Before Sunrise Read online

  “Liam? Who were you angry with?”

  “Myself. I was angry at myself. I can’t change anything, yet everything has changed. All of this is because of me, because of what I’ve done to you.”

  Kennedy stroked his head. The last place she wanted to return to was the one of his guilt. How he regretted coming between her and her mother. How he hated leaving her, sometimes for six months at a time. How he pushed for her to have Mackenzie when she graduated, even after she told him over and over that she wanted a baby, too. His guilt went deeper than hers. She always knew it. It started with a five-year-old girl who died of leukemia and left him behind.

  “We need counseling. I’ll go with you.”

  “I went.”

  Kennedy’s caressing hand stopped. “You went?”

  “To the VA Hospital. I signed up for a meeting with Dr. Abrams. He deals with PTSD with soldiers. He’ll meet with me starting tomorrow. And I’ll go, Kay. I’ll go every day to get better. I swear it.”

  Kennedy sighed in relief. Liam lifted his head and looked at her. “I let you down. Didn’t I?”

  She stroked the stubble that covered his jaw. “No, sweetheart. Never. I’m so proud of you. I know how hard going was. I know you’re doing this for you, too. I just want you to stop suffering.”

  How does a woman stop missing her man, even after he’s returned to her? Kennedy wished she knew. She missed her Liam so desperately. Would she ever have him back? Truly?

  Liam braced his hand on the other side of her thigh. Desire burned in his eyes. She saw kindness behind their sad veneer. He wasn’t the monster that lived inside of him, that tortured him. He wasn’t.

  Liam’s lips drew closer. They stopped just a centimeter from hers. Could he feel it too? Feel the air suck out of the room, that electrical current that made every hair on her body stand on end. God help her, but if he didn’t kiss her soon, something would combust between them. He did. All regret and worry melted when his lips touched hers. It was Kennedy who opened her mouth to draw him inside. She possessed his tongue, savoring the strength and love that only a man claiming his true love could give.

  Tears rose under Kennedy’s closed lids, then burned away when she opened her eyes and tried to focus on his face. She wanted to be close to him, to have him inside of her. She wanted his forgiveness and to give hers. She needed him to believe in them again, completely. Her hand went down his face to rub his chest. Their tongues chased each other as she moved her hand down to his groin. His cock was hard as a boulder. He moaned in his throat when she rubbed it through his zipper.

  “I have a surprise for you,” he panted in short gasps into her mouth.

  “You do?” she asked, dragging her lips from his to his chin, then under his neck. She tried to kiss him again, now working his belt buckle loose, but he drew away.

  “I know you wanted to go furniture shopping but this, I um, I’d already done something yesterday. “Come on.” He rose awkwardly, then pulled her to her feet.

  Kennedy liked surprises. She had one of her own. As he led her toward the staircase, she stopped to grab her shopping bag, then followed him up. There was an unexpected gift in their bedroom. A bed. She shook her head smiling. A mahogany wood sleigh bed fit for a king and his queen. It filled more than half the room.

  “They delivered it this morning right after you and Mac left.”

  Liam was behind her now. She loved it when he was behind her, covering her. He eased both strong arms around her waist and her lids fluttered. “I know you wanted to go shopping today, but I hoped we could delay shopping for a while.”

  His hands slid over her flat tummy to the bottom of her sweater. He drew it up over her head and she lifted her arms without objection. Kennedy pushed her ass back into his groin and he immediately touched and rubbed her nipples. She stifled a smile at his attempt to spread a sheet and blanket over the mattress. It was so ill-fitted it couldn’t be tucked down at the corners. His effort meant so much.

  “It looks like our first bed. In our other house,” she said as he started to unbutton her dress slacks. He kissed her shoulder. He ran down her zipper and cupped her left breast with his free hand.

  “I got it from the same furniture store. I couldn’t believe they had our bed waiting for me to come and reclaim it. Remember how you would give it to me on this bed? Do you?”

  She turned in his arms to face him before he could work his hand down into her panty. “Let me get ready for you, Liam. I got a surprise, too.”

  He walked her back to the bed, kissing her neck. “Why? I don’t need any surprise, I just want you.”

