Liam woke slowly, stretching his arms over his head. As he brought them back down he bumped into someone. Valorie. Gently, he lifted her head slightly and scooted out from under her. She had fallen asleep on his chest last night and he’d been positive he wouldn’t sleep at all. But to his surprise, he’d slept better than he had in a long time.
He tried sitting up without waking her, so he drew his body over to the side, but sitting up onto the edge was tricky.
After he stood up, he heard her.
“Liam.”
“Oh hi, how did you sleep?” He sat back down next to her. He pushed her heavy hair away from her face to see her sleep filled eyes. She looked so cute in the morning. Her hair messed up and make-up smeared around her eyes, it only added to her charm.
“I slept great, I feel so much better than I did yesterday.”
He rubbed her back as she stretched as a lazy cat would.
“Liam, I just want my life back in order. I wish I could tell you who the stalker is. I can’t and it’s so frustrating.”
Again, he was brought quickly back to earth.
Their life could never be normal with the creep taking over their lives. Liam wanted to take her out on dates, get to know her better. She’d matured into a beautiful and kind-hearted woman. Right now she was running on pure stress. Still not knowing who the stalker is, it had literally driven him nuts.
He pulled her into his arms and promised, “With all my heart, I promise to catch this guy or die trying.” Liam rubbed his face with frustration. “Let me go get cleaned up and dressed. Then will find something to do that’s fun.”
Valorie sat up in the bed. “Okay, what do you have in mind?”
“I’m not sure, maybe a movie and dinner?”
This suggestion rewarded Liam with a beautiful smile from her.
“That sounds wonderful.”
Liam nodded then headed to his bedroom. He quickly dressed, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. Afterwards, he headed toward the kitchen.
He met Randi and Andre. “Hey, Liam, did you get some sleep?” Randi asked, her smile meant she was up to something. Sneaky.
“Off and on. So are you two going to go home and get sleep?”
They shook their heads.
“We were thinking of going over to Valorie’s apartment and meet with Luke and Amber. We need to go over everything with a fine tooth comb. Leave nothing unturned,” Andre told him.
“Um, maybe you should get some sleep. Let me go over there first. Then afterwards, you both can go over and help Luke and Amber. I’m taking Valorie out for a movie and maybe some dinner.” As Liam finished his sentence, he saw a look that passed between Randi and Andre. “What?”
They both smiled before Randi slapped Andre’s arm. “Told you, you owe me twenty bucks. Pay up.” She held her hand out.
“Damn, you are good, woman, I can’t ever beat you.” In good fun, Andre teased Randi as he handed over a twenty dollar bill.
“I don’t even want to ask. You two are always losing and winning bets with each other. Stay out of my personal life.” Liam smiled as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Nobody had ever witnessed him having a girlfriend before. He wasn’t about to divulge any information.
“Hey, coffee.” Valorie came up behind him as he was pouring himself a cup.
“Hey. Here let me get you one.” She handed him an empty cup and he filled it with the fresh black liquid. He couldn’t get out of his mind what they’d done last night. He grinned and she winked at him then walked over to the table and folded her leg under her butt and sat at the table. “Liam, come sit by me, please.”
Randi coughed and Andre slapped Randi on the ass. “Hey you moron, I’ll kick your ass you do that again.”
“Let’s leave the two love birds alone. They might finish what they started last night,” Andre spoke out.
Randi turned toward them. “Hey, Liam, you want me to stop by the drug store on the way home. I can you get you the three packs for the price of two?”
Liam flinched and Valorie choked on her coffee. “Get your asses out of here. Go to Valorie’s apartment and we’ll meet you there.”
Both Randi and Andre left them in the kitchen. Valorie looked over at him and started laughing loudly. “Oh my God. Did you set up cameras in my room?”
“Oh shit.” Liam slapped his forehead.
“Oh no.” Valorie’s face turned bright red.
“Well I will say something to you. We are going to the store today. I’m not going to be that strong tonight.” Valorie’s voice was serious, but her eyes twinkled and she couldn’t help but grin.
“You are an amazing woman and I can’t wait for us to start our life together. I’m sorry this creep is giving us the slip. We should have caught him by now.”
“You can’t blame you or your employees. This guy is smart. Let’s concentrate on us, okay?” Valorie seemed calm and happy.
