More Than Scars (32 page)

“I will have to thank him for his choice,” Liam murmured. His voice was rough and lovely, as though affected in some way.

My cheeks flamed when I realized I was still being observed! How was it fair if I couldn’t actually look him in the face?

“Hello Dr. Linda,” he greeted, breaking his attention from me.

I glanced up to regard the Dr., expecting a silver haired wizened woman. I did not expect the attractive redhead. I also did not expect to find her looking what seemed to be eye level with Liam. This was not fair! I stared down at his jacket and tie.

“Hello, handsome,” she greeted. “Ready to make sure all is working right in that magnificent frame of yours?”

I felt my jaw tighten in agitation.

“First I want you to meet my…this is my…this is
Nerissa Meadows. She will be joining us today.” He cleared his throat and held a hand out for me to step forward.

I obeyed, offering my hand.
“Very nice to meet you.” I offered a smile along with the hand.

“Hello…Liam’s
Nerissa.”

I blushed. “I’m the girl’s nanny,” I explained.

She lifted he brows. “Nice. She’s pretty.” She turned to Liam.

I frowned.

“Off with the shirt.”

My frown turned to full on scarlet flag on my face. I only looked up when the white material and a scarred hand appeared before me.

“Thank you Nerissa,” he said softly.

My eyes lifted so I wouldn’t drop the pristine white shirt and caught sight of the incredibly etched tummy it had been covering. Even the scars couldn’t hide the fine detail. My fingers trembled. And darn it if the shirt wasn’t still warm! I drew in a breath and watched him retreat to sit on the table before the Dr.

“I see we are still hitting the gym hard. Very nice Liam. Are you watching the body fat? We don’t want you losing too much! You are looking fantastic right now.” She patted a firm bicep. “You should be eating more calories though. What are you two hundred pounds now? We will have to weigh you. Mixing cardio and weights now I see. Last time it was just the cardio. Muscle looks good on you Liam.”

Was this a physical or a compliment session? I had to be careful or I was going to bite through my tongue. I distracted myself by checking out his musculature. If she could look then I was going to look too! He looked very fine sitting there and he had worked so hard for the view he was giving! Not
just the muscles but the heavy scars that crisscrossed his stomach, his arms, the deep slice along his chest.

“I still can’t believe how nicely this healed.” Her voice softened as she touched the scar I was observing. “And this…” she reached for his face.

It was too personal. Oh hell no, she wasn’t touching my man! I couldn’t believe the feeling of possession that overcame me. I cleared my throat.

Dr. Linda turned to give me a look.

“So…the exam?” I tilted my head sweetly. “We’re all aware Liam is very fine of frame on the outside.” I tried to keep my voice light. I smiled. “Can we get on with how he is looking on the inside?”

Liam cleared his own throat.

Dr. Linda’s mouth opened and closed to say something.

I put on my sweetest smile. “I’m sorry, it’s just…I…I have a meeting and…could we hurry this along?” I hadn’t lied! I had to pick up Liam’s birthday gift…this afternoon, but still…

Dr. Linda’s blue eyes narrowed and she quickly became all business, taking his blood pressure.

The rest of the exam was pretty clinical under my watchful eye.

Dr. Linda kept giving me the once over and I would just raise my brows in question at her bold stares.

I knew why Liam didn’t do this on his own, but I wondered why he didn’t just get a new Dr. And why did he allow this one to look into his face? The more I thought about it, the more pissed I got over it.

I tapped my toe as they entered the bathroom to weigh Liam. I shifted my weight from foot to foot as she took blood. I was ready to have this woman out of this house. I didn’t truly start to relax until Liam was holding out his hand first for his shirt and then for his tie, finally his jacket.

The security guard that had seen the Dr. in would see her out but it would be up to me to see her to the guard.

“Thank you for coming again Dr. Linda,” Liam said softly. “I really appreciate this.” He turned to me, straightening his tie. “When you have seen her out, please come back to the office. I’d like to discuss something with you.”

I gave a short nod and butterflies were set free throughout my system.

Dr. Linda watched him walk toward the side entrance of his office and shook her head when the door closed behind him. “He is so yummy.”

I frowned. This woman was far from professional. I was so close to hating her it wasn’t funny! I didn’t easily hate a person either. She wanted him and that was enough to get me on the defensive.

“Listen, I know my way out,” she sighed. “I know you don’t want to spend one more minute with me then I do with you.” She shook her head. “You think I am unprofessional because I admire him…crush on him even.” Her hands met her hips. “Not any less professional than the nanny being in love with her boss. You were very possessive during the exam.”

I looked down at my hands.

“I noticed you stared at your hands or feet the whole time. You are under instruction not to look at him…aren’t you?” She chuckled cruely. “He watched you Miss Meadows. Very closely…I think he was making sure you weren’t sneaking a peek. Or maybe he was hoping you were! At least hoping you were looking at that magnificent form of his. Just remember this…I got to look him in the eye. You will never see warmer more gorgeous bedroom eyes than Liam Byrne’s eyes. Remember that before you try to trample all over a girls toes.” She flipped her red hair over her shoulder and strolled to the door opposite the room.

The guard was waiting just outside.

I refrained from sticking my tongue out at her and stalked to Liam’s door, knocking more gently than I wanted to. He murmured gently his assent for me to enter.

He was behind his desk, working on his laptop.

“You needed me?” I lowered my gaze submissively.

He was quiet for a moment and I could feel him studying me. “You are mad,” he said softly. “I felt it in there. I sensed your growing agitation.”

I frowned and crossed my arms.

He got up and crossed to the front of his desk. “What is it?”

“What isn’t it Liam Byrne?” I growled.

“Tell me…I thought we were past secrets?”

