Love and War: A Bad Boy Romance (Small Town Bad Boys Book 2) Read online

  Even from what little I knew about her, I knew she didn't deserve that.

  "Hey," I said, raising my glass. "To new beginnings."

  Her smile returned and my stomach did a flip-flop. I couldn't even remember the last time a pretty girl's smile affected me so much.

  "To new beginnings," she repeated and clinked her glass against mine.

  We threw back our drinks in unison. The heat from the alcohol burned pleasantly down my throat to settle in my belly.

  I barely had time to set my glass down and be impressed at this city girl throwing back whiskey when I felt her warm, delicate hand graze across my shoulders.

  When I turned to face her, those cherry red lips caught my mouth in a shy, but sensual kiss.

  CHAPTER THREE

  HAZEL

  I had no idea what got into me.

  The moment my lips touched his, shock and regret whipped through me.

  Holy shit, Hazel what are you doing? You left Johnny two days ago! Why the hell are you kissing a random stranger?

  "I'm so sorry," I muttered, looking down at my feet as I pulled away. "That was so inappropriate of me."

  Flushed with embarrassment, I hopped off my barstool and hurriedly dug to the bottom of my purse for some money to throw on the bar. The sooner I was out of here, the better. He was probably thinking he should call the cops on me.

  "Hazel."

  Liam's voice was calm. It made me pause just for a split second. And then his hand touched my face.

  His fingers, gentle but firm, lifted my chin slowly to look at him. When his eyes met mine, his fingers traced a path of heat along my jawline.

  He said nothing but cupped the back of my neck and looked at me curiously like he just wanted to observe me but wasn't sure what to do. Our breath mingled in mid-air between us. I wondered if he felt the same intense, crackling magnetism that I did.

  And his lips fell to mine, completing the kiss that I wasn't bold enough to.

  My body responded like I didn't have control of it. I closed my eyes and savored his mouth, returning the pressure and adding the smallest flick of my tongue.

  This was what my body wanted, why it pulled me to him with magnetic force.

  I couldn't even remember the last time Johnny spontaneously kissed me. We had been living like roommates for months. My body starved to be desired, wanted, and lusted after.

  I pushed the thought of Johnny out of my mind as I kissed Liam with more passion, closing the distance between us. He groaned softly into my mouth as I parted my lips to give way for his tongue to explore. As his arms encircled my waist like two anacondas, I rested my hands on his massive biceps, not feeling an ounce of fat under his skin.

  He felt like a solid wall, rigid muscles dipping and rising, and strong enough to crush me if he wanted to. But the darkness I sensed from him wasn't dangerous. The way he held me was firm and protective.

  I felt safe.

  And so insanely turned on.

  It was like a switch had flipped in my body. My panties pooled with wetness and my nipples ached stiffly. His large, open palms slid across my ribcage as he kissed me and I had half a mind to put them right on my tits.

  We could have kissed for hours or mere seconds before we came up for air. I had no sense of time. Only the sense of his touch and when it ended.

  "Do you want to go somewhere else?" I asked before I could think. This was completely out of character for me. But I couldn't stop myself. Liam was intoxicating me like a drug and I needed more.

  He lifted an eyebrow. "Somewhere more private, you mean?"

  I bit my lip and nodded. Then ran my hand along his firm waistline to emphasize what I wanted.

  He grabbed my hand, stopping my touch along his flat, hard abdomen. He seemed torn if even hesitant and I wondered if he was going to turn me down.

  "Sorry, I don't usually do this," I said, yanking my hand away and feeling overwhelmed with embarrassment again.

  "Don't be sorry, Hazel." He leaned in and surprised me with a gentle kiss and a wickedly charming smile. "My place or yours?"

  "Yours."

  I could barely hear myself over the sound of blood pounding in my ears. "I have roommates."

  ***

  I followed Liam’s car to a recently renovated neighborhood just on the outskirts of Cloverville. I felt grateful he didn’t suggest taking one car, in case I wanted to flip a U-turn and speed straight toward home rather than this strange man’s house.

