“Don’t be sorry,” he says. “Take all the time you need. Can I do anything to help?”
That’s just it. He’snothelping, standing there looking good enough to eat and being so sweet and caring. It was my idea to have this be a no-strings-attached thing, but the way Liam treats me—the way he looks at me and touches me and speaks to me—makes it feel like he’s throwing strings from every direction, and getting tangled up is inevitable. For both of us.
He approaches me slowly, hands raised as if I’m a wild animal who will dart away at the slightest provocation. Instead of gripping my arms like I expect, he slowly walks around me and folds me into his arms from behind. I melt against him and he shifts to take the bulk of my weight.
“Don’t think, just feel,” he whispers, his lips brushing my ear and making me shiver. “Even if it’s only for tonight. Let me make you feel good, Joss.”
At my jerky nod, his lips graze my neck. The softness of his lips is soon replaced by wet heat from his open mouth, followed by a nip from his teeth that draws a surprised gasp from me. The warm rush of breath on my neck tells me he’s laughing silently.
He loosens his hold, one hand sliding under my shirt and settling just under my breasts while the other teases along the waistband of my pants. I squirm against him, my stomach muscles quivering. I cover his hand with mine and attempt to move it down, but he makes a quiet noise of dissent in my ear a second before his teeth graze my earlobe. That distracts me enough that I barely notice his hand slipping down until his fingers brush my clit and I nearly jolt out of his arms.
He holds me tightly against his body as his fingers explore. The rough pads of his fingertips create an extra layer of pleasure on top of the already exquisite friction. The hand holding me in place against him shifts as he yanks down one of my bra cups. His fingers go to work there too, pinching and caressing until I fall apart in his arms, crying out breathlessly from the force of my orgasm.
Liam takes his time drawing out my pleasure until I go boneless against him. His arms come around me again, holding me tight. When my haze clears, I become aware of his erection pressing against my lower back. I rub against him, eliciting a groan from him that vibrates through me. I swear he stops breathing as I continue to rock against him. His grip tightens before loosening just enough to spin me around to face him.
My frantic pace from earlier returns, but now Liam is right there with me, arms tangling with mine as we attempt to undress each other. Our fallen clothes are like a fairytale breadcrumb trail leading to the bed. A foil condom packet joins the mess within minutes.
The world alternates between fast-forward and slow motion. Liam seemingly hits the pause button as he kneels between my legs, gripping my thighs. His hungry gaze roams over me, pupils dilating until the black nearly overtakes the brown of his irises.
“You’re so beautiful.” The words are almost reverent. “So beautiful, Joss.”
I make a needy little sound, squirming against him as his hands slide up my thighs. My hands start their own exploration, roving over his chest and stomach. When my fingers slide over his hip and move south, his hand circles my wrist, halting my progress. I lock my legs around his waist as he swoops in to kiss me. He releases his grip on my wrist, allowing me to take him in hand and guide him into position.
We release twin shuddering breaths as Liam inches inside me. The world is back to slow motion, with every sound and sensation in sharp focus. Liam is in tune with every movement I make, every sound and sigh that escapes me. Our first time together was amazing, but this…this is a whole new level. With every touch and kiss, I grow closer to tumbling over the edge. And I don’t just mean the edge of pleasure, but also the one that leads to feelings. Messy, messy feelings.
All thoughts of emotion are replaced by a rising tide of sensation as Liam picks up the pace. I clutch at his back, drawing him closer until we’re practically sharing breath. I tilt my head back and close my eyes as our frantic rocking reaches a peak and I unravel in Liam’s arms. With a final few powerful thrusts, he collapses against me.
We stay like that for several long moments, both of us too worn out to even move. I seem to come back to the land of the living first. I wrap my arms around Liam, sliding my hands over his back and into his hair. He places soft kisses on my neck and shoulder before lifting his head to meet my gaze.
His satisfied, sleepy grin shouldn’t be as sexy as it is, and yet it has something stirring low in my belly. With him still semi-hard inside me, he can feel my inner muscles clench around him. His eyes widen along with his smile.
“Give me five minutes.” His low, almost growly voice has me clenching again, this time involuntarily. He groans, and now I’m the one wearing a satisfied smile.
“I’ll give you three.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I wake up feeling satisfied and a bit achy, and it takes me a minute to remember why. The lingering scent of Liam’s cologne makes last night come rushing back, and I can’t help but smile. I open my eyes to sunlight—I forgot to pull the drapes last night, which is no surprise considering I had other things on my mind—and roll over, reaching for Liam. Instead of the warm, solid man I was anticipating, my hand meets cool sheets.
“Not again,” I groan, burying my face in the pillow. I lift my head almost immediately because the pillowcase smells like Liam, which only heightens the disappointment coursing through me. Sitting up, I scan the bedside table for my phone before realizing I must have left it downstairs last night. I try to tell myself there’s likely an explanation text or voicemail on my phone—Mae needed Liam to pick up Rex, Nathan needed him at work, Thea needed help with something—but it doesn’t stop the other, louder voice in my head. The one that tells me I’m not worth sticking around for, despite everything Liam said last night. Despite the way he looked at me and practically worshipped my body with his own.
“This is why feelings are the worst,” I grumble as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and push to my feet. I mentally shove aside thoughts of Liam and his stupid sexy smile and bedroom eyes, and force myself to focus on what needs to be done. I might as well shower since I’m already naked anyway, and then I’ll make coffee and…well, I don’t know what, but it won’t be dwelling.
I take a few steps forward and then scream when Liam appears in the doorway. I scramble to cover myself up—as if he didn’t see every inch of my body a few hours ago—and when that doesn’t work, I hop back into bed and pull the covers over my head.
The sound of Liam’s low chuckle draws closer to the bed. “Don’t cover up on my account.” Through the thin white sheet, I make out his form as he sets something on the bedside table. I expect him to reach for the sheet and pull it back, but he disappears from view. A moment later, the other side of the sheet lifts as he climbs into bed next to me. “Hi.”
“Hello.”
“Would you feel better if I got naked too?” he asks, inclining his chin toward where my arm has moved instinctively to cover my breasts. Now that my freakout over having him suddenly appear has passed, I notice he’s wearing his white undershirt and boxer briefs. When I don’t answer, he says, “You thought I left, didn’t you?”
“No. Maybe. Yes.”
His mouth lifts in a rueful half smile. “I’m sorry. You were out cold, so I thought I could get downstairs and be back up with coffee before you woke up.” He pushes the sheet off and sits up, gently gripping my arm to help me into a seated position.
“I know I gave you shit last night about staying in Honeywell, but I want you to know I respect your boundaries,” he continues. “If the next few weeks are all we can have together, I accept that. I want to spend as much time with you as possible, so I’ll take you for however long I can have you, Joss. If that’s okay with you.”
“That’s definitely okay with me,” I tell him. I also tell my heart to stop the swoony little pitter-patter thing it’s doing at Liam’s words.
