“I know, right? I’ll be quick.”
“Same. Then? Then we might not be so quick.”
She heated from the inside out as she left, Jasper trotting along behind Liam even as