25
25
Liberty
Slowly opening my eyes, I was disoriented for a moment, then remembered I was in Liam’s car. It was dark out, and we were stopped.
Liam turned off the ignition. “We’re here,” he said, his voice slightly husky.
I’d slept the entire ride? I hadn’t meant to go to sleep, but when I had sat down, I couldn’t hold my eyes open.
“Wait there,” he told me. “I need to go turn on the lights.”
I nodded, trying to make out the house in front of us. There was a porch. It looked almost like it might wrap around. A large oak tree was to the far right, and I could tell there was a second story.
The exterior lights came on, and I sucked in a breath. Liam had a farmhouse, complete with a porch swing. I hadn’t expected this. It was a cream color with white trim. The front door opened, and a Great Dane, who I knew must be Ozzy, came barreling down the stairs. I opened my door just as he went to the tree to relieve himself.
“I believe I told you about him,” Liam said, walking toward me.
“He’s gorgeous,” I replied as Ozzy finished and started toward me, his eyes on me.
I didn’t need to bend down to greet him. He was almost at my waist.
“Hello, Ozzy,” I said as he sniffed between my legs.
My eyes shot up to Liam, who was smirking. Ozzy stilled, and he rubbed his nose against my stomach. Could he tell I was pregnant?
“Ozzy, this is Liberty. She’s going to be a guest for a while,” Liam told him, then walked over to the trunk to get my things.
The dog studied me, and then his nose went back to my crotch.
I laughed, backing up. “Let’s not do that,” I told him.
“Yes, Oz. I fucked her. You got a sniff. Now, stop,” he said as he pulled out a suitcase.
My panties felt more sticky than anything now. I felt my body flush, however, hearing Liam talk about what we’d done. I wished I hadn’t gone to sleep. The thought of him touching me on the drive here had been exciting. Leave it to my pregnant body to decide I needed rest.
“You slept through the security gate, but the house has an electric gate around the property, and it requires a password to get in. The password changes every week. When you are inside here, you’re safe. Plus, Ozzy hears everything. Come on,” Liam said as he carried my suitcases toward the house.
I followed behind him, and Ozzy stayed at my side.
There was a large dog bed on the front porch, and a swing sat to the right. From here, I was pretty sure the porch wrapped around the house. Liam walked inside and flipped on the interior light. The entryway had a hardwood floor and exposed wooden beams on the ceiling, and the walls were a warm blue. Ozzy’s paws clicked on the wooden floor as he came inside and moved to my side again. I ran my hand over his head.
“Stairs are this way. Only bedroom on this floor is mine. The others are upstairs,” he told me as he went toward the stairs.
We wouldn’t be sleeping in the same bed, it seemed. I tried not to feel disappointment. Not once had he acted as if that was what he wanted to do. I’d kind of assumed he wouldn’t put me in his room, but I’d enjoyed being surrounded by his things at the clubhouse.
He turned left when we reached the top of the stairs and then made another left turn into a bedroom. It was big with a queen-size bed, dresser, chair and ottoman in the corner, and a floor lamp beside it. The door to the left was open, and I could see a bathroom through there.
“This is the guest room. There are three other rooms. One belongs to my grandsons, one is a home office, and the other simply has a bed. I just keep the door shut,” he said, setting my suitcases down. “That door is the closet. There should be plenty of hangers for your things. If not, let me know. I have more. The bathroom is there, and it’s stocked with whatever you need.”
I scanned the room, then turned back to him. “This is nice. I didn’t expect your house to look like this,” I admitted.
He cocked an eyebrow. “What did you expect? Stripper poles and concrete floors?”
I shrugged, pursing my lips to keep from laughing.
He smirked. “This is where my grandkids come to visit. It’s my peace away from all the other crazy in my life.”
That made sense. I guessed I just hadn’t seen him that way or realized there was this side to him that existed.
“I’ll order us something to eat. Get cleaned up if you’d like. Ozzy might stop trying to get his face in your crotch if you do,” he said with a curl to his lips.
“Okay,” I replied.
“Pizza good with you?” he asked as he turned and headed for the door.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Anything you don’t like on it?”
I shrugged. “Lately, I’ve had a thing for cheese. Lots of it.”
“Extra-cheese pizza. Got it,” he said with a nod. “Ozzy,” he called.
The dog looked at me as if he didn’t want to go, but turned and followed Liam out of the room.
Once the door closed, I stood there, staring at it. I was in Liam’s house. We’d had incredible sex. He hadn’t left me hours away from him. These were all good signs. Maybe he’d gotten jealous of Country. That was a positive. If he felt jealousy, then he could feel more. This was my chance to win him over. But that would mean opening myself up to future pain. What if I let this thing I felt for him grow and he never felt anything?
