Before Sunrise Read online

  “What? No, Kennedy wouldn’t do that.”

  “Oh no? Kennedy ran away from home when she was barely seventeen, because I told her she couldn’t see Liam. She let me suffer for three months without a single phone call. She never apologized to me for that, or acknowledged it. It’s always been about her and Liam in Kennedy’s world. And everything she does, she does to protect him. You don’t think she would abort your child to keep him?”

  “That’s enough—”

  “Phil, this isn’t the time for you to bury your head in the sand. You have to do something. Before it’s too late. She’s my child. I know her better than anyone. Liam is all she can think about, not her future, not the safety of that sweet little girl.”

  “You and I aren’t having this conversation.” Phil started to the door, but Gail plucked at his sleeve.

  “Listen to me. I’m telling you the facts. I saw Alexa, that woman that is close to Liam. She said Liam’s sick in the head or something. That he has PTSD. She…” Gail turned and saw the dresser. “Oh my God. Did he do this?”

  Phil’s eyes cut over to the destroyed mirror. Kennedy had downplayed Liam’s rage, but he knew that he was responsible. “She wouldn’t abort my baby,” he said to himself more than anything.

  “You’re willing to risk the life of your child, the safety of Mackenzie, on your faith in her now? Look at this. He’s unstable.” Gail walked over and ran her hands over the grooves gouged in the dresser surface where something had beat against it violently.

  “I trust her. She has never lied to me.”

  “Well, she does lie,” Gail snipped. “She lied to me, over and over. And I don’t know what lies she filled Andrew’s head with to convince him that Liam is some misunderstood man. She’s emotional, and she’s in trouble and so will be the life of your unborn child if you don’t do something about it. Quick.”

  ***

  Kennedy found him downstairs. She handed him his boxers. She wasn’t going to have him walking around with his cock swinging in front of her after his upstairs performance. Liam pulled up his boxers, still wearing that sly half-smile on his face.

  “So what was that upstairs?” she asked.

  “Me getting re-acquainted with you.” He winked.

  “You are something else.”

  Liam handed her a bottle of water. He’d gotten a beer for himself. The place remained too empty. She itched to decorate and fill it with all the necessities to make it home. Kennedy exhaled a long, deep sigh. She could tell him of the pregnancy scare. Just get it out there in the open and put it behind them. But if the confession of oral sex sparked that machismo a few minutes ago, she feared what more truth would do. Baby steps, she told herself. She sipped her water, staring at him.

  “Do you remember our first Christmas as man and wife?” Liam smiled.

  “Yes,” she said sadly.

  “I was so fucking miserable,” Liam said. He leaned back on the sink, staring into space.

  “Me too. I cried all day that Christmas,” she said, having shared that with him over and over. She resented the Navy for taking him away from her on the holiday. When he broke the news and told her that he would not be able to return to her and she would have to leave school and go home to her parents, they had their first fight. She’d agreed to school, said she understood when he had to leave for his last semester. Suffered many nights waiting for his call while doing her studies. All of this she did to please her father and Liam. And the military got between them for the first of many times to come. She thought he didn’t understand, but that was the young, selfish Kennedy, as spoiled and self-centered as ever. Liam was doing what he could to make a life for them, the best way he knew how.

  Liam looked over at her. “If I could’ve been there with you, I would’ve been. I hate to feel like I let you down. I swore that Christmas, come hell or high water I would be a good husband for you.”

  “You were. I should have understood.” She walked over to him. He opened his arm to her. “I think that’s when I realized what it meant to have a serviceman for husband. Every military wife goes through the transition, then acceptance.

  “Of what?”

  Kennedy smiled. “The acceptance of the third person in her marriage, the Navy.”

  “Yeah, well It feels like I spent more time away from you than with you since we said I do. So much time has been lost between us, Kay. I wish I could get it back. Take a nine-to-five job and just be a husband to you, a father to Mac.”

  “Why? We were strong, we survived it, and I’m more in love with you than I ever was.”

  “How was it that year? Going to your parents for the first Christmas? You said it things were fine, on the phone. I could remember hearing differently in your voice.”

