Chapter 44
Liam
Tessa presses her lips to mine, and it somehow feels different from every other time. It's better, more solid. Filled with less hope and more promise. But also with the weight of everything we've held back.
I breathe in deep, committing this particular kiss to memory—her hands at my waist, fingers wrapped in my shirt. Her eyes closed, hair falling, lips soft and full…
And mine.
I glide my tongue across her mouth, asking for permission to deepen it. To taste her. To meet mine with hers. Tessa opens for me, whimpering when I dive in fully and pull gently at the hair I've now wrapped around my fist.
Even in the heat of the moment, I can feel her subtle pauses, the tiny hesitations that aren't just passion—they're caution. The carefulness I promised to protect.
"Where's Ruthie?" She breaks away just enough to ask, and I search her face, wondering how I could be so damn lucky that she cares—and remembering how much responsibility she's already carrying.
"She's with Jace, believe it or not." I lean back down to pepper soft kisses up the side of her neck, and she tilts her head to allow me access.
Until she doesn't.
"Wait, really?" Tess presses her hands to my chest, stopping me right as I go to nip at the soft skin just below her ear.
I sit back reluctantly, my hands falling from her hair and onto her legs. "Yeah," I chuckle, massaging my fingertips into the tops of her thighs.
"Why?" She hums, her hips shifting in the seat.
"We were at the batting cages when Jo called. I…" I stop the motion, looking up to find her eyes still heated but locked on mine. "I didn't know what was wrong. I just knew I needed to get to you as fast as I could. So, I had him take her and Sammy home until Levi got done with his practice."
"And you came right here?"
I drag my bottom lip between my teeth. "Yeah," I admit. She rolls her lips in. "Well…" I pause, the corners of my mouth turning up. "Except for—"
"Except for what?" she asks eagerly.
I twist, grabbing the box from the backseat of my truck. "Except for stopping for these?"
Tess's eyes go wide. "Cinnamon rolls?"
I nod. "Mhmm. Probably not the best get-well gift for Jo, but… they're mostly for you."
She smiles ear to ear as I place the box on the dash.
I don't tell her about the rest of it.
"Thank you," she says.
I lean in and press my lips to hers once more. She melts into me, and we instantly fall right back into step. Our hands explore each other like we've never touched the other person, our tongues entangle like we've been waiting to do it all damn day. Because we have—or, well… I have, at least.
Tessa runs her hand through my hair, tugging at the roots, and I suck on her bottom lip. She moans into me, I growl back into her, and suddenly my truck feels too small but too big all at the same damn time.
My hand glides under the back of her shirt, climbing up her spine. Tess arches into me as I drag my fingertips back down, and I slide my palms to the front of her.
"My God, Tess," I groan, as I hold her—full, heavy. Her nipples peaked beneath the thin material.
Her hand lands quickly on my knee, her fingertips climbing up the inside of my shorts.
"Mmm," she hums through our kiss, pressing her palm against my length. My hips buck into her touch, begging for more, and she strokes her thumb across my tip.
"I'm not sure I've ever wanted anyone as much as I want you, Tessa. Do you know that?"
I pull back, meeting her gaze as I dip my index finger into the waistband of her jeans. I run it along the sensitive skin below her belly button.
"I do now," she says, as her eyes follow my finger.
"No, see…" I pop the button on her jeans with just my thumb, and she sucks in a breath. "I'm not even sure I knew what truly wanting someone even meant until I realized this feeling exists."
"What feeling?" She gulps, watching as I slowly slide down her zipper.
I drop the metal, grabbing her wrist and dipping it beneath my shirt. I place her palm so it sits flat against my bare chest, and whisper, "This."
Her lips part as my heartbeat drums against her hand at a relentless pace. "It's been like this since I first saw you. Since before you even stepped out of your car."
"Really?" Her voice comes out weightless—more breath than sound.
"Really." I let go of her wrist, but her arm doesn't fall.
She keeps it there, pressed against my skin, as I return my fingers to the band of her jeans.
"It's like wanting you is raw and visceral.
Like hunger or instinct. Something I can't control.
Something I'm meant to feel. So natural it's bone-deep. "
I plunge two fingers into the black lace beneath the denim, and her hand flies to grip the dashboard. "Like I couldn't ignore it or hide from it even if I wanted to."
Tessa whimpers as I sink lower, sliding down her slick center. I sit forward, leaning over her so my weight is braced against the passenger door. A guttural sound escapes my throat as I skate back up her middle.