  A small part of me wanted to do just that. The risks of sleeping with a man within minutes of meeting him seemed to far outweigh the benefits. He was nice enough at the bar, hot as any GQ model, and an amazing kisser, but how did I really know I wouldn’t be carried out in a body bag tomorrow?

  Still, I kept my hands steady on the wheel and my eyes focused on his red brake lights. He was the hottest guy in that bar and likely the most respectful. I couldn’t help but put a spring in my step when we walked out together and I felt everyone’s eyes on us.

  The sheer thrill and excitement coursing through my veins overshadowed all doubts and precautions. I licked my lips as we turned down a street with cute, charming cottages. I could still taste his tongue in my mouth and thirsted for more.

  Liam’s car pulled into the driveway of a small craftsman-style house that didn’t look larger than two bedrooms. I pulled up alongside his curb and parked on the street. My heart returned to its nervous, hard thumping as I got out and walked up his driveway.

  “Here we are,” he said almost cheerily as he put his keys in the front door.

  I followed him inside to a simple, but neat and cozy space.

  The house was indeed small but well renovated. A spacious kitchen and living room with an open floor plan sprawled out before us.

  “Nice place,” I said in an awkward attempt to keep the conversation flowing.

  “Thanks. I did most of the work myself.” Liam glanced at me as he opened the fridge. “Something to drink?”

  I nodded, eager to take the edge off and work up the courage to kiss him again. And then go beyond kissing.

  “So are you a contractor?” I asked, inspecting his perfect ass and powerful quads as he bent over in front of the fridge. The kind of muscles that only came from hard work.

  “No, not professionally anyway.” He straightened up and closed the fridge with two beer bottles in his hand. “I just like fixing things for fun.”

  He handed me a chilled glass bottle, which would have cooled me down if it weren’t for his warm, rough fingers brushing across mine.

  “What about you, Hazel?”

  I liked how he said my name.

  “I’m not a professional contractor, either,” I said, smiling into the lip of my beer bottle.

  He chuckled and moved closer toward me, his manly scent filling my lungs and his presence overtaking my senses.

  “You’re a bit of a smartass, aren’t you?” His arm coiled around my waist again, pulling me against him. I’m not the smallest girl but I felt so tiny and delicate being wrapped up in him.

  “No, I just say stupid shit when I’m nervous.” I dropped my eyes away from him, intimidated. “Like that.”

  Just like in the bar, he raised my chin gently to look at him. My reflection looked back at me, nervous and unsure in the deep, blue pools of his eyes.

  “Do you still want this?”

  I nodded. He had me again the moment he touched me. I reached the point of no return and couldn’t go back now.

  “Yes, I want this. I want you.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  HAZEL

  His kiss came down and crashed through me like an ocean wave. Soft, pliable, but powerful.

  My body certainly felt like it was underwater, enveloped in the sea of his sensations. As his lips fell to my neck and his palms molded to the curvature of my lower back, I felt absolutely weightless.

  Practically floating, despite coming undone at the seams from his touch, I vaguely felt him steer me gently thro
ugh a hallway and then guiding me into a room.

  A quick flick of the light switch brought me back to earth for a brief moment.

  His bedroom was modern and sleekly designed, all dark polished wood accents and bright white walls. His king-sized bed was made neatly and covered with a dark duvet.

  "More of what you do for fun?" I asked.

  His hands nestled across my hips as he brought his mouth to the tender spot on my neck he just discovered.

  "This is my idea of fun right now."

  My skin shivered and all my tiny body hairs stood on end from his voice moving across my skin. I turned to capture his mouth in mine again, feeling bolder this time.

  When we pressed against each other again, I felt the huge, hard pillar of his cock press against my lower belly. He moaned hotly into my mouth as I pressed my palm along his length through his jeans.

  "Who are you, Hazel?" he said as my hands slid under the hem of his shirt, lifting up slowly. "You're so hot and you've got me all worked up."

