Unchosen Ruler by Maggie Cole

8

Hailee

Liam's handsslide through my hair and grip my head. He mutters, "Jesus, little lamb." He opens his eyes, breathing harder. He pins his gaze on me, and I smirk at him, with my mouth full of his hard cock.

It's not an easy thing to do. He wasn't exaggerating about his size. And a bet is a bet. Liam O'Malley turned me into a screamer. All night, he continued to keep me in O town. My voice might be gone for all I know. And I'm loving every minute of waking him up this way. It's as if he flipped a switch in me, and anything I've ever thought about doing, I'm able to act out with him. I've never been vocal about sex. Not once have I ever begged a man or had anything near the amazing sex we had all night. Prior to Liam, I thought all those things were wives' tales. I assumed my friends were overstating how good it could be. And I've never felt comfortable talking dirty or being so confident in the bedroom.

I'm finding it rather freeing. I want to explore every part of Liam, and I want to make him feel what he does to me. I squeeze his balls, run my tongue over his cap, then deep throat him while controlling my gag reflex.

"Fuuuck." His fingers twitch on my scalp, as if he's trying to control himself from pushing me down on him.

I place my hands over his and push my face toward his pelvis, and he groans. "You're my dream girl, Hales," he says, which he said several times last night. Flutters fill my gut again, and I moan as his pre-cum hits my tongue.

He reaches for my armpits, flips me on the bed, and cages his hard flesh over me. My heart thumps hard in my chest as green heat flares in his eyes, focused on me. "Morning." His tongue becomes a sword, aggressively attacking my mouth. Tingles erupt under his fingers as he drags them on the side of my torso. My legs have a life of their own and instantly spread to take him in. His hand goes under my thigh, and he shoves it up, then sinks his erection in me.

"Liam!" I cry out and dig my nails into his shoulders.

"Shh," he whispers, fisting my hair harder. He returns to ravaging my mouth and begins thrusting.

Heat consumes me. His body fills mine, and I'm no longer my own person. It's Liam and me, bodies so perfectly in sync, I wonder how we ever survived without the other.

"Harder. Split me in two," I taunt him, wanting something I never knew existed before he consumed me.

He groans, then slams into me, over and over, while I shudder with every delicious assault. His lips and teeth travel along my neck. He mumbles, "You naughty little lamb."

"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!" I scream so loud, the neighbors can probably hear it. A tidal wave of adrenaline rolls through me, and I claw at Liam's back. My eyes roll, sweat coats my skin, and he bites the pulse in my neck.

White light fills my vision when he growls, "Hales!"

His erection swells, pumping viciously, and all hell breaks loose in my body again. He collapses over me, keeping his body weight on his forearms and knees, and buries his head into the curve of my neck. His hot breath beats onto my wet skin.

My body continues to quiver beneath him. I slowly inhale more oxygen. I don't release him and kiss his dewy forehead.

He glances up, gives me a chaste kiss, then rolls off me. His strong arms slide under me, and he tugs me against his chest. My stomach growls, and he chuckles. "I think I need to feed you. Should we go to breakfast?"

"Okay. There's—"

A loud ring cuts me off. He groans and reaches for his phone. "I have to take this."

"No problem. I'm going to shower."

He hits a button, kisses me on the forehead, and answers. "Dad. What's going on?"

I rise, he slaps my ass, and I jump. I glance back, and he winks. My heart skips a beat. Everything about Liam is sexy. I check out his perfectly sculpted torso for a moment then tear my eyes off him. I go into the bathroom and turn on my shower.

Once the water turns warm, I step in. I'm finishing rinsing the shampoo out of my hair when Liam sneaks in behind me. I jump when he slides his arms around me.

He chuckles. "Sorry to scare you."

I spin. He's beaming. "Why do you appear extra happy right now?"

His grin widens. "Two reasons. One, I'm in a shower with you. Two, my cousin Finn is coming home tomorrow."

"Where's he at?"

His face drops. "He's in the same prison I was."

My pulse increases. "Oh. Umm...was he there with you for a long time?"

"He's been there longer than I was. I wouldn't have survived if it weren't for him."

I swallow the lump in my throat. I force a smile. "Congratulations. I'm sure you've missed him."