"There's no turning it off," I say. "Only giving in. Only satisfying it long enough for it to come roaring back. Over and over."
I push both fingers into her, my breath floating past her ear, and her head drops back as she white knuckles the vinyl. "Like I'll never have enough."
I move my fingers, pulling them out, then pressing them back in. Tessa's breathing kicks up as I slide in and out, her hips shifting to meet my pace.
"Jo's gone," she blurts suddenly, her hand flying to the back of my neck.
I pull back slightly, my pulse instantly faster, my fingers still inside her.
"She went to our sister's house. She left me her key so we could use her apartment."
My throat moves up and down—with curiosity and temptation.
"To talk or…" Her body shivers against mine, hips swirling, her pussy desperate for movement. "Or whatever we want."
My eyes flick back and forth between hers. "What are you saying here, Tess?"
She swallows hard, her hand moving between us. It gets lost as she buries it beneath both of my waistbands, my cock aching for her before she even makes contact.
"I know we said we'd go slow," she says, gripping me tightly—perfectly. I let out a groan I didn't even attempt to hold back. "That we'd wait until after we told Ruthie."
"Tess," I say, hanging my head between my arms, panting as she strokes me slowly. "Who are we kidding? We could never go back to how things were, regardless of what happens.”
She stills, her lips parting.
I shake my head, sitting back so she's no longer holding me—so I can actually think. So I can decide if after everything she's confessed to me, if saying this is selfish or just… the truth.
"There's no version of us that exists after this where we aren't together," I finally admit. "Not as my nanny or my friend—not as anything but mine. And if by some chance Ruthie isn't supportive like I think—like I know—she will be…"
She gasps quietly, and I brush her cheek with my knuckles.
"Then we sit in that darkness."
She nods, her gaze steady. "Together."
"Yeah," I say. I press my lips to hers. "Together."
"Guest room," Tess breathes, her back pinned against the door.
We've barely made it into Jo's apartment, but neither of us can wait any longer. It feels like these last few weeks have been nothing but foreplay, and seeing Tess's vulnerability today just made me want her even more.
I nod against her, reaching underneath her thighs to pick her up and carry her there.
Tess squeals when I take her in my arms, throwing hers around my neck and kissing me hard. I stop somewhere between a couch and a hallway, savoring the kiss before admitting I'm lost.
"I have no idea where the guest room is," I say, my eyes wandering Jo's apartment.
Tess laughs and drops both feet to the floor. She takes my hand and pulls me toward an open door on the right.
We step inside a standard guest room—queen size bed, neutral bedding. There are no pictures on the walls, which tells me Jo either doesn't care about decor or doesn't use it often. Either way, it doesn't matter much to me—I have all the art I could want standing right in front of me.
"I have to say, doing this in your sister's guest room feels so juvenile," I chuckle. "And yet so…"
"Us?" She smiles, turning to move toward the bed.
My eyes wander over her as she twists back around. More beautiful than ever.
"Exactly," I say, my voice softer—lower. The energy shifts with us this close to a mattress in a place where we're completely alone. I stride closer to her, both hands finding a perfect spot on her hips, and pull her to me. "Are you sure about this?"
She reaches between us—zero hesitation—grabbing at the hem of her shirt and pulling it up and over her head. "I'm sure," she says, tossing the cotton to the floor.
My jaw ticks as I reach behind me. I grab my own tee, tugging it off without breaking eye contact, and dropping it in a pile beside hers.
Tess's fingers walk toward the button on her jeans, but before she can undo it, I drop my hand onto hers. "Let me."
Her breath hitches as I pop it open, dragging the zipper down and slipping my thumbs under the waistband. I yank both her jeans and her thong down all at once, following them as I drop to my knees.
Tessa inhales deeply, and after admiring her already glistening for me, I nip and suck on the inside of both thighs. I palm her ass as I do, my grip tightening when her bra slinks to the floor beside my feet.
"Jesus," I say, peering up at her. I stand immediately, taking her in both hands and brushing my thumbs across her peaks. "Sit down, Tessa," I say, my voice even more demanding than I meant for it to be.
She obliges, dropping onto the mattress, her knees falling apart as if she's already ready. I dive to the floor, ripping them open further, and not waiting even one more second to finally taste her.
"Oh my God," she moans, her hands flying to my hair.
