Erin snorted. “I was there, remember? I kissed you. You stopped it, said we shouldn’t be doing this and walked away. That, my friend, is shot down.”
“The hell it is. You were drunk, and I wasn’t going to take advantage of you,” he explained.
“I wasn’t drunk,” she protested. “You thought I was drunk? I’d had one damned beer!”
Liam shook his head. “No way. I was standing outside, you came out, and without a word threw your arms around me and laid one me. I think I’ve known you long enough to know that’s not normal behavior for you.”
“Yeah, I uncharacteristically threw myself at you, but it wasn’t because I was drunk.” She turned away, facing the fire again. When she spoke again, he had to strain to hear her soft voice. “It was because I’d finally mustered enough courage to act on my feelings.”
Erin stared into the fire, face warm. God, he thought she’d been drunk that night. Somehow, that made it even worse. Though he seemed surprised that she thought he didn’t want her. Did that mean he did? She fought against the tiny kernel of hope in her gut. She couldn’t take it if he rejected her again, if he—
A hand gripped her elbow, and she was spun around quickly. Before she could get her bearings, she was pulled tightly against Liam and his mouth was on hers, hot and demanding. He gripped her hips painfully and tilted his forward. The hard length of his cock pressed against her belly. Closing her eyes, she fell into the kiss, into the myriad sensations rioting inside her.
Holding her fast, he turned and backed her up until her knees hit the mattress. He nipped gently on her lower lip then slowly lowered her onto the bed. He cupped her intimately and pressed the heel of his hand against her clit. A spear of heat sliced through her, immediately moistening the soft folds of her sex.
“I want you.” His words, whispered against her mouth, made her stomach flip. “I’ve wanted you for a long, long time.”
She whimpered as he released her and stood. He grinned, pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side. She allowed her gaze to take him in fully as he undid the button and zipper of his jeans. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him illuminated in the glow of the fire. Her imagination hadn’t done him justice—and she’d been very thorough in her fantasies. She realized that in all the years she’d known him, she’d never seen him bare-chested. And she’d been missing out. She imagined running her tongue over the well-defined torso—all the sweet dents and divots deserved thorough attention.
Erin bit her lip, hard, as Liam pushed his pants and boxers down over his hips. His cock sprang forward, and her pussy spasmed, as if bemoaning its empty state
He kicked his garments aside and covered her body with his once again. Erin ran her palms over his broad shoulders, enjoying the sinuous motion of muscles under skin as he slid his hands down to cup her hips, fingers digging deliciously into her flesh. He slipped his tongue between her lips and seduced a moan from deep within her. The slick, moist dance of his kiss, the weight of his hard body cradled between her thighs sent shards of heated desire rushing through her.
He shifted slightly and began working her shirt up her torso. She raised her arms above her head and lifted off the bed, allowing him to remove it completely. He groaned at the sight of her bare breasts.
“Perfect. Absolutely, fucking perfect.” He leaned forward and drew a tight nipple into the wet heat of his mouth. He suckled the tip wickedly. Tight pulls of desire between her thighs answered each tug of his mouth on her breast.
Erin used her grip on his shoulders and her knees on his hips to urge him to the side. He allowed her to guide him until he lay on his back with her straddling him. Sliding his hands around her, he pushed inside her pajama pants and cupped her ass. He kneaded the flesh and rocked his hips to nestle his cock snugly against her softness. Heat seeped through the material and branded her. Too much. The few layers separating them were too much. She wanted to feel him, skin on skin. But first, she wanted to taste him.
Liam’s hands skimmed her body as she shimmied down his legs. She pressed a kiss just above the nest of curls at the base of his erection and inhaled his scent. He buried his fingers in her hair, massaged her scalp as her breath washed over him.
She wrapped her hand around his cock and stroked up, slowly. His body shook with each shuddering breath he drew in, and she smiled secretly. Moving even lower, she wrapped her lips around the swollen tip, catching the beads of moisture clinging there. She darted out her tongue, tasting him. His hips jerked upwards at the slight contact.
“Fuck.”
