He’d taken the entire situation right out of her hands! All she could was stare at him wordlessly as the taxi drew into traffic. No-one had done that to her before. Why, of all the nerve, would he go out of his way to come with her? She could take care of herself when she was eleven. Getting herself home was the least of her abilities.
She continued to stare. He didn’t even look apologetic, just — pleased with himself.
‘You don’t have to treat me like I’m some sort of ninny who can’t take care of herself,’ she blurted.
‘Ninny?’ He raised his brows, features slipping into amusement.
‘You know what I mean. Nincompoop. Someone who hasn’t got a clue about anything.’
He faced her with a sigh. ‘I know you’re not one of those. I just thought it might be nice for me to accompany you home.’
‘That’s very old fashioned and I’m a modern type of woman.’
‘I didn’t want to leave the conversation where it ended.’
She paused, choosing her words carefully. She shouldn’t have been so reckless as to be so ready to share her thoughts. Liam only had one father, no matter what he was like, or what she thought of him.
‘I’m sorry. I don’t know why I reacted so strongly. He’s your dad and he did what he could under those circumstances. There was no need for me to get so upset.’
‘But you did and I want to know why.’
She frowned, pushing the request aside. ‘It doesn’t matter. Just forget I said anything at all. What I do need to do is apologise for being so ready to judge something I know nothing about.’
‘Your father died. I think you know a great deal about having only one parent.’
She purposefully blinked back the tears that threatened to spill. She knew everything about losing a parent. The pain. The loss. The responsibility of being the strong one. The buildings outside became a blur as they coasted along Burwood Highway.
Strong, warm fingers tucked beneath her chin and moved her head to face him. She rapidly blinked back tears, ignoring the hot wad of emotion that was stuck halfway in her throat.
‘It’s okay. You can cry.’ The way he looked at her, as though he saw right into her soul, made her lever her chin free and duck her gaze into her twisting fingers in her lap. He was doing this to her and she didn’t want to be unravelled. The tighter she kept herself locked, the easier it was to get through everything she had to get through.
She huffed a laugh. ‘I don’t cry.’ In front of people. ‘I don’t tell people my opinions.’ I keep them in my head. ‘You’re getting a false impression of me. This isn’t the real me.’ Whoever that was. ‘And I never feel sorry for myself.’
‘I didn’t say you were. You don’t look like the sort of person that falls in a heap and lets people do things for her. You help a lot of people. You can let people help you. Why don’t you?’
He said the words so gently, so softly, so charged with emotion she had to look out of the window again. Accepting help. How nice it would be to accept it, take the time out and share her pressures and responsibilities. He knew what it was like. He’d been there. Still was. But accepting help was a dream. In reality he would need to go on for his work and she would be left in the same place as she was now. It might be nice, but it wasn’t reality.
‘You don’t forget what it’s like to starve…’ She stopped herself. She’d already told him too much, kicking herself for revealing it to him. A man who’d never understand. Heat clogged her throat. She swallowed, taking a deep breath. ‘Most people don’t know what that’s like. Where everything is free and easy. How could they, when they haven’t been there themselves. Thankfully there’s people who help. Good, kind people who can take the pain away from bad days.’
Her chest constricted, hot bands wrapping around her chest, but she swallowed the tears back down. She felt it this time. The life being sucked from her. Years taken from her to pay for a mistake made by her father. She had managed to put that all aside for the sake of her mother and now it lashed her with a vengeance because she had thought about it. How would she feel once he left?
It was best to keep her pressures to herself, keep it tightly wound into a little ball she could live with and balance with everything that needed to be done. If she was weak now, the ball would grow and she wouldn’t be able to juggle it any more.
She smiled, placed her hand over his, liked the way it felt so right touching him. She pushed the thought back into its little black hole in her mind. She took a deep breath, sucked back the tears, the pain and overwhelming exhaustion of it all and did her best to ignore the temptation Liam offered.
After all, he was little more than a stranger. She had just met him. He was being kind and she had no right to accept anything from him other than the ride home if that made him feel better.
