Only One (Ward Sisters Book 2) (14 page)

Liam forced a breath through his lips. “Fan-fucking-tastic. Six times between when we got back last night and breakfast. I've never had that much sex at one time in my
life.
And I want more.”

“
She
want more?” Disbelief tinged his voice.

“She's spending the night again and she asked me to stay at her place on my next night off.”

“And you agreed? Damn, you have it bad. That's more like me than you.”

“No shit. She's amazing. It was
so
great hanging out with her yesterday. I don't remember liking a girl this much so soon.”

“Are you falling in love with her?” It was said with concern.

Liam tried not to be offended. “I don't know. Maybe.”

“Jesus, Liam. Don't mess with her, okay? I need her.”

“Yeah, what the fuck? I had no idea you hired a hacker.”

Rob chuckled, a little tension gone. “You thought I'd hire some two-bit web designer with half a brain? I can do that crap in my sleep. I needed someone who knew what they were doing. She makes sure no one gets into my online life and she can get into anywhere she wants. Langley would have begged her to work for them, but she had no interest in government work. She was top in her class at BU
and
at Minnesota. Why do you think my dad set us up? He was never impressed with Rachel or Lola, and figured I needed to date a girl with brains.”

“I always knew your dad was smart, but now I think he's a genius. Jenna said you told her that you weren't interested in her.”

With a laugh, Rob said, “She's being nice. I did say that, but she was the one who said it first. Told me despite the fact that I was more than the pretty face, I wasn't her type. I countered that she was exactly the girl I
should
want to date, but there was no spark. We had a good laugh about it, and talked for a long time about her thesis. I knew when I was ready to have a web presence that I'd want her on my team. She's brilliant.”

“I got that. I asked her what she possibly saw in me.”

“I'm wondering the same thing.” Liam punched him lightly in the arm. “Hey! Not while I'm driving. I'm kidding. She liked you from the word go. I don't know what you said to her, but whatever it was, she was more impressed with you than me. I asked her what she'd do if you couldn't solve her math problem.”

“Oh? What did she say?”

“Cry.” He laughed. “I said your math skills weren't the best and she admitted she'd lie so you'd go out with her anyway. I'm surprised you guessed her age right. Based on her clues, I'd have probably been off by a year. She left out the part where she went to a magnet school and graduated the same year as us.”

“Didn't matter. She said if I was within a year, she'd go out with me anyway. I trusted my gut and it said she was younger than me, so I went with it.”

“You've always had good instincts. What
did
you say to her?”

“Nothing special. She asked where I was from, I said Boston, she asked if I liked the Bruins and I said yes.”

“That did it. She's a
huge
hockey fan. You let her wear your shirt. You've never let a girl wear that shirt. In fact, after Rachel stole the old one, you even refused to let Christy Hamlin wear it and you really liked her.”

“Yeah, well, Jenna likes Cam Neely and Ray Bourque as much as I do, so unlike Rachel, she couldn't disgrace a Bruins shirt by wearing it. And I didn't like Christy nearly as much as I like Jenna.” Rob's eyes grew wide. “Don't look so surprised. Christy was great in bed, but she was kind of dumb.”

“Plus, she worshiped you.”

Liam laughed. “Yeah, there was that. I think I'd rather be with a girl who's smarter than me.”

“No offense. You know I love you, man. But if we're going by brains, Jenna's not in your league. She's not even in
my
league, and I'm a much bigger brain than you are.”

“Yeah, and you're also a bigger ass.”

“Nah. We're equals there. I'm glad you've found someone you like this much, but don't screw with her. She's a great girl and she doesn't deserve that.”

More than friendly concern tinged his voice, and now Liam was offended.

“It's not like I'm seeing anyone else right now, Rob. Reggie's got a boyfriend and I have no plans to go screw Dana anytime soon. Ally isn't even in Minneapolis half the time when I'm there and she's more casual about me than I am her. There hasn't been anyone else for a long time. I like Jenna. A lot. Like I said, too much. I can't imagine sleeping with anyone else at the moment.”

“Good. Just...be careful. Okay?”

“Yeah. You gonna tell her the same thing? Because she could probably crush me just as easily.”

