Before Sunrise

  Before Sunrise

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  ISBN 978-0-615-55647-5

  Before Sunrise © Copyright 2011 Sienna Mynx

  Cover art by Reese Dante

  Electronic book publication December 2011

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, The Diva’s Pen LLC.

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  Chapter One

  20 September 2001

  “Liam?”

  Kennedy dropped her purse on the sofa. The place smelled divine, like fried batter and roasting potatoes. It could only mean Liam had come early and was at it again. They’d only been in North Carolina a week and already it felt like home. She grinned in excitement. Had been, all day, because she had big news. First her GED, then her degree from William and Mary, now this, at last—law school.

  “Hey, sexy.”

  Liam walked out of the kitchen. She loved it when he wore his fatigues and combat boots. She wasn’t a freak (well, Liam said she was) but a man in fatigues got her panties moist. Liam had a fresh buzz cut that revealed more of his handsome face. Over a square chin and strong jawline, the only facial hair he had was the light mustache over his top lip. But nothing held her focus more than Liam’s eyes. On some days when he kicked back they were blue-green; when his temper got the best of him they were dark as midnight, and when he was horny they were clear as ice. Women constantly commented on Liam’s eyes. Whenever she became predictably insecure, he told her he only had them for her.

  Even now, seven years in, she never understood why he liked her. Sierra was much prettier, and back then, Sierra had been the sure thing. Kennedy always thought of herself as too hippy. Her shape had always been very black-girl: thick thighs, bubble butt, small waist, and medium-sized breasts with oversized nipples that sometimes protruded through the cups of her bras. She’d been so embarrassed by them she always wore padding. But Liam seemed to love her body. Still did.

  “Oh goodness, I bet my kitchen is a mess.” Kennedy chuckled at the flour swiped over his chin and the front of his shirt. She marched right around him and stopped at the entranceway. Her breath caught. Every cabinet was open. Dishes were stacked a mile high in the sink. Flour covered the floor and the counter. Even the stove was messy with spills and drying grease. But a plate of Liam’s fried chicken would be the ultimate reward. He could only grill and fry. Her man did have skills.

  Kennedy waved off the cloud of smoke that clogged her nostrils and stung her eyes. “Liam, did you cook for me?”

  Liam stepped behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist and drew her up against his hard frame. Kennedy was five foot four. Liam was five-foot eleven. He might not have been a giant of a man, but being held by him always proved to be an adventure.

  “Damn right, I’m cooking for my pregnant wife.”

  Kennedy grinned. She’d never known a man so turned on by the idea of being a father. She was only three months along and Liam couldn’t keep his hands off her. Liam checked her tummy constantly for a sign of his baby. And the sex—Liam could be very demanding in the bedroom and had only become more so after he became a SEAL.

  “Thank you, Liam.”

  “Thank me better than that.” He turned her to face him.

  “Hang on, I have news!” Her hands went to his chest.

  He picked her up. “It’ll have to wait.”

  “Liam, I’m serious. It’s important.”

  She struggled, but he carried her out of the kitchen and down the short hall into the bedroom. He let her slide down the length of his body and was pulling his shirt over the back of his head before she could catch a breath. She wore a baby-doll top that gathered tightly around the bust, then and dropped to mid-thigh. Liam lifted it to her breasts and growled to find she also wore white shorts underneath. He grabbed her left foot and started untying her sneaker.

  Kennedy could tell him about her acceptance letter, and risk killing the mood. Yes, he’d be happy, but somehow he’d blame Phil Freeman for trying to get next to her when he was called away. His hatred and distrust of Phil had been unreasonable. Phil called her and said he was planning to put in for a transfer to Fort Bragg as well. It’s not like Phil had planned the terrorism that now threatened to upend their lives. He’d been a good friend to them.

  The few times she’d invited Phil over to a cookout or for dinner, to make peace, the night always ended with disaster. Once, Eric had to pull Liam out of the room. No, she’d wait and tell Liam the news afterward.

  Liam tugged at her shorts.

  “Wait, baby. I have to unbutton them.” She giggled.

  “I’ll help,” he grunted.

  He dropped his knee on the bed. She pulled her dress up over her head. Liam unclasped her bra and paused. He exhaled visibly and zeroed in on her breasts. They were the only noticeable change on her body and she guarded them constantly from Liam’s calloused, rough hands. She tried to buy better minimizing bras. Men would gawk at them often. She never told Liam this. With his jealousy, it would have sent him over the edge.

  “Damn, babe, you’re beautiful.” He leaned her back on the bed.

  “Liam, they’re tender, so not so hard, okay?” Kennedy pleaded, wary of the hungry glint of lust in the misty blue swirl of his irises. Her palms shot up to protect her nipples from an impending attack. He didn’t mean to hurt her. Of course he didn’t. Still, this pregnancy thing made her sensitive in places she hadn’t been before.

  Liam lifted his left eyebrow as if to say he wouldn’t be denied. He scooted backward and put his head between her thighs, burying his nose in her pussy first and she hissed in a breath, feeling herself get hot and moist there. His powerful, strong hands gripped her thighs gently, pulling her downward, under him. He slid up over her. His dog tags, cool metal, grazed her belly as he inched up toward her breasts.

