Page 77 of Because of Liam

Chapter Forty-Eight

This girl is goingto be the end of me. Yes, it has been a long time since I got laid, but it has nothing to do with the way I feel every time I see her. From that first encounter when she dumped her fruity girly drink on me to this very moment, River has inhabited just about every thought that’s been in my mind. It’s either me being pissed off at something she says or does or me being amused by the stuff that comes out of her mouth, and as of late, it’s me being jealous of every guy who looks her way.

My hands go around her hips and I pull her up and off the counter as her legs wrap around me and lock on my hips. Her arms are around my neck and I hold her to me as I make my way to her bedroom when it hits me. I don’t have any condoms.

“Please tell me you have condoms.”

“No, I don’t. But Skye might have some in her room.”

“Let’s find out.”

I walk to her sister’s room with River wrapped around me. She leans down to open the door because I’m not letting her go.

“Her nightstand,” River says and I bring her to it and sit on the bed so she can open and look through.

“Bingo!” River grabs a box, opens it and starts to take one condom out.

“No.” I shake my head. “Take the box.”

She raises an eyebrow at me.

“Okay, leave one for my brother.”

River takes two condoms out of the box and puts them in the drawer, keeping the box. “Based on what my sister said, Logan is not a one-timer.”

I smile then. “Neither am I.”

We make our way to her bedroom and she closes the door and locks it. I bring her to the edge of the still unmade bed and let her legs slide off me as I let go of her. She kneels on the bed, moving back into the middle, and I follow her, sitting back on my heels so we are the same height. She leans over and puts the box on her nightstand.

It’s early and her curtains are closed, but the morning light filters through the gauzy material, giving the room an ethereal quality. Or maybe it’s just the knowledge that I’ll soon have River that makes it feel that way.

I search her face to make sure there’s no doubt in her mind. That there’s no fear. I find none. Then, I kiss her again. I start it gently, tasting her, letting my lips graze hers and brush over her face. I kiss the tip of her nose and the corners of her mouth. I kiss her temples and her closed eyes. I brush her hair back, away from her beautiful face and tug the chestnut locks until she tilts her head back, giving me access to her neck. I kiss, lick, and nibble every inch of her neck before I move down into her collarbone and trace it with my tongue.

My arms wrap around her back, keeping her from falling back on the bed. Soon but just not yet, I tell myself. She is trembling in my arms and her hands grasp at my shoulders and when I lower my head and lick the space between her breasts, her nails dig in. I gasp at the momentary pain, but in an instant, it turns into pleasure. I pull my face away and smile at the twin wet spots I left on her tank top. She looks at me and her hands are moving over my chest and her mouth meets mine for a brief kiss before moving down to my chin and following the contour of my jaw. River suckles at my neck and it’s my turn to shiver. She nibbles at my ear and licks a path from my neck to my shoulder where the tattoo starts. She traces the wing tip design with her tongue. As she touches the colors embedded into my skin, I know she can feel the raised ridges of my many scars, but she does not avoid them or pull away. She traces each with her fingertips and then she licks them and kisses away the tainted memories that made me get the tattoo in the first place. With each touch to the scars on my chest, River kisses away all the pain and the sorrows associated with them until there is nothing left but beautiful artwork. She moves around me and to my back and does the same to the dragon and the eagle. I close my eyes and just feel. She finds each individual scar and kisses it, and with each kiss I heal. With each kiss, I let go. With each kiss, I forgive. With each kiss, I am myself again.

My eyes are still closed when I feel River move around and kneel in front of me again. I’m overcome with emotion, with lust, with gratitude, and with love. When did this happen? When did I fall for this girl? Every time she pushed me, every time she made me angry, every time she made me laugh, and every time she made me want her, she gave me a piece of my life back. I don’t trust myself to speak right now, so I do the next best thing. I make love to her. This may have started as just sex and lust, but at some point, without my ever being aware, it turned into something else, but I don’t think River is ready to hear the words yet. She has her own demons to conquer, so I will tell her I love her the only way I can. With my body and with my actions.

When I open my eyes River in kneeling between my legs and I can feel the heat of her body, I can smell her sweet and spicy scent, and I can see the desire in her eyes. I reach for her and she comes to me willingly. I brush the edge of her tank top and let my fingers go under it. She sucks in a breath at the contact with her skin and I slide my hands up and under her top, dragging the fabric as I go. My eyes follow my hands as I see each little bit of skin exposed. When my thumbs caress the underside of her breasts my eyes go back to hers and she leans into my hands, seeking fuller contact. I don’t deny her. My hands cup her breasts and I feel their fullness, and I love the weight of them in my hands. Her top is bunched just above the swell of her breasts and I push it up as she helps me by pulling it over her head and dropping it to the bed.

I take her in, her beautiful tanned skin and the lighter color where the sun never touches her. I trace a finger over the tan lines, one side and then the other. I’m taking my time with River and holding back is killing me. She moves up on her knees and brings her chest level with my face. I smile at her. Apparently, I’m not moving fast enough for her.

“Impatient?” I ask.

She answers me by grabbing the hairs on the back of my neck and tugging my face into her, and I gladly oblige. My lips latch on a nipple and I tease it with my tongue and teeth while my hand works on the other and then I switch, giving attention to each beautiful round swell in turn. I lick the top of her breasts and the space in between before returning to her nipples.

“Do you like this, River?” I murmur against her skin.

She moans.

“Should I keep going?” I tease with a lick of my tongue.

She tugs at my hair harder.

“I will take that as a yes.”

I come up on my knees now and push her back into the mattress, covering her body with mine. We both still have our underwear on and I reach to my hips and pull mine off before settling myself to her side. I let my hands move down her stomach and hips slowly before I follow their path with my mouth. I kiss and nibble my way down her belly. I move over to one hip and lick it, then trail my lips low on her belly and lick the other hip.

River is breathing in rapid, shallow gasps and she’s rubbing her thighs onto each other. Her eyes are closed and I can see the shivers on her skin.

---