Chapter 33
thirty-three
no fair
Maya
When I finally released the headboard, I’d screamed my way through a couple more orgasms. My limbs were like noodles with how wrung out I was. With a herculean effort, I rolled onto my side, watching as he removed the condom and tossed it into the trash can beside the bed.
He rolled back toward me with a huge, self-satisfied grin on his face. “Well? Was I up to the task? Do I get an A-plus?”
I burst into laughter and buried my face in his chest. How was everything with him so easy, so fun? If only we could stay in bed forever.
“What?” he protested. “I was aiming for the best orgasm of your life. I need feedback. How else will I know if I’ve achieved my goal?”
I snort-laughed, pulling away enough to meet his gaze. “It might have been an A-plus before you started fishing for compliments. That really lowered the value. Now it’s dropped to an A.” I smirked. “Try being less needy next time.”
His jaw dropped in mock outrage. “What? That’s totally unfair. I think you may have blacked out on that last one.”
I absolutely blacked out. For a second. But I’d never admit that to him; he didn’t need the ego boost.
I scrunched up my nose, pretending to consider his comment before responding. “I guess it was pretty good.” Then, with an unbothered stretch worthy of Harold, I added, “But I think you can do better. Not tonight, though. I’m beat.”
He tugged me back into his arms, cradling me against his chest. “You and me both, babe. I am not used to this much physical activity. I’ll need a membership at Get Fit and Die Trying if I want to have any hope of keeping you satisfied.”
“Seriously?” I snickered, lazily poking a finger into his bicep. “You’re made of solid muscle. Shut up.”
“No, you shut up.” He kissed the top of my head, and warmth spread through my chest. “Go to sleep, Pipsqueak.”
“Goodnight, Liam,” I mumbled, my voice already heavy with sleep. “Thanks for all the orgasms. Remind me to think of a way to murder you in the morning.”
I drifted off to the sound of his answering chuckle.
“Maya? Are you in there? Want to join us for—oh, crap! Sorry! Sorry!”
Andie’s voice pulled me from a sexy dream reenactment of what had happened last night with Liam, but it was Carter yelling in my face that really shocked me awake.
“No fair, Auntie MyMy. You had a sleepover without me?”
Shit, shit, shit.
In a blind panic, I yanked at the blankets to make sure they covered me, exposing Liam’s very naked ass in my haste.
“Hey,” he grumbled sleepily, looking absurdly attractive despite his wild bedhead and pillow-creased cheek. “What gives?”
Carter huffed, crossing his arms. “How’s come Liam gets to sleep in no pull-up? No fair.”
Oh my god, kill me now.
“Carter, come here,” Andie wheezed with a barely suppressed snicker. She grabbed Carter by the sleeve of his jacket and herded him out of the room. “We can wait in the living room while Auntie MyMy and Liam get dressed.”
“I have waffles in the freezer if you’re hungry,” I called after them, my voice a panicked squeak as I spun to face Liam. “Oh my god, I can’t believe that just happened. Get up. GET UP!” I slapped him on the ass and rolled away.
He made no effort to move, merely chuckled when he saw me wince at the lingering soreness between my legs as I staggered out of bed.
“Shut up!” I hissed, scrambling to gather our discarded clothing. I threw his pants at him, yanked on shorts and a tank top, and rushed for the door.
“Get dressed and meet me out there,” I ordered before ducking out of the room.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Andie greeted me with an evil smirk as I stumbled through the bedroom door and into the living room.
“We came to ask you to join us for breakfast at the diner.” She cocked an eyebrow.
“I didn’t expect you’d have a guest, or I wouldn’t have let Carter run ahead like that. ”
“I should never have given you that key for emergencies,” I muttered, shooting her a look that I hoped told her to drop it.
Her smirk grew when Liam appeared behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.
“Did I hear something about breakfast? Count me in.” He grinned before adding, “Not sure why, but I’m absolutely ravenous this morning.”
Andie snickered. “Must’ve worked up quite the appetite last night.”
I choked on air, my eyes darting to where Carter played with Harold, but he was oblivious to everything but rubbing the cat’s belly.
“But that’s okay,” she continued, unbothered. “We’ll get a table while you two get cleaned up.”
The instant the door closed behind them, Liam spun me around.
“Morning,” he murmured, tilting my chin up for a slow, tender kiss.
