Before Sunrise Read online

  “No,” Liam said, a little too abruptly. “I have a room. What I mean is, I put an air mattress in her room and one in, um, our room, or what I want to be our room. You can stay here tonight.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, c’mon. Let me show you.”

  “Come here, baby,” Kennedy said. She picked up Mackenzie. She noticed Liam limp over to a new cane he must have purchased and followed him up the stairs. The place was small. There were only two bedrooms that faced each other, and a bathroom to the back center. Liam walked into the room on the left. Kennedy was surprised that he had thought of everything. The air mattress had a blanket and cover, even pillows. He had been one busy boy.

  “No!” Mackenzie cried in horror. “I want to go home.” She looked up, pulling on Kennedy’s pants leg. “I don’t want to stay here. I don’t like it here.”

  She smiled at Liam. “I’ll have to lie down with her. Turn off the light and close the door and I’ll put her to sleep.”

  Liam looked a little disappointed.

  “Welcome to being a daddy. You have to share mommy.” Kennedy put down a now crying Mackenzie, who struggled to get back up once laid out on the mattress. “Close the door, Liam. I’ll come find you when she’s sleep.”

  “Okay,” he said, and the door shut.

  “Mac, lie down. Come here to mommy. It’s okay baby, you’re tired. Mommy isn’t going anywhere.” She sighed.

  ***

  “What are you doing?” Eric demanded.

  Harper walked over to him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her young, ripe body. Her skin was flawless. Her pink bra with the lace half-cups pushed her breasts up nicely but he could see her erect dark nipples straining against the thin lacy fabric. Her flat tummy had a piercing in her navel and a strawberry tattoo had been stamped on the right side of her hip bone. The thong panty barely covered her pussy, but thankfully it did enough. Eric closed his eyes and reopened them, trying to get his cool in check. He was in it deep now. She stood close, put her hands on his chest, and lifted in her heels but remained a inch or two shorter than him. She kissed him on the chin.

  “Look at me, Eric.”

  He grabbed the collar of her coat and forced it closed. “Harper, I want you to go home. Do you understand? This won’t happen.”

  “Why? Give me one good reason? Why it won’t.”

  “Liam’s my best friend. Kennedy is too. They trust me with you. I’m just not that big of an asshole, okay?”

  Her thick lashes lowered and her lip poked out in a pout. She was so beautiful. Why would she play these games? He didn’t like attachments, told himself he didn’t need them. But Harper made him laugh, made him feel young. She challenged him on his politics and lone wolf lifestyle. Some of the conversations he’d had with her made him forget her age.

  “Hey.” He cupped her face. “I’m flattered. But you can do a helluva lot better than me.” He nearly choked on the words. The idea of another man touching her hit him in the gut. Still, any man was a far better choice than he was.

  “Can I at least sit down and eat with you? Please?”

  Eric looked over at the table of food. He hadn’t eaten anything all day. “Yeah, sure, let’s eat. But keep that damn coat closed.” He saw the light of excitement spark in her almond-shaped eyes. “Then we call it a night. Okay? Agreed?”

  Harper gave him a sly smirk. “Sure, Eric. Whatever you say.”

  ***

  It wasn’t exactly as he had envisioned. He had worked out every detail but this one. Of course his daughter wouldn’t want to sleep in a strange room on an air mattress while he seduced her mother. Liam wiped his hand down his face. What had he been thinking? He headed down the stairs. His mind did a playback of the evening. The episode at Fun World gnawed at his confidence. Paranoia wasn’t something his conditioning as a SEAL allowed, not even in the most dire of circumstances. Trained against second-guessing himself, Liam always dealt with the facts, even while in captivity. It was how he’d remained focused, hadn’t broken, stayed the course, and survived the bullshit. He considered the facts now. Between a Zombie Destroyer arcade game and a wall unit to toss hoops, he’d seen someone, the person saw him, then fled. He engaged, and—nothing? Had someone really been there and he was too juiced up to see him through the maze of kids? If the person was there, he wanted to be seen, followed. But why? Could it be a setup? One question led to another and soon he had nothing but questions. There was another fact. Vasquez had seen nothing. The only proven fact was that Liam had slipped into one of his blackout states where he’d lost time. Therefore, only one conclusion remained. It had to be all in his head.

