What Are The Odds?

What are the odds that by some wicked chance the Alphas claiming Jackson are the very ones that had claimed me all those years ago?

They do have this habit of thinking that everything fucking belongs to them.

The mere thought of having to face them sends my stomach curling. Yet, lingering just underneath the surface is a sea of emotion that I thought I had long forgotten. There is no denying that behind this façade, the wall that I had built is slowly crumbling.

And before that happens, I need to decide…

I am either all Liam or no man at all.

I owe it to him and moreover, I owe it to myself.

The Xavier brothers are destroying me all over again and I am giving them the power.

It will not fucking happen.

Not again!

So, as I glance over to the only man that should be wandering through my mind, I lay my hand gently on his arm, “Why don’t we book into the hotel before we go over to my mom?”

With nothing but a hint of lust filling those eyes, he cocks his head, and brings the car to a screeching halt. “Why are we not staying at your mom’s?”

“You know she will not let us share a room if we do,” with a little smile growing at the corners of my mouth, I lean closer, laying my lips against the tip of his ear, I softly whisper, “And I would like you to show me this naughty dream that you had.”

Turning his head only but an inch, his mouth claims mine, “Where is this hotel?” Not waiting for me to answer, he slides his tongue through, forcing my lips to part. “But I can always show you now.”

“Liam,” I gasp as his hands find their way underneath my blouse. “By the time you undo these buttons, the news would have gotten to my mother that her daughter is making out with some boy in the front seat of a car, smack in the middle of town.”

Crawling his fingers between my cleavage, he only but growls, “Am I only some boy?”

As he glides his hands over the contours of my breast, I cannot help but clench my thighs, “I will call you anything you want, just get me to that hotel.”

For a moment he lingers the tip of his fingers, waiting to hear me beg for his touch. Yet he taunts and he teases, drawing an agonizing path down my belly. With each breath he takes, I can hear him strain underneath his rising passion. Twisting his finger in the edges of my red lace panties, he slides them under for only a fraction.

“Fuck, Liam,” my breathing hitches, “What exactly did you dream about?”

His wicked smile grows by inches, “Exactly this…”

But before he can slip his hands to my ever-clenching thighs, I hear a gentle knock against my window…

“Fuck.”

I snap my head, only to see Olivia standing on the other side. That heat that was once crawling its way to my core now makes way for an iciness that settles over my spine. With legs not near able to find their strength, I open the door slowly and step around to take her into my arms.

Yet as she fights the tears, she cannot help but smile, “I see you are still all for public display.” Glancing over my shoulder at a man still raging with lust, she softly chuckles, “I guess this must be Liam?”

“We were just about to find the hotel.”

She bursts out in a rumble, “I bet you were. But how about you join us instead?”

“Us? Are you with mom and dad?”

Not saying a word, she pulls me by the arm, “Come, we are just up here at our old spot.”

For a brief moment, as our eyes lock, I can see her fighting those tears again. She always used to be so much better at hiding her emotions, but she can barely hold it together now. There is something that she is not telling me.

“Olivia, stop!”

Ignoring my please, she continues to pull me towards the entrance. This used to be our local hangout. Anybody that was someone used to find themselves here drinking and dancing the night away until the early hours of the morning.

I have so many fond memories here.

And most of those… Well, let us just say it was with them…

So, it is no surprise the second I step inside; that I am ripped right back into the past.

But just as the memories come back flooding, I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist. “Don’t go running off without me,” Liam pulls me deeper into his side, full and well aware that every head in the pub has turned in my direction. And as I glance over the peering eyes, I am amazed to see those of so many that I use to spend those very late hours here with. Though I cannot help but sigh as I do not for a single second see the infamous brothers between them…

It seems that they must have left town after all.

There is a wave of relief that washes over me, sending a once tense body, to relax. Though as we take our seats at a far corner table, I cannot shake this feeling that somebody is watching me.

This does not go unnoticed by Liam, that pulls my chair right up to his, then from underneath the thumping of the live music, he speaks, yet it is more a warning, “You are mine.”

Placing a kiss on his lips for all to see, I call the waiter over and order a much-needed drink. Then I turn my attention to Olivia, “What is going on? How is mom?”

“Avy,” her eyes near begging. “I have had a rough day; can we not just celebrate you being home?”

Seeing the pain creep to the surface of those eyes, I raise my glass, “Let us celebrate then.”

Liam looks at me rather suspiciously, “I can see trouble coming.”

I only but wave him off, throwing back another whiskey, I continue to order round after round of tequila shots. The music growing louder by the second, and the day fast turning into night. Liam not taking his hands nor his eyes from me for a moment.

As Olivia sees my irritation at his clinginess increase with each ticking second, so she pulls me from my seat and leads to me the dance floor.

I cannot help but giggle as I grab the bottle of tequila and take one big gulp, “Thank god, I was starting to feel trapped.”

“He is awfully clingy; does he know about…”

Not wanting her to even dare and mention the words, I shove the bottle back into her hands and announce, “We need more drinks. I am going to the bar.”

With a glance over at our table, I see Liam engulfed in a deep conversation with one of the other guys, not looking in my direction at all. I cannot help but sigh in relief, “Thank fuck for that.”

The bartender winks and hands me another tot of god knows what, “It looks like you need this.”

Before I can even stop myself, I utter, “I need a whole lot more than this.”

Just then the band starts to play one of my favorite songs. The music takes control of my body, and as I close my eyes, I start to sway my hips to the rhythm. With each beat, it sweeps me away to another dimension, and I start swaying seductively from side to side, dropping to the floor as the thumping grows.

As rise and lift my hands above my head, I feel a pair of hands make their way down my waist, lingering over my hips before it settles firmly on my thighs. “Liam,” I cannot help but tremble. His mere touch is setting me alight, there is a burning edging its way to the surface, and it sparks my arousal in an instant.

Wrapping my hands around his waist, I pull him tightly up against my back. Feeling his breath fall hot upon the bare of my neck, I throw my head against his chest and allow him to devour my flesh. As his cologne tingles at my senses, I turn my head to find his lips…

But as I open my eyes…

“What the fuck!”

I can barely take my eyes off his parted lips as he does nothing but smile down at me, “Avyanna…”

“Kage…”

“I see you still don’t know how to be with one man.”

“I thought you were…”

But I am not able to utter a single syllable…

Next, I have Kage pushing me back down a corridor… With each step, he is devouring my lips to utmost torment. Nipping and biting, he is making goddamn sure he is getting a good taste.

Then as he stops for but a breath, “Did you miss me?” Bursting through the back door, he pushes me up against the wall, locking my legs around his waist, “I sure as fuck missed this.”

“Kage…” Nothing but a whimper leaves my lips as he continues to rage a battle inside of my mouth. “Kage…” This time I am nearly begging.

“Fuck, Avyanna…” He drops me to the floor, and as his fingers wrap around the buttons of my blouse, I can hear the very distinct noise of a door opening behind us…

Then yet another familiar voice comes creeping through the alley, “What the fuck is going on here?”