Placing a hand on my stomach, I knew this was a chance I owed our baby. It wasn’t just about me. Not everyone fell in love easy. If I had allowed myself to admit how I felt about him, how he made me feel, then I knew it would become more. Because the guy in the bar that night, the one who had taken me back to my motel room, and the man who had held my hand at the ultrasound—that man made me feel deeper than anyone ever had.
Ozzy greeted me the moment I hit the bottom step on the staircase.
Grinning, I gave his head a pat. “I don’t know my way around. Want to lead me to Liam?”
I wasn’t really surprised when he turned and started walking, then glanced back at me to make sure I was following. Of course Liam would have a smart dog. Ozzy led me across the foyer and then turned right down a short hallway before turning through an arched doorway. The large room held a massive fireplace at its center, a brown leather sectional, rustic-style coffee table and end tables, and a pool table. The flat screen TV hung on the far-right wall.
Liam was sitting on the sofa, and two boxes of pizza were on the large, sturdy wooden table in front of him. There was a bottle of water and a glass of what looked like whiskey on coasters on either side of the boxes.
The television was a sports channel, but they were talking about horse racing. I found that odd—at least for Liam. He didn’t strike me as a gambling kinda man or one who was interested in horses. When his gaze swung over to meet mine, it drifted down my body. The pink polka-dot boxer shorts and tank top were my usual loungewear. He paused a moment at my feet, then motioned with his hand for me to come to the sofa.
“Come eat,” he said simply.
Ozzy padded beside me, and when I sat down across from the pizzas, he made himself comfortable at my feet.
“Didn’t know what you’d want to drink. I grabbed you a water because I honestly don’t have much else but beer or whiskey. There was some orange juice, but the expiration date is questionable.”
Smiling, I reached for the bottle of water. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
He opened the boxes. The sight of the cheese pizza made my mouth water. Liam leaned forward and took a piece, then placed it on a paper plate and handed it to me before getting a slice from what looked like a meat lovers pizza.
Shifting my attention back to the television, I took a bite of the greasy cheesy goodness and sighed with pleasure. This was perfect.
“Best pizza in town,” he said beside me.
I finished chewing, then glanced at him. “It’s so good.”
He smirked, then took a bite of his while watching the large screen.
We ate in silence for a few minutes. This was nice. It had been a while since I’d had a meal without a lot of people talking and almost-naked females walking around. I did miss my new friends, but being here with Liam was much better.
“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a horse-racing guy,” I said after I finished my slice.
“I’m not. I don’t gamble, and I’ve never much cared about horses. But my daughter married into that world. I like to see how their horses are doing,” he said.
I had lived here most of my life and I’d heard about Hughes Farm being the biggest racehorse stables in the southeast. Men had talked about betting on one of their horses at Abernathy’s many times. The connection just hadn’t clicked.
“They have horses in this one?”
“This is a recap. Races that were held today. They aren’t major ones, but my grandson has his first horse in one of them. He came in second, and I was hoping they’d show him.”
His grandson had a racehorse! I watched the screen as the announcers continued to talk and show clips from different races, finding myself fully invested.
“How old is your grandson?” I asked.
“Cree is five. Eli is ten months,” he replied, not taking his eyes off the screen. “There, that one.” There was a trace of pride in his voice. “Demigod.”
The announcers began talking about Demigod and his owner being Garrett Hughes’s grandson and Blaise Hughes’s oldest son. They chuckled about having yet another Hughes take over the racing world and watching the first of many Cree Hughes’s horses on the track.
I glanced over at Liam, who was smiling as he listened.
“Did he name the horse?” I asked.
Liam nodded. “Yeah. His mom has been reading him some kids book series about Greek gods and their kids or something like that. I don’t know exactly. But he’s very into it.”
I set the empty plate down and curled my feet up under me as I leaned back on the soft leather.
Liam’s eyes moved from the television to my legs before looking at me. “You’re full?”
I nodded. “Yes, but I’m a fan of leftover pizza.”
His eyes dropped back to my bare legs. “Are you cold? Need a blanket?”
I shook my head. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
He seemed appeased, then took another slice from the meat lovers box. I scanned the room. There were very few personal things or decorations. There was a wall with several frames that hung in a fashion that I doubted Liam had done himself. Not that a man couldn’t decorate, but this was Liam.
I studied the photographs, realizing most were of one little boy, who I assumed was Cree. There were two with the boy and a baby. My eyes stopped on one that was an older photo. Faded with time. Two teenage boys leaning against the front of Liam’s car. One was grinning with a cigarette clenched between his teeth. Then, there was Liam. Even without the beard, I could tell it was him. His arms were crossed over his chest, but a beer bottle hung from one of his hands. They were both shirtless and wearing jeans. He was tattooed, even back then. Not as many as he had now, but they were there.
