Chapter Twenty-Four
The shock seemed to ripple through his body, briefly freezing him.
His hands came up to my face and into my hair.
The kiss started slowly and softly as if it was only supposed to be a short kiss, a stolen moment at midnight.
My feet were between his, his hand holding a runaway curl at my cheek.
His lips were firm and unrelenting against mine but not pushing further.
And I wanted further.
So, I ran my hands into his hair and pulled gently.
Liam listened, answering my demands. He pushed me up onto the kitchen worktop, standing between my legs. My chest flush against his. Then, he deepened the kiss, all tongues and teeth.
‘Since I first saw you in this kitchen, I’ve wanted to press you up against this counter,’ Liam said, kissing down my neck. ‘Every day since, I wanted to taste you. See if you taste as sweet as you look.’
I made a noise that came out like a half moan, half complaint that he’d moved further from my lips.
I was eating up these confessions like my life depended on it.
Liam gently bit my neck, and a soft hum came from his throat.
I pulled him closer again, drawing his lips to mine, where I wanted them.
When his tongue brushed mine, I groaned.
He was good at this. Really good.
He touched, kissed, and pressed in all the right places. His arms roamed but kept me locked in on the counter. I was panting, wanting – no, needing – more from him.
‘What do you want, Red?’ Liam said, panting lightly. I glanced down and saw that he was impressively hard in his boxers.
‘I want that,’ I said, leaning over to caress him, but Liam’s hand touched my wrist. He brought it up to his lips, kissing the sensitive part of my wrist.
‘Not yet.’ He grinned. ‘It’s my turn first,’ he said, kissing down my arm. ‘I’ve imagined these hands wrapped around my cock more times than I want to admit.’
I gave a surprised exhale at his words. ‘Dirty.’
‘You have no idea.’ He leaned forward, bringing his lips back to my neck, my collarbone. I guided his hands up to my breasts, and he caressed my nipples, and then he pinched, making me gasp.
‘I could get off to that noise,’ he said, his eyes meeting mine, molten.
I began to unbutton my pyjama top, slowly, watching Liam’s face track every movement.
His eyes tracked my breasts covered by my lace T-shirt bra.
I knew he could see my nipples through the material by the way his eyes melted like chocolate.
His hands trailed my waist, coming up and up, grazing over my nipples, making me squirm, needing more.
I clasped my legs together, desperate. Liam watched the movement, a small smile on his lips.
‘Can I?’ he asked, and I nodded.
Liam pulled down my bra and pinched and teased. Then, he lowered his head and took my nipple into his mouth, making me arch.
‘Beautiful,’ he murmured into my skin, ‘so fucking beautiful.’
‘Liam –’
One of his hands made its way up my thigh, under my shorts, but lingered there. Waiting. Teasing.
‘Please,’ I panted, the cold of Liam’s kitchen counter burned under my thighs.
‘What do you need?’ he asked, gently biting, inciting a gasp from me. ‘I want to hear it.’
‘Touch me. Please.’
Liam hummed in appreciation, as if he liked those words on my lips. He pulled my shorts down in one quick movement. He was just how I imagined. Confident. Maybe a little cocky.
‘Kat.’ Liam’s voice was a warning.
‘Yes.’
‘Are you aware you aren’t wearing anything under these shorts?’
‘Yes.’
‘And you walked into my kitchen like this?’ Liam’s head half collapsed onto my chest, giving me a sharp bite under my breast. A punishment. A reward. I wasn’t sure which.
‘I wasn’t expecting this to happen,’ I said, my voice low.
‘You’re a tease,’ he murmured as he dropped a kiss on my thigh. He kept kissing his way up to my left hip. Then my right. Kept his hands and his mouth away from where I wanted him so badly.
‘Liam,’ I murmured, followed by a noise I’d never heard from my mouth before.
Liam chuckled, happy to take his time. He planted a kiss on me right above my clit, and I gasped. My hands went to his hair, pulling. Unconsciously, I opened my legs further and splayed on his counter.
‘So responsive,’ Liam said, lowering his mouth to plant another closed-mouth kiss on me. I moaned and glanced down to see Liam pressing himself into the counter like he was as desperate as me. Liam brought up his hands and ran his thumb across my clit, circling slowly, painfully.
‘Yes,’ I murmured. ‘More.’
Liam sped up slightly and kissed my thigh again. He kept at the pace until I was panting, my pleasure spiralling up my spine.
‘Kat,’ Liam asked through the haze, ‘can I taste you?’
‘Yes.’
Liam slurred something like ‘thank god’ and lowered his mouth to me, swiping his tongue with precision. He hummed approvingly as he pushed his finger inside me, making me pull harder at his hair. I came, my hips rose off the counter, and I tried to hold back the moan, with little success.
It was white-hot and blissful.
Liam held me through it, murmuring words I couldn’t comprehend, then gently kissed my throat, cheeks, and eyelids.
Once my heart rate slowed, I sat up. Liam’s gaze flickered over my face, taking me in.
