Only One (Ward Sisters Book 2) (24 page)

“I just turned 33. You think I'm too old for you?” he asked.

“No. Age is just a number.”

Liam backed her toward the bed again, and when her knees hit it, she collapsed onto her back. He remembered that he needed to grab the condoms, and he kissed her quickly.

“Hold on a second.”

When he returned, she smiled as he dropped the condoms on the night stand, and she scooted further onto the bed. He pressed himself into her as he kissed her deeply, her erect nipples grazing his chest creating an erotic sensation he'd missed. Nina traced her nails down his back and goosebumps sprouted in their wake.

He suckled her gorgeous breasts, which were more than a hand or mouthful. As he removed her panties, he could see on her face that she was aroused. With her panties off, he gazed at her nude form – a Rubens painting come to life, if the artist had painted fit women.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?”

Nina averted her eyes, blushing. “Thanks.” He dropped his boxers and Nina sighed. “You're beautiful, too.”

Liam laughed. “Beautiful is the kind of word women use for Rob, not me. You don't have to flatter me. I like you already.” He eased his way on top of her and kissed her gently.

“Rob is attractive, but he's not my type. He's too pretty.” She ran her fingers down his chest to his hips, spread her legs and pulled him closer, stroked him and he shuddered.

He hadn't been touched in six long months of nothing but jerking off in the shower. “Nina, it's been a while for me. The first time will be quick.”

“That's okay. We have all night. I don't need you to take a long time. I'm...” she giggled nervously, “easy.”

“Easy? You get off easily?”

She nodded, still stroking him. If she didn't let him inside her soon, he'd blow it on her stomach instead.

Holy God
. “I need to be inside you now. Do you want that?”

“Yes. Do you want me to put on the condom?”

“Not this time. I won't last long as it is.”

Liam rolled the condom down his sensitive cock and almost made himself come. Nina tilted her hips for access, a gorgeous display of red curls and dripping, pink flesh that threatened his control.

Positioning himself to push inside, he kissed her, hard and deep as he entered her, and she groaned. He wasn't sure if it was the kiss, or him being inside her, or both, but he barely had time to think about it and she was squeezing him. Before he registered his own orgasm, she was coming with him and moaning her pleasure. Liam hadn't even had time to work up to it and it was over.

“Jesus, you weren't kidding.” He laughed as he pulled out.

“I told you. I'm very responsive. I don't know why, I just am. I'm not a lot of work. I like foreplay, but I don't need it. It gets me off pretty easily.” She kissed him, hard. “I like kissing you so much, you could probably make me come by kissing me.”

“Is it always that fast? Because I'm not usually that fast.”

“Not always, but sometimes. Just for the first one, though.”

“You mean the first time of the night?”

“No, I mean the first time in a row.”

Holy hell. Liam gulped. “Seriously?”

Nina laughed. “Seriously.”

“Damn.” Sex with this girl would be different from anyone he'd ever been with before, that was for sure.

She rolled to look at him. “You'll get used to it. That is, if you
want
to get used to it...”

“I think any guy would be a fool to say no.”

“You'd be surprised. Not every guy wants a girl who gets off so easily.”

“Those guys are morons.”

“That's what I always thought. I'm ready again if you are...”

All night long, he had sex with Nina. Every time, she had an orgasm in what seemed like a matter of seconds. When Liam had enough stamina built up, he could help her climax multiple times – a whole new experience. She was incredible.

It was nothing like the foreplay and intimate lovemaking with Jenna. This was a good romp in the hay, but not the kind that made him feel used. However, by the time he woke, he was exhausted and a part of him really missed sex with Jenna.

But Nina was great – sweet, sexy and fun.

He told her he didn't know where things stood with Emily and Rob, but that he guessed they were back together for good, based on the fact that he'd been given the night off. It meant Liam was probably going to be around Portland a majority of the time, and if Nina was interested, he wanted to see where this might go.

