Taken (8 page)

Chapter Twelve

             
Halfway through the day, my focus is shot. I am trying so hard to stay on track and be productive but my mind keeps drifting to Liam. I can't get last night out of my head. The way he hovered over me, his eyes burning into mine as if he could see my soul. The gentleness of his touch. The way he ran his hands over my body.

             
An involuntary shudder runs through me and I have to mentally slap my love sick ass. 'Get it together Addison.' I chant in my head. I try to refocus and finish the spreadsheet I'm working on but it does no good. Deciding I need to take a break, I head to the employee lounge to grab a cup of coffee. While it's no Starbucks, it will do the trick for my tired mind.

             
I walk through the door and collide with Kristina. Her coffee splashes all over the front of her cream colored dress. She gasps, stepping back to assess the damage before her blue eyes fix solidly on me. We stand there for a moment, tension soaring in the air like vultures swooping in on their prey. Then Kristina does something I never expected. She starts laughing and not like a nervous or upset laugh. But a full belly, gonna pee her pants kind of laugh.

             
I try not to smile. I try to act all tough like the look of her soaked in coffee isn't at all funny but I can't do it. The smile spreads so wide I feel like my face is going to split open and then I'm laughing too. Doubled over, laughing until it literally hurts.

             
When the giggles subside, I right myself to face Kristina. Her eyes are soft as she stares at me for a moment and then opens her mouth to speak. “So we're good then?” She asks with a wide smile.

             
As if that is all it would ever take to fix things between us, I return her smile. “We're good.”

             
“Well then come here bestie.” She says, pulling me into a big bear hug. Pushing her coffee soaked dress firmly against mine. “I just love you so much.” She says in a baby talking voice. Only then do I realize that she is purposely rubbing coffee all over me as well.

             
“Get off me you tool.” I laugh out, pushing her away from me.

             
“Well shit, now I have to make another cup of coffee.” She says, turning back towards the counter. “You want?” She asks over her shoulder.

             
“Please.” I respond taking a seat at one of the round tables in the room.

             
“Soooo. How was last night?” She asks, her back still to me. A wide smile breaks across my face but I don't answer. Just like that, I am catapulted into the memory of last night. The images running over and over again in my head until I am breathing heavy and honestly a little sweaty. “That good.” Kristina chuckles, looking over her shoulder at me.

             
“Um, yeah.” I breathe out, unable to break the smile from my face. “Listen, about everything.....” I try to apologize.

             
“No.” Kristina stops me. “We both said some things we shouldn't have, please don't apologize. I know you love my meddling ass.” She says, finishing the coffees and making her way across the room. She takes a seat directly across from me and scoots my cup across the table.

             
“I do.” I say, still smiling but with enough sincerity that she sees the truth behind it. I really do love her. Her and Dana are the best friends I have ever had and it makes me sick that something threatened that bond. I make a promise to myself to try and see the bigger picture should something Kristina does seem questionable again. Had I taken the time to really look at it, I would have realized immediately that she was only trying to help.

             
“So forgive and forget. Now tell me all about last night.” She leans across the table and gives me the stare.

             
I spend a good twenty minutes drinking coffee with Kristina and telling her all about my night with Liam and how things really feel like they are starting to fall into place. She seems genuinely happy for me and I walk away from the conversation feeling a hundred pounds lighter. I hadn't realized how heavily our fight had been weighing on me.

             
I refocus and have a very productive afternoon, wrapping up for the day just after five. I make my way downstairs to find Liam leaning against a pillar waiting for me. I don't hesitate rushing into his arms and holding him tightly. I can't believe how much I missed him.

             
I pull back to see a wide grin stretched across his perfect face. “I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of making a reservation at
La Soul
.” He says, entwining his fingers with mine as we turn towards the exit. I don't know what that is but if Liam likes it, I'm sure it will be fine.

             
We don't make it ten steps before a female voice from behind us halts our progression. “Liam?” I hear her say. “Liam is that you?” She speaks again as we turn to face her. My brain does a retake as I realize that it's Michelle. I didn't know she knew Liam. Her auburn curls are falling out of her loose pony tail and her face is flushed, like she just ran a mile.

