Chapter 174) Special

“Loved you yesterday, love you still,

always have, always will.”

Elaine Davis

San Myshuno
Senator Suites Apartments

After the coffee and cake with their respective grandparents, Vivien had made up excuses why she wanted to go stay with Liam for a while.

Once they arrived at his penthouse, she had followed him to her room – no, the guest room – and watched him place her suitcase on the bed like all the other times before, except unlike before, this time her heart began to race, as she became painfully aware of the presence of the bed and what it could be used for other than sleeping.

This time wasn’t like all the other times before, it was different. EVERYTHING was different now. He had confessed his love for her, she had told him the same. They had leveled up, for better, for worse. No way back now.

So, were they just gonna … do it now? Was she ready? She didn’t feel ready … but wasn’t this what she had always wanted? HELP?!

He must have sensed her worries, put two fingers under her chin to make her look at him, while chuckling he told her

“Relax, Viv. Give me a little credit, girl!”

“Oh, I am, I didn’t …. ahem … it’s just … so strange now. Different.” she stuttered.

“No, it’s not. We’re just honest with ourselves and each other now. I am not looking to rush anything any more than you are. You’re just too damn special and important to me to blow this.”

Vivien said nothing, couldn’t say anything, just stepped toward him and leaned up against him with a loud sigh of relief. Yes, she wanted him. Just …. maybe not right this moment.

The next day after Liam got home from work he took her out to a secret celebratory dinner at their favorite restaurant, afterwards they went home to spent the night watching a movie, fireplace going as it was winter now. This time they intentionally and unapologetically snuggled up together, occasionally trading kisses.
Vivien got to play with his chest for the first time without feeling as if she was doing something forbidden. A feeling of familiar comfort engulfed her.

After she realized the fireplace was about to go out and it had gotten a bit chilly in the living room, she mumbled.

“Sorry about the shirt, you must be freezing. I guess I don’t even realize I am doing that all the time now. I can close it again for ya …” her cheeks flushed slightly.

Liam chuckled.

“If it bothered me, I am well capable of buttoning shirts, Viv. I know you like to do that, and I like it when you do, which is why I wear this exact style of shirt all the damn time now.”

Within the following days they settled into a comfortable routine.

They would have breakfast together before Liam had to leave each morning, a meal Vivien had mastered with enough help. After Liam went to work, she continued with her music, writing, composing, refining, sometimes she would take single gig engagements around town. Since the holidays were fast approaching, the workload at the law firm had slowed down significantly, allowing decent hours for Liam.

When he came home from work, they would cook together, Liam would teach her some basics.

“How’s it going over here?” he asked one night.

“Just choppin’ away …”

“No, you gotta roll your fingers under, like I showed you, so you don’t end up chopping those off too, Miss Clumsy! We already have chicken, no need for extra meat.” he winked at her.

“Duuuude, my fingers ARE rolled up tighter than a Cuban cigar and I am NOT clumsy!”

“I have enough examples that you ARE clumsy, it could fill volumes. Here, let me show you again, maybe this time it clicks.”

“Fine, knock yourself out. But don’t tell me I didn’t want to do this! I tried.”

“True and you get points for that, but I do want to eat sometime today. I am famished!”

“What else is new? At least I already know what you are gonna be like at 77 – just like your grandpa! Hee hee hee. Hey, wait, Liam … that is EXACTLY how I was doing it!”

“Not even close! Just sit down and let me finish this.”

“Do you want me to sit somewhere or watch and learn? Make up my mind!” Vivien complained.

“Can’t you manage both?! I thought women were good at multitasking. Just park yourself somewhere and look cute, girl! Here!” Liam said as he lifted her up on the counter next to him.

“Hey, wait, I found the problem. Let me fix it!” Vivien said, turned his head towards her and with two fingers squished his full lips together.

“Yup, that was it. Much better. Just look cute and chop, chop, Liam! No talking.” she giggled.

Every night now they would have dinner together and enjoy the rest of the evening with the usual things young couples did, just very careful to not be too obviously a couple when in public. They’d go for walks in Myshuno Meadows park, catch a movie, have drinks at a bar, go dancing, but both preferred Liam’s penthouse where they could live their love out without looking over their shoulders.

Every night when they were both ready to turn in, he would walk her to her door, right next to his, his reward was a goodnight kiss before they would go sleep in their own beds. They still had not taken that final step.