  “I’ll be a good boy. Move your hands, Kay.” He moistened his lips.

  Kennedy lowered her arms. Liam eyed her dark brown, swollen nipples. He dropped his tongue over one, rolling it sweetly until she started experiencing sharp tingles and spasms down between her thighs.

  “Mmm, yes Liam. Like that. It feels good.”

  His mouth closed over her nipple and she winced. He started to suck tighter and she winced once more. But him on her, easing a hand down to her slick center, was enough to relax her. He rubbed his fingers over her slit before inserting two. Kennedy wiggled, and he nipped her breast.

  “Oww, Liam. You promised,” she groaned.

  Liam released her nipple with a wet plop and immediately latched on to the other. All the while he screwed her with two fingers, then three. Kennedy rolled her hips and released a strained breath. Liam sucked harder on her right nipple. She shuddered and threw her small hands up to his huge shoulders, trying to push him back. Her lips parted to beg him to go softer, but all that came out were puffs of air and gentle wheezes. Soon, she released, climaxing into the palm of his hand.

&nb
sp; Liam lifted his head from her breast. Oh, it hurt so painfully sweet. She didn’t know if she wanted to smack him or kiss him. She heard the sound of his zipper. Her eyes opened.

  “I’ll make it better later, babe. I’ve been needing you all day,” he grunted as he forced the first thick three inches into her swiftly.

  Kennedy’s inner thighs shook. He lifted one of her legs over his shoulder so she opened to him fully and he sank deeper.

  “Damn, babe, it’s good. You like it, don’t you, babe? Talk to me.”

  “Yes, Liam…ye-ye-yes,” she panted.

  Liam always knew instinctively how to touch her, even when worked up on adrenaline. He’d always been more concerned about her pleasure than his own. He moved inside her, giving her slow, measured thrusts, rocking his hips left and right as he plunged deeper. Liam bent to kiss the curve of her neck, and Kennedy groaned. She rolled her hips in response and her channel stretched sweetly to accept all of him. Firm, pliant lips grazed her collarbone, then slid upward, seeking hers. He whispered words of love before his tongue dipped inside. Feral tension rode through them as he shifted, deepening their connection. With a slow, torturous sweep, he claimed her as his. She lifted her arms and locked them around his neck, running her hands over his neatly shaved buzz cut. She could die a happy woman beneath him, locked in his kiss, and the way he drove himself in and out of her only intensified that emotion.

  When her body tensed and she clung to him in desperation, he moved his hips side-to-side to slow them down. To her frustration, he withdrew from the kiss but kept moving in and out of her. He applied tender kisses under her chin and then down her neck before trailing them to her collarbone and lower. All the while he managed thrust after thrust that built up and released pleasure through her clenching channel.

  “I love you,” he whispered, in a low breath that floated the curls away from her cheek.

  She opened her eyes. She stared at the ceiling and knew the truth. This wonderful man was all hers, and here was where she belonged. Liam lifted his head from her nipple and she found his face tight with tension as well as pleasure. Their eyes met. The veins in his neck protruded and his lips were pressed into a thin, determined line. He could be gentle, ever so tender. His thrusts increased in frequency and his hands slipped under her to clench her buttocks unmercifully. When he was rough, no matter how good it felt, it meant something was wrong, as if he wanted desperately to disappear in her arms. This would be one of those times. Kennedy knew instinctively what to do. She arched her back and locked her legs around his hips. She kissed and sucked on his shoulder, running her hands down his spine.

  “Damn, Kay. Fuck,” Liam moaned.

  “Get it from the back, baby,” she said to him, knowing his true desire. Liam’s eyes flashed open and the raw, primal lust there sent a shiver of excitement through her. Kennedy rolled to her hands and knees. Liam wrapped his fingers into her hair and yanked it back until her scalp stung. He plunged into her with one determined motion. Holding her by the hair and the hip, he gave her quick, jerking thrusts. Kennedy grinned, rolling her ass after each blow and slamming back into his pelvis for more.

  “Fuck…love this pussy. I love you, Kay. I need this, babe. I’m sorry but I need this.”

  She pushed back and he cursed. Letting go of her hair, he ran his hands between her thighs to keep them parted.

  “Love you this way,” he sighed, angling them down into the mattress.

  Kennedy’s face pressed into the pillow. Liam removed his hands and pushed her thighs shut with his own, then pumped harder and harder, grunting, until Kennedy felt the release of his precious seed all over the womb that securely held their child.

  Liam moved a little more. He licked the beads of sweat off her shoulders and the center of her back. He muttered a few more curse words, then dropped over to her right.

  Kennedy lifted on her elbows. She’d walk gap-legged for a few days after this. “What is it, Liam? Talk to me. Dinner and now this? What’s wrong?”