  Eventually the tightness Liam felt in his face dissolved and he managed a smile. The day wasn’t a total bust. While they ate, he listened to Mackenzie’s tales. Mackenzie was where he found his healing. She reminded him of the time he’d cared for his little sister, how needy and trusting kids were.

  Liam felt pangs of anger. It wrapped around his lungs at the thought of anyone hurting his child. There were different forms of abuse, some of them not physical. The harsh words and neglect of a parent could do far greater damage. No matter how hard he tried to protect his little sister, she’d suffered as he did. He would be a far better parent to Mackenzie.

  Liam walked through his empty living room. He tried to set aside his disappointment. Why would he be angry now? Kennedy had chosen him. She was his. Tonight he’d love her long and strong and remind her of how she belonged to him. Phil’s face emerged in his mind and he saw him kissing Kennedy, touching her, fucking his woman whenever he pleased.

  Liam closed his eyes. Stop it man, just let the shit go. It’s done. Let it go. Sure he could try to forget Phil Freeman’s creepy moves, but could he really forgive? Kennedy had betrayed him. She said she would never stop believing in him and she had. Ego or not, the fact she’d moved on without him hurt bad. She was his and that bastard had no right to ever touch her. He would give anything to wrap his hands around Phil Freeman’s throat and squeeze until the pain his chest went away.

  Liam stopped near the wall. He put a hand to it and sucked down deep breaths. He didn’t understand what went wrong with him. Why his mind kept going there. Why it was harder now to keep things in perspective, harder than it had been in captivity. He sniffed and blinked away the tears building behind his eyelids. He needed to be stronger than this. Much stronger. He didn’t break in that desert hell, and he sure as fuck wasn’t going to go to pieces in heaven.

  Tonight had been perfect. Kennedy smiled so much it actually felt like old times. He loved making her happy. She and Mackenzie had the same smile with dimples that sank in round cheeks and eyes that danced with radiance. Something in him stabilized. The angry beast he kept caged stalked away.

  Liam went toward the kitchen and got a garbage bag. He managed to gather all the trash and empty cups and the wine bottle. He did a little more straightening in the kitchen. His time spent only rounded out to ten minutes. He sighed, thinking it would take an hour or more for her to come back to him. He considered going back upstairs to help. He wouldn’t touch her; he just wanted to be close. Maybe lay behind her and let her warm body comfort him to sleep. He didn’t sleep much. The nightmares made it hard. How he craved putting his head in her bosom and just getting one solid night’s sleep.

  “I’m losing it.” He blew out a deep breath. He wasn’t that needy. He survived for five years on nothing. Less than nothing. Now he had the shakes because he wanted to be babied by his woman? It was nuts. So he shut off the lights and decided to sit by the Christmas tree and wait.

  They needed furniture, a place to sleep and sit. His daughter’s room should be first priority. He would make it just like the one she had at home. That might work. He sat back and nervously waited. He wiped his hand down his face and tried to relax. “Cool it man, just keep it cool.”

  A familiar wave of nausea began to build in his gut. He closed his eyes and fell into complete darkness. The darkness had become q
uite close to his bleak existence in his desert hole. Therein the putrid stench of death waited for him and his fallen brothers. Death had always been the fourth man in the hole. Crouched down in a corner it snickered, hissed, and taunted them. It would even whisper to him. Tell him to give up, to let go. Tell him there was no escape. He could never beat fate. You were born to die this way, it would tell him.

  Liam sucked down several deep breaths as time and space imploded and he once again sank into an oily, black abyss. It filled his ears and clogged his nostrils, forcing his mouth to open and for him to swallow the putrid taste of evil. He strangled on it. Trapped in such hopeless despair, he wished secretly for death to win. When would it stop? If it was never to stop, then let it end him. Then he’d hear her voice, asking if he was okay, if he needed her, and his wish changed. He wanted a second chance at life. Hadn’t he earned it damn it. What would he need to do to have it again?

  Where is Kay?

  “Liam?”