             
“It's so good to see you.” She says, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a hug. His body goes rigid and he doesn't reciprocate the hug. She lets her arms fall and takes a step back. Her eyes finding me for the first time.

             
“Addison? What are you doing?” She eyes me like a crazy person. Like I just walked up and took Liam's hand and he has no idea who I am.

             
“We're together.” Liam says, pulling Michelle's attention back to him. “As in together.” He clarifies, seeing the confused look across her face.

             
Her eyes fall to the ground before bouncing to me and then back to Liam. “You're Flowers?” She questions, her voice dropping low. I stand there for a moment before realizing that she's talking about all the flower deliveries. I look at the heart broken Michelle and then back to Liam who seems to be teetering on the edge of falling off of a cliff. It takes a few seconds for realization to dawn on me. My stomach drops to my feet and I drop Liam's hand. He reaches back for me but I take a step further away so he can't reach me.

             
His eyes search mine, pleading, before looking back at Michelle. “Well it was good to see you again. Take care of yourself.” He says, his eyes meet mine and he gestures towards the door. I don't know what else to do so I follow him outside.

             
I stop as soon as we reach the bottom of the staircase, my gaze falling firmly on Liam who stops when he realizes I am no longer beside him. “You slept with her?” I ask, cocking my head to the side daring him to lie to me.

             
“I did.” He admits, shame and regret distort his features but he doesn't say anymore.

             
“How long ago?” I ask. I don't know why it's important but I feel like I need to know.

             
He looks away, takes a deep breath and then meets my eyes once more. “A week before I met you. She's the last person I slept with. After the first night we met, I wasn't interested in any other women. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were it for me.” He says, standing stiff as a board as if preparing himself for the verbal lashing he thinks he's going to get.

             
“Wait, are you saying you stopped sleeping with anyone after the first night we met? You didn't even know me!” I exclaim, like it's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

             
“I knew I had to have you. And not just in my bed.” He says, stepping towards me, close enough to touch me but he keeps his hands shoved in his pockets. My heart swells but it doesn't make the sting of him sleeping with Michelle go away. My stomach curls in jealously at the thought of her on top of him. A little older, more experienced, her auburn curls falling over her naked torso as she rides him.

             
I close my eyes and shake my head violently as if trying to force the thought out. It's his past, he didn't know me, I tell myself. I open my eyes to find Liam staring at me. I know he's waiting for me to say something.

             
“Is there any other co-workers of mine that you have slept with?” I raise my eyebrow with the question.

             
He scuffs his feet on the concrete, his eyes losing mine for a beat before he looks up again. “Not that I know of.” He says, embarrassed.

             
“Not that you know of?” I question him in disbelief.

             
“I'm not proud of my past Addison but that's what it is, the past.” He says, staring at me as if he's seeing right through me, his mind somewhere else. Like flipping a light switch, the moment is gone and he looks at me again. “It's not who I am anymore.” He says, reaching out to take my hand. I let him, as he guides me off the bottom step and pulls me into his arms.

             
“I'm sorry.” He says into my hair. I want to be angry. Hell, I want to go back there and punch Michelle right in the damn face but I know it's not her fault. Damn him and his 'colorful' past.

             
“Like you said, it's in the past.” I say, pulling back to give him a weak smile. I can't be mad at him for something he did before he ever met me. That would be like him being mad at me for being with Grayson. People change, sometimes it just takes the right person to instill the change in the other. I can see it on Liam's face that I  have changed him and the thought makes me smile.

             
“I'll never understand how I got this lucky.” He says, looking down at me adoringly. “I love you.” He whispers against my lips before placing a soft kiss to my mouth. Goosebumps run the length of my body, leaving me with a crawling sensation across my skin.

             
I don't think I will ever get used to the way my body reacts to his touch. It's magnetic, like a force I can't fight against. He takes a step back and reaches out his hand to me. “Shall we, Ms. Grant?”