Thank god he was holding me, because, as cliché as it sounds, my knees went weak when he pressed his lips to mine.
The man knew how to kiss. “Are you sure you’re ready to fuel the rumour mill by taking another trip to the diner together? ”
He was right when he said small towns like Carlisle Creek thrived on gossip.
And after yesterday’s book club spectacle, I knew all eyes would be on us the second we stepped outside.
But honestly? I didn’t care. Let them look.
I liked Liam, and I enjoyed spending time with him, and I didn’t care what the nosy residents of this little town thought of it.
“Let’s do it,” I said with a grin. “But first, I need a shower. I reek of sex.”
Liam’s grin turned wicked. He ran his nose up the column of my throat, inhaling deeply, which sent a thrill racing down my spine. “You do,” he murmured, “and I love it.”
I gasped as he dragged me flush against his hard body, kissing me so thoroughly that I reeled.
His tongue teased, tangling with mine until I was whimpering against his lips.
But as I reached for him, my hand brushing against the evidence of his arousal, he pulled away, leaving me huffing in frustration.
With a low chuckle, he headed for the bathroom. “I suppose a shower before we go out in public is the polite thing to do, though.”
I gaped at his back. He got me all worked up just to walk away? Rude.
“Come on then, Pipsqueak,” he called over his shoulder. “If you promise to be a good girl, I’ll wash your back for you.”
I crossed my arms. “I guess I’ll allow it. But after that, I’m drowning you in the shower spray for calling me Pipsqueak again.”
He laughed, kicking his jeans off just outside the bathroom door before turning to face me. And—hello!—his impossibly hard length bobbed as though beckoning me closer.
I swallowed roughly. Majestic. Absolutely. Freaking. Majestic. There was just no other way to describe it.
“I would expect nothing less,” he said, disappearing into the bathroom, unfazed by my latest threat. A second later, he called out, “Don’t keep me waiting, Maya. We don’t have all day.”
I kicked into high gear, ripping off my tank and dropping my shorts as I hurried after him.
I didn’t care how sore I was. There was no way in hell I’d miss this.
“Did you want to get that before we go?”
Once again, my spare phone jingled from its drawer purgatory, its outdated ringtone jarring. I should answer it. They hadn’t let up. It might have been important. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. They’d fooled me before.
“No,” I said. “I don’t want to answer it. Let’s go get breakfast.”
Liam’s confusion would have been adorable if he were curious about anything else, but he’d heard that phone ring more than once. He’d seen me refuse to answer. And now he wanted to know why.
He cocked an eyebrow in question.
“Drop it, please,” I gritted out through clenched teeth. Plastering on a smile to keep him from pressing, I added, “I’m starving. You wore me out last night.”
That did the trick. His curious frown morphed into a blinding grin. He pulled me close and pressed a kiss to my temple, setting butterflies loose in my belly.
“Don’t forget this morning,” he murmured. “It might have been quick, but it was pretty damn memorable.”
I snorted and was still laughing as we stepped out onto the sidewalk. Liam kept his arm around me as I locked the door, as if he were afraid to let go for even a moment. And truthfully, I didn’t want him to. Having his arms around me was starting to feel necessary.
“It was pretty memorable,” I admitted.
“An A-plus?”
I barked a laugh. “It might have been, if you hadn’t asked about it. The continued desperation drops your score down to an A-minus. You have got to stop fishing for compliments.”
“Damn it.” He chuckled, kissing my temple again. “Foiled by my relentless need for feedback.”
I slipped an arm around his waist as we made the quick walk to the diner, savouring his warmth beneath my fingers.
I’d never had this with anyone. This desire for closeness. Sure, I hugged my friends. But I’d never felt this constant pull, this need to touch someone, to reach for them, to be near them.
It was terrifying.
But more than that, it was exhilarating.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Liam said, opening the diner door and ushering me inside. He stopped me as I edged past him, dipping his head to whisper, “Because you look an awful lot like someone who’s thinking about how she’s had half a dozen high-quality orgasms in the last twelve hours.”
I fought back a laugh. “They were decent,” I whispered back. “But let’s not get carried away. You need more practice before I’d start calling them high-quality.”
Liam’s eyebrows shot up, and he opened his mouth with what I’m sure was a protest.
“I’m reserving judgment,” I continued, “until I can do more research.”
