Page 58 of Savage Temptation

“Can I get you a real drink? That champagne tastes like a flower shop.” I couldn’t help but laugh, noticing the similar remark Alison had made earlier. Apples and their trees, right?

“What am I missing?” Speaking of the devil, Alison cooed from behind me, her lips spread into a wide smile, her eyebrows doing a bouncy dance referring to the intimate proximity she caught me and Matt in.

“I was about to get Jamie a proper drink. Do you want one?”

“Yes, please. Rum. The good stuff.” Matt looked at me, silently asking for my choice of poison.

“Same.” I quickly said, waiting for him to leave so I could have a moment alone with Alison, but Matt blew that chance, grabbing her hand and pulling her along with him.

I was alone again, fidgeting with my fingers, not knowing what to do with myself. It was short-lasting, though.

“I can see you’re having fun.” Again Liam startled me, his low, husky voice right next to my ear. I almost lost my balance as I turned to him, Liam’s hand coming to rest on my ribs, steadying my stance. Our eyes locked on each other. Deep and unsettling, as always.

He kept his hand on me, slowly gliding backwards until he reached my skin, the tip of his finger tracing my spine past the end of my dress, stopping right before he reached my underwear, all while looking straight into my eyes.

His stare was so intense that he had me pinned under his hypnotic green orbs, incapable of tearing away. It was like our first encounter all over again, only this time I knew what I was up against. My throat contracted, trying to swallow the lump while my chest heaved heavier with each passing second.

Liam’s gaze dropped down, a smirk twisting his lips as he took in my hardened nipples, perfectly visible under the thin fabric of my dress as a direct result of his warm hand traveling my body.

He trapped his bottom lip between his teeth, and I knew he was reigning his lust in, too, his eyes growing darker along with his expression. He was doing this on purpose, threading me along to see my reaction to him, to confirm that he still stood on the pedestal I’d placed him on, and I fell right for it.

I closed my eyes, breaking his spell with a deep exhale, trying to regain control by allowing his cutting words back into my mind.

“You’re not right for me, okay?”

I harshly removed his hand from my body, anger consuming me after his attempt to manipulate me.

“Fun? Yes, I am. What’s wrong with that? Apparently, Matt thinks I might just be right for him. No harm in seeing where that goes.” I spat out, the vindictive thirst in me not minding how wrong that sounded.

“You can’t…”

“I can’t what, Liam? Huh? Have anyone else? You don’t want me, you’ve thrown me in the trash, remember? You have absolutely no say in it.” I cut him off, blurting my pain and fury into those words.

Liam’s hand quickly ran up my neck, under my hair, fisting a handful and making sure my eyes were set on his again.

“I never said I didn’t want you.” He gritted, his face coming closer to mine with each word, making sure they wouldn’t fall in the space between us. “You have no idea how much I want to fucking kiss you right now. Get you out of here so that none of these fuckers can feast their eyes on you in that dress. I want nothing more than to rip it off your body and force you to come over and over again until you black out, your throat burning from screaming my name at the top of your lungs.” His words dripped with venom, his eyes blazing in an unrestrained fire. Liam leaned in, inhaling sharply along the silky skin of my neck, yanking on my hair for better access, “I fucking hate that you already smell like someone else but me.”

“Is that jealousy, Mr. Dornier?” My stomach fluttered at his actions, but I couldn’t forget what he said and how cold he was when he said it.

“No, Miss Harden. It’s grounds for murder.”

“Too little too late, Liam. Words mean nothing to me anymore.” I harshly replied, resentment coating my words as I tried to guard what was still left of my heart, my hand peeling his off my hair.

Each breath I took stung like a million wasps in my chest, not enough air reaching my lungs, as I turned away from him with every ounce of strength left in my body. Alison was coming back from the bar, Matt trailing behind her, our drinks in his hand.

I seized Alison’s wrist, pulling her harshly along with me, cutting through the crowd, only stopping once we were outside, the cool evening’s breeze finally allowing me to breathe.

“Jamie? What’s wrong? What happened?” She urged me.

The truth was strangling me and blocking all my airways. I looked at her, my eyes boring into her face without a single blink, holding my silence for a while, much to her despair.

“Jamie Harden, tell me what’s wrong right now!”

“It’s Liam, Alison.” The words finally tumbled from my mouth, “It’s been Liam all along.”

Alison just stood there, looking at me, her face blank of any expression that would hint at what she was thinking. Now that I knew he was her brother, I was afraid this would mess with our friendship in some way. Her prolonged silence started to freak me out, I needed to know how she felt about it.

“Can you please just say something?” I whisper-shouted.

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