Page 33 of Hold

He put out a hand and picked up a lock of her hair, letting it fall through his fingers, the ends curling around his forearm. Thea’s girl parts went into the rumba, roused by the scent of him so close, the light rasp of his shirt on her skin. She bet his beard would be soft against her cheek.

She wanted to touch the spaces below his lower lip where the hair didn’t grow. If she just pressed her finger against them, what would it feel like? Would he take a hold of her hand and press a kiss onto her palm, letting her feel his beard scratch on her skin the way his shirt touched her arm?

“Thea,” he said.

“I’m complicated,” she blurted out.Smooth.

“I know. I just got divorced.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t need this.”

“Neither do I.”

“Okay, then,” he said, “as long as that’s clear.” And somehow, in one move, he was gathering her hair up behind her and his beard was tickling her chin andthank Godhe was kissing her.

Chapter 9

Thea let her head fall back and gave herself up to his mouth, which coaxed hers open. His tongue found hers, and she reached up her own hand to hold his head to her while the kiss went deeper and deeper. She was dimly aware that he was holding her up with one strong arm behind her back, but all she could take in was the nearness of him, the wetness of this kiss.Thank God, this kiss, the relief of being this close to him after so many weeks of teasing, so many years of being alone.

She moaned a little, and he broke away from her mouth to rain small kisses along her cheek, her temple, her hair.

“Dammit, Thea.” He groaned into her hair.

“I know,” she breathed, running her hands through his hair, feeling his breath warm hers. He smelled of wood shavings and peat, of safety and home.

But she wasn’t supposed to be thinking these things. She was never going to rely on a man again.Right?So she should break away.Now.

He kissed her again, turning so that he sat on the couch and she sat on his lap. Tucked into him like this, she could reach his neck and jawline and press his head into the back of the couch and kiss him more deeply.

Okay, after this kiss.

Or this one.

Some time passed. Thea’s whole body was waking up to him, though he kept his hands to her shoulders, back, and face. His rough fingertips on her cheek sent heat directly to her core, and she strained against him, loving his strength surrounding her.

Eventually, it was Liam who pulled away, dropping kisses on her as he did so, then taking her hands in his and kissing her palms. His beard was abrasive against her sensitive skin, and he left her only wanting more, more, more of him, not only in her bed but in her life. And that was a very dangerous road to go down.

“T,” he whispered against her palm.

“Mm-hmm,” she said. Or might have moaned.

“Quit beating yourself up. Your kids are great. You’re doing great.” He was wrapping her hair around his wrist again, letting the strands capture him and then freeing himself again and again.

She closed her eyes and fit her head under his chin. “How do I help Jake?”

He was silent for a moment while she listened to his heart beat steadily in his big chest. Then he said, “Have him come work for me.”

That made her back up. “Seriously?”

He gave that white slash of a grin. “Sure. Let him see how the other half lives.”

That ticked her off, a little. “Do I have to remind you that his dad is a carpenter? Was, maybe. Who knows what he’s doing now.”

“I’m kidding.” She loved how he was looking at her now; the heat from their kisses was still softening his lips, but there was also a deeper warmth that made her trust his motives. “A couple of days with me and he’ll figure out pretty quick how he wants to spend the rest of his life.”

She frowned. “You won’t torture him, will you? I think he’s scared enough of you as it is.”

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