Liam hadn’t just ordered lunch, he ordered enough food to last them the next few days. He wasn’t kidding when he told her they weren’t leaving the house that weekend. Emily had almost regretted eating the soup. It warmed her belly, and she started to doze off while Liam put the leftovers in the refrigerator.
When he returned to the living room, he did as he’d promised. He climbed on top of her and helped her come awake by peppering kisses down her neck. He lingered his lips above the collar of her loose-fitting sweater that provided just a hint of cleavage. It drove her mad that he wouldn’t move lower. She wanted his lips on her more than she wanted to breathe, and she wiggled underneath him in an attempt to move the sweater up and expose more of her skin to his touch.
She didn’t get very far in her efforts, however. Liam jumped up and stood, staring at her. Heat filled his crystal blue eyes with a fire she had never seen in them before, causing her own desire to stir deep within her even more. Liam held out his hand to help her stand. A moment later, she was enveloped in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist, her mouth roaming his neck while he carried her to the bedroom.
Once he sat her on the bed, he said, “Scoot back, baby, and get comfortable.”
She did and watched as he removed his pants, leaving his boxers on and keeping eye contact with her the entire time. Emily slid her pants down, and Liam helped her get them over her feet. Then, she pulled the sweater she wore off and tossed it to the side.
When she started to remove her panties, Liam stopped her. “Easy, baby. There’s no rush,” he told her.
“I’m not really sure what to do,” Emily admitted, feeling self-conscious.
“Don’t think about it. Just enjoy what I do with you. We’re going slow. I’m going to explore you and memorize every single inch of you. Every. Single. Inch,” he reiterated to her before moving his head lower to kiss her neck again. Then, lower to her now exposed breasts. He’d expertly unhooked her bra while they were on the sofa, and the short stubble on his jaw scratched her skin, leaving a delicious sensation across her flesh.
Now he was pulling the straps down her arms, freeing her breasts completely. “God. You are so beautiful,” he told her after tossing her bra to the floor. Liam lowered his head farther and took one of her nipples in his mouth. Emily thought she was going to come apart right then.
Liam kissed and devoured her as if his life depended on it. “I can’t get enough of you. I thought I could go slow, but I don’t know if I can. You have my senses so overloaded I can’t see straight.” Liam’s voice resonated with a roughness that had Emily’s desire soaring. His grip on her hips held her in a vice, yet his mouth on her remained tender. It was a delicious contradiction of sensations that sent her head spinning and elevated her sexual appetite for him even more. “I want to memorize every curve, sound, taste, smell,” he rasped.
“We have all night. And all weekend,” Emily reminded between breathless kisses. She eased her panties farther down her hips again, and this time Liam didn’t stop her. He helped her push them over her feet.
He reluctantly let go of her nipples and scooted up, so he was face to face with her again, kissing her passionately, before saying, “Are you okay with this, baby?”
Emily looked at him. Her eyelids were heavy with lust, and her breathing turned erratic.
“God, yes, Liam. I’ve never been more okay with anything.”
“You’ll tell me if you want me to slow down or stop. I won’t be mad. I’ll do whatever you need. Promise?”
“I promise. Now. Can I touch you?”
Liam smiled from ear to ear. “Yeah, baby. You can touch me all you want.”
He sat back on his knees and took Emily’s hands, helping her up to kneel with him. She placed her hands on his chest and felt tremors move through his muscles. His body heat seared through her palms and radiated up her arms. His eyes were closed, and it was evident he was holding his breath. “Are you okay?” she asked him.
“Yeah, I’m perfect.”
“You looked like you were a million miles away.”
“I’m good. I just can’t believe you’re physically here with me right now, not just in my dream. Where no one can hurt you. No one can take you away.”
Emily let her hands slide down his rib cage and his sides, where they snuck their way to his back and under the elastic of his boxers. Liam sucked in a breath and caught her hands as they were making their way toward his front.
“What’s wrong,” Emily asked, hesitantly.
“Nothing, baby. But if you don’t stop touching me, I’m gonna come right here in my shorts.”
Emily blew out a sigh. Liam put his arms around her back, heating her skin as his hands glided over her flesh. His lips crashed down on hers, taking her in a kiss so deep her head spun as if she were drunk. Emily felt Liam move his mouth to her ear, where he sucked on her earlobe and nipped her neck. “Turn around,” he whispered.
“What?” Confused and intoxicated by her desire, she wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly.
“Baby, turn around for me.”
Emily did as he asked her. She turned around on the big king bed, resting on her knees. Liam held her around her waist, pulling her close, pressing her back against his front. She could feel his erection pressing on her ass, and that only turned her on more. “Open your eyes.”
Not sure why he was asking her to do it, she opened her eyes and quickly found the image of herself and Liam in the long mirrored closet door across the room. Her breath caught, overtaken by the sight. Liam was behind her, still in his boxers, but she was completely naked, vulnerable, and more turned on than she had ever been in her life.
“I want you to see yourself. See how gorgeous you are. Watch me worship you.”
