Falling For Liam (Falling Book 9) Read online

  Falling For Liam

  Falling Series #9

  Tracy Lorraine

  Contents

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  A Note

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Playlist

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  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Tracy Lorraine

  Sneak Peek

  Never Forget Him

  Never Forget Him

  Copyright © 2019 by Tracy Lorraine

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited by Pinpoint Editing

  Cover and formatting by Dandelion Cover Designs

  For everyone who’s made it this far. Thank you for everything x

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  A Note

  Falling For Liam is written in British English and contains British spelling and grammar. This may appear incorrect to some readers when compared to US English books.

  Prologue

  Olivia

  The scent of his whiskey-laced breath fills my nose and my stomach turns over. The warm air burns into my skin. Unable to control my reaction, I fight to get to the edge of the bed and retch. His touch is too much. Pulling my arms free of his grasp, I drop my face into my hands. My cheeks are soaked with my tears, my hair stuck to the sweat that’s covering my body. As I manage to drag in a few deep breaths between my sobs, the image that was just so vivid in my mind slowly begins to fade away. It’s not until I hear a different voice to the one that was just filling my ears that I realise it was all a dream. He’s not here. He’s not the one leering down at me.

  “Fuck, David,” I pant, and relief washes through me as I look up to the familiar blue eyes of my boyfriend. But my entire body continues to tremble and my heart pounds erratically in my chest. I’d hoped he would bring me comfort, make me feel safe, but I experience neither of those things. As we stare at each other, the only thing I feel is empty.

  “You were having a nightmare,” he says, nonchalantly.

  Another piece of my heart fractures at his attitude. He knows exactly what my nightmare was about, but if it’s possible, he’s even more broken than I am.

  David rolls back over and almost immediately falls into an alcohol-induced coma. Resting back against the hard wall behind our bed, I try to get my head together. I told myself that I owed it to both of us to give our relationship one final push. We’d been together too long to just let what we had slip away. Who am I kidding; what we had vanished a long time ago. About the same time, David fell into a bottle of whiskey to deal with his problems instead of facing them head-on. That bottle took a little more away from me everyday. I practically stood there and watched what was a blossoming relationship go down the drain. Maybe I should have given up on him. It might have been the easiest option. But I didn’t want easy. I wanted my knight in shining armour. I wanted David. Well…the David that existed at the beginning of our relationship. The one who rescued me, protected me, and looked at me as if I was his everything. Yeah, that David is long gone, but I’m still here. Still clinging to memories of what once was.

  Chapter One

  Olivia

  “Have you left yet?” Nicole squeals down the phone. Her obvious excitement helps to lighten my mood a little.

  “I’m just about to lock up, then I’m on my way. I couldn’t get out of work.”

  Tonight is her and Declan’s engagement party, and I promised I wouldn’t miss it. I want to be excited—Nicole deserves good things, and I want to celebrate with them, I really do, but…I’m going to be reminded of what everyone else’s lives are like. More importantly, I’m going to see him again. Liam Harris. The radio DJ come surfer who I’ve fought like hell to get out of my head since the first time I met him.

  He’s not my type at all with his dark hair and even darker eyes, but shit if he didn’t have some weird effect on me the first moment I first saw him all those weeks ago.

  Spending a couple of weeks down in Devon with Nicole before my brother’s wedding was equally the best and worst time of my life. I was so desperate to get away from my shitty life, to be able to breathe for the first time in weeks…Then, I discovered what I should be experiencing.

  Happiness.

  Everyone in that little bay seemed so happy. They all had good things in their lives, and it made my misery seem even worse.

  But I’m not going to bail on David. None of this is his fault. He’s just trying to cope the best way he can.

  The further away I get from Cardiff, the more I relax. I blow out a long, slow breath as a feeling of safety washes through me. It’s something I haven’t felt in a long time.

  The last time I made this journey, I was desperate for a break. I needed to get away from David and the depression that surrounded him over the previous months. It coincided with his brother’s reappearance, but I was totally in the dark about why it was affecting him so much. Now, the truth couldn’t be clearer. Being away from all of that, even if it is just for the night, has me sitting up a little straighter, the weight of it all no longer crushing me.

  My relief only lasts so long; the closer I get to the coast the more my nerves start to flutter in my stomach. It’s been over a month since I was here. I’ve had no contact from him in that time, and why would I? I was no one to him. I’d be delusional to think I’ve featured in a single one of his thoughts, but I can’t help my apprehension at the prospect of seeing him again. Nicole didn’t tell me if he’d be here, and I was too scared to have it confirmed, but seeing as he’s Declan’s best friend, I think there’s a very slim chance of him missing tonight.