‘You’re too kind, Liam. There is a soft centre beneath all that tough business veneer, but believe me, it’s better if I handle this myself. Besides, we’re home now. Thank you for the ride.’ She handed money to the driver. ‘This should cover my half.’ In an instant she was out the door and Liam was fumbling with his wallet. He took the note off the driver and replaced it with his own.
‘Keep the change,’ he said before bolting out of the taxi. ‘Clover. Will you stop!’ He ran up the path within arm’s length of her.
She whirled around, hair tousled about her face.
‘What is it? Why do you want to help me so badly?’
He stopped, speechless. He opened his mouth to reply, but there was nothing. There were no words. The fact was he just wanted to. Was compelled to do it because it made him feel…worthwhile. Whole. Better about himself.
It wasn’t because she needed help. Anyone could lend a hand, help out in her café for a day, weed the garden, cook her a dinner. It went much deeper than that. Hell, he would spend a month weeding her garden just to see her smile. Just to feel her lithe body pressed against his, her arms around his neck, lips pressed to his. Just to see the sparkling look in her eyes she didn’t know she had when she looked at him. She made the world brighter for him. Made empty days fill with things to look forward to. Little things. Like having a coffee with her. Discussing the weather. It was the peace of mind he had when she was near, the clarity he had when she spoke.
And she was so totally honest. So refreshing. He breathed away some of the hurt Tania had left and took a baby step forward.
The last and most important thing. She gave him a place he wanted to be. She was home.
He couldn’t explain it with words. Only knew she had affected him the way no other had. She held him hypnotised in the palm of her hand and he liked being there. It was a good place to be.
‘Why do I want to…?’ He moved close to her, standing a hand’s width apart. ‘Because I love that you care for people you’ve never met.’
Her eyes opened, her pupils enlarged.
‘I love your smile and your honesty. I love how you stood up to my father…’
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Heard her shaky breath, saw the tremor run through her body.
‘And because I love that you respond to this.’
He cupped her chin and traced her lower lip with the pad of his thumb. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t move a muscle.
‘And this.’
He bent his head towards her, and brushed his lips against hers. So softly. So gently.
‘And this.’
She sighed, drawing her arms around his neck, pressing her breasts against his chest, winding her fingers through his hair at his nape. He wrapped his arms around her, loving the feel of her in his arms, the gentle pressure of her mouth on his. He breathed in deeply, savouring the special smell of her body and the rise of awareness it triggered in him.
He manipulated his lips, brushing his tongue against her lower lip, then thrusting it in her mouth. There was no asking this time. He didn’t need to. She responded so readily, had opened her mouth to receive him where they moved as two halves of a whole.
His hand pressed into the small of her back, and slid to her waist. His thumb brushed the underside of her breast. For a moment she hung limp in his arms, her breath shuddering in her chest, then she engaged his mouth more fully, suckling his lips and tongue. Need coursed through his veins, hot and demanding. He cupped her breast, massaged the soft tissue. Her nipple hardened and he kneaded it with his fingertips until he couldn’t stand the barrier of her blouse.
He pulled the material from the waist of her skirt and his palm was on the heated skin at her waist. He slipped his fingers beneath her bra and she sighed deeply as his hand found her naked breast.
She gasped as he gently pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, moving back and biting her lower lip between neat, white teeth.
‘This is why, Clover. You do this to me.’ His voice was ragged with need. ‘You make me want to worship your body from your toes to the tip of your beautiful head. I want to make love to you. Desperately.’
She watched him as he slipped the button of her shirt open, eyes fogged and bright. One by one he parted the material, revealing snowy flesh and a luscious décolletage. One more button and he saw the rise of her breasts, the top of her lacy bra. Her hands were on his shoulders, as though she were anchoring herself to him, waiting as he unwrapped her.
‘I want my lips on you. Not just on your mouth. But here.’ He brushed his lips on her neck. She tilted her head, allowing him to suckle and nip the sensitive skin there. He moved her shirt from her shoulder, nuzzling where her neck met her shoulder. A soft sigh slipped from her mouth while she moved to accommodate his movements.
‘And here.’ He traced his tongue on the line of lace of her bra. He drew the material beneath her creamy breast so that it popped up and over. Her rosy nipple perched high, puckered tight and hard. With a groan he slid his tongue around it. Her fingers clenched on his shoulders and she arched her back, opening her chest to him.