His chest was rising and falling, and I could see his pulse race in his throat.
I reached for him, but he held my arms again.
‘You know you’ve ruined my kitchen. I won’t be able to look at this counter without remembering you spread out on it.’
He grinned. He looked so happy. Devastatingly happy. His gaze darted around my face like he was trying to memorise this moment.
Like I meant something to him.
My high dissipated.
I didn’t want to lead him on. This had been amazing, but I was leaving. And something told me that Liam was not a ‘casual’ kind of guy.
I grabbed my shorts, shoving them on.
‘Are you okay?’ Liam asked, his face full of concern. ‘Did I hurt you?’
‘No, no.’ I reached up and touched the stubble on his handsome face. ‘That was amazing. Honestly, amazing. I just –’ My smile dropped.
Liam’s smile faltered.
I exhaled. ‘I like you, too – a lot. But I don’t want to lead you on, Liam. My plan is the same. I am moving back home, back to London. I have to. I have people relying on me at work. My mum and Graham…’ I trailed off, hoping he got the picture.
‘Right,’ he said, glancing away.
‘But we could keep things casual,’ I suggested.
‘Casual,’ he repeated. ‘You want to keep it casual.’
‘Well, yes,’ I offered meekly. I’d dealt my cards now; I couldn’t take them back.
Liam exhaled, running his hand through his hair again.
His eyebrows pinched.
‘Hey,’ I said, pulling him closer by the arm. ‘We don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. If it’s not what you want –’
‘I’ve done “just sex” before, Kat. It’s not my style anymore.’
Disappointment flooded my chest.
‘I understand.’ I nodded. ‘It’s not something you’re comfortable with. I get it.’
I met Liam’s eyes. I could see the deliberation in them. He ran his hand through his hair. His eyes flickered across my face. Then, he gave a frustrated groan, moved and started pacing the kitchen.
‘Why can’t I say no to you?’ he murmured, then walked back to me, pinching my chin between his thumb and forefinger. ‘I have some conditions. We can keep things casual, like you want. But we’re exclusive. No dating anyone else while you’re here.’
‘That kind of feels like the opposite –’
‘And you let me take you on one date.’
‘Liam, both of those things are literally the opposite of casual.’
‘One date, Kat.’ He smirked. ‘I’m not asking you to marry me. Come on.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘You are so pushy.’
‘Are you going to be able to stop?’ Liam asked, caressing my jaw, running a thumb across my lower lip. ‘I’m not sure I’m going to be able to stop, even if I wanted to.’
My breathing became uneven. I could practically feel my eyes dilate.
I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face with my lips.
I wanted to push him away and pull him back at the same time.
Liam was right. We’d started something with momentum, something inevitable.
How were we going to keep our hands off each other?
People were going to know.
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I agree to your terms.’
Liam’s lips lifted. ‘Do we need it notarised?’ He went to turn away. ‘I can get a solicitor on the phone –’
‘Stop it.’ I laughed. ‘Don’t be a dick.’
‘I think you like the look of my dick, actually. From the way you were ogling it, about’ – he checked his watch – ‘five minutes ago.’
My stupid eyes couldn’t help but flicker down.
‘Make that five seconds.’ He laughed, kissing my jaw and neck. It was distracting, so distracting.
‘I was thinking…’ I sighed and leaned my neck to the side. ‘We should keep this… discreet.’
Liam pulled back, frowning. ‘Why?’
‘Well’ – I laughed – ‘for one, everyone is taking bets. On us. Becoming a couple.’
Liam stilled. ‘Who is everyone?’
‘According to Lydia, the whole town. Or at least every member of the club. Apparently, standing up in front of everyone in that meeting was a declaration of love –’ I snorted, but Liam didn’t crack a smile.
‘I’ll make them stop.’ Liam’s lips were straight, and I missed his playful teasing. I took his hand, weaving his fingers through mine and watched as the touch softened his shoulders.
‘It’s not the bets. They can have their fun. I don’t want to leave the town a pariah. People will side with you, their golden boy, not some random woman.’
‘I don’t care about people.’
‘I do –’ I said quickly. Too quickly. ‘I want to be able to come back to visit. Lydia and my aunt and uncle. I don’t want to burn bridges here.’ I bit my lip. ‘So if you think this will make that impossible—’
Liam pulled me into him, my face pressed into his hard chest. His arms came around me, warm and heavy.
‘You’re always going to be welcome here, no matter what. It doesn’t matter about me. This is your home, too.’
‘Thanks,’ I murmured into his chest, squished.
Liam let me go and tucked my hair behind my ear.
‘But even if it wasn’t about that, Liam’ – I winced – ‘I don’t do long-term. So keeping this casual—’
‘I get it,’ Liam interrupted, his lips pressed together. His eyes burned with intensity.
‘Pinkie swear?’ I raised my eyes to his.
He raised a dark eyebrow. ‘This again.’ Liam’s pinkie wrapped around mine. ‘I’d pinkie swear my life away to you, apparently.’