  I crest a hill, beginning the final part of my journey, when a mass of red brake lights appear in the distance. Groaning in frustration, I slow down, along with all the other cars around me. I’m already late, thanks to my arsehole boss ‘forgetting’ that I needed to leave early—now, I’m going to be stuck here for god knows how long.

  It’s only a few seconds before I bring the car to a complete stop. Resting my head back, I allow my eyes to close for a beat. It’s a mistake, because all I see is him. The temptation was there before, but after the last few weeks, I’m not sure how I’m going to react to him.

  * * *

  By the time I pull up behind the beachfront shack that Dec owns, where the party’s being held, the sun is just about to set. Stunning pinks and oranges are reflected back at me from the sea beyond. This place is a little sanctuary; life here seems so much easier. No one really knows me, so I don’t feel like I need to make excuses like I would if I were with my family. Nic knows a little about my life, but she has no clue about the severity of it.

  No one, apart from the people involved, knows about that.

  Looking around, I make sure no one can see as I peel off my creased work shirt and replace it with a black low cut t
op and a skirt. I do the best job I can of my make up in the visor mirror before opening the door and throwing my hair over my head in an attempt to get some volume into it. I fuss about with it a little before giving up. I don’t know why I’m bothering; it’s not going to make an ounce of difference.

  A smile twitches my lips as I slide my feet into my favourite shoes. They look like they should be uncomfortable, but in reality, it’s like they were made specifically for me. I could wear them like I do my slippers. They’re so powerful that, as I wrap the ties around my ankles, I feel like I’ve just placed amour around my entire body. Securing the ends in a blood knot that I’ve perfected over the last few years to ensure they don’t come undone, I grab my bag from the passenger seat and stand. I stretch out my tired muscles before slamming the door and taking my first step towards whatever this night is going to hold.

  Along with the crashing sea beyond, the gravel under my feet is the only noise I can hear, but as I get closer to the shack, the sounds of the excitement inside start to filter through to me.

  My pace slows as my apprehension of being in a crowded room begins to get the better of me. At the last minute, I turn away from the shack and head down towards the beach.

  I perch myself on the wall a little down from the shack and allow the silence of the night to relax me a little. I want to be here with Nicole. I want to celebrate with her, but I’m going to need to banish the bullshit rolling around inside my head if I’m not going to have her questioning me the second I walk in that place. I know she’s concerned. Hell, she has a right to be. But I don’t need her digging anymore. Not tonight, anyway.

  My mind begins to wander to my first time here. The first time I met him.

  It was Nicole’s birthday, and we’d spent the day at a hotel being pampered before an evening that Declan had arranged as a surprise. Thoughts of the life I’d left behind were never far from my mind while I was here, but that day, I was able to be the young and carefree twenty-four year old that I should be. I felt light and free for the first time in a long time as I laughed and joked with Nicole and Lilly. I knew we were expecting company for our evening meal before heading out for the night—Lilly had filled me in on the secret plans earlier in the day—but I didn’t think much of it.

  That all changed when I walked into that dining room with Nic and Lilly either side of me. As they took the attention of their men who were waiting for us to appear, I discovered I was also being ogled. Not just by one set of eyes, but two.

  The first guy was massive. I allowed my eyes to run over his short hair, wide shoulders and thick arms as his own travelled over my body. I soon realised the tingles I felt weren’t because of his scrutiny. They were courtesy of the guy stood next to him. He looked small next to his friend, but that’s only because of the sheer size of the first guy. I took in his shaggy dark hair, his sharp cheekbones and defined jaw. They were phenomenal but paled in comparison to his rich chocolate eyes and the smile that erupted on his face when our eyes met. I felt a physical blow to my chest when his full pink lips curved up, making a dimple appear in his cheek.

  The beast of a guy was the first to move and introduced himself as BJ. The smirk as he said it suggested I should be impressed by the nickname, but honestly, I couldn’t care less. He wasn’t the one holding my attention.

  “This is Liam,” he said, nodding towards his friend, whose eyes were still burning into me. It was the weirdest feeling. I’d never met him before, that I was sure of, but I felt like I knew him. Tearing my eyes away, I managed to head farther into the room and towards where the others were chatting, but his attention stayed on me. I felt it.

