Only One (Ward Sisters Book 2) (16 page)

That surprised her. “You don't drive your girlfriend around in it?” she prodded.

“Ally isn't my girlfriend. It's strictly a booty call and only when we're both in town.” He unlocked her door. No power locks here. “Go ahead and get in. I'll put your bags in the trunk.”

Jenna sat in the seat and while she had a few seconds, she yanked up her skirt and whipped off her panties. She quickly pulled her skirt back down and hung the lacy red underwear on the blinker arm, where he couldn't miss them.

Liam slid into the driver's seat and she could tell the moment he saw the panties because his head darted back.

“Where did those come from?” he asked and looked at her.

She gave him a sly grin. “Where do you think?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.

He swallowed hard. “You just took these off?” He looked like he wanted to eat her for lunch.

Jenna grabbed the panties and shoved them into the pocket of his leather jacket. “Keep them.”

He reached for her and pulled her mouth to his, plunging his tongue between her lips and his fingers between her parted thighs.
Oh, God
. She'd wanted him to touch her for six long months. As she moaned, he pulled away, panting.

“Jesus, Jenna, you always know how to get me going.”

“Good,” she breathed. “That answers that question.”

“Oh?” he asked as he kissed her neck and slid his fingers in and out. “What question is that?”

“If you still want me as much as I want you.”

“God, yes. I'd take you right here, right now in the front seat, but I think we'd get arrested. We can avoid jail time if we go back to my place.”

He kissed her again. She wanted him so badly.

“Let's get there quickly, then. How far away is it?”

“If we don't hit any traffic, about 10 minutes. Think you can wait that long?” he asked as he nibbled her ear.

“I've been waiting six months. I'll manage.”

He looked at her as he removed his fingers. “You've been waiting for me?” She nodded. “You didn't have to wait.”

“I know. My vibrator and I became reacquainted. After last winter, it was lonely.”

He laughed as he put on his seat belt. “You trying to make me jealous of your vibrator?”

“Why would you be jealous? Haven't you been with anyone recently? You've been back a few days. What about Ally?”

He shook his head as he backed out of the space. “I don't even know if she's in town. I haven't called her. And I haven't been with anyone but myself since I left your apartment in April.”

“Really?” Jenna said, trying to act disinterested.

“Really,” Liam replied, brows raised, smirking.

Jenna had all she could do not to grin ear to ear.

Fifteen minutes later, she followed Liam into the condo – it was in a high-rise building in the heart of Minneapolis – and she was unsurprised by what she saw. It screamed bachelor pad. Stark furnishings, a huge flat screen TV, manly colors everywhere and almost no artwork on the walls. She barely had time to register the fact that there were photos over near the television when Liam shoved her into the closed door.

This was their thing, their way of saying
I'm desperate for you
without words. He looked at her, and even if she didn't know what pinning her to the door meant already, there would be no mistaking what his expression said.
I want you. Now.
Jenna reached into the pocket of her leather jacket and retrieved a condom. At the same time, Liam removed one from the pocket of his jeans.

They both laughed.

“Great minds think alike,” Jenna said.

“You put yours back so we have it for another time. I'm sure while you're here we'll need one again later.”

She chuckled. “Confident, aren't you?”

“You better believe it,” he declared. Then he crushed his mouth to hers as he slid his hand up her skirt and proceeded to show her just how confident he was.

Later, they lay on the floor of the living room, naked bodies wrapped around one another. Liam kissed her slowly, caressed her hair and her skin. She loved when he showed her how much he cared for her with the gentlest of touches.

“I missed you, baby,” he whispered as they rubbed noses.

“Mmmm,” she sighed. “I got that impression. Could you tell I missed you?” She gently kissed his lips.

Liam chuckled. “Is that what you were trying to say when you were screaming earlier?”

“Very funny. Will you show me around your condo, or shall we lie here naked until it's time for dinner with Pat and Anja?”

He sat and pulled her with him as he stood. “I think you're already pretty familiar with the living room,” he said, smirking.