  Kennedy sighed. “Mama was pretty cold. She didn’t speak to me the entire visit. No matter what I did. I tried to apologize, but I swear it was as if my voice caused her pain. So I gave her space. I guess I deserved her distance with me. I hurt her really bad, Liam. Even now I think she resents me for it. I don’t know what to do to make her understand how much I love her. I think…”

  “What? What do you think?”

  “I think sometimes she doesn’t believe that I love her. I think she sees my love for you as competition. It’s weird. When we thought you died, it was like I had my mother back. She was there for me like when I was a little girl. She was there for Mac. I hated it and loved it. So I told her to stay away. To accept her mothering would mean that I would have to reject my grieving for you. Does that make sense?”

  “I came between you two,” he said sadly.

  “No Liam. I did that. My relationship with my mother is strained because of my choices, and her inability to forgive me. It’s not your fault. Please don’t add this to your list.”

  “My list?”

  “Then one you carry around that makes you think you deserve to suffer. You had your sister’s name on it before me, and now no matter what I do, you won’t take my name off the list. I hate you think that you aren’t deserving of happiness. Of us.”

  “Kay.”

  “I do. I want you to stop it. I need you, Liam. I need you to believe in us.”

  “I believe.” They stood in the kitchen, leaned against the sink together in silence. She dropped her head over on his shoulder and exhaled.

  “I want to talk to her.” Liam sipped his beer.

  “You tried that, remember? Didn’t go too well.”

  “We found a way to get along. I think Gail was warming up to me before I left.”

  Kennedy smiled. “Yeah, I think she was too. Our last Christmas we had together she didn’t try to poison your food.”

  Liam laughed. Oh, how she loved his laugh. It was deep, such a sexy baritone. She missed those little things. Now she could have as many little things as she could handle. She stepped around him to stand in front of him. “I would love it for you two to get along. For us to be a real family. If you try I think she’ll try.”

  “Me, too. I want to give you that. Give Mac her family healed, whole. And hey, I can even put up with Sally.”

  “You did good with your mom. Slick move having her stay with me and Phil.”

  Liam nodded. “Want to hear something else shocking?”

  “What?”

  “I think I can stomach Phil, for Mac’s sake. After I start therapy, of course.”

  Kennedy laughed. She came in between his legs. She reached around him to put the bottle of water in the sink. “My soldier boy is really trying to impress me.”

  “So?”

  Kennedy rubbed her hands over his chest, smoothing her palms against his scars. “So…what?”

  “So what’s my answer about the baby?”

  Her eyes lifted to his. “What about income? I got a good job, but it’s not much as far as salary. How much do we owe to Eric to rent this place? You’ll be discharged, then what?”

  “I got a little money. They gave me twenty thousand. And they owe me back salary
, but who knows how long that’ll take.”

  “They?”

  “The shadow people.” Liam smirked. Kennedy remembered when things changed for Liam, after he became a SEAL. When he wasn’t just a soldier but something more. And ‘they’ would call on him for missions he couldn’t explain. These missions would make him silent for an entire day when he returned to her. They were the kind of missions that brought Alexa Sinclair into their life. She never knew who ‘they’ were. So she called them the ‘shadow people.’ And he remembered.

  “When I was at the furniture store I saw that Phillips 76 that’s closed down over off Daniel Street. I’m thinking of buying it and turning it into a auto body repair shop.”

  “Really?” Kennedy said. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Her finger played with the silky hairs at his nape. He heaved her up into him, and turned her to sit her on the sink. “You want to be a mechanic? Will you wear a tool belt and your pants down to the crack of your ass?”

  Liam laughed. “That’s a plumber, silly.”

  “Oh. Well I think it’s perfect. So let’s make a deal.”

  “Deal huh?”

  “Yep. Let’s get on our feet first, okay? A year. Then we try for a baby. How’s that?”

  “Six months?” Liam asked, nuzzling the space between her chin and collarbone.