Emily’s mind spun. She struggled to find words to form sentences. She stared at the mirror as the room around her morphed. Her mind played a different image. One of her and Liam, but in a different time, in the same position they were in now. The room's wood trim was the same, but everything else was different: the bed, the furniture, the light. She could even smell different scents. Before she knew what she was saying, she blurted out, “We’ve done this before.”
“Shhhh. It’s okay. I know, baby. I see it too.”
“You do?” Emily gasped.
“I do. It’s a vision. Stay with me, though. Stay with me. Here. In this room. Right now. Not back then.”
Emily nodded and blinked, clearing the image from her mind. She found Liam’s gaze in the mirror once more. “Stay with me. Right here,” he repeated.
“I’ll try. Promise you’ll bring me back if I slip back into a vision.”
“I promise. I’ll always bring you back to me.”
Emily turned her head toward Liam and pressed her head into his neck while his hands explored her body. She felt one hand go to her breast as his other slid down her stomach until he reached her aching core. Emily threw her head back, gasping as his fingers slip between her folds and began to tease.
Emily had brought herself pleasure plenty of times, and it had always taken her a while to get there. She had no idea that the moment Liam touched her, she would be ready to explode. It took all of her will power to hold back, wanting to enjoy the feeling of Liam’s hands on her for the first time, for as long as possible.
Emily opened her eyes and found Liam’s gaze in the mirror. She didn’t think the image could be so erotic, but it was. Liam inched his mouth close to her ear. Feeling his hot breath against her, he whispered, “Don’t hold back, baby. Let go. I’ve got you. Let go.”
And with that, Emily couldn’t hold back anymore if she wanted to. She felt every muscle in her body tighten as she arched her back. Without warning, her orgasm ripped through her, and she groaned, bucking her hips and panting into Liam’s neck. If it wasn’t for Liam kneeling behind her, holding her up, she’d have collapsed on the bed.
She felt him gently lower her to the mattress, where she lay catching her breath. It was min
utes before she came back down, and Liam had removed his boxers. She hadn’t even noticed when he’d slipped on a condom.
“Hey, you,” he said, smiling down at her.
She smiled back at him. “I want you,” she said.
“Trust me, baby. You’ll get me. I’m not done with you yet.”
He didn’t bother waiting for her to respond. He simply lowered himself down her body. When she realized what he meant, Emily threw her head back and said, “Oh. My. God.”
Liam took his time teasing her with his lips and tongue before driving in with full force, drawing out another orgasm from her. He kissed his way back up Emily’s body and settled over her, propping himself on his elbows and waited for her to look at him.
“Are you okay?” he asked her.
Emily nodded. “Yes. Right now, I’m more than okay. But I still want you.”
Liam shifted and let himself rest against her. He easily slipped between her folds, but he held himself back. Emily hitched her legs up his sides and squeezed him.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he told her.
“You won’t. Please, Liam.”
Liam reached down and guided himself inside of her. Grabbing hold of her thigh, he hitched it higher, pushing further into her body. Emily drew in a sharp breath and felt herself slip into another memory of the two of them, in that same room once again. The vision was vivid. One of Liam making love to her, just as he was making love to her now. Emily gasped, “Liam?”
“Stay with me, baby.”
“I’m here.” She told him and whimpered in deep pleasure as she arched her back, her breath hitched again. Liam slid his hand down and grabbed her ass.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed in her ear.
“I’m okay,” she told him. “You feel so good.”
“So do you.”
Liam moved in and out of her body, making slow, sweet love to her.
“You feel too good. Come again.” He sat up on his knees, taking her hips with him. She felt his fingers begin to play with her clit again, and before she knew it, she was on the brink of another exploding orgasm.
“Let go, baby,” he coaxed through his own panting. “I’ll catch you. Let go.”
The sound of Liam’s voice ignited a fire within her, and she saw stars explode behind her eyelids. Liam shifted, pinning her underneath him. One of his hands found hers on the bed, and he held onto her as if his life depended on it. His other arm cradled one of her legs in the crook of his elbow. He moved easily, but still slowly, in and out of her body now, sending waves of delicious pleasure through her.
Emily reached up with her free hand and laced her fingers in his hair. She knew he was holding back. And she didn’t want him to. Emily wanted. No. She needed to feel his strength, his power. “You feel so good,” she whispered. “I want more.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he breathed out.
“I promise you won’t. Please.” Emily had never been one to beg for anything, but she knew if Liam didn’t give her what she needed at that moment, she might die.
“Wrap your legs around my waist and hold on to me.” Liam released her leg and snaked his hands under her, where he cradled her head.
Emily locked her ankles behind his back. She reached her hands under his arms and gripped his shoulders. Then, he began to move, gradually picking up his pace while he stared into her eyes.
“This is perfect,” Emily whispered, answering a question she knew he hadn’t yet spoken.
Liam dipped his head to her neck and sucked on the skin below her ear. She gasped. The unexpected sensitivity of his lips on her skin, combined with the sensation of him moving within her, sent pulses through her body, and she shuddered underneath him. Seconds later, Liam panted and groaned into her neck as his body shook.