“I guess this is good night.” he said, after the kiss.

“Hmm …” Vivien muttered, too busy unbuttoning his shirt yet again, caressing and kissing his exposed chest.

“Oh … crap! I better get to bed now. Night Viv! Early day tomorrow!” he mumbled as his body stiffened.

“But tomorrow is Saturday!” she said when Liam pulled away fast, startling Vivien, until she realized why.

As he turned his swollen groin brushed up against her tight. She blushed, felt heat flow all through her body, but in a reflex quickly grabbed him by the shirt collar, pulling him back.

Shoving him against the door, putting her hands against his chest to hold him there as he stared at her wide-eyed for surprise

“No … not tonight, honey!” she quipped, but her expression was serious.

“Viv, you don’t understand …”

“Oh, I DO understand. And tonight you are MINE! Enough of this pussyfooting! We are adults, we have waited long enough. This is gonna happen – TONIGHT!” she told him, decidedly, then kissed him, purposely rubbing herself up against his lower regions to signal him she knew what was going on and wanted more.

When the kiss broke, he made her look at him

“Viv, are you really sure?”

“Less talk, more action, Cameron! I wanna have fun tonight. Gimme all ya got! And make it extra-special! Not the kinda stuff you have done with all the other girls … and Lana.” Vivien couldn’t help some mild jealousy, blushed when their eyes met, but he nodded, smiling.

“All right … I can do that!” grinning, he turned around, crouched down a little and pushed up against her, loading her up on his back, laughing he carried her into his room, where he backed up against his bed.

Screaming for laughter, Vivien toppled off his back when he leaned backwards and let go.

Into the bouncing of the mattress, he climbed atop her, blowing raspberries on every part he could get a hold off, until Vivien was in tears from laughing so hard, begging for mercy.

“Special enough for ya yet? I definitely have NEVER done this to any girl in the bedroom.” Liam laughed.

As a non-verbal reply, she sat up slightly and pulled his head down to herself for a kiss.

“What about you, Vatore? Got anything in stock that I didn’t hear Malik bang out in Morse code against the paper walls of the dorm house?” Liam challenged, also with some undertones of old jealousy.

“I’ll show you special, Liam. Wanna do something on this bed with me, that I swear you have never done with any girl ever before, and I swear I never did with any guy … something so very unusual, you will never forget about it?”

“Hell yeah!”

“Okay, give me your hand and get up …. follow my lead! Up-the-daisie.” Vivien cooed.

“All right .. I am putty in your hands, girl …” Liam followed suit.

“Good boy. And now …. and nooooowwww…. now we ….”

“What?”

“Now we DANCE!” Vivien laughed and started bouncing and twirling.

“What the hell, woman!? You are certifiable! You got me all hot and bothered for this now?” Liam complained, but was laughing too hard to be believable as a serious complaint.

“Well, has any girl ever done this with you?”

“Nope.”

“See! Special!”

“All right, you special girl, enough of this nonsense now! You talked the talk, time to walk the walk” Liam said as he wrapped his hands around her hips.

Seconds later, Vivien found herself on her back on his bed and him atop her, him trailing kisses along every exposed part of her neck and face.

The mood quickly changed from playful to romantic and sexual.

Vivien couldn’t believe the sensations and feelings his caress and apparent desire unleashed in her. While he wasn’t her first any more than she was his, this felt like absolutely uncharted territory and evoked slight moans from her, which sounded strange to herself.

Liam pulled her up, then her sweater over her head, tossing it to the floor, her pants followed as she kicked off her shoes.

As he pushed her back down and noticed the sexy lingerie she had been wearing underneath her clothes, there was a sense of relief in his voice

“You weren’t joking, you are ready for this.”

“I told you … tonight you are mine! ALL mine!” she said, her voice strangely hoarse.

“I have always been just yours …” he said in between kisses, while she flipped her over, so she could sway her hips at his sensitive areas to get him even more roweled up.

“Viv, I REALLY hope you mean this .. cos I am past the point of no return now.” he warned.

“Show me …” she encouraged him.

“All right, give me a second. Don’t you move!” his voice was deep and husky as he pushed himself up and slid to the edge of the bed, Vivien watched him rid himself of his own clothing with lightning speed, then with his back to her she heard him rummage around in a drawer of his nightstand, probably getting protection.
‘This is really gonna happen tonight!’ she thought with a mix of excited anticipation and slight anxiety.