             
“Why yes Mr. Mason, we shall.” I give a goofy curtsy before taking his hand and letting him lead me away from Strike Tower.

Chapter Thirteen

             
La Soul
is nothing like I imagined. From the high cathedral ceilings, to the fine china and linens, to the fact that there are no prices on their menu, it's clear to see that this place reeks of the wealthy. I squirm in my seat, suddenly very aware of the people around me and how absolutely out of place I feel. I mean sure, I've been to nice restaurants before but Liam's version of a nice restaurant far exceeds anything Grayson ever took me to. We lived comfortably but not wealthy enough to ever eat at an establishment of this caliber.

             
I try not to show my unease the first half of dinner but I am wearing my anxiety like a neon shirt before the end of our meal. Liam senses something is off but doesn't comment on it. Instead he fills our conversation with small talk, giving me the opportunity to fill him in on the whole Kristina situation.

             
As we make our way out of the restaurant and onto the busy sidewalk, Liam pulls me close to him, draping his arm over my shoulder as he leads us to the black SUV that Dave drove me to work in this morning. He opens the back door and I climb in, Liam sliding in behind me.

             
I look to the front expecting to see Dave so I am a bit surprised when I see an older man, maybe late fifties, with salt and pepper hair and built like a house, grinning at me in the rear view mirror. “This is Charles.” Liam says from beside me.

             
“Mr. Mason.” Charles nods, his voice a deep baritone, before pinning his green eyes on me. “Miss Grant, it's so nice to finally meet you.” He says, before turning his attention back towards the front and easing the vehicle into traffic.

             
I scoot back into my seat and glance over at Liam. “You have a driver?” The words come out jumbled and full of disbelief. I hadn't realized until now just how much Liam had hid from me in hiding who he was. He never took me to restaurants like he did tonight. He always drove us around on his motorcycle. Hell, until this morning I didn't even know he had any other vehicles. Everything was simple, nothing overdone and honestly it was perfect that way.

             
I didn't grow up poor but we never had an overabundance of money. My parents were able to provide me with what I needed and help pay my way through college but I know even that was tough on them. I was raised that money doesn't buy happiness or love, if anything it complicates it.

             
I know that this is the real Liam. Fancy restaurants, chauffeurs, a penthouse that's a hundred times the size of me and Kristina's apartment. I know without a doubt that if I knew who Liam was the first night we met, I would have ran like hell and never thought of him again. While the wealth and the power give him an edge of sexiness, I prefer Liam the bartender.

             
Liam squeezes my hand from beside me. I can feel his eyes on me before turning to face him. I give him a weak smile and squeeze his hand back. I know he can tell that something is off but he doesn't ask. Instead we sit in silence the remainder of the car ride.

             
When Charles pulls up outside of
Bella Vita
, I give Liam a questioning look. I thought he was taking me home. I open my mouth to speak but before I have a chance Liam grabs my hands and slides me out of the car.

             
“I thought you were taking me home.” I say, as he pulls me up the steps and into the lobby. He grins at me but doesn't respond until we reach the elevators.

             
“I want you to stay here tonight.” He says, brushing his lips across mine in a way that sends tingles all the way to my toes. I want to argue, ask him to take me home but I can't. The way he's looking at me eliminates any and all ability to form a coherent thought. My body and mind already anticipating what's to come.

             
Once inside the elevator, Liam leans against the opposite wall and pins his hazel eyes on me. “So are you going to tell me what's been bothering you all night or am I going to have to fuck it out of you?” My jaw drops and I can't believe he just said that. But then my shock is replaced by the burn between my legs and the relentless pounding of my heart.

             
He smiles a knowing smile, clearly seeing my body's reaction to his words. Deciding to go the safer route, I finally find my words. “It's all just a bit much.” I say, my eyes falling to the floor. Liam steps across the elevator and lifts my chin up with his hand so that I am looking at him. He doesn't say anything, instead just waits to see if I say anymore.

             
“Dinner was lovely and I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate it but it just feels wrong somehow. Like I am living in a world that until days ago, I avoided like the plague. It's just an adjustment.” I breathe, my shoulders sagging forward.

