Free This Is Where I Sleep by Tiffany Patterson Page A

without knowing who it was,” Liam answered, completely unbothered.
    “How did you get into my room?”
    “I own the hotel.” That cocky attitude made me want to smack that half smirk off his face. “You gonna lower the gun?” he asked, standing and staring at the glock still aimed directly at him.
    It was my turn to smirk. “I’ll think about it.”
    “Coral.”
    “What do you want, Li?”
    “We need to talk.”
    “You said that earlier and my answer still stands. We d—”
    “Bullshit.” He cut me off taking a step closer.
    “Alright, you want to talk. Let’s talk. How old is your daughter?”
    “She’s almost three.”
    “What’s her name?”
    “Laura.”
    “After your grandmother,” I mumbled, but he still heard me.
    “Yes, I named her after my grandmother.”
    “Where is her mother? You said you were no longer married.”
    I watched as Liam visibly swallowed and lowered his lashes briefly. “Michele died of a brain aneurysm a month after giving birth.”
    I closed my eyes in a moment of sadness for the little girl who’d lost her mother before she was old enough to have any memory of her. Before I could open my eyes fully, I felt Liam snatch the gun from my grip. I watched as within less than three seconds, he released the magazine, popped the one remaining bullet out of the chamber, and tossed my now useless weapon to the floor. I forgot how damn quick he was as he grabbed both of my arms by the wrists and hoisted them above my head, pushing me back against the wall with his big body.
    “Let. me. go.” I seethed.
    “No,” he growled just as angry. “You’re too goddamn stubborn for your own good.”
    “I have a damn right to be!” I yelled in his face. “You told me you loved me and then you ran off and married someone else and started a whole family.” My anger propelled me to ask the question I’ve wanted to know all these years. “What the hell is that!?”
    “I didn’t start a family.”
    I simply eyed him like he had lost his mind. “You have a kid with her Liam.”
    He sighed. “Just fucking listen. I married Michele not because I wanted to, but for reasons I can’t get into. I was miserable. She knew our marriage was a sham. We hardly lived together the whole two years we were married. It was a marriage for show. One night I was feeling lonely and missing my best friend. One thing lead to another. We had s—”
    I cut him off. “Please spare me the details on how you fucked your wife, Li.”
    “Dammit, Coral. She and I were only together that one night and Laura is the product. I didn’t mean for....but she’s here and she’s mine.”
    I saw the tenderness in his eyes when he mentioned his daughter. It tugged at something deep within me and I felt drawn to him, but I refused to let him see it. I turned my head to look away from him. He was too close. His body pressed up against mine. His familiar scent. All invading my senses. Senses that are were too vulnerable right now.
    “Fine. You said what you had to. You can leave now,” I said, trying to free my wrists from his hold, but he only tightened the vice grip he had.
    “Look at me.” His voice was low and the command made my nipples harden.
    I silently prayed he couldn’t see them through my thin nylon shirt and sports bra.
    “Look at me, CeCe.”
    Damn. Hearing my nickname on his lips like this sent my lower lips pulsating. I turned my head to look up at him.
    “I never loved Michele. Everything I told you in Savannah that night was the God’s honest truth.” He lowered his head and his lips grazed the column of my neck, before he nipped my earlobe. The move sent warmth spreading throughout my entire body. I bit my lower lip to keep from moaning out loud. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
    “You should go,” I protested, but the words sounded weak to my own ears.
    “I don’t have to be an expert in body language and facial expressions to know you don’t want me to go.” He slid his