Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Liam
I saunter toward my bathroom to shower, my heart pounding in my chest as I replay the conversation with Audrey in my mind. What was I thinking, opening up to her like that? I run a hand through my hair, frustration and desire warring within me.
I can still feel the softness of her skin beneath my fingertips, the way her breath hitched when I leaned in close. It took every ounce of my self-control not to close the distance between us, to capture her lips with my own and show her just how much I want her.
And remembering the way her hazel eyes sparkled with a mix of trepidation and longing is enough to send a rush of heat through my veins. I want her, want to unravel the mysteries that lie beneath her guarded exterior and discover the passionate woman I know is hiding within.
I reach for my luggage, grabbing my toiletries and heading for the shower. I strip off my clothes, my muscles rippling as I step under the warm spray. The water cascades over my body, soothing the tension that coils within me.
This is supposed to calm me, but my breath catches at the memory of Audrey’s soft curves pressed against me earlier. Desire builds low in my belly, my length stirring to life. I can’t get her sweet floral scent out of my mind.
As I lather up, my mind drifts back to her, to the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts. I imagine what it would be like to have her here with me, to feel her slick skin sliding against my own as we lose ourselves in each other .
Cursing under my breath, I squeeze some body wash into my palm and lather up, trying in vain to scrub away the longing. How can I want her this badly? There’s something about Audrey that pulls me in, much like the moon’s pull on the tide.
As the soapy water sluices down my body, my fingers can’t help but trail down, wrapping around my rigid shaft. A guttural groan escapes my lips as I imagine her petite hand replacing my own. What would those full lips feel like wrapped around me?
“Fuck.” My forehead thuds against the tiled wall. I can’t let myself get tangled up with Audrey. She’s my best friend’s little sister—utterly off-limits.
But my traitorous body has other ideas, bucking into my fisted grip as visions of her naked, dewy skin fill my mind. I stifle another moan, increasing the pace. Just this once to get her out of my system.
The shower stall fills with steam, beads of moisture clinging to my overheated skin as wave after wave of scorching pleasure wracks my body. Her name is a prayer on my lips as I imagine those full, pouty lips wrapped around my aching cock instead of my calloused palm. I can practically feel the wet heat of her mouth, tongue swirling teasingly over the sensitive head. The thought alone makes my knees go weak.
My free hand braces against the tiled wall as I increase the pace, twisting my wrist with each upstroke just how I imagine she would drive me wild. God, I want to hear those breathy little whimpers spilling from her lips as I pleasure her with my mouth too.
Picturing Audrey writhing beneath me, all flushed and wanting, has my release ready to blow with dangerous swiftness. I lean into the fantasy—her nails raking down my back as I bury myself to the hilt inside her soaking heat, watching those gorgeous tits bounce with each frantic thrust.
“Fuck . . .” I grit out through clenched teeth, hips snapping in desperation as that knot finally snaps.
Hot ropes of cum paint the shower wall and I pant harshly, riding out the aftermath. But even as the physical high ebbs, the bone-deep ache for Audrey’s touch remains. This illicit interlude was nothing more than a fleeting balm for a wound that can’t seem to heal.
With a resigned sigh, I shut off the lukewarm spray and step out onto the bathmat, the fluffy fabric soft beneath my feet. I grab a towel and roughly dry off, trying in vain to wipe the thoughts of Audrey from my mind. How can I face her bright smile and warm embrace now without betraying the ugly truth ?
That I want her. That I crave her touch, her taste, her everything.
That I might need her body under mine, our limbs tangled together as we move in perfect harmony. Or maybe against the wall, her legs wrapped around my waist as I drive into her with reckless abandon.
I dress quickly, my movements terse and irritated, the fabric of my clothes feeling rough against my sensitized skin. Maybe some distance is what I need to regain control over these unbidden urges, to clear my head and remind myself of what’s at stake.
A hard workout in the hotel’s gym, pushing my body to its limits until the burn of exertion drowns out the ache of desire. Or even hitting the bar to blow off some steam with a random hookup, losing myself in the anonymity of a stranger’s touch.
Anything to purge her intoxicating siren call from my psyche before I do something I can never take back, something that could ruin the delicate balance we’ve struck and shatter the fragile trust between us.
I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My jaw is clenched, my eyes dark with a hunger that refuses to be tamed. But I know I have to try, have to find a way to resist the temptation that threatens to consume me whole.
Because losing Audrey, losing the chance to be a part of her life in whatever way she’ll allow . . . That’s not a risk I’m willing to take. Even if it means denying myself the one thing I want most in this world.