“I never claimed to be,” I reminded her. Her reaction to my wealth wasn’t at all what I’d been expecting.
“Did you lure me here in the hopes of getting something from my dad? Or uncles?” She glanced around quickly. “I can’t imagine you need ransom money. So, why do you need me?” Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she whispered, “What could you possibly want that required you to...to have sex with me?” A tear slipped down her cheek. “Or to take my virginity? Or was that just a perk?” Her hands flew to her cheeks, and she stared at the ground as she sputtered, “Oh, crap. What if I really am pregnant?”
If it was possible, my jaw would have been on the ground. Had she not heard a word of what I’d been saying all night? Rushing over to her, I ignored her feeble protests as I pulled her into my arms, then used one hand under her chin to force her to look at me. “You are not a perk, London Kennedy,” I growled. “I don’t want anything from anyone else besides you. Haven’t you been listening? I only want you.”
She sniffed and her eyes watered, breaking my heart with sharp stabs of pain. “And what is it that you want from me?”
I lowered my face until our lips were so close, I could feel her warm breath on mine. “Everything,” I whispered before I covered her mouth with my own.
Chapter 7
Liam
I poured all my emotions—my hunger, my need, my love—into the kiss. She responded tentatively at first, but her body was more attuned to me than her head, and she melted into my embrace. “Stop overthinking, baby girl,” I muttered when we came up for air. I pressed my forehead to hers and closed my eyes, inhaling her cherry scent. “Let your heart tell you who I am and what I want.”
London sighed, and some of the tension that had returned as soon as my lips left hers began to ebb away. I stepped back and took her hand, leading her over to one of the wicker chairs with overstuffed cushions. I lifted her into my arms before sitting, then arranged her on my lap so her legs hung off one side and her head rested on my chest. “I never lied to you, baby girl,” I stated as I rubbed circles on her back. “I would have told you about me, but we haven’t exactly talked a whole lot since we met.”
“And whose fault is that?” she piped up, making me chuckle.
“I’d like to blame my cock, but since he’s an extension of me, I guess I’ll shoulder most of the blame. But your sexy curves have to admit their part in this, too.” London giggled softly, and the sweet, lyrical sound was like a balm to my aching heart. “Anyway, I wasn’t hiding anything. It simply hadn’t come up yet—” I stopped as a thought popped up, and a little guilt trickled in my chest. “Okay, I probably should have told you when you were worrying about me losing my job,” I conceded, then shrugged. “I was going to but then decided it would be more fun to see your reaction to the house before I told you what I’m worth. I didn’t expect you to jump to those conclusions.”
“I might have gone a little overboard,” she confessed quietly. “My mother says I should have become an actress because I’m so dramatic and my imagination runs wild.”
I frowned and my arms tightened around her. “I don’t share,” I growled. The idea of other men dreaming about her, wanting her, or worse, a co-star kissing her, had me ready to commit murder. London must have sensed the violence bubbling to the surface because her fingers began to trail softly up and down my arm, soothing me.
“That’s not what I want,” she assured me with a smile. Her hand casually brushed over my thick beard. She seemed to like playing with it, and I wasn’t sure she even noticed. “I want to—” She broke off and buried her face in my neck. I was sure that if I could see her face, her cheeks would be cherry red.
“Tell me,” I prompted. I wanted her to open up to me, to tell me all the things I already knew. She shook her head, and I gave her a quick squeeze and kissed the crown of her head. “How about a trade? I’ll tell you all about me and answer any of your questions, honestly, and then you do the same.”
London lifted her head and scanned my face for a moment. Then she smiled brightly—her dimples digging deep into her cheeks—and nodded. “Deal.”
“Let’s go to the kitchen so I can make dinner while we talk.”
She started to move off my lap, but I held her close and stood, carrying inside. “You don’t have to carry me, Liam,” she protested feebly. “I’m not going anywhere. Put me down before you hurt yourself. I’m too heavy.”