He nods and tugs my hair. He dips down to my face. "I have. But you don't need to be scared of him. Finn's like me. He would never hurt you or any woman."

I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"Hales, it's okay."

I bite on my lip.

Liam scans my face. The longer he stares at me, the more nervous I become. He finally says, "I'm going to promise you something. I want you to understand that my word means everything to me."

"Okay."

He traces my jawline. "If we're ever around anyone who I don't trust, I'll tell you. But there are only a few people I would entrust with your life without thinking twice. Finn is one of them. Nora's brothers and the Ivanovs are the others. If anyone ever tries to harm you, I'll kill them."

My chest tightens. I have mixed feelings about Liam's vow to me. Part of me loves how he will protect me. Another voice in my head won't shut up about how murder is wrong. "Liam, I don't want you doing something that will have you back in jail."

His eyes darken. I get a chill from how cold they become. "I'm never going back there, little lamb. No matter what, I'll never be stupid like I was before."

"What do you mean?" I blurt out.

"I'm not the same person. I won't make dumb mistakes." He pecks my lips. "Can we stop at my parents' so I can get fresh clothes before breakfast?"

"Sure."

He assesses me again. Nervousness fills his expression. "Are you rethinking us right now?"

"No. I just...I'm getting used to things."

He swallows hard. "You still haven't come to terms with who I am, have you?"

How do I answer such a loaded question?

He shuts his eyes then opens them while releasing a breath. "Am I going to get a call or text when I'm not with you that you can't accept this?"

I slide my hands up his chest and into his hair. There's no thought or analysis. "No. I'm not trying to make you feel bad, either, Liam."

"I didn't say you were."

The pounding of water on the tile is the only sound. We don't tear our eyes off the other, each lost in our own thoughts and worries. I wish it could be easy to accept Liam's truth and move on. At this point, I have to find a way. I've already stepped into the forbidden zone, and there's no going back.

"I don't want to lose you, Hales."

His words and vulnerability affect me. I've been with weaker men who can't tell me what they want or how they feel. If you saw Liam on the street, you would guess he'd be unable to express himself, like those men. But he isn't. Not with me. And I know in my heart it isn't a side he shows everyone. I tease, "Am I a keeper since I kept my end of the deal and showed you my blow job skills?"

His lips twitch. "Remind me to make that bet again in the future."

"I knew it!"

He kisses me lightly on the lips. "It's everything about you."

"Stop worrying. I already made my choice, and I chose you." It comes out confident and strong. The voice in my head nagging me about morals I bury deep for the time being. "Let's finish and get dressed. I'm hungry from all the calories I burned all night."

He wiggles his eyebrows. "I can work you out later if you want to burn some more."

I laugh. "If you don't get any bad marks on your behavior chart, maybe you'll get rewarded."

"Does this include the treat box?"

"Maybe," I chirp.

He kisses me again then we finish our shower and get dressed. He puts his pants and dress shirt back on and leaves the top few buttons unfastened.

I hold out the tie. "Can we keep this?"

He snatches it from my hand. "Maybe I'll make a special treat box for you."

"Ooh. Getting creative, are you?"

He winks, and his phone buzzes. He glances at it. "My driver's here."

We leave and go to his parents'. I met them briefly at the wedding. They were both nice when I met them, but now that Liam and I are together, nervous butterflies fill my stomach. I haven't met or hung out with anyone's family in a long time.

The car stops outside the house, and Liam escorts me inside. His mom and dad are sitting in the family room. His dad is reading the paper, and his mom is knitting a baby blanket. They look up in surprise when we enter the room.

"Mom. Dad. You remember Hailee?" Liam says.

They stand and greet us. His dad kisses me on the cheek, and his mom embraces me.

"We're only here for a minute. I need fresh clothes," Liam announces.

His mom takes my hand. "Hailee, come sit down."

I let her lead me to the couch. She moves her skeins of yarn and we sit.

"I'll be right back," Liam says, and I nod. He leaves the room.

"Hailee, it's nice to see you again."

"You, too. Your home is beautiful, Mrs. O'Malley."

Her face lights up. "Thank you. Please, call me Ruth. And I spent the last year remodeling it. Darragh finally gave me the go-ahead to do all the things I wanted."

