The Do Over (24 page)

"Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars came on the radio. This song always made me think of her. When I started to softly hum the lyrics, she turned and smiled at me. I took that as encouragement. I was going to serenade my girl. There was nothing I would change about her. She was amazing.

I started to really get into it. Maybe I got a little carried away. The air mic might've been a little too much. But, honestly, I really believed these words. I felt them.

Her smile got bigger. Yes, she was amazing, and her smile was my favorite feature. I kicked it up a notch, like I was doing my rendition of an
American Idol
audition. I thought I'd be going to Hollywood. All doubt was removed. I did get very carried away.

Laughing, she pulled out her phone and started recording me. It wasn't a giggle, like she was eating it up. It was a full-blown belly laugh.

Looking over at her, I dramatically said, "You're killing me. I'm serenading you, pouring my heart and soul out in song, and you're cracking up. I'm crushed."

She leaned over, tilting my chin toward her, and kissed me. "Sweetie, please don't be upset. I love this, but let's face it. You sounded like a cat in heat." She kissed me again, trying to soften the blow to my shattered ego.

"Cat in heat?" I chuckled, shaking my head. "Well, I disagree with your opinion, and I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll be watching that video all the time."

"Babe, I'm putting it up on YouTube. You're going viral." She laughed.

Never underestimate the power of a woman to kill a romantic moment.
I just hoped she wouldn't tag me. I'd make a fool of myself for her any day, but I would never hear the end of it if Chris saw this.

"You know this is your song. Even if you don't like the way I sing…" I clutched my heart. "I meant every single word. You are amazing."

"Liam…" She smiled and turned away. Then, she looked back at me. "I think that has to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

God, I love her.
She was staring at me with a smile that touched her eyes.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I'm going to have to pull over."

"Oh, yeah?" she asked flirtatiously. "And what are you going to do?" She was biting her lower lip, looking away, as she smiled.

"Just keep it up, and I'll show you."

As I slowed down the car, the expression on her face was priceless. She was working a look of excitement and challenge. Then, she came in for the kill. She smiled. This was a different smile altogether.

"Are you daring me?"
Fuck
, I was turned on.

We had about thirty minutes before we got to our destination.

Leaning over, she whispered in my ear, "I'm yours. All yours." Then, she started sucking on my ear. Her hand traveled across my chest and down to the waistband of my shorts.

Fuck and holy shit
.

"I want to give you this," she said seductively.

Trying to maintain the only control I had, I gripped the steering wheel.

"Baby, you're…" I started to say.

Then, I pressed my mouth into hers.
Fuck.
I was kissing her and keeping my eyes on the road. I was driving a lot slower, but still, I was driving. She tugged on my lower lip as her hands started unbuttoning my shorts. My dick wanted to come out and play with Dani. I wasn't sure that life could get any better. As she started stroking my dick, I realized that life did get better, much better.

"Baby, that feels so fucking good, but I'm driving on a two-lane highway here."

She ignored me. My dick had no objections when she pulled him out of hiding.
Fuck.
Leaning over, she wrapped her mouth around my tip, grabbing my dick firmly in her hand. My breathing and pulse were racing.

What she was doing with her tongue and hands should have been illegal. It probably was, but that was part of the thrill.
Holy shit.
It felt so amazing that I had to pull over. I couldn't fucking see straight. As I leaned my head back on the headrest, I ran my hand down her shorts. She let out a soft moan as I started playing with her. She was soaked.

"Baby, you're so wet," I muttered in a husky voice.

She started grinding into my hand.
Fuck.
I was going to lose it.

"I love having your dick in my mouth and your hand down my pants," she said, looking up at me with hooded eyes.

Licking her lips, she resumed giving me the best fucking blow job of my life. I wasn't going to last. I rubbed her clit and then inserted my fingers inside her. Pulling back her head, her mouth opened, and she let out the most erotic moan I'd ever heard. She then lowered her head as her tongue began circling my tip again and her mouth opened, she went to work on me.
A-fucking-mazing
.

"I'm going to come. Ah…Dani!"

She swallowed my load, and then she pulled back, sitting on my hand. Her head fell back as she whimpered. I'd never seen anything sexier in my life.

"That's it, baby," I encouraged.

As her body trembled, she let out another moan. "Oh my god, Liam. Ah, Liam. Ah, yes. Yes. Ah…"

Holy shit.
There were no words. No words could accurately describe being with her.

"Baby, that was off-the-charts incredible. I feel like a rock star. I'm going to keep singing to you."

She laughed. "You better. Now, let's go. We're just getting started." She sat back in her seat with a smile on her face.

I put the car in gear and headed out. Reaching over, I held her hand and brought it to my lips, kissing it.

My heart was still beating rapidly from the blow job I'd given him and the orgasm he'd given me. I didn't know what came over me. Well, yes, I did. I couldn't get enough of him. When he'd started singing…well, that word was too kind…more like howling at me, my heart had melted. It had been beautifully hilarious. He had guessed right. I'd watch that video over and over again. No one had ever done anything like that for me. He had the ability to stir up so many emotions and desires in me.

We pulled up to the villa, and I quickly got out of the car to look around. It was charming and quaint. There was nothing particularly special about the front of the little house.