“Hate to bring this up, darling, but we were just discussing going over to your apartment with our team. I want Andre and Randi to go and catch a few hours of sleep. I think it’s a good idea for us to go over and start cleaning up. That way it appears as if you’re staying there. I think this guy will make a mistake.” Liam leaned over and kissed her hard on the lips.
“You know I’m not going to be able to relax and enjoy my life until this person is caught.”
“I know and that’s why my team is working day and night to catch the bastard.” Liam hugged her to him.
“Enough about all that. Didn’t you want to go see a movie?” Smiling she turned her doe-like eyes towards him.
“We can still do that, it’s the weekend. I think that’s a great idea. We need to go over to your place then I want to question some of your neighbors to see if they saw anyone stalking around your apartment.” He grabbed her hand and pulled. “Come on, lazy.”
Valorie was even more in love with Liam after they shared their bodies last night. Whenever she thought about the way Liam loved her with his mouth, her panties became wet and she couldn’t control the fast beating of her heart in her chest. She wanted him inside her now. She didn’t even care if they stopped at the store and bought condoms. She was fine. At her annual exam and she’d decided to get a STD check and everything came back negative and nothing was there to spread to another.
It kept her mind occupied while they got ready to go over to her apartment. She didn’t want to even go inside again and see all the destruction and was frightened she wasn’t going to be strong enough to handle seeing that again. But she had to buck up and stop being a baby. Well, technically, she should be scared—this guy was out to hurt her.
After her self-talk she looked over at Liam. “You know what, that’s a great idea. I’m ready to do this.” Valorie had proven adept at handling herself. She felt proud of her independence and self-worth. “If you’ll excuse me I’m going to get ready. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
She hurried to her bedroom. Once inside she closed the door then made it to the bed before collapsing. She sat on the edge of the bed, put her head in her hands. Fear and anger knotted inside her. Get your life together, Valorie. This person isn’t going to win.
She stood, grabbed her phone, and called her father. As she waited for him to answer, she threw her stuff in her new hand bag.
“Hello, Valorie,” Vince answered.
“Hi, Daddy.” She threw the handbag over her shoulder as she opened the bedroom door—she could do this.
“How are you doing?” Vince asked.
Valorie gazed down the stairs and Liam was waiting by the garage door. “I’m okay. Dad, we’re going to go my apartment with Liam and a few of his best employees.”
“Why?”
She had to smile, her father always asked the reasons, especially when it involved one of his kids. “They’re going to help clean up as well as to see if they can find any clues.”
He sighed into the mouthpiece of his phone. Enough so she would know he was irritated. “I know I won’t be able to change your mind once it’s made up. I’ll meet you there. I’m still staying in the guest suite here at your building,” Vince said with quiet emphasis.
“Okay. See you soon.” She disconnected the call, throwing her phone into her purse. “Dad’s going to meet us. I’m ready.” Liam smiled, reaching for her hand as she walked down the stairs toward him.
When she placed her hand in his, Liam pulled her into his arms lifting her down the last stairs right into his arms. She whispered, “I want you now.”
She’d changed into a skirt and her undies were soaking wet. She didn’t want to wait until later. “Fuck me.”
His eyes widened, nobody was in the house, everyone left to go to her apartment. He held up a box of condoms. “Where?” she asked.
“Randi threw them at me this morning.” He chuckled.
Valorie felt her pulse suddenly leap with excitement. She reached down and unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped them. He let her tiptoes touch the floor and Valorie couldn’t control her hands, breathing, and heartbeat. She wanted him inside her. She continued to push down his jeans just enough to let out his cock that stood hard and straight up.
He reached under her skirt and pulled on her thong and broke the string, pulling and tossing the thin material over his head. He grabbed her by the ass and lifted. She wrapped her long legs around him and with one lunge he was balls deep inside her. She leaned back and moaned out. “Oh, Liam, that feels so good…”
He pounded inside her hard, fast, and with strength he didn’t realize he’d have. He knew the tiger inside him was also mating with her. The force behind the animal was pushing her over the edge quicker as he was. She moaned out, “Oh God, now, baby, I’m coming now!”
Liam kept going until he to poured his seed inside the condom. Afterwards, he pulled off the rubber and threw it in the trash upstairs. He grabbed the bag and intended to throw it out in the trash. He met her at the front door. “I’m ready for this. Thank you, Liam, that helped me make it through thinking about a difficult day.”
“Anytime, baby, anytime.” He kissed her nose then grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. “Let’s get this over with, okay?”