“How old were you in that photo?” I asked.
He turned to look in the direction I was studying. “Seventeen,” he replied.
“Who is the other guy?” I asked, wondering if it was one of the men at the clubhouse I’d gotten to know.
“Tulsa. He was my best friend. We grew up together,” he said, turning his attention back to the television. “You met his son, Micah.”
I remembered Country telling me about Tulsa, but I didn’t dare mention it. I also knew his best friend was dead.
“He was shot sixteen years ago next week,” he added, his tone taking on a darker note. As if the thought of it still caused an ache. I knew it did. Although time had helped the pain of losing those I loved, it was never something that went away completely.
I slid my hand over and covered his. He tensed, and I almost drew my hand away, but he turned to look at me. It wasn’t sadness that I saw. I shivered slightly as his gaze dropped to my mouth, then my breasts.
“You walk around here in tops like that and no bra, Liberty, you’re gonna get fucked.” There was a warning in his voice.
“I think I mentioned that lately, I want, uh, it, all the time,” I replied, licking my lips.
He inhaled sharply through his nose, then turned his hand over, threading his fingers through mine before standing up and taking me with him. “Damn dog seems to be too interested in your scent. Gonna need to take this to the bedroom and shut him out,” he said, pulling me to his body.
He let go of my hand and ran both of his over my stomach. “Fuck, I like that,” he murmured. He gripped my waist and turned me around, facing away from him, then gently pushed me forward. “Right through there,” he said, leading me to the door on the wall opposite the television.
“Stay,” Liam told Ozzy firmly when he stood to walk beside me.
When I stopped at the closed door, he reached around me and opened it with one hand while gripping my hip with the other. Not letting go of me, he walked us inside, his body pressed against my back.
The scent hit me, reminding me of how his suite at the clubhouse had smelled. It was pure Liam. I inhaled as my eyes scanned the room, but my shirt was being pulled over my head before I saw more than the large wood-framed bed.
Liam palmed my breasts, and his hot breath against my neck caused me to shiver. He kissed and licked as he worked his way down to my shoulder, then back up to just below my ear. His hands fondled my boobs, rolling each nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
“You always smell so damn good,” he murmured.
My head fell back against his chest, and I closed my eyes as pleasure pooled between my legs. He slid his hands down to my stomach and held it for a moment while he nibbled on my earlobe, then moved one hand under the front of my boxer shorts that no longer hung as loosely on my hips as they once had.
I sucked in a breath and opened my eyes to watch his tanned hand move under my panties before he eased a finger between my wet, swollen lips.
“Jesus, baby,” his deep voice said, his mouth so close to my ear that I broke out in goose bumps. “Get these off,” he growled, then stepped back, taking my boxers and panties down with one hard tug until they were at my ankles.
I stepped out of them and kicked them to the side.
His hands cupped my butt. “I want you on my face,” he told me, then shoved me toward the bed.
I glanced back at him as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside, then began working on his jeans. The hunger in his gaze as he lifted his chin, nodding toward the bed, sent another wave of excitement through me.
“Climb on and let me watch your ass,” he ordered. “Then, you’re gonna ride my mouth.”
I licked my bottom lip. “What?” My breathing quickened.
“You’re gonna straddle my head and put that dripping wet pussy on my mouth and ride it.”
I nodded, ready to do whatever he asked of me. However, when he stood there, completely naked, I was distracted by every defined muscle, the V beneath his abs, his tattoos, which only added to every impressive inch of him, and I wanted to run my hands over each ripple.
He moved toward me, and my eyes dropped to the long, thick erection, making my mouth water.
“Climb on the bed,” he said, turning me around, then landing a slap onto my bottom. “I’ll have my cock in your mouth soon enough, making you gag on it.”
Okay. Wow. I’d never really wanted to give Wallace a blow job, but I wanted Liam’s cock in my mouth.
Turning from him, I lifted a knee and crawled up onto the mattress, aware that he was watching me. A slight quiver between my legs caused me to pause, and I felt a dampness on my inner thighs. I heard him mutter a curse, and then the bed dipped as he moved onto it. I waited while he lay down on his back near the middle, then grabbed my thigh and pulled me to him.
“The next time that pussy comes, it’s gonna be on my face.”
Opening my thighs, I placed a knee on each side of his head, then stared down at him. He grabbed the top of my thighs and brought me down until his tongue was running along the sensitive folds.
Crying out, I grabbed the headboard to steady myself as he pressed me down further until his nose was bumping my clit. Rocking my hips, growing more desperate for him. His beard scratched my skin, and the thought of it getting wet from my arousal caused another gush to release from deep inside me.