Yes, yes she was. She'd probably never walk into this room again without seeing them against the door or bending her over the back of the sofa, or on their knees on the floor.

“Nice sofa, by the way. However, you do realize sex on a leather sofa is uncomfortable, right?”

“Really? I've never had sex on this sofa.”

“What? You've never had sex on your own sofa?”

“I've never brought a woman here before. Not until you. Except Mary Cate, but I wasn't about to have sex with her.”

“Old friend from Catholic school?” Jenna teased.

“Uh, no. My sister.”

She laughed, in part because she'd known he meant Catie. “Good to know you weren't having sex with your sister. So you never brought a woman to your condo before? What about Ally?” Jenna asked as he led her past the dining table toward the kitchen.

Liam turned her so that she leaned against the wooden table. He put his hands on her hips and looked right at her. “We only meet on her terms. She calls me if she wants to see me and I go to her place. She's hardly around, Jenna. I almost never saw her before I met you. We're not often here at the same time anymore.”

“If she calls you while I'm here...” God, she'd hate that.

“I won't answer. Not while you're here. I want to be with
you.
”
His eyes said that he meant it, but she was unsure.

“Promise?”

He held her face in his hands. “I promise.” He kissed her gently. “I don't want to be with anyone but you.”

Jenna desperately hoped that he didn't mean right now, while she was in Minneapolis. That what he meant was that he only
ever
wanted to be with her. But she wasn't positive that was true. The best she could do was nod that she understood, even if she wasn't convinced she was right.

Chapter 10

Minneapolis, Minnesota, two years, nine months ago...

The Stones blared from his iPhone through the living room docking station. Liam bit into his egg roll as Mick sang about getting what you need. He'd rather be eating egg rolls with Jenna in Chinatown, but Jade Palace's version would have to suffice, since he was in Minnesota. The last time he'd seen Jenna was nearly three months ago, when she'd visited for Homecoming.

The music cut out with the three short rings that meant Ally.

He debated ignoring her, but Mick's reminder was in the front of his brain. During the last year, he hadn't slept with anyone but Jenna. Since April, he'd only seen her on one occasion. His hand wasn't cutting it much anymore.

He sighed and answered. “Ally.”

“Hello, Liam. You up for a round?” She never minced words. Ally knew what she wanted from him and didn't ask for more.

“Depends on what you're offering,” he said.

She laughed. “You know what I'm offering. Be here in half an hour.” At that, she was gone.

Liam shook his head.
Didn't even bother to ask if I actually wanted to sleep with her, just assumed the answer was yes
.

Might as well, right? Jenna had said they weren't exclusive. He was still unsure if that was what she wanted, but she hadn't pushed the issue when she was here in October. Though he wanted to be her boyfriend officially, he was hesitant to make the suggestion. What they had worked. At least for now, it did.

Half an hour later, freshly showered, he knocked on Ally's door. She answered wearing three-inch, red stilettos and a red dress so tight he could see she wore not a stitch underneath it.

“On time, as always,” she said as she opened the door to let him inside her posh condo. Hers looked like someone really lived there, unlike his own, which was less homey than a hotel room. She handed him his two fingers of Scotch – part of their ritual. They downed their drinks before he responded.

“You know I never leave you waiting.” He reached around her back, feeling for a zipper. Damn, this was one of those side zip things. He'd wanted to get this show on the road before he changed his mind.

“Well, I wasn't sure, given that you sounded like you might say no. I knew better, of course, but it made me wonder if you have some new girl you like better than me.”

She smirked as if that was a farce.

Liam eyes widened for a split second and betrayed the truth. He furrowed his brow, bracing for her reaction.

“Uh, well, I
am
seeing someone new,” he said.

Ally's head darted back and she scoffed. “Really?

She didn't believe him. He wasn't surprised. He hadn't met anyone but Reggie since he started sleeping with Ally five years ago, and he'd met them both around the same time.

His heart clenched when he imagined what Jenna would think about where he was and what he planned to do in just moments.

“Yeah. Rob's assistant.”

