Page 26 of Single Mom's Navy Seals
Decided, I climb out of the bed, not worried about waking Eli. He’s always been an incredibly heavy sleeper; nothing wakes that kid.
I won’t wake him just yet anyway. I’d rather not deal with the daily morning tantrum until Cole returns with breakfast, which I can use to distract my child. So, I creep across the room, my bare feet sinking into the thin motel carpet, heart beating just a bit faster with every step. Carefully, I reach out, touching Liam’s shoulder. My intention is gentle, but it doesn’t seem to matter because the reaction is instant and intense.
His eyes snap open immediately, wild and cold for a split second, every muscle in his body tensing. Before I can react, his large hand grips my wrist firmly, pulling me forward into an offensive hold. Suddenly, I find myself face-to-face, chest-to-chest with him, practically straddling him in the chair.
My heart pounds wildly—not from fear, but from something entirely unexpected and deeply, mortifyingly intense. Heat floods my body, spreading like wildfire, pooling low in my belly. Liam’s strength beneath me is solid and overpowering, his fingers gripping my wrist, his eyes boring into mine.
I feel everything—his chest rising against mine, the raw heat of his body, the unmistakable press of him against my inner thigh. A sharp breath escapes my lips, and my hips shift before I can stop them. Without thinking, my hips shift instinctively closer. Liam groans, low and rough, a sound that sends a shiver racing through me. It snaps us both out of it. His eyes go wide, and then he jerks back like I burned him, pushing me upright.
“What the hell were you doing so close?” he snaps. His voice is harsh, but not steady. There’s something tight and unsettled in it. My face burns fiercely, embarrassment and irritation swirling chaotically inside me.
“Cole told me to wake you guys up,” I snap defensively, folding my arms across my chest. Liam glances around, noticing Cole’s absence immediately, eyes narrowing accusingly.
“Where’s Cole?” he asks, his voice rising enough to rouse Jax, who shifts sleepily on the couch, blinking in confusion at us.
“He went to get breakfast,” I reply through clenched teeth, sharpening my tone. “He told me to wake you both.”
“Oh, cool, where did he—” Jax chimes.
“Cole told you to touch me to wake me up?” Liam interrupts Jax with a skeptical and unnecessarily furious look.
What the hell is his problem? Yeah, Cole told me to throw something, and I didn’t listen, but does he have to be such a dick? I cut my eyes away from Liam’s heavy stare, but that just forces me to make eye contact with Jax, who is looking at both of us with a slight smirk as he finally seems to process the scene. Gritting my teeth, I pull my eyes back to Liam’s and give him the meanest glare I can possibly muster.
“No,” I snap irritably. “He said to throw a pillow at you.”
His gaze remains accusing, voice tight with irritation. “Then why didn’t you listen?”
My temper finally snaps, mortification fueling my anger. “Excuse me for not wanting to be a dick first thing in the morning by smacking you with a pillow. You looked exhausted,Liam. I was trying to be nice, something you clearly wouldn’t understand.”
He glares silently, lips pressed together. I meet his gaze stubbornly, refusing to back down, humiliation and frustration warring inside me.
“Fine,” I spit out, turning on my heel toward the bathroom. “Next time, I’ll happily throw whatever I can reach right at your head!”
I storm away, slamming the bathroom door shut behind me, my heart pounding furiously. Leaning against the cool wood, embarrassment floods me, making my eyes burn with frustrated tears. My body betrays me completely—pulse racing, core throbbing, and a humiliating ache pooling low within me.
12
LIAM
Istare at the closed door, which had been slammed in the softest way possible and yet still conveyed just how angry I’d made the woman on the other side of it.
I run a hand roughly over my face, irritation and embarrassment burning through my veins, making it hard to think clearly. That was definitely not how I planned to start the morning.
Across the room, Jax whistles while still leaning back casually against the couch. His lips curl into an infuriating smirk, eyes glittering mischievously as they meet mine.
“Well, damn, Liam. That was one hell of a reaction,” he drawls, voice dripping with teasing amusement. “Care to share what that was all about?”
“Shut up, Jax,” I snap, adjusting my pants as inconspicuously as I possibly can while trying to ignore the lingering heat pulsing through me.
My skin feels too tight, the remnants of Ava’s body pressed against mine still vivid in my memory. I clench my jawhard, focusing instead on the steady hum of the ancient air conditioner rattling in the corner.
Jax chuckles, the bastard not even trying to hide his amusement. His gaze flicks downward, eyebrows raised.
“If I had to take a wild guess, I’d say it had less to do with Ava herself and a whole lot more with your, uh, very enthusiastic reaction to her proximity.”
I scowl practically grinding my teeth to dust. The last thing I need right now is Jax’s stupid fucking commentary. Even though, begrudgingly, I have to admit he’s got a point, and it’s a point I refuse to acknowledge aloud.
“Seriously, Jax, shut your fucking mouth before you wake the kid,” I growl, keeping my voice low but fierce enough that he knows I’m not joking.
