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  “Why are you interested in me, Neal? I’m not a movie star or a super model. I’m not a singing sensation and I’ve never appeared in a music video. I’m not in the spotlight and never want to be, not even with you or in your shadow. I can’t be who you want me to be, so don’t ask.”

  “And who do I want you to be, Liv?” He kissed the tips of her fingers, and that along with the smooth tone of his deep voice worked to tear down what little defenses Liv had left. “What have I said or done to make you think I want or intend to change anything about you?”

  “You’re a star and I’m not.”

  “I don’t have to be a star,” he argued. “And you happen to have more talent in your pinkie finger than I do in my entire body. Now let me kiss you before we have our first lover’s quarrel.”

  Liv giggled and let him have his way. Almost immediately, the fight left her and her rigid body slowly melted in his embrace until she returned the kiss with as much intensity as he showed her.

  Before things got out of hand, Neal broke free and sighed aloud, but he didn’t let her go that time. He continued to hold her close and moaned softly as he rubbed a cheek against her head.

  “I’ve waited so long to be with you. Don’t make me wait anymore. Even if you’re right and things don’t work out between us, at least give us a chance to find out.”

  “Damn straight.”

  Neal groaned at the sound of Sherry’s voice behind them, but when he heard Liv’s quiet laughter, it made him smile. Leaning back, he set his hands on Liv’s shoulders and asked if she was up for a sunset cruise.

  “Yes, please!” Sherry scurried to the railing and set a hand above her brows, squinting at the big, white boat on the water. “A yacht!” she cried, turning to face Liv with an excited look that made Liv shyly smile back. “Oh, say yes, Liv! I’ve never been on a yacht before!”

  “Who said anything ab –.” Neal grunted from the finger Liv jabbed into his back muscle and frowned at her while she continued to smile.

  “We’d be happy to let you cart us around the lake in your fancy yacht, kind sir.”

  “We,” he grumbled, kissing Liv’s forehead and turning her at his side. He patted her bottom and loudly proclaimed their journey would commence just as soon as the two women were ready. “No high heels,” he warned. “Rubber soles or it’s the gang plank for the two of you.”

  Sherry giggled on her way inside the house, singing a happy tune.

  “Thank you,” Liv said.

  Neal still had an arm about her, and he pulled her back against his chest. He felt safe and confident about smoothing a hand against her shapely bottom. It made him smile, and as he leaned aside to kiss her, he asked, “For what?”

  Liv turned to face him, forcing that naughty hand to leave her body. “For tolerating Sherry,” she said, appearing as shy as she felt. “She’s a flake with bad manners and no clue about being a fifth wheel sometimes, but I adore her and still can’t bear the thought of her being crushed by that man.”

  “How is she doing?”

  “Better, but with her, the real drama doesn’t show up for a few weeks. It hits her late and comes on hard. I’m still waiting.”

  Neal held his breath, not liking the idea of having to put up with Liv’s heartbroken friend for more than a few minutes much less a few weeks. With his worst fears about their relationship being alleviated so soon, he was anxious to be alone with Liv. Alone as in upstairs, between the sheets, and for at least a week. It wouldn’t be possible with Sherry hanging around, but if Liv was waiting for the woman to explode, then he would have to be willing to wait right along with her.

  “How long after this delayed reaction before she recovers?” he asked and then dipped his hip, his mouth open wide after Liv had pinched his side in response to the impatient question. “What?” he laughed. “You can’t fault me for wanting you all to myself. It’s what I’ve waited eight long, lonely years for, Liv.”

  “Yes,” she grumbled, pushing him aside so she could walk away. “In between all those plastic boob Hollywood babes and anorexic models you’ve bedded. I know perfectly well how long and hard you’ve been dying to get with me, Neal.”

  The tense smile he offered made her want to smile back, but she resisted. It seemed more important that he know his smooth talking ways weren’t going to work on her as easily as they probably did on all of the other women in his life.

  Chapter 9

  After donning a short, tight dress of lycra in navy and with short sleeves, Liv slid into a pair of sparkly sandals (with rubber soles), grabbed a fringe purse off the arm of a nearby chair, and then she quickly checked herself in a dresser mirror. When she arrived downstairs, Neal and Sherry were waiting for her on the balcony.

