“I’m not saying I’m ready to pour my heart out over breakfast,” I add with a faint, wry smile. “But I’m saying Iwilltry. That’s all I can promise.”
Liam exhales like I’ve handed him something sacred. He leans in, pressing his forehead to mine.
“Trying is all I’ve ever wanted from you, beauty,” he whispers. “And you’re already doing that.”
LIAM
I gently lower my lips to taste her sweet ones. I want to breathe her into my lungs and let her fill the hollow spaces inside me.
I pull back to look into her flushed face. “I should go,” I rumble, although I stay rooted to the spot. My fingers flex against her hips. “I promised you some time alone.”
She shakes her head, and then presses her lips against mine. Her mouth drifts against mine, feeling, relaxing into me. She hums against my lips, swiping her tongue into my mouth in a languid motion. I gradually deepen our kiss, moving my hands to cup her face and angle it so that I can fully explore her mouth. Taste more of her. She breathes into me as her hands climb up my back, pulling me even closer.
I try to pull away after a few minutes, but she traps my bottom lip between her teeth. Eyes sparkling. Face flushed. She releases me slowly, then runs her tongue over the sting. I inhale audibly.
“Please don’t stop.” Her hushed tone has a hint of vulnerability around its edges, and it gives me pause.
I run my hand through her hair, tucking a lock behind her ear. “I know today has been a lot.” I’m staring into her eyes, willing her to understand. “And, I know things feel confusing. It’s all moving fast. When we decide to consummate our marriage, I don’t want you to regret it. I would never forgive myself. I can give you some time.”
We’ve already slept together. But sex for the first time as a married couple? I want that to be real. To be a new start. I don’t even give a fuck how pathetic that sounds.
She bites her bottom lip and my eyes track the motion. “I could never regret you, Liam.”
My heart rate speeds up as my blood begins to flow hot through my veins. “I need to understand what you’re asking for, Taryn.” My voice sounds like it belongs to someone else. “I can’t risk messing this up. You mean too much, and I want you too badly.”
She takes a step back in response, and I’m sure she’s about to tell me that I’m right. I should give her some space.
“Will you help me with my zipper?”
My mouth goes dry. I nod.
She turns, offering me her back, and my fingers tremble as I lower the zipper, my knuckles grazing her soft skin as lace and bare warmth are revealed. Her breath shudders in, deep and deliberate, the sound whispering over my nerves like a tease. I don’t dare exhale, caught between wanting to touch her and wanting to see how she’ll ruin me next.
Slowly, she turns to look at me and points at our new bed with a steady hand. “I want you to sit there. On the edge of the bed.” At my perplexed look, she adds, “Please.”
I move to accommodate her request, unsure of exactly what’s happening. I reach for her and she shakes her head. “Not yet.” She pauses for a heartbeat. Two. “Take off your shirt. Please.”
I can’t get my shirt off quickly enough, and she giggles at the frantic motion before she abruptly falls silent. Her eyes rake over my chest and I resist the urge to flex. I work hard for my body, and I thank God for that discipline as her breathing accelerates.
Taryn takes a step closer. I fist my hands on my thighs to keep from reaching for her again. It’s obvious she wants to call the shots right now. She’s trying to regain some sense of control. I understand that, but it’s taking every ounce of restraint I have to let that happen. I force in a calming breath. I don’t want to break whatever magic is happening in this moment between us.
“I want you, Liam.” Her voice is soft, husky. “And, I know that you’re worried about pushing me too far tonight.” I open my mouth to interrupt her, to clarify that she ismy wifeand I simply want her to be comfortable, when she cuts me off. “This—you—mean something to me. Let me show you.”
My tongue feels thick in my mouth. I have lost the capacity for speech. I know there are all sorts of things that I should be saying to her, but words elude me. Instead, I manage only one syllable as I look at her beautiful face. “Please.” I don’t even care that I’m begging her. It’s as much a promise as a plea.
She leans down, and I get a glimpse of her cleavage in her sexy bra where her dress gapes open, before she meets my mouth. One of her gentle hands caresses the back of my neck, while the other leans on my thigh. Every fiber in my body fills with her scent, her taste, her soft sighs. My arms band around her waist as I forget that I’m supposed to be the passive one. I need her closer.
I grunt as she pulls away from me, and I curse myself for not keeping still. She takes a few steps back and lets the dress drop to the floor—and now I’m swearing for another reason. “Fuck, Taryn.” She is gorgeous. Her creamy skin glows against the scraps of royal blue lace that remain. My own skin feels prickly. My breathing is shallow.
I pull my eyes from her beautiful tits to look up at her face. She’s watching me closely. Biting her bottom lip. I groan at the sight. “Taryn.” I don’t know exactly what I’m asking for. Something. Anything. I need her to move. Get closer. Imprint her body on mine.
“Stand up, Liam,” she husks, and I am off the bed before she can finish the sentence. I will myself to calm down. To go slow. To be gentle. She deserves gentle. I was so rough with her in my bed earlier today. Everything is different now.
She moves to me once again, running her hands up my chest. Taking her time. Feeling my abs. My pecs. I force air in and out. Her hands run down my arms, thumbs brush my biceps, before her fingertips brush the back of my hands and then move to my waistband. My pants have become too tight, and she fumbles a bit as she tries to unzip them.
“May I?” My voice is hoarse, and I have no idea when I turned into a submissive, but for her, I’ll be anything she wants.
“Please.”
