“I better get you home before your dad goes all crazy on me.”
“Will you carry me? I’m tired,” she whined.
“You bet, sweetheart.” He knelt down and she wrapped her arms and legs around him, laying her head on his shoulder.
****
Liam
We took Sophie back home, and when we arrived, Delilah took her from my arms and took her upstairs.
“Did the three of you have fun?” Oliver asked.
“We sure did. Sophie had a great time.”
“I can tell. She’s exhausted. How about you, Avery? Did you have a good time?”
“I did. It was a fun day.”
“Good.”
“Okay, well, we’re leaving now, bro. Tell Delilah I said bye and I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks again, Liam, for spending the day with Sophie.”
“No problem. You know I love that little girl to death.”
“What are you going to do when the baby comes? Can you handle both of them?”
Avery looked at Oliver and then at me. “Is Delilah pregnant?”
“Oh. Didn’t I tell you? I’m sorry. Yes, she is.”
“Congratulations, Oliver. That’s wonderful.”
“Thank you.” He smiled.
“To answer your question, bro, of course I can handle both of them. Shit, have a few more and throw them my way.”
Oliver chuckled and placed his hand on my back. “Go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
We walked outside and I hailed us a cab. I opened the door for Avery and slid in next to her.
“Did you really have a good time?” I asked.
“Yes, Liam. I really had a good time.” The corners of her mouth curved into that beautiful smile that was etched into my brain. The smile I saw in my head every night before I went to sleep.
My eyes focused on her lips as my hand grazed her cheek. Do I or don’t I? I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, and I got the feeling that she wanted me to. I leaned in and her lips slightly parted. Softly placing my lips on hers, I wanted to go slow to make sure she wanted it. Her lips tasted like the strawberry lip-gloss she put on earlier. She wasn’t pulling back or pushing me away as my tongue slid inside her mouth and our kiss became deeper.
Chapter 21
Avery
His kisses were perfect and, every time, I welcomed them. He wasn’t sloppy and he wasn’t fast. He was right on target and kissed like no one I’d ever kissed before. I was horny again and I couldn’t understand it. I was never like this with any of the guys I’d dated. I never initiated sex with them. They always did with me. With some, I could take it or leave it because it was just okay. But whenever Liam Wyatt looked at me, the sensation that formed between my legs was overwhelming and I swore I could orgasm just from his kiss.
He pulled back and smiled at me as he ran his hand along my cheek.
“I had a really good time today too.”
Even though I was focused on this moment with him, my mind couldn’t help but go to tomorrow, and my nerves started to flare up. The cab driver pulled up to my building and Liam helped me out. Once I placed my hand in his, I couldn’t seem to let go of it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to let go.
“Do you want to come upstairs?”
“Are you sure?”
My mouth gave way to a small smile. “Yes, I’m sure or I wouldn’t have asked.”
“I’d love to.”
When we approached the elevator, the doors were open and two other couples were already inside. With our fingers still interlaced, we rode the elevator in silence up to my floor. I had no choice but to let go of his hand to pull my key from my purse. Inserting it into the lock and opening the door, I walked in first and Liam followed, shutting and locking it from behind. My fingers grabbed the bottom of my shirt as I pulled it off and tossed it on the floor.
“Damn,” he moaned as he came from behind and softly kissed my neck.
His hands pulled down the cups to my bra and his fingers found my hardened nipples. I turned around and found myself in his arms as our mouths smashed fiercely into each other. Before I knew it, my back was pinned against the wall by his strong body and his tongue slid down the center of my chest while his hands took down my bra straps.
“Fuck me now, Liam. Right now!”
He reached behind me and unhooked my bra, letting it fall to the ground as I fumbled with the button on my pants. Taking them down with my panties, he stripped out of his clothes and pushed his hard cock against me. Dipping in his fingers to make sure I was wet and ready, he thrust inside me like nobody’s business. I wrapped my legs around his waist as his grip on my ass was tight and strong, holding me up as if I weighed nothing.
He continued to thrust in and out of me at a rapid pace, our hearts beating in sync and our skin becoming moist with sweat. It wasn’t long before I swelled around him and spoke his name as the riveting orgasm flowed through me. He pushed deeper inside me and stopped.
“Jesus, Avery,” he moaned as he filled me with his come.
He buried his face into the side of my neck while my arms tightened around him. I felt like I was holding on to him for dear life. He carried me to the bedroom and lay me down on the bed as he pulled out of me. I could hear my phone ringing from the other room.
“I’ll go grab it for you,” Liam spoke as he went and fetched my purse.
I pulled on my panties and slipped on my silk robe that was lying across the bed. Liam walked into the room and handed me my phone.
“Hello.”
“Avery, it’s Mark Spears. We finished our inspection over at the Regency House. Who was the inspector that inspected it?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Because he obviously didn’t know what he was talking about. That ceiling had a leak in it for years. We found a piece of plaster that looked like it had a clean cut. If water was being held up in that ceiling, one clean cut and it would all come crashing down.”
