Chapter Thirty-Four #2
“You do have to print it,” he replies firmly, his jaw tightening.
“There are… skeletons in my closet. Lots of them. I… I don’t know who leaked this story, but if someone did it once, they could do it again.
I’d prefer the information come directly from me rather than through people who don’t know the whole story. ”
I shake my head, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Jack and I think it could be Zach and Lyla working together.”
Liam nods slowly, his expression darkening. “Yeah. Wouldn’t surprise me.”
“Listen,” I say, leaning in closer, seeking his warmth. “We’ve all got pasts, Liam. We’ve all made mistakes. But that doesn’t define who you are now.”
He exhales sharply, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I just don’t know if this will happen again, Maggie. If I’ll ever be free of it.”
I close the distance between us, reaching out to cup his cheek in my hand. His skin is warm beneath my palm, and the tension in his jaw softens as he leans into my touch.
“Where you’ve been doesn’t matter, Liam,” I say softly, the words filled with every ounce of sincerity I can muster. “All that matters is that you’re here now—with me.”
His eyes search mine, and for a moment, the storm raging inside him seems to quiet, his expression softening into something raw and unguarded. It’s like he’s silently asking me to stay, to give him a reason to hold onto this moment a little longer.
And maybe I want the same.
I make the decision without overthinking it, leaning in until my lips find his.
The kiss is soft at first, tentative, as if we’re both testing the fragile connection between us.
But then, something shifts—his hands slide up to cradle my face, pulling me closer as his mouth deepens the kiss.
His warmth washes over me, melting away every doubt and fear until all that’s left is him.
We fall back onto the soft mattress together, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me into the sanctuary of his embrace. Our limbs tangle, our bodies pressing closer with every kiss. His hands trace soft, reverent paths along my back, and I feel how much he cares for me in the way he holds me.
This isn’t just desire—it’s something deeper. Something I’m not sure I have the words for.
His lips move from my mouth to my jaw, then trail down my neck, sending shivers cascading through me. My fingers find the planes of his shoulders, gripping him like he’s the only solid thing in a world.
“Are you sure?” he whispers against my skin, his voice rough with emotion.
I look up at him, my heart pounding. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
He kisses me again, his movements tender but charged with an intensity that takes my breath away. And as the world outside fades, leaving just the two of us in this fleeting, fragile moment, I realize that one more night in his arms might not just be what I want—it might be exactly what I need.
His hand slips beneath his shirt I’m wearing, his fingers trailing a deliciously slow path to my chest, cupping my breast in his hand.
I exhale, grateful for the sublime contact.
Then, his thumb rubs over a pebbled nipple and the space between my thighs instantly dampens.
There’s too much fabric between us. I want to feel his body warm against mine. I need to feel it.
I slip my hand beneath the waistband of his sweatpants and feel he’s already rock hard. I stroke him gently, my lips curling into a smile as he moans against my mouth.
Then, without words, he’s sliding the shirt over my head and I’m tugging his sweatpants down his hips. He shimmies the material the rest of the way off, using his foot to kick them off the bed.
I inhale sharply as his thumbs hook around the oversized pajama pants he let me borrow and he drags them down my thighs, his eyes never leaving mine.
I lick my lips as he dips his head between my legs, his tongue running a sultry path through my folds.
Everything feels right with him. Everything feels real and raw and honest. Heat builds behind my eyes as my fingers run through his soft hair and he plunges his tongue inside me.
Every lick, every suck, every gentle scrape of his teeth against my center brings me closer to the edge.
It takes only a few seconds before I’m unraveling on his tongue, my body shaking from the orgasm, or maybe from how much I need this. I need him.
“Come here,” I whisper in the darkness as he climbs up my body, his toned stomach rubbing against mine as his hips settle between my thighs.
Liam kisses me, but all I can taste is how he’s the only man who’s ever coaxed an orgasm out of me with his tongue.
I want to say I need you right now, but the only thing that comes out is, “I need you.”
Slowly, he inches himself into me, his hard length stretching me as he kisses me harder.
I wrap my legs around his hips as he deeper, filling me in ways I know I’ll never recover from. There’s an ache between my legs that’s hard to ignore, but it’s the one in my chest that’s impossibly loud.
He moves slowly, every long, slow stroke drawing breathy moans from me. I lay beneath him, feeling safe and protected and known. A dangerous combination for someone like me.
His fingers dig into my hair and I wrap my arms around his neck as our eyes stay connected. I writhe beneath him, my walls crumbling.
“Come with me,” he whispers and something about the tone of his voice, the vulnerability in his eyes, the way he worships my body like it’s the only thing giving him life undoes me. My hips buck off the mattress as his body becomes taut and he spills into me with everything he has.
We lay together, still connected, as his lips find mine and he kisses me slowly, savoring every second we're wrapped up like this together. Tomorrow is only a few hours away, and I plan on using every minute of our time left together just like this.