A Borrowed Life (Carly and Liam #1) (31 page)

“Not tonight!” opposes Liam with a stern voice.

“Are you scared?” he challenges with a grin and sparkling eyes.

“I’d just rather not play tonight. Forget it!”

“I don't know how to play anyway,” I add.

“Oh, but Liam can show you. He's really good.”

“Unbeatable,” confirms Liam.

“Then you have nothing to fear,” insists Duncan.

I turn to Liam.

“Will you teach me?”

His gaze turns black. He takes a deep breath.

“No.”

I’m intrigued by his answer and his eyes stay plunged into mine.

“We don’t play with money,” he justifies.

Well that's a good thing, since I don't have any. But…Oh! I get it. They don't play with money, of course, because they don't care about it. They raise the stakes a little, spicing up the game another way.

“I didn't think you were the type to play strip poker?”

“There are still many things you don't know about me,” he replies with a mysterious smile.

“Liam is just afraid that you would be forced to undress in front of us,” Duncan mocks.

“There is no chance of that happening!” Liam protests.

“You simply have to play the first couple hands with Carly,” suggests Desiree. “So you can show her. You said it yourself, you're unbeatable.”

“Come on, I'll get the cards,” Jay says, rising to his feet and not giving Liam the opportunity to object.

I turn to face him. I'm not so sure this is a good idea.

“It'll be fine,” he reassures quietly. “You'll play with me.”

He kisses me tenderly, but I’m guessing this doesn't please him at all, and I fear that things will seriously take a wrong turn. I know nothing about poker, and I have no desire to find myself naked in front of all his friends.

“You won't show a thing, trust me!” he adds, rising.

Now I see some kind of challenge brightening his look and most of all, something is at stake more precious to him than anything els
e
me.

He slips a leg behind my back to sit behind me, his hands wrap my waist and his lips brush my earlobe.

“Are you comfortable?” he makes sure, murmuring.

I nod, smiling. More than comfortable, actually. I melt into his strong arms as his breath warms my neck and his heart beats against my back. I have nothing to fear as long as he's here. I just realized that Jay is back and has already started dealing the cards.

I flip mine over. A king of spades and a ten of clubs.

“Is this good?” I ask Liam.

“We'll see,” he whispers.

I notice the smirk Duncan tries to hide.

“What?” I ask Liam. “Did I say something funny?”

“It's best if the others don't know if you have good cards or not.”

“Oh! Okay, so can you explain it to me?”

“The aim is to bet your chips, and most importantly, to have the others bet theirs. Even if you don't have good cards, you can force them to fold, letting them believe you do. At the end of a round, the one who has the best hand wins all of the chips wagered.

“Okay, and if I lose all my chips, I lose. That's it?”

“If you have no more, you have to bet with one piece of clothing, and you'll get other chips.”

“I see.”

My voice doesn't hide my nervousness. The first round begins and Liam bets for me. When the cards are drawn, Liam bets again, a larger amount this time, but I'm not sure I understand why. I don't see anything very promising.

“You have two pair,” he whispers in my ear.

I don't even nod to hide it from the others, but I guess that's good.

After five cards are turned over and everyone’s done betting, Duncan reveals two pairs: fours and sevens. Jay chose to fold rather than reveal his cards, and now it's our turn. I'm not sure what I'm doing, but Liam seems confident. I put my cards on the table, and Duncan groans.

“We won?” I say surprised, turning to Liam.

“Your pair of kings is better than the highest pair Duncan has,” he explains.

The game is going well and Liam reveals to me all his tricks. He knows his friends well, so it's easy for him to read their expression. Duncan is already shirtless, his wife withdrew her pantyhose, and Desiree has lost all of her chips for the second time, but the others say that she's usually an excellent player.

“Luck isn't with me tonight,” she says, removing her dress. I almost wonder if she is doing it on purpose. Undressing in front of Liam might be part of her plan to get him back, reminding him of the body that she has. I'm pleased that he doesn't even look.

Things go wrong for us when we lose one round, then a second.

“So?” Jay mocks us.

“Do you feel confident?” Liam asks.

“Should I bet everything?”

“I think you can risk it.”

I push the rest of my chips in the middle with my heart pounding. Liam's fists are clenched around me, betraying his nervousness.

“Straight Flush!” Jay announces showing his winning hand.

Liam sighs quietly against my shoulder. I have a flush. Not bad, but not enough.

“Fold,” Liam suggests softly.

“I don't show my cards?”

“Not unless you’re forced to. It will benefit you later, trust me.”

“Okay.”

His fingers close on my stomach and his jaw tenses.

“So?” Jay gets impatient. “Which piece are you taking off?”

“Your panties,” Liam orders.

“What? No! And if I lose another round?” I would be left with my crotch completely exposed. There will be only my dress and my bra left!

“Believe me, you won't lose more clothes,” he growls softly.

I detect anger in his voice. He wants me to take off my panties first because no one will see any of my body, as opposed to taking off my dress and finding myself in just underwear.

“Liam, I’ve never seen you take the game so seriously,” Duncan laughs as he watches me remove my panties.

“Shut up!” Liam snaps.

Liam's palms hug the curves of my waist while I sit tight between his legs. He hugs me against him, and I can feel the guilt in his breathing. I slide my fingers on his arm, reassuring him it’s okay, and he presses a kiss on my neck, calming himself.

“Pass,” Liam suggests seeing the cards, knowing the stakes are already very high.

“I pass,” I say.

