Page 84 of Darkest Game
“I don’t even have words.” He pulls out of me and settles me into his arms, resting my head on his chest.
“You’ve never felt this way before?” I ask. “Not even with all the women you’ve been with?” I try not to get jealous at the thought of Liam being with other women. Before we were married, he said he planned on still seeing other women. I worry if that’s still the case.
“No. Never. With them it was just physical. A good time but nothing more. With you… I feel it… everywhere. Fuck. I sound whipped.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
He looks down into my eyes and his own eyes soften. “No. That’s not a bad thing.”
“Liam, do you still plan on being with other women? Because I’m not sure my heart can take it. If you want to be with other women, then I’m not sure what we just did can ever happen again.”
“Hey,” he says gently, cupping my face. “I know what I said when we first got married. But a lot has changed in a short amount of time. You mean more to me than I ever thought possible. I don’t want to be with any other woman now. I mean that. You can even ask my last sort of girlfriend, Amanda. I cut things off with her. Even when I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again. I don’t want another woman but you.”
Tears spring to my eyes and they spill over before I can stop them.
“Why are you crying?” he asks.
“I’m just happy. I’ve never been this happy.”
“I think that’s the orgasms talking.”
“No. It’s because of you. How you make me feel. I haven’t felt his safe with another man since my dad. And even he scared me sometimes. You did scare me when we first met but not anymore. Not after everything we’ve been through.”
“Your dad used to scare you?”
“He could be intense,” I say, running my fingers along Liam’s chest. He has a dusting of hair there that makes him even more attractive. “Exacting. Expected perfection. He expected me to be just as good of a dancer as Natalya was and when I wasn’t, he would scold me. But he would also let me crawl into his lap when I was little. Or he’d hold me when I’d cry. It was always a little confusing. But overall, I trusted him. And I trust you too.”
“I’ll never scold you. Unless you do something insanely stupid like put yourself in harm’s way. But that’s only because I don’t want to see you hurt.” His fingers gently brush against thebandage on my throat. “Seeing you get hurt once is more than enough for me.”
“You’ve protected me from Elaine so far. I trust you to do it again.”
“Mikhail almost died because of Elaine. Or…”
“Or?”
He sighs, running his hand down his face. “Or your uncle.”
“Denis?”
“Nico and I saw him outside the restaurant after it blew up. He had to have had some part in it. I’m not sure if he’s working with Elaine or if it was just a coincidence. I know he hates Nico and Mikhail working together. If he’s coming back to cause problems, then that’s one more person I need to worry about. But if he and Elaine are working together… That would be bad. I don’t need either of them gaining more power than they need to.”
“I trust you to figure it out.”
“I’m not sure I deserve your trust.” I can see the sadness in Liam’s eyes.
“You think you’re not deserving but you are. You’ve kept me safe so far. I know you’ll do it again.”
He places a gentle kiss to my lips. I could get lost in this moment forever… until my cell phone rings.
My mom made sure to get me and Ana one when we first moved in with Mikhail and Natalya. Denis took away my cell phone when he first moved in. When Liam took me, I didn’t have it on me. I’m honestly not used to hearing it ring.
I see that it’s my mom calling. “She doesn’t know I left and she’s probably scared. I need to answer this.” I press the answer button. “Mom?”
“Irina, where are you? Thank god you’re not dead.”
“I’m safe. I promise.”
“Thank god.” She pauses for a long moment and there’s a heavy weight to it. “Where are you? You’re not here.”
