clearly don’t want to talk about it so I’ll drop it.”
“Letty? Last night…something happened.” Letty stayed silent, waiting for Val to continue. “Liam…said he loved me.”
“That’s wonderful, Val. Why aren’t you jumping up and down with happiness?”
“Maybe he simply thinks he does. Maybe he wants to but…it’s a little too quick, a little coincidental after me seeing Trent and us talking to the lawyer.” Still, he’d sounded like he meant it. And Liam didn’t lie.
“Why would he say it if he didn’t mean it?”
“Because he’s a good guy. Hell, Letty, he married me to help me out. Now the shit’s about to hit the fan and he’s trying to make me feel better. Make me not worry.”
“I don’t think he’d tell you he loved you if he didn’t mean it. It wouldn’t be like him to do that. He’s pretty much honest to a fault.”
“I know. But we’re married. He wants to be a father to the baby. I think he’s been lonely for a long time and here I am with a ready-made family.”
Letty stared at her a moment. “Why did you tell Trent?”
“I wish I hadn’t. I knew I didn’t want him. I don’t know what I expected but it wasn’t how he reacted. He’s the biological father, though, and he deserved to know. Even if he is a shit.”