“Thank you, Mark. You’ll have the full detailed report on my desk in the morning?”
“Yes. Have a good night, Avery.”
“Thanks. You too.”
I hit the end button and looked at Liam, who was sitting on my bed in his underwear looking hotter than fuck.
“Who was the inspector for the Regency House?”
“It was a foreclosure inspector that the bank hired. Why?”
“Do you remember who the bank officer was that was handling the foreclosure?”
“His name was Bart Cummings. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. It’s just information I need to know to prepare my case.”
I got up from the bed and handed Liam his clothes. He sighed as he took them from me.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as he got dressed and walked out the door.
****
Liam
Avery Lewis was driving me crazy. This kicking me out after sex was going to stop. I didn’t even do that to the women I slept with. I at least extended them the courtesy of staying the night. If they left, it was on their own accord, not because I kicked them out. As I walked home, I thought about her birthday. I wanted to buy her something, but I didn’t want to cross the line. I was nothing to her except a fuck buddy, but she was starting to become everything to me and I needed to get a grip on things before she sent me down the rabbit hole. As I walked through the front door, I stopped and looked at my foyer floor. It was finally finished and I was happy. Now it was time to move on to the next project. I just needed to decide what that was. Walking over to the bar, I poured myself a scotch and took a seat on the sofa. My phone started to ring and when I pulled it from my pocket, I noticed it was Clara calling.
“Hello, sweet Clara.”
“Hello, Mr. Liam. Sorry for calling so late, but I wanted to tell you that my sister is moving to New York in a couple of days and she’s looking for a job.”
“What kind of job?”
“The same job I do
for your brother. Cooking, cleaning, etc.”
“Full-time or part-time?”
“Depends on what you want.”
“Can she cook like you?”
“Some say she’s better.”
“Oh. Call me when she arrives and I’ll set up an interview.”
“Thank you, Liam.”
“You’re welcome, Clara. Have a good night.”
“You too.”
Perfect. I had put off interviewing housecleaners because I hadn’t had the time. If she was anything like Clara, she’d be hired right on the spot. I started to think about tomorrow and how Avery would see her father for the first time in thirteen years. I wanted nothing more than to be with her tonight and hold her, stroking her soft blonde hair and telling her that everything was going to be okay. I had a feeling that she was going to need me tomorrow more than she knew it. The thing I noticed about Avery was that she put on a tough act, but deep down inside, she was scared and fragile. After witnessing that encounter in her office between her and her ex, I got the feeling that she had been hurt more than once and she wasn’t going to let it happen again. I had this overwhelming need to fix her and I was going to try my hardest to make her see that I wasn’t like every other guy out there.
Chapter 22
Avery
As I sat at my desk and inhaled my coffee, Greta, the firm’s investigator, walked into my office and took a seat across from me.
“Morning, Avery. You wanted to see me?”
“Good morning. I need you to check out a man named Bart Cummings, the foreclosure officer over at Metropolitan Commercial Bank, and the inspector he hired to inspect the Regency House.”
“What exactly are you looking for?”
“Anything and everything.”
“I’m on it.” She smiled as she got up from her chair.
“Hey, Avery,” Tim spoke as he stood in the doorway. “John Carrington and his client will be here at three o’clock. Call the Wyatt brothers and let them know.”
“Thanks, Tim.”
I threw my pen across my desk and took in a deep breath. I wasn’t ready for this. I picked up my phone and sent Liam a text message.
“Hi, I need you and Oliver here at three o’clock for the meeting.”
“Hi, okay. I’ll let Oliver know.”
“Do you want to meet me for lunch?”
Why did I just do that?
“Sure. What time?”
“How about noon?”
“Noon it is. Where would you like to meet?”
“I don’t care. You pick and I’ll meet you there.”
“How about Loeb Restaurant in Central Park?”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you there.”
“Hey, are you okay, Avery?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll see you soon.”
What the fuck was I doing? I was as nervous as shit and he was the first person I turned to. Placing my palm on my forehead, I began to lightly tap it.
“Trying to knock some sense into that head of yours?” Ella smiled as she entered my office.
“Very funny. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“About the Wyatt case?” she asked.
“Yeah. Tim put the pressure on and said I better win it.”
“Pfft. Don’t listen to him. He lost the last four cases he worked on. Anyway, do you have lunch plans today?”
“Actually I do. I’m meeting Liam.”
“Oh?” Her face lit up.
“To discuss the case before our meeting.”
“So then Oliver will be there too?”
I didn’t want her to know that I asked Liam to lunch, so I lied. “Yeah. He’ll be there.”
She narrowed her eyes at me as she turned and walked out of the office.
“What?” I yelled.
I worked on another case, hoping that Greta would have found out some information by the time I left for lunch. Just as I was grabbing my purse from my desk drawer, she walked in.
“Did you find out anything?”
“I sure did. That foreclosure inspector has a habit of overlooking some things and the strange thing is that he only does inspections for Bart Cummings.”
