Erase (The Expiration Duet Book 2) Read online

  I whimper his name as my teeth drag from his lip, and I’m tipped over the edge of the cliff into the bright sea of orgasmic bliss.

  My eyes open to find him watching me. His thrusts start to slow as I feel him grunt and jerk with his release. Watching him has my legs quivering in his arms as I’m rocked by lingering spasms.

  His head drops to my shoulder again, and I listen as he tries to catch his breath. “Fucking hell, Liv. Did you I hurt you?” His head comes up; his eyes sated yet worried.

  I giggle lazily. “If by hurting me, you mean fucking my brains out and doing a damn fine job of it, then yes. You hurt me, and I loved every second of it.” I kiss his chin. “I’m fine.” I smile up at him.

  He grins down at me, and I’m captivated, marveling at the beauty of his handsome face when a knock sounds on the door.

  Oh, damn.

  Shit.

  “Ahhhh …” I look down at us. He’s still inside me, his warm cum starting to drip down my thigh as he softens.

  He chuckles. “It’s okay, chill. I’ll get your dress.”

  He pecks my forehead, gently sliding out and placing my liquefied legs on the floor. I watch as he tugs up his briefs and jeans over the perfect milky globes of his ass, tucking himself inside before picking up my bra and dress from the floor. I’m taking them from him when there’s another knock on the door, followed by the sound of it opening.

  Holy.

  Fuck.

  Seb’s eyes flick to mine from where he’s snatching his glasses from the couch.

  “Hello? Liv?” Zeke’s deep baritone sounds from the entryway.

  “What the fuck?” Seb growls.

  I tuck my dress over me as best I can and flatten myself against the wall like a pancake.

  Holy shit.

  I can’t breathe.

  This can’t be happening right now.

  Seb glances over at me quickly, and I hope it’s obvious from the panic on my face that I had no idea he’d be coming over. Or that he’d waltz right on in if no one answered the freaking door. Actually, that last part I should’ve known. It’s exactly something Zeke would do, especially seeing as he once lived here.

  “What the fuck do I do?” I hiss, eyeing the entry to the living room. I need to get dressed.

  “Stay here and get dressed,” Is all he says then he’s stalking out of the living room toward the front of the house, shirtless and with his fly undone.

  Oh, God. I do not predict good things right now.

  “Do you always just walk into people’s houses uninvited?” I hear Seb drawl. I take the opportunity to quickly throw on my bra and dress, smoothing it and my hair down as Zeke rumbles out, “That depends. Do you always walk around the house that my two girls live in without a damn shirt on?”

  Okay, time to intervene.

  “Your what—” I haul ass out of the living room and stop beside Seb, effectively cutting him off just as Zeke closes the door. When he turns around, his hazel eyes rake over me from head to toe then zoom in on my chest. I look down to see that the strap on my sundress is hanging down my shoulder, exposing half the cup of my white lace bra. Crap. I scoop it back up and square my shoulders.

  “What are you doing here, Zeke?” I croak.

  Holy hell, this is so awkward.

  He wipes a palm down his face before answering. “You never returned my text, and I was starting to get worried.” He shrugs, placing his hands in his jean pockets. His jaw clenches as his eyes flit from me to Seb then stay on me.

  “Didn’t realize I’d be interrupting anything.” He stares straight into my eyes, which has me itching to fidget, move, do something other than stand here under the intensity of that familiar burning gaze. I hold my ground, though. I highly doubt being intimate with your boyfriend in your own home is against the law. Granted, we were being a little more than intimate—semantics—but I’m not going to let him make me feel embarrassed. Not when he’s been doing God knows what and who for months since he left town.

  “Well, Rose is asleep, and as you can see for yourself, Liv is more than fine.” Seb hooks an arm around my waist until I’m melded into his side. Zeke’s face turns to granite as he stares Seb down. Oh, dear. I can practically feel the anger emanating from them.

  I step forward and hold a hand out. “Don’t, Zeke. Please just go. I’ll give you a call later, and we can work out a time for you to see Rose.”

  He continues to stare at Seb, so I click my fingers like a goober in front of his face. It works; his eyes fall on me and soften marginally.