The slight movement nearly undid him. His erection pushed painfully against the zip of his jeans as he took pleasure devouring her breast. He slipped the material beneath her other breast and one hand manipulated while he consumed the other with his mouth.
His heart hammered like a wild animal. He needed release and only she could provide it. ‘Clover.’ Her name came out like a plea, rough and gravelly and filled with want.
He was in pain, perched on the edge of a precipice he desperately wanted to tilt over. He wrapped his hand at her nape, massaged her slender neck, pressing his forehead against hers. Her breath heated his cheeks, her chest expanded with each gasp of breath. Then she nodded. A little, shaky movement, but when he looked into her eyes they were bright and burning.
She took his face between her hands, her mouth greedy on his. Her tongue danced with his and he tasted the same need in her that burned him. She drew back, breathless, panting. ‘Yes. Oh, yes.’
She took his hand, leading him to the front door.
‘What about Gloria?’
She sent him a secretive little smile. ‘My bedroom is at the opposite end of the house. She’ll already be in bed. Besides, I’m an adult.’ The door swung open silently, the house quiet and dark inside.
He couldn’t stop himself from sidling up to her, pushing her against the outside of the front door, taking her mouth in a deep kiss. He bent, running his hand from her knee upwards, over her silken thigh to cup her derriere. The smooth muscle fit neatly into his hand. He followed with his other hand so that now both cupped her behind, the hem from her skirt spilling provocatively over his forearms.
He held her against the door, locking her between his hands and his body, fighting for control over the animal in him and the unspent desire that raced through his veins. She was just as edgy, bringing her breasts hard against his chest, arching her torso to his, winding her leg around his outer thigh.
He glanced down, her still open shirt revealing rosy tight nipples. He bent his head, taking one into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. She gasped, her body going rigid. She wound her arms around his neck, giving him open access to her chest. He gripped her bottom, lifted her and eased his erection into the heat between her legs.
He was throbbing now, the material of his jeans and her skirt a painful barrier. Slowly he pressed against the constraints of their clothing, feeling the dips and curves of the most intimate part of her body. She clasped her ankles behind his back, riding him. She was wild and unrestrained and he loved it. This was no shadow of a woman afraid to enjoy her sexual encounters. The knowledge sparked his blood on fire. He needed her. Now.
‘Where did you say your bedroom was?’ His voice was hoarse. Tight.
He let her gently down and she remained clinging to him, breathless. It took her a moment to regain her balance. ‘Just down the hall.’
He grabbed her hand, leading her into the darkness. There was no more waiting. He wasn’t capable of it. The front door clicked shut behind them.
‘Clover? Is that you?’ A soft voice came from the lounge.
‘Mum? Why are you sitting in the dark?’ Clover froze, panic edged her voice, then she flew to the entrance to the room, quickly buttoning up her shirt. Instantly it was flooded with light. She uttered a strangulated gasp and ran into the room. Liam followed. It took him a moment to grasp what he saw.
Gloria was trapped beneath the old, large easy chair that had somehow toppled over. She lay on her back, her legs pinned under the arm-rests. Her meal was splashed over the rug, the plate smashed to pieces near the chair. Gloria pushed at the side with pitiful strength. The fire had died to nothing and the room held a touch of frost. There was no telling how long she had been trapped, but judging by the fire it had been a few hours. The time between Holly taking Gloria her meal and the dinner they ate at the restaurant.
Clover was trying to move the heavy chair from her mother, desperately struggling ineffectively with the furniture. Seeing that pushed him over the shock. He leapt across the room, lifting the chair in one easy movement. Gloria’s face was white, scrunched in pain. When he lifted the chair she groaned. One leg was at an awkward angle, bent oddly at the knee and crushed beneath the other.
Clover bent to help Gloria sit up, but Liam knelt and pressed her gently to the ground. ‘Stay still. There might be internal damage. Let the paramedics deal with this.’
Clover glanced at him, her features twisted. ‘We don’t have ambulance cover. I’ll drive Mum down to the hospital.’
