The Real Thing Page 3

  "Come on, sweetie. This is going to be fun, I promise. It'll be like Pretty Woman without the hooker part." Felicity tried not to look surprised and allowed herself to be led towards her bedroom. She risked only one look back at Liam as she went and immediately wished she hadn't. There was something in his eyes she couldn't place, but it felt dangerous. Everything about what she was doing felt dangerous, and now it was simply too late for her to back out. In her heart of hearts, she didn't want to back out.

  “THIS IS TOO MUCH, LIAM! I don’t know what I’m doing here!”

  Felicity made it as far as the parking lot before freaking out. The limo ride to the massive mansion didn't help matters either. She had never seen anything like it, the house. It had to be five-thousand square feet at least, and she was a pretty poor judge of square footage. The whole place was made out of wood, chrome, and glass, and she could see what looked like at least a hundred people milling about, all more posh than her. All at once, nothing about Liam's carefully explained plan made sense. Her mind was utterly blank, a whitewash of panic. That was how the world looked to her when she shut her eyes. The underside of her eyelids started to appear a blinding white, her chest started hurting, and she knew that panic was about to set in. She shut her eyes tight against this terrifying endeavor or not. It was the feel of Liam's hand covering hers that brought her back from that brink. Brought her back, but only just.

  "It's not too much, Felicity. It's just right. You look devastating, if you don't mind my saying so," Liam assured her, not a hint of irony in his voice. She opened her eyes and almost gasped when she saw how close his face was to her own.

  “I feel like an imposter,” she whispered, her eyes falling to the sequined evening gown that was hers for the evening.

  "You don't look like one. I'd say it suits you. We should get you out to fancy places like this more often," he answered confidently. She flinched a little at the idea that this was something she would have to do more than once, but it didn't take a genius to see that he was only trying to calm her down. She was acting like a fool, after all, despite the fact that he had already compensated her for the job she was about to do. She glanced at his eyes and noticed that same burning look she'd imagined she’d seen earlier and looked back at the dress quickly. This situation was in a whole other league than any date she'd been on before, even if it wasn't a date, strictly speaking.

  “Go over it again for me, please. I think that would help a little. Would you go over why you wanted me to be here badly enough to buy back my grandmother’s ring?” she asked, still trying to wrap her head around everything.

  “It’s simple, I promise. The hardest part will be dealing with all the patrons. A lot of these people have sticks up their asses, Felicity. You’ve been warned.”

  “Alright,” she laughed, allowing him to move her away from the car and towards the massive, contemporary front door. “Then why are we here?”

  "It's one of the requirements of my work, I'm afraid," he answered smoothly, finally ushering her inside.

  “And why me? That’s what I don’t get. Why did you need me here and why are you letting me wear such an expensive necklace?”

  "Because I'm a procrastinator and I'm not good at planning my own dates. As for the necklace, I can't have a woman on my arm not decked out in the finest. What sort of representation of my industry would I be?"

  "That makes sense," she said, uncertainly. Because she hadn't ever been a man's date for hire before, she had no idea if the explanation made sense or not. Now that she was inside of the cavernous building, she found it increasingly difficult to care. The concrete floors were so polished it looked to her as if they were walking on water. Everywhere she looked there were men in tuxes every bit as fancy as Liam's, although none of them looked quite so handsome. On their arms were women in dresses that had to cost three times her monthly rent, each of them glittering softly in the low, warm light. Felicity knew that her own dress matched theirs perfectly, but a little voice in the back of her head whispered, making her feel more like an imposter than ever. None of these women were wearing dresses brought to them by assistants, who already knew they wouldn't have the necessary garments for the occasion. Even with her untrained eye, Felicity could see that these women were the real deal. Most of them probably had assistants, and personal shoppers of their very own and none of them were likely being paid for their attendance.

  "Hey, Felicity?" Liam said softly into her ear. He leaned down to do so, and the feel of his hot breath tickling her ear made her shiver all over. She was trying desperately to keep her composure but when she met his eyes, she was sure she looked like a deer in headlights. The dress, the necklace, everything about the evening was totally out of her league. Her heart was beating too quickly, and for an insane moment, she was sure Liam could possibly hear it, even over the five-string quartet playing the mood music for the night.

  “Yes?” she asked, her voice small and cracking on the end of the word.

  “Don’t do that, okay?”

  “Don’t do what? Did I say something? What did I do?”

  “No, not on purpose. I don’t think you even know you’re doing it.”

  “Doing what?” she asked, growing more and more exasperated by the second. It was starting to feel more and more like she was caught in the middle of an inside joke and she was the only one who didn’t understand what was going on.

  “The little voice in your head telling you that you don’t belong here. Just don’t. Just for tonight pretend that voice isn’t there and let’s have some fun. What do you say?”

  Felicity took a look around the room, turning slowly and relishing the feeling of her fancy dress whisking around with her. It didn't make any sense, her being there. She was supposed to be the version of Cinderella that’s still scrubbing the floors, not the one who gets to go to the ball. Even so, here she was, surrounded by beautiful people, on the arm of a seriously sexy billionaire, and at a party with an open bar. For once in her life, maybe it was okay just to let go. Just this once.