She nodded. He kissed her on the lips and his tongue sent shivers of desire racing through her. As he broke off the kiss, it left her mouth burning with fire. The thought of having his large cock inside her mouth and swallowing his cum made her damn near orgasmic again. “Why do I think about fucking you every single second of the day?”
“When you figure it out, let me know because it’s exactly how I feel right now.” He kissed her again and they left the house after he locked it up.
After he backed out of the garage, he closed the door then grabbed his phone, he pushed the code zero four nine three seven, which set the outer parameter alarms. ‘All systems set,’ computer animated voice echoed from his cell phone. “There, now the entire house is secured, no one is going to get in there.” Liam smiled he had put his truck in park in the middle of the driveway.
Valorie knew he was proud of his skills. She felt thankful for them as well to keep her safe. “Thank you.”
Liam squeezed her hand. “There’s no reason to thank me, Valorie. I can’t lose you now that I just found you again.”
Valorie saw the heart rending tenderness of his gaze. “Come here.”
The touch of his hand was suddenly almost unbearable in its tenderness. She got up on her knees on the seat then leaned over to him. She touched her lips to his. Her calm was shattered with the hunger of his kisses.
As they broke away from each other, Valorie knew there was a new dreamy intimacy to their kisses now. After last night, she also knew her heart was involved and it scared the hell out of her. Normally, she wouldn’t let a man this close to her heart. Not because she’s afraid to be hurt, no it was because she wasn’t sure she had enough love in her to make Liam happy. He deserved so much. Liam was an amazing man, who had so much to give a woman. She sat back, buckled her seatbelt, and stared out the window with her thoughts racing.
“What are you thinking about over there?”
Liam startled her back to the real world. “Sorry, lost in thought, I guess.” Valorie pulled herself together. To find some sanity she looked around. Liam was driving toward the interstate. It had snowed during the night everywhere a white blanket coated the landscape. “It is beautiful in Minnesota right after a snowfall. I didn’t realize it until just now that we must have gotten a few inches last night.” Valorie loved the snow, so living in this state was perfect for her.
“Yeah, I love the snow. We have snowmobiles out at my parents,” Liam informed her.
“Really? I love to snowmobile but it’s been a few years though. I also enjoy skiing as well.” Valorie had started to warm up with the heat in the pickup. It still seemed colder this year than she remembered in the past. Usually, November stayed comfortable.
“I love skiing. My family and I try to go a few times a year.” She was taken aback by their common interests. “We do have a lot in common, don’t we?” he stated.
She looked over at him.
He expertly drove the pickup on freshly plowed roads. The interstate was just ahead and he had to stop at a red light before turning.
The malls were packed with people and it was only nine in the morning. Christmastime was truly here. Valorie loved this time of year, but there were crazy people out and about doing all their shopping. “Yes we do. Liam, I didn’t know a lot of this stuff about you. Can you tell me more? We do have a little while before we get to my place.”
“Well, let’s me see. A good steak is my favorite food; blue is my favorite color. I love the Vikings, even though they don’t play so well….”
She laughed out loud at Liam’s dramatic remark regarding the football team. “No, they don’t but at least they have heart.”
“I guess that’s it. I’m actually kind of boring.” Liam chuckled, turning to her. “Tell me about you, Valorie. It’s your turn for sure.”
“Well, let’s see, my favorite food is chicken breast on the grill, favorite color is green, favorite football team is the Vikings.” She gloried briefly in the shared moment. If only a football team pulled them together, Valorie would be thankful for that.
With purpose in his step, Liam headed toward her apartment. He took out his phone and called Luke.
The man picked up after the first ring. “Hey, Liam.”
“Are you at Valorie Thorpe’s apartment?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good, I’m about three doors down. Let me in please.” Liam disconnected the phone and headed for her door.
Luke had already opened the door to let him in. When he walked through the entranceway into the apartment, he had noticed Amber and Luke had started cleaning up. Stuff was picked up and Amber was running the vacuum cleaner.
“What did you find? Anything?” Liam asked Luke as they shook hands.
“Yes, sir. We found plenty. I know who her stalker is.” Luke wore a grin from ear to ear.
Liam couldn’t believe it. “How, who?”
“Well first off, we’ll go over everything with you first. Then we’ll bring Valorie in with her father. We can catch him red-handed in the act tonight.”
Liam felt proud of Luke and Amber. They were two of the brightest on his team. They could take clues and put them together better than anyone else he knew.