For the first time ever, he'd made a mature decision about a relationship. It made him sad, because if he'd been like that with Jenna from the beginning, the way he wanted to be but was too afraid to make the leap, then where would they be now?

Jenna was his past, and he had to move forward.

**********

After Charlie's post-wedding brunch, Liam and Nina headed to Bar Harbor with Rob and Emily. When she saw the Escalade Rob had rented, Emily was shocked.

“Rob, why did you pick such a flashy rental?” Em said.

“It was all they had. It was this or a convertible.”

“Lucky for you this is Bar Harbor and that SUV won't look out of place. Good thing we changed. That car plus what we had on before would have shouted 'Look! Movie star!'”

Everyone laughed and as they climbed into the car, Rob said, “My fiancée is a genius.”

“Did you say fiancée?” Nina asked, clearly confused.

Rob looked at Emily, eyes wide. Em nodded that it was okay.

“Yes. He did,” she said to her friend.

Nina gasped. “When did you get engaged?”

“Last night, but we're not saying anything right now, okay?”

“No! Of course. My lips are sealed. You don't want people to think it's about Annie and Josh. I mean, I know it's not. I saw you two yesterday. Anyone sitting at our table could tell you're still in love with each other.” Nina bit her lip, realizing that she wasn't speaking to only Emily, and probably that she was rambling.

Em smiled as Rob raised his eyebrows and grinned at her, turning over the car engine. “Rob, Nina tends to babble when she's nervous, but I'm sure our secret is safe with her.”

“And Liam. I'm sure he won't say anything,” Nina noted, nodding. She looked at Liam, who was smirking. “Oh. He already knew, huh? You forgot I was here for a second, didn't you?”

Emily laughed. “It's okay, Nina. We trust you. Liam knew. Let's try to forget it while we're out so that we don't accidentally tell the waitress at dinner, okay, honey?” she said, patting Rob's hand. He flashed her a sheepish grin. She gave him directions to town and they were on their way.

The four of them wandered the streets of Bar Harbor for a couple of hours. Liam held Nina's hand the whole time and it felt natural. He caught himself smiling at her constantly and every once in a while she'd return the smile with a shy one of her own.

His heart raced when he saw her standing on the pier, waiting for him to return with Rob from a trip to the bathroom. Her fiery hair was whipping in the wind and she was laughing with Emily. She was like Botticelli's
Birth of Venus
, only wearing clothes. Why did he keep comparing her to art? Maybe because Nina was like a Renaissance painting come to life.

He could see this kind of thing happening in the future, the four of them spending time together. Why that didn't feel odd, he couldn't explain.

“What's going on?” Rob asked.

“Nothing. Why?”

“You looked lost in thought.”

“Just watching them.”

“You like her, huh?”

“Yeah. She's pretty great.”

Rob gave him a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. “She seems like a nice girl.”

“She is. Smart, sweet.”

“And in the bedroom?”

“I'm not complaining.”

“You sure you're ready?”

“I'm not a little girl, Rob.”

“She wasn't just anyone, Liam.”

“No, she wasn't. But she doesn't want me anymore. I can't spend my life living in the past. I fucked up. I know that. Maybe that girl over there,” he nodded toward Nina, “is my second chance to do it right this time.”

Rob sighed. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“What are you not saying?”

“Nothing. Just take it slow.”

“Yes, Ma,” Liam said, rolling his eyes. They walked over to the girls. Liam kissed Nina on the cheek and she smiled. He needed to look to the future.

It was the only way out of the last six months.

Chapter 18

The waves crashed onto the shore, surf pounded the beach. It was early in the week, two weeks before Labor Day. Families with young children had flocked to the Maine coast on one of the last hot, sunny, August days in New England before the cold and school took over their lives.

Liam remembered well the trips his family took to the North Shore or to Hampton Beach. He'd always wanted them to go out to the Cape, but they didn't have the money for that when he was young and it was harder to make the trip once they lived north of Boston, in Lynnfield.