Liam's long, robust fingers insert discreetly under my skirt, hidden by the table. I focus on my breathing, trying to keep it normal. Slowly, his index finger parts my labia to stroke the most sensitive part of my anatomy. A shiver immediately numbs my pelvis and my thighs tighten, and I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. So there was another reason why I took off my panties.

He massages my clitoris in tender, circular motions; then top to bottom, and left to right. I purse my lips together, quietly trying to hold back my moans.

“Looks like I lost!” Desiree exclaims, while the two men anxiously wait to see her remove another garment. Meanwhile, Liam's attention is set only on my breast, his eyes immersed in my cleavage. Jay utters a joyful sigh watching Desiree remove her panties, and she sits back to hide herself under the tablecloth, letting everyone know that she's naked under there.

Duncan deals another hand, and the first three cards are shown.

“I pass,” I say.

“Hey, you had a good hand there,” Liam remarks.

“I'm completely unable to concentrate,” I answer in his ear.

He laughs, burying his face in the crook of my shoulder. I turn to him with a smile, giggling with joy. His sparkling eyes, full of tenderness, set on mine. I press my lips against his while his finger slowly sinks into me. My lower abdomen contracts.

“You know what!” Desiree suddenly shouts, watching us. “I just had a great idea!”

“What,” Liam answers.

“I want to organize a party.”

“Again!”

“Hey, don't complain. I organize the best parties!”

“That’s normal because it’s your job...”

“And I'm good at it!” she continues proudly, swinging her shoulders.

“So, what's gonna be the theme this time?”

“I was thinking of a padlock evening. The principle is that all women have a padlock, and the men will pick a key in a bag upon their arrival. The couples of the evening will be formed by chance.”

“I'm already a couple,” Liam grumbles.

“Come on! It's just for a night. It'll be fun! It will be random, so maybe you will be with Carly, anyway.”

Liam turns to me while the others are already accepting.

“What do you think?” he asks.

“Do you want to go?”

I really have no desire to go, and it smells like a trap, but if this is important to him, I'll go. Especially since there's no way I’ll leave Liam alone with this woman who's obviously desperate to get him back. Perhaps that's precisely what she expects; that I’ll say no, knowing Liam doesn't like missing out on a party with his friends, and she will create a rift between us?

“Okay, we'll go,” he replies.

Liam inserts a second finger inside me, resuming his back and forth movements between my legs. My bottom convulses, fighting against the urge to swing my hips. Liam presses his mouth against my neck, hiding his smile in a sweet kiss that softens my muscles. My legs go numb, my heartbeat accelerates, and my brain stops working.

The poker game continues, but I don't pay attention to it anymore. All that matters is Liam's fingers inside me. His other hand tightens on my waist, indicating the pleasure he takes in making me come in front of his friends without any of them being aware of it. His expression shows absolutely nothing; he's in absolute control.

His right palm massages my clit until my whole body tightens. I swallow, grinding my teeth in order to let no sound escape from my mouth. I wrap my legs around the chair to prevent them from stiffening under the table, and the orgasm is almost painful. The endorphins that spread through my body right now, mixed with the adrenaline, is completely intoxicating. My breaths are still short and my eyes are riveted on my cards as a smile appears on my face.

I look up at Liam's friends who have been too focused on the game to notice a thing. What just happened under this table remains a secret between me and Liam. In the beginning I found the situation a little weird, but I admit that at this moment, it excites me a lot. We were so close to people who could have caught us at anytime. I just had an orgasm, right in front of them, and they knew nothing of the intimate moment. Now I'm all wet between the thighs and it's slightly bothersome.

“Excuse me a minute,” I say, getting up. I notice Liam's grin on my way to the bathroom.

He loves to see me like this as I’m beginning to discover.

Jay follows me with his eyes while I move away, and I shut the door behind me. I practically throw myself on the toilet paper to wipe it all. Outside, I was doing everything to stay calm, but I was afraid that someone would notice. I manage to dry the few traces on my dress. Luckily, the fabric is dark, and I straighten the folds so nothing appears.

I go straight to the kitchen to fill my glass of water. Water flows on my fingers and when it reaches the right temperature, a male voice startles me and sends shivers down my spine.

“You liked that, huh?”

I turn to face Jay, who steps slowly toward me, dragging his index and middle fingers on the counter. His eyes are lustful, and his tongue caressing his lower lip warns me I should be worried.

“I don't know what you’re talking about,” I retort.

“Don't play innocent. I know Liam, and I know his tastes, to say the least, are unusual.”

I really don't know what he's talking about.

“Carly, I know what you are to him. You think he doesn't tell us?”

“What? What am I to him?”

“A submissive.”

I remain completely stunned. What?

“I know about his secret room,” he adds.

“Good for you, I've never set foot in there,” I respond, heading toward the living room.

He stands in front of my way and his fingers brush the skin of my arm.

“You're quite pretty, you know. Even if you seem a little timid, Liam must have tamed you by now.”

“Excuse me?” I outrage.

“Don't take it like that, it's just that you don't seem like the kind of gir
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”

“This is really none of your business!” I interrupt him.

This time I'm pissed and my voice carries further than I wanted. He's talking about S&M? That is nothing close to what Liam and I have.

“Calm down, I was just…”

“Is everything okay?”

I turn to see Liam walking through the door with a quick pace, and I let out a sigh of relief. I nod.

“We were just talking,” Jay says. “Carly, excuse me if I offended you. I thought… well I guess I was wrong,” he reconsiders before completing his sentence.