  “I know, but I want it to be special,” she said and forced her hands in between them.

  “Model it for me later. I saw that pink shopping bag. I know what it is. Don’t want it. Don’t need it. No more waiting, no more, Kay, please, I’m fucking dying here sweetheart.” He kissed her. He dipped his hands into the back of her pants to grab both halves of her buttocks and squeezed. Kennedy laughed. She shoved at his chest.

  “Wait. I’m not going anywhere. Calm down. We got all night. Let me get dressed for you.”

  Liam groaned. He threw his hands up in defeat. Kennedy bubbled with excitement. She hurried around him and found her bag. Kennedy quickened her steps into the bathroom. She shed her bra, pants, undies, and ankle boots. The only mirror in the bathroom was above the sink. Kennedy turned around and rose on her toes to look at her skin, back, ass, to make sure she wasn’t in need of lotion or anything. She freshened up the best she could. Then she pulled the black negligee from the bag. Sadly, Liam had never cared for lingerie. She would find cute pieces and surprise him when he returned from the field. He’d grunt and rip and tug at it, just wanting to get between her thighs or at her breasts. She’d ask him later if he liked it and he’d barely recall her wearing anything at all. He had a blind spot when it came to sex sometimes. He was always so hungry, he never stopped to appreciate the appetizer. Well, she wanted to be pretty for him, like a dream. Make his fantasies come true. So damn it, he would have to be patient and allow her this.

  Kennedy slipped on the camisole. It stopped at her curvy hips with a sexy split at the sides. It was black and so was the lace trim over the bodice that dipped low and cupped her breasts. The delicate fabric was snug to her curves. A perfect fit. Kennedy used her fingers to comb her hair away from her face. She would give anything for a brush, but her purse was downstairs. It was the best she could do.

  “Kay! What’s taking so long?” Liam called for her.

  Kennedy laughed. She chewed on her bottom lip and said a silent prayer. She hadn’t been with him in a long time. She wanted it to be perfect, for nothing to come between them, namely the sex she’d had with another man. Would he notice? It was stupid, but she was so nervous her heart beat wildly.

  “Kay! What are you doing?”

  Kennedy steadied her nerves and stepped out of the bathroom. She tiptoed into the room. She paused and posed for him. He smiled. She didn’t. One look at his bare chest and her heart dropped. The scars. What have they done to him? “Liam?”

  Liam blinked at her, confused at first, then his gaze lowered to his torso. He stepped back and sat on the bed.

  “Wait, sweetheart. Don’t get upset.” Kennedy went straight to him. He couldn’t misread her reaction. She wouldn’t let him think it for a moment. Her hands gently went to the sides of his face and she lifted his head so she could stare down into his eyes. “You know me. I’m not disgusted or turned off. I’m just so very sorry that you were hurt. Oh baby, I’m sorry.” She ran her hands lower to graze his wounds with her palms. The hard definition of toned fitness was there, though his body was smaller than she remembered. He was still all man, every square inch of him. She let her fingers examine the detail of his suffering. The slashes cut across the center appeared like three sharp claw marks from his left breast down to his navel. The split skin had healed crudely. Kennedy swallowed. She feared the rest of the story, was afraid to look at h
is back. The healing must have come painfully slowly. Without salve, the skin had raised and covered his torn flesh the best it could. “I wish I could have spared you this.”

  “Kay. It’s all right.” He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. “It’s over. None of it hurts.”

  Kennedy read false bravado in his eyes. She forced a smile, though she could feel the corners of her mouth twitch at the strain. Even her hands trembled. She reached for the top button of his jeans and pushed it through the fabric slit. He kept his eyes trained on her so she had to be strong. He was looking for her to show pity. She knew it. She didn’t pity him. She was terrified for him. If he had suffered such physical brutality, what had it done to him mentally? Sweet merciful God, it killed her to imagine the darkness he’d crawled out of.

  Kennedy pulled his jeans down. Her eyes dropped to his knees. The operation performed to remove the bullet in some barbaric hospital was brutal. It left his knee mangled, half of it sunken where bone and cartilage once lay. She found it inspiring that he could stand and walk with just a cane. He was so strong.

