Page 68 of Baby For My Ex's Brother

Liam's laughter fades into a contented sigh, and he holds me just a bit tighter for a heartbeat or two longer. This is different; this isn't charged with the electricity of desire or the heat of a stolen moment.

It's just us, Liam and Shiloh, no pretenses, no expectations. It's intimate in a way that goes beyond the physical, touching something deeper within me.

For the first time, Liam's embrace isn't a prelude to something more—it's simply an end in itself. And it shifts something between us, a tectonic slide of understanding, of possibilities too vast to comprehend all at once. It's a promise without words, a silent acknowledgment that we're on the brink of something new.

Pulling back slightly, I search his face, finding genuine affection in his eyes. They hold mine, steady and unwavering, and I find hope there—hope that dances on the edge of reality, whispering of things yet to come.

In the sanctuary of his gaze, I feel a sense of belonging that's been absent for so long. The rest of the world fades away as my focus narrows down to this moment, to us. He glances briefly at the open door, a small acknowledgment of the risk we're taking, but it doesn't deter him. With deliberate gentleness, he leans in and places a kiss on my lips.

It's a soft touch, a brush of lips that speaks volumes. There's no urgency in this kiss, only layers of emotions unfolding between us, wrapping us in a connection that's both new and terrifyingly familiar.

His lips move against mine with a tenderness that catches my breath, deepening the kiss slowly, reverently. It's a conversation without words, a shared vulnerability that binds us closer than ever before.

We part, the air between us charged with the unsaid. Liam cradles my face in his hands, thumbs tracing the lines of my cheeks with a care that makes my heart swell. His eyes are alight with something I can't quite name, but it feels like joy mixed with a hint of relief, as if he's been holding his breath waiting for this very moment.

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart," he murmurs, his voice low and warm, causing a flutter in the pit of my stomach.

I melt under his touch, under the weight of those two words that seem to echo through me. All I want is to stay in his arms for the rest of the day… but I can’t. I have to get back to my desk before someone suspects something.

"Jackie wants to take you out for drinks after work," he says, the corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile, "but when you're done, I'll be waiting for you here."

The promise in his words sends a thrill through me. He'll be waiting—for me.

I step back, breaking contact with Liam, and take a deep, steadying breath. With one last glance at his satisfied smile, I turn away from him and walk back toward my desk. The moment I leave the sanctuary of his office, the air feels different—cooler, less charged. But the tingles haven't left me; they dance across my skin, reminders of the connection we just shared.

As I settle into my chair, I can't help but wonder what he has planned for later. The anticipation is a live wire in my veins, electric and insistent.

My hands tremble slightly as I try to focus on the computer screen in front of me, but it's useless. His words keep replaying in my head, a mantra that drums up more questions than answers.

I'm tingling all over, every nerve ending seems to buzz with an energy that's both exhilarating and terrifying. And then, almost as if it's an afterthought, a wave of nausea rolls through me. It's odd—I haven't felt sick all day. I pause, hand resting lightly on my stomach, wondering.

Nerves, I tell myself. It's just nerves because of Liam, because of this thing between us that's growing more complicated by the second. It's the fear of getting caught, the thrill of the forbidden. That has to be the reason.

But there's a part of me that isn’t quite convinced. A small voice in the back of my mind whispers that maybe it's something more, something deeper. I push that thought away. Now is not the time to entertain such ideas.

For now, I need to get through the rest of the day, survive drinks with Jackie without giving anything away, and then... then I'll come back here, to him, to whatever waits in the charged silence of his office after hours.

I let out a shaky breath and try to concentrate on the mundane tasks in front of me, using the routine of work to anchor myself.

But no matter how hard I try, I can't fully shake the sensation that everything is about to change.

Chapter twenty-eight

Liam

Tonight is the nighteverything changes. I can feel it.

I lean back in my chair, hands behind my head, eyes closed. I focus on the silence that follows the rest of the staff’s departure, the kind of quiet that makes you confront the big stuff. And damn, there's nothing bigger than what's ricocheting around in my mind right now.

I want her. Shiloh. With her shy smile and her sharp mind, the one who challenges me every step of the way. The woman who’s found her way under my skin. I want to see where this thing between us could go—really go—if we gave it a shot.

And if she wants me in Dublin next year? Well then, I'll pack my bags. No hesitation. Simple as that.

The choice seems so clear now, stripped down to bare bones in the empty echo of my office. It's a leap, sure, but hell, I've never been afraid of jumping before. Not when it comes to business, anyway.

Love though? That's uncharted territory. But maybe it's time to explore it—with her.

The Turner case files are spread across my desk, a labyrinth of legalese that usually holds my attention with an iron grip. But tonight, the words blur together, meaningless in the wake of what feels like a seismic shift inside me.

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