  "Who are you is a better question," I answered, practically drooling once I wrangled his shirt off.

  The most chiseled abs, pecs, and shoulders I'd ever seen stared back at me, tight and taut underneath his tanned skin. A deep V-shape peeked over his jeans at the crests of his hips, promising more to follow underneath.

  If I stroked his ego by staring at his inhumanly ripped body, he didn't act like it.

  His hands roamed more freely across me, his kisses growing more intense and savage. It was like he'd been holding back this side of him, trying to be a respectful gentleman at first but he couldn't hold back how much he wanted me any longer.

  And that in itself made me dripping wet.

  He practically ripped my top and bra off but was surprisingly tender once my bare skin touched his. His fingers traced lines over the surface of me, exploring me like a newfound treasure.

  Leading me from behind to the bed, his arms wrapped around me and cupping my breasts like a hand bra, he kissed and bit at my neck and shoulders while pinching my nipples.

  "Ah!" I gasped while arching against him, walking forward until my knees met the edge of the mattress. He grabbed a firm handful of my ass before moving to the front to undo my zipper.

  I suddenly felt overcome with a burning desire to be spanked hard on the ass like the bad girl I was but felt too shy to voice my desires.

  As I helped him remove my pants and heard the sound of his belt buckle coming loose behind me, I froze with indecision. Should I turn around? Should I stay here kneeling on the edge of the bed?

  His lips across my bare back and his fingers dipping into my soaking wet core melted away all the final nervousness I had.

  I moaned as I threw my head back, leaning into his fingers to send them deeper inside me.

  "Oh my fucking god Hazel, you're incredible."

  Liam cupped a hand around my jaw and kissed me hungrily. As our tongues swirled against each other, his fingers exited my pussy to press firmly on my clit.

  I cried out from the pleasure so intense, already on the edge of orgasm while I felt the thick, round head of his cock press against my entrance.

  "Yes!" I cried out against his lips. "Please!"

  With one swift thrust, he was inside me, filling me up from all directions and pressing against hot, tender spots that I didn't know existed.

  His hand remained firm on my clit as he emptied and filled me, his other holding my hair in his fist near my scalp.

  "That's it, baby," he whispered in my ear when my first orgasm shuddered through me. My pussy clenched around him, feeling every centimeter of his massive cock stretching me and building up another climax almost immediately.

  Both of his hands found their way to my hips, anchoring me down as he forcefully pounded into me. It was almost more than my body could handle and yet so fucking deliciously good.

  "Spank me!" I cried out, forgetting to be shy and drowning in hot, filthy desire.

  The crack of his hand against my flesh nearly stole my breath away. But the sweet intensity of the sensation sent me over into another toe-curling, body-shattering orgasm.

  He continued slapping the tender flesh of my ass, alternating on each side while never stopping the rhythm of his thrusts. Eventually, it didn’t even hurt anymore but sent shockwaves of sensitivity throughout my whole body. I lost track of where one orgasm ended and the next one began.

  "Fuck, you're gonna make me come," said Liam's voice from somewhere above me.

  "Come on me," I commanded. "Let me feel your hot come on my skin."

  It was like my body was being possessed by some sexually deviant spirit. I never begged to be spanked, let alone be ejaculated on. It was like Liam unlocked dark, dirty desires within me that I never knew I had.

  Suddenly I felt empty as he withdrew from me. With a hot groan a few seconds later, I felt a warm rain of liquid on my back. The farthest shot landed on my shoulder. I lifted my ass and arched my back, relishing in his pleasure raining down on me.

  I was the cause of that.

  How could being bad feel so good?

  He shot like a fire hose and seemed to contain nearly as much. It felt like nearly a minute later he kissed my cheek and whispered, "I'll be right back."

  A few seconds later I heard his footsteps padding back into the bedroom and felt a warm washcloth caressing gently across my back.

  When he wiped all the come from my back, he collapsed on the bed next to me with a wide grin on his face and still catching his breath.