“You're a big boy. I think you'll survive,” Rob teased as they pulled into the studio lot.

He shook his head as Rob spoke to the gate attendant. Liam wasn't so sure Rob was right. If she walked away from him immediately, chances were good he'd get over it. But later, after he'd fallen completely in love with her?

Probably not.

For better or worse, he was definitely headed that way.

**********

When Jenna arrived at the Malibu house after she'd had lunch with her father, she asked Rob if he wanted to sit on the beach while they live-Tweeted. He seemed to get the hint. As they settled into the Adirondack chairs, Rob asked, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. It's great. I'm glad I listened to you. He's...
amazing
.”

“He said the sex was fantastic.”

“It's not only that. It
was
fantastic. No offense. You know I think you're phenomenal. But this was...on some other level. I don't know why, but we had this instant emotional connection.”

Okay, that was a lie. More than likely, it related to the fact that Liam was the twin brother of her best girlfriend, but she didn't want to tip her hand to Rob, in case he was more loyal to Liam.

“I couldn't get enough of talking to him. Then he kissed me and...I've never felt an electrical current humming like that. It was intoxicating. So much that I'm worried.”

“Why? Do you think he isn't on the same page?”

“I don't know. I feel like he is. He did and said things that went
way
beyond what I expected based on what you told me. Asked me to stay, made plans to be together again, held me half the night when he said he didn't cuddle. He practically begged me to shower with him earlier and I had to make an excuse to leave.”

“Is he coming on too strong?” Rob sounded concerned.

She furrowed her brow. “No! Not at all. It's not that. I'm afraid he's going to crush me like a bug when he walks.”

“Why do you think he'll walk away?”

“Didn't you say he doesn't do this sort of thing? He'll balk. Sooner or later, he's going to get scared and run.”

Rob sighed. “Give him a chance. He really likes you and he's as worried as you are. That's a good thing.”

“You don't think he'll run back to his other consorts?” God, she'd hate that.

“I think you give them too much credit if you think he sees them that way. He told me that he hardly sees Ally and that it's been a while since he was with Dana. Reggie had a boyfriend last I knew. He said the same thing.”

“Tell me which one is which.”

Might as well know the competition.

Because that's what they were now.

“Ally is the girl in Minneapolis. As far as I know, it has never been more than sex. They've had this thing for a while, but it's really sporadic because she's in pharmaceutical sales and travels almost as much as he does. Dana is his high school girlfriend. I don't think they've gotten together more than a handful of times. She often has a boyfriend and he's rarely in Boston. Reggie is my makeup artist. She works for me on Christopher's team. I don't think Liam sees her unless we're at a premiere and she's around. For the last six months, she's been dating other people.”

Funny, Chris didn't talk about Reggie. Jenna could only assume they weren't friendly outside of work.

“So, he's not sleeping with anyone else at the moment.”

“No. He's not. He said he can't imagine wanting to sleep with anyone but you right now. I've never seen him like this, not with anyone in over a decade. I'd say he has it pretty bad.”

He seemed disappointed.

It's a little late now for jealousy, Rob
.

“That doesn't mean he won't hurt me. I don't know if I could handle it if I became more invested than I am right now, and he up and ran off without a glance back.”

She had a feeling that she'd suddenly see him everywhere, despite years of near misses and failed plans for them to meet.

“I don't see that happening. He's just as concerned you'll do that to him.”

Jenna shook her head lightly. “I really hope you're right.” She sighed. “Back to work. Let's take Twitter live.”

**********

Malibu, California, one month later...

Jenna was surfing in the Pacific at the Malibu house while Rob and Liam sat on the beach and watched her. They'd silently observed for maybe half an hour when Rob blurted, “What about Jenna?”

“What about her?” Liam asked, unsure of Rob's true question.

“You said once that Reggie didn't make you want to give up being single. What about Jenna? Does she?”

Liam was taken aback. “Uh, maybe. I just met her.”

“You said before that you could be falling for her.”

“Yeah. I did. I am.”

“So, does she make you want to give it all up? Turn in your single guy card?”

“Right at this moment? Yes. I don't know what will happen in a few months when we have to leave here.”

“But you plan to keep this going while you're here?”

