A Borrowed Life (Carly and Liam #1) (16 page)

“Don't leave me again, please.”

“I wish that was possible.”

And with that, I slowly pull myself from his embrace.

“It is possible,” he insists, his hands holding me against him. “I fear for the poor fool who will try to stop us,” he whispers against my head.

These words rip my chest in two. I hold back my tears and force a polite smile on my face.

“It would never work between us. It was a nice story, but it's over now.”

He observes me for a moment, studying my expression.

“You can't really mean that?”

“Yes, Liam. I'm sorry.”

I’m unable to look at him as I say these words. I don't believe any of it. Trying to convince him it was just a fling is much more difficult than I thought it would be.

“No, I don't believe you,” he insists.

I feel his eyes seeing straight through me and this ridiculous bluff. I can’t fool him.

“It's better this way,” I answer.

It's not just about Richard. How could I ever tell him that I'm not who he thinks I am? I lied to him for two whole weeks while he has been nothing but honest with me. This cruise thing really was the worst thing that could have happened to me! My life has been in complete ruins since, and everything became so complicated. I wish I never won that damn trip!

Liam slowly leans towards me. I want so badly for him to kiss me. I need to feel the touch of his lips against mine, as if he possessed the air that would allow me to live. I'm completely intoxicated by him, his touch, and the anticipation for his kiss. My body melts into his arms and a gentle pressure sets fire to my lips, reviving all the sensations of my body. My fingers glide up to his neck while his hands rest on my waist, holding me against him.

“There you are!” Liora suddenly exclaims.

Liam doesn't stop kissing me, completely ignoring my stepsister. I take a step back and Liam leaves his mouth against my forehead as he turns to the young woman who's walking toward us as if she hadn't interrupted anything.

“Carly, father wants to see you.”

“Okay.”

I venture up the small path that takes me back to the other guests, and Liam tightens his grip on my hand.

“She'll be there in five minutes,” he informs the young woman before me.

She remains slightly surprised and reluctant to obey, but his stern look which is almost impossible to dispute forces her to leave us alone.

“Don't take too long,” she adds before leaving. “Father doesn't like to wait.”

“If this poses a problem for him, he'll have to deal with me,” Liam immediately replies.

His expression is haunted by a rage that is new to me. It’s clear he doesn't seem to appreciate my biological father.

“I don't like being interrupted,” he answers after seeing my questioning expression. “We weren't done.”

“There is nothing more to say.”

“I'm not giving up, Carly. No woman has ever made me feel the way you do, and I won't let you leave without a fight. Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.”

My throat tightens. I don't want him to let me go and I want to scream at him not to, but the truth is, I live in the real world and not in a fairy tale. In the real world, he has nothing to fear and certainly isn’t concerned with paying bills at the end of each month. I, however, have much to lose, but he doesn’t know that. He knows nothing about me, and chances are he would let me go if he did, especially for lying to him.

“Nothing. I don't want you to do anything, Liam. Let me go.”

And with that, I return to the small party, leaving him behind me. I feel his pain as much as mine and the more I move away from him, the more I hurt. I'm afraid I made a big mistake, but it's too late to go back now.

I join my father waiting for me at a table with two other men. One of them holds a camera in his hand.

“There she is!” he rejoices at my sight, a warm, fake smile on his face.

He puts his arm around my shoulders to squeeze me against him.

“My daughter, Carly,” he introduces me to his friends. “But you'll keep that a secret until the official announcement, right?”

“Of course!” promises one of them. “May I?”

He shows his camera. I look up to my father and he nods. He's so demanding that I can’t find the strength to contradict him. I show a smile and turn to the man who's about to take a picture of us. At this moment, my gaze rests on Liam behind him. His eyes divide the crowd in two to reach me. Suddenly, everyone else disappears and it’s only the two of us. I can't seem to smile anymore. He’s able to control his emotions and I feel like I'm falling apart. Suddenly, his shoulders begin to sag and I see behind his mask. He's broken.

My father's strong and cold hand lands on my shoulder and his fingers firmly tighten on my collarbone. I see his warning through his dagger eyes; he saw in Liam what I saw.

“Don't play with me, Carly. You don't know what I'm capable of,” he scolds between his teeth, whispering and still smiling to the photographer who steps back to take the picture.

