Chapter 46 Liam
Liam
Finn launches himself into my lap as we sit in front of the TV, and I watch them battle it out on the PlayStation. Anna is absolutely destroying him at Crash Bandicoot—her suggestion, and now I can see why.
I stroke Finn’s hair and smack a loud kiss on his cheek. He grimaces and dramatically wipes it off. “Gross, Da!”
What age will he stop coming to me for cuddles?
He scrambles off my lap, bouncing down between Anna and me as his thumbs madly tap the controller. His little tongue pokes out of the corner of his mouth in concentration and I stifle a laugh.
“Why are you so good at this?” I ask Anna as she shoots another perfect shot into the hoop.
“I used to play with my brother all the time,” she says, not taking her eyes off the screen.
“You have a brother?” Finn’s voice climbs higher with each word, momentarily forgetting he’s mid-game. “That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted a brother or sister.”
The statement is innocent but it suckers me in the gut. My chest tightens as his words land, remembering that he’s totally unaware he’s about to have a half-sibling. Shite. How do I even approach dropping that bomb? What the fuck do I do? What do I say?
I never knew he wanted a sibling. He has a right to know, but he’s been doing so much better lately. Maybe it’s best if I wait until he’s totally recovered from yesterday before I share the news.
Then flames lick at my insides as I consider the fact that I’m the one who has to tell him. It should be Tash.
“Yeah?” is all I manage, caught off guard.
“Uh-huh.” He nods. “It would be fun to have someone to play with all the time. And teach them stuff.”
“I play with you and teach you stuff,” I say.
“Yeah, but you’re old, Da,” he says.
Anna snorts and quickly glances at me over Finn’s head, her face dropping when she picks up on the weight of the revelation. “What kind of stuff would you teach them?” she asks.
“I can’t say that stuff ’cause Da’s here and I’ll get in trouble,” he replies.
Anna drops her head back and laughs. “Right, and what other stuff would you teach them that wouldn’t get you into trouble?”
“Basketball.” His face lights up. “We could play cards like I play with Mel, and I can teach them how to build the best indoor fort and how to play Mario Kart.” He steels his expression. “And I can protect them from monsters at night.”
Heaviness presses into my stomach and I turn my head for a moment, unable to look at Anna or Finn. Now isn’t the right time to tell him.
“That sounds like you’d be an amazing big brother, Finn,” Anna says, her voice soft.
“Yeah,” he says, the clicking of the buttons filling the room.
When I turn back to them, Finn swings his legs back and forth and casually rests his head against Anna’s shoulder, releasing a tired yawn.
I stare at them like a smitten fool, unable to tear my eyes away.
I finally allow myself to imagine: what would it look like if this was permanent?
Anna fits in with us effortlessly. She isn’t just Finn’s teacher; it feels like she belongs here.
That should scare the hell out of me—it’s far too soon—but watching my son in her company with such ease and placidness, seeing how naturally she fits into our little world . . .
“Da?” Finn’s voice is thick with sleep.
“Yeah, bud?”
“I’m tired.”
Anna pauses the game and wraps an arm around his shoulder, giving him a gentle rub. “Why don’t you go have a nap, sweetheart?”
I know from experience that he’ll probably sleep for hours—his body still recovering from yesterday.
His mouth opens in another big yawn as he turns to Anna. “But I don’t want you to leave while I’m asleep.”
She looks at him with so much affection it shoots straight to my damn heart. “She won’t,” I say before I can stop myself. Anna’s eyes snap to mine.
“Cool,” he says, nodding sleepily before pushing himself off the sofa. “Night, Da.”
I open my arms to wrap him in a hug. “Night, bud.”
“Sleep well,” Anna says and Finn shoots her a small smile before padding off to his room.
When our eyes meet, Anna just watches me.
“I told you that you were staying,” I say, leaning back into the couch cushions.
“Don’t I get a say?” she asks, raising a brow.
“Do you want to leave?” I say, immediately wishing I could take it back. I’m not sure I’m prepared for her answer.
“No,” she says. “I don’t want to go.”
Relief floods through me and I stretch an arm along the back of the sofa, creating space for her to move closer. She doesn’t hesitate, tucking herself against my side.
“Thanks for breakfast.” She runs a hand over my thigh and my dick stirs in my trousers.
“You’re welcome,” I say, dropping my free hand to her leg.
“I could get used to having you cook for me.” She chuckles.
“Yeah?” I say. “I’d like to do more of that.”
She dips her head and blushes.
“He’ll probably be asleep for hours,” I murmur, my voice low. “After his last reaction he was exhausted for days.”
“Is that normal?”
I nod, squeezing her tight. “His body needs time to recover.”
“How many times has this happened?” she asks.
“The anaphylaxis?” I blow out a breath. “This is only the second time. He was really young when it happened the first time—about three. It scared the absolute shit out of me.” The memory still makes me nauseous.