I stopped in my tracks and threw back my head, a belly laugh erupting from my chest. London folded her arms across her chest and glared at me, making me laugh even harder.
“Are you serious?” I asked through my chortles.
“It’s not funny, Liam,” she pouted. Damn. I couldn’t ever let on what that look did to me. It would give her way too much power.
“Baby girl, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. You’re about as heavy as a feather.”
London’s dimples popped, and her eyes sparkled. “If you say so,” she giggled.
I carried her to the elevator and used my elbow to hit the call button. “I want you to only use the elevator when you’re pregnant, London,” I instructed her, slipping into my “professor” mode, the one that demanded obedience.
London’s expression turned thoughtful, and she placed a hand on her belly. “If I get pregnant,” she responded.
The elevator arrived, and I shook my head as I stepped into the small car. “There’s no if, baby girl.” I set her down and pressed the button for the first floor, then drew her into my arms. Her head fell back so she could look up at me, and I stared into her deep green eyes. “If I have to, I’ll tie you to the bed and spend twenty-four hours a day filling you with my come until you’re knocked up.”
“Yes, you’re such a martyr. I’m sure that would be an incredible sacrifice,” she sassed with a dry smile.
I threw my head back and laughed so hard tears began to leak from the corners of my eyes. I struggled to catch my breath, but when I managed to speak again, I hugged her closer and murmured, “Damn, I love you.” Then my mouth fell on hers, and I gave her a hot, fierce kiss. I was about to press her up against the wall and shove up her skirt when the elevator slowed to a stop, and the door slid open. Lifting my eyes to the ceiling, I took a slow, deep breath and tried to get myself under control.
She needed food for what I had planned, I reminded myself. I glanced at her face and nearly groaned at her blissful, dazed expression. Food. I dropped my arms from around her but laced our fingers together and led her over to the island. After lifting her and setting her on one of the stools, I leaned in close to whisper in her ear, “Sacrifice isn’t the word I would use, but incredible is completely accurate.” I’d placed my fingertips on her back, and I felt her small shiver beneath them. I grinned and glided my lips from her ear down to trace her jaw. My beard left the smallest amount of reddened skin behind, and I pictured the burn I’d seen on her inner thighs earlier. Licking my lips, I anticipated having my tongue in her pussy again. Fuck, I needed a distraction.
Before I got carried away, I pushed away from her and headed toward the refrigerator. As I pulled out what I needed to make one of her favorite meals, I gave her a brief summary of who I was. Finally, I got to my choice to move to the States. “I was tired of the life I’d been leading. I wanted to slow down and have less stress, and I’d always thought about teaching. And I had this feeling that something was waiting here for me.”
I checked on the biscuits in the oven before walking back over to London. Her face had a dreamy quality to it, and her eyes were fixed on my mouth. I smirked because it was obvious that she’d gotten lost in my voice again, and it was cute as hell. However, I wanted her to hear what I said next, so she’d know I was serious about what was happening between us.
“London, I need you to focus,” I told her softly as I took her face between my hands. “Are you listening?” London blinked a few times, then her emerald eyes locked with mine, and she bobbed her head. “It wasn’t
something waiting for me; it was someone. It was you, baby girl. Everything in my life has been leading me straight to you.”
Her eyes had grown large, and her mouth had puckered into a little O. I stayed quiet and let her absorb my words and their meaning. After a minute, she cleared her throat, and her eyes briefly darted away. When they returned to my face, her cheeks were pink, and her dimples were popping from the minute lift at the corners of her mouth. “Does that mean you meant it?”
I furrowed my brow as I contemplated her question. “Meant what, baby girl?”
“When you said you loved me. Before. You weren't just caught up in the moment?”
Sighing, I bent my head so our foreheads touched. I honestly hadn’t even registered that I’d said it until she reminded me right then. “That wasn’t exactly how I imagined telling you for the first time. But yes, I loved you the first time I saw you sneaking into my class late.”