  Liam grabbed the wrist of the hand on his shoulder and flipped the bastard hard to the ground. He panted deeply, felt the sweat drip from his face. He blinked and tried to focus. Kennedy looked up at him shocked, terror in her eyes. But she didn’t move. She lay perfectly still. He held her wrist down painfully tight. He knew it. He was hurting her, but why? How?

  “Babe, oh shit. I’m sorry. Did I hurt you? Are you okay?” He gathered her into his arms. Tears sprung to his eyes. “What did I do? God, what did I do?”

  “I’m fine, Liam. I’m okay. Hey, I just slipped when you grabbed my wrist. I’m okay. You didn’t hurt me.” She broke free of his arms and straddled his lap, taking his face in her hands.

  “Sweetheart, calm down. I’m okay. Christ, you’re burning up with fever. Liam, look at me. We’re okay.” She put his face to her breasts and held him as best she could on the floor.

  Liam groaned and then wept hard against her breast. Did I hurt her? It happened so fast. It scared the shit out of him. Were they right about him? Was he so fucked up he’d hurt them? He had to get help. He didn’t want to lose his mind. He didn’t want to lose her again.

  “I’m so sorry. I can’t….” His voice broke. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Kay.”

  “Shh.” She stroked the top of his head. “You’ve been through a lot, Liam. But you’re home, with me and I’m going to take care of you. I don’t care what it takes, Liam, I’m going to take care of you. It’s okay. You’re with me and I’m never going to let you go. Here and now is what matters. Feel that? Do you feel my heartbeat? Focus on it baby, it’s okay. I got you. I’m here. Right here.”

  Liam stopped crying. He listened to her heartbeat, inhaled her fragrance. She was real, solid, warm and comforting in his arms. He pushed back against her chest until she lay against the floor with her legs wrapped around his waist. He covered her with his body, and kissed her face and neck, hoping against hope he hadn’t scared her too badly. Again he realized his cheeks were wet with tears. Had he been crying? He didn’t remember it. Kennedy caught his face and stopped his hurried, frantic kisses; she directed his lips to hers and helped him ease into a controlled, loving kiss. Have I forgotten how? His emotions kept spiking. What is wrong with me?

  Her tongue, sweet from the wine, swept over his and soon his head cleared. He wanted to get inside of her. He wanted her so bad he shook with need.

  His hand eased over the soft cashmere of her sweater and slowly drew it up to her breasts. Liam lifted his head and looked at them. He remembered her stepping out of the shower. How beautiful her body was. How badly he wanted to touch her. He sat back. She lay there smiling at him, her tummy rising and falling. He ran his finger over the traces of a bulge, the last traces of what carrying her daughter did to her body. He had missed so much. His daughter almost died. She almost died. And they needed him so much. Phil had been there instead of him. No wonder she clung to that man. It wasn’t her fault, it was his. He had failed her.

  Her hand moved and the Christmas lights made it sparkle. He narrowed his eyes on her finger. Snatching her hand in his, he wanted to snatch Phil’s ring off. He frowned and studied it closely.

  “I kept it, Liam. I could never part with it.”

  Liam looked up at her. “You kept it?”

  “There is no competition between you and Phil. He never had me, Liam.” She lifted to her right elbow. “We never shared or came close to the levels of intimacy you and I have. Do you understand? I’m still your Kay. That hasn’t changed. But Liam, you have to let the jealousy go. We have so much more to fight to overcome. Phil is not a threat to you, to us. You did what you had to in that desert to survive, and I did what I had to, to be sane for us both. We did it and we’re together. Okay?”

  Liam kissed her hand. He realized in that moment it didn’t matter. To hell with what happened in the five years he was gone. She was his Kay always. No man, no war, no one could come between them. With his kiss he forced her back down. He fumbled to undo the top button to her jeans and lower the zipper. He sat back to pull off her boots, then tugged on her jeans, bringing them off her shapely legs. Her black thong had disappeared between the folds of her pussy, making him groan with need. She rolled the panty down her hips and Liam brought it down the rest of the way. Lifting her leg and parting her wider, he kissed her sweet skin, upward, until his face was between her thighs.

