Page 8 of His Price

Done with making sure we talked, and ensuring he gave me more than one-word answers, I move quickly through our office to the elevator. I’m down in the lower lobby striding past security within minutes. When I pass through the revolving glass doors, I step out into the bright sunny day. The streets are busy with typical tourists. The energy of the city is what I’ve always loved.

I take two steps forward but when a firm hand grasps my arm, I’m ready to either kick someone in the junk or yell at them as I spin around and find myself gazing deeply into Liam’s potent eyes.

He’s fancy with his neatly tailored black suit and navy blue tie, and dear God, he is gorgeous. His dark eyes pin me to where I’m standing with the power they possess. His chiseled jaw and sculpted mouth are perfection. Liam is what teenage boys dream of being when they grow up. A sexy as hellman.

“Hello, Aria,” he says smoothly, seductively. “Might I have a moment, please.”

He slides his hand down my arm to take my hand. I shiver at the heat of his touch as he leads me into the alleyway, placing us behind one of the walls of the parking garage, keeping us out of sight.

“Do you think it’s wise to tempt me? To tease me?” he asks, stepping closer until my back is pressed against the wall and his hands are on either side of my head.

I swallow against the fierceness he projects. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”Now maybe not so much.I admit that I hadn’t expected him to act on it. Hell, I tease him all the time. Though maybe Liam’s reached his limit. I stare into the heated depths of his eyes and realize I’ve never seen him like this. Unleashed. Raw. A burn sizzles through me, pooling heat low in my body.

The side of his mouth arches obviously in response to the hitch of my breath, the flushing of my cheeks. His grin is as deadly as it is sexy. “Do you think I don’t know that if I wanted it, I could have you?” The passion exuding from him consumes me, swallowing me whole when he adds, “I know you are well aware that theonlyreason I haven’t touched you before is because I’m respecting your loyalty to Jackson.”

He leans in and as I inhale his woodsy scent, my heart is racing, thighs are clenching, sex is drenching with desire.

“Do not toy with me, Aria.” He brings his mouth close to mine, his warm minty breath brushing across my parted lips. “Do not push against me because I will not lose. Let this be a reminder of that.” His big, strong hand pushes against my thigh. I’m spreading my legs for him before I even wonder if I should.

His fingers slowly slide upward, giving me the chance to say “stop.”I should end this right now because I’m only proving him right, that where it comes to him I have no control and that I’m all talk, but somehow I can’t stop him.

I want this.

I want him.

When he places a hand on my neck, pinning me to the wall, I’m breathless. A sexy smile creases the corners of his mouth as he slides his hand up my thigh, taking my skirt with it. He tucks his fingers into my panties, pulling them off to the side of my slick heat. I’m trapped in his command, shutting my eyes against all that he creates within me.

His low moan tickles in my belly when he cups my sex. He leans in and his mouth presses against mine, and it’s all I can do not to beg him to get inside me. His lips are firm and demanding, penetrating my soul with every swirl of his tongue. Yet his kisses are so much more than simple affection. It’s a statement. He owns me with every bite of his teeth. I know it with all that I am when his fingers slip inside of me, not slowly entering but demanding he belong there. I soak his fingers as he begins thrusting with intent. His palm bangs against my clit and had it not been for his hand on my neck, I’d be sinking down the wall into the pleasure. As it is, I’m on my tiptoes in my red high heels. I hear the voices of pedestrians walking by. With little effort, they could walk down this alleyway and find us, yet somehow that only excites me more.

I’m moaning and gasping and trembling against the force of what he does to me. I finally have his touch. It’s all that I need and more.

When I reopen my eyes and Liam backs away, obviously to watch me fall into orgasm, I lose myself in the power he commands, easily coming against his fingers thrusting into me. My release is quiet, the only sound a soft gasp from my mouth. A hard shake rocking through my body drops me from the high.

He slowly withdraws his fingers. My panties are back in place. He tucks his finger under my chin, bringing my eyes to meet the fierceness in his. “Don’t toy with me again,” he states firmly.

With blurry eyes, I watch him walk away, staying plastered to the wall. I tug down my skirt, feeling my orgasm on my inner thighs.

I lost this battle.

And yet, somehow, I felt like I won.

CHAPTER3

Liam

On Friday morning,my feet hit the ground along the Santa Monica Pier with the rhythm of the song blasting through my earbuds. Sweat trickles down my face and my torso, my lungs burn with each and every stride. The air is fresh, lacking humidity. The sunrise is casting a somewhat pinkish glow across the Santa Monica Bay.

While I arrived at my beach house last night to get settled in and stock the fridge so Aria and I would have no distractions this weekend, I needed a run before fetching her. It’s my therapy and my fuel.

When I spot the thin house with the large one-way glass windows on the front, I slow to a walk on the beach trail, relishing the high that always comes with a good run. On the outside of the house, there’s not much to excite, except for the property being located right on the beach. The exterior is chrome and dark gray stucco, which I had done myself with the help of a contractor. When I reach the concrete steps, I grab my keys from my pocket and unlock the door, stepping into the open-concept main floor. The design is modern and sleek with white walls and floors, and white furniture with black pillows. I had hired an interior designer to freshen up the interior of the house and I didn’t have any part in it.

On my way past the kitchen on the right, I notice that the clock on the stainless-steel microwave above the gas stove shows it’s nearing seven o’clock now. I drag a hand through my sweaty hair, hastily moving into the master suite. All white furniture leads to a dark metal king-size bed frame, and the en suite bathroom is equally modern. Light gray tiles cover the large bathroom’s floor and extend into the all-glass shower.

Determined to get the show on the road, I strip off my shoes and socks, shorts then boxer briefs, leaving my cellphone on the glass vanity. When I enter the shower, I turn the water on and let the warm stream hit the back of my neck, washing away the sweat, allowing my mind to go to Aria. Soon, I’ll be inside her.

Those thoughts harden my cock to steel. I grab the base of my shaft, the water running down over my hardened flesh, teasing me. I don’t pause. I don’t warm up. I place my free hand against the wall and I jerk my dick hard and fast, thinking of nothing but Aria when I claimed her orgasm. The way she felt. The way she moaned when I made her fall apart. How her eyes widened and became alive in those seconds. How I owned her.

My muscles tighten, a low groan rumbling from my throat when I come, my semen landing on the shower’s floor, washing away with the water. It’s less satisfying than it is essential. I refuse to blow too fast with Aria. I will take my time savoring every goddamn inch of her. And I know I can’t show up today fully loaded.

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