28. EMERSON
28
EMERSON
Six Summers Ago
I promised myself two things the night I decided to stay at that table with Liam.
Promise #1: Do not go home with Liam Hayes—completely broken. Absolutely shattered.
Promise #2: Do not fall for Liam Hayes—not broken.
That’s why I shouldn’t be falling for him. Right?
Ten days with someone is not nearly enough time to fall for them. It’s supposed to take more time than this, right ?
But after today, how could I not fall for him? How am I supposed to feel anything other than—nope. He said one nice thing to you, that doesn’t mean you abandon your beliefs.
I’ve never spoken about my parents like that to anyone. Not even to Natalie, and she lived through it with me, a front-row seat to the idiocracy that devoured my family, but I never said anything about how I felt.
And I told Liam all of it because I knew I could. I know I joked about him thinking I’m messed up, but I didn’t mean it. I don’t think he judges me at all. He’s a safe space for me to be me.
And he then told me that I am easy to love. Like what?
You’re wrong. You are so easy to love, Emerson. I’m sorry no one has ever made you feel that way before.
I don’t know how he knows that when Liam barely knows me. Or does he?
Liam holds the door to the restaurant open to let me through while taking my hand to help me down the small set of steps. We walk hand in hand, fingers interlocked together .
We could get an Uber back, but we don’t. It’s not even a question between us if we should or not. We walk. We have every day since our walk home in Lagos. Small, nonsensical conversations pass between us, but it’s the easy, comfortable silence that sits between us that I think we both enjoy. Words aren’t always necessary, at least not with us. Our walks are intimate, a way to be together without questions or pressure of getting to know each other or need to be enough for anyone or anything else. We’re simply Liam and Emerson on our walks.
Several blocks from our hotel, two people are playing music on the street—one on cello and the other on violin. An instrumental version of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” starts playing.
“Dance with me,” Liam says, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
He pulls us into the street; the only people outside besides us sit on the patios of the restaurants nearby.
I take his lead, turning toward him. His other hand comes to the small of my back. Mine move to his back, pressing into his shoulder blades for support. We move in unison from side to side for most of the song. I can feel the muscles of his back tense and relax with each step. He removes his hand from my back, and he spins me out. My dress flows out from my body, riding up to where most of my bare legs show. While spinning back into him, my heel gets caught in the stones, and I slip. Before I can fall, Liam catches me.
My breath hitches as I look up at him. He’s so handsome.
I blink, fixating my eyes deeper into his. They darken, and I can sense the heat and desire flooding from them.
My body is upright in a collision of our mouths.
“Take me back now,” I pant out breathily. “Please.”
Liam says thank you in French and drops a few euros in their cup before leading us back to the hotel.
It feels like my slip slipped us both into a different dimension. Our pace is rushed as we make our way back to the hotel. Stopping once in a dark alley to kiss—pushed up against a brick wall, leg curled around his back, neck exposed, warm lips finding my pulse .
The tension between us and between my legs increases as we climb the hotel’s stairs. It’s like the walls are closing in, pressurizing us to the point where the only solution is combustion.
But I may combust before that if we don’t get to the room quick enough and his touch is all over me.
I slip my hand out of his after he pulls us into his room, taking a few steps away from him. It’s dark, dimly illuminated by the moon coming through the windows.
I bend down to undo my heels.
“Stop.” Within seconds, Liam is in front of me. He’s not speaking, but I can sense the fire growing inside me, letting me know he’s there. His breath is warm and trailing down my exposed skin. Taking a deep breath through my nose, I relish in his smell.
He bends down, kneeling before me, taking off my heels. Kissing the inside of my knees and thighs as he removes my shoes. It’s gentle and tantalizingly slow. A precision to his tactics meant to drive me wild.
Liam stands.
He lifts his right hand to my shoulder, his fingers loosely playing with the ties to my dress. If he were to pull one of the strings, that side of my dress would fall, revealing part of my lacey, strapless black bra.
He takes another step closer; our bodies now flush together. He leans his head down, mouth level with my ear. “Emerson,” he pants. My eyes shut, and my head leans into his touch and voice.
He pulls the tie, undoing the bow.
“Liam,” I say back to him.
He drags his hand over my collarbone, his lips trailing kisses to the other shoulder, releasing that tie.
My dress falls to the floor, revealing my lacey, strapless black bra and matching lace underwear. Slowly, I lift my head to meet his gaze.
His eyes are beating down on me. Practically flush together, I can feel and sense his needs .
“My view was better with you on your knees,” I say.
He takes a step back.
“Emerson,” Liam groans. “Is that what you want?”
I nod.
“Use your words. Tell me, is that what you want.” Liam is dragging a finger between us lazily up my thigh and over my center. The fabric of my underwear being a terrible barrier, I know he can feel how achingly ready I already am. He smirks.
“Yes.”
