27
27
Liam
“I’m assuming you didn’t get a cat,” Tex said as he sat down in one of the chairs across from my desk.
My gaze shifted to the scratch marks showing from underneath the short sleeves of my shirt, then back to Tex.
“Did you get the liquor order straightened out?” I asked him, ignoring his comment.
I didn’t want to discuss where the marks had come from. I’d been having a hard enough time with getting Liberty out of my head all day. The reasons why it was a bad thing that I’d let her sleep in my bed with me last night being first and foremost.
“Ah, come on. I’ve given you all fucking morning. I even waited until midafternoon for you to tell me you’d moved that hot, sexy, young baby momma into your house,” he complained.
Shit. You’d think bikers wouldn’t gossip like a bunch of old ladies.
“Who told you that?” I asked. This wasn’t something I wanted getting out. I was struggling with it enough as it was. Once Madeline found out—fuck. I didn’t want to think about her reaction.
Tex gave me a pointed look. “You really have to ask that?”
“Micah,” I sighed.
Should have known the fucker couldn’t keep his mouth shut. If I hadn’t raised the bastard, I’d have beaten him within an inch of his life years ago.
Tex nodded, then gave me a sly grin. “Since the cat’s out of the bag,” he said, then wiggled his eyebrows.
I glared at him, not finding his pun humorous in the least.
“Tell me you got her home last night, got those tits and that ass naked, worshipped them, then fucked the hell out of her,” he said. “I mean, you did something, obviously. I doubt those claw marks were an accident.”
“No one is to know,” I told him through clenched teeth. “I don’t want people knowing she’s in my house. It’s bad enough that I knocked her up.”
Tex frowned. “What’s so bad about it? She’s gorgeous with big tits and a bouncy, round ass, and you get to tap that whenever you want. I’m struggling to find the problem.”
He needed to stop talking about her body. I didn’t like it, and again, that was another fucking problem I couldn’t control.
“I’ve told you already. She’s sixteen years younger than me. She was a bartender without a car and living in a goddamn motel, and I fucked her hours after meeting her. Not once either. Several times. What do you think Madeline is going to think when she finds this out? She was so excited about the doctor. Wanted us to come over for dinner. You think she’s gonna want a homeless bartender who is only six years older than her to come over for dinner? What about the boys? I’m about to give them an aunt or uncle who is younger than they are.” I ran a hand over my head and sighed.
Telling him that all I could think about was her dirty mouth, and her soaking wet cunt wasn’t happening. I had to get a handle on it and set some line that wouldn’t be crossed.
The whole thing with her in the bikini and Country drooling all over her had set me off. Then, when I saw her stomach wasn’t flat anymore, I lost my damn mind. The word MINE roared in my head so loudly that I almost shouted it. Thank fuck I hadn’t.
Having her all curled up against me in bed, smelling like heaven, while my hand held one of her big, swollen tits when I opened my eyes this morning hadn’t helped. I shouldn’t have let her stay in my room. It had been a mistake. The ice-cold shower I took didn’t ease much, considering when I got out, she was still lying in my bed, naked.
I’d had to get the hell out of that house before I climbed on top of her and she woke up with my dick buried inside her. I wasn’t sure I could go back. At least not today.
“Why are you concerned about what Madeline thinks? She didn’t care that you didn’t approve of her choice in a husband. She’s your daughter, but, man, Liberty is carrying your other kid.”
I shook my head. “I’m too old for this. A relationship with a woman that young. She might be thirty-one, but she’s got herself as pulled together as much as a sorority girl does. Hell, at least sorority girls are in college, getting a degree. She didn’t even do that. I need someone mature.”
Tex chuckled. “When did you start thinking like some old grandpa? You’ve got a smoking hot piece of young ass. Sure, she might be a mess, and, hell, maybe she’s a little crazy even, but who the fuck cares? She’s got your baby up in her; she’s sleeping in your bed, spreading those sweet thighs for you. Dude, snap out of it,” he said, then stood up.
Dammit! I didn’t need a reminder about her fucking spread thighs.
My phone started ringing, and I looked down to see Selena’s name lighting up the screen. Just what I needed right now. To deal with this. I’d been dodging her the best I could, but she didn’t seem to give up easily.