  Kennedy shivered as he used his tongue to lick her slit from her opening to her clit. He enticed her bud into his mouth and sucked until she creamed his chin. Liam’s eyes crossed beneath closed lids as he feasted on her pussy, loving her with his tongue, deep-kissing her until she was coming. The heady scent of her arousal had his dick punching through the front of his pants. He wanted to lay her on a bed of roses and make love to her slow and easy. That would be perfect. But his hunger for her had him lowering his zipper and removing his cock in order to ravage her on the cool hardwood floor before the Christmas tree.

  Liam dropped on her, forcing his tongue into her mouth, giving her a taste of herself as the head of his cock pushed into her. Liam shuddered. He bit her bottom lip prepared to make love to her the way he had in his dreams.

  “Mommy!”

  Liam thrust in another inch and nearly shot his load. Her pussy clenched and his shaft was sheathed in such sweet tightness. He needed more. He was going to have her, all of her, every inch of her. She was so soft and her body yielded to him in all the right ways. He thrust again, sinking almost all the way in.

  “MOMMY!”

  “Liam, stop. Get up.”

  Kennedy shoved hard and forced him to withdraw. He fell over on his back, still shuddering, his hand on his cock. He watched in pain as she yanked her jeans on and ran for the stairs. Liam dropped his head back. He blew out a deep breath and willed his body to get under control. Forcing his cock into his pants, he struggled to rise. His legs were shaky. His fucking bum leg was completely useless, as though now completely disconnected from his brain. His dick throbbed, and the scent of sex was still up his nose. This was a far worse torture than any he knew. Gaining strength with each staggering step, he made it up the stairs to the room. He could hear Mackenzie crying.

  Kennedy looked back at him and smiled. “Come in. Lay with us, okay?”

  “She’s not asleep?”

  Mackenzie appeared from around her mother’s shoulder. “No, daddy, I not ’sleep.”

  Liam smiled. “I see that, beautiful.” He walked in and dropped next to Kennedy on the mattress. He spooned her from behind as Mackenzie lay pressed to her breast. He laid there with her perfectly still, his erection pressing into her butt. Maybe Mackenzie would go to sleep. He lifted his head to look at his daughter. She hugged her mommy, but she remained wide awake. She glanced up and saw him peeking and grinned.

  “Hi, daddy.”

  Liam dropped back on the pillow. It was going to be a long night.

  ***

  “Are you serious? Did Liam really eat a scorpion?” Harper giggled.

  “I ate the scorpi
on, he ate the spider.” Eric smirked.

  Harper laughed. “You made that up.” She licked her fingers, licked her lips, and it was making him nuts. He checked his watch. It read almost midnight. It proved to be too late and the roads too icy for her to brave them alone. What the fuck was he going to do?

  “Why do you keep checking your watch?” Harper asked, biting into another rib. The sauce dripped on her chin. She blinked those round eyes at him and he wanted to hit something, anything, to force his cock to stop twitching in his pants.

  “What is it with you, sweetheart? Why are you teasing me?”

  Harper lowered the rib. “I’m in love with you.”

  Eric’s brows shot up. “What?”

  “You heard me. I love you.”

  “No. No you don’t.”

  “Yes I do. Why are you so surprised? Kennedy fell in love with Liam when she was seventeen. When she was my age she was already married and living with him. What’s the big deal?”

  “You aren’t Kennedy and I’m not Liam, for starters. You don’t even know me, Harper. Not really.”

  “I know that I love you. I’ve loved you since I was thirteen. You never treated me like a kid. You never talked down to me. And we have fun together. We connect. You know we do. I love you.”

  “Fuck, this is crazy. I should drive you home. You can get your car in the morning.”

  “Eric, wait.” She put her hand over his. “I’m sorry. I don’t have a filter like most girls. I just say what I mean. Like you do. I know it’s weird for you. That you see me as some kid. But I’m a woman.”

  “I don’t want to hear this.” He grunted, pushing up from the table.

  “You don’t have a choice. Soon you will be gone. And I won’t get my chance to tell you how I feel. I love you,” she said with bass in her voice.