London giggled, then she tipped her head back and stretched up to place her lips on mine. I let her set the pace of the kiss, no matter how much I wanted to sweep her up into my arms and devour her whole. The kiss was sweet, just like her. When she retreated, I barely stopped myself from chasing her lips for another taste. “I don’t know how it’s possible,” she whispered as her hand stroked my beard, “but I love you, too.”
I wrapped my arms around her and crushed my mouth to hers. My tongue delved in to dance with hers before gently sucking it while I grabbed her ass and set her up on the counter. Wedging myself between her thighs, I groaned when intense heat surrounded the bulge in my pants. I’d forgotten that her underwear was stowed in my pocket, a fact that, had I remembered while giving her a tour of the house, would have landed us in bed the second we neared our room.
The oven timer dinged, and I growled in frustration at being cock-blocked by my own good intentions yet again. I softened the kiss before finally pulling away, then set her back in her chair and walked swiftly to the oven. The biscuits were golden, so I removed the pan and set them on the stove. As I began making her a plate of food, I tried everything I could think of to cool my lust so we could have a relaxed dinner.
I managed to get a grip on myself, but relaxing had been too much to hope for as my dick wouldn’t cooperate and remained big and hard like a fucking wooden bat between my legs. I set the plate of food in front of London and poured her a glass of milk, taking her by surprise.
“This is the pasta my mom makes every year on my birthday. How do you know about it? And how did you know my favorite drink is milk? That’s kind of a weird favorite, or so my siblings constantly tell me.”
I ignored the comment about her sister and brothers because it only pissed me off that they would make fun of my baby girl. I comforted myself with the promise of talking to each of them about it later. Turning, I walked over to make my own plate and shrugged nonchalantly. “I know a lot about you, baby girl,” I admitted.
“How do you—?”
I hastily interrupted her. “But I’d rather hear what you want to tell me.” After grabbing a beer for myself, I set my food on the bar next to hers and sat on the stool in front of it. I winked at her, and she studied me suspiciously. “Eat, baby girl,” I encouraged, gesturing to her food. Her face was a mask of indecision, but ultimately, she decided to let it go because she dug into her food without further comment. With her first bite, she let out an almost imperceptible moan, but it was enough to cause me to wince in pain when I shifted, and my zipper grated against my skin. “Now, a deal’s a deal,” I croaked, desperate for a distraction.
She nodded and took a sip of her milk. Then she began to talk, and I was instantly enthralled.
Chapter 8
Liam
I’d learned so much about London from Benson’s dossier, but it was different hearing it directly from her. There was a narrative in her tone and expressions, plus all of the little stories and comments she added.
When she’d finished her meal and pushed her plate away, I did the same. Though mine was still full of food. I’d been too fascinated and, honestly, too fucking turned on to be hungry. I carefully stood, trying to avoid punctures on my dick from the teeth of my zipper. As I gathered our plates and took them to the sink, it occurred to me that she still hadn’t told me about her projects and her dream of designing clothing.
I placed everything in the sink, deciding it could wait until later, and meandered over to stand in front of London. “You started to tell me what you want earlier,” I reminded her. I smiled and brushed her silky copper hair behind her shoulder before teasing, “I kept my end of the bargain.”
Her cheeks bloomed with a pretty blush, and she studied her hands, which were folded in her lap. “It’s silly.”
I curled my index finger under her chin and lifted her head. “Your hopes and dreams are your own, London. No matter what anyone else might think of them, they aren’t silly unless you believe it.”
London’s whole countenance softened, and her eyes brimmed with happiness, making my inner caveman beat his chest with pride. “I’ve always loved children, and they wear the cutest little clothes!” she started, her voice getting more excited as she went on. “I made a few things for our dolls growing up, and then when some of my family and friends had babies, I made items for them.” She stopped to take a breath, then she raised her hand to play with my beard as she continued. “It was so much fun, and everyone always seemed to be impressed with the things I created. Eventually, I thought, wouldn’t it be fun to do this all the time?” She laughed, and her eyes dropped to her hand. When she realized what she’d been doing, she immediately pulled her hand away, and her face turned crimson.