  Sherry opened her mouth to speak, to tell Liv she looked beautiful, when she heard Neal exhale a satisfied groan. Looking up at the smiling man who locked his gaze on Liv with obvious desire, Sherry set a hand over her mouth but giggled aloud anyway.

  She swatted his arm. “You’re such a dog.”

  Grinning, Neal stepped up to Liv and slid his hands up her forearms, holding her beneath her elbows. “You look amazing,” he crooned, kissing her on the lips. The doorbell rang before Liv could say anything, and she turned to watch Sherry hurry to the front door.

  Neal quirked a curious brow as Sherry let in a stunning woman with long, dark brown hair, and what he would soon discover was a perpetual frown on a very pretty face. When she set her big, blue eyes on him, Neal became uncomfortable.

  “What’s he doing here?” Carmen asked Sherry as she started toward Liv and Neal. The beauty with a reed figure pointed at Neal but set her angry gaze on Liv. “Is this the guy who made you so miserable?” Eyeing Neal, Carmen folded her arms at her slight breasts. “The guy who led his stalker right to your door?”

  “Carmen,” Liv said in a quiet tone. “It’s over now, and he’s not to blame.”

  “Right,” Carmen groaned and managed a wry smile, tossing her long hair off her shoulder. “It’s too bad I wasn’t here, Liv. I’d have –.”

  “He’s taking us on his yacht!” Sherry exclaimed after she came to stand beside Carmen and smiled childishly. “Isn’t he gorgeous?”

  Carmen snorted, blushing to see Neal’s wide grin. Then he extended a hand and said hello, introducing himself.

  “I know who you are, big-shot,” she said and slapped his hand before facing Liv. “What about the psychotic bitch? Is there any chance she might return?”

  “She’s in jail,” Neal said before Liv could reply. “Twenty to life for attempted murder. Would you care to join us on our cruise?”

  Carmen giggled despite herself, and then she hugged Liv, whispering that she was in love with Neal.

  Liv blushed as she met Carmen’s approving gaze, and then she tried not to laugh aloud when Carmen turned to scowl at the man she had just said she adored.

  “You’re not going to run us aground or sink us, are you?”

  “No ma’am,” Neal replied, pressing his palms together at his expanded chest before he relaxed and scratched the back of his head, making a wary face that had all three of the ladies tittering behind their hands. “Well, I can’t guarantee something won’t go wrong, but she’s maintained on a regular basis. I trust my captain, too.”

  “Neal,” Liv giggled, setting a hand on his arm and leading him to the balcony. “Ignore Carmen,” she advised. “Where Sherry is giddy and spontaneous, Carmen is wary and caustic.”

  “And I’ll bet you love her, too.”

  Liv glanced up at her handsome . . . lover, was he? She still wasn’t sure about getting involved with him even if the urge to do so was strong. “I do,” she replied. “We’re an eclectic bunch, but we always manage to have a good time, and they take good care of me. I’d be lost without them sometimes.”

  Neal smiled, holding her hand as they made their way to the pier. He hoped to be as valuable and needed by Liv, but it didn’t seem like the right time to mention anything ab
out his desire to get with her.

  After she had asked him why he was interested, Neal began to realize where her hesitation lie and why it wasn’t going to be as easy for him as it had always been in the past. When it came to relationships, most of which were one-night stands, Neal had never approached a woman because they were the ones to make the first move. At least until he met Liv and then he knew exactly what he wanted. He still did, and after eight years, it was about time they got things started.

  At least I know she’s interested, he thought as he helped Liv and her two friends aboard the yacht.

  The captain, a young man in his early thirties and dressed the part in his navy coat with brass buttons, white pants creased up the center of his legs, and a captain’s hat atop his sandy blond head. When he smiled, the ladies did a double take.

  “Ready to embark, sir?”

  “Ooh!” Sherry pointed at the captain. “He’s got the same accent as the hot guy!”

  Liv grabbed Sherry’s pointing finger and squeezed it hard enough to make her cry out in pain. After gently shoving Sherry aside, Liv smiled at the captain and thanked him for letting them aboard the boat.

