Chapter 32 Liza
LIZA
Two Months Later
“Tell me again why you haven’t gone to the bank to claim your millions?” Sabrina eyed my car as I pulled into work. “If I were you, I’d be driving a brand-new car and wearing a diamond necklace when I walked to the mailbox.”
I laughed. “I bet you would.”
“I’m serious, Liza. You do realize that with that kind of money, you don’t have to work another day in your damn life, right?”
I waved her off with a smile. “I have no use for it right now because I already have everything I could possibly need.”
“All right, then you can slip me a few million since you’re just letting it go to waste.” Sabrina flipped her hair behind her back and strutted into the venue.
I wouldn’t know what to do with that kind of money, so I had decided to just leave it alone.
I wasn’t being penalized for not withdrawing it, and the amount continued to earn interest without me lifting a finger.
I knew it was there for rainy days or if, God forbid, my business tanked, and I ended up jobless. But I didn’t think that would happen.
Sabrina said I didn’t need to work, which was true. What she didn’t realize, though, was that I enjoyed my job. I’d built my company from the ground up, and I took pride in the service we provided to the people of Presley Acres.
My business was more to me than a paycheck.
Before putting on my apron, I looked at my calendar app. My heart became heavy. I’d been trying to avoid the upcoming date, but it was impossible to ignore.
I glanced out the window at the sky. It was gray with a thick cloud cover. Snow would be coming soon.
A few days later, Ty stopped by my place with a bouquet of flowers, coffee, and a box of pastries for breakfast. I wasn’t as angry at him anymore. After much contemplation and soul searching, I understood his reasoning for keeping everything from me, and I had somewhat forgiven him.
Ty had worked hard to regain my trust. He put me first, sometimes even before his work engagements. He was there whenever I needed him, providing a steady shoulder to lean on whenever the weight of my grief consumed me.
Even his parents tried to make amends, going out of their way to invite me to family functions, having real heart-to-heart conversations with me and apologizing profusely for their sins against my family.
I still had a lot of healing to do, which was why I decided to take the next step. Over breakfast, I turned to face Ty. “Will you go with me to see my parents?”
Ty’s eyes widened when he realized I wasn’t talking about my adoptive parents. “Of course, baby.” He kissed me softly on the cheek. “I’d be glad to.”
After we cleaned up the breakfast dishes, we bundled up and took the long drive to where my parents were buried.
Ty knew I was anxious about seeing my parents’ graves, especially on the anniversary of their deaths.
So, he was quiet on the drive, letting me choose whether or not we’d chat on the way.
It was about a ninety-minute drive, and we sat quietly, listening to soft jazz music as we drove through the countryside.
I tried my best to prepare my heart and my mind for the sight of their names written across the cold, hard headstones, but no amount of preparation could have helped.
I immediately fell to my knees, weeping over their graves.
The names were fake—another attempt Dominic had made to try and cover up the existence of Heather Falls.
I wanted to be mad and to scream at Ty and let all my frustration out on him. I wanted to beat my fists into his chest and scream, ask him why life had to be so cruel.
But I couldn’t. I didn’t
I was too exhausted from all the anger.
Ty stayed back while I sat and placed my hands over their graves.
“Momma, Daddy, I’m here. I found you.” My tears fell onto the perfectly manicured grass that covered their burial sites.
“I remember now. I remember everything. I was your princess, your baby girl. You would’ve moved Heaven and Earth to keep me safe, and I’m so sorry you had to die not knowing if I was safe. ”
I pulled my knees to my chest and buried my head in my hands, remembering the look on my mother’s face as she lay on the ground, bleeding to death, pleading with me to run and save myself.
“I survived, and not only did I live, I’ve had a wonderful life not far from Heather Falls. I run my own catering business, and I’m happy. You need to know that I’m happy. But I miss you so much.”
I slumped over and allowed all of my sadness and grief to bubble to the surface, letting my emotions release in whatever form they chose. My wolf whimpered, sharing my grief, and attempting to console my broken heart.
After an hour, I stood to my feet and rested my hands on their gravestones. “I love you.”
I walked away feeling lighter. The weight of not having a final conversation with my parents had been lifted.
Ty took my hand and silently walked by my side to the car.