His scorching look made heat pool low in my belly. How does he do that? How does he wreck me with a single expression?
Andie rushed past with a tray of food, and I tore my eyes away from Liam. “Hey guys, change of plans. Grab a table if you can find one. I’ll be right over to take your order.”
The diner was filled to capacity. And from the looks of it, Andie was on her own. Considering it was supposed to be her day off, that was doubly strange. Looked like someone picked up Carter, at least. She’d never have been able to manage all these customers and a three-year-old.
“Damn,” Liam said, taking in the bustling diner. “How long were we in the shower?”
I rolled my eyes at his blatant attempt to distract me. “I wonder if Andie needs any help?”
My instinct was to pitch in and get to work, but I couldn’t see anything that needed doing. Every single table looked happy, something I’d never accomplished in my years of waiting tables. Andie made it look so easy when, in my experience, it was anything but.
“She looks like she’s in the zone,” Liam said, watching her load a tray with more plates. “I don’t think she needs help.”
As we took the last empty table, the door swung open and Greg walked out from the kitchen.
Wearing a long apron tied over his dress shirt, vest, and slacks, he looked …
capable. The pièce de résistance? Mr. Fluffy perched in a mesh pack on Greg’s back, enthusiastically munching on what looked like a piece of dried meat.
I blinked.
Liam blinked.
Greg appeared not to notice us. “Dishes are done for now,” he announced, stripping off a pair of bright yellow rubber gloves. “Want me to bring coffee around? See if anyone needs a refill.”
Balancing another full tray, Andie bit her lip as she scanned the diner. “That would be great, thanks.”
“You got it.” Greg grabbed a coffeepot. “I’ll brew more while I’m at it.”
Liam and I exchanged looks.
“Greg is helping?” I murmured. “Has he ever worked at a diner before?”
Liam shook his head. “His grandfather owned a restaurant, but he never mentioned working there.”
The smiling faces of nearly every resident of Carlisle Creek told me that even if he’d never waited tables before, he was doing just fine now. Greg laughed and chatted as he refilled coffees, so comfortable you’d think he’d worked in a small-town diner all his life.
Except for the suit.
And the ferret.
Other than those two minor things, he looked like he was born to do this.
“Hey.” Andie stopped next to our table, balancing an empty tray against her hip. “Sorry for skipping out on breakfast, especially after dragging you out of bed. When Carter and I got here, poor Dave was losing his mind trying to serve everyone and cook. I couldn’t leave him to handle it alone.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’ve never seen it this busy. What’s going on?”
“No idea. Carla no-showed, but that’s not surprising.
She misses more shifts than she works these days.
But what’s weird is that Dottie’s not answering her phone.
It’s just been me on the floor since I walked in.
Greg showed up not long after I did, thank god.
When he offered to help, I sent him straight to the dish pit. ”
Liam still looked baffled. “Greg knows how to wash dishes?”
Andie grinned. “Well, they’re clean, so either he already knew how or he figured it out as he went. Whichever it was, I’m thankful. I think he even helped Dave with orders while he was back there.”
“Do you need more help?” I offered, unable to quell the guilt eating at me for sitting when she was clearly run off her feet. “I have some time before I need to be at the store.”
Andie shook her head. “Nah. We have it under control now. Besides, the breakfast rush is basically over. Everyone has their food. Now we just need to maintain.”
“You sure?” Liam asked. “I’d be happy to help. I’ve never worked in a restaurant, but I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty.”
Andie smiled and shook her head again. “I promise we’re good now.”
I smiled. “Well, in that case. I’m starving.”
I didn’t order my usual, lest it come out shaped like a giant penis again.
In a restaurant full of nosy people, that would have been inviting an onslaught of invasive questions.
Questions like, “Why is there a penis on your plate?” or, “Did you see that penis on your plate?”.
Better to order something different and avoid the uncomfortable situation altogether.
While we waited for our food, Liam and I watched Greg bus tables like a pro, a grin on his face the whole time.
“Do you think something’s going on with those two?” Liam asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
I shrugged, determined to keep quiet about Andie’s attraction to Greg until she decided whether she wanted to do something about it. “No idea. Greg’s your friend. You tell me.”
Liam sipped his coffee, and his smile grew.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But you can bet I’ll be finding out later.” He shook his head, amused. “I need to know what’s got him grinning like a lovesick fool.”