  “My brave soldier boy.” Kennedy laughed softly. She lowered to her knees. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward and brushed her lips over his scar. He ran his hand back over the top of her head so she knew he liked it. Kennedy pressed her cheek against his battle scar. “For the rest of my life, I’ll never stop aching for what you’ve been through,” she whispered.

  “I don’t want pity, Kay.”

  She rose. She put a hand to his cheek then the other to the crudest scar over his chest. “You are the strongest man I’ve ever known. Mac is a smart little girl. The first time I showed her your picture and she could say your name she said you were a hero. You are our hero. What you did, how you overcame, makes me believe in us even more, Liam. I knew it when I first saw you at that house party long ago. I was standing next to Sierra and I saw you walk into the room and other boys step aside. I wasn’t intimidated. I was in love. I believed in us being together in that instant. You were the man for me. I’ve never doubted or regretted my choice, Liam. Everything we’ve shared makes me whole. Do you understand what your survival means to us?” she asked. “These are my scars too. We earned our happiness, baby.”

  “Can we have sex now?” he gave her a lopsided smile.

  Kennedy laughed outright. She pushed his shoulders and he slowly went back against the mattress. Liam moved up the sheets and she crawled over him. She let her tongue run over the scar that came dangerously close to his heart. He responded with a deep groan. His head tilted back, and his Adam’s apple made a single bob as he swallowed. Kennedy’s heart raced. She would love every inch of him until the pain was gone.

  Hands so graceful, so soft, removed so much hurt as she ran them over his body. Those wonderful lips of hers layered his wounds with gentle kisses. This woman had saved him. Once when he was twenty-two and didn’t give a shit about anything, and again now. The words of remorse choked in his throat as her tender mouth went down his shaft. The pleasure of her sucking and swallowing every inch of him exploded in his pelvis and brain. Liam gasped hard. Her head bobbed up and down on his cock and he glided over her tongue. Honest, raw passion slammed against his chest, making him struggle for breath. His entire body became slicked with heat. She jerked on the bottom half of his shaft with her fist, taking the rest as deep as her slender throat would allow.

  “Yes, Kay, mmm, don’t slow down….” he groaned, grabbing a fistful of her thick hair. She obliged by sucking harder, stronger, making his balls draw tight. Her mouth drove all pleasure to his cockhead and bands of color played behind his closed eyes. “Ugh!”

  Kennedy licked the sensitive line of his dick to ease his suffering and kept going and going. The storm of emotions in his heart and pleasure in his cock raged, leaving him breathless. He was so close and she knew. And just as he readied to explode, she let his cock go with a wet plop. Liam paused to catch his breath and not shoot off all over her chin and chest. At length, he opened his eyes. A gentle smile eased out of hiding on her face.

  “You’re so wicked, babe.”

  His Kay had grown into the most desirable woman. She possessed more than beauty. There was something so genuine and pure about her that he’d willingly go to hell and back for her, even after everything he’d been through. He rose to take control and she pushed him back down. His cock stood erect and at attention. It bobbed between them. Kennedy eyed it as if she wanted to suck it dry. God, as much as he enjoyed that, he wanted pussy. Not her mouth. She must have read his mind. She lifted and positioned herself over him. Her eyes latched on to his with fierce determination. Liam stilled his breathing again. Kennedy eased down on his erection. Tight, wet heat sheathed his dick as her silken walls slowly constricted, squeezing every inch of him.

  A deep, guttural groan rumbled in his chest as her slick channel tightened around him. She rolled her ass and thrust her hips and it was too much. Liam’s eyes slipped up into his skull. When his body stabilized enough to understand and register the pleasure rocketing through his shaft to his fast-beating heart, he opened his eyes. He watched as she slowly raised her black camisole over her head. Her beautiful tits bounced free. Liam’s mouth watered to see full, firm breasts tipped with nipples the color of chocolate. He found them rounded and perfect at every angle. She licked her lips. Her lids lowered so low he barely saw her soulful brown eyes beyond her lashes. She pinched her nipples for him and his torture was complete.

