Page 63 of The CEO I Hate

As the song wound down, my hand tightened against his shoulder, already braced for the moment he’d pull away. I didn’t want this moment to end. But it did, the singer’s last notes fading out into silence. I wanted to catch them in my hand, hold Liam with me a little longer, but he shifted. To my shock, instead of pulling away, he movedtowardme.

Though I watched it happen in real time, it still surprised me when his lips met mine in a kiss.

I made a soft sound in the back of my throat, closing my eyes as I kissed him back. His breath was spiced from the liquor, his hands warm as they tightened around my waist. He kissed me like he couldn’t imagine ever doing anything else, and when it ended, I heldmy breath, waiting to see if he’d turn and abandon me, like he always had before. But this time…

“Do you want me to take you home,” he asked, his voice a throaty rasp, “or…”

“Or?” I asked, almost breathless.

“Or…do you want to come back to my place?”

It was like fireworks had exploded in my head. “Your place,” I answered. “Definitely your place.”

21

LIAM

The drive from downtown to Studio City was probably less than twenty minutes at this time of night, but with the way Mia was looking at me, it felt like the miles stretched endlessly, tormenting me with every traffic light. When she’d looked up at me in the club, her lips kiss-swollen, her eyes burning with desire, I knew I wouldn’t be able to let her go tonight.

Not ifshestill wanted this.

Your place…Her words echoed in my head like a drumbeat.Definitely your place.

The beat surged through my blood, rushing south, and all I wanted to do was get Mia laid out in my bed so I could pick up where we’d left off. I glanced over at her as she pulled her hair up, piling the curls on the top of her head, and I barely resisted the urge to reach out and run my finger down her newly bared neck. Would her pulse be racing? Would her breath catch at my touch?

“Eyes on the road,” she teased.

“My eyes are on the only thing that matters.”

Mia’s breathdidcatch, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. She shook her head gently, a couple of her curls spilling free. “Smooth,” she said, chuckling.

“As smooth as this ride,” I said as I changed lanes, leaving a pair of idling taxis behind.

Mia snorted. “That’s what you get when you drop hundreds of thousands of dollars on a car.”

“Please,” I said, squeezing the gearshift for emphasis. “It’s all about how you handle her.”

“Her?”

“Mm-hmm,” I said. “If you want a smooth ride, you have to have the right touch. Have to know how to get the car to purr for you.”

I glanced over again. Mia’s breathing was heavy as she reclined into the seat. “Good skills to have,” she muttered.

I grinned, sharklike. “They’ve served me well so far.” Mia squirmed in her seat, and the sight sent a rush of heat through me. I wanted to pull the car over and drag her into my lap without any further delay.

I wanted to make Mia feel so good that the only thing spilling from her lips was my name. But I didn’t want this to be some messy quickie trapped at odd angles in the Porsche. I wanted to have the time and space to give her all the attention, all the pleasure she deserved.

And if I was going to let myself have her, if I was going to break all the rules, I wanted to devour her in my own bed.

The car flew down the winding streets, the city lights flickering over us like stars. I could feel Mia’s eyes on me, the weight of her stare making my pulse quicken. Silence stretched between us, but there was no awkwardness to it, only a warm sense of anticipation, a nameless tension twisting tighter and tighter. I was hungry for her.

When I finally reached my gated community, I couldn’t resist a sigh of relief at the sight of the sprawling silhouette of the mansion standing proud against the dark sky. I raced up the driveway, the garage door automatically opening.

By the time I parked and turned off the engine, the tension was so tight I could barely breathe. I could feel Mia there, just a touch away, and anticipation had my hands trembling.

“I thought we were never going to get here,” Mia said, breaking the silence.

I turned, and she gave me a sly little smile. Unable to wait a second longer, I reached for her, pulling her into a heated kiss. She unbuckled her seatbelt, turning toward me, and kissed me back with such enthusiasm she slipped against the leather seat.

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