I don't ease in, not this time. Instead, I lick up her center, sucking once I reach her clit. I swirl my tongue over the sensitive bud, bringing one hand up to roll each nipple between my fingers.
"Liam," she breathes, tugging at my nape. I hum into her, my tongue still working, my thumb still moving—sweeping, flicking. "Liam," she repeats, pulling harder.
I stop working just long enough to glance up at her. She's as gorgeous as ever—cheeks flushed, lips bruised, pupils dilated and set on me. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, then reaches out and wipes her thumb through her wetness on my mouth. "I don't want to wait any longer," she says.
I freeze completely except for the twitch I can't control between my legs. Is this really happening? A cocktail of nerves and need rush through me—her eagerness only making it stronger.
My eyes travel over her—all of her—again, and I can't resist tasting her one final time when they settle back in front of me. I stand afterward, but before I'm all the way up, she drags my shorts to my ankles.
Tessa whimpers at the sight of me—hard, throbbing. Ready for her. She takes her time as she drinks me in. Her mouth drops open, her breath growing heavy, and without needing to be told, she shifts back on her elbows.
"Damn, baby," I say, watching as she drags herself up to the headboard.
When she settles on the pillows, she licks her lips. "Come here," she says.
I instantly fall onto my hands, straddling her legs as I crawl to my girl.
I stop along the way, kissing the parts of her I love the most—starting at her thighs, then her hips, then pausing to suck her clit one more time.
My lips move to either side of her belly button, then spend extra time working my tongue on both nipples.
My cock grows harder every time my mouth touches her skin, and the whole time, Tessa wriggles beneath me, searching for friction.
"Please," she whispers when I get to her neck. Her voice is shallow and desperate, and when she takes me in her hand, I almost lose it already—until a single thought paralyzes me.
"Fuck."
"What's wrong?"
I sit back on my heels and drag a hand down my face. "I don't have a condom," I admit. "I—I didn't expect this."
A flicker of panic hits me. Is this a sign? That it's too soon? That we should wait?
"I'm on the pill," Tess says with urgency—and comfort too. "And trust me when I say… getting tested was the first thing I did the week after..."
My jaw tenses slightly, and she nods.
"I'm good," she assures me, her fingers stroking me slowly. That light grounding touch makes my heart beat faster.
My eyebrows raise. "Well, you know you don't have to worry about anything here anyway, but the team does regular testing too. I'm definitely good."
She wraps her hand around me once more, smiling. "Well, alright then."
I lean back down, kissing her with every inch of relief that rushes through me.
"Please, Liam," Tess begs again, running my tip along her slit.
I rock into her touch, my arm muscles tense as I hover above her. "Remember," I say, pressing my lips to the pulse in her neck. "It has been…" I blow out a breath. "A really long time."
She sits forward, a soft smile on her face and kisses me gently. "I hope I'm worth the wait," she whispers, wrapping her legs around my waist.
I settle my weight on one hand, aware that this is her way of offering me another piece of her. I slide my other palm past her cheek. "Tessa, you were the only thing I was waiting for."
With that, she lines me up with her entrance, and I press forward slowly. "Fuck," I grind out, inching in further. Tess digs her heels into my lower back, causing me to sink in further.
"Yes," she moans as I fill her completely.
"Holy shit, baby," I mutter, watching as I pull out, then bury myself inside her again. "Are you okay?"
She nods, arching off the mattress. "More," she begs.
I growl as I listen, picking up speed and pumping in and out of her.
"Faster," she pants. Her hips buck up to meet mine, and our bodies fall into the perfect rhythm.
She whimpers, and I swallow the sound as I slam my lips to hers, one hand holding me up, and the other exploring her—everywhere. I palm her breast, grip her hip, tug gently at her hair. It's like an out of body experience, and I want to taste everything, touch everything. Feel everything.
We move like that, the bed rocking beneath us, until Tessa's legs start to quiver wrapped around my torso. I sit back on my knees, grabbing one and setting her ankle onto my shoulder.
"Oh my God, Liam," she cries, the new angle taking me deeper.
Just seeing her like this—knowing it's my name on her lips—is a gift. And it just solidifies that, even after all this time, no one else would make me feel that way.
"You're perfect," I say.
"I'm coming," she answers.
And just like that, I fill beneath her. Once again, our bodies prove they're connected—pulled to each other.
Like even our undoings aren't our own anymore.