A Vine Mess (Love on the Vine #4)

31. Ella

Liam’s grip on my hand was borderline painful as I led us through the crowd toward the bar, unapologetically pushing my way past people to reach it as soon as possible. I needed some alcohol in my system, something to take the edge off the rage coursing through me.

I understood, in a sort of detached way, that my family wasn’t exactly the norm. My parents were disgustingly obsessed with each other, even after over thirty years of marriage, and my sisters were my best—and, let’s be real, only —friends.

But to see people who shared the same blood flowing through their veins be so blatantly cruel and cold toward each other had me wanting to start tearing limbs from bodies in Liam’s honor. I’d never felt this way about anyone—never imagined I could kill a person with my bare hands.

For Liam, I’d do it, though. I’d do anything I could to never have to see that pain flash across his eyes again.

At last, we bellied up to the polished wood bar, and I raised a hand to flag the bartender down. His eyes landed on me quickly, and I recognized the perks of having a great set of tits. No bartender could resist serving me immediately, much to the annoyance of those around us, who shot me dirty looks and whispered unkind remarks behind their hands.

“Helloooooo gorgeous,” the bartender said when he approached. “What can I get you?”

“Baby?” I said to Liam, who appeared at my side. I grinned as the bartender stumbled back a step.

“Buffalo Trace,” Liam said. “Neat.”

The bartender nodded, eyes shifting to me, though much less appreciatively now. “And for you?”

“I’ll have the same.”

When he disappeared to do his thing, I glanced up at Liam, whose brow was raised.

“Bourbon?” he asked.

“You think I’m drinking any of the swill they call wine in this place?”

Liam barked out a laugh and pressed a kiss to my hair. “Fuck, I love you. I couldn’t survive this without you.”

“Stick with me, Wills. I’ll protect you.”

“Three!” someone shouted from nearby, and Liam’s head whipped toward the sound, his smirk blooming into a full blown, face-splitting grin.

“Gramps!” Liam yelled back, sounding like a little boy being reunited with one of his favorite people after a long time away.

And I supposed, in a way, that was exactly what was happening.

“There’s my favorite grandson!” Liam’s grandpa boomed as he waded through the crowd, quite literally shoving people out of the way to wrap his grandson in a hug. After clasping him for probably longer than was proprietary for two grown men to do, Liam pulled away and studied him, giving me a chance to do the same. Though he had to be in his late-seventies or early eighties, he’d somehow maintained a youthful appearance. It must’ve been the smile, which was downright gleeful as he looked at Liam. His hair was shock white and full, eyes a paler blue than Liam’s. Where his son and other grandson were stockier built, William Danvers the first was taller and narrower, though slightly curved from age.

“Gramps, I’d like you to meet someone.”

His grandpa held up a hand before Liam could continue, his eyes shrewdly darting between us, then widening in surprise.

“You’re in love.”

It wasn’t a question, and though Liam’s cheeks turned pink, he said, “This is my girlfriend, Ella. Ella, this is Gramps.”

I extended my hand, but Liam’s grandpa waved it away and pulled me into his chest. He smelled of Old Spice and cigar smoke, a homey, comforting scent that had me relaxing against him.

“It’s great to finally meet you, Mr. Danvers,” I told him when we parted. “I’ve heard so much about you from Liam.”

“Please, call me Bill,” he said, eyes going a little misty as he placed a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “And I hope Three only shared the good things.”

Liam chuckled, but my eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Three?”

“Because he’s the third,” Bill explained .

I hummed. “I like that. Maybe I’ll have to replace your nickname.”

Liam leaned closer, his lips brushing the shell of my ear as he whispered, “You can call me ‘Three’ after I make you come that many times later.”

A shiver wracked my body, and heat pooled in my core.

“Promises, promises,” I replied.

“Baby, you know I’ll make good on them.”

He would too, and I looked forward to it.

Bill awkwardly cleared his throat, but before he could say anything else, a bell rang out, followed by someone shouting over the din, “Dinner is served!”

In a mass exodus, the crowd shifted in a single direction like the flow of a river, and Liam, Bill, and I were swept up in it, shuffled through a set of doors on the far end of the bar and into a spacious dining room. There were maybe fifty people, and we were all directed to the tables on the far side of the room, where a lone two-seater sat on a raised platform, Sam and his fiancée already seated.