I suddenly turn to him, unable to hide the fear in my face. Was that a threat? I think I’ve made a big mistake. This man is powerful, rich and very influential, and I just gave him all the necessary ingredients to make my life a living hell. He is going to control my whole life and at the slightest misdemeanor, he will withdraw his help and his money, and I will be in great danger. I suspect that this picture is some kind of insurance policy for him.

“Will you excuse us,” my brother suddenly interrupts, taking me away from them just as the camera's flash burst.

I'm incredibly grateful to him right now and I just want throw myself into his arms crying.

“What is wrong with you?” he reprimands me.

“I want to leave now.”

“Okay. Come on!”

He runs his hand on my back to guide me to the exit. I see Liam waiting near the tree-lined path. He looks at me with a puzzled look as Liora talks to him, but he doesn't seem to be listening to her.

As soon as I get into my brother's car I feel better already. I'm back in a familiar, simple place with nothing fancy, with someone who appreciates me for who I really am and someone I can confide in. I'm overwhelmed by so many emotions that I break down in tears.

“This wasn't a good idea,” Ethan fumes.

“No. I don't want any part of that agreement anymore. I never want to see them again!”

“You don't have to, Carly. They have money, but it doesn't give them control over you. They will destroy you if you let them.”

“You're right. Tomorrow morning I'll call Mr. Lexington to tell him that the deal is over.”

“Did that reporter have time to take a photo?”

I shake my head. “I don't think so. And if he did, it won't be very good. You came at the right moment.”

“I took a chance! Otherwise, you can be sure that you would have been on the front page of tomorrow morning’s magazines.”

I remain silent. Then he sighs.

“And Liam?”

“It's over.”

He responds with a nod.

“It's better that way. You two are from totally different worlds. You will eventually find someone who is right for you.”

I don't want someone else. Will this horrible feeling ever leave me? Or is it my punishment for having turned my back on love?

I cast one last glance at the newspaper before me. In page three, an article describes the event last night and not a word is said about me. I’m happy nobody saw me dancing with Liam. The good thing is now I can go back to my routine, with no drama, and I don't regret a thing.

I left a message on Richard Lexington's voicemail this morning. I called his office early because I wanted to avoid talking to him and above all, I didn't want to give him the opportunity to refuse. Anyway, it would have never worked; too many people know that story is not true. He wouldn’t be able to silence everyone who has known me for years and who know that I've never set foot in Canada.

I did my grieving of it all last night. I will miss Liam, of course, but I really don’t belong in his world. I don't feel comfortable in it, and I prefer the simplicity of my life and the sincerity of the people around me. I tell Liv everything when I join her at the restaurant, and even she can't believe the nerve Richard had to propose such a deal to me. She's not at all surprised by the turn of events and fully accepts my decision. That's why she's my best friend; I can confide in her about everything without ever feeling judged.

“Here we go again, another day in the service of Her Majesty,” complains Liv as she gets up, rolling her eyes.

I can only sigh. It’s true Josie is maddening, and just thinking of working with her this afternoon makes me want to quit my job. But it's only three short hours to endure, and I can do it! I can!

We climb the stairs of the basement and begin our shift, as usual.

“Carly,” Cayden calls me.

“Yes?”

“You take section three today. There is a reservation for twelve people. You will assist Josie.”

“Okay.”

I walk out of the kitchen with salt and pepper shakers that need to be filled before I place them on my tables when I freeze on the spot. I can’t breathe or make any sound, and my heart stops beating the second Liam appears in my field of vision.

“Hi, Carly,” he addresses me with his warm, captivating, voice. “I always knew you were different.”

I must be dreaming. I'm not sure if he's happy to find me, or angry to discover that I lied to him, but his smile widens on his face and he steps forward. He's not angry. He came for me. He sees who I am and the social class I live in, and he doesn't want to run away. He continues to smile at me.

My legs weaken and my whole body goes numb. My hand that’s carrying the tray of shakers tremble and I drop everything on the floor. I'm aware of my boss’s reaction, but my gaze is riveted on the man in front of me. Is he really here?

“This will be taken from your tips, Carly,” Cayden barks.

