Page 24 of Persuading Liam

My eyes fall to his lips. They’re soft and perfectly formed and I bet they’d feel magical against mine. “You’re welcome,” I answer, more to his mouth than to him.

“Marley,” He says after we still haven’t parted.

I lift my eyes to his.

“You said I could kiss you the other night.”

I nod and inhale as his other hand snakes around my waist and draws me closer.

“Does that offer still stand?”

It shouldn’t,I remind myself but I know the truth—it most certainly does. I nod. “Yes.” The word comes out breathy, almost a whisper, but it seems to be enough.

Liam’s fingers tighten around mine, the hand at my waist trails up my side slowly, leaving heated tracks as it skims the skin of my neck and finally cups my face. His thumb brushes my cheek as he gazes at me, making me feel—cherished.

His eyes flash with need as he tilts my head back and I get a sense that if I let him, he could completely unravel me. Just the thought fills my body with liquid heat, and I can feel myself falling further every moment I’m in his hands.

When his lips finally meet mine, the entire world seems to come to a stop, and I can comprehend nothing but the way his firm lips take control of mine. My body ignites like rocket fuel and before I know what’s happening, we deepen the kiss. His tongue tangles with mine, tasting, drinking, and dancing, until I can hardly breathe. Until I’m dizzy and euphoric and gripping his shirt like it’s a lifeline.

I sway a little when he pulls away from me and I already know that this one single kiss has changed me.

He smiles at me—a smile I haven’t seen before—a smile I think I’ll always crave. It’s private and honest, andGod, all I want is more.

Finally, he lets out a breath and looks down at his dirty clothes. “I should shower.”

My mind immediately invites myself to go with him but luckily, it doesn’t come out of my mouth. Instead, I nod and step back, immediately missing the warmth of his solid body. “I think I’ll take a nap,” I say, which hadn’t been on my radar and after that kiss, would probably be damn near impossible.

His eyes linger on me for a second longer before he seems to decide something. With a nod, he slips by me and heads toward the bathroom.

All I can do is stand there for a moment torn between the thrill of his kiss and the dread that I’ll never feel another.

16

LIAM

Iturn the water all the way to cold and stand under the punishing spray until my blood cools. I’ve never. And I mean never, felt like I did when my lips touched Marley’s. It felt as if Yellowstone Caldera erupted inside of me, as if all the desires and urges I thought I’d long buried suddenly came back to life.

I know that without a doubt if I had stayed near her a minute longer, I would have picked her up, taken her to my bedroom, and spent the afternoon buried inside of her.

The memory of how her silky skin felt in my hands, her rounded hip, and the sweetness on her tongue, brings up a groan inside my chest that I have to stifle. It’s been nearly two years since I’ve had sex and I wouldn’t call myself a player before that, but no woman has ever set me on fire like Marley Green.

But as much as I loved the kiss, as much as I want more, I can’t do that. My inclinations in the bedroom are dominant. A little too dominant for some women and I don’t want to see the disgusted look in her eye I’ve seen before. Even just a little bondage is too much for some women.

But, God, when I think of Marley, wrists tied to my bed posts, squirming as I taste her pussy, the satin ties rubbing against her flesh, I go a little crazy.

I grip my rock-hard cock in my hand and squeeze it in the hopes that it will calm down, but it doesn’t. Not even when I turn the water temperature all the way down.

There’s only one thing I can do. I take matters into my own hand and pray that I’m able to keep my grunts and groans to myself.

One pass of my hand across my cock, drags a shiver through my entire body and I grip the shower wall with my free hand to keep my balance as I stroke again and again. I try to think of anything, any woman other than Marley, but all I can see is her. Her sweet soft mouth, her flesh pink with anticipation.

And when I think of her maybe liking my kink and wanting to go further—her gorgeous body all tied up in shibari ropes—I explode harder than I ever have before.

Staying silent is almost impossible as my body shakes and seizes with orgasm and by the time the last wave leaves my body, I feel limp. The climb, the kiss, everything makes each of my limbs feel like a thousand pounds.

Somehow, I drag myself out of the shower and dry off my electrified body. I stare at myself in the mirror for a moment, my hair slicked back and wet, my beard dripping, and I see a man who doesn’t deserve someone like Marley.

I’ve tried for years to literally outrun the pain of my past, two miles a day, three miles a day, ten, until I’m running so far I’m catching up with myself. My cleaning, my neatness, and my attention to detail all helps me keep this delusion that I can control my environment so that I won’t get caught by surprise by tragedy ever again.

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