After he opened the door, Liam grabbed my hand, as he led me out back. "You have to see this."

It was spectacular. Extending the entire back of the house, a porch opened up to a small private beach with palm trees, white sand, and a pristine view of the ocean.

"Wow! This place is terrific. How'd you find it?" I asked Liam. I walked around and admired the little seaside details and décor found along the porch.

He smiled and came up behind me. Wrapping his arms around me, we looked at the view.

"I'm glad you like it. I used to come here when I was a kid. This is where my dad taught me everything I know about the water. It's a very special place for me, and I wanted to share it with you." He wrapped his arms tighter around my waist as he buried his head in my neck.

I rested my hands over his arms, leaning back into him. My heart swelled as I relished in the moment. I was falling hopelessly in love with him.

After dinner, we sat out back on the porch, overlooking the water. A nice breeze was coming in from the ocean, and the stars were shining brightly. My legs draped over his as he rubbed them with his hands. I was finishing up a book while Liam was checking on tomorrow's weather forecast on his phone. When I got to the last chapter, my tears started flowing.

Looking over at me, he pulled me into him and pressed his mouth against mine. "Baby, tell me the story was worth the tears."

"It was so worth them. Oh my god." Sitting up, I got into my storytelling position. "So, the lead man in the book…" I paused, bringing my Kindle to my chest. "He was incredible. He was also a firefighter. The protagonist hated his career choice because of the danger involved. While I've always known that your job is dangerous, I've never let my mind go there before. Now, I'm not sure I'll be able to rest until I know you're home from a shift."

He tucked my hair behind my ears. I loved it when he did that.

"Is that why you were crying? Did something happen to him in the line of duty?"

"No, it wasn't anything like that. I got sentimental with the depth of love the man had for this woman. It was
incredible
," I said. I sighed, thinking of their great love.

That was when it happened. In slow motion, I heard the words coming out of my mouth. I wanted to suck them back in, but it was too late. "Have you ever been in love before?"

I couldn't believe I'd just asked him that. He sat there quietly for what seemed like an eternity, but it was more like a second.

He took in a deep breath and looked just a little uncomfortable. Turning to me, he said, "First of all, I'm really touched that you would worry about me. That's very sweet of you." He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. "Yes, the danger is real. I don't want to downplay it, but my mission in life is to make sure my team and I are as safe as I can, so that no one gets hurt. It's personal. That brings me to your next question."

I regretted that question now more than I did before. "You know, you don't have to say anything else. It really is none of my business," I said nervously.

I hated when I got like this.
Why can I be so confident in all other aspects of my life?
When it came to my relationships with men, I became foolishly insecure. I'd managed to set myself up and ask a question that I didn't know the answer to, or worse, I didn't really want to know the answer to. Well, yes, I did want to know, but I was scared of the answer.

"Of course, it's your business." He held my hands and kissed the back of them. "You deserve to know everything. It's just one of those conversations that I don't really know how to start. I guess we can thank your books." He smiled. "Yes, I was in love before."

I was deflated.
What was I expecting?
He was thirty years old. If he hadn't been in love, I would've had to worry that he had relationship issues. This was just an indication that he was capable of having a relationship, but it just hadn't worked out. Nah, that line of reasoning wasn't working for me. I was jealous. I didn't want him to have loved any other woman. I wanted him for myself, and I didn't want to share with anyone, even someone from his past.
So much for my desire to be mature in my relationships.
At least, I was keeping it real.

"Hey, none of that, okay? I'm yours," he promised. He kissed me gently and then pressed his forehead against mine. "All yours." He pulled back. "I met her in the academy, and we were together for five years."

I was a little reassured by his affection, but his admission made me feel even more insecure. That was a long time to be together. Now, I had questions. "So, what happened?" I started running a million different plot possibilities. Reading two to three books a week had given me plenty of scenarios to paint.
Did he dump her, or did she dump him? Did one of them cheat? Was there a betrayal? Did they just get bored? Drama? Was she the love of his life? Would he or could he ever love anyone again?
I sighed heavily.
Why did I have to ruin such a beautiful day?

"Hey, don't go into your head right now. It's okay. You can ask me anything. You don't have to worry about Natalie," he said, shaking his head. He sighed. "I met Natalie in the academy. She was my Captain's daughter. We hit it off, and we were engaged."

I thought I was going to be sick.
Engaged?
I hated this. "Oh wow. Well, thank you for sharing. Can we go back to what we were doing before I opened my mouth?" I asked. I really wanted to recover the moment we'd shared before this dreaded conversation.

"Baby, look at me," he said.

I turned and looked at him.

"Natalie's memory is not a threat to us."

"What do you mean by
memory
?" I asked confused, putting air quotes around memory.

"Can I just tell you the story without interruptions?" he asked.

I nodded in agreement.

"Like I said, I met Natalie in the academy. We hit it off, dated, and got engaged. She answered a call for a gunshot wound. The cops thought they cleared the area. Natalie and Josh went into to the scene, and the shooter came out and took one more victim." Rubbing his temples, he closed his eyes briefly and let out a deep sigh. "That was a little more than five years ago. My life would've been very different if she had survived." He paused, looking over at me.