  His white shirt lifts with the rise and fall of his chest as he struggles to get his shit together; his nostrils flare as he lets out a big puff of air.

  “Fine,” he grits.

  “And you can’t do this. You can’t just show up here and walk in. Okay?” I soften my voice to try to make my demand less of a blow. I know he deserves it, but this man never does anything in half measures. It’s always full speed ahead, everything when he wants and how he wants it. He likely didn’t even think twice before coming over here.

  His eyes close for a beat before he reopens them and nods.

  “You’ll call me?” It’s more of a statement than a question.

  “Yes, I promise. I’ve been meaning to; we need to figure something out anyway in regard to Rose.”

  That seems to help his features soften further. He smirks down at me before tapping my nose and turning back to the door.

  “I’ll hold you to that, Liv Sawyer.” He winks at me, and Seb lunges forward, only for the door to close as the sound of Zeke’s chuckling echoes from the other side.

  “Fuck.” Seb curses as he runs his hands through his hair and leans back against the door. I step over to him and run my palms over his smooth chest, trying to calm myself as much as I am him.

  “I have never wanted to kill another human being more than I want to kill that motherfucker, Liv. Never in my fucking life.”

  “Hey.” I wrap my arms around his waist and look up at him.

  “What?” He sighs.

  “Give me your lips.”

  His dark brows pull into a frown. “Liv …”

  “Lips.” I grab his head and pull it down to my waiting mouth. He’s as stiff as a board until I run my fingernails down over his chest to his defined hipbones and drag my tongue along the seam of his lips. He groans and picks me up once again. This time, he locks the door, and we make it to the bedroom as I let him use some of that pent-up tension in the most amazing ways possible. Ways that won’t land his perfect ass in jail.

  The smell of stale beer assaults my nostrils as soon as I step inside Dusty’s bar. Looking at the crowd, I make my way over to a booth by the pool table in the back corner where Ryan, Beau, Simon, and some other work buddies from St. Margaret’s are shooting the shit. Raucous laughter and the sounds of a football game set my scattered thoughts spinning as I duck and weave around a drunk couple getting a little too hot and heavy as they stumble around near the jukebox.

  “Well, look who decided to show up!” Beau sings, beer splashing from his tumbler as he spreads his arms theatrically.

  I’m greeted by pats on the back and teasing jabs about finally being let out to play. Little do they know I’d much rather be with Liv any day of the week than out drinking. Especially with my moods swinging from happy to angry every god damn five minutes since Zeke came crawling back to town.

  As it is, I’m only here because of one reason, and I won’t be staying long.

  “Happy birthday, man.” I return Ryan’s pat on the back. “How old are you now, forty-three?”

  He laughs, punching me in the arm. “Get fucked, Mathews. You’re the grandpa of the group.”

  “Twenty-seven is old, huh?”

  “Fuck yes, it is,” Beau interjects

  “Hey! I’m twenty-nine, fuckers.” Simon’s face screws up in outrage.

  “Yeah, but you don’t count, seeing as you still live at home with your mama.” Ryan snickers

 
; We all laugh as Simon curses our asses out. “Don’t even know why I hang out with you dicks.”

  “Because you’ve got no other friends, dude. Quit while you’re ahead, yeah?” Beau heads over to the now empty pool table as Simon stares daggers into his back.

  “Man, chill. They’re just fucking around with you. Even if it is mostly true.” I shrug.

  He shakes his head before tipping the rest of his beer down his throat.

  “So where’s Liv? How’s little chubs doin’? Beau asks, racking up the balls in the center of the table.

  “Good.” I can’t help but smile. Rose is the cutest baby I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I’m not just saying that because she feels like mine. Her rosy cheeks, brown hair, long lashes, and pink heart-shaped mouth make her a spitting image of her mother. Absolutely perfect.

  “Heard Z rocked up unannounced the other day.” Beau watches for my reaction.

  He gets one when I feel my jaw and both fists clench at the memory. “Yep, he sure fucking did.”

  Ryan laughs. “Oh, holy fuck. Did he walk in on something?”

