Page 81 of Begin Again, Part 2

She felt so perfect in his embrace. Like she was made for him. And the thought of that Isaac dude dancing with her, touching her, holding her this closely, sent him in a mild fit of rage. He refused to share Eden with anyone, and his kid would no longer go on any playdates with the lawyer. Not when he was alive and well. Now that he knew about Aiden, Liam wanted nothing more than to rush to Eden's place, pack their belongings and move them to his house. But any moving, whether it was him or Eden and their son, would have to wait until his return. He subconsciously tightened his arms around her waist at the thought of being away from them for so long as he leaned down and kissed her temple. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Sure, receiving a nicely wrapped bullet from the mob was enough to rattle anyone, but Liam knew Aleksei wasn't the only reason for Eden's anxiety. She was too highly strung.

"Nothing," she said, refusing to meet his eyes.

He drew her closer when she tried to move away. "It can't be nothing if you're drinking yourself to a stupor."

"I only had three glasses of champagne," she said. "Besides, I thought the whole point of these events was to have fun?"

"Are you having fun?" Liam paused and stared at her.

"I was until I ran into the crazy Russian," Eden said as she turned to walk away, but he quickly reeled her in, her back pressed to him as he wrapped his arms around her. She moved against him, gently grinding on him, her hips swaying seductively to the music.

"What did he do to you?" He murmured, breathing in her scent. "How badly did he hurt you?"

"It's nothing. I'll be fine."

"I'm not okay knowing that bastard touched you," Liam told her seriously as he spun her around her. The move was so sudden Eden almost lost her balance.

"He sent you a death threat, and a small bruise on my arm is all you're worried about?" she asked, licking her lips anxiously. Liam closed his eyes, banishing the intense urge to kiss her. But when he opened them again, the temptation was still there, even when he knew he shouldn't because millions of eyes were on them. But God, he wanted to kiss her so badly. He needed her soft lips, her sweet tongue like a dying man desperate for water. He grabbed her head and drew her in as his mouth descended on hers hungrily. She tasted like a brewery, but he didn't care. All he was aware of was the heat swirling deep in his groin, aching for release.

"Do you trust me?" Liam asked hoarsely when they came up for air.

"What?" Eden sighed as he flipped her around, pressing close to her, and they continued to move in time with the melody.

"Do you trust that I can take care of you and Aiden?"

"Yes," she said breathlessly.

"Then why did you allow Ivanov to rattle you so much?" Liam demanded, kissing her neck.

"Because," she mumbled tearfully, "he sent a bullet with your initials. Aren't you scared? Because I am."

"Listen to me." Liam held her face in his hands. "I swear on my life I'll never let anything happen to you or Aiden."

"It's not me or Aiden he's after," Eden said. "He was clear about the LUSSO deal. Can't you back out of it?"

"And let go of six billion Rands?" he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Your life is worth so much more," she said on his chest. "Aiden needs you. I need you. What are we supposed to do without you?"

"You speak as if I'm already gone," Liam pulled her closer and kissed her slowly. "I'm still here, Princess."

"Until when? Until Aleksei decides to make good on his threat?" Eden stared at him, her eyes shining with tears. "Please, drop the LUSSO deal. I'm begging you."

"I can't. It's too late to back out," Liam insisted. "Do you know how much we'd have to pay for breaking the contract?"

"It's not signed yet," she argued. "Let's just take Aiden and walk away. We'll find a small town. I'll paint watercolours, and you can—well, I don't know what you'll do. Maybe you can fix cars. You said you've fixed plenty of cars in the past. But I won't mind supporting you if you don't get a job. You can take care of Aiden while I work. And we'll be so happy. Just you, me and Aiden."

Liam chuckled. "When did you think this up?"

"While you were fighting over a ring we both know wasn't worn by Cleopatra."

"Touché." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "But I like your plan a lot, Princess."

"Then let's do it." Eden looked up, her eyes lively with hope.

The thought of quitting the family business and travelling the world with Eden and his son had crossed Liam's mind many times. But there were two thousand people who depended on him. He had a duty to fulfil. He couldn't just up and leave.

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