  Still smiling, the captain pointed at Neal. “It’s his, ma’am. I’m in his employ.” He turned his attention to Neal. “Champagne chilled, diced fruit on ice, and if you’d like, there’s fresh shrimp for cocktails. Will there be anything else before we set sail, sir?”

  “Yes,” Neal grumbled, setting an arm around the captain’s shoulders and turning them away from the women. Not that it was necessary since they were slowly wandering about the ritzy vessel in quiet admiration of its finery. “Stop calling me sir, Jennings. You’re in America, and it’s been awhile since I’ve been addressed as such.”

  Jennings pulled a confused look that nearly caused Neal to roll his eyes. “I told you before man, this is our little secret. Remember? England stays in England, and in America, you do as I do. Got it?”

  “Aye-aye, sir.” Jennings saluted Neal and grinned, jogging up a spiral flight of stairs to return to the bridge. Neal looked up at Jennings, and then he turned to see Liv and her friends at the back of the boat, out in the open.

  “It’s amazing,” Liv said after Neal put a hand atop her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. “This is going to be fun.”

  “You live on the lake and never went for a cruise before?”

  Sherry had set a bent knee against a cushioned bench to look over the back of the boat and turned at the sound of Neal’s voice. “We’ve been sailing a few times,” she offered. “Every guy Liv’s ever known seems to own some kind of boat or another.”

  “Nothing quite as sweet as this though,” Carmen added, unaware like Sherry that Neal was giving Liv the evil eye.

  “I guess I am a possessive jerk,” he grumbled, leaving Liv to gawk in silent amazement as he left her to go below deck. He returned a few minutes later, after the boat had set sail, carrying a bucket of ice and a bottle of champagne. After setting the expensive wine on a glass table in front of the padded seats, he opened a small cupboard and removed four securely fastened champagne flutes. With the bubbly poured, they clinked glasses and sipped.

  Liv and her friends spent the first few minutes of the cruise standing at the side watching the water fin against the not-too-fast and not-too-slow speed of the immense vessel as it cut its way through the dark, blue water. They were headed north, up the peninsula and toward the bridge. There would be a spectacular fireworks display at around ten, and then they would turn and head back in the dark. With any luck, they might see the aurora.

  The weather was favorable for star gazing, and even with a brisk wind on the top deck, it was too muggy for anyone to get a chill or need a sweater.

  After getting comfortable, a distant rumble of thunder reached their ears above the hum of the engines. Liv and her friends smiled to see Neal look up on impulse before searching for any sign of an approaching storm. There was none. He slowly relaxed and set an arm about Liv’s shoulders, still with a curious frown on his face, which made Liv giggle and get his attention.

  “I thought I heard thunder,” he admitted.

  “You did,” Carmen told him, almost smiling when Neal met her serious gaze.

  “There’s this really cool –.”

  Carmen held out a palm in front of Sherry, silencing her and making her pout. Carmen eyed Neal again. “The legend goes that a warrior from another galaxy lives nearby,” she said. “Right there.” She pointed to shore and Neal leaned forward to get a better look at the wood frame and glass enclosed two-story house that rested on a low, jagged cliff surrounded by pine, birch, and cedar trees, much the same as Liv’s house looked from the water.

  Neal sat back and bent a leg, resting that ankle atop his knee. “An alien, you say?”

  “That’s right,” Carmen admitted without shame, but with a good amount of I-dare-you-to-argue in her tone. “He’s incredible, too. Seven feet tall, solid muscle, and with black hair he wears in a sexy braid down his broad back.”

  “His eyes glow,” Sherry quickly interjected, wide-eyed and animated while nodding at Neal.

  “They glow because he’s an alien,” Carmen added. “And, his woman is an Amazon. The most beautiful woman you’re ever going to see in your whole life. A goddess really, and he’s a god. Whenever you hear that distant thunder on a clear day or night, it means they’ve returned to the B&B.”

  Neal remained speechless for a time. With a tight smile, he glanced at Liv before looking at Carmen again. “I never thought I’d ever get a chance to say this, but you sound like you actually believe what you’ve just told me.”

  Liv leaned forward with a burst of laughter while Carmen and Sherry loudly insisted that the story was true.

