Page 16 of Liam

He stops kissing me, his eyes on my face. Oh my god, he can see me blushing. He smiles sweetly—he can tell, for sure. “Paisley, Baby, never be embarrassed. If it was up to me, I would be making you come over and over. You’re not ready for that, yet.”

He is right. We may have been friends for a while, but we haven’t explored this part of us yet—this is new territory.

My face is still burning with embarrassment as he moves toward me, and my eyes close, thinking he is about to kiss me, but instead he starts kissing my entire face. I laugh, trying to push him away, but he continues kissing me everywhere, and his fingers dig into my sides.

“Mercy!” I scream, tears rolling down my face from laughing so hard.

He finally relents, a beautiful full smile on his face. “You’re so beautiful.” He pulls me into a hug.

Is he not the sweetest man alive?

God must really love me—or I must have done something that he is proud of—to have blessed me with such a man.

My mind wanders to the thought of sleeping in his arms all night long, something I have often fantasized about.

“Want to cuddle with me? Sleep in my bed tonight?” My words come out in a rush, before my brain can catch on.

He never says a word, but stands up with me in his arms. I guess that he is for it. He pulls back the blanket and sets me down on the sheet.

He settles down beside me, grabbing the remote off the nightstand, and turns on the TV. It lights the room with a soft glow. I scoot over in the bed, making more room, and he lies down beside me. I take my cue and lay my head on his hard, muscular chest.

Liam

I look down at her, lying on my chest, her hair fanned out behind her. She is beautiful; it’s hard to believe that I am with her right now.

I have wanted her for ten long fucking years and, a couple of times during my years as a SEAL, I thought I might never come home. The thought of her, home, and the prospect of us being together someday kept me going.

Tonight those three fucking bitches reared their heads once more. They made her life hell throughout high school. They were her friends until the moment the janitor attacked her, and then everything changed.

They did shit that I never knew about until years later. Paisley held on to the fact that they were her friends at one point in time. She isn’t a violent person; she’d rather talk through shit. But tonight, she did exactly what she needed to do and beat the shit out of them.

I am not that fucking way. I’d rather knock you the fuck out than deal with your shit. I have always had this overwhelming need to protect her from the world, to protect her sweetness. She has been a huge part of me since she was sixteen and staring at me with her big eyes.

A hand pats my face. “Go to sleep, Liam,” she whispers, dropping her hand and snuggling in deeper.

I smile into the dark room. This is what I have waited so many fucking years for.

My Paisley.

Paisley

I stare at the entrance to the hospital in dismay. I want to be anywhere but here. I want to spend every minute with Liam I possibly can.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, but I continue staring at the hospital.

“I don’t want to work today.” I cross my arms across my chest, pouting.

He laughs, his hand wrapping around my throat gently and pulling me over, and he kisses the side of my face. “I will be waiting for you here, when you’re off.”

I smile. “That will be the highlight of my day.”

His eyes darken, his hand tightening on me. “Fuck yeah, it is.” He splits the distance between us and kisses me with a deep, raw passion that makes my toes curl.

I pull away, biting my bottom lip. “My day is already better.” I wink and step out of the car.

“Paisley, what did I say about that shit?”

I laugh and wait for him to walk around the truck. He grabs my hand and walks me to the front door. It’s only a few feet away, but Liam is extremely protective. He has been that way since we were teenagers. But now? He is on another playing field.

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