“Wait,” I said to Liam, placing a hand on his arm and yielding his progress toward a table near the back. Bill continued and snagged us seats in his stead.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just…are you in the wedding? I can’t believe I hadn’t thought to ask before now.”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Best man.”

“What the fuck. You don’t even like each other.”

“Dad forced it on us. Said we had to keep up appearances.”

“That’s…horrible. ”

Liam gave me a wry smile, hand on the small of my back as we resumed our path to the table. “That’s life as a Danvers.”

“Maybe you should take my last name when we get married,” I mumbled.

Liam pulled up short, jerking me to stop. “Absolutely not. You’ll take my last name, and you’ll like it.” He nodded at his grandpa. “Besides, Danvers is his last name too, and for him and him alone, I’m proud to have it.”

With a mock salute, I murmured, “Yes, daddy.”

Like the gentleman he was, Liam pulled out a chair for me at the small circular table, then took one of the two remaining seats, sandwiching me between him and Bill.

Once everyone had settled, an impressive gathering of waiters appeared, each carrying two dishes, moving around the room in a well-choreographed dance to pass them out to guests.

I barely paid attention to what I was eating as each course came and went, too intent on charming the pants off Liam’s grandfather. And it seemed, by the end of the meal, when dessert was cleared away and guests rose from the chairs to dance, mingle, or refill their cocktails, that I’d done my job perfectly.

With a wide grin, Bill looked at his grandson and said, “Don’t let this one go. You remind me so much of me and your grandma.”

My heart softened, and Liam gripped my hand. I knew he’d lost his grandma shortly before he’d left Portland, and that the loss had precipitated the downfall of him and Mellie. That he’d pulled away in those final few months as he struggled mentally with the hole his grandma had left in his life.

“Don’t worry,” Liam said to Bill, though his eyes remained locked on mine, “she’s stuck with me forever.”

I leaned in for a kiss, whispered, “Forever sounds good to me.”

Liam’s hands seemed to be everywhere at once as we pushed into the room after bidding his grandfather good night. He was downright greedy in the way he caressed and squeezed, pulling me against him, the thick ridge of his cock digging into my stomach. Sealing his mouth to mine and plunging his tongue inside. I met him with equal fervor, desperate for him, my clit throbbing, begging for attention, my core clenching around nothing, aching to be filled.

“Are you okay?” I asked when he peeled his mouth from mine in favor of sucking on the skin of my neck as he tugged on the tie of my dress. It released but caught on the tips of my breasts, and Liam eagerly pulled it free, rolling it over my hips until it fell to the floor.

He didn’t return to his feet, merely remained on his knees, staring at my exposed pussy like he was a man starved and only my taste would satisfy him.

“I’m fine, Wildflower,” he said, leaning in to nudge me with his nose, inhaling deeply. God, that shouldn’t be so sexy, the simple act of him sniffing my most intimate place. But I wanted him to do it again and again, then follow that inhale with a taste. “But…this is what I come from. You and your family…you’re lucky. That your enterprise is self-contained. That the small town is so good to you. That you haven’t ever had to experience a moment of the shit I’ve had to deal with my entire life. And not only that…” He trailed off, glancing up at me. There was so much worry in his eyes, and before I could question it, he continued. “Your family genuinely loves and cares for each other. I never really had that. Just Gramps and Gram and mom.”

“They’re amazing people,” I reminded him. “And they were enough. They raised you right.”

“Dad is an only child,” he said, his hands coming up to cup my ass, face resting against my stomach. “And Gram and Gramps…they knew they went wrong somewhere with him.”

“I don’t necessarily think it was all their fault. They both had a hand in raising you, and you turned out wonderfully.”

“I don’t want you to think less of me,” he whispered against my skin. “Those people—my dad, my brother, Mellie’s family—they’re awful. But they aren’t me. I’m not sure I ever belonged here.”

Reaching down, I threaded my fingers through his hair, tugging until he looked at me. “You’re right,” I told him plainly. “Because you belong to me.”

Liam softened, his troubled expression clearing away as quickly as it appeared. “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. Now be a good boy”—I brought my fingers to my pussy and spread it open for him—“and give it a taste.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, his tongue darting out and tracing the edges of my fingers, around and around my clit. My legs nearly gave out at that first drag. I’d never get over how fucking perfectly he ate me, lapping at me like he wanted to savor me, like I was the most exquisite thing he’d ever tasted.