Without another word, Liam took the phone from his top pocket and spoke curtly into the phone. ‘I have one of the best covers in the country. They will be here directly.’
‘Please. I’m too much of a burden. I’ll go with Clover,’ Gloria said.
Her lips were turning blue, her skin gone from pale to unhealthy white. He had seen worksite injuries like these and it wasn’t good. She was going into shock. The only thing now was to keep her comfortable and calm. He reached out and gently squeezed Gloria’s shoulder, surprised at the feel of bones beneath her windcheater. ‘You’ll be fine. Let’s leave it to the experts.’ Then to Clover, ‘Do you have a blanket?’
Clover blinked uncomprehendingly, herself going into shock. ‘Oh. Yes. I’ll get one now.’ She raced into the darkness.
‘You’re good for her,’ Gloria said.
There was pain, but also knowledge in her eyes. Liam hesitated. Not sure how he should respond. The fact was, although he had only known her for a few days, if he’d known his mother, he would have liked her to be like Gloria. He’d had more warmth from Clover’s little family than he’d had from his father in a decade.
A faint smile appeared on her mouth. ‘You don’t have to reply. I know I’ve put you on the spot, but I know my daughter. I don’t know how much she’s told you, but it probably hasn’t been a lot.’
‘I know you’re not well, and…Clover didn’t tell me.’
Gloria nodded. ‘That sounds about right. Holly knows her friend. If Holly told you, then she feels about you the same as I do.’
Liam didn’t think the way he felt about her daughter a moment ago was something she would appreciate, and this was not the time of the place he had in mind to discuss this with Gloria. Not before he’d even spoken with Clover and talked about what it was they shared. ‘I think you’re reading too much into a dinner date, Gloria.’
Gloria looked alarmed. ‘I’m sorry…I thought…’
Liam gave her a tight smile. ‘I like Clover.’
‘There’s a ‘but’.’
Liam shook his head, dropping his gaze to the floor. He wasn’t used to sharing his thoughts with anyone but the person affected by them. Mothers included. It wasn’t as though he’d had a lot of practice with it either. He owed it to Clover to talk to her first. This was one time where he didn’t want information passing second hand, which he guessed between Gloria, Clover and Holly, happened often. ‘I travel. A lot with business. I don’t want anyone reading more into a friendship than really is there.’
‘I see.’
There was a rustle and Clover came from behind him and placed the blanket over Gloria. He hadn’t heard her, but he hoped like hell she hadn’t heard what he’d said. Especially after what had nearly happened in the end room of the house. He tried to engage Clover’s attention, but she avoided his glance. A nervous nugget settled in the pit of his stomach. If she’d heard, he wanted to explain.
There was a knock at the door. Clover dashed from her mother’s side, returning quickly with the paramedics. They asked a series of quick-fire questions. Soon they had Gloria settled on the gurney with painkillers and were heading to the back of the ambulance. They loaded Gloria into the back. As Clover went to follow, Liam took her elbow. ‘I’ll follow in your car.’
Clover’s eyes were bright, her face edged with pinched lines. He felt as though she looked into the eyes of an eighty year old woman. ‘It’s okay. I’ll go with Mum. Why don’t you take the car and go back to the hotel.’
‘I’m going with you.’
A smile touched her mouth, which didn’t go all the way to her eyes. The nugget became heavier, immobilizing him. She shook her head. ‘No. This is something family needs to do. I don’t expect friends to put themselves though any more than necessary.’
She’d heard what he said to Gloria. Damn. ‘I can explain…’
‘We need to go.’ One of the paramedics started closing the door. Shutting Gloria and Clover away from him.
‘It wasn’t how it sounded.’ He sounded desperate. Hell, he felt desperate.
‘Go back to your hotel and get some sleep. I’ll let you know how she is in the morning. Thank you for dinner and for ringing the ambulance. Just let me know the cost and I’ll pay you back.’
‘I don’t want your…’ But she was inside by her mother’s side and the door snapped shut. The driver stepped into the cab and it was driving away. He watched it turn through the lights and scream down the highway. Stood there until he couldn’t hear the sirens any more, certain that he couldn’t have hurt Clover any more badly than he just had.