  Kennedy sighed. She let her head fall back and arched her neck to the lips brushing over her pulse. His mouth was granted free rein. “If in six months we think we are solid, then yes.”

  “Damn, I love you, girl,” he said. He untied the front of her robe. “Can we at least practice? Starting now.” Liam nodded as if answering his own question. “Yes, let’s practice.”

  Kennedy ran one hand through his hair and the other down his nape and back. He brought his mouth to hers. The exquisite sensation of his lips brushing hers unchained the raw lust she had for him. She moaned into his mouth when his tongue stabbed forward and claimed hers. She felt so damn hot for him she could barely stand it. His hand was smooth as it rode up her thighs, her waistline, to cup her breasts.

  He stopped kissing her to rub its peak between his finger and thumb. His eyes lowered to them; he didn’t bother to disguise the naked desire in his beautiful blues. His breathing became shallow, and his rubbing became soft pinches. “Not so hard, Liam,” she moaned. He punished her nipples unintentionally. He was always so fascinated by them she had to remind him they were attached to her body and sensitive.

  “Sorry,” he said, lowering his face to run his tongue over one then draw it into his mouth for a gentle suckling.

  “Better,” she sighed, stroking the back of his head. She shivered uncontrollably. One of hand went to the small of her back, forcing her to arch her breast into his greedy mouth while his free hand began to stroke the burning ache of her pussy.

  Liam’s fingers grazed her clit and she cried out. Her suffering was continual. When would he release her from her torment? Liam lifted his mouth from her nipple and his eyes met hers, as he thrust two fingers into her channel. “You are so wet and tight for me, like always, babe.”‘

  Waves of fire licked through her and each sensitive nerve below tingled as he finger-fucked her again. She gripped his shoulders, her backside slipping on the metal sink. Liam fingers thrust in and out of her in a slow, steady motion.

  “Do you like this?” he asked, that coy smile again tugging his lips.

  She quivered and gasped as a third finger went inside to stretch her unmercifully. “Yes, Liam, yes.” Writhing and twisting on the sink, she heard her pathetic voice and wanted to smack herself. How could she be reduced to this, and he was still teasing her? Her brain was mush. She couldn’t think of single reasoned thought when he fucked her with his fingers this way.

  His finger play caused her to slip off the counter. He withdrew his hand so he wouldn’t hurt her. Kennedy couldn’t catch her breath. She grabbed his cock and he grunted. She gripped it hard and he smiled. “Now. Stop playing with me and do me.”

  Liam turned her to the sink and bent her over it. She put her hand to the tile wall above the hot and cold knobs, below the window sill. She felt her robe lift to her back as cool air wafted over her feverish pussy. He began to rub her ass as if admiring it. Her eyes filled with tears she was glad he couldn’t see. They were tears of relief and happiness. She loved him so much. The reality of having her husband back this way hit her with waves of déjà-vu. This was how it had been with them long ago.

  His erection pressed against the juncture of her ass cheeks, hard and strong. She didn’t need lubricant; she was wet and ready all over for him. Kennedy moved back against him wanting him to go there. But he let it slip down to her opening. He nudged the head against her tightness, demanding entrance. She heard him groan and sigh in pleasure as he thrust forward. Her body began to respond as he sank deeper and rising on her toes, she lifted her ass to take him even deeper.

  Liam’s thrusts were long and slow, taking his time, the rhythm he preferred. She dropped her head to the faucet. The cool steel against her feverish brow made it all the more erotic. Kennedy licked her dry lips and rolled her ass. She received a stinging swat as punishment. Her clit tingled and she almost came.

  “You feel so damn good, Kay. I could stay in you forever,” he grunted, and thrust harder and faster. Kennedy bit down on her bottom lip and began to roll her ass again. She couldn’t help it. She wanted much more. Either Liam had forgotten the rules of their game or didn’t care. He branded her with each stroke and their loving consumed them both. He rocked in and out of her until she and he became one.

  Exhausted, she nearly fell into the sink when he withdrew. But Liam caught her and turned her to face him. The old Liam would throw her over his shoulder and carry her to the bedroom as she feigned fright. He wasn’t able to do so with his leg. So they made a new ritual. As she shook and quivered against him they walked out of the kitchen, hand in hand.