  I could feel it all night, even though he pretty much stayed in the shadows. BJ was such a big character that Liam barely got a word in edgeways—not that he seemed overly bothered. I got the sense that he was quite content with being the quiet, brooding one of the three of them. I discreetly kept my eye on him, trying to figure him out, but it was hopeless. He gave nothing away. The only time I saw a part of him was when he caught me staring and our eyes would connect. In those few seconds, it was like I could see directly into his soul. It was weird. At no point did he make any real effort to talk to me, other than the usual group chatter, and I was beginning to think I’d imagined the connection between us. I did my best to ignore the fluttering within me and focused on enjoying myself. It had been a long time since I was able to let my hair down. After we graduated, all my friends left, either to go back home or to embark on their new careers. I was desperate to do the same, and I felt cheated when I agreed to stay in Cardiff with David. I longed to experience what the rest of the country had to offer, but when given the ultimatum, I chose him.

  By the time everyone started to leave, I’d had enough drinks to push him to the back of my mind—or so I thought.

  We were the last of our group to leave the table in the karaoke bar we’d spent the evening in, and I’d only taken a few steps when warm fingers wrapped around my wrist. I was tugged back until I was inches away from his body. His eyes bored into mine with an intensity that weakened my knees. No one had ever looked at me like that before. Like they wanted to devour me. Own me. It was an unnerving feeling, although not totally unwelcome as I felt myself becoming slick with arousal the longer he stared.

  The heat of his fingers continued to burn my wrist as his breath tickled gently over my face. His eyes eventually broke from mine in favour of my lips. I didn’t want to lead him on, but I couldn’t help but run my tongue over my bottom lip.

  When his eyes came back up, they were darker than before, if that was even possible.

  “Tell me I can see you again.” His deep, husky voice vibrated through me as my heart began to race.

  “I…uh…” I stuttered, the words I’ve got a boyfriend right on the tip of my tongue, but for some reason I couldn’t force them to be spoken aloud. “I’m only visiting.”

  His mouth opened to respond, but he was interrupted.

  “Liam,” BJ called, “put your dick away. We’re leaving.”

  “For fuck’s sake,” he muttered under his breath before releasing his hold on my wrist in favour of guiding me from the club with his hand burning into my lower back.

  * * *

  Shaking the memories from my head, I stand from the wall, right my clothing, hold my head high and walk towards the lights of the party in the distance.

  The excitement is palpable even as I walk up towards the decking, the joy and laughter flowing from the open doors.

  Taking a deep breath, I step inside and glance around, looking for Nicole. My original plan was to get here this afternoon, get ready with her and help with the final touches for tonight, but my douchebag boss soon put pay to that.

  A few pairs of eyes turn to me, but none that I recognise. It’s only a few seconds before I hear my name called, and when I look over my shoulder, Nicole is running towards me with a wide smile on her face. She doesn’t stop when she gets to me, instead colliding with my body as she wraps her arms around my shoulders.

  “I was beginning to think you were lying about coming.”

  “I wouldn’t do that,” I just about manage to get out of her death hug crushing my chest.

  “All right, put the poor girl down,” Dec says, walking up to us with an amused expression on his face. “Good to see you again, Liv.”

  “You, too.”

  It feels incredible that I only met Nicole at the beginning of the summer at my sister-in-law’s hen do. It feels like we’ve known each other forever. I don’t think she knows how much she rescued me when she allowed me to stay with her before the wedding, but I will be eternally grateful for the bit of respite from my life.

  “The traffic must have been awful,” she says.

  I recall my nightmare before explaining about getting dressed in the car. Taking pity on me, Nic grabs my hand and pulls me over towards the bar so she can get me a drink.

  “What’s your poison?”

  “Uh…” I pause,
looking at all the colourful bottles lining the bar. I feel like I should ask for something exotic, but my mind goes blank. “White wine?”

  “You got it.”

  “Whoa, slow down,” I laugh as she pours way past the measure line on the glass.

  “What? Dec’s paying. Fill your boots!”

  “I’ve got to drive back tomorrow; I don’t need to be hanging.”

  “Tomorrow?” she complains. “I was hoping to spend some more time together.”

  “I know, me too. I’ve got work. I need the mo—”

  “It’s fine, Liv. You don’t need to explain yourself to me. We’ll just have to make the most of tonight,” she announces as she slides my glass over. It’s so full, the wine sloshes over the side.

  I pick it up and raise it in the air. “To you, Mrs. soon to be Morrison.”

  The smile she graces me with almost splits her face in two. My stomach twists as pain radiates throughout my body at her happiness. That was me, once. I had that blissful smile on my face every time I thought about David. Now…now, I can’t remember the last time he made me smile.

  I don’t get to dwell on thoughts of my reality because the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Looking up at Nicole, who’s perched herself on the stool next to me with her own glass of wine, I see her focus is over my shoulder. I know exactly who she’s looking at, and although I knew it was inevitable, all I want to do is run.