by C. J. Thomas
“I know I need to be there for Dani, but the less I burden her the better.”
“I’m not talking about Dani.” He squeezed my hand again, then lightly bit one of my knuckles.
“Hey!”
His eyes lit up. “That’s for not thinking about me.”
“Trust me, not thinking about you is not my problem.” My cheeks flushed a hot red.
If he only knew how many times I’d pictured his head between my legs. Licking me. Flicking that amazing tongue against my swollen button. Making me squirm. Just seeing the image in my mind made me pool between my thighs. I leaned against him, wrapping our intertwined hands around my back. “See, I’m thinking about you right now.”
“Are you?” He kissed my forehead.
“Oh, yes,” I mewed as his lips traveled down my neck.
“Tell me, what do you think about when you think of me?”
I gasped as he nipped my ear.
“How interesting,” he said, and kissed his way down my jaw.
I moaned as he took my chin in his fingers and brought his mouth to mine.
“You know,” he said between breaths, “we really need to work on your thought process.” With every kiss, my mind fogged with thoughts of him, of what he was about to do to me. An upward spiral of sensations warmed me, made me wetter with every touch and lick.
“Mmmm . . .” I moaned. “I lost the point of this conversation.”
Liam moved away from the railing and guided me to the lounge chair beside the pool. “This is where I want you. For now,” Liam said as he trailed a finger down the collar of his shirt I was wearing to the first fastened button below my breasts. “You’ve been giving me little peeks all evening,” he said as he slipped a hand under the cotton and traced it along the inside curve of my breast. “Teasing me.” I tipped my head back as he lifted the triangle with a finger and flicked my nipple. “It’s my turn to tease you.”
“What—would you like—me—to think—now?” I teased back, but the words came out in short gasps as he rolled my nipples into tight peaks.
Liam released my breast, and without meaning to, I whimpered. I’d do anything to get his hands on me again. I reached out and he pulled back, giving me a slow smile.
I waited for his answer, for his hands to continue, for . . . anything. Knowing that if I asked, that if I begged like my body and mind wanted to, he’d only torture me more.
He leaned over me for a time. Seconds, maybe minutes ticked by. I couldn’t read Liam’s mind, but his hunger for me was clear. We stared into each other’s eyes, then gazed longingly at the parts of each other that we wanted to touch. He finally lifted his hand and placed a single finger against his mouth.
My thoughts shifted back to reality as he reached out and popped open the button just below my breasts. He kissed the newly exposed skin, sending shivers down my back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and slid my tongue across my bottom lip before taking it between my teeth.
He stopped, grabbed my wrists, and pulled them above my head.
“W—”
He crushed his mouth against mine, silencing my protest. “Shhhh.” Liam drew the sound out as he retreated from my lips.
And with that, I fell under his tantalizing spell. His whim became mine.
“Let me . . .” He unbuttoned a button. “Pleasure you . . .” Another button popped free. “Exactly how I plan to.” Another one, until there were none left. He trailed his tongue down the line of my stomach that he had just exposed. All the way down to the sliver of material tied around my waist.
I whimpered again when he stopped and stepped back. Now, I knew I was in trouble.
Liam stood over me and I wondered if I’d done something wrong.
Pure mischief danced in his eyes as he looked at his unbuttoned shirt hanging from my shoulders, spread open.
It seemed a bit unfair—him still wearing his tee and shorts and me wearing nothing more than a few pieces of material covering my most private of places. Any other time I would suggest we move inside, but he’d made it clear no peep could come from my lips or he’d give me another dose of delicious torture.
Just when it seemed he wasn’t going to make a move, he slipped a finger underneath the material covering my left breast and pulled it aside. My eyes widened with surprise, and before I could open my mouth in protest, he did the same with the other triangle.
Though the sky had shifted from pinks to dark blues, there was still enough light for anyone in the buildings around us to see us should someone become curious enough to gaze our way.
With my arms still in the sleeves, he pulled them to my sides and beneath my back. He kissed me until my back arched and chest lifted. I could have easily removed the shirt and touched him like I wanted, but I let him guide me exactly where he wanted me. This was his night, and my time to let go.
The evening wind swept over my exposed skin, sending a wave of goosebumps across my breasts and down my arms. I shivered and giggled ever so slightly.
He pressed the length of his body against mine, trapping my arms beneath me. Grabbing my ass with one hand, he began to grind against me with his heavy girth until I was sure the bit of material down there had been completely soaked through.
I moaned as he curled a finger to feel for himself.
A light squeal escaped through my lips when he pulled his hand away from my hot mound. Every ounce of my body yearned for him to keep going, to dip inside me and give me the release I so desperately needed.
But he didn’t. Instead, he leaned away from me, looking at me. “You want me to keep going?”
Are you crazy? Yes! I nodded and felt heat race up my neck.
“And you won’t make another sound until I say you may?”
I shook my head.
“Good girl.” He smiled as he curled a finger around the bikini that wrapped around and under my breasts. As he moved his hand along the material, he pulled my chest to his lips, licking and nipping one hardened kernel.