  He rolled off the bed. He strode into the bathroom and slammed the door. Kennedy sighed. She fell back against the rumpled comforter. She knew what was wrong. Hell, she’d be an idiot not to. Twelve days ago, some nasty, evil bastards decided to run hijacked jetliners into the World Trade Center. That act blew apart the safety and security of American life. What the ashen-faced civilians on CNN called terrorism was, to the men and women and families of Fayetteville, an unprovoked act of war. It also loomed over them like a dark storm cloud. In a matter of four days she had to pack and move. Not normal for a military wife, but Liam’s unit was special, and so was the treatment of their families when things changed fast. The world had changed overnight. Now they were barely settled and trying hard to pretend that this new place, new time in their life, would be normal. Angelina told her that Anthony had been acting strange, too. Together, they theorized their men would be leaving home.

  Liam belonged to a counter-terrorism force. Like the Delta Force, he’d told her, but they didn’t worry so much about extractions. Or something like that. They went in first and did recon, which meant they weren’t there when the real shit went down. Those were his words; she’d repeated them to herself so often they were imprinted upon her heart. If they weren’t there when the real shit went down, it meant he wouldn’t be in harm’s way and he wouldn’t be gone long. Right? She prayed so.

  The toilet flushed. She heard the tap running in the sink. Her body hurt. Mainly her coochie, but her nipples ached, too. She could do nothing but lie there as Liam returned. He looked at her with the saddest eyes. It made her scared, more scared than she’d ever been. He opened his mouth to say something.

  “What is it?”

  “I-I’ll finish dinner, babe. You stay there,” he said, and was gone.

  Kennedy sighed.

  After a quick shower where she could let the cold water run over her tender, flaming flesh, she got dressed. She put on a strapless sundress and didn’t bother with underwear. Liam said he would make it up to her tonight, which meant there would definitely be a round two.

  Kennedy nearly wept when she walked out into the living room. Liam had cleaned up as best he could. He stacked stuff in corners and on chairs. Somehow, he never knew where to put away any of their few possessions. But he’d turned down the lights and lit candles. The table had been dressed with a nice setting, the cloth napkins, just for them.

  He brought out a bowl of instant mashed potatoes, and stopped when he saw her. “Come on, beautiful. Dinner is served.”

  Kennedy’s stomach grumbled. It was strange; so far, she’d never had morning sickness, not even a burp. But she had the appetite. Liam grinned when he said she ate like a horse. She knew he thought it meant she’d have a boy.

  “Yummy. This is so nice. I love it.”

  “I want to hear all about your news.”

  Kennedy stopped at the table. She’d forgotten all of that. Her heart skipped a beat. “Okay.”

  Liam sat. He poured her juice from the carton then twisted the cap off his Budweiser. She stopped him with her hand when he picked up his fork. “Grace, Liam.”

  “Oh, yeah. Whatever.”

  Kennedy closed her eyes. “Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful blessing. We are grateful for your bountiful offering and the loving hands that prepared this. Please bless our country, and our soldiers currently being called to serve as we brace for your current test of perseverance. And those less fortunate than ourselves and fill their bellies with nourishment. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

  Kennedy looked up and Liam winked. He dug in. When she made dinner, she fixed his plate and practically fed him, like it was a movie or something, but when he cooked, she was on her own. She stared down at her meal and touched her fingers to her temples, wondering where her head went. Liam cooking and trying to set the mood was a show of love. He couldn’t get any softer than he was, right this moment.

  “Okay, what’s this news?” He spoke with a mouth full of potatoes.

&nbs
p; “School.”

  Liam swallowed. “School? More school? We just got here.”

  “Law school, silly. Phil thinks he can get me into UNC.”

  Liam’s smile faded.

  “Don’t be mad at him. This is what I want, Liam. I called him and asked about a recommendation, since we’re here and all…well, I thought it would be great to go to law school. Um, here. See, they have a great civil rights law program. Phil says he knows the dean.”

  “So you and Phil discussing your future?” Liam asked through clenched teeth.

  “No. Not like that. I did my own research. It’s hard to get accepted and it’s on me. Still, if I can use a recommendation….” Kennedy’s hand froze, her fork hovering over her plate. Was he angry? She checked his eyes for that switch of color she always noted. They remained clear blue. Then a grin slowly crept over his mouth.

  “Well, I’ll be damned, babe. I’m proud of you.”

  Kennedy laughed. “You are?”

  “Hell, yes! You’re standing on your own.”

  “And Phil?”

  “Fuck him. I’m not jealous of him. I know what you’re doing. You’re taking control of your life.”

  “I did. I wasn’t sure, and with the baby—”

  “Bullshit. Come here. Of course you will attend. Come here,” he said, extending his hand. She got up and went around the table to him. He put her on his lap. “Do you know how proud your man is right now? Do you?”

  “Yes.” She grinned. “But slow down. I haven’t gotten accepted yet.”

  “Gonna need me an attorney, to keep me from killing every young punk who shows up on my doorstep trying to get next to my baby girl.”

  “You mean like you did when you took me from my daddy?” she kidded.

  Liam bristled. “So you want to go there?”

  “I’m just kidding. Besides, we don’t know if it’s a girl yet.”

  “True, just hoping.” He grinned, chewing down the last of his food.

  Kennedy laughed. She kissed him. “I was afraid you’d be mad.”