“That feels so good,” I moaned, throwing my head back and closing my eyes.
His deep growl of approval vibrated between my legs, sending tingles throughout my body. My grip tightened as I drew closer to the orgasm I so desperately craved. Liam flattened his tongue, and I pressed against it. That sent me falling over the edge.
“YES! Oh God! Liam!” I shouted as my body began to jerk.
His fingers dug into my thighs as he held me there and continued to use his tongue, lapping up my release. When I stopped moving, his hands slid up to my hips, and he pushed me off him and onto my back.
Grabbing my right leg, he draped it over his shoulder and plunged into me hard.
“FUCK!” he roared, clenching his teeth with his eyes closed.
I watched the veins in his neck stand out and his muscular shoulders and arms flex while he held still, his cock fully sheathed inside me.
Already needy for more, I lifted my hips, and his hazel eyes snapped open and locked on me.
“Don’t do that,” he warned. “I’m too close. This creaming pussy, clenching me so damn tight after you just rubbed it all over my face, has me ready to explode.”
I wiggled my hips, and his eyes flared. Then, his hand gripped my neck. Gasping, I stared up at him as he squeezed it. Not so tight that I couldn’t breathe, but it wasn’t exactly gentle.
“Keep still, Liberty,” he growled, his voice sounding more like an animal than a man.
A whimper broke free as trepidation and a carnal fervor began to spread through me, warring for which one was stronger even though both seemed to feed off the other.
“That’s it.” He released my neck and ran a finger down my cheek. “Good girl.”
I tried to stay still as he continued tracing a path over my collarbone, my breast, circling my nipple, before stopping at my stomach.
“Shouldn’t make me so damn crazed,” he said, staring at my bump. “But I can’t help it. Every time I think about my seed inside you, that your sexy little body is growing a part of me, I get territorial. I want to mark what’s mine.”
Another small sound escaped my lips. I was going to come without him even moving. Just from listening to the deep, husky sound of his voice as he stretched me.
His hand locked down on my throat again, and then he began to ease out slowly before thrusting back inside.
“Please, Liam, don’t stop,” I begged.
Letting go of my neck he ran his hand up the leg that he had over his shoulder, then moved it off, pressing my thighs open. He lifted his hips up, then slammed back down. I bucked off the mattress, feeling so close to that peak and aching for it.
“This horny pussy needs fucked hard,” he said, and I nodded frantically.
I almost wept at the gleam in his eyes, thinking he was going to continue the torture of holding me right out on the edge. But a dark snarl tore from him, and he once again clamped down on my throat before giving me what I’d been desperate for.
With each slap of our bodies, I could hear the wetness I kept leaking.
“Goddamn, that’s a greedy cunt,” he said with a grunt.
“YES!” I said with a cry, grabbing handfuls of the cover beneath me as he pounded into me like a man possessed.
The headboard thumped loudly against the wall.
“Give it to me,” he panted. “Let me feel it.”
The frenzy flaring inside me surged as a spray of warmth released, and I clawed at Liam’s arms, arching into him and shuddering.
“GAH! FUCK!” tore from deep in his chest as he pumped three times while spurts of heat filled me.
I was shaking as I fell back onto the mattress. It was hard to catch my breath, but I kept my eyes open and watched him. A tremor ran over him, and his gaze lingered on our connected bodies before moving up to meet mine.
We stayed there for a moment. Not moving.
Finally, he let out a long breath and slid out of me. “Stay here. I’ll get something to clean you up,” he said as he started to move.
Reaching out, I grabbed his arm to stop him. “No. Don’t,” I told him.
He shifted, then rolled over beside me, and I turned on my side, pressing my back against his chest. His arm came over me, and he laid his palm over my stomach.
“How’s your throat?” he asked.
I smiled softly. “Fine.”
“I didn’t squeeze too hard?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He ran his nose over the side of my head, nuzzling me. “It’s your fault. You’ve got a dirty mouth.”
I let out a laugh. “You’re one to talk about dirty mouths.”
He made a low humming sound. “Yeah, but when words like that come out of your pretty mouth, it seems to be a trigger for me. I can’t fuck you hard enough.”
I pressed closer against his chest, soaking in the warmth of his body. This was what I had been aching for. I’d wanted this connection with him. I wasn’t an affectionate person—or at least that was a complaint Wallace had often had with me. I’d feared Abilene had managed to break me. Take away any sense of giving and accepting another’s affection.
But I knew now that wasn’t the case. Because there was nowhere I’d rather be than right here. Wrapped up in Liam’s arms, safe in his bed. Wanted.
Closing my eyes, I drifted off, peaceful, and it felt perfect.