Ally pushed back and stepped away, poured herself another tumbler of Scotch. “Rob? Oh. Deac Roberts. I forget that his name is really Rob. He has an assistant who follows him around?”

Unfortunately, no
. “Not that kind of assistant. Doesn't matter. I've been seeing her for the last year. Most of it, anyway.”

“What? You? Seriously?” Yeah, okay, he got it. He wasn't
that
kind of guy.
Jesus
.

“Yes, me. Seriously.”

“She know you like to fuck me when you're here?” Ally asked, a bitchy smirk on her face. Her tongue ran over her teeth, she sipped her drink, licked her lips. Without his permission, his dick stiffened.

He sighed. “Yes. She knows about you, Reggie and Dana.”

Ally's lips pursed when Liam mentioned Reggie's and Dana's names. She knew about them, too, but she never liked to hear him discuss the other two girls. Or anything, really. Usually, they skipped talking and jumped straight to naked and panting.

“And she doesn't care?”

“I wouldn't say that, but we're not exclusive.”
Though I wish we were
. He hated that Jenna could be doing exactly this with some other guy. The thought made his dick soften, which was a new sensation. He'd never had that happen before.

Ally liked his answer. She didn't need to know more. “No, of course you're not. You don't
do
exclusive,” she said.

Apparently, that was enough talking. She grabbed his pants by the waist and yanked him toward her, then shoved her tongue in his mouth. She liked it rough and sometimes kinky.

He used to enjoy that.

His body went through the motions, but his mind focused on the last time he was with Jenna to keep his dick in the game. Ally didn't notice. She fucked him and claimed her orgasms like she always did, then practically shoved him out the door. For the first time ever, he felt hollow inside.

Why did he still do this with her? Or anyone but Jenna?

**********

Jenna knew she was frantic after three months without him, but she couldn't help it. She had Liam pressed against the door of his suite at the Malibu house, her hand shoved down his pants and her tongue in his mouth.

“Just let me take you to the bed,” Liam said around kisses.

“Not yet,” she breathed as she pulled it out and stroked.

“Jesus, Jenna, you're going to make me come in my pants. I'm ready to explode,” Liam panted.

Dropping to her knees, she shoved him in her mouth. He groaned and in moments, he came. She loved doing that for him.

He ran his fingers through her hair as he recovered. “You are amazing, you know that?” he said as he nudged her head to get her to stand. Hugging her tightly, he buried his face in her hair.

“Did you miss me?” she asked.

Liam laughed. “Are you kidding me? I missed you before you reminded me how fantastic you are. Did
you
miss
me
?”

“I had to buy a new vibrator because my old one died it got such a workout the last three months. I can't believe I haven't seen you since October. How is Ally?”

It made her blood boil to say the woman's name. She was the one girl Jenna still knew nothing about other than her profession.

“I don't want to bring other women into our bed, Jenna.”

“Have you slept with her recently?” Her nostrils flared. It irked her that she even needed to have this kind of conversation with him. He supposedly loved her – not that he'd said it, he liked to show her instead – and that should mean there was no one else.

Period.

“Jenna...”

“Have you?”

Liam sighed. “Once since I last saw you.”

“Oh.” It was like a sucker-punch.

She had hoped he'd say no, that after Homecoming, he had decided he didn't want or need other women anymore.

Apparently not.

“Jenna, I don't want to talk about her. She's not important.”

Jenna nodded and looked down. This was casual. That was what she'd agreed to a year ago. She had to remember how she'd reinforced that decision last April, when he left L.A. Why did she keep hoping that he wanted more?

Why did she keep thinking that this
was
more?

Liam tipped her chin to look at him. “Jenna, I'm here with you because I want to be here with you. Don't worry about anyone else. I don't want to be with anyone else.”

That. That was why she kept thinking this was more.

She shook her head. “It's hard to believe that sometimes.”

He brushed her hair from her face and hooked it around her ear, caressing her jaw. It was the loving gesture that undid her every time. Did he know that it sent sparks through her and melted her heart? Was it meant to manipulate her? Or was it because he genuinely cared for her?

