Chapter 22

He lowers me to the ground, shielding me with his body. Slowly he turns around while I fumble with my open shirt and exposed breasts. Turning to me quickly to make sure I’m decent, he steps from behind the hedge where we were shielded from the rest of the garden.

“We are here,” he waves to somebody on the terrace. I guess it is Drake looking for us. Liam returns to the place I’m still standing at. His shirt all disheveled, chest heaving and massive erection visible in the low light of the garden. He walks by me and sits on the chair rubbing his face.

“Right in the fucking garden!” he mutters to himself.

I straiten rest of my clothes similarly angry at myself for the lack of self-control in his vicinity. He stands up standing in front of me wanting to fix my hair. I slap his hand away. “Don’t touch me!” I hiss at him.

“Sssshhh,” his hand resumes his gently strokes trying to fix my hair. I just stand there letting him because I crave his gentle touch despite everything. He straitens himself next and rearranges the bulge still visible in his pants. My throat constricts with the pain of the fact he is ashamed of being with me. Both angry and still turned on I try to step around him to return to the house when Liam’s big hand clamps around my upper arm.

He turns me to face him and makes me look at him by lifting my chin. “Are you OK?” he asks gently.

I jerk my face away from him. “What do you think? Do I look ok?”

“You look absolutely gorgeous and totally fuckable. I want you so badly that I’m on the verge of taking you to my car, driving you home and fucking you until you beg me to stop.”

“Really!? It certainly didn’t look like that a second ago.” I couldn’t help but let some of the hurt seep out. The truth was I was more aroused by his raw reaction to me than hurt anymore.

He cups my face encasing it in his hands as he lightly kisses my lips, nose, and forehead. “I will see you tomorrow in my office.”

“We don’t have anything to say to each other.”

“The hell we don’t! We didn’t even scratch the topic of your company.”

“The hell we do! That is the first topic that the two of us do not have anything to talk about.” I respond.

“Don’t be so arrogant Madison, I have tons of experience in developing companies and people are usually besides themselves when I offer them my help.”

“And the usage of my pussy would be how I return this great honor?” I look away not wanting him to see how hurt I’m with this notion.

“Fuck no! Madison! What do you think of me?” He responds and I see that I struck a painful spot.

“You want me as much as I want you and you can’t hide it. The only thing is that we have different notions of what this is going to be.”

I open my mouth to object but he cuts me off.

“Shut up!” He commands. “This is going to happen, believe me. And we will work together on your business as well.”

I exhale because I’m too tired to fight him now.

“My driver will pick you up tomorrow.”

“I have my car.”

“I’ll arrange for it to be brought to the building.”

Not understanding how that is the most efficient set-up I raise my hands in surrender. Pick your battles Madison. You will go there tomorrow; he will be calmer and you will politely get your ass out of the equation. At least one of the equations – either private or business relation.

We go back to the house; he says goodbye to Haldens’ and leaves. Drake conveniently disappears and leaves Piper and me alone.

“Madison, honey are you ok?” Piper asks me when we hear doors to Drake’s study close.

I exhale and plop my behind on one of the high stools positioned around the kitchen island. “I am overwhelmed by Liam Carver and all of his demands in the last 48 hours.”

“He is definitely a lot of man.” Piper taunts me.

I smirk, “he definitely is”.

“Is he replacing the investment you lost because of him?”

“Piper! It is not his fault!”

She smiles, “I know. Taylor is an ass.”

“We didn’t talk much about that, but he wants to continue it tomorrow.”

“What exactly did you two do in my garden?” she mocks me.

“We discussed us.” I’m not telling her what almost happened.

“And there is us?”

“Not if you ask me. You just don’t mix business and pleasure. Not in the way he wants it.”

“Why not? Drake and I work on various business projects all the time.”

“It’s not the same. You two are married.”

“Think well before you make a final decision. Having Liam as your business mentor and as your potential boyfriend are both once in a lifetime opportunity.”

And it is a shame that one obviously excludes the other. If we decide to go ahead with the intimate part of the relationship - I’m not going to be his body liquid sharing partner. On the other hand, I also have a lot to lose if my company falls through. I can’t let that happen. “I’ll think about it.”

Exhaustion starts pulling on every muscle in my body so I excuse myself and go to my room. I turn on my phone, reply to a text from Dylan and throw it on the bed while I find my sleeping T-shirt. It rings just as I was heading for the bathroom. It’s Liam.

“I can still feel your body next to mine.” The deep rumble of his voice vibrates through my body and realize how much I miss him. Crave him. That would be a better description.

“I’m still hard and it’s not likely that the situation will change soon.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t run to Adele to help you.”

“Stop it, I told you that she is not in my life anymore. Don’t drag this again or I just might have to punish you.”

“…promises, promises” I taunt him.

“You like that? What else?” His dark and deep voice turning me on again.

“I’m not getting you off over the phone, you will have to do that alone.”

He chuckles, “Can I get you off?”

“I’ll help myself in the shower I’m about to take, but I’m not taking my phone in there.”

“Determined to torture me tonight? I give up – tell me your conditions?”

“Being treated as a human being shouldn’t be a condition.”

He remains silent.

“Good night, Liam.”

“Good night gorgeous.” He responds and we end the call.