Indebted (9 page)

While brushing my teeth, I catch sight of the mark he left on me.
Well, the only way you’re going to be able to cover that up is with a turtleneck.
I hope that is included in the clothes he’s having brought over.

Quickly finishing my routine, I head to the kitchen to tend to my growling stomach. I get out the necessities for the classic eggs, bacon, and pancakes, and I set to work.

As I’m piling the food onto plates, I hear, “Something sure smells good.”

A smile forms on my face almost instantly. Turning around, my breath stutters a little at the sight before me. He’s all ruffled from sleep, and has also slipped his sweats back on. His bare chest shows off his sculpted muscles.

A little dazed, I say, “Thank you, it’s almost ready.”

The sizzling behind me catches my attention, and turning back, I flip the bacon. I hurriedly finish the rest and we sit down to eat.

After our meal, Liam leans back, rubbing his abdomen and sighing. “I haven’t had a breakfast like that since Grams was alive. I used to live for her Saturday morning breakfasts.”

A little surprised at his sharing of personal information, I can’t help but want to know more. “Your mom didn’t cook for you?”

Getting a faraway look, he says, “Nah, Mom wasn’t much of a cook. Hell, she wasn’t much of a mother either. Mom dumped me at Gram’s every chance she got. She and Pops would take off quite a bit on trips and the like.”

I’m saddened to hear this. “I’m sorry for your loss. Was it recent?”

Shaking his head, he says, “She passed when I was about twelve. Mom left shortly after I turned thirteen. I don’t think she quite knew what to do with me once she had to take care of me full time. So, it’s been John and me since then.”

Confused, I ask, “John?”

He looks morose as he answers. “My dad, if you can call him that. We’re not very close, practically strangers, in fact.”

You know how that feels to not even know who your dad is anymore.
“Oh, do you see him very often, then?”

Blowing out a pent-up breath, he says, “Way more than I would like.”

Thankfully, his phone rings. What the hell do you say to that?

Having nothing else to do, I listen in on the one-sided conversation.
Dude, you should cover your ears or something. You don’t want to add to anything you should not know.
With that in mind, I text Chloe to make myself look busy, but I still listen because I’m a nosy little bastard.

Liam answers the phone. “Yeah, Addison?”

Sitting there mindlessly answering Chloe’s million questions, I listen….

“Addison, I don’t feel like going out tonight.” With a huff, he starts to pace while listening, then sighs and sits heavily on the couch. Looking mischievous, he continues, “You know Saturday is my laundry day. I gotta clean my bathroom too.”

I hear something coming from the phone… laughing, maybe.

“No, I’m not holed up in my condo having sex. Why would you even think that? I’m doing laundry like I told you.” Listening, he rolls his eyes and then replies, “Luke is right. Tristan is like a gossiping woman.” He suddenly bursts out laughing. “Yes, he is gorgeous. No, I don’t need you to teach me what to do with him. Don’t you think Tristan might have a problem with that?” He pauses to hear her answer. “Fine. We’ll go! Uh-huh, okay, we’ll be there. Bye.”

I hurriedly glance back down at my phone.

Clearing his throat, Liam looks my way. “So, I suppose you’d like to know what that was all about?”

I try to play dumb and tell him, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m talking to Chloe.”

He smiles knowingly at me, letting my white lie drop. “That was Addison, the receptionist who greeted you when you entered. She and her boyfriend, Tristan, the thin blond from yesterday, want us to go to a club together tonight. Would you be up for that?”

Um—no, you’re not. He wants you to go hang out with that man with the gun from yesterday. What if he doesn’t like that you have seen him in action? What if he wants to kill you and this is a lure to make that happen?

The pressure in my chest starts again and my breathing picks up. Liam hurries over to me. He’s saying something, but I can’t make it out over the pounding of blood in my ears. The room darkens a little, and the next thing I know, I’m lying on the couch with Liam hovering over me.

Slightly dazed, I ask, “Wha… what happened?”

Liam appears ready to burst with anxiety. “What happened? You fainted! Scared the shit out of me. You suddenly got pale, and boom, you were gone. I barely had time to catch you.”

Oh my God! You fainted like a fucking chick. Dude, you should hand over your balls now.
Humiliated, I stare at him, not sure what to say. He’s still examining me in a worried manner. When he notices I’m not going to say anything, he speaks.