My breath hitched.
Then his circling tongue stopped and he looked at me.
With Liam’s direct gaze so intent on mine, I had to force myself to stay still. Once he knew I wasn’t going to make a sound, he nipped at my other pebbled breast. I leaned my head harder into the pillow of the lounger and the shirt slipped off my shoulders. Instead of pulling it off, he pushed it beneath me where my hands were still trapped, and said, “That ought to do it.” He stood back again to let his eyes drift over me, but instead of teasing me with tortured pleasure, he drank in every curve with his eyes. “Damn, you’re gorgeous.”
I bit my lip, forcing myself from any sort of response—a torture in itself.
Liam moved his hands down my bare shoulders, cupped my breasts, flicked my nipples with his thumbs, trailed the length of my stomach, and knelt before me. It all happened so fast, and before my mind could keep up, he hooked his fingers around my bikini bottom and pulled it right off.
“Gorgeous.” He spread my legs wide, watching my lips part for him. “So, sexy.”
“Anyone can see us.” I said the words before thinking that I just broke his one demand. I pressed my mouth together. When he sat back on his heels, I wanted to somehow take the words back. I needed him to continue. Badly.
Liam raised an eyebrow. He stood, and disappointment raked through me. Liam kept his unreadable eyes on mine. His face now so close, I wondered if he planned to kiss me again or if he was just doing this to drive me mad. God, I hoped he would kiss me.
With my girls bare to the world, legs spread-eagle, the anticipation of what came next rose every second he stood, waiting to take what I’d already considered to be his—me.
Then Liam plunged two fingers inside me.
I gasped in surprise as he pulled them out and pushed them in again.
Teasing me.
Fucking me.
Melting me into a hot mess.
My breasts bounced with every thrust of his hand. He didn’t let up. Even as my
legs shook, he continued to fuck me with his thick, strong fingers.
I wanted to move, to touch him, to taste him. But his gaze held me on my back, trapping my hands, forcing me to take his thrusts on my own.
My body began to tingle and my breaths shortened.
I was close.
Real close.
But I held back, unable to handle Liam stopping now.
“That’s it.” His words were warm against my ear and I knew he could feel my pussy tighten around him. “Now let me hear you.” He scissored his fingers and pressed on my swollen nub, sending me out of this world.
His words were like permission for my body to explode. And explode I did.
Pleasure released from every pore of my body as my eyes rolled to the back of my head. My world was knocked off its axis and sent spinning around Liam Rising.
I came hard and fast and shuddered through one of the most delicious orgasms of my life.
My voice came back with a scream—and if anyone hadn’t noticed us before, they certainly would now. We were here, and Liam was behind the wheel, making me not care about anything but what he’d just done to me.
My back arched in ecstasy as I giggled.
“Good girl.” He leaned over me, then licked his fingers, tasting my juices.
“Still addicted?” My lids hooded over.
Liam knelt between my legs again and gave me the same mischievous smile I’d grown to enjoy tonight. “Very much.” He kissed one thigh, then the other, then pulled my legs around him as he settled between my thighs.
A flutter tingled through me as my eyes widened. “Holy shit. Again?”
He smiled. “When I like something, I don’t stop until I’ve had enough.”
CHAPTER 27
Liam
The walk sign counted down to zero. “Let’s go. Now.” Paisley pulled me into the New York street.
“What the—” I jogged out with her. When the light turned green, we half-ran the rest of the way.
She laughed and blew out a breath as we got to the restaurant’s front door. “Whew, made it.”
My heart beat faster thanks to her, but not in the way she would have liked. I called her yesterday to meet me for lunch and figured she would want to go to the new coffee shop she talked so much about.
I should have known she’d choose the most expensive spot in the area. That was always her thing, especially when I picked up the bill. Picking a place for quality and taste rather than the price tag had never been on Paisley’s radar.
Paisley wrapped her arm under mine as the hostess led us through the restaurant to our table. I didn’t pull away. The last thing I wanted to do in this moment was to make her put her guard up. Keeping Paisley calm and reasonable had to be my priority. Nothing else mattered but getting answers to what was going on.
The hostess led us to a high-top table and a pair of stools beside the bar. Paisley frowned and didn’t sit. Her hand went to her belly. “I don’t mean to be a bother, but could we get one of the regular tables outside? I could really use the fresh air.”
The hostess’s eyes went to Paisley’s stomach and she brightened. “Of course, and I’ll get some water for you right away.”
“That would be great.” Paisley smiled as I held open the door to the outdoor patio.
The round tables-for-two out here were barely large enough for one. Paisley pulled her chair beside mine. I gritted my teeth and told myself that now we’d both have a decent view of the street.
With Paisley sitting so close, our legs touching, the vibe of this place switched from chic to annoying. Everything concerning Paisley had become more and more of a headache. Then she’d dropped that baby bomb on me that I still didn’t know how to handle.
As our waiter placed our waters on the table, Paisley took my hand. “I’m so glad you called.” She ran her fingers across my wrist, giving me goosebumps, and not in a good way.