“That’s odd.”
“That’s what I thought. So I dug further into Bart. He has a half-sister who lives here in New York.”
I cocked my head and raised my brow. “Laurel?”
“Yep. The Regency House had been on the market as a foreclosure for over a year before Wyatt Enterprises showed any interest in it.”
“And they replaced the roof shortly before Wyatt purchased it?”
“No. They replaced it after they purchased it.”
“But Oliver said the inspector told him it was just replaced before he bought it.”
“Samuel Dowel, the inspector, is a liar. Guess who the roof contractor was that Bart Cummings hired to replace the roof?”
“Who?”
“Dowel’s brother.”
“Interesting. Thanks, Greta. See if you can dig up anything else. I have a lunch meeting to get to.”
“Will do, Avery.”
I walked out of the office and waved goodbye to Ella. Something about what Greta found out wasn’t sitting right with me.
****
Liam
I stood outside the restaurant and waited for Avery. I still couldn’t believe she asked me to lunch. I suspected her fears about facing her father were surfacing and she needed me, even if she wouldn’t admit it. A cab pulled up and Avery climbed out, looking as beautiful as ever.
“Hi.” I smiled.
“Hi. Have you been waiting long?”
“No. I just got here.”
I placed my hand on the small of her back as we walked inside and were immediately seated at a table. I could tell by the look on her face she was stressing out and it bothered me. I cared for her and I wanted to do anything I could to keep her calm.
“Are you okay?” I asked with caution.
“I don’t really know. I have no idea what my reaction is going to be when I see my father and that scares me.”
I reached across the table and took hold of her hand. I expected her to pull away, but she didn’t.
“I know you’re nervous, but at three o’clock, you need to push all of your fears and anger aside. You’re not his daughter and he’s not your father. You two are lawyers trying a case and that’s the only thing you need to focus on at that moment. Whenever you feel like you’re going to lose control, just look at me. I’ll be right next to you.”
“It’s not that simple, Liam. I haven’t seen or heard from him since I was eleven years old. I always used to play out in my head what I would say to him if I ever saw him again, and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. I tried to get off the case, but Tim wouldn’t hear of it. Damn it, what kind of man just gives up his child like that?”
I was conflicted at that moment because all I kept thinking about was Oliver and how he wanted nothing to do with Sophie after she was born. I was the one who paid monthly visits to Sophie behind Oliver’s back. She was my niece and a part of my family and I wasn’t going to let her down. I believe that was why we were so close. I didn’t tell Avery about Oliver and I wasn’t going to. If anything, she would see him as something other than the man he was today.
“I don’t know and I’m not defending his actions, but maybe something happened that you don’t know about. Your mom doesn’t know anything?”
She let out a high-pitched laugh. “No. He never told her nothing and she didn’t care.”
Our lunch arrived and I let go of her hand. We ate, talked a little more, and left the restaurant.
“Want to share a cab?” I asked with a smile. “Our offices aren’t too far from each other.”
“Sure.”
After sliding into the back of the cab, Avery lightly placed her hand on my arm.
“Thank you for meeting me, Liam. I’m feeling somewhat better about this meeting.”
I leaned over and k
issed the side of her head. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but at that moment, I didn’t really care.
“You’re welcome. You can do this, Avery.”
I had the cab driver drop Avery off first and then take me to Wyatt Enterprises. Debating whether or not to tell Oliver about Avery’s father was a difficult decision since I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone. But I thought Oliver should know just in case something happened between the two of them at that meeting.
“Hey, bro. You have a minute?”
“Sure. Come on in. I went to grab you for lunch and you were already gone.”
I took a seat across from his desk and brought my ankle up to my leg. “I had lunch with Avery.”
Oliver looked up at me and smiled. “How did it go? You two seem to be spending quite a bit of time together.”
“There’s a reason we had lunch and there’s something I need to discuss with you, but it doesn’t leave this room. Do you understand?”
He cocked his head while he leaned back in his chair. “What’s going on?”
“Avery didn’t grow up with a father. He wanted nothing to do with her. He met her for the first time when she was six and then saw her sporadically until she was eleven. She hasn’t seen or heard from him since.”
His eyes displayed a look of sympathy because he knew that could have easily been him and Sophie. “Why are you telling me this, Liam?”
“Because John Carrington, Laurel’s lawyer, is Avery’s father.”
“Fuck. You aren’t kidding, are you?”
“No. I’m not, and she’s scared shitless to face him. I thought you should know in case something happens.”
He took in a long inhalation. “I feel bad for her. You talked to her at lunch about it, right?”
“Of course. I believe that’s why she asked me to lunch in the first place. She needed someone to talk to.”
“Thanks for telling me and let’s hope the only friction in that meeting will be between us and Laurel.”
Chapter 23
Avery
“Avery, Carrington and his client are in the conference room. The Wyatt brothers are in there too.”
“Thanks, Tim. Are you sitting in?”