“Are you okay now?” I nod yes, still not sure if I’ll ever find my voice again. Calming down a little, he asks what I dread the most. “Why did you react that way? Was it something I did to scare you? I will never hurt you, I thought you understood that.”

Realizing I am going to have to man up—huh, that’s a joke—I sit up and find my voice again. I take a breath and then release it. “I’m not sure I can go with you tonight. You won’t hurt my feelings if you want to go. I’ll entertain myself here with a movie or something.”

Now he’s stunned and immediately has more questions. “Aaron, I don’t understand. Why don’t you want to go with me? I won’t tell anyone why you’re with me, if that’s what has you concerned. We’ll just be two guys having fun together.”

I have to be up front with him because he won’t let this go. “That’s not the reason, although I appreciate it. I’m, um… scared of Tristan.”

The last part is mumbled. Glancing down at the couch, I nervously pick at the stitching, waiting for his reply.

After what seems like forever, he says, “I didn’t even consider that. Of course you’re afraid of him. After what you witnessed yesterday, I don’t blame you. In fact, I can’t comprehend why you’re not afraid of me. At least, you don’t seem to be.”

That has run through my head numerous times in the last twenty-four hours. The only thought that comes to mind is he will never hurt me. For some reason, something inside me tells me that with certainty.

Sighing, I address the underlying question. “No, Liam, I’m not afraid of you. I know I should be, but I’m not.”

He gives me a big, dimpled smile that sets butterflies loose in my stomach. Tilting his head slightly, he says, “I won’t let anyone hurt you, you know that. As far as Tristan goes, he will never hurt you either. He’s very much like me on saving the asshole side for when it’s needed. I think Tristan is going to like you. He’s big on helping people who are lost in their surroundings.”

The anxiety loosens in me a little. Maybe I can go tonight. He said he won’t let anyone hurt me. It might be fun to dance a little. The thought of Liam dancing has my dick perking right up.

My sudden horniness prompts me to say, “Well, I’ll go on one condition—you have to dance with me.”

Giving me a flirty little look, he smirks, “Oh, really? It’s goin’ to be like that, is it? I’ll have you know, I might be as big as a house, but I’m surprisingly smooth on the dance floor.”

“Yeah? Well, I think you should prove it.”

Nodding, he reaches for my hand and pulls me up to stand in front of him. “Stay right here.”

He walks over to his entertainment center and turns on some slower music with a good beat. Taking me in his arms, we begin to move together. The sensation of him around me warms me all the way through. He leads perfectly, confident and strong, just like him. As I rest my head on his chest, a sense of completeness fills me. Nothing has ever felt so right. His large hands make soothing circles on my back, the now-familiar electricity running its course through my body. Getting drunk off it, my fingers become bold, traveling down to cup his firm butt. I hear his heartbeat and breathing pick up speed, then I feel his lips brush my hair and he has me turning into mush.

Peering up at him, I feel a pang of sadness in my chest. It can never go further than this, but I want to continue to get to know him. I’ve never had chemistry like this with anyone before. He’s staring down at me with such an intense look on his face. I wish I knew what he’s thinking right now.

The urge to kiss him is strong, so I go with it. Pushing up on my toes, I touch my lips to his. Like everything I know about him so far, they are soft yet strong. He sucks in a breath, kissing me back slowly. Our tongues mesh in languid strokes. Moaning, I press in closer, and our bare chests meet.

Liam groans and tightens his arms around my waist. I tilt my head a little to get a better taste, the heat spiraling through my body. Clenching my hands on his ass, I buck, rubbing my arousal into his. He growls low and starts walking us toward the couch.

A loud sound startles me.

Panting, Liam pulls back and says, “Fuck! Talk about bad timing.”

I realize then the doorbell has rung. The loss of his heat makes me shiver and I grab the blanket off the couch, wrapping it around me as I sit down. Liam checks his video monitor to see who is there. Seeming satisfied it isn’t an undesirable, he opens the door. A woman, dressed impeccably, stands there with several items of clothing in wardrobe bags. She hands them over to Liam, along with quite a few smaller bags, and they converse quietly. After a moment, he takes a large wad of money out of his billfold, handing it to her before she leaves.

