Page 57 of Love Me

“What? NO! Do you have Charlie for a bit?”

My eyebrows rise as I look at her in confusion.

“Yeah . . . but?—”

“Good, bye! Get out! Get out!”

“What? Why?” I yell at her as she shoves me to push me out of the bathroom.

“Momma needs a bath. Desperately. So, bye!”

“You don’t have clean clothes, nutjob! What are you doing?” I start to really laugh now, not expecting her to want to take a soak in the tub this very moment, even if I did secretly buy the damn thing with her in mind.

“I’ll wear yours! I don’t care, this tub is screaming at me to christen it! Please, Liam.”

She crosses her arms and lifts her shirt up and over her head, leaving her standing in front of me in just her denim jeans and bra, the thin material leaving nothing to the imagination, including the barbells pierced through each of her nipples, which I didn’t know she had. Fuck, that’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Mother above, bear, if you don’t leave now, I swear I willstrip down right in front of you. Are you going to leave, you perv?”

“Wouldn’t you like that, beauty? Nah, Charlie and I will go hang and we’ll order some pizzas. You relax. Towels are in the closet right there,” I say as I point to the area behind the bathroom door. “We’ll be hanging in the living room. Clean clothes are in my drawers in the walk-in closet.” As much as I want to watch you slowly strip naked in front of me.

She squeals loudly, screaming a thank you as I turn on my heels to go do exactly what I said I would to keep myself distracted from thinking about Hannah naked in my tub and the things I want to do to her in it.

The memory stirs an idea as I plop down between the two of them on the big couch, making Charlotte squeal and bounce slightly, the pup barking, ready to play. We just need to get Charlotte settled and to sleep before I can execute it.

“Either of you hungry? Or still stuffed from all the pizza and cake?” I ask my girls.

“I couldn’t eat anything else today if I wanted to,” Hannah replies, looking over at Charlie to see how she’s feeling.

“I’m soooo full. Are we staying here with you and Garbage?”

My eyes meet Hannah in question but she’s already nodding her head yes before answering out loud.

“Yes, baby girl, it’s getting late. You want to stay in the cool kids’ room tonight?”

“Can Garbage sleep in there with me?”

This time it’s me who answers, “Yes, but he needs lots of cuddles or he cries. He’ll sleep right at the end of the bed at your feet. I hope they aren’t too stinky!”

Charlotte giggles as she stands up on the couch, bracing herhands on the back of it and sticking up one of her feet and pressing it into my face. I fall into Hannah in a dramatic display and feign passing out.

“They don’t stink! They smell like roses, bear! Momma, tell him they smell like roses!”

“Jeez, bear! Don’t you know girls’ feet only smell like flowers? Get with the program!”

“Roses, huh?” I laugh as I sit back up and lightly toss Charlie onto her back, tickling her until her laughs leave her gasping for air. The three of us settle in together on the couch until Charlotte starts to doze off, the long, exciting day finally catching up with her. I nudge Hannah as I sit up and scoop Charlie into my arms, carrying her into the bedroom that I keep made up just for her and Hannah when they crash at my house.

Hannah pulls down the blankets as I set Charlotte into the center of the queen-sized bed, my little dog jumping up and settling at her feet under a throw blanket that lays at the end. Hannah and I take turns kissing her head and saying good night as she falls asleep right in front of our eyes. We close the door behind us, and excitement fills me at what comes next.

Time to get my girl nice and relaxed.

CHAPTER 16

hannah

Liam givesme a look that is heated and foreboding, his eyes darkening right before me, eyelids heavy, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth in a sexy move that has my panties dampening with arousal. He grabs my wrist without saying a word, gently pulling me behind him through his house and into the master bedroom. After the events of last night and this morning—for fuck’s sake was it only just this morning I was getting myself off as he watched while in the shower together—being in his bedroom feels a whole helluva lot different. But my heart is the same, flipping over in my chest, butterflies taking flight in my stomach.

He doesn’t stop though, pulling me into his dream of an en suite. His hand releases mine, moving to my lower back as he leads me inside the massive, serene space that is every bit my perfect sanctuary before spinning me to face him again.

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