Chapter 41 Anna
Anna
Gemma’s a bloody genius. That costume did exactly what I wanted it to do. I slipped on a mask and my confidence grew to fit it like a second skin. Liam’s still buried inside me, murmuring my name against my skin along with a word that stoked the fire burning within me.
Mine.
I didn’t realize how badly I needed to hear Liam say it. That I’m his, that he wants me, that he needs me. I’m not sure if he planned to say it, but it’s everything I’ve been craving and too afraid to admit I wanted.
The erratic thud of his heart matches my own as we lie tangled together in the aftermath. I smile, propping myself up on one elbow to look down at him.
His hand glides up my neck and he tucks my hair behind my ear. “You should wear this more often,” he says, crooking a smile.
“Yeah? You liked it?”
He laughs. The sound is deep and intoxicating. “I more than liked it.”
My teeth catch my bottom lip and his eyes track the movement.
“What are you thinking?” he asks.
The words tumble out of me before I can catch them. “I don’t want anyone else.”
Crap. Why did I say it like that? That wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
I feel like my stomach’s about to fall out my arsehole. My heart’s thundering and I begin to spiral, unable to form a coherent thought. He must be able to read my mini panic attack because he drags my face closer, pressing his forehead against mine.
“I don’t want anyone else either. I . . .” He pauses briefly. “I like you. I like you a lot, actually.”
My eyes flutter closed as a steady breath leaves me.
Thank fuck.
“I like you a lot too,” I whisper.
The admission isn’t small, it hits like lightning and lands with explosive force. I peel my eyes open, staring into his stormy blues.
“I meant what I said last week. And tonight. This isn’t only physical for me anymore.” He feathers kisses along my jaw. “It’s only you… I want you to be mine,” he rasps.
I cup his cheek. “I’m already yours.”
“Yeah?” he croaks.
The corner of my mouth tugs up and I nod. “Yeah.”
His eyes dart to the ceiling. “Well, thank Christ for that, otherwise this would’ve been really bleedin’ awkward.” He laughs softly, tugging my face to his.
I trace patterns across his skin. “So, what happens now?” I hesitate. “Sorry, it’s just been a while since . . .”
“Yeah, I get it. It’s been a while for me too.” His fingers find mine, weaving them together.
Finn’s sweet, trusting face flashes through my mind, and I think of what this could mean for him—what he’ll think of us. What does this mean for my job?
Then I remember the conversation with April and Gemma. We don’t need to have all the answers right now. We just need to be honest with each other about what we want.
“What about Finn?” I ask carefully.
“We’ll tell him when the time feels right,” he says.
I nod. “I think we should keep this between us… just for now. Just until we sort out my work situation and figure out how to approach things with Finn and the school . . .” Thinking of everything Finn’s endured makes my eyes burn.
“What is it?” he asks. “I can see you thinking.”
I worry my lip. “I just… I don’t want Finn to think I’m trying to step into his mother’s place, or that his teacher is suddenly . . .” I trail off, the words too complicated to untangle.
“Hey.” His hands cradle my face. “Look at me. We’re figuring this out together, okay? Finn’s smart. He’ll understand when we’re ready to explain. But right now? It’s just us. We don’t need to solve everything tonight.”
“Is it too soon?” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Does it feel too soon?” he asks, his brows knitting together.
“No. It feels right. Does it feel right for you?”
“Yeah.” He doesn’t bother hiding how it lands. He rolls me onto my back, weighing me down and settling his hips between my thighs. “Anna, I don’t need more time to see if I have feelings for you. I already know I do. And I’m not sharing you.”
I run my hand over the stubble peppering his jaw. Something heavy lodges in my throat and I whisper, “What happens if I fall for you?”
He studies me as if he can’t believe I’ve asked the question, and his eyes burn with something fierce.
He shakes his head on an almost breathy laugh.
“You don’t get it, do you, baby?” he says, capturing my lips with his before drawing back.
His touch is tender and full of affection. “I’ll fall with you.”
We don’t speak as he notches himself at my entrance, easing his way inside me again. I open wider for him. He twines his fingers through mine, pinning them against the mattress as he begins to move.
Our bodies rock together in a slow dance.
Each roll of his hips has me tilting my pelvis to meet him, begging for more.
I need to feel him everywhere. He releases one of my hands to lift my leg, folding it back on me.
The next thrust spears deeper, hitting that spot that dots my vision and rips a cry straight out of me.
His stubble scrapes over my neck and he brushes his mouth across it.
“Liam,” I whisper, lost in the feel of him.
His rhythm is unhurried at first, teasing. My breath chops in and out of my lungs until I can’t stand it anymore.
His hips snap back and forth while his fingers brush over the spot where he holds my knee still, bending down to swallow my cries. His strong body rubs against mine as we chase our release.
In one swift movement, he scoops an arm beneath me and flips us. He quickly adjusts himself so he’s sitting beneath me and my thighs straddle him.
“I love seeing all of you,” he says, angling me until stars strobe my vision.
His hands tremble, but he pulls me down onto his hard veiny cock, pumping into me from below, his fingers digging into my hips.
His pupils are blown out, but the look in his eyes tells me everything. That neither of us want to screw this up. That neither of us are alone.
His eyes close for the briefest of moments before they open again. “I’m so gone for you, Anna.”
My arms wind around his neck, hauling his mouth to mine, fusing us together. It’s sweaty, it’s messy, it’s desperate, and it’s intimate as hell. As if we’re breaking apart and stitching together again.
His fingers find my clit as I move up and down on him, feeling the heat surge within me from my neck right down to the tips of my toes.
“I can’t,” I whimper. “I’m so, so—”
“Anna, baby, I’m going to come,” he replies.
I cry out his name as I shatter as he empties himself inside.
We fall apart together, the world collapsing around us. When it’s over, I sag against him, gasping for air. His hands roam my back, his touch no longer rough but reverent, as if he’s sealing me into his memory.
Happiness fizzes in my throat but I swallow it down, along with the words that need to spill out.
His response plays on a loop. “I’ll fall with you.”
Only issue is, I think I already have.