“Long as she wants that.” It seemed like a lot of questions, even for Rob. “Did you set us up, plan for me to meet her?”

“What? No!”

“You sure?”

“Hey, you got lucky that day. I forgot she was coming over here, remember?”

Liam nodded, but it sounded fishy. There was something Rob wasn't saying, he just didn't know what it was. Nonetheless, he let it go. After all, he got Jenna out of the deal.

She sauntered out of the water, dripping wet, skin glistening, eyes bright, a smile so wide it should have split her face. Jenna wedged the surfboard into the sand and then she pounced on him, trying to be funny by getting him soaked. He loved the feel of her body against his, and his heart swelled. Such an odd sensation.

Right then, he knew he loved her, without a doubt. Rob had been right. Though Reggie had never made him consider leaving the single life behind, Jenna had the moment he kissed her on their first date, when he realized that the initial sparks he felt with her were real and not imagined.

She kissed him then, her tongue plunging into his mouth and dancing with his own. When they pulled apart, he smiled at her and she grinned back. Stripping her wetsuit, she grabbed his hand and said, “Come swim.”

Liam looked to Rob for the okay. His best friend offered a smile that didn't meet his eyes, inclined his head and said, “Go.”

He raised his brows, but Rob nodded. Whatever bothered him at the moment, he wouldn't say, but he'd tell Liam eventually.

For now, Liam let it go, turned and tossed a giggling Jenna over his shoulder. He dove into the water with her, then surfaced, both of them laughing like kids, happier than he'd ever been in his life.

Chapter 8

Los Angeles, California, one month later...

They'd lived in this bubble for two months. Jenna wondered constantly how long it would last, despite the fact that they slept in the same bed every night and spent all their free time together. Today, she was teaching Liam to surf.

Liam's hand captured her wrist as she walked past him.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

Jenna smiled. “To dress for the beach. You should, too.”

“You're really making me surf?”

“If you're too chicken...”

“No,” Liam said emphatically. “I'm not chicken. I just don't want to be shark food.”

Jenna laughed. “You'll be fine. There's sure to be someone tastier than you on the beach.”

Liam looked worried. “So there are really sharks? And, hey, you said someone tastier than me. You don't think I'm tasty?” he asked. He pulled her onto his lap. Which was entirely too erotic, since they were both naked in her apartment living room.

“Liam,” Jenna breathed. “You're distracting me.”

His lips found her neck. “Am I? Does that mean you think I'm tasty?”

She sighed. “It means I think you're trying to drag me to bed again so we'll miss surfing.”

“You figured out my evil plan.”

Jenna turned in his lap and straddled his hips. She wiggled so that her wetness rubbed against him. “I'll make you a deal,” she whispered in his ear as she nipped his ear lobe.

“What's that?” he asked. His mouth was teasing her nipples and it was hard to concentrate.

“We have sex without condoms, I'll let you skip surfing.”

Liam groaned. “That's not a fair trade and you know it.”

She kissed him quickly and jumped off his lap.

“Then move your sexy ass and get dressed.”

When she walked toward the bedroom, she purposefully swayed her hips to taunt him. He followed not far behind. In the bedroom, he shut the door, then he whirled her around and pressed her against it, kissed her forcefully, deep, and revved her engine.

His hand snaked under her thigh, dragged it across his hip. Then he thrust inside her and she gasped.

“You cheated,” Jenna groaned when she felt the condom.

“Just making sure you remember who's in charge,” he teased.

Jenna inwardly rolled her eyes.
That's what you think
. Her hand gripped his very fine ass and forced him to thrust deeper, controlling the situation. Liam moaned into her neck, then sucked her nipple into his mouth again. She reached down and began to rub herself.

“God, I love it when you do that,” Liam panted.

“Good. Take me to the bed. I'll give you a show.” He listened. She knew he would. He always listened.

Liam pulled out and took her hand, led her to the bed. Jenna lay on the sheet, splayed before him, rubbing herself. She was close, but she tempered her stroke so the orgasm would be big and powerful. Not as good as with her vibrator, nowhere near as good as a Liam-induced orgasm, but she was making a point.

