Chapter 26

Maggie bucked her hips as he started biting and teasing her nub. Liam held them down so he wouldn’t be interrupted by her movements.

Within minutes, Maggie was a writhing mess and came as he licked her dry. As soon as she had stopped yelling his name, he got on his knees before her, kissed her, and plunged into her.

“Oh, fuck, darling! We are so good together!”

“Please, Liam, harder!”

Only the sound of their breathing, skin slapping, and the ocean could be heard as Liam rammed her. Liam was thankful that the beach and his neighbors were far enough away that they wouldn’t be heard.

He moved her legs up toward her chest, and Maggie hissed.

“I’m going to come, Liam!”

“Then come, darling!”

Less than a minute later, she came undone, and he followed her example. Maggie ran her hands through his sweaty hair as he lay on her, taking deep breaths.

“That was one hell of a welcome, darling!” Liam said as he looked up at her and kissed her softly.

“I have been waiting for you all afternoon. I couldn’t wait anymore. I think you are turning me into a sex addict!”

“There are so many worse things you could be addicted to. But you can only be a sex addict if it’s with me!” he said in a gruff voice.

“Only with you, babe!”

He kissed her, stood up, and pulled on his pants. “Let’s head back in before I get a mosquito bite on my arse!”

Maggie erupted in giggles and could hardly walk from her laughing fit as they attempted to walk up the stairs and into the house. Giving up, Liam picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

“I’m starving, and you are taking too long!”

Maggie was still giggling as he deposited her by the kitchen table and poured two glasses of wine. He looked at her and smiled to see the amusement on her face.

She was glowing, and it took his breath away. Liam knew he was truly in love with Maggie Sloan and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

“So, tell me about how your case went. Are you done?”

“Yes, finally! And we won, thank you very much! The jury found in our favor and gave my client a very generous restitution package. He was very pleased!”

“So, what was the case about? You never mentioned it before.”

“Intellectual property, something that my client designed and created. His former partner stole the designs and somehow got the patent finished before he did and started profiting from it.

“It took two years, but we got it done! Nick, my tech man, helped immensely and I think he is due a bonus. The case was over a million dollars in billable hours.”

“A million dollars? I hope the settlement was worth it!” Maggie said in shock.

Liam cleared his throat. “Well, um, the jury awarded all the property, future profits, and a forty-million-dollar settlement… The firm gets 30 percent of that…”

Maggie sat there and looked at him with her mouth hanging open. “Are you serious?”

Liam nodded. “And as the lead on the case, I get 10 percent of that, and the rest goes to the firm. That’s why I said I think everyone gets a bonus after this…”

“How many people work there?”

“Oh, about a hundred and twenty-five with all the support staff, paralegals, and secretaries. So once the bills are paid, I think everyone will be happy with a few thousand dollars extra.”

“Oh my god!” Maggie was in shock. “It’s just so much! How many cases do you have going at once?”

“It varies. We have twenty lead attorneys and about fifty paralegals and could have that many cases or more going at once, but most specialize in different areas.

“And some cases can go on for well over a year in research, postponements, and other things. But the firm brought in roughly three hundred million in awards and settlements last year.”

“And there are three other offices too?”

’Yes, London, New York and LA”

Maggie just sat there and looked at him, not knowing what to say. Liam could tell that it unnerved her. He could only hope that it was something they could put behind them.

Liam changed the subject and asked how her new science lessons were going. She gushed about her class, and he was so happy to see how she loved what she did.

He set the blackened salmon Caesar salad in front of her along with the basket of warm French bread as they started eating.

They ate together at the kitchen table and finished the evening on the patio, laughing and talking as the night went on. It seemed they had more in common than he previously thought.

Neither of them had ever had that connection before. It was a really good feeling to be understood by someone.

Later, they went to the beach, holding hands in the moonlight as they walked along the shore. It was a good way to end a very busy week.

They walked back to the house and took a shower together, washing each other until the tension became unbearable and Liam gave Maggie her first experience of shower sex.

“You liked that?” Liam asked as he helped her dry her hair with a towel.

“Oh, hell yes! Especially with you and in that bathroom!”

Liam laughed and kissed her nose as he handed her the shirt she was sleeping in. Maggie thought about going shopping and buying some more sexy things to wear.

She was sure he was used to that and wanted to make sure she looked her best when they were together.

They went downstairs for some dessert and enjoyed the strawberry shortcake that Joan had made.

In the living room, Maggie saw some old photos of people she assumed were Liam’s family. The older man in one of the photos had the same dimpled smile, caramel hair, and brown eyes.

The other man in the photos resembled them but had lighter hair and blue eyes.

Maggie looked at a family photo at a wedding and saw two beautiful women she assumed were his sister and mother. Both had blonde hair and blue eyes and were flawless.

She felt so dumpy next to them. As she was looking at the photos, Liam came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

“Is this your family?”

“Yes, this is my father, Charles, and older brother Henry. This was taken about two years ago when they were here on vacation. Henry is married to Bethany, and they have a one-year-old girl, Ellie.

“This is my mom, Elizabeth, or Beth as Joan calls her, and my sister Liza on her wedding day. She married William about a year ago. No kids yet.”

“They are beautiful! Your whole damn family looks like models or movie stars!”

“They are good-looking, but Mom always told us that looks fade, so we had to rely on our intelligence to get along in the world.”

Maggie tried to imagine what she would look like in a photo with them. She couldn’t live up to their looks and if she ever met them, they would see that.

Liam would finally notice how plain and average she was and that would be the end of their relationship.

Liam could sense her mood change. “What’s wrong, darling?”

“Nothing…”

“Don’t say that. Something is bothering you. Please tell me what it is.”

Maggie sighed. “I am just wondering when you are going to realize that I am not anywhere in your league and leave me. Your family won’t want me in any photos, I can’t compare to you or them!”

Liam looked at her in shock and saw the tears forming in her eyes. She really believed this about herself, and it broke his heart. He wrapped his arms around her as she wiped her face.

“Maggie, darling, I know you have been put through the wringer by that bloody wanker, but please listen to me! You are so incredibly beautiful, inside and out!

“Your heart is so big, and you love the children in your class and your friends with such fierceness.

“When you look at me, it takes my breath away, like it did the first time I saw you, sitting in that puddle. I don’t know what I can do to help you understand that!”

Maggie knew of only one thing, but she couldn’t ask him to say that to her, it had to come naturally. She needed to know she was loved by someone other than Brett and Makayla.

She just let him hold her for a few minutes, then they went to bed. He opened the bedroom door so they could hear the ocean and pulled her next to him.

As they lay together, Liam desperately wanted to say those words to her but didn’t want to scare her or make it seem like he was placating her. He wanted her to know that he meant it.