Page 35 of Trouble

I rubbed my cheek, surprise mixing with the hot sting blooming out from my left cheek. When I turned back to look at her, there was absolute murder in hereyes.

“Wha—?”

“You think you can just dump me via fuckingtext,refuse to answer any of my attempts at getting a goddamn explanation—and then stroll up to my doorthree fucking days laterand kiss me like… likeit’s no big deal?”Her voice broke on the high pitch at the end and she shot a look out into the hallway, probably to see if her screeching had brought any of her neighbors’ attention down uponus.

As if summoned, a chain rattled on the door opposite Audrey’s flat, and an old lady peered out into the hallway, mouth pinched. “MissWaits—”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Peterson,” Audrey interrupted her. I was surprised she could sound so apologetic, the way her teeth were clamped and her hands clenched into fists with her anger. “We’ll bequiet.”

Before the old bat could respond, Audrey’d shut the door behind us. She returned her focus on me, her eyes narrowed withanger.

Huh, seemed Liam had actually been smart enough to break things off with her. I briefly considered making my excuses and leaving, but… the way Liam had been acting, I didn’t have any confidence in his ability to stayaway.

Which meant I needed to do what I’d come here for: screw her so many times Liam would wake the fuck up and realize she was no different than any of the other girls we’d shared before. And in the end, it’d be me and him again, and Audrey would be nothing but another bird who’d spread her thighs until we’d had ourfill.

Just looked like I had a bit of charming to do before she’d let me into herbed.

“I’m sorry, love,” I said, reaching for her face. She smacked my hand away and gave me a glare that might have made my persistent erection shrivel up, had I truly been the one to bring down her fury. “That wasn’t how I meantit.”

“Not how you meant it?” she hissed, her tone incredulous. With shaking hands she fumbled her phone out of her sweatpants pocket and thrust it in my face. “Then what the hell isthis?”

I took it, quickly swiping to her messages. I pressed Liam’s name, and saw several unanswered texts from her to him. Pleading with him to answer her. Asking him why. Telling him hepromised.

An uncomfortable knot grew in my stomach as I scrolled up, and up. We’d both been with so many women, there’d been a few broken hearts along the way, even though we never made any promises. I’d been on the receiving end of angry texts a time or two, but I’d never really been too bothered. Because I knew I’d never promised a girl more than a bit of fun and someorgasms.

That wasn’t what Liam had done to Audrey. I didn’t know what he’d promised her, but just from the look on his face when I saw him with her, I knew it’d been more than he’d ever promised a girlbefore.

When I finally got to Liam’s text, the knot in my stomach didn’t easeup.

Audrey—I can’t see you again. I’m sosorry.

I looked up from the phone at her again, internally cringing. Not gonna lie, the urge to pack up and flee was pretty overwhelming, but I knew I couldn’t. For Liam’ssake.

“Look, I…” I rubbed the back of my neck with my phone-free hand. “I’m really, trulysorry.”

“Sorry? You’resorry?God, Liam, you just pushed me out of your life with no warning, no explanation… and now you’resorry?Why am I even listening to you? Getout!”

The small woman pointed at the closed front door, her eyes promising me all kinds of pain if I didn’t obey. But I wasn’t about to leave. I couldn’t. So I did the only thing I could think of—I grabbed her wrists in both hands so she couldn’t slap me again and forced my lips tohers.

“Mmph!” Her muffled squeal died when I pushed her up against the wall and deepened the kiss. My blood rushed through my body in a wave of heat as her sweet taste overwhelmed my senses once more. Her curves ground into me, from her thighs over her stomach and to her full breasts, and again I got the overwhelming urge to just spin her around, rip her pants off, and take her until the urge to fuck like a goddamn beast had beenquelled.

Sharp pain in my lower lip snapped me out of it. I pulled back and stared down at the woman who’d just bitten me. We were both breathing heavily, and despite the still-angry glare she leveled at me, I saw something more in her gaze now. Desire. Yearning. She wanted it, too, even if she wanted an explanation for Liam’s text more. I gave her the first fib I could come upwith.

“Audrey, I’m sorry. I got scared. I know I hurt you, and you didn’t deserve that. Please, just give me a chance to make it up toyou.”

She was still glaring at me, but I could see uncertainty flicker in her chocolate gaze now. “Scared?”

“Scared,” I said, stroking her wrists with my thumbs. “I’ve never been in a relationship like this before. Or at all, really. I know I didn’t handle it well. I’msorry.”

She stared at me for a moment longer, but then her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken you home to meet my parents. It was too much, toosoon.”

Bloody right it was too much. I still couldn’t believe Liam had gone for that, but I grabbed onto her softened stance with both hands. Slower than before, and softer, I closed my mouth over hers again. She only hesitated for a moment this time, and then her soft lips moved against mine, the tip of her tongue brushing against my lower lip where she’d bitten mebefore.

When she melted against me, I released her wrists and grabbed her around the hips. She moaned softly into my mouth, and my cock gave an achy spasm inresponse.

Yeah, sex was so back on thetable.

I reached down to push a hand into her pants and found her panties already damp with excitement. I stroked her lips through the clinging material until she bucked her hips out for more. Then I slipped my fingers underneath the hem of her knickers and finally touched her softsex.

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