The roughness of his voice skated along her spine and pushed her to continue. She opened wider and eased forward, swirling her tongue around the head. His groan echoed through the room, and he fisted his hands. The slight pull of pain emboldened her. Closing her eyes, she took more of him inside. She savored the steely length, the ridges pressing against her tongue. She reached under and cupped his balls, massaging the heavy sac in her palm as she fucked him with her mouth.
Suddenly, Liam used the grip he had on her hair to force her off him. “C’mere, baby.”
He pulled her up, sliding her over his body. He lifted his head until his lips tickled her ear and whispered, “I can’t wait to be balls deep inside. To feel your tight pussy squeezing me until I can’t stand it.”
Unbearably aroused by his words, she ran her hands over her hips, pushing the pajamas and panties down. She fumbled a bit as she removed them, but she kept her gaze locked with his. When she moved to straddle his hips, he stopped her.
“Nuh uh. On your back,” he demanded.
Her thighs—hell, her entire body—trembled as she lay across the bed. Her breath quickened, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Open your eyes. Watch me when I touch you, Erin.” His voice, though harsh, shook a bit, and she realized he really was as affected as she was.
Her hips lifted in welcome when he slid a long finger inside her, and her muscles tightened, clamped around the digit. He stroked in and out, slowly, gently at first, then picked up speed.
“Liam,” she cried when he circled her swollen clit with his thumb.
“Fuck, you’re so hot, so damned tight,” he murmured.
He moved over her, covering her body with his, and claimed her mouth, still stroking her heat. His tongue speared past her lips as he slid another long finger in her channel. She couldn’t hold back the moans as he assailed her mouth and slowly stretched her. He broke the kiss and bent his head to her chest. Pulling a sensitive nipple between his lips, he flicked it with his tongue. She pressed herself against his mouth, lifted her hips to meet his hand. Fire raced through her veins and burst deep within her, obliterating every thought but him from her mind.
When he pulled his hand from between her thighs, she cried out, tried to push it back. She was desperate for release. Just a few more strokes… He wouldn’t be deterred though and settled his hands on her breasts, rolling her nipples between his fingers, as he kissed his way down her quivering stomach. There was no hesitation when he reached her aching pussy. His tongue darted out and swept over her clit. Erin clutched the comforter and arched into him. It was almost too much, but she didn’t want it to stop. She needed this, needed him. Everything in her cried out for more.
Liam ran his palms over her belly to her thighs. He gripped them, fingers digging deliciously into her flesh as he draped her legs over his shoulders. Sliding his hands beneath her ass, he lifted her to his mouth.
Erin cried out as he laved the soft, wet folds of her pussy and ran his tongue around her clit. Pressure built within her. An inferno stoked with each touch. He used his tongue, his lips, his teeth to push her closer and closer to the edge. He moved one hand forward and slid a long finger, then another, inside her.
She couldn’t grasp a single coherent thought. Everything centered on Liam and what he was doing to her, how he was making her feel. He thrust harder and faster as he sucked her clit between his lips and pulled hard. She screamed as the orgasm wash
ed over her, wave after relentless wave of heat and sensation.
He lifted her legs from his shoulders and made his way up her body, kissing, licking and nipping. He withdrew his fingers, took her hand and wrapped it around his erection. “Take me; take me inside you.”
She stroked once then slid the velvety tip across her clit to position him at her slick entrance. She lifted her legs to wrap around his hips and guided him in. Liam began to tremble when he was fully seated within her. He dropped his forehead against hers, and his ragged breath mingled with hers. Erin ran her hands down his back, over his firm ass and back up to his shoulders.
He pulled out and drove back into her roughly. Erin sucked air through clenched teeth as pressure built again, layer by layer, inside her core.
“Sorry,” he ground out as he thrust, setting a frantic pace. “Don’t…think…I…can…last.”
Erin almost laughed despite the sensations swamping her. He’d already made her come long and hard; she was teetering on the edge again, and he was apologizing?
“Don’t hold back. Come with me, Liam.” She cried out as her pussy spasmed around him. She tumbled into her release, fell into heated bliss, and still wanted to beg for more.
He slammed into her again and again. With a shout, his body tensed and he came deep inside her.
Liam rolled to the side, biting back a groan as he slipped out of Erin’s heat. He gathered her to his side and kissed the top of her head. She snuggled close and rested her hand on his stomach. He lifted her hand and turned it until their fingers entwined and their palms met.
