Page 28 of Trusting Liam (Taking Chances 2)

Her hands pressed against my chest again, and I held back a disappointed sigh as I took a step away. But as soon as I raised my head, her hands were curling into my shirt and she was reaching up to crush her l

ips to mine.

This time there was no fight. Kennedy never tried to gain control. Her body immediately relaxed between mine and the door, and she easily moved with me when I pulled her farther into the bedroom.

Our lips never parted as I laid her on the bed and followed her down until I was hovering over her. One of her knees curled up along my side when I settled my body onto hers, and I ran my hand up her long leg, pushing the loose material of her skirt up her thigh until it was bunched in my hand against her hip. Moving down her throat, my lips made soft passes against her skin, and a frustrated whimper escaped her mouth at the teasing touches. My fingers gripped against her hip and the bed as the need to run my hands over her grew stronger, but I knew if I went there, I wouldn’t stop—and I needed to stop. “You’re done pushing me away,” I said against her skin.

“I’m done,” she agreed breathily. Kennedy’s hands moved from where they’d been gripping my shirt between our chests, and made a slow trail down. The moment they touched the skin just above the top of my shorts, I groaned against her neck as I fought with myself over what I knew we needed, and what we both obviously wanted. Before she could do anything else, I pushed away so I was hovering high above her, and stared down into her dark blue eyes.

“We already know what we’re like together, Kennedy. I’m not making the mistake of starting this with another night like in Vegas.”

“You’re saying Vegas was a mistake?” she asked huskily, but even with the breathy sound of her voice, it was obvious she was joking.

“Never. But sleeping with you the moment you give yourself over to me again would be a mistake. You could easily disappear from me in the morning, or realize how much you don’t want this once the night is over because I rushed things with you again. I’m not taking that chance.”

She looked at me for a long moment without saying anything, her eyes thoughtful. “And if I’m the one who wants tonight to go a certain way?”

The corners of my mouth curled up, and I leaned closer to run my nose down hers and kiss her quickly. “You wouldn’t be the only one who wanted it, but it wouldn’t matter if you begged for it. I’m not risking it after fighting so hard for you. You finally acknowledging that you are mine is all I need tonight. I’ve been waiting for that moment since you fell back into my life, Kennedy Ryan.” After another slower kiss, I pushed up and rolled away from her to sit on the bed.

Kennedy followed me up, but sat facing me. “That girl—what’d you say her name was?”

I looked at her with my forehead bunched together, but before I could ask who she meant, I knew the answer from the way her eyes took on that same betrayed look they’d had this afternoon on the beach. “Cecily?”

“Right, Cecily. Who is she?”

As much as I wanted to say she was nobody, I knew I couldn’t. To any other girl in my life, that would have been my immediate answer . . . but not to Kennedy. “She was one of many girls who meant nothing more than the fact that she was convenient to have around. She also works for your uncle, and we’d been . . . uh, seeing each other for a handful of months before you moved here. Nothing ever happened outside of work or our places. If we happened to be out with the same group, we acted like we worked together and that was it. That was what I liked about her. She wasn’t clingy, and she saw me simply as someone who could satisfy a need. It wasn’t until I backed away and started turning her down when you moved here that she got mad. I think she wanted to make you ignore me, and have me make a big scene so it would look like she had been wronged.”

Kennedy raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat. “Is this—is that what you’re wanting from this?” she asked, using a finger to indicate the two of us.

I laughed and shook my head once. “Are you serious? No. If you were like them, I wouldn’t have thought twice about trying to pursue you—especially after the first time you made it clear you didn’t want anything to do with me.”

Kennedy’s eyes got bright with amusement, and the look was so welcome after the intense beginning of this conversation. “Oh, a little confident there? So many women fall at your feet that you don’t have to bother yourself with something like pursuing one of them? Must be nice.”

I huffed softly and stood. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her up with me and over to the door. Just before I opened it, I turned to face her and waited until her eyes were locked on mine. “No one was ever worth the chase. But you? You will be worth it every time. I will always chase you, Kennedy.”

8

June 27

Kennedy

AT THE SOUND of knocking, I shot Kira a look and stood to go open the door. “I don’t need dates, Liam,” I said by way of a greeting.

“Yes, you do,” he countered, and smiled at Kira.

“I don’t do dates.”

“Neither do I, which is exactly why we should.” Stepping into the doorway, he laid one hand on my waist and passed his lips across my forehead. “You look beautiful.”

It’d been two weeks since I finally gave up trying to fight my attraction for him, and every time we’d hung out in that time, he’d asked if he could take me on a date. I just didn’t see the point in going on one when we were together all the time, and dates to me meant that there would be a small title attached to what we were—and I wasn’t a fan of titles anymore. It had taken Kira agreeing for me to get to this night. But I had to admit—with his confidence, sweet observation, and nonchalant attitude toward the whole night, he was already making it easy to go through with it.

After my initial swoon at hearing his deep voice tell me I looked beautiful, I shook my head and tried to hide my smile. “This is stupid.”

“I don’t care, we’re still doing it. I even made reservations—we’re going all out tonight.”

I stopped trying to fight my smile, but still raised one eyebrow. “We’re going all out, and I don’t even get flowers?” I asked, trying to sound hurt. I clicked my tongue and whispered, “Strike one, Mr. Taylor.”

“You mean these?” He brought his other arm out from around his back, and produced a brightly colored bouquet.

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