Finally, she let go and it washed over her, the head-to-toe ripple, the pulses between her thighs. Even though she wanted to close her eyes, she maintained a lock on Liam's brown beauties. In them, she saw the pleasure he always got from watching her.

He started toward her and she put up her hand to his chest. Confusion passed his face. Jenna moved off the bed and Liam seemed pleased.
I bet he thinks I'm bending over for him.
Though she'd love that, she was teaching him a lesson.

Jenna spun and looked at him. “Get your ass dressed for the beach. You're learning how to surf. Stop worrying about sharks. And don't look at me that way. You cheated. You can wait to get off until later.”

“You're mean,” he grumbled as he grabbed a tissue and removed the condom from his still-hard member.

“You can handle it,” she said with a smile. She pulled her red suit from the over-full swimsuit drawer. Knowing how much Liam liked it, she thought he'd appreciate her wearing it today.

She was wrong.

“Don't wear that!” he cried.

“Why? I thought you liked it?”

“I love it, but I don't want anyone else to see you in it.”

Jenna laughed. “Liam, this is a $300 swimsuit I've worn maybe a half-dozen times. Are you telling me you want me to stop wearing it in public?”

“Yes. I'll buy you a new $300 swimsuit. Or two. Preferably that cover more. I don't want you to wear that one to the beach anymore. Please?”

She touched his cheek. “You're sweet, and because you said please, I'll do it. So you know, the wetsuits cover our swimwear. It's not like many people will see me wearing it.”

He rubbed her shoulders, the cruelty of her trick forgotten.

“Today, maybe. Don't wear it for anyone but me anymore. Please? Every time you wear it, I think about the first time I saw it on you. I don't want some other guy to have that, too.”

The sincerity in his voice melted her. Her lips brushed gently over his.

“Okay. I'll only wear it for you. But you owe me a new suit.”

“I'll buy you a dozen. Whatever you want.”

“Do I get to make a demand on you?” she asked.
Like that you never go back to seeing other women?

“You know I'd do anything for you,” Liam said as he rubbed noses with her.

Except make a commitment
, Jenna thought.

“I'll keep that in mind,” she said. She grabbed her slightly more conservative aqua suit that looked spectacular with her tan. “This one acceptable, sir?”

“Don't be like that,” Liam said.

“Like what?”

“Mad.”

“I'm not mad.”

“You are. Why are you mad?”

Jenna sighed.
Frustrated, more like.
“I'm not. Let's get going. Does this suit pass muster?”

“I don't know. Try it on.”

Jenna rolled her eyes and put on the suit. “Well?”

“You're so damned beautiful. How did I get so lucky?” When he brushed her hair from her face and hooked it around her ear, she bit the inside of her lip. God, why did that always get to her?

I could be yours forever if you just asked
, she wanted to say.

Instead she said, “I guess you know the right people. That's what it's about in this town. Put on your board shorts. Let's get out of here.”

**********

Standing on the beach, Liam's heart beat like a drum in his chest. Christ, he was afraid of swimming.
Not swimming, surfing. People on surfboards look like seals and sharks eat seals.
And in California, Great White Sharks were definitely around.

Liam looked at Jenna in her tiny blue swimsuit. Despite his worry about surfing, he couldn't help but smile when he stared at her. So much brilliance and sass in such a gorgeous package. He'd been annoyed when she turned him on and made him wait, but it
had
been cheating to use a condom and take her anyway.

It wasn't that he didn't want to have sex with her minus the stupid condoms. He did, and he'd never considered it with anyone else. Mary Sarah's teen pregnancy had colored his world, and he'd never trusted that being on the pill was enough. One time could change your whole life, even if you thought you were protected.

With Jenna, he wanted it, and it scared him, because if Liam wanted to have sex without condoms, then he was willing to take the chance that she'd get pregnant. What did that say? Even after two months of being together every day and night, of sleeping in the same bed with the same woman, Liam was still terrified of letting anyone into his heart and soul that much. If he could get past the fear, then maybe he'd be able to commit to her.

A part of him knew he'd been in love with her from the beginning, but she'd said she wanted casual. Or was it that she would be okay with casual? He constantly asked himself if she meant that she'd put up with casual but if he wanted more, she was good with that, too.