  “I’ve met them!” Sherry cried, pressing a hand against Carmen’s thigh when Carmen stood in front of her on purpose, to block her from Neal’s view.

  “I take it you don’t believe in aliens?” Carmen asked. “Or, do you just think someone like me lies for the hell of it?”

  “Alright,” Liv said, extending her arms to silence the oncoming argument. She turned to face Neal, who appeared relaxed and enjoying himself despite Carmen’s growing resentment. “It’s true, Neal. I’ve met them, and I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe. His eyes especially. They actually do glow like fire.”

  Neal grinned at her before he gently pinched her cheek, making her blush. Carmen took offense and began to argue when Neal frowned, silencing her.

  “Y’know,” he said and quirked a curious brow. “Now that you mention it, there’s a similar legend up in Canada. An alien used to live among the indigenous people, and he made his living at the tar sands in Alberta for a while doing environmental research. They said he walked out of the forest one day and the natives adopted him. He was a loner of sorts but a huge guy no one could ignore or wanted to cross for any reason. Then, after he met a woman, they both vanished. And whenever the sound of distant thunder is heard, everyone agrees that the alien and his woman are back for a visit.”

  “See,” Carmen snottily said, making Neal laugh under his breath. “I’m not a liar, Mr. Hot Ass.”

  “Be nice,” Liv warned her touchy friend, holding her glass out so that Neal could pour a second helping of the champagne. “Not everyone is going to believe in aliens, Carmen. Even I didn’t until I finally met them.”

  Chapter 10

  THE FOLLOWING DAY, Neal entered Liv’s bedroom and set a glass of orange juice mixed with champagne on a small nightstand beside the bed she still slept in. Seeing how she slept with her butt sticking up underneath the blanket made him catch his breath and set a hand against his pounding heart before an approving smile curled the edges of his mouth.

  Resisting the urge to spank her, Neal instead smoothed a hand across the irresistible hump, quietly saying her name as he sat on the edge of the mattress and waited for her to awaken.

  “It’s late, and someone new just arrived.”

  “Go away,�
�� Liv grumbled, her eyes closed and with an annoyed expression that made Neal laugh under his breath.

  “Here. Drink this. It’ll make you feel better faster,” he said and reached for the drink. Liv sat back on her heels, her hair a mess and her eyes mere slits.

  “Who’s here?” she muttered while rubbing her eyes.

  “Another of your pretty friends,” Neal answered, wanting to run his fingers through her hair and remove it from her face for her. It was too easy to detect her bad mood though, so he didn’t. “Natural red-head, busty, great smile, and pretty, blue eyes.”

  Neal grinned after Liv turned to flash him an angry glare. She took the drink and kept her back to him as she drank, giving Neal the opportunity to study her some more.

  The sheer material of her sleeveless nightshirt gave an amazing silhouette of her braless breasts and cinched waist, and he liked it even more that she had on another pair of boy shorts that embellished the sexy curve of her derriere.

  So, she wasn’t a pleasant riser, which meant he’d have to keep his hands and his desire to himself if he hoped to avoid any unnecessary arguments.

  On the yacht the previous night, Liv had polished off four glasses of champagne and behaved in a way that Neal couldn’t have anticipated but that still made him want to laugh aloud. She wasn’t the most inhibited of creatures to begin with, and with alcohol to help stimulate her, Liv became a silly giggle box whose soft voice was almost a whisper as the memorable night wore on. If she fell against him once while trying to walk aboard the bobbing vessel, then she fell against him a dozen times. Neal had to slide an arm about her waist to hold her steady, and now his smile broadened at that particular memory.

  While Liv drank the potion, Neal recalled the fact that she and her friends had laughed at everything that was said or that occurred, so that by the end of the enjoyable cruise, his cheeks hurt from having smiled so much. Even Carmen had somehow managed to lower that cautious shield of hers and have a good time. Three times Neal had to rescue the captain from her amorous advances too, and just as many times, he had to calm Sherry’s unexpected tears. Something said to make her think about the idiot who had betrayed her and broken her heart set her off each time, and Neal felt obliged to soothe those tears. He had put an arm around her and let her weep on his shoulder. Now it became a source of worry for him, and he could only hope that Liv was as understanding as he believed her to be.