His voice immediately takes me out of my trance and I look down at the mountain of salt and pepper shakers that gather at my feet, all reduced to broken glass and aluminum covers. I turn to the manager and he freezes in front of Liam glaring at him, as if he had just noticed his presence.

“Excuse me, I think I took your waitress by surprise,” Liam justifies. “It's my fault.”

He puts a bill in my boss's palm.

“I hope this will cover the damage,” he orders.

Cayden grabs the bill without arguing with him and leaves. Liam's expression and threatening tone left no room for discussion. I wonder if it's because he's so powerful, or if he’s used to everyone obeying him so easily?

“Can I talk to you?” he asks me.

“Um… I… I… I have t
o
” I gesture toward the damage on the floor.

“I'll wait all day if I have to!”

Liv's voice sounds behind him.

“Go ahead, I'll cover for you.”

Liam turns to her and lets out a surprised chuckle upon seeing her. She simply shrugs, smiling. He shakes his head, his expression speaking for itself. He should have guessed.

Liam grabs my hand and the contact between our palms still create this sort of magnetic field, pulling us strongly against each other and reverberating throughout my whole body. He leads me outside, thanking Liv on the way. I glance at my boss who's watching me and he doesn’t say a word. I figure he won't either; not in front of Liam at least.

We cross the back doors of the restaurant and immediately I find myself pressed against the wall. Liam presses his mouth against mine and kisses me savagely, his tongue caressing mine as if he simply couldn't get enough of me. His fingers tighten in my hair while his other hand traps my wrists above my head. His lips deliciously close on mine, exhilaration rising inside of me and making me dizzy. I lose track of time. He steps back with a sigh, his face flushed, eyes closed and his breath taken away by the emotion that took over him.

“I’ve missed you so much!” he says, releasing my wrists.

I'm completely under his spell. I hear him and I know I answer him, but my mind is somewhere else. It’s as if I was under the influence of a drug or a powerful sedative. He could do whatever he wants to me right now.

“How did you find me?”

“Believe it or not, there are not many Carly Bray Scott’s in the world. I've been looking for you for two weeks now. I was going to find you eventually, you know.”

“I should have used a fake name.”

“Did you not want me to find you?”

I hold my breath. Of course if I wanted him to, I dreamed of it. There wasn't a night I didn't fall asleep fantasizing about all the ways he could come back into my life. Yesterday was just confirmation that I love him.

“I'm glad you did.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” he murmurs, pressing a kiss behind my ear.

I slide my hands on his shoulders, as if feeling him under my fingertips made him more real.

“I don’t understand why you felt the need to lie to me?”

“You obviously didn't realize how you were behaving. The way you treated the staff aboard the cruise was horrible. Do you think I wanted to tell you who I was after seeing that? I didn't think you would like the real me.”

“I love the real you!”

“But I don’t belong in your world and
I
”

“And I couldn't care less. My world has nothing to do with what I feel for you.”

“When did you find out?”

He smiles.

“Do you remember your evening at the bar with Liv?”

I nod. “For her birthday?”

I was sure I saw him! I might have been a little drunk, but I wasn't hallucinating.

“I heard you talk about your work with your brother. There were also some persistent rumors.”

“So yesterday, you knew?”

He lets out a laugh, and then confirms with a nod.

“Yes, I knew.”

That's why he seemed even more surprised to learn that I was Richard Lexington's daughter. I push myself to my feet to kiss him again. He knew who I really was and he wanted me anyway, and he's here this morning. His hands slide along my back, and then his palm returns to my chin to lift my head, forcing me to look at him.

“When do you finish your shift?”

“Probably around two o'clock.”

“I see.”

He places a kiss on my lips.

“I hope you have a table for me then?”

I smile, looking at him straight in the eyes and I know they're bac
k
the sparks that illuminate my gaze. We go back inside and Liam moves to one of my tables. I take his order and he sits there, waiting for me for two hours. I feel his eyes on me everywhere I go. I don’t have to turn around to know he’s looking at me. I finish my shift and fix my hair before joining him at the table.

“How long have you been at this job?” he asks.

“It feels like forever. It's all I know.”

“I see. And you don't really own a condo in Staten Island?”

I shake my head apologetically.