“Tash and I had no idea what was happening. One minute we were out at a playgroup with a friend, the next he couldn’t breathe. ”
“I can’t imagine how terrifying that must have been.”
“Everything changed overnight. Yesterday . . .” I run a hand over my face. “Seeing him like that again—”
“Hey,” she says, turning to face me. She reaches forward, cupping my face. “We were prepared this time. And he’s okay.”
We.
I thread my fingers through her hair. “If you hadn’t been there… If you hadn’t known what to do . . .” I shake my head.
She stops me with a gentle touch to the cheek. “Let’s not go down that road. He’s safe. That’s what matters.”
I take a deep breath. “Tash’s pregnant.”
Her expression drops instantly, along with her hand. I catch her wrist as it falls, holding on to her.
“What?” she breathes, blinking. “Is it—Umm—Is it—”
“Not mine,” I rush and her shoulders drop. “It’s Adam’s. She’s six months along. She told me when I called her yesterday.”
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers.
“I’m okay but I needed you to know,” I continue, my thumb stroking over her wrist. “Before Finn finds out . . .”
“Are you going to tell him?”
I nod. “Yeah. Eventually. I don’t even know how to start that conversation. How do I tell him that his ma, who abandoned him, is starting a new family with the man who helped destroy ours?”
“That’s a lot to process.”
I stay quiet for a beat. “Thank you for coming over,” I say eventually, my voice rough.
She licks her lips. “Thank you for trusting me with all this.”
“Anna—” I start, but she shifts closer.
“I meant what I said earlier,” she whispers, her eyes searching mine. “I don’t want to go anywhere. Not from this, not from you, not from Finn.”
I frame my face with her hands. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“Yeah?” she whispers.
“Mmm.” My fingers hook under her chin and tip her head back, and I cover her mouth with mine, quelling her gasp. I deepen the kiss, clutching her hair and tugging her closer until she’s flush against me.
My blood spikes when she releases a tiny whimper.
She tears her mouth from mine. “Maybe we should go—”
“Bedroom,” I say, wrapping her legs around my middle and standing. Her ankles lock behind me as I walk us to my room, carefully kicking the door shut behind us.
I pin her against the wall, grinding my hips into her, letting her feel exactly how gone for her I am. “This is what you do to me,” I grunt against her ear. “Walking into my life and destroying every bit of control I thought I had.”
She clings to me, her fingers gripping my shoulders as she rocks her pelvis forward, rubbing herself against my hard length. “Fuck, Liam.”
When her fingers find the hem of my T-shirt, I let her rip it off me and toss it to the floor. Her hands glide over my tattoo and down my torso. I’m so bleedin’ hard it hurts. Her fingers wedge under my joggers and briefs, encircling my hardness. She gives it a firm squeeze.
“Fuck, baby. I need to be inside you,” I rasp, propping my knee between her thighs, rubbing her pussy through her leggings.
“I want to taste you,” she says.
“Yeah? You wanna suck my dick?”
“I don’t want to. I need to.”
I kiss her hard before carefully setting her on the corner of the bed and peeling my bottoms off.
“Lie on the bed, baby. Hang your head off the edge.”
She obeys, crawling to the edge and lying back until her head tips over the side, hair spilling toward the floor. My chest rises and falls rapidly as I run my thumb over my crown to spread my pre-cum.
I stare down at her upturned face. “Are you ready?” I ask.
“Yes,” she says, her tone certain.
“Open up,” I say, brushing the head over her kiss-swollen lips, watching her exposed throat swallow.
Her tongue slides out to lick a long line up the underside of my cock and my knees almost give way.
Ever so slowly, I sink between her lips.
“Christ,” I snarl.
She bends one leg, bracing herself, and I plant my feet wide on the floor and lean over her delicate body. My arms cage her in as I brace myself against the mattress on either side of her waist, looming over her.
Looking down, I watch her lips stretch around me and it’s the most dirty, beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“That’s right,” I say, rocking deeper into her. “Don’t fight it.”
So wet. So warm.
Her hands come up to grip my arse, pulling my hips further into her, causing my cock to tap the back of her wet mouth. Her throat convulses around me as she gags, but she doesn’t let that deter her. She helps as I pull out of her before carefully thrusting back in.
I curse, forcing myself not to lose it too quickly. Looking down at her almost makes me blow my load.
“That’s perfect, baby,” I say as I start picking up the pace, fucking her mouth in steady strokes.
Her moans and whimpers are muffled as she takes me over and over until I lose the last of my restraint.
“Anna,” I grunt. “I’m getting close and I don’t want to come in your mouth.”
She hums around me, the vibrations searing through me like a flame.
I pull myself free, my cock glistening with her spit. I push to stand and she watches me, damp lashes fluttering as I tower over her.
“What now?” she asks.
“Get up on this bed. I’m not done with you yet.”