“That must suck.”
“It did,” he admits. “But she’s amazing. She deserves someone who can give her all of their heart.”
And I’m thinking of all the times we were together, the three of us. Me and Liam, lost in our own little world, and Maddox, always there. How many times had he watched us with that love in his eyes? How many times had he swallowed his feelings, burying them under a layer of friendship and loyalty? The thought is a physical pain, a sharp and twisting ache in my chest.
I crawl across the bed, my body moving on instinct. I press my lips to the warm skin of his throat, feeling his pulse flutter against my tongue. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, the words inadequate. “I’m so sorry I didn’t see it.”
“It’s okay,” he says, his hand coming up to cup the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair. “You weren’t supposed to.”
I pull back, my eyes searching his. “How do you think Liam is going to react to this?”
And that’s when it hits me. The full weight of what we’ve done. This isn’t just about me and Maddox. This is about Liam. About our pack. And in that moment, I realize this conversation, this revelation, is going to be so much harder than I anticipated.
Maddox seems to read my mind. “He’s in a volatile state right now,” he says, his tone gentle but firm. “With Arnold back in his life... maybe now’s not the right time to tell him.” He leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. “But he’s going to smell me on you, Millie. He’s going to know.”
I nod, my throat tight. “I know.”
“How’s the heat feeling?” he asks, changing the subject, giving me a moment to breathe.
I think about it. The desperate, clawing need is gone at the moment, replaced by a warm, pleasant hum under my skin. “I think that last pill helped alleviate the symptoms.”
“Good,” he says, a wave of relief washing over him. “That buys us time.”
“Yeah,” I say, my hand finding his cock, still semi-hard and sticky against his stomach. “It does.”
“What are you doing?” he asks, his breath hitching as I stroke him, my thumb tracing the sensitive head.
I smile, wicked and confident. “I’m getting out of my head.” I slide down the bed, the sheets cool against my overheated skin. I settle between his legs, looking up at him through my lashes.“How about a little taste,” I purr, “and then we can take that bath?”
And then I’m taking him in my mouth.
He’s girthier than I imagined, a heavy, satisfying weight on my tongue. The taste of us, of him, is intoxicating. The musky flavor goes straight to my head. It feels so good to do this, to focus on him, on his pleasure, to get out of my own head and justfeel.
His hands fly to my hair, his fingers pulling at the strands and holding me in place. He’s not forceful. It’s more like a silent plea for more. I take him deeper, my tongue swirling around the shaft, tracing the bulging vein that runs along the underside. I can feel him getting harder, growing in my mouth, and a sense of power, of feminine pride, washes over me.
This is mine. This moment. This man. And I’m going to make him fall apart.
Liam
The engine hums, a sound that should be calming but only grates on my frayed nerves. Every bump in the road sends a fresh jolt of pain through my ribs, constantly reminding me of the fight.
My wrist throbs beneath the flimsy brace.
I stare out the window, watching the world blur by in a smear of white and gray. The snow started as a few flurries, and now it’s coming down in earnest, blanketing the town in a silence that feels wrong.
“You want water or anything?” Knox asks, his gaze fixed on the road.
I shake my head, my throat too tight to form words. I can’t believe he’s driving me home. The man I punched. The man who holds my future in his hands. It’s surreal.
I pull out my phone before I remember it’s dead. Useless. I’m not really sure what has happened since I was in that cell. Time became a blur of gray walls and fluorescent lights. All I know is that half an hour ago, Knox walked in, his face a mask of grim determination, and told me he was getting me out for the night.
I’m not sure why he had the change of heart, but he made me reassure him that I wouldn’t skip town, that the mayor vouched for me. I owe Jake one. Big time.
Knox pulls into the parking lot of a small, brightly lit convenience store. “Be right back,” he says, killing the engine.
I watch him walk into the little store, his movements stiff, his shoulders squared. He looks like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Maybe he is. This town is a mess, and he’s the one in charge.
He comes back a few minutes later, a plastic bag in his hand. He gets in the car, the sudden blast of cold air making me shiver. He hands me a packet of beef jerky and a bottle of water. I take them, my fingers brushing against his. His are cold.