Hand still gripping his hair, I stepped out of my dress and retreated to the bed, sitting on the end and hooking my heels on the edge. Baring myself completely, giving him full access to torment me with that beautiful mouth.

“Prettiest goddamn pussy I’ve ever seen,” he breathed, the air puffing against my slick, swollen flesh, raising goosebumps on my arms and legs.

I leaned back, unable to hold myself upright any longer, wanting to simply enjoy the sensations of this moment. Liam spread me open wider, hands high on my thighs, keeping me bared for his consumption.

And then he did something that had me yelping in surprise—though I didn’t entirely hate it.

“You like that?” he asked, chuckling.

“Do it again and find out.”

A low groan rumbled through him, and he lowered his mouth to my back entrance, tentatively licking at the hole before sweeping forward over my entire pussy. I moaned.

“Fuck, that’s…different.”

“Good or bad?” he asked, thumbing at my clit.

“Good.”

“I wanna fuck you here, Wildflower,” he said, finger toying with me, lightly brushing against that spot.

“Have you ever?” I asked, lifting onto my elbows so I could look down at him. I fucking loved him all wrecked like this, hair a tousled mess from my fingers, irises stormy with desire, my arousal in his beard.

Liam shook his head. “Have you ?”

“No,” I whispered, unsure why I was suddenly nervous. “Can we…work our way up to it? ”

“Of course,” Liam said. “Guess I’ll just have to content myself with eating this pussy for now.”

He didn’t give me any warning save those words as he dove back in, staying away from my ass as he focused on the things he knew I did like. That torturous drag of his teeth over my clit, when he stiffened his tongue and shoved it into my entrance, fucking me with it while he worked my clit with his fingers.

And then, finally, when he filled me with three fingers, even though it wasn’t quite as good as his cock, it still drove me higher and higher, that pressure in me coiling tighter with every advance and retreat.

I was a fucking goner when he sealed his mouth over my clit and sucked it into his mouth, fingers moving as rapidly as his tongue until I shattered.

Each orgasm Liam brought me to was nothing short of mind-blowing, wiping my thoughts deliciously blank until there was nothing but him and the pleasure he gave me. I felt like I was floating on a cloud, high above my body. Nothing had ever felt as good.

When my shakes and shivers ceased, Liam stood, shucked his clothes, and hovered over me.

“One,” he said against my lips.

I huffed out a breathless laugh. “Oh, we’re counting now?”

“I told you downstairs. You’re coming three times tonight, or I’m going to die trying.”

“What a way to go,” I murmured as he kissed me, moaning as my taste combined with the bourbon he’d pounded all night exploded on my tongue. “Fuck, you taste good.”

“Not as good as you, Wildflower. ”

Reaching down, I gripped his cock at the base and worked upward, swiping my thumb over the head, then lifting it to my mouth and sucking off the precum I’d collected.

“Debatable.”

“Wicked, filthy girl. You ready for this cock now?”

“I’m always ready for your cock.”

Instead of crawling between my thighs, Liam moved around to the side of the bed and reclined on the pillows.

“Ride it then,” he said, his big hand flexing along his length.

“You got a thing for me on top?”

“Baby, have you seen your tits?” he asked in response.

I merely giggled, collecting them in my hands and shaking them at him. He groaned, biting down on his lower lip, and I returned my attention to his cock.

God, he was huge. Everything about Liam was large, and his cock was no exception. Thick, long, with a broad, blunt head that managed to brand that perfect spot inside me every time he slammed home, a vein crawling up the underside.

Turning and crawling over to him, I settled between his legs, my tongue darting out for a taste.

“You wanna suck me off first? You’ll get no objection from me. You suck that cock like such a good little slut.”

Such filthy fucking words that only served to crank up my desire. Forced me to squeeze my thighs together for some temporary relief. Closing my mouth around him, I took him as deep as I could, gagging as he bumped against the back of my throat. Breathing through my nose, I swallowed, fighting off the reflex, relishing the way he groaned and bucked into me.

“Goddamnit, woman. You’re good at that.” He fisted his hand in my hair and pulled me off. “But I need to feel you.”

I obliged, straddling his hips and rocking back and forth, his cock sliding through my lips, coating him in my wetness. His tip brushed against my clit, the sensation so heavenly I could get off just like this.

“How is it you feel so good every time?” I asked absently, resting my hands on his chest but still slowly rolling against him.

“I was made for you,” he said simply. “You gonna get off like that?”

