Page 63 of Beautiful Liar

“Hey,” I whispered. Friends. We were friends. I’d never really had a friend before. Fox was more like my assassin buddy. My literal partner in crime.

He lifted his chin, a small smile on his face. It took everything in me not to bend down and kiss him. I couldn’t give him that final piece of myself. Not like this.

“Hey,” he whispered. Then blinked and blinked again. Something wrong must’ve registered in his brain because the smile fell and he pulled away from me and sat up on the bed. “Shit. I’m sorry. I must’ve fallen asleep.”

“It’s okay,” I said, my heart hurting. “Stay.” He lifted those full, brown eyes to me as if not believing what I just said. “Stay tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am. Tomorrow will sort itself out.”

A slow smile lightened his tired eyes. “Wow, for a controlfreak that must’ve been hard to say.”

I laughed. Fucker. “Go take a shower, you’re putting germs on my bed.” I looked away, feeling so fucking discombobulated. My feelings in a constant tug of war, push and pull, and I needed to come to a decision. Let him go or keep him. My mind swirling through everything we’d been through to get us here. I knew I wanted him more than my next breath. I knew despite the lies, the pain, I needed whatever he’d give me.

I didn’t realize the shower stopped until he walked out of the bathroom. A towel hanging low on his hips. His body bruised. Because of course he would tempt me and piss me off all in one shot. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

He looked at his ribs, then back at me. “Ashton and his goons. I’m fine,” he said tightly.

Ashton was a dead man.

“Do you have an extra pair of joggers?”

Of course he knew I did.

“No,” I said, because my cock took that moment to jump.

“Are you sure?”

Fuck it to all hell. “Yeah, I’m sure.” I pulled the blanket away from my body and lowered my PJs. My dick sprung free, already fucking attentive to him.

With no hesitation, Tomás pulled off his towel and narrowed the gap between us. I would never tire of watching the dips and peaks of his sculpted body. The growing appendage between his legs. So fucking beautiful. Andmine. He climbed over me with hunger in his eyes as I warred with emotions I had no clue what to do with.

Don’t do this.

I slowly grazed my fingers against his bruised ribs. Fuck it, one night.

Don’t give him control over your heart.

His skin pebbled under my touch. Fuck it, I’ve been ablack stain for my whole fucking life.

I wanted this. Ineededthis.

I cupped his head and crushed our mouths together. A desperate kiss fueled with finality that punched a hole in my heart. Tomorrow would sort itself out, but tonight we had this.

The clean scent of soap filled my senses. I cupped his ass and met his thrust. It wasn’t enough. It’d never be enough with Tomás. He dragged his lips along my jaw, sucked my ear. “Kieran,” he whispered. “I’ll wait for you. When you’re ready, I’ll be here.”

Tears edged my eyes as he took my body in ways that drew out everything I hid behind my heart. Sex and love were not supposed to be synonymous. Hook-ups were a thing that didn’t include the heart. I’d been the lucky motherfucker who had both and risked it all.

Anger pushed to the surface, and I rolled him over, pinning his hands while thrusting my hips into him, seeking more friction. Both our cocks glazed in precum. “You’ll tell me what I need to know after the games. Everything.”

“I swear. Everything.”

I claimed his mouth, then licked my way down his chest, flicking his nipples with my tongue as he writhed under me, gently teasing his bruised ribs. I spread his legs wide and dipped my head and flicked my tongue against his hole. He clenched.

“What the fuck?”

“Shut up and let me do this.”

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