This wasn't Liam's first time at Scarborough's Pine Point Beach since he'd chased Emily across the country six months ago, but it was the first time he'd been here with Nina. The paparazzi had staked out Emily's Portland apartment, despite the fact that Rob and Emily's engagement was still a secret only Liam and Nina knew. So, the three of them – Rob, Emily and Liam – took refuge a few streets over at Nina's house.

Rick and his family had arrived in the last 24 hours, so Rick now guarded Rob. Liam still guarded Emily, and since she and Rob were visiting Rick's family at their vacation rental house in Scarborough, Em invited Nina to join them for dinner.

Liam was glad that Emily embraced things between him and Nina, but she was overenthusiastic. Not that he didn't want to see Nina tonight. He did. But Em encouraged a permanence Liam wasn't ready for yet, no matter how much he liked Nina.

He wasn't completely over Jenna.

Liam held Nina's hand as they strolled down the long stretch of sand that connected Scarborough to Old Orchard Beach. They were quiet, listening to the surf. It was nice, walking with Nina. Every once in a while he'd look over at her and catch her watching him, which made him grin.

It was so unlike the time he spent with Jenna – it seemed like the two of them had talked nonstop every time they hit the beach in Malibu, even if they were running.

He kept telling himself that it wasn't fair to compare Nina to Jenna. It was probably why he hadn't said much while they were walking. The two women were so very different, how could he honestly compare them?

And yet, he did. All the time.

Every day Liam had spent time with Nina, slept in her bed and acted like a boyfriend to her, he thought about Jenna. How he should have done this for Jenna, treated her better, told her he loved her three weeks into their relationship, before he slept with anyone else again, rather than three years in, when he'd finally bothered to cut ties with the other three women in his life. He felt constantly guilty that he was effectively cheating on Jenna by being with Nina, when he'd promised he was done with that.

It wasn't enough to tell himself that Jenna had given up on him, when a part of him didn't want to believe it.

They arrived at the pier on Old Orchard Beach and there was no question what they were doing. Nina led him to her favorite fried dough stand, and they each got their own huge piece, then took it to the beach to sit on the sand and eat dessert. When they were done, they licked their fingers, and Nina wiped a bit of powdered sugar off Liam's lip. Then she leaned in and licked what her finger had missed. He knew it was because she wanted to kiss him again.

He'd learned quickly that Nina was affectionate and sexual – to the point that it was sometimes too much – but he hadn't had much time to kiss her all day, so he was into it and almost forgot they were on a public beach. Thankfully, it was late in the day and most of the families had left in the time it took them to walk from the beach house. He pulled away and said, “We should head back before it gets too dark,” and Nina agreed.

This time, as they walked, Nina leaned her head against his shoulder while he put his arm around her. At one point, about halfway back, as dusk began to settle, Liam stopped and turned to Nina, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her passionately.

If he was a different kind of guy, he'd have laid her on the sand and taken her quickly. After all, she would've come fast and he'd have gotten his rocks off, as well. But it was a public beach and he never had sex without condoms. Instead, he pulled away, both of them panting, and said, “I want to take you home to bed.” Nina nodded eagerly, and they increased their walking pace.

Unfortunately, when they returned, Rob and Em weren't ready to leave. He was on duty and they'd driven one car, so Liam and Nina couldn't rush back to Portland and jump in the sack. This wasn't the Malibu house, where he had his own suite. With five Deacon kids around, nowhere was a safe place to have a quickie.

He focused on other things and the desperate need to jump in bed with Nina eventually passed, so Liam sat and talked with Rick and Kelly.

His boss was like a brother without the family baggage, much like Rob, and Liam always enjoyed hanging out with Rick and his wife. Kelly was a tiny firecracker and her smart mouth always amused Liam – only a smartass like her could put up with Rick on a daily basis. With her attitude and her blond hair, Kelly reminded him of Jenna.

If that wasn't a sure way to kill his lust for Nina, what was?