“Thinking about it.”

“Use me however you need, baby.”

Sprawled out the way he was, hands resting beneath his head, looking for all the world like a sexy wet dream come to life with the beard, the blue eyes, the muscles and tattoos—I’d never understand how I got so lucky to find a man who was both easy on the eyes with the most stunning insides to match.

I wanted him to fill me, but this slippery slide of our bodies, the tempting way his broad head pressed into my clit with each shift of my hips—another orgasm coiled tighter and tighter until I was bucking roughly against him. Nothing could’ve stopped me as I worked myself over, Liam’s palms splayed across my thighs, holding me down. The friction, the fit, the feel—it was too much.

As if sensing what I needed, Liam reached up and tweaked a nipple, and I fell apart once again, collapsing against his chest as I trembled.

“Ella,” he breathed. “That was…”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Just give me a second.”

His hands brushed up and down my spine until I came back to myself fully.

When I sat up at last, he grinned.

“Two,” he said, and I couldn’t help my eyeroll.

Then my eyes flicked to the wrought iron bed frame and the four posts at each corner, and an idea sparked. Instead of sinking down onto him like I craved, I got off the bed on shaky legs and padded toward the bathroom, returning a moment later with the straps from fluffy bathrobes, grateful there had been four.

Liam’s eyes widened in curiosity.

“Do you trust me?” I asked.

He grinned. “Fuck yeah, I do.”

I started at his ankles, looping the strap around one then the other, securing them to the posts at the bottom corners. Liam tugged experimentally against them, and I smiled proudly when they didn’t budge. Then I repeated the process on his wrists before once again joining him on the bed.

Tapping my chin contemplatively, I stared down at him, eyes raking over every inch of his body.

“Where should I start?” I asked rhetorically.

“Thought you wanted my cock.”

“Oh, I do,” I said, reaching out to grab it, loving how the silky flesh felt against my palm as I worked it up and down.

“I didn’t know this side of you existed,” he admitted.

“Honestly? Neither did I.” Shifting so I was between those thick thighs, I leaned in and ran my tongue along the tattoo stretching up the left side of his torso, pausing to flick one nipple then the other before heading back down. I sank back on my knees and said, “Thank you for letting me explore it.”

“Thank you for trusting me. ”

I reached for his cock again, and his hips jumped, his length pulsing in my hand.

“How close are you right now?” I asked.

“Put that mouth on me and I’m coming down your throat in seconds.”

I grinned wickedly, bending only to roll my tongue around his head. Then I collected all the saliva I could muster and spit it on his cock, using my hand to work it up and down until he was coated, aiding the endeavor with some of my own cum. Fuck, this was hot. The way he just let me use him like this, the sexy scene he presented all restrained, eyes hooded, chest rapidly rising and falling in anticipation as he waited for my next move.

I shifted until my chest was over his groin, and Liam realized what I was doing a moment before I pressed my boobs together around his shaft, because his eyes flared with excitement.

“Oh fuck,” he breathed as I began to move. The most Liam could do was jerkily circle his hips, searching for friction, and I moved faster, wanting him to come undone quickly so I could put us both out of our misery and ride him until we were both screaming. “Oh, fuck, Ella. God, that feels incredible. You want me to come on your tits?”

“Yes please.” I pressed my boobs in harder, increasing the pressure, and Liam swore creatively.

“Oh god, oh fuck, okay, I’m gonna come.”

His rambling was adorable and sexy in equal measure. I loved how his eyes squeezed shut and fingers wrapped tightly around the robe straps as ropes of cum left him, painting my chest, my face, and his stomach. Guttural, unintelligible noises left him as he continued to spill, his limbs shaking against his restraints .

Before he could fully collect himself, not even bothering to clean myself up save swiping a splash of his cum off my nipple and sucking it into my mouth, I sat up, straddled him, and impaled myself on his cock.

We both groaned as he filled me completely, my head dropping back, hands resting on his thighs for leverage.

“You’re trying to kill me,” he breathed when I began to undulate my hips.

“Nah, baby,” I told him, my breath picking up as I rocked faster, so goddamn desperate for him that I couldn’t take it slow.

“You’re right,” he said, jerking up into me. “Let’s see how fast we can get you to orgasm number three.”

Pretty damn fast, if the pressure at my clit was any indication. “Besides,” I murmured. “I can’t kill you. I’m not done with you yet.”

And I didn’t think I ever would be.