  I don’t answer, which is answer enough for them as they all guffaw. I scowl at Ryan, who’s biting on a clenched fist as he stares at me with wide, amused eyes.

  “Real funny, douchebags,” I mutter

  “That’s so fucked up, man.” Simon looks over at me, clearly imagining how well that shit would’ve gone down. I’m actually surprised that nothing much did. With his impeccable timing, he knew exactly what he walked in on us finishing. I think Zeke has more cards up his sleeve than Liv and I give him credit for. He’s behaving and trying to keep his nose clean. Well, as far as she can probably tell anyway.

  “I’m gonna get a drink. I’ll get the next round.” I turn around and navigate my way back through the crowd to the packed bar.

  “Heyyy, handsome.” I turn to see a halo of curly blond hair and Misty, one of Kiera’s friends. “Wanna dance?” She bites her lip as her hand lands on my bicep. I clear my throat, not wanting to be a dick but knowing I need to shut this shit down. “I’m good, thanks though.”

  I step forward when the person in front of me leaves with their drinks, causing her hand to drift down my arm as she loses her grip and the ability to stand next to me, thanks to the people now standing on either side of me. That doesn’t stop her, though. I tense all over as her hands run up my back after I give the bartender my order.

  “Not even going to offer me a drink?” she purrs, tilting her head around my shoulder. I frown down at her as she bats her chunky lashes.

  Feeling more pissed by the second, I simply respond with a firm, “No.”

  She pouts, and I turn away, wishing the bartender would hurry it up so I could get the fuck away from her.

  “Come on; you don’t have to buy me a drink to dance with me.” She lowers her voice to a whisper. “Or even take me home.”

  I choke, coughing at her desperation and blatant disregard for the word no.

  I glare down at her. “You’re kidding me, right?” I quirk a brow.

  Her face screws up in confusion. “Now, why would I joke about something like that?” she purrs again.

  I pretend to think about it before answering. “Because I’m taken, and you damn well know it—”

  “Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?” The sound of Zeke’s voice cuts me off.

  “Z!” Misty squeals, her made-up face lighting up like a disco ball.

  “Beat it, Mist. Me and Sebastian here have business to discuss.”

  She grins at him and does exactly as he says, scampering back to wherever the hell she came from. Of fucking course, she does.

  The bartender places our drinks down, and I hand him some cash. “Keep the change.” I grab the tray of drinks, intent on taking them back to the boys and getting the hell out of here before I lose my cool, but Zeke halts me with a heavy hand on my shoulder as I’m passing a nearby table. I place the drinks down, knowing we’re not exactly about to have a friendly conversation.

  I shrug his hand off and spin around to glare into his smug face. “The fuck do you want, Zeke?” The tone of my voice is scathing even to my own ears. God, just looking at him gets my blood simmering as my emotions climb to the surface, wanting to let all hell break lose and pulverize him into next week. So I start counting backward from ten, trying to calm down.

  “Naw, is that any way to talk to your woman’s baby daddy?” He smirks as my anger levels rise. He shakes his head. “In all seriousness though, I just want to have a chat. You know, man to man and all that good shit.”

  I blow out a heavy breath, wondering if I should humor him or simply walk away. I wait, knowing instantly I should’ve gone with the second option.

  He shrugs. “I’ll just cut to the chase then, shall I? You’re on borrowed time, man. Let’s face it. Liv and I have the kind of history you couldn’t even dream of competing with. It’s only a matter of time before she forgives me and your ass is kicked to the curb.” He folds his bulky arms over his muscular chest. “So what I wanna know is why the fuck aren’t you gone yet? I mean who in their right mind would willingly hang around, knowing that their chick is gonna dump their ass?” He laughs with clear disbelief as if I’m stupid. As if I’ve got a few screws loose for falling in love with Liv. He should know better than anyone that you can’t just let someone like her go. Shit, I still can’t wrap my brain around why the fuck he tried to in the first place. But then again, I’m the dumbass here. I’d roll my eyes if it didn’t make me look like a pussy. The very last thing I should do in front of the likes of him.

  “You done?” I ask with a calm that surprises the shit out of me.