“An 800 square foot apartment with a roommate, a few minutes walk from here.”

He nods briefly as he digests just how little he knows of me. He takes a bite of his food and I take a sip of my coffee. A brief silence settles between us.

“Where are you from then?”

“Do you want a detailed list?”

“What?”

“I was never in one place for more than a year before being adopted by the Scott’s at the age of seven.”

“You were adopted?”

I confirm with a nod. “I never knew my real parents.”

His eyes suddenly fill with a sadness that calls out to me.

“Don't give me that look. I'm not a martyr child. I was taken in by a very nice family. They already had a son, Ethan, who was also adopted. He had been taken away from his mother at the age of ten when she tried to exchange him for cocaine. He really didn't have it easy, but he always took very good care of me like I was his real sister. He wore the name of his father, Bray. And when I started high school, we liked to tell people we were the same blood. We didn't want anyone to know that we weren't really from the same family.”

“And what happened?”

That’s not quite the end of it, but it's too complicated to explain and it's a part of my life that I'd rather forget, so I just nod.

“Tell me about your foster parents. How are they?” he asks.

“They died when I was fourteen. Ethan wasn't even seventeen yet. We were separated when it happened, but when he reached eighteen, I went to live with him.”

“You didn't like your new family?”

I freeze to his question, and then I shake my head briefly. My story isn't that bad. There is certainly a darker part to my past, as with most people, but it doesn't define who I was or who I am today. My life with the Scott’s is what I chose to remember from my childhood, that's all. I don't want him to hold onto anything else.

“And you?” I ask to change the subject. “Should I fear your family as much as they say?”

He lets out a loud laugh, leaning his head over his plate.

“My mother will make a scene, that's for sure. But my father, my brother and my sister are very nice. Do you think you’d be up to meeting them some day?”

I don't know what to say. I have to admit that for now, I don't know. I look around me and everything seems so unreal. I constantly feel like I'm in a dream from which I will soon wake up. Becoming the wife of a wealthy businessman as handsome as a god was not apart of my plan
s
not even apart of wildest dreams for that matter.

Joey was a caretaker in a hospital. I always pictured myself meeting a man who also worked in a restaurant, or maybe a technician of some sort. We would have married and bought a modest bungalow close by, in a neighborhood just as humble as we would be. We would have children who would grow up with a normal life. They would take the bus in the morning to go to school and our dog would wait for them outside the door upon their return. This is how I always envisioned my future; that's what I always wanted.

I've only known this luxury for two weeks and what I would become if I lost myself in it. I mean, I don't have a degree, no career in sight and almost no chance to have one some day, while he's probably in every Forbes magazine lists. I'll never be good enough for him. I would disappear in his shadow and he would never be able to live up to my idea of an equal relationship. But could I ever forget him? Could I let another man take me in his arms and touch me, or give me the same kind of pleasure? I can't imagine any of that.

“I guess I’ll need to think about it,” I say.

“For a long time?”

His tone is dry and takes me by surprise. He suddenly shows a stern expression.

“I don't know. This is not the kind of thing I want to put on a timeline.”

He lowers his head, realizing it will lead nowhere and that it's useless to push me. My heartbeat suddenly quickens and it’s hard to breathe.

“Carly?”

“I'm fine. I… I'll be back.”

I get up at once to rush to the bathroom.

“Carly, wait!”

He gets up and stops me before I walk in.”

“I want you to come with me,” he says. “You can live at my place, and you won't have to do this job anymor
e
”

“What?” I interrupt. “Why? Is this your idea of a relationship with me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I have no intention of leaving my life and giving up everything to go with you.”

“Why not?”

“Would you do the same for me?”

“It's not the same thing.”

“It is exactly the same! If you want me and accept me as I am, then you wouldn’t ask me to do that.”

“I'm not asking you to give up your family or friends, Carly. I'm only offering much better than this,” he says, waving his hand at my workplace.

Even if he wasn’t trying to, he couldn’t have insulted me better. I knew it was too good to be true! Liam Walker is too good to be true.

“I don't need a Prince Charming to save me and take me away to his faraway castle. I'm not Cinderella. I'm Carly Scott. I worked hard to be where I am and I'm proud of it!”