  “Yes,” she grinned, accepting the flute of champagne Liam had discreetly taken off the tray of a nearby waiter, “I say yes. Let’s make this night one not to forget.”

  Chapter Four

  Felicity Reynolds

  IT WAS AMAZING HOW much fun a girl could have once she decided to let go for once. The last couple of years had been trying for Felicity, unbelievably stressful, really. Much to her surprise, a fancy party where nobody knew her and she knew nobody else, turned out to be exactly what the doctor ordered. By the time she was done with her first glass of champagne, she realized that she was legitimately enjoying herself. The more she enjoyed herself, the more she engaged with Liam, and the flirtation between the two of them was undeniably intoxicating. She had no right to be there on his arm, cosmically speaking. The two of them came from entirely different worlds. And yet, somehow, here she was, attending the fanciest party of her life, on the same day she had sold her grandmother’s ring, only to be gifted them back. The unlikeliness of the whole situation made her positively giddy, and after a second glass of champagne and some kind of cocktail that looked like it had come straight out of The Great Gatsby, she was floating through the party rather than walking along its concrete floors.

  “This thing really suits you,” Liam said appraisingly, looking her up and down with not an ounce of shame.

  “What, the dress or the cocktail?” she shot back, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet in time to an old Sinatra tune.

  "Definitely both," Liam grinned, sliding an arm easily around her waist. She gasped at the feel of his fingers running gently over the fabric of her dress. Nervously, she took a swig of her drink to keep from looking as surprised as she felt. The party was in full swing now, the massive house illuminated with exposed Edison bulbs and small votive candles set out strategically throughout the space. There were beautiful people everywhere, including more than one woman she would have bet money made their livings as le
gitimate models. All of those beautiful women and yet here Liam was, with his hand resting just above her ass.

  “Watch it, mister,” she said with a devilish smile, “your hands getting into dangerous territory there.”

  “Shit, I was hoping you wouldn’t notice. At least not until I’m done exploring, that is.”

  "Exploring? Is that what it's called?" she asked, turning to face him a little breathlessly. She didn't know if it was the clothes, the fine champagne, or the plethora of attractive people, but she felt like she had been infused with an overload of confidence, unlike anything she had ever felt before. She had never been the girl who could talk easily to men, especially not men as good looking as Liam. Normally, a situation like the one she was in now would leave her paralyzed with social anxiety, but tonight she felt completely up to the task. She didn't know where her forward flirtatiousness was coming from and she didn't care. She had decided to have a good time, and that was exactly what she was going to do. Almost like Liam could read her mind, he leaned his face down close to hers, so close she could practically feel his lips on hers.

  “It’s what I call it. Exploration. I’m a big fan of exploration.”

  “Are you now? What’s your favorite thing to explore?”

  “I’m interested in all kinds of things. Just depends on the day,” he answered, maddeningly vague.

  “And what about now?” she pushed, hardly able to believe how brazen she was being, her veins full of adrenaline and her heart beating as quickly as a hummingbird’s wings. “What are you interested in right now?”

  “I think that’s something I’m going to have to show you instead of tell. In order to get the full effect, you know?”

  “Is that so?”

  "Most definitely," he whispered in her ear. His hand, still on the small of her back, slipped down and landed firmly on her ass. Only this time, instead of moving it straight away, he let it linger. He held her eyes with his as the heat of his hand seared into her skin, and when he broke the contact, she almost whimpered in disappointment.

  “When?” she asked breathlessly, all thought of propriety long gone, “Where?”

  “Right now,” he growled, “and follow me.”

  Liam grabbed her hand and threaded them through the throngs of partygoers, stopping every so often to chat with somebody who just had to say hello. Even when he was making stupid small talk, he never let go of her hand. His thumb ran slightly up and down the length of her fingers, along the delicate skin of her palm, until her entire body was vibrating with the promise of his touch. This wasn't something she did, hooking up with a man she hardly knew. But then none of this was something she did. And yet by the third person who’d stopped Liam to make small talk, she was ready to shout at the tops of her lungs that she needed the interruptions to stop. When they finally made it to the stairs, she was trembling all over, and she wasn't sure she would even be able to make it to the top.

  “Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly, as they made it to the top landing. She glanced around quickly to see who else was around and found that all of the partygoers were on the bottom floor.

  “Are we supposed to be up here?” she asked. Her anxiety of breaking the rules threatening to break through her champagne high and kill the buzz for both of them.

  "Do we care?" He grinned over his shoulder. That grin alone was enough to make her forget everything else, and she followed his lead down the hallway without another question. It helped that he seemed to know where he was going. It wouldn't surprise her in the least if this place were one of his friend's houses. Whether or not it was, she found that she was quite willing to go along.

  “Here,” he said, opening a random door and leading her inside. The room was dark enough that at first, she couldn’t see anything at all. There was nothing but a thick rug beneath her feet and the feel of Liam’s hand, still leading her forward.

  "Alright, now. Let's get some light in here, shall we?" Liam said before turning on a low lamp that filled the room with warmth and shadows. He stood by the light switch and looked at her for a long time, long enough that she started to feel self-conscious.