She rolled over on her back just as he was returning, the sensation of his bare skin against hers nearly took her breath away.

“Damn, you’re beautiful!” he said, with sincere admiration in his voice.

He began to pull her lingerie off her, unhooking her bra with the ease of an experienced lover, then it was truly just skin on skin.

The moment he joined them, everything around Vivien exploded in fireworks of passion. Too long had she wanted this and the mere knowledge it was actually happening already had done it for her, pushed her over the edge of pleasure, as she arched her back with some deep moans underneath Liam until she collapsed with a deep sigh.

“Good girl! That was fast.” Liam acknowledged her reaction, smiling, but it was a gentle, sincere smile.

“More …. ” she moaned.

“Oh, you better believe that! We are nowhere near done, not for a long time!” Liam promised, his voice still strangely different, it sounded sexy to Vivien.

She couldn’t say how long they went, but it felt like they were both trying to make up for lost time. It all felt new, like it had always just been him and her in this entire world, none of the other people in their lives had ever truly existed at all.

When finally both were exhausted and unable to go for yet another round, they curled up together, Liam had pulled on his boxers while Vivien chose to wear his black dress shirt instead of her own clothing, if only to have more of him even closer, have his masculine scent surround her completely.

“You do realize that as soon as I can function again, I will go and get your stuff from the guest room. You are sleeping here from now on. Oh – and Vivien … just for an old arguments’ sake … you ARE a noisy lover. If you don’t believe me, we can go consult my neighbors and they will confirm.” Liam said.

“Argh, whatever, who cares? At least I didn’t keep some poor, lonely, lovelorn girl in the bedroom next door up all night, cos that’s just cruel! But Liam, joking aside, can I talk you into taking down that huge-ass poster of me and my dad. I love your enthusiasm and support for my art, but getting my brains banged out with a life-sized version of my dad RIGHT THERE was uncomfortable.”

“I didn’t even realize that. Sorry. Hey, look at the bright side, at least it’s just a poster of him. Knowing our luck, it could have been the real deal.” Liam chuckled.

“Oh, don’t even go there! I would just die on the spot! I can hear him already … kicking and screaming and then all his jokes about it for months – years! – afterwards. He’d probably work it into one of his award acceptance speeches at the Starlight Accolades. ARGH!”

“He wouldn’t even bother you with bawdy jokes initially, he would be much too busy killing me first and then throwing my severed head at my dad for not raising me better!” Liam laughed.

“You do realize that at some point we have to come out to all of them, right? Our families are much too close to hide this long-term.”

“Let’s at least wait until after the holidays. No use ruining Christmas for them all.” Liam shrugged.

“Deal. Maybe we’ll make it a Valentine’s Day surprise they’ll never forget.”

“I like that idea … let’s do that, assuming nobody catches on before that. Valentine’s Day may get them all in the right kind of romantic and mushy spirit, maybe they just think it’s cute and forget the uncomfortable parts.” Liam said.

“Ha, if you are hoping for low-key, you picked the wrong girl. Even if the family were to do cartwheels for happiness, which I guarantee you they won’t, the media will butcher ever inch of our relationship. Everything I do is magnified and goes on the front pages, usually so heavily embellished it has little to do with the truth, if it’s not straight-out lies to begin with. What about your boss?” Vivien wondered.

“He can go fuck a duck! I don’t care anymore, if the old mummy wants to lose his hardest working employee because of whom they date, I say have at it. Now that I got ya, I am not giving you up again, Vivien.”

They had another week together before the countdown started that Vivien would have to fly back home to spend the holidays with her family in Del Sol Valley, which was more important than ever before to every single member of the family, now that her foster sister Celeste had returned, after a court ruling in the Camerons’ favor.

Liam had to spend his holidays with his family in Windenburg, an old tradition, beloved usually, but this year bittersweet. One week apart, at least, if not longer. It seemed like an eternity.

They tried to make the best of it, wrapped presents together, drank hot chocolate, ate Christmas cookies … but it felt like the last supper.

The plan was for Vivien to come up with some excuse why after the holidays she had to return to San Myshuno, ideally without raising uncomfortable questions and suspicions …