“Probably want to cut that shit loose,” Tex said. “Good luck with that.” he added with a nod, then turned to leave the office.
I waited until the door closed, then hit Answer and leaned back in my chair, dreading this.
“Selena,” I said in greeting.
“Liam,” she replied, sounding happy to hear my voice. “I thought I’d give you a call since I hadn’t heard back from you after my last text message. I’ve been worried about you. I hope everything is okay.”
I tilted my head back and stared at the ceiling. This was going to be annoyingly dramatic. I had thought our casual dating was going well. No attachment on her part. I’d figured out that I was wrong. Women got attached even when they claimed they weren’t. Another reason I couldn’t keep fucking Liberty. She would get attached.
“I’ve had some personal stuff going on, Selena. Right now, dating just isn’t something I can fit into my life. I’m sorry I’ve not gotten back to you. Things have been busy, and I’ve had a lot of distractions. I’m not in a headspace to date,” I said, ripping off the Band-Aid and getting it out there.
“Oh,” she replied, disappointment in her tone. “I-I hope I wasn’t being pushy. I just—I mean, I was having a good time. I thought you were too. We don’t have to date, but we could just see each other as friends when you have time. I could bring dinner over to your place if you’re too tired to come over here. I’d love to see your house. Meet Oscar.”
Her hopefulness made me feel like shit. Even if she’d just called my dog by the wrong name.
“That’s not a good idea,” I told her, leaving out that her sister was living in my house. She probably didn’t need to hear that from me.
“Everyone needs a helping hand from a friend. You’re obviously going through a tough time, Liam. I want to help you. I’m not trying to make this into anything more.”
How many times was I going to have to tell this woman no? Probably until I admit the truth—or at least part of it. No woman would want to be friends and hang out when I had a baby momma living under my roof.
“I didn’t want to have to tell you this. I’m not proud of it, but I’m taking responsibility for my actions,” I said, prepping myself for whatever reaction I was about to get. “I had a one-night stand with a bartender I met one night before you and I went on our first date. She got pregnant. I’m dealing with that and making sure she’s taken care of.” I stopped, hoping this would end it, that she’d be appalled and hang up on me.
“Are you sure it’s yours? If she had a one-night stand with you, then—”
“It’s mine. I had a paternity test done,” I interrupted before she could continue on about it anymore.
“Oh. I see. Well …” She paused, and I waited for her to say goodbye or have a nice life or maybe fuck you before hanging up.
Then, I heard the sniffling, and I dropped my head into my hand. Fucking hell, she was going to cry. A sob came over the line. Was she seriously crying over this?
“I’m sorry. I just—it’s the anniversary of my mom’s death. I’m struggling. Not having family to talk to. I just needed someone, and you were the only one I could think of that I wanted to talk to. I know you’ve got all this on you, and I don’t want to dump my stuff on you too.”
I’d left Liberty at home this morning and not texted or called her all day. Was she struggling with this? I knew she hadn’t gone to the funeral, but maybe it was for reasons I didn’t know. Like facing it was too much. She’d been younger than Selena. She might not have been ready to accept her death. Was she crying at home alone too?
“Again, I’m sorry for bothering you,” she said after another sob.
I realized I hadn’t responded earlier and cleared my throat.
“I’m, uh, sorry. I know that must be tough,” I replied.
She sniffled, then let out a breathy laugh. “I don’t suppose you could find a couple of hours to maybe come over to help me eat a carton of ice cream and let me borrow your shoulder to cry on for a little bit?”
I did feel bad for her, but I wouldn’t be going to her house ever again.
“I can’t, Selena. I’m sorry. I need to get back to work. I do wish you all the best, and I hope tomorrow is a better day for you,” I told her. “Goodbye.”
My thumb hit the End button, and I stared at the screen, wondering if I should check on Liberty. But if she was sad, I’d want to go comfort her, and then I’d want to fuck her. She didn’t need that, and I didn’t need to be the one she cried on. It would only make her grow dependent on me. Start getting feelings.
I’d just had a taste of what a woman who had started wanting shit and a future was like when I tried to shake her loose. That shit wasn’t easy with someone you could just shut out. It would be even harder with Liberty if she started wanting more with me. She would be in my life for the next eighteen or nineteen years. We were gonna have to raise a kid together. We needed to get along.