I glance around the family room. The sunlight pours through the window. Creams, gold, and rich browns fill the space. Everything is fresh and new. "You did a great job."

She smiles wider. "Thank you! Do you work, Hailee?"

"Yes. I'm a kindergarten teacher at Freedom Elementary."

Surprise registers on her face. "Wow. That's a rough neighborhood."

I shrug. It's the comment everyone makes when I tell them where I work. "Yes. But the kids are awesome. Who are you making the baby blanket for?"

"Nora. Darragh and I both think she's having a girl. She carries the baby the same way her mother carried her when she was pregnant."

I pick up the blanket. It has pink, blue, green, and yellow in it. "This is beautiful."

"Do you have children, Hailee?"

"No. Just my kids in class."

She pats my hand. "Liam would make an excellent father."

My chest tightens. I'm all for kids, but I just met this woman.

"Ruth. Don't scare Hailee out of the house," Darragh reprimands.

I smile gratefully at him.

"I'm just stating a fact," Ruth says. She puts her hand on mine. "Hailee is an Irish name. Are you Irish?"

"Yes."

"Catholic or protestant?"

"Umm...I grew up Catholic."

She beams. "Wonderful. I go to church every morning and confession is on Saturday. You'll probably be in class for weekday mass, but you can come to confession this weekend with me if you want?"

My gut tightens. Is this woman for real? Heat ignites in my cheeks. I'm not ashamed I don't go to church anymore, but I'm not sure how to respond without offending her. "Well, I umm..."

"It's at ten a.m. Mary Kelly comes with me, and we go to brunch after. Did you meet her at the wedding yesterday?"

"I'm not sure."

"Hales, you ready?" Liam booms then comes into the room.

I rise, relieved he's back and ready to leave. "It was nice seeing you again."

"You, too, dear. Have Liam give my phone number to you. You can send me your address. I'll swing by and pick you up."

I gape at her, unsure how to respond.

"Pick Hailee up for what?" Liam asks, his eyes turning to slits.

Ruth chirps, "For confession on Saturday. You could come, too, Liam. We'll go to—"

"Mom, neither Hailee nor I are going to confession. Stop trying to get me to go," he barks.

Ruth's face falls. She purses her lips together.

Liam puts his hand on my back. "Come on. I'll see you later."

"When will you be home?" his mom asks.

"Not sure. I'm forty, remember, Mom?" Liam snaps.

"Don't talk like that to your mother," Darragh scolds.

Liam scowls and shakes his head. He guides me out of the house so fast, I barely have time to say goodbye. As soon as the car door shuts, he turns to me. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you with her. She means well. I think she's gone a bit crazy because of my dad dying, and—"

"Your dad's dying?"

The car turns silent. His face hardens, weaved with pain. He finally says, "Yeah. He has lung cancer."

"Liam, I'm so sorry."

"It is what it is. No one can do anything about it. I'm sorry about my mother. I'm her only son, and I've been gone and—"

I shut him up with my lips and straddle my body over his. His arms wrap around me, and I inch as close to him as I can. When I end our kiss, I run my hand through his hair. "I'm sorry about your father. That sucks."

He admits, "Yeah. It does. My mom means well, but she's driving me crazy. She's going to flip when I tell her I'm moving out."

"Where are you going?"

He hesitates but says, "Nora surprised me the other day and gave me her house."

I gape at him.

He chuckles. "I think that's how I looked."

"Wow. That's an awesome gift."

"I know. I feel guilty taking it, but she insisted. I spoke with Boris, and he thought it was a great idea, too."

"Well, I definitely want to see it."

Excitement fills his face. "I'm going to remodel it. Anna said she'd help me with colors and materials. I can use her designer discounts. Nora's brothers will help me implement, but I'm horrible at making things match."

"I'll help you if you want. I love that stuff."

"Really? You would?" he asks.

"Yeah! If you're serious about me sticking my nose into your project."

His face lights up. "I'm totally serious about you sticking your nose into my business."

I laugh.

"Do you want to see it after breakfast?" he asks.

"Sure! Do I get to help knock out walls, or are you only doing cosmetic stuff?" I ask.

Amusement appears in his expression. "You want to help do the work?"

"Duh. I even have my own tools. I told you I know how to do electrical, plumbing, and other things."