  It must surprise him, too. He frowns before taking a step forward and trying to go for the jugular once more. “Look, dude, I get it. She’s fucking beautiful, inside and out. Everything a man wants in a woman. But she’s not yours to keep. She’s always been mine. Everyone knows it. I’m just biding my time until she remembers that.”

  My jaw clenches as he studies my face, knowing he’s hitting his mark. “Come on, think of Rose. I know you probably care about her. And hey, thanks for that. I’m not that much of an asshole that I can’t appreciate you stepping in and being there for her while I was taking my time getting my head out of my ass. But I made a mistake, I fucked up, and I’m here to right my wrongs. And you’re kind of in the way of me doing that. Rose needs her dad, a real family unit. Not this fucked-up trio of bullshit all because you fell for the wrong chick when she wasn’t yours to have, and now you’re too damn proud to let go.”

  It doesn’t matter that the words that just left his mouth strike me with blunt force straight to the chest. If he thinks I’m just going to back down and just let him take what’s mine, what he decided to leave behind and doesn’t deserve anymore, then he’s got another thing coming.

  I step forward and get right up in the fucker’s face. “You think that’s it, huh? You think I’m just too fucking proud to walk away?” I seethe. “I fucking love both of those girls with everything that I am, everything I have within me. Everything I do, I do thinking about them. That’s more than I can say for you, asswipe. So what I wanna know is was Liv the one you wanted while you were busy fucking your way through Crestal Lake?”

  He growls. “You don’t know shit.” He moves even closer until we’re practically nose to nose. “I hope you remember your good guy bullshit when you’re climbing between my girl’s sweet as fuck legs, all the while remembering who was there first. Remembering who tasted her first. Every touch, lick, kiss, and fuck was mine first and don’t you fucking forget it, Sebastian,” he snarls.

  My hands are shoving him as soon as his last words reach my ears, my fists getting ready to rain down on his face when I’m grabbed from behind and hauled backward. Beau stands between us with an arm outstretched as he pushes Zeke back.

  “Fuck me, can’t leave you two unattended for one god damned minute,” Ryan mutters as he lets me go.

  Zeke grins. “We were
just having a friendly little chitchat, weren’t we, man?” He eyes me with a menace his voice easily disguises.

  I stare back, hatred and blind fury wracking every inch of my body. I need to get out of here before I tackle his ass to the ground again.

  I turn to Ryan, clapping him on the back. “I’m out, sorry, man. Happy birthday.”

  “Dude, we didn’t invite him. I mean he’s our friend, but we wouldn’t do that shit to you,” he whispers urgently. “We had no idea he’d show up tonight.”

  I don’t bother whispering. “It’s all good, seriously. I was only planning on having one drink anyway. Liv’s expecting me over soon.” I turn to Beau and the rest of the guys, ignoring Zeke’s jealous rage that I know he’s directing at me.

  Fuck him. I hope he chokes on his own fuck-ups and self-inflicted misery.

  “Later, guys.”

  “Tell Liv that one of these nights you’re staying out for once! Pussy-whipped motherfucker,” Beau calls out. I smirk and continue walking toward the doors, flipping him off over my shoulder as I go.

  Pulling into Liv’s driveway, I sit for a minute, knowing I need to try to get control of this anger and uncertainty. Despite knowing Zeke is full of his own shit, some of that shit held some merit that I’m trying desperately not to think about. I can’t help it, though. Broken families that can be fixed deserve that chance, right? There’s just one problem with that—two actually. He doesn’t deserve the chance, and I love Liv and Rose too fucking much just to hand them over. Like what they want doesn’t matter. Yeah, Rose might not even remember me years from now if I walked away, but I choose to believe that she needs me because God knows I need her.

  And Liv … Christ. I drop my head forward to the steering wheel. She’s made it crystal fucking clear how she feels about it all. But maybe what he says is true; maybe I am in the way of her figuring out exactly how she feels about him now.

  My head jerks up at the sound of tapping on my window. Liv stands there, the wind blowing her long hair around as her green eyes zero in on me. Confusion and worry tug at her light brown brows.

  Shit. I let out a sigh and open the door as she steps back. Climbing out, I close it and lean back against it, tucking my hands into my pockets. “Rose asleep?”