I trembled at his softened voice. It was a voice he reserved for me…at least I hoped he reserved it for me. I had only heard that tone the night we shared. “I don’t know where to start.”

He blew out a breath. “Well, start with a First of all…”

“First of all…I haven’t spoken to you or seen you in days and you ask me to witness your unveiling.” I swallowed as an image of shirtless Liam flashed before me. “Second of all…that woman was so unprofessional it wasn’t funny. She was hitting on you. It was borderline sexual harassment! Thirdly…She gets to look you in the eye.” My voice broke.

“First of all…I needed away from you…and then I needed you today. You were there for me and I am thankful and unworthy. Secondly, she was showing common courtesy. You compliment the scarred messed up patient. You make them feel good. Thirdly…she was my Dr. before…during and after, that is why she can look me in the eye.”

“Common courtesy?” I shook my head. “Are you blind?” I wanted to throw something.

“It’s nothing…”

“Let me show some common courtesy then,” I growled. “Let me tell you how gorgeous you are! Let me get you half naked, feel you up and you tell me if it’s proper!” As the words left my mouth I knew how ridiculous they sounded, but I couldn’t stop them and suddenly I didn’t care! And did Liam just growl?

He cleared his throat. “My body is not in your job description,” he attempted a joke. “It is in hers.”

My mouth dropped open and I stalked him, pushing against his chest hard. He leaned back against his desk, his palms kept him from tumbling onto his back on it. He sat down. “Your body is in no one’s job description!” I advanced forward, stepping up to him now. “That woman…she…she….” I kind of lost my track of thought with him so close.

“She wasn’t…”

“She warned me away from you as she left. She told me I would never have the right to look you in the eyes.” My heart hammered. I reached for his jacket. “Why does she get that trust Liam? I want that trust.” I peeled the jacket away from his chest.

“It has nothing to do with trust. I trust you more than anyone. You have all my secrets.” His hands covered mine, grasping my wrists and holding them away from the lapels I was pulling at. “I don’t want you to take one look at me and run!
Nerissa I can’t risk having you…”

“You don’t trust me,” I whispered. I turned my hands as my brother had taught me, disengaging his hold on my wrists and grasped his wrists setting his palms firmly on the edge of the desk. “Don’t move those,” I ordered. He obeyed.

“You won’t look at me the same if…”

“You think I am so shallow?” I parted his jacket again and stepped between his legs, shoving his jacket over his shoulders. I had it part way down his arms when I realized at this angle I had his arms trapped with the jacket. I also had myself very much against Liam Byrne. What was I doing?

“Nerissa,” he murmured.

I held fast to the material, keeping my small thread of control over him and I buried my face into his neck.

He drew in a deep breath. “Okay…you have me…what are you going to do with me?” His voice was warm and rough.

I pressed my lips to his neck and relinquished power over his arms. I wrapped my own around his neck and rested my full weight into his capable frame. This was so not proper and I did not care. I felt him adjust his arms to free himself of his jacket and his arms were soon around me. It was a very intimate stance.

I wanted to kiss his neck again but held back. I was warm everywhere our bodies touched and then some. I was afraid anymore and I would combust.

“Why stop at the jacket,” he teased me gently. “Why leave the tie?”

My fingers trailed gently up his neck and he honest to God shivered. I pulled at Liam and moved my lips to his ear. “What else will you straighten while you are nervous if I take away the tie?”

He drew in a startled breath.
“Observant girl.”

I felt so deliciously bad right now. I don’t know what had gotten into me or how we had even gotten to this moment but we were here! I leaned back a little and undid his tie, leaving it looped about his neck, but loose. My fingers played at the tie. I could feel his eyes on me and it felt a little too overwhelming. I drew in a breath and then leaned into him again, wrapping my arms around him. I felt strangely powerful with this billionaire in my arms. He hid from the world, but he couldn’t hide his desire from me. My fingers played at the back of his neck and I sighed. There was so much I wanted from him. So much I desired of him, and it was right at my fingertips. I could feel it.

“Do it,” he whispered into my hair. His hands were gentle on my spine.

“What do you want me to do?” I whispered.

“I don’t know what I want but…now, this moment…you could seduce me,” he breathed. His chest lifted and fell against mine.

His words shot a thrill right through me. “If you wanted to be seduced…you could have allowed Linda…” I drew in a breath. “Would you have let her?”

“I am not that lonely,” he growled.

“She wanted you.”

“I don’t want her.”

“She’s quite beautiful. You could have…”

“Let me ask you something Nerissa,” he cut in. “Did my voice sound so tortured when she was near me?” The baritone warmed me all over.

I shook my head. Each movement caused the stubble of his cheek to brush mine.

“Did my body react like this when she touched me?”

I shook my head again, unable to speak.

“And at that time I had a lot less clothes on,” he teased gently. His hand grasped my ponytail and pulled playfully. “You could seduce me,” he repeated.

I pulled breath into my lungs. “I’m not a seductress.” My cheeks flamed and I rested my forehead against his broad shoulder.

He leaned in closer and his lips touched my ear. “No?”

“No.” I shivered.

He smiled. I felt his smile against my temple. I knew he was fighting the laughter. It made me feel even more embarrassed at my actions! I was way out of my league here! I went to push away, resting my hands against his rather large thighs for leverage.  It gave me a moment of pause, realizing how very large this man was before me! His indrawn breath at my touch told me how much power I had over him at this moment! It scared and it thrilled me.

My hands were so small where they sat. I looked down at them now. The muscle beneath was firm and unmoving. He was so steady and strong of body yet so fragile of heart. I knew he was right…I could seduce him right now. I could use him in any way I wanted. I could overpower him because he
craved this! He wanted to be loved…to let go. He wanted to be taken and to not have any responsibility in it! But I wanted things from him too! Some of those things were the same…but I wanted him to share, not have me take from him!