Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Liam
" F uck, Doc," I groaned, gripping her tighter. "I'm so fucking close."
Emerson's response was primal, her movements wild and desperate. The swing's rhythm synced perfectly with her frantic thrusts, creating a chaotic frenzy of passion.
My world narrowed to the feel of her body against mine, the overwhelming heat between us.
I was lost in a storm of sensation, every nerve on fire. My hands clamped her hips possessively, guiding her frenzied movements. The tension coiled tighter, ready to explode.
"Liam," she cried out, her voice breaking. "I'm right there. Oh God, I'm right fucking there."
"Me too, Doc," I groaned, drowning in need. "We're fucking doing this together."
And then we were, crashing over the edge like a damn avalanche, our bodies spasming in sync. The pleasure hit me like a freight train, but that was only the half of it. Watching Avery lose control, screaming her throat raw? That was a fucking religious experience.
We pumped together, slowing bit by bit as we came down from our high until eventually, Emerson slumped against me, our sweaty bodies tangled together.
The air crackled around us, and I knew right then—this woman was mine, and I'd be damned if I was ever going to let her go.
I tightened my hold on her, feeling her soft breath against my neck. I couldn’t resist pressing my lips to her forehead, savoring the rare, intimate connection of this stolen moment.
“Jesus, Doc, you’re fucking amazing,” I murmured, my voice rougher than gravel, still raspy with the remnants of our passion.
She gave me this lazy, satisfied grin that sent my heart into chaos. “Oh my God, Liam. You’re… well, you’re not so bad yourself,” she replied, her voice a sultry purr that made my pulse jump.
The way she said my name, I wanted to take her right there all over again. I wanted to pin her down, make her scream, claim every single inch of her.
But just as I was about to ease into the warm, hazy cocoon of after-sex bliss, a sudden, loud rustling in the bushes nearby yanked us both back to reality with the force of a cold shower.
We froze, our eyes locking onto the source of the noise, adrenaline slicing through the sex fog.
“What the fuck was that?” Emerson whispered, her voice a frantic hiss as her pulse hammered against my skin.
I bolted upright, ears straining to catch any sound over the thunderous pounding of my own heart. The rustling grew louder, now joined by a bizarre snuffling noise. Panic flared like a wildfire as we scrambled to cover our nakedness, grabbing at our scattered clothing with the urgency of contestants in a high-stakes game show.
“Shit, what if it’s someone in my family?” Emerson’s face went pale as a ghost, her hands fumbling frantically with her shirt.
Half-dressed and still half-panicked, I crept toward the trees, peering into the darkness—a man on a mission. Emerson clung to my arm, her grip tightening with each passing second. We exchanged wide-eyed glances, our pulses thundering in a synchronized symphony of dread.
“Probably just a raccoon or something,” I said, trying—and failing—to inject some confidence into my shaky voice.
Despite my best efforts, the fear of discovery gnawed at my gut. I didn’t so much care for myself, but I didn’t want Emerson stuck in a precarious situation.
We stood there, barely daring to breathe as we strained to hear any more signs of movement. The seconds dragged on, each one feeling like an agonizing eternity.
Slowly, Emerson’s death grip on my arm began to ease, her panic giving way to cautious relief as she continued dressing.
“Maybe it was nothing,” she murmured, her voice tinged with the embarrassment of overreaction.
She blushed, her eyes dropping to my lips, and just like that, the fire was back. I wanted her, needed her, more than my next breath. The thought of taking her again consumed my mind.
Christ, I was a man obsessed.
A mischievous grin spread across my face.
“Well, Doc, we were making quite a bit of noise,” I said, waggling my eyebrows with a dirty smirk.
She swatted my arm, a blush creeping up her cheeks, making her look even more fucking irresistible.
“Shut up,” she said, but her lips twitched with the hint of a smile.
God, I loved when she got all flustered.
“I’m just saying,” I continued, my grin widening, “it’s entirely possible we scared off every living creature within a two-mile radius.” I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Including, hopefully, any nosy family members.”
Emerson backhanded my chest this time, her reluctant smile breaking through the lingering tension.
“This is serious! Can you imagine if my mom or one of my cousins had seen us?” She shuddered dramatically, the mortifying thought clearly flashing through her mind.
I couldn’t help but chuckle, pulling her back into my arms. God, she felt so damn good there.
“Come on, Doc. We’re both consenting adults. Besides, we weren’t really doing anything... just conducting some very hands-on experiments.”
I let my hands wander to her ass, savoring the feel of her curves pressed against me.
Despite herself, I felt Emerson’s tension melting away in the face of my silliness. She rolled her eyes, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
“You’re impossible,” she murmured, resting her forehead against mine.
The sweet pressure of it sent me back into a tailspin. “Impossibly charming, you mean,” I corrected, stealing a quick kiss that tasted faintly of the wine we’d shared earlier.
Her lips were doing that thing that made my brain cells wave little white surrender flags. Her soft sigh mingled with the night air, her body easing back into mine. Her hand slipped up to tangle in my hair, fingers grazing my scalp in a way that made me want to forget everything and everyone but her.
My thoughts were taking a hard left turn into territory that would make an HBO writer blush. But I was trying to be good. Trying being the operative word here, because her tongue was doing things that should probably require a special license.
The kiss deepened until we were basically conducting an advanced seminar in tonsil archaeology. My body was staging a full-scale rebellion against my better judgment, and let me tell you, certain parts were being particularly vocal about their opinions.
How was she even doing this to me?
But the universe, with its twisted sense of humor, decided to fuck with us a little more. Just as things were about to get interesting again, the rustling in the bushes returned with a vengeance, like a goddamn horror movie scene no one asked for.
We sprang apart like guilty teenagers, our temporary calm shattered into a million anxious pieces. We stood frozen as the snuffling grew louder, now accompanied by a low, menacing growl.
Adrenaline surged through my veins, every protective instinct roaring to life like a caged beast set free. I stepped in front of Emerson, my body becoming her shield against whatever the fuck lurked in the darkness.
The bushes shook again, and I swear to God, if this turned out to be a raccoon or a deer, I was going to write a strongly worded letter to whoever was in charge of wildlife romance scheduling.
“Seriously, what the hell is out there?” Emerson’s voice was a mixture of fear and irritation, her fingers clutching at my arm with desperate strength.
“Stay behind me,” I said, my voice low and steady despite the chaos swirling inside me. I had to keep her safe, no matter what.
We held our breath, bracing ourselves for whatever was coming. Emerson’s hand found mine, our fingers interlacing in a desperate grip, a lifeline in the storm. Her touch was electric, grounding me even as the world threatened to tip off its axis.
In that moment, I realized with startling clarity just how much she meant to me.
This brilliant, guarded woman had somehow captured me completely in those late-night lab sessions, sarcastic barbs, and a few stolen kisses.
The bushes shook again violently, our pulses racing like a pair of runaway trains. My mind whirled through a thousand scenarios, each more terrifying than the last. A bear? A deranged stalker? Her overprotective neighbor with a shotgun?
And then, with a final, dramatic rustle, the source of our terror emerged.