He kisses me again. "That's sexy hot, little lamb."

The car stops, and Liam kisses my hand. We get out and go inside the restaurant. It's a popular spot, but the line isn't long. The hostess soon seats us at a booth. I slide in, and Liam sits next to me. He puts his arm around my shoulders and leans into my ear. "So when do I get to see what's in the treat box?"

I softly laugh. "Mmm, maybe—"

"Hailee?" My mom's voice rings in the air.

I turn to see her and my sister, Gemma, staring at me. My mom has her who-is-this-guy look on her face, and Gemma has a smirk.

My stomach flips. "Mom. Gemma. What are you doing here?"

My mother glances at Liam then back at me. "We came to eat breakfast."

A brief moment of silence fills the air. Liam holds his hand out. "I'm Liam. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh! Sorry. This is my mom and sister, Gemma. This is Liam."

"Liam. It's nice to meet you." My mom smiles and shakes his hand.

"Do you want to sit with us?" Liam motions to the other side of the table, and my nerves vibrate. I'm unprepared for this.

"Don't mind if we do," Gemma, who's the family troublemaker, says as she slides into the booth before I can object. "Liam, where did you come from?"

I groan. "Gemma!"

"What?"

She leans forward as my mom sits next to her. "Liam, do you have any brothers?"

"No. He doesn't," I say. I love my sister, but I'd prefer for my other sisters, Ciara or Ella, to be here right now. Gemma reminds me of Kora at times, and I can never guess what she might say. I'm the oldest, she's a year younger, and my other two sisters are twins and eighteen months younger than Gemma.

"I only have cousins." Liam flashes his panty-melting smile.

Gemma wiggles her eyebrows. "Are they single?"

"Gemma!" I put my hand over my face.

Liam chuckles. "Some are."

The waitress arrives at the table. "Hi! I'm Katie, and I'll be your server. Can I start you off with coffee?"

We all flip our mugs, and she goes through several specials, but I barely hear it. All I see are the questions on my mother and sister's faces. We rattle off orders, and the server leaves.

My mother clears her throat. "Hailee, how did you and Liam meet?"

"At an event."

"Oh?" My mother raises her eyebrows.

Liam doesn't seem fazed. "My cousin remodeled her pub after a fire and had a grand reopening."

Gemma's face brightens. "Your cousin owns a pub? Is he the single one?"

"No. She isn't," I say in an annoyed voice.

"Was everyone okay from the fire?" my mother asks.

Liam nods. "Yes. We got lucky."

"That's good to hear. What's the name of the pub?"

"O'Malley's. Have you heard of it before?" Liam asks.

The color in my mother's face drains. She glances at me then back at Liam. "You're an O'Malley?"

Liam stiffens. "Yes. Do you know someone in my family?"

My mother says nothing then shakes her head. "No." She refocuses on me. "How long have you two been seeing each other?"

My chest tightens. "Not long," I answer. My mind spins, and I shift in my seat.

Does my mother somehow know who Liam is?

It was fifteen years ago. Would she have remembered if she heard something on the news with all the crime that occurs in Chicago?

My sister is unfazed. "I've passed O'Malley's before. I've never gone in. Hailee, you should take me there sometime."

"No!" my mother blurts out then turns red. She looks down at her coffee mug. She's gripping it so hard, her knuckles turn white.

Liam glances at me, but I'm not sure what's going on. How could my mother know anything about Liam? It happened so long ago.

"Why not?" Gemma asks.

"Drop it," I tell her.

Gemma furrows her eyebrows. "Why?"

"Gemma," I mutter under my breath.

Liam removes his arm from around me and puts his hand on my thigh.

I glance at my watch. "Liam, I think we're going to be late. We should go."

He meets my eyes and nods. He pulls cash out of his wallet and tosses it on the table. "Breakfast is on me. It was nice meeting you Gemma and Ms. O'Hare."

My mother slowly looks up and meets his eyes. She forces a smile. "You, too." She refocuses on me. Her face is more nervous than I've seen in years. "Hailee, can you call me tonight?"

"Sure."

"Have a nice day," Liam says and leads me out to the car. When we get in, he looks at me. "What just happened?"

I shake my head. "I don't know."