The drive home was even quieter. Ty didn’t turn any music on, and I laid my head against the headrest, closing my eyes and allowing happy memories of my childhood to fill my mind.
I’d had wonderful parents, and I was blessed to have had four amazing years with them, and the rest of my life with another set of parents who also loved and cherished me. It didn’t work out that way for everyone, and I was grateful I’d been one of the lucky ones.
Ty walked me into the house and stood at the door. I assumed he was waiting to see if I wanted him to stay, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do… what I could do.
“Thank you for coming with me.” My voice was soft, and I tilted my head to look at him.
“Of course, Liza.” He sighed. “I would do anything for you.” There was such sincerity in his tone, I didn’t doubt the words, but there was a lot between us that needed fixing.
I studied him for a long time. His eyes were kind and contemplative. The more skeptical part of me—the part that hadn’t forgotten that Ty had already burned me—wanted to twist his words and find the fucking lie I knew had to be there, but I saw nothing except truth in his declaration.
He stepped closer and hugged me tightly. “You’re my family now.”
I smiled, resting my head on his shoulder. He was the kind of man I’d always dreamed of finding. Someone who loved me unconditionally, without judgment or expectation. Someone to share both the good and the bad with.
“Thank you,” I whispered, tightening my hold on him.
It had been a long two months, and Ty’s hard body pressed against mine stirred something deep within my core.
Desire pooled in my belly, and I wanted more of him than a goodnight or goodbye kiss.
I wanted him. I would always want him, and there wasn’t a fucking thing I could do or wanted to do about it.
My wolf had recognized my grief and had kept her base instincts on lockdown.
But now, my inner Pandora’s box seemed to have opened back up.
My wolf was over waiting for me to make up with Ty.
Either I did it now, or she would force me to pounce on him.
If that happened, it would be a battle to take back control, assuming I wanted control back.
Ty pulled back, holding me at arm’s length. He cocked his head to the side as he inhaled a whiff of my scent. I hoped he saw the lust in my eyes, in the shallow, short breaths I was taking, in the soft, coy smile, and in the way I inched closer.
He growled, staring at me hard, trying to decide what to say. Honestly, nothing he said or didn’t say mattered. I wanted him, and that was the entire truth of it. “I’ll ravage you, Liza. So, if this is what you want, you’d better want all of it.”
Oh, I did. But instead of speaking, I looked up into his beautiful dark eyes and jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist.
He shifted position, pinning me to the wall with his hips as his hands roamed my breasts, my face, then my ass.
His kiss was deeper, harder, more powerful than any other kiss we’d shared.
His mouth punished and soothed, caressed and abused.
His tongue battled with mine as he pushed my hands over my head and held them there.
I wanted to rake my hands down his back, touch his skin, and feel the heat of him under my palms, but when I wriggled and struggled to break free, he tightened his grip.
Ty let me slide down his body, then swung me into his arms and made for the stairs. As he carried me up to the bedroom, he kissed me harder and deeper with every step. Without breaking the kiss, Ty set me on my feet.
I wanted to be ravaged, possessed, claimed, and owned. Much the same as I wanted to ravage and possess and claim and own him. I was anxious, needy, and yearning, but he didn’t move in right away. He looked first, took his fill, and smiled. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Liza.”
Yeah, so was he, and there was plenty of time later for compliments and sweet talk. Right now, I wanted down and dirty, and before I could open my mouth to tell him what I wanted—it was a turn-on for each of us when I did—he slid my pants down and knelt in front of me.
I curled an arm around the post at the corner of the footboard and held on as he flicked his tongue out and caught my clit.
I gasped. There wasn’t enough oxygen on the planet, and I moaned when he sucked the already tight nub into his mouth and teased me with his tongue, his hand sliding up my thigh.
Without warning, he thrust a finger inside me, and I groaned.
I was wet already. I’d wanted him since the car ride home. I’d wanted to ask him to pull over then and take me in the backseat or even on the hood of the car. It had been a while, and I needed the connection, the heat of his body, and the power in his cock.
But now he was kneeling in front of me, licking my pussy, tilting my hips, fingering me so deftly that my knees were weak, and my body was coiled, cells ignited, and I was ready to explode.