Not the way Tessa did. No doubt I wanted her to be sitting next to me, not Paisley. This was something that I needed to end, and soon.
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected of Paisley today, but as I looked her over, it wasn’t this. Last time, she’d just figured out that she might be pregnant and couldn’t have looked more disheveled if she’d walked into my studio from a hurricane.
Today, Paisley’s black hair was pinned up with twists and braids in an intricate bun. Her neatly trimmed bangs fluttered in the wind. Very different from the frizzy mess she wore the last time. The white shirt and gray jeans accented her hips and showed no bulge that I could see.
But it wasn’t like I knew how soon a woman usually looked pregnant, and I certainly wasn’t one to say a damn thing before they did.
A shout from the street caught my attention. I looked up to see two teenage boys run across the crosswalk, much like Paisley and I had minutes ago. I held my breath as a car lurched forward, nearly hitting one of the kids. He slapped his hand on the hood and yelled something.
That could have easily been us, and if she really was pregnant, how could she think about taking a chance like that . . . with my baby?
Something about her appearance and attitude today didn’t fit. I squeezed her hand, wanting to ease the air so that she’d talk freely to me. “So, how are you feeling?”
She shrugged. “Depends on the day.”
Probably true enough, but minus the hand on the stomach to get her way, she seemed like the Paisley I knew.
“Are you eating enough? Feeling sick at all?”
She didn’t look to be gaining weight, but then it was still early.
The waiter stopped by with the wine list. She reached out to take it and I nearly lost my cool at the idea of either catching her in the lie or drinking while pregnant, but instead she placed her hand on the man’s wrist. “None for me today, but thank you.”
I shook my head and once he left I asked, “How far along are you?”
She frowned and her eyes moved back and forth as she worked through the math in her head. “Four or five weeks maybe.”
That seemed really early. “How do you not know exactly how far along you are?”
“I’m not supposed to go to the doctor until I’m at least eight weeks.”
“So you won’t know anything until then?” How could she know for sure that she was pregnant, then? Not something I could exactly ask Paisley unless I wanted to entertain the idea of my water being dumped on my head.
“I know enough,” she said.
Why the hell did I ask her to meet me at a restaurant? If we’d gone to my studio or loft I could pace. I shifted in my chair. I really needed to pace right about now. My thoughts were a ball of tangled yarn that needed to be straightened out.
She leaned over and kissed my shoulder, answering my inner turmoil of why we were here. Minimal PDA was one thing, but I really didn’t feel like having my shirt ripped off by anyone other than Tessa. And that was sure to happen if we were alone. This way we’d be forced to talk and not do anything I didn’t want to—something I knew I’d regret.
A man pushing a stroller down the sidewalk passed by. Paisley sighed. I stiffened.
A baby.
Thinking about her being pregnant was one thing, but that meant I’d be a father.
Half of me still reeled from the idea and the other half still questioned everything. How could I continue working with nudes? All my prints would have to come down. My loft wasn’t exactly baby proof, and was I even father material?
Dammit. People weren’t kidding when they said that a baby changes everything.
Then there was the thought of telling Tessa. Just when things between us were getting good. Hot damn good. She was all I wanted, all I could think about, and if what Paisley said was true, then what I had with Tessa might come to a close before it really ever got started.
I wiped my palms across my jeans. I might need that water on my head just to calm down. This was all too much.
If I was the father, I’d be there for the kid, but that also
meant I’d never be able to cut ties with Paisley. She’d be part of my life forever, and that was what really had me concerned.
I rubbed the back of my neck. Not my favorite idea.
Again, if I was the father.
We’d never established being exclusive or anything. Being with one girl never really crossed my mind until Tessa, and I’d still slipped up. There was no chance I ever gave Paisley the idea we weren’t going to see anyone else.
I took a deep breath. The question had to be asked. “Do you know for sure it’s mine?”
Paisley leaned back in her chair and slowly crossed her arms. “The night of all those shots.” She punched each word as though pushing them into my head. “No condom. Ring any bells?”
Of course it did, but that wasn’t hard evidence—which I wanted, needed. If she fucked me without using a condom, maybe I wasn’t the only one.
Who the hell was I kidding? The timing fit. I was just in denial.
“And what about you?” she asked as she smoothed her cloth napkin in her lap.
Her question jolted me back to our conversation. “Me, what? I’m not pregnant.”
“We’ve been exclusive for months, now. If you’re asking me who the hell else I’ve been with, that means you’ve got to be screwing some bimbo.”
Heat rose on the back of my neck. “Was I conscious when we had this discussion?”
Paisley sat for a moment, smoothing out her napkin as though working through her thoughts. I opened my mouth to say something but stopped when she reached for her water. I braced myself for it to be dumped over my head.
Instead, she took a long sip.
“I thought about pouring this over your crotch. Cool you down and all that, but it seemed like the bitch thing to do.”
I swallowed, still not putting anything past Paisley.
“And I don’t want the father of my child looking like an idiot.” She dropped her napkin on the table and her eyes grew unfocused as she said, “This is all your fault.”