             
His eyes burn deeply into mine and he holds silent for a few seconds as if deciding what to say. “For years I wondered if I would ever find real love. Deep down I think I had just accepted that would never happen. That their love for me would always be in question. Did they love me or did they love my money? With you, it's not like that. You stayed with me, even when you thought I was a bartender, probably living paycheck to paycheck in a small little hotel room. I know it's a lot to take in. But Addison, I have the means to provide you with anything. I want to take you to nice places and show the world the woman that has completely stolen my heart.” He says, running the back of his hand down my cheek.

             
The elevator doors slide open causing me to jump. I was so taken by his words and his very presence, for a moment I forgot where we were. Liam places his hand on the small of my back and leads me from the elevator and into his penthouse. Like the first night I was here, I'm trying to digest everything around me.

             
I turn to find Liam leaning against the island in the kitchen studying me. I take a deep breath and open my mouth to speak but Liam cuts me off, taking three long strides to stand directly in front of me.

             
“This is me, this is my world Addison. I'm not trying to impress you with fancy restaurants, personal drivers and throwing my money all over the place. I just want you to be a part of my life and this is it.” He says, gesturing around the room.

             
“I want to be a part of that life Liam, I do. I would be part of any life as long as I got to share it with you. I just don't want you to ever feel like I give a damn about your money because I don't. I would love you if you lived in a cardboard box on the street.” I say, not missing the boyish smile that suddenly takes over his face.

             
He tilts his head to the side and the lopsided grin spreads further. “What?” I ask, not really understanding what I said to make him look at me this way.

             
“You said you love me.” Liam says playfully, stepping in front of me.

             
“No I didn't.” I say, shaking my head and taking a step back. He takes another step forward and then I take another step back. I can't contain the smile that shines across my face and yet I know that I am playing with fire. This continues until I realize I have run out of room, my back meeting the wall behind me.

             
“Yes you did. You said you would love me even if I lived in a cardboard box.” He says, smiling like a child on Christmas morning.

             
“I did, you're right but you don't live in a cardboard box, so therefore that statement is null and void.” I tease, tensing as he pushes his body into mine, pinning me to the wall.

             
“Uh huh.” He says against my mouth before pressing his lips to mine. The kiss starts out playful and sweet but quickly turns into a raging passion that has us both panting and groaning like animals.

             
“I think someone needs a reminder.” He says, hoisting me up against the wall, my legs wrapping around his waist. My breathing is coming in hot, labored spurts. My hands tremble as I peel Liam's shirt off and toss it over his head. “You see.” He says, pulling his face away from mine and twining our fingers together. “You're trembling. You want me.” He whispers across my lips before pulling back again. “Your body gives you away. You could never hide how you truly feel about me. Admit it Addison.” He says, nipping at the flesh just below my ear. “Admit that you are just as crazy for me as I am for you.”

             
He grinds his hips upward, his erection pressing firmly against my panties with my dress now up to my waist. I gasp and moan into his mouth, unable to fight against the power that he has over me.

             
“Admit it.” He growls again, thrusting upwards a little more forcefully and dragging his tongue across my bottom lip. “Say it now or this ends here.” His eyes burn into mine and I can't tell if he's serious or not but I'm guessing he's just messing with me.

             
Regardless, as much as I love this game, the anticipation of feeling him inside of me has my head spinning in a hundred different directions. I admit defeat. Craving for his touch, wanting this to continue. “Fine, I admit it.” I pant against his mouth. I can feel the grin on his lips.

             
“Admit what, Addison? That you want me, that you need me. Or how about that you love me?” The last part causes my insides to seize up. I do love him, more than anything, I do. But handing over my heart to him this soon, especially after everything that has happened, would be a monumental mistake. I can't give him that power yet, even if it is the truth.

             
“Yes all of it, damn it Liam, just fuck me already.” I grind out against his mouth. Giving him an answer without really saying anything. His whole body tenses before spinning us around and pinning me to the floor.

             
“That's my girl.” He says, before taking my mouth once more and officially ending all conversation for the duration of the night.