  “What?” she asked shakily, “What are you looking at?”

  “I thought that was obvious,” he countered, “I’m looking at you. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? I swear to God, it was all I could do to keep my hands off you down there.”

  "You didn't really, though, did you?" She smiled, taking quick, shallow breaths as he slowly approached her. With one step, he took off his jacket and tossed it on the floor. With the next step, the tie went too and he began to unbutton his shirt. And speaking of gorgeous. His body was tanned and hard, obviously the product of many hours in the gym. Her legs tremble, and by the time he was right in front of her, she was shaking all over.

  “No,” he said in a low, throaty voice, “I guess I didn’t. Did it bother you?”

  "No," she answered quickly, her eyes locked on his. If she looked anywhere but into his eyes, she had a sneaking suspicion the spell would break and bring her back to reality. For the moment, that was a place she had no interest in going.

  "And what about now? Would you like me to touch you now? Because there's nothing else I would rather do."

  "Yes," she whispered, sure that he could see her heart pounding against her skin. His hands made their way around to the back of her dress, and the sound of the zipper going down seemed deafening in the silence of the room. She stood completely still as he slid the dress' straps off her shoulders. She stepped back, and let the whole thing fall into a heap around her feet. The dress was such that she couldn't wear a bra and for some reason that was now completely lost on her, she had decided to go commando as well. She was completely naked, in an upstairs sitting room of a total stranger's home while Liam looked at every inch of her hungrily.

  “Is this okay?” she asked, then immediately wished she’d said nothing at all. What kind of question was that, anyway? There was nothing sexy about saying something like that, that was for sure. Leave it to her to take a totally sultry moment and completely screw it up. She looked at Liam, half expecting him to shake his head and walk away. Instead, he grinned at her again and crouched down slowly to his knees.

  “What?” she asked, caught completely off guard, “What are you doing?”

  “I want to taste you, Felicity. I’ve wanted to taste you since the first time I saw you.”

  There was no time for her to protest if protesting was what she had in mind. One minute she was a naked offering in the middle of the room. The next, Liam's hands were cupping her ass and pulling her closer to his face. He looked up at her devilishly and then his tongue found her clit, and everything else was obliterated.

  “Oh,” she moaned, “Oh my God, Liam!”

  He didn't answer, but the movement of his tongue sped up, moving in tight circles, stopping only to suck. Her hips moved in time with his rhythm, entirely of their own accord, and she let her head fall back so that her face was tilted up to the ceiling. Did I lock the door? A small voice asked in the back of her head. Had he? She had no idea, no guarantee that somebody wouldn't walk in and find them out. The thought of it should have been enough to pull her out of the moment, but instead, it had the exact opposite effect. The danger combined with his hot, lapping tongue was too much for her to bear. The heat between her legs built and built, her hands in his hair and the scene behind her closed eyes exploding into bursting white lights. The extreme pleasure of the orgasm, pleasure resting right on the border of pain, wiped out everything else. She was so wrapped up in it that she hardly noticed when he tugged on her arms, bringing her down to the floor with him.

  “I want to feel you,” he breathed into her ear, his spicy scent mixing with his hot breath and making her crazy. “I want to feel all of you.”

  “Please, Liam,” she gasped in response, laying back on the rug and spreading her legs wide. He rose up onto his knees again, positioning himself between her knees and pausing to look
at the length of her. She arched her back helplessly, even the anticipation of him sliding inside of her was enough to send her back to the brink. When she got tired of waiting, she reached out and wrapped her hand around his shaft, smiling at his hissing intake of breath and guiding him inside of her at last.

  “Jesus,” he moaned, sinking the full length of him inside of her with agonizing slowness. He pulled back so that he was almost completely outside of her and then plunged back inside again, making her cry out and shake her head helplessly from side to side.

  "More," she sighed, bucking her hips so that they rose to meet his. He was more than happy to comply, thrusting his hips slowly at first, then picking up speed. She arched her back, and he buried his face in her breasts, lapping at her nipples until she cried out again. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he rose to his knees, supporting her hips with one strong hand. His other hand went back to work on her, the pace of his fingers matching the pace of his hips. Her eyes slipped shut again so that all there was in the world was the feeling of him moving over her, moving inside of her. The only soundtrack of their mingled panting breaths and the sound of her own blood rushing in her ears. It rose like a crescendo inside of her until her entire body shook and she came again, this time even harder than before. Liam's shortening breath joined the rushing sound. She felt him losing control, his movements becoming more erratic, the cock inside of her tensing up and then letting go. A minute later he collapsed onto the floor beside her, sliding one arm underneath her head and drawing her in close.

  "Wow," she said finally, not because it was an earth-shattering concept but because she could think of nothing else to say. Now that it was done, the little voices of doubt inside of her head were back and stronger than ever. What she had just done was hands down the best sex of her life. There was no questioning that. The problem was, it was with a man she hardly knew, and in somebody else's house to top it all off. She sat up quickly, then immediately regretted it as all of the blood in her body rushed and she felt like she was going to faint.