Liam hesitated to ask because he was afraid of the answer.

So, he let things continue as they had been. Asking Rob was always an option, but Jesus, that felt like such a girly thing to do. Not to mention it was childish.
Can't even ask your own girlfriend if she wants a commitment from you. What kind of man
are
you?

He also didn't dare make a commitment to her because he was unsure if he was cut out for that. Yes, he'd been with only Jenna for the past two months. Reggie had called once and suggested they get together, but Liam had declined. Which was good, it was the mature thing to do when you had a girlfriend. Except, he didn't tell Reggie he already had all the woman he'd ever wanted in his bed every night.

What does that say about me?
Liam wondered. Was he scared that Jenna didn't love him as much as he did her? Or was he just the kind of guy who couldn't commit to
anyone
?

When he looked at her in that sexy suit, so beautiful, brilliant, strong and confident, Liam felt like the luckiest guy in the world. He'd watched her take off her shorts and tank, then pull out the wetsuits for both of them. He was staring, but he couldn't help it. Especially when she bent to shove her feet into the wetsuit.

“What?” she asked, her foot poised over the wetsuit leg hole.

Liam drew her to his body in a swift motion, her breasts pressed to his chest, her hips to his groin. He threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her mouth to his. She melted into the kiss and wound her arms around his neck, stroking his tongue with her own. It was tempting to lift her onto the trunk of the car and take her right here.

His throbbing dick wanted that, badly.

Instead, before they got carried away, he broke the kiss and put his forehead to hers, both of them out of breath.

“What was that about?” Jenna asked.

“Just wanted to kiss you one more time. You know, in case I get eaten by a shark.”

Jenna smiled. “Wanted to make sure I'd miss you if you were fish food?”

“Something like that,” Liam said.
Do you know that I love you?
he wondered. But he couldn't say it. Faced with the real fear of being eaten by a shark – because, let's face it, there was a chance – he couldn't tell her how he really felt. Knowing him, he probably never would. He was an ass like that. Liam didn't think he deserved someone as fantastic as Jenna.

And that was half his problem.

He kissed her gently and then let her return to dressing for the water. Even though she could have zipped her own wetsuit – he was sure of it – she let him do it for her and she did the same for him. He had to laugh, because she looked sexy in neoprene. Not as good as she did naked and moaning for him, but good enough that he wanted to get her naked and moaning for him.

“You're staring again. I can't look that great in this thing. It's functional, but it's not sexy.”

“I beg to differ. You're insanely sexy, no matter what you wear. Or don't.” He adjusted himself. “And this thing is not meant to be worn with a stiff cock. Christ, this is restrictive.”

Jenna laughed. “Sorry about that. It's not freezing out there, but it's cooler than in the summer, and when you surf, you're out there a while. Let's grab the boards and I'll teach you.”

“Have you done this before?”

“I've been surfing since I was a kid.”

“No, I mean taught someone?”

“Once or twice.” They lifted the surfboards out of the back of the S2000 and carried them down to the beach.

“Oh? Did you teach your last boyfriend?”

She grinned. “No. Never taught a boyfriend before. My last boyfriend lived in Minnesota. He knew Pat.”

“And how did he know Pat?”

She looked at him sideways. “He was my boss at CyTech.”

Liam was surprised. “Your boss? Is that why you left?”

“It wasn't the only reason, but it was part of it. Things didn't end badly, but I didn't want to keep working for him, either. And it was time to move on. Romantically and otherwise.”

“Why'd it end?” Liam asked.

Jenna sighed, then made a noise of disgust. “Lots of reasons, the biggest being that I mistakenly believed we were exclusive and I was wrong.”

“He was seeing other people?” Liam wondered if she felt this way about him, too. He'd told her about the other girls he saw. Not that he'd been with any of them since he met Jenna, but still.

“Seeing is a polite description. He was fucking his secretary. And his ex. And some co-ed who'd interned at the company. I figured it out when I walked into his office one day to talk about a project and found Heidi – that would be his secretary – sprawled on his desk, naked, with her ankles around his neck while he fucked her senseless.”

“Holy shit. What did you do?”

“Dropped the project file on the desk, said, 'Goodbye, Chad,' and walked out the door.”