Minutes passed, and they held each other while they both caught their breaths. Emily opened her eyes to Liam staring down at her. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she echoed, lifting her chin to kiss his lips again.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m more than okay. I’ve never felt more alive.”
“That was a lot harder than I meant to take you.” Liam smoothed her hair off of her perspire slicked forehead.
“It was perfect. Exactly what I wanted.” She smiled at him.
Liam kissed her once more. “I’ll be right back.” Liam eased himself off of Emily and walked to the bathroom. When he returned, he carried a warm washcloth. He knelt on the bed behind her and began to help Emily clean up.
“I can do that.”
“I know, but I want to. Is that okay?”
Emily nodded, and Liam lay behind her with her back to him. He hitched her leg up over his thigh and wiped her clean with the washcloth. Emily was slightly self-conscious about Liam cleaning her most intimate areas, but remembered that he had already spent a lot of time between her legs. The fact that he wanted to take care of her so…intimately, made her heart skip a beat.
“I told you, I’ll always make sure your taken care of,” Liam whispered in her ear as if he could hear her thought. He tossed the washcloth on the floor and pulled Emily close. He settled in behind her, pressing his body as close to her as possible, and circled one arm around her waist. His other arm rested under her head.
“Sleep, baby. I’m right here. I’ve got you. Get some rest because it’s still early, and I’m sure I’ll wake up in a few hours. And when I do, I’m going to want to make love to you all over again.”
Emily sighed and wiggled her butt against him. “Are you still hard?”
“A little bit, yeah.”
“Is that normal?” Emily asked in surprise.
“With you,” he told her, “I have a feeling it will be. Sleep, baby.”
Emily relaxed into him, letting her body melt into the mattress. Liam’s warmth and the electrical pulses through her body lulled her into a deep sleep.
***
Rage coursed through him as he watched her make love to another man. The sight before him took him back to the first time he’d caught them together. That time, he had made a mistake. He let his anger overtake his thinking, leading him to destroy his own plans. This time, he’d take her, and she’d have no way of escaping his grasp.
He had no use for the man. His only concern was for her. She was his. He had waited decades, and finally, she would join him. He needed to grow stronger first, to gather enough energy to complete his task, for the curse still worked against him. There was no doubt that she would finally become his, and they would live out their days together in eternity.
Patience was not his strong suit, but he had no choice. The time would come soon enough. He slipped through the walls and drifted down the stairs as an orb of blue, to the place where he could rest, where his power could grow.
Twenty-One
“Y
ou stole her!” Banks screamed as he re-entered the room. He’d followed the men who dragged Abigail from the study, and James caught a glimpse of him whispering to them through the crack in the door.
“She doesn’t love you,” James shouted. His heartbeat erratically, the fear was compounded by his throbbing head. His blurred vision, along with the taste of blood in his mouth, nauseated him. “Let her go! I’m in love with her, and I won’t apologize for it. She has the freedom to make her own choices. She doesn’t want you!”
Robert Banks’ infatuation with Abigail began before she was even old enough to marry.
“You only want—no. You need to keep up your image of the socialite you are, including having a wife to bear your children. When Abigail’s father refused your marriage proposal, you took matters into your own hands. Didn’t you?”
James watched as Banks paced the room. His boots thumped against the wood floor that sent an eerie echo through the room. Rage filled Banks’ eyes. The color gone, replaced by darkness that sent shivers down James’ spine.
“You arranged the ‘accident’ that killed her parents, leaving Abigail alone?” Banks st
opped pacing. James hoped his theory was wrong, but Banks’ change in demeanor proved otherwise. The bile rose in his stomach at the thought that his father’s business partner could commit such a crime. “You thought you could swoop in and take her for your own!” James screamed at the man who he once considered to be an uncle to him.
“What happened, Banks? Some bad business deals finally catch up to you?”
At his statement, Banks’ fist landed across James’ already bloody and bruised jaw. Pain coursed through James’ head, blurring his vision more.
“You need to take control of her inheritance. You’ve lost everything, haven’t you?”
“Not everything. I’ll be taking control of this house soon enough,” Banks sneered like a bear prepared to kill its prey. He raised his walking stick in one hand and brought it down, hard, slamming it into the floor. “She is mine!” Banks’ voice sent vibrations bouncing off the walls in the room. He showed his teeth as he yelled.
“No! She is not! She doesn’t belong to you!” James tried to lunge at Banks. His anger growing exponentially with each passing moment. He had never been a violent person, but he was sure he’d strangle Banks with his bare hands if given a chance.
He was halted by the man standing behind him. He pressed on his shoulders, holding him in place. With his hands tied behind him, he had no leverage to use against his captor. James tried to make sense of Banks’ last statement. “You can’t take this house. This was my father’s house! It’s mine!”
“We’ll see about that,” Banks said as he pulled a document from the inside pocket of his coat. “This was a ‘business’ agreement your father signed on his death bed, making me sole successor to his estate should anything unfortunate happen to you.” Banks paused. “It was always in my plans to get rid of Henry, and you, and be the sole owner of the business. I just never expected you would seduce her into loving you.”
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