Turning to me with a dimpled grin on his face, he says, “Your clothes are here. I hope you like what she picked out. She usually does the clothes shopping for me since I never have time.”

I’m overwhelmed at the amount of things I’m seeing. I’m only here for another day, and there is enough for over a week. “Liam, you didn’t have to do all this. I can’t accept this.”

Playfully, he pouts. “Oh, come on. I never get to buy anyone anything except for Addison. Even that’s no fun because Tristan gets her everything she wants. Please accept these and let me have some entertainment.”

I can’t resist that pout so I’ll have to be careful of it in the future.
There is no future, you know that, right?

Ignoring my asshole brain, I say, “Okay, I’ll keep them. I feel like I’m taking advantage or something.”

Biting my lip, I look down, not sure what else to say, but he fills the short silence.

“Aaron, it’s not taking advantage if I’m offering. Money is no object to me, so let me spoil you a little—it’s fun for me.”

He wants to spoil me? I can’t help but smile at this. Feeling like a kid at Christmas, I’m bubbling with excitement. I jump up and take the things into the bedroom to try on. Liam follows with the rest I can’t carry. Every outfit is made by top designers, the clothes are perfect, and fit like they were made for me. Chloe would die right now.

Glancing over at Liam, I notice he’s watching me with a little smile on his face. His eyes are dancing with as much enthusiasm as I feel. He was even thoughtful enough to get underclothes, socks, and shoes. I’m totally blown away.

There is one smaller bag I haven’t looked in yet. As my hand touches it, he moves to stop me. Glancing at him, confused, I see he has a slight reddish tinge to his cheeks, and he also appears a bit nervous. He’s embarrassed? I didn’t think I would ever see him embarrassed.

He swallows a couple of times before speaking. “Um—this next item is kind of a suggestion—idea, even, I chose to get on a whim. You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. After you see what it is, let me explain my thought process before you make a decision, please.”

Stopping there, he releases my hand and fidgets with the string on his pants. Seeing him so nervous makes me nervous. I open the bag to reveal a large butt plug. Stunned, I stand there holding it. I have no idea how to react. It’s not as if I have never seen them. Hell, I’ve even used them, but I’m surprised Liam would buy me one. I gather the nerve to glance at him, and wait for to him explain.

Straightening slightly, he lays his cards on the table. “You see, I was thinking it might be a good idea for you to be already stretched out. I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you one of these times because I didn’t prepare you enough.” He gives me a sheepish look and continues, “I didn’t know we were going to a club when I ordered it, but I’m sure as fuck glad I did now. Think about it—you’re going to be dancing with me all evening—that hot little body will be rubbing up against me the whole time. On top of that, I’m going to have alcohol in me. By the time I get you to myself again, I’m not sure how much restraint I’m going to have left. With my inhibitions gone, I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you.” Stopping there, he takes a deep breath. “Would you be willing to wear it tonight at the club?”

It’s absolutely bizarre that he can make buying a sex toy for me seem like such a thoughtful thing. That alone makes me giggle.

Now he really looks anxious, so I decide to put him out of his misery. “Sure, I’ll wear it. I may have been a virgin, but I do like to experiment.”

Looking like he is going to sink to the floor in relief, he says, “Oh, thank God. I was hoping you wouldn’t be offended.”

“No, not at all. I was shocked, is all. I think I’m going to go take a shower and get dressed for the evening. Um—is this a gay club we are going to?”

“No, Tristan would die if Addison dragged him to one of those. It’s a newer club that has kind of an open policy on orientation. The main rule there is everyone’s welcome, and if you have a problem with it, you’re welcome to leave.”

“This place sounds cool. I haven’t been to many clubs, only a few with a friend from school. I’m looking forward to checking it out.”

As he leaves to make some phone calls and tend to business, I examine my new clothes, looking for the sexiest thing to wear. I know it’s terrible, but I want to drive him crazy. Settling on a pair of dark, faded jeans and a heather-gray sweater, I head to clean up.

After my shower, I prep myself and insert the toy. The fullness arouses me and I can’t wait to have Liam back inside me. Checking myself out in the mirror, I think I look pretty good, if I do say so myself. The jeans fit my ass perfectly and the sweater hugs my chest in all the right places. Satisfied, I go to see what he is up to.