Page 37 of Knot Really Engaged
Calloused fingers graze my arm, raising goose bumps in their wake. I want to kick Max out of the room so we can continue what we were doing, but of course we can’t.
“You’re incredible just as you are.” His eyes, soft and sincere, bore into mine, making my heart skip a beat.
Heat flares in my cheeks at his words, at the tender sincerity in his gaze. I feel a warmth blooming in my chest, a longing to believe him.
Max clears his throat again, breaking the spell, and I step back, flustered.
“Hands off the sister,” he insists gruffly in disapproval. “In fact, I should stay here, and you should go to my place.”
“Audrey? Go toyourplace? And me being with you for the remainder of my visit?” Liam scoffs, eyes twinkling with mischief. “There are so many reasons why that is such a bad idea. For starters, I don’t think you and I can room together. Remember, that’s exactly why you always stay at a hotel when you go to check on the San Diego branch.” He crosses his arms over his chest, emphasizing the hard planes of his muscles, and I force myself to look away.
“If Mom or Dad come here to check on me, they’ll catch on that this is a lie,” I add so he doesn’t find yet another loophole.
“Yeah, but I don’t trust him with you.” Max points at Liam, his jaw set stubbornly.
“Hello, I’m totally fine. You don’t need to take care of me—and you need to trust me,” I insist, frustration creeping into my voice.
“But I’m your brother. I have to look out for you.” Max’s tone softens, his eyes filled with concern.
Laughing, I shake my head at his antics. Underneath the banter, I can sense the protective older brother peeking through. He won’t let this go easily. “Seriously, you need to quit smothering me. I’m not a kid anymore.” I place my hands on my hips, meeting his gaze defiantly.
“Could’ve fooled me with those tantrums you keep throwing.” Max raises an infuriating brow, a smirk tugging at his lips.
My cheeks flush hot, embarrassment and annoyance warring within me. “Oh my God, you’re the worst.” I smack his arm slightly, fighting a grin. “Look, why don’t you go to your place, take your friend with you, and I’ll stay here? That way no one has to babysit me.” I suggest, hoping he’ll take the bait and realize there’s nothing happening between me and his friend.
His eyes narrow suspiciously even as Liam snorts out a laugh. “Something is not adding up here. I just can’t figure out what.”
“You’re just trying to make shit up.” I shrug nonchalantly, actively avoiding looking at Liam and his distractingly bare chest. “I’m totally fine staying here with the big ass tub and the spa downstairs to pamper me after the stress Mom’s family is causing. You’re just wanting to enjoy this luxurious place and that’s why you’re trying to find an excuse for me to leave.”
Max shoots Liam a pointed glare, then blows out a sigh. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’ll be calling to check in. And Liam?” His tone turns menacing as he steps closer to his friend, jabbing a finger against his chest. “Hands off my sister, or I’ll end you.”
Liam shrugs innocently. “I wouldn’t dare touch her.”
The weighted look Max shoots Liam says he doesn’t believe his “perfect gentleman” act for a second. I avert my eyes, cheeks burning, as my overbearing brother finally heads for the door. As soon as it clicks shut behind him, the air thickens with an unmistakable charge, crackling with tension and unspoken desires.
“So . . .” Liam drawls, taking a deliberate step toward me, his voice low and husky. My gaze snaps to him, pupils dilating as I shamelessly drink in thesight of his bare, sculpted chest. “You want me to keep my hands off you?” His eyes, dark and intense, bore into mine, sending a shiver down my spine.
A tremor wracks my slight frame as he prowls closer—a predator closing in on his prey. My tongue darts out to moisten my suddenly dry lips, and his gaze tracks the movement with rapt fascination, his lips parting slightly. My heart races, pounding against my rib cage as anticipation builds within me.
“Well?” Another step, and he’s near enough that I can feel the heated puffs of his breath fanning my flushed skin. The woodsy, masculine scent of him is utterly intoxicating, making my head spin with desire. “Is that what you want, Audrey?” His voice is a low rumble, filled with promise and temptation. “For me to keep my hands. My mouth. My body away from you.”
Want him away? No, I definitely don’t want that. The opposite, in fact. I want his hands on me, his mouth, every glorious inch of his body pressed against mine as we tumble into oblivion together. The yearning is so strong, it takes my breath away.
But I can’t say that out loud. Can’t give voice to the blazing need coursing through me, setting my nerves alight. So instead, I swallow hard and try fornonchalance with a casual shrug, even as my body trembles with barely contained desire.
“I mean . . . he’s your friend and just warned you off me. I wouldn’t want to . . . come between you two.” My voice comes out breathy, betraying the depth of my longing.
The words trail off feebly. Even to my own ears, I sound totally unconvincing. Liam’s eyes blaze with a mixture of hunger and challenge as he takes another step, backing me up against the wall. Caging me in with his bigger frame, he leans in until our lips are a hairsbreadth apart, his body heat enveloping me.
“Liar,” he murmurs roughly, his breath ghosting over my lips, making them tingle with anticipation. “You don’t want me to keep my hands off you at all, do you, baby?” His words, dripping with sensual promise, sending a jolt of pure, unadulterated want straight to my core.
The rational part of my brain screams at me to push him away, to remember the consequences, but it’s drowned out by the deafening roar of my own thirst.
I’m trapped, caught between the hard planes of his body and the wall behind me, every nerve ending in my body screaming for his touch. My resolve wavers, teetering on the brink of surrenderas I gaze up at him through hooded eyes, my lips parted in a silent invitation.
He leans closer, his lips brushing against mine cautiously, gently, until he deepens the kiss, and I’m lost, forgetting my brother’s warning and everything outside this hotel suite.
This, Liam and I having sex was inevitable. We just have to be careful with the consequences.