  "Damn, I'm happy I met you tonight," he said between ragged breaths as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

  "Me too," I admitted, settling my cheek to rest over his racing heartbeat.

  I never had a one-night stand before but this had to top all of them. Even though I was with Johnny for three years, he hardly ever brought me to orgasm if at all. Liam and I barely knew each other but he seemed to know my body inside and out.

  But I was certain if I dug deeper, it was too good to be true. Better to cut my losses while I was ahead, or however the saying goes.

  After a few minutes of sweet contentment lying on Liam's muscular chest, I lifted my head and gently pulled out of his arms.

  "I'll get out of your hair now," I said. "But thanks for the fun."

  He lifted his head from the mattress, an expression of disbelief on his handsome face.

  "You don't have to leave," he said gently. "You're welcome to stay the night."

  "I don't want to overstay my welcome," I protested, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed to touch down lightly on the floor.

  Before I could stand, his arms came around me again, gently resting on the tops of my thighs as he planted kisses on the dipping curve of my waist.

  "You won't be overstaying," he whispered softly across my skin, sending shivers up my spine again. "In fact, I'd like you to spend the night with me."

  I looked over my shoulder at him, laying on his stomach across the bed with the broad, sexy landscape of his back muscles on full display. How could I not want to stay the night next to that?

  "You're sure I'm not intruding?"

  A throaty chuckle escaped him as he sat up to kiss me.

  "I'm inviting you so yes, of course I'm sure."

  "Only if you're sure," I murmured, closing my eyes and losing myself in his kisses again. It was so hard not to.

  After showing me the bathroom and where the spare toothbrushes were, we settled in for the night between the cool sheets of his bed like longtime lovers.

  Liam's chest pressed to my back as his arm wrapped snugly around my waist. Before I could think, I grabbed his hand and intertwined my fingers in his.

  He squeezed my hand and nuzzled a kiss into my neck. "Goodnight, Hazel," he whispered.

  "Goodnight, Liam," I replied as I drifted off blissfully. This felt too good, too intimate and sweet to be a one-night stand. But I relaxed completely into his soft pillows, memory foam mattress and against
the warm, solidness of his chest against my back. Even if this lasted for only one night, I might as well savor it.

  I didn't feel an ounce of regret until by random chance in the middle of the night.

  Liam was still wrapped around me when I woke up, badly needing to pee. The clock on his nightstand read 3:23 am.

  As gently as I could without waking him, I untangled his arm from around me and made my way to his master bathroom.

  After relieving myself and coming back to bed, he flipped on his back the moment my knee touched the mattress.

  "Katie," he groaned.

  My whole body froze. My breath stopped in my chest but my heart beat like a drum against my ribs.

  "Katie," he said again, his eyes still closed. "Stay with me, baby."

  He was clearly sleep talking but I heard all I needed to.

  With the light from my phone's screen, I found my clothes scattered across his bedroom floor and got dressed as quickly as I could.

  Shame burned my cheeks as I stepped out onto his front lawn, despite no one being around to witness my walk of shame.

  I got in my car and drove home, well, to my brother and sister-in-law's house, as fast as I could, praying they wouldn't hear me come in during the night.

  Hot tears of embarrassment stung my eyes as I pulled up a few minutes later.

  Of course Liam was too good to be true, and a good liar to boot. Men who were already taken always were.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  LIAM

  I woke up in a cold sweat the next morning like I always did, the image of Katie dying in my arms seared into my brain.

  But this morning was different. I brought someone home last night and the pain of losing Katie didn’t cut through me as gut-wrenchingly as it usually did.

  Falling back on my pillow, I closed my eyes, not ready to wake up yet. Keeping my eyes closed, I turned on my other side and ran my hand across the mattress, feeling for her soft, warm skin.

  Hazel. A beautiful, classy name for an equally gorgeous and classy woman. I could tell she wasn’t the type of girl to go home with strange men on the regular. The fact that she did so with me brought a cocky smile to my lips.