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I meander toward the dumbbell tower, automatically reaching for the lightest pair. When I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I stop. My hair is at its darkest, almost brown in its damp waves. The way it obscures my face reminds me of how I’d look in the mirror in Harrison’s bathroom, after I’d scrubbed his touch from my body. I was always hiding behind my hair back then, peeking out from its curtain only when necessary.

In front of the gym’s wall-sized mirror, I brush my hair back from my face, tucking it behind my ears. Unhidden like this, my eyes look brighter than they did a month ago. They’re less sunken, less timid and ashamed. More me.

Being with Liam has made me more myself again.

Above my head, I see the reflection of the pull-up bar behind me. Upper body strength has always been my greatest weakness, and I’ve viewed pull-ups as a necessary evil for improving my running form. But with Liam, I am strong. Biting my lip as I smile, I head to the pull-up station. I face the mirror and jump up, grabbing a secure hold on the first try. My smile widens.

Then I start pulling myself up, and reality reminds me how difficult this is. I’m grunting like a piglet as I struggle upward, which is when I catch sight of Liam leaning shirtless in the doorway.

I drop to the ground and wipe my hands on my pants, embarrassed that he caught me grunting like that.

“Don’t stop on my account.” Leisurely, he pushes himself from the doorway and pads across the room. He’s wearing nothing but his gray gym shorts, the kind that hit a few inches above his knees, showcasing his muscular quads.

I suck in a breath as he approaches, trying hard not to stare at his lean, defined abs.

“Try again.” He jerks his chin up toward the bar. It’s above both our heads now, with Liam only two feet in front of me. He raises his eyebrows expectantly.

When I jump up, he grabs my waist, his palms hot through my thin shirt. With our grips secure, he guides me upward, supporting me as I lift myself. I try so hard not to grunt that I make a strange squealing noise instead.

Liam chuckles. It’s his rich, deep laugh, the kind that Savannah Welling never got to hear. It’s the laugh that Liam reserves for me.

I feel my cheeks go hot from more than just exertion as I pull my chin above the bar.

“Hold,” Liam instructs.

“What?” I’m already shaking.

“Hold,” he says, more harshly this time. Then he lets go of my waist, and I’m supporting myself.

“Liam—” I choke out.

“Five,” he counts down. “Four.” I’m shaking uncontrollably, my arms on fire. “Three.” He returns his hands to my waist, not to grip me, but the elastic of my pants. “Two.” He slips his fingers beneath the lace of my panties. “One.”

He tears down my pants and panties in one go, then lifts me higher, slinging my thighs over his shoulders. Suddenly I’m supported in a sitting position, my arms over the bar for easy balance. And Liam’s face between my legs. It’s the naughtiest, sexiest sight in the world. He gazes up at me with a devious look in his eyes, his mouth an inch from my clit.

My breathing goes shallow as he resituates me, pulling me even closer. Then he’s licking up my folds, and I’m moaning. I cling to the pull-up bar as pleasure ripples up my body from Liam’s tongue. His large, warm hands grip my butt, holding me steady as he laps at my sensitive bud.

I have to override the urge to squirm in delight. I’m six feet in the air, my clumsy body balanced in a way that should be precarious. And yet, I feel secure. Supported by Liam, I’m soaring.

He sucks hard on my clit, and my pleasure skyrockets. I feel my heartbeat between my legs, a pulse that grows stronger every time Liam licks me. He alternates between licking my entrance and sucking on my clit, and the combination brings tears to my eyes. I tremble as I feel pressure gather in my core, and my thighs tighten on Liam’s shoulders. But then he pulls away, tilting up his chin to look me in the eye.

“Not yet.” He says it in his most commanding tone, the one that promises consequences if I disobey. His authority sends shivers down my spine, more pleasure straight to my clit, which Liam gently blows on.

I try not to spasm, but the sensation is incredible. It’s as if Liam’s applying every skill of his to my pleasure—and the way he’s looking up at me, it’s for his pleasure too. He blows lightly again before licking his lips.

“I’ll squeeze your ass twice when I want you to come,” he says sternly.

I gasp at his language, and at the idea that he’s so focused on my orgasm that he controls it. He starts licking me again, lapping his tongue down my folds, then nudging at my entrance. When he plunges inside me, I gasp again, my head spinning. His tongue is hot and muscular in my channel, and he swirls it inside me to lick my every wall.

With his broad hands on my butt, he pulls me even closer, and then he’s licking my clit so hard I can’t breathe. I cling tighter to the pull-up bar as my legs start to quiver. That wonderful pressure builds in my core again, bringing me dangerously close to the edge.

“Liam,” I pant. “Liam, please.”

But he shakes his head, pressing his tongue harder against my clit. I cry out in desperation. I’m trying so hard to follow his command, but he makes my body feel too good. All of my muscles are tense, ready to seize up. The sensations he’s sending through me overwhelm my entire being. Together with the sight of him devouring me, it’s almost too much to handle.

I force myself to tear my gaze away, and my eyes land on the mirror across the room. Somehow the view of our reflections is even sexier. Liam’s muscular back flexing as he supports me, my thighs spread for him, his head buried in between, as if in worship. Together, we look… beautiful.

The pressure in my core builds to unbearable. Against the fabric of my bra, my nipples are hardened points, so stiff they hurt. Like the rest of me, they ache for release.