I captured her hand and tenderly kissed her palm before lifting it to my face. “I love when you do that,” I told her softly, earning me a beautiful smile, complete with dimples.
“Okay.” She went back to running her fingers over my beard and tracing my jaw, causing electricity to skitter down my spine. “So, that’s what I want to do. Design children and baby clothes.” She shrugged, and her face heated again. “Besides, it’s something I can do from home so I can...um...be with my own baby.”
I gazed into her emerald pools with feelings of awe. “You couldn’t be more perfect if you tried, you know that?” I asked. I gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, each eyelid, and then her nose before melding our mouths together and kissing her long and deep. By the time I let her up for air, we were both shaking with need. My brain finally gave my body permission to take over. I didn’t hesitate for a second before sweeping her up into my arms and stalking toward the stairs. The elevator would take too damn long. “I think you should absolutely pursue that dream, baby girl,” I insisted as I took the stairs two at a time. “I have no doubt you’ll be amazing at it, and I’ll help in any way that you need.”
“Really?” Her tone was hopeful, and I glanced at her face to see her beaming up at me.
“Really,” I confirmed with a smile. I wanted to kiss her but decided the chances of tripping and injuring her were too high.
A breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding rushed out when we reached our bedroom. I stopped beside the bed, and as I lowered her down onto the center, I smirked. “Now, about those babies you want to be home with…”
London’s eyes whipped to lock with mine, round as saucers. “Babies? As in plural?”
I grinned and nodded as I climbed over her and straddled her legs before I began to undress her. First, I removed each of her strappy white sandals. “You heard me, baby girl.”
“Just how many are we talking about, Liam Grey?” Her tone was teasing so I knew the idea didn’t upset her. She’d just been surprised.
“As many as you’ll give me.”
I tucked my fingers into the waistband of her skirt and dragged it down her legs and over her feet. Then I held the gauzy fabric bunched in my fist in front of her face. “This is sexy as fuck, baby girl, but I don’t want to see you wearing it again.”
“You can’t
tell me not to—” She’d started to argue, but snapped her mouth shut when I raised an eyebrow and glared at her.
“Don’t defy me on this, baby girl,” I growled. “I already told you, I don’t share. And that includes letting others see what is for my eyes only.” She opened her mouth again but was distracted from her protest when I leaned over to open a box sitting on my bedside table. I kept a few sentimental things in there, including the item I picked up; my father’s pocketknife. I flipped it open and made sure she was watching as I cut through the seam of the elastic waistband. Then I grabbed a side in each hand and ripped it until it was one long piece of pink material.
She gasped in outrage and tried to make a grab for the skirt. “I loved that!”
I held it away from her with one hand and used the other to capture her wrists. “Maybe I need to show you what happens if you break that rule,” I stated, keeping my tone neutral, the way I informed my classes about the consequences of breaking my rules. I looped the skirt around her wrists a few times and lifted her hands over her head. “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.
“Just what I promised.” I tied the fabric around her wrists and then anchored the ends to one of the heavy wooden slats in the headboard. “Tying you up so I can pump your pussy so full of come, I just might leave twins in there.” I grinned at the thought and murmured, “Let’s just skip over baby and go right to babies. I’m liking that plan.”
London twisted and pulled at her restraint, but it was weak. She wasn’t really trying that hard because if she had, she’d have discovered that my handiwork would have given way with minimal effort. Nor had it escaped my notice that her breathing had sped up, and if her tits had been unencumbered... Which brought me back to my next task.
Carefully, so I wouldn’t nick my baby girl’s beautiful skin, I drew the blade down the center of her halter top. She gasped again, and I responded with a wicked grin as I finished flaying her top. “Was that really necessary?” She tried to sound stern, but again, her increased breathing gave her away.
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