  Liam grabbed the tops of thighs as smooth as buttercream. When he failed to gain control, he grabbed her hips to help ratchet his own upward with deep thrusts, reaching as far as he could. He had imagined loving her, remembered it, but admittedly he’d forgotten the sweet rhythm to it. She was a good teacher. Liam nearly laughed out loud. His lady was schooling him! Teach me, babe! Teach!

  “Let me have you, and then you can have me,” she moaned, knocking his hands away. Liam obeyed. He placed both hands behind his head and sucked in a deep breath for restraint.

  Her dark lashes fluttered shut and she rode his cock steadily, fondling one nipple and using the other hand to pluck and fondle her clit. It was making him crazy so he closed his eyes and stopped watching her. It was his only defense. But in darkness it wasn’t much better. Her cunt grew tighter and tighter with each rise and fall. His cock was tugged and stroked in ways no man could withstand. How long was he supposed to last this way and not come?

  Kennedy fell forward. Her nipples brushed his chest and he stiffened. She ran her tongue up over the lines of his scars with her back dipped and her pussy dropping and lifting off his cock.

  “Fuck this!” he groaned, grabbing her and flipping her to her back. She gasped, shocked. She giggled as he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. “I can’t take it, babe.”

  “I’m yours, Liam,” she flicked her tongue at his lip. “Fuck me. Please, fuck me,” she said and he was undone.

  He slammed into her and an awesome wave of lust washed over them. He was all male. Nothing had changed on that front. His cock was meaty and mean, wielded with a forceful intent for domination. It was as she remembered, as she loved. Kennedy shuddered once he began to move in and out of her, pressing her arms down and biting and sucking at her nipples.

  “Yes, Liam! Do me harder!” she shouted.

  Oh how lovely the pain was. She writhed beneath him, her arms burning all the way to the tips of her fingers from being pinned down. She called out his name at the feel of his organ slamming into her over and over again. She cried out her love for him once he began to rock his hips to hit the most sensitive spots. Over and over and over he thrust his dick in, and out even slower. She wept when he hit so deep she creamed and shook through the second or third climax. But he had been far from done.

  When he released her wrists, she raked her nails down his back to unleash some of her pent-up frustration. She needed more, but feared her body would implode if he didn’t unleash the full force of his passion soon. The buildup of p
leasure spread from her head to the tops of her toes.

  Then he stopped. Why? He slid down her body and his face dove into her wet pussy. Kennedy eyes popped so wide, they nearly snapped from their sockets. Her body convulsed uncontrollably as he feasted on her. He sucked her clit until she bucked on the sheets. “Liam! Stop, wait!”

  He fucked her with his tongue, and then licked her pussy from top to bottom. She slammed her thighs shut as she came again. Liam rolled her to her belly. He was behind her, his hand in her hair pulling so tight her scalp burned. He thrust into her pussy repeatedly until she flattened to the bed with his hard thighs forcing hers apart. Using his other hand, he squirmed it underneath to lift her. He tugged her hair again and she winced, rolling her ass how he liked. “I am going to fuck and love you all night,” he sighed, licking the beads of sweat from her spine while rocking in and out of her quaking channel.

  “Yessss…” was all she could stammer.

  Liam let go of her hair. Both hands went to her hips and held her in the right angle so he could fuck her pussy long and strong. One hard thrust forward and it felt as if a bolt of lightning filled her body. “Yes!” she cried out.

  Liam fell on her and his entire body went rigid. He loved her. She knew it. He went on and on until every inch of him went rigid and stiff and quick jerky thrusts of his cock broke his control. She couldn’t touch him to ease him through it. He had her pinned face-down to the mattress. He groaned deep and she felt his hot seed jet out of him as his cock pulsed and spasmed through the best orgasm she’d had in five years.

  Liam moaned, withdrawing out of her with a wet slick suctioning sound. Kennedy was too weak to move at first, but he pulled on her. She managed the strength to crawl over and drop on his chest. His heart beat so fast she thought it would burst out of his chest when she pressed her ear there. She couldn’t speak. Her lower half was on fire with a riot of sensations.

  He rubbed her sweaty back, then her ass. “I want more,” he said in a deep voice.