  ***

  Eric dropped the kickstand on his motorcycle. He sat back and stared at the apartment doors. After an eternity, he removed his helmet. What would he say to her? What could he say? Thanks for the good time but it’s over. By the way, I prefer you not see another man for the next five years, then come holler at me? She’d been on his mind all damn day. He thought he had it all figured out: women, his cock, all of it. But this had nothing to do with what he knew. All of this shit came from a place he’d never visited before. He had really screwed up.

  She opened the door after two circumspect knocks. He felt like shit when she looked up at him with those brown eyes of hers. She wore long blue-and-white cloud pajama pants that covered her feet and hung low on her waist, low enough to show a hint of her hip and the sweet angle of her pelvis. What the hell was she thinking answering a door dressed like that? And she wore a cut-off tank and no bra. Her nipples bloomed under the thin fabric as the cold wind pushed in on her. He was going to have to make this quick and then bounce.

  “Why are you here? When I called you said for me to leave you alone. So why are you here?”

  “I didn’t say that. I said I couldn’t talk to you.”

  “Same thing,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. Tears began to well in her eyes.

  Eric sighed. “Harper, let me in. We have to talk.”

  She nodded, the stepped aside. Something was wrong. His fucking legs didn’t move. He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t move a muscle. She affected him more than he realized. And even more after the night they shared. Flashes of her body under his, over his, the feel of her, inside and out. All of it hit him all at once. After he had dick-numbing sex, he lay there next to her stunned. She curled up against him and slept peacefully and he wanted to get all Samurai and fall on his sword. Then she rolled over in the moonlight that spilled over the bed from the window. He got a good long look at her. Damn, if she wasn’t the most beautiful creature. He lay next to her afterward, just staring down at her, thinking that if he was just five years younger and she was five years
older, he’d consider wifeing her. Putting her up in a place where he could come home to her in nothing but an apron. Craziest shit to ever cross his mind.

  “Are you going to come in or what?” Harper frowned.

  “Yeah, sorry,” Eric said softly. He stepped inside. He held his helmet in his hand and looked around. Her place was all Harper. Colorful, feminine, it even smelled pretty.

  “Want something to drink?”

  “I won’t be staying long.”

  He walked over to the sofa and sat down. Harper came and sat next to him. He was going to try hard to find the right thing to say. But he wasn’t a man of words. So the best he could hope for was getting the point across. “What happened last night shouldn’t have, sweetheart.”

  “Why? Was it that bad for you?”

  “What?”

  Harper rubbed her arm. She cast her eyes down and away. “Was it that bad between us? Is that why you can’t even look at me?”

  “No. Harper, it had nothing to do with sex. I mean yes, the sex was good. Really good, but that’s not it.”

  “So you hate me? For Liam finding out? For the way he hit you?”

  “No, I love you. I do, but not the way you should be loved. I love you like a brother.” The moment he said it he knew it was a lie. An awareness switched on in him, like cold water to his face. But he set it aside. Whatever made him even consider falling in love had to be some residual effect over Liam’s resurrection. Fucking universe was off kilter. Everything normal was all fucked up.

  Harper shook her head. “I’m sorry for what I did. How I did it, I mean. I don’t normally throw myself at boy—um, men. I just didn’t know what else to do to make you see me. Now…now you can barely look at me, and Liam probably can’t either. Even Kennedy doesn’t believe me when I say I love you. I guess no one does.”

  “It’s me, Harper. I’m too old for you. We don’t work, sweetheart. We’re family.”

  Harper sat forward. She put her face in her hands and began to cry. Eric could feel the air drain from the room. He wanted to run for the door. Tears? He had no idea what to do with a crying woman. A woman he cared for, crying over him, was as strange as bin Laden walking into his office and surrendering. He never stayed with a woman long enough to let it get that far. That’s why he liked to fuck his enemy; he’d have less stress right now if he’d fucked Alexa to get a nut and possibly throw her off Liam’s cock.