Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
CASSIDY
Liam kissed her again, softer this time. Slower. His hands framed her face, thumbs brushing her cheeks like she was something precious. When she leaned into him, he deepened the kiss, one hand slipping down to the back of her neck, the other to the curve of her waist.
He pressed her gently against the pine’s thick trunk, snow crunching softly beneath their boots. Her hands tangled in his jacket, fingers curling.
The kiss turned hungrier, but still controlled like he was holding himself back, making this about her.
His mouth trailed from her lips to her jaw, to the soft skin beneath her ear. Cassidy shivered, not from the cold.
He dropped to his knees in the pine needles. It wasn’t rushed. Didn’t feel desperate. He moved like this was worship.
With careful hands, he undid the button of her jeans.
Her vow whispered in the back of her mind, quiet but insistent. No men. No sex. One year to focus on yourself. It had been her anchor, her promise to herself that she would learn who she was without someone else defining her.
But as she stood there, with the cold air brushing her skin and Liam’s warm hands on her hips, she realized she knew exactly who she was.
And what she wanted.
Liam looked up, his eyes dark, a question in them.
She let her hands slide into his hair, tugging him closer. “I want this,” she said, her voice clear and certain, every word ringing like a promise in the hush of the pines.
Cassidy had never done anything like this before. Jean-Paul hadn’t exactly been the outdoorsy type, and he certainly never cared about her needs. She’d spent half a year sleeping with him before realizing he didn’t even try to give her pleasure.
She tried not to think about that now while Liam tugged down her jeans. She didn’t want Jean-Paul in this moment, didn’t want to drag his selfish shadow into something that felt so different. So new.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
“This is great,” she blurted, the words tumbling out before she could think.
It was all she could manage, because God, the way his touch felt—she couldn’t think straight if she tried.
It was more than great. It was amazing. Her toes curled in her boots, and if it felt this good with him teasing her, she could only imagine what else was in store.
Her flippant response made him grin against her skin, and the feel of that grin, warm and teasing, sent a rush of heat straight through her.
God, that grin should be illegal. So should this with how good it feels.
“You know…” he murmured, “I’ve been thinking about that scarf.” He looked up at the material casually draped around her neck.
His hand slipped beneath the waistband of her panties. “We could use it,” he went on, his voice a delicious growl. “Could come in handy.”
“Oh yeah?” she managed, her pulse thrumming.
“Mm-hm.” He pulled back just enough to look up and meet her eyes, one brow lifting in mock innocence. “For wrapping. Tying. Holding you still.”
A shiver ran through her, sharp and electric.
“Would you like that?”
Her eyes fluttered shut, and a soft, helpless sound escaped her lips—more confession than answer, the kind of sound that said yes without saying a word.
“What about this?” He tugged her panties to the side and stroked a finger over her.
She widened her stance without thinking, bracing herself against the tree, opening herself up to him.
He worked her slowly, carefully, like he was learning her reactions as he went. His thumb moved in gentle circles, his fingers slipping inside, patient and steady.
Cassidy gasped, but it wasn’t just from the pleasure. It was from how it felt to be touched like this, like she mattered. Like she was worth this kind of attention. She held onto the bark, heart racing, breathing ragged.
He didn’t rush. He just watched her, felt her. Responded to every sound and shift and breath.
She was close, closer than she’d ever been. Her body wound tight with tension, but something in her mind held back. That tiny wall she hadn’t realized was still there.
She didn’t want to compare it to Jean-Paul, not now, but the contrast was impossible to ignore. Of course, he’d touched her there, almost every time before sex, but it had always felt like a checklist: see if she was ready, maybe add lube, then get on with it.
Nothing like this.
A moan escaped her lips before she could stop it. Liam was using both hands now, his thumb circling firm pressure over her clit while his fingers slid in and out. One finger was replaced by two, and heaven help her, she still wanted more.
Liam must’ve known. He could feel it just like she could. She was so turned on that she needed only a little more, the edge of release already tightening in her belly.
“Here,” he said, gently helping her slip one leg out of her jeans. He lay back on the pine-needled ground and pulled her down until she straddled him.
She looked at him, confused, until he shifted beneath her, guiding her knees to either side of his face.
“Is this alright?” he asked, voice low. “If not, we can do it another way.”
Yeah, she was definitely breaking the vow now. But she had never felt more alive, more herself. And wasn’t that the point? Wasn’t that what the vow was really about, finding who she was again?
“This is perfect,” she breathed out.
His hands gripped her hips and drew her down to meet his mouth. The first stroke of his tongue made her gasp. It was slow and deep, like he had all the time in the world. His beard tickled against her sensitive skin, sending delicious shivers through her.
She let her head fall back, fingers gripping his at her waist as her hips moved in a slow, tentative rhythm. Liam responded with a low groan, tightening his grip, matching her movement with a hunger that made her dizzy.
She wanted to let go. God, she wanted to. But the closer she got, the tighter that wall pulled around her. Over and over again, she couldn’t break through.
She whimpered, frustrated, but Liam just murmured a quiet, “That’s okay.”
Like he knew.
Like he felt what was happening inside her and didn’t take it personally. Didn’t blame her.
Cassidy leaned forward, pressing her palms to the tree behind him, breathing hard.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Liam slid his hands gently over her thighs, soothing and slow. “Hey,” he said softly. “Don’t be.”
She looked down at him, eyes blinking against the sting of tears. She felt like an idiot. This man was doing everything right, and she still couldn’t climax. And yet his expression held nothing but tenderness; there was no pressure, no demands.
She carefully stepped back, her movements a little unsteady as she stood and pulled up her jeans. He rose with her, brushing pine needles from his flannel.
“I didn’t… it just…” She hesitated, glancing away. “It’s not you. It’s never happened. Not with anyone.”
He reached out, cupping her cheek with one warm hand. “Cass.” He waited until she looked at him. “That was incredible. Hearing you. Feeling you. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Cassidy’s chest tightened.
“I had an amazing time. Because it was you. Because you let me in.”
She didn’t say anything for a second. Just stood there, blinking at him.
Then finally, she nodded. A small, tentative smile pulled at the corner of her lips.
Liam leaned in, voice low and warm against her skin. “And don’t worry,” he murmured. “We’ll get you there next time. That’s another promise.”