Slipping two fingers into the waistband, he pulls them down. I raise each foot one at a time, and he throws my underwear to the side.
Liam returns to my body, on his knees, kissing up my right leg, lingering a kiss right on my hip; he pushes my legs apart. Running his hands up my outer thighs, the need inside of me is becoming uncontrollable.
A short and sweet beg leaves my mouth. “Please.”
He lets out a laugh, and then his mouth is on me. Liam licks me from back to front. He acts like he didn’t have anything for dinner, and I’m it.
Liam picks up his pace deliberately, I’m wet and burning frantically, and then he stops. Liam removes his mouth and replaces it with his fingers. One. Then two. As he glides his fingers in and out of me, he tries to lock his gaze with mine, but my head is thrown back.
“Look at me, Emerson,” he demands. “You said this view was better. Watch me with those pretty green eyes indulge in this pretty pussy of yours.”
I look down at him.
“What do you want?” He’s wearing a smug grin. His lips glisten.
Barely able to communicate, I try to get out, “Mouth. Both,” but it comes out short and quick. He interrupts my nonsense and starts devouring me again. The combination of his tongue and finger brings me over the edge .
“Liam!” I curse out his name.
He doesn’t stop.
Liam waits to remove his mouth until every wave of my orgasm is nursed out of me. He stands and kisses me, allowing me to taste myself on him.
“You, my darling States, are mouthwatering,” Liam says.
My mouth is back on his, ready for more—ready for all of him. I drop my hand between us and stroke him. His hands come to my bra, reaching around to the back; he unclasps it and tosses it to the floor.
Still kissing, Liam walks us backward until my legs bump against the bed. I climb onto it, leaning up on my knees. My hands move to his shirt, making quick work of the buttons. At the same time, his mouth is exploring me. He kisses my chin, the side of my neck, and behind my ear, working his way from one side to the next. His kisses travel down to my chest, above my breast, as I reach for his belt.
Pulling back, he removes his pants and underwear. Maybe it’s the lighting, or perhaps it is just him, but he’s cut enough that the V dips right into his. . . my eyes flare.
He’s definitely muscular, large. . . and hard.
“I warned you,” he says, recalling our conversation in Lisbon when he saved me from falling.
Liam’s eyes roam the entirety of my body, now laid out on the bed. The reality of being completely naked in front of him hits me, and for a moment, I’m embarrassed. Quickly, I cover my stomach and body. Not wanting him to see my curves and not flat stomach.
Liam leans over me, reaching and taking hold of my wrists. “Never hide from me. You are beautiful. Every. Part. Of. You. There is nothing about you that you should be ashamed of.” Liam’s strong, sweet, and affirming gaze makes me feel as if I’m the only person in the world who matters to him.
“I’ll try,” I reply simply .
He leaves me with a smile before turning around and heading to the bathroom. He’s rummaging through his toiletry bag and then returns with a condom in hand. Standing in front of me, I let my eyes look and absorb all of him. As I watch him, I hear foil ripping, and he rolls the condom on.
The nice moment we shared seconds ago is gone. Liam is on top of me, positioned between my legs, the tip of him rubbing between me.
“Tell me if it’s too much,” Liam tells me.
“It won’t be.”
Okay, it might be. I claw at his shoulders and gasp at the stretching feeling.
Liam chuckles, pausing to let me adjust. “It’s almost all in.”
He pulls out slightly before pushing in gently till all of him fills me.
“States.” He swallows, breathing hitches, feeling how tight I am around him. “Is it?”
I shake my head no.
“Good girl,” he kisses my forehead. “You’re already taking me perfectly.”
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” I say—matching mischievous smile form on our faces.
“And it won’t be your last with me.” Liam starts to move in and out of me. His thrusts are consistent at first but become faster and harder as my breath quickens, and I grasp at the smooth sheets with my hands.
I’m getting close again. The edge I want to barrel over with him is in sight, and the pressure within me is pushing me closer to it.
Liam must sense it. He reaches for a pillow, pulls up my hips, and places it behind the small of my back. The smallest change in angle giving him better leverage to dive deeper into me from on his knees.
My release is inevitable as soon as Liam reaches a hand down and pinches my most sensitive spot. My legs curl up around his back as he continues to thrust harder and play with me. My climax pulses around him. Liam follows with a cry of my name on his lips.
Catching our breath, he pulls out of me. Lying side by side, he wraps an arm around me, pulling me into him.
While we lay there, I can’t contain the smirk that curls across my face. I let out a soft giggle.
“What are you laughing at?” Liam asks.
I giggle again. “Just that the British came.”
Liam pinches my side. “Is that right? I won’t warn you next time.” I can feel him laughing through his arms that are holding me.
Liam eventually gets up and heads to the bathroom, letting me know he’ll grab something to clean us up. I look up at the ceiling, thinking, trying to figure out how I will get through the rest of this trip without breaking another promise to myself.