He looked at her mouth and then at her eyes. Those gorgeous lashes framed his beautiful brown eyes, which engaged her own brown eyes with such sincerity. His kiss was so gentle as he threaded his hands in her hair and pulled her mouth closer so he could deepen it, but he kept it sensual. It wasn't frantic like they had just been, but loving. Jenna's eyes filled with tears.

She loved him
so
much. Did he realize she had been in love with him since he kissed her the first time?

Liam slowly backed her toward the bed as he kissed her. He removed her clothes, kissing her neck, touching her skin with the pressure of a feather. He was showing her. The words didn't come, but his caress proclaimed that he loved her, as if he was saying,
This isn't just sex for me
.
It's more than that.

The emotional connection she'd felt from that first night all through those months when they were inseparable, he showed her it was still here, even if he'd slept with someone else.

I don't have this with her
, his touch said.
Only you. You're the
only one
to have this
.

After he made lengthy, slow, erotic love to her, he held her in his arms all night long. She woke in the middle of the night and he still held her close to his naked body – even though he was on duty – something he'd always done with her.

Jenna reached for a condom in the drawer, aroused him, then rolled it down his length, mounted him and eased herself onto his ready member. He attempted to speak, but she put her finger over his lips and kissed him as she made love to him, gliding in a timeless dance.

He pulled her closer, met the rhythm of her hips with his own. The emotional connection engendered a unique trust, helped her feel as if he was a literal part of her. Pleasure with Liam was like nothing else. She reached climax easier with him than she had ever before, and when he pressed deeper, his orgasm triggered her own passionate cries.

She removed the condom and his breath hitched. When she returned to bed, he curled himself around her again, nuzzled her hair and sighed as he drifted back to sleep.

He wasn't ready to hear her say she loved him. If he was ready for that, he wouldn't sleep with anyone else. But he loved her, she was sure of it. Why else would he hold her every night as they slept when he said he didn't do that?

**********

The next morning, they ran together on the beach behind Rob. Usually, the conversation between them was constant, even while they ran. This morning, they'd been quiet and that worried Liam.

When they finished their run, Rob told them to have fun today and walked into the house. They smiled their thanks and Liam led Jenna by the hand toward the door. She squeezed back and prevented him from leaving.

“What's wrong?” she asked, out of breath from the run.

Shaking his head, he took a deep breath, still recovering.

“Nothing, baby. I just thought you might be mad at me. You were kind of quiet this morning.”

Jenna shook her head. “No, I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry I got upset last night.”

He put his arms around her. They were both slick with sweat. It was kind of hot and he wanted to just take her right here on the chaise, but he knew he needed to reassure her.

“I don't mean to make you feel bad. I'd rather not discuss other women if it will hurt you. I don't want to hurt you.”

I love you too much.

“I know,” she said, pulling back to look at him.

“I didn't mean to push. I don't want to push you away. I told you we could be casual and I'm still okay with that. I don't want to give this up. Do you?”

He was relieved. Why, he wasn't sure. Was it because she still wanted casual? Or because she still wanted
him
, even though he wasn't ready to make a commitment to her?

“Definitely not. I'm still not ready for permanent ties, but I don't want to give up what's between us.”

“Good. Me either. So, what are we doing today?”

Though he was glad for the subject change – he'd started to get antsy – he wondered why she'd so quickly switched gears.

“I think we should surf,” he replied. He always felt close to her when they rode the waves together. Surfing without her wasn't as enjoyable as it was when he could watch her balance on her board, her sculpted body in motion a work of art in neoprene.

“Sounds like an excellent idea. Can we get naked first?” she asked. Liam would never say no to that, but it seemed like she needed to feel as one with him, the way he always did when he made love to her.

He kissed her gently. “How about if I make love to you and then we shower together. I know we'll need to shower again after we surf, but I missed showering with you.”

That seemed to lift her spirits. She nodded and gave him a sloppy, wet kiss. “Me too.”

He liked seeing her smile and hated to see her sad. If only he could step up and be the man she deserved, she might not
be
sad.