“It was never a question of wanting you,” he said quietly. “Because I do, and not acting on it sooner is something I’ll regret for a long time.”
She rubbed her cheek against his chest. “I probably shouldn’t have avoided you,” she admitted. “I was embarrassed.”
“Just don’t do it again. No avoiding,” he joked.
“I won’t,” she whispered.
“So, what are your plans this week? Any evenings open for dinner?” he asked.
“Oh, you want to—”
She stopped abruptly, and Liam shifted to look down at her face. Her bottom lip was caught firmly between her teeth.
“Yes, I want to,” he stated succinctly. “This wasn’t a one-time thing for me, and it wasn’t just sex. Damn, Erin, I like you, like spending time with you. You need to tell me now if you don’t want a relationship. I’m not playing games here.”
Her brow furrowed slightly then she replied, “I want the same thing.”
Relief washed over him. “Good. Now, get on under the covers. I’m going to throw another log on the fire.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and climbed out of the bed.
Pulling the blankets up to her chin, she peered at him. “Hurry back,” she said sweetly.
“Oh, don’t worry. The night’s far from over, baby.”
He grinned as her eyes widened. He had plenty more in mind; there was no danger of succumbing to the cold tonight.
Chapter Three
Liam untied and kicked off his boots, then hung up his coat. Fuck, it was frigid out there. He rubbed his palms together and walked into the living room. Coming to a halt next to the pullout, he stared down at Erin curled up beneath the blankets. Her blonde hair spread on the pillow, cheeks flushed with sleep, full lips parted slightly…He could get used to waking up to this, to her, he thought with a shake of his head.
They’d lain awake for hours the night before, just talking. Well—his lips curved and his cock stirred—not just talking, but he hadn’t been lying the night before. He genuinely wanted a relationship with Erin; it wasn’t just sex for him. While he’d missed her company the last couple months, he hadn’t realized just how much. The time with her here brought that to light almost painfully. He didn’t want to lose her, but he knew going back to “just friends” was impossible. And that suited him fine, because he wanted more than friendship with this woman.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he reached out and ran his finger over her soft cheek. Yes, he wanted much, much more.
Erin stirred and blinked several times before her sleepy green eyes focused on him.
“Hmmm,” she stretched her arms over her head, “good morning.”
“Yes, it is.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“Oh, you’re cold. Were you out in the storm?” she asked with a frown.
“Actually, it’s cleared up. Still freezing, but the snow has stopped. And,” he drawled, “we have power and phone.”
“Oh.” She sighed heavily.
“That makes you sad?” He laughed.
“Well, I thought we were going to spend the day snuggled in bed together, free of the outside world.” She danced her fingers down his biceps. “I don’t suppose, maybe, we could just pretend that it’s still nasty as hell out there.”
Pleasure spread warmly through Liam. He stood, stripped his shirt off and reached for the button of his jeans. “It’s nasty outside. No one should be out there,” he said with a grin.
“Oh that’s too bad. I guess we’re stuck here. Just you and me, alone.” She batted her eyes at him and held the covers back for him to slide beneath.
He stretched out beside her. “And,” he continued seriously, “I’m afraid we’re low on fire wood.”
“Oh no.” She pouted.
“Oh yeah.” He nodded. “We’re just going to have to find alternative ways to keep warm.”
Erin licked her lips. “Oh goody.”
Liam flipped her onto her back and settled on top of her. “Oh goody, indeed.”
About the Author
Jessica grew up in a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and now lives in Minnesota—a Midwestern gal through and through. She wouldn’t have it any other way, although she’s been known to grumble about the snow and cold.
Jessica was lucky enough to meet the man of her dreams early in her life. They’ve been together over sixteen years and are blessed with four kids, who keep things interesting and very busy.
Despite her crazy schedule, Jessica finds time to write. If she didn’t, the voices in her head would take over, and everyone would be in big trouble! She’s incredibly grateful for her family who puts up with her craziness and understands when she ignores them all and hunkers down to finish a scene.
Jessica loves to talk to her readers and can be found at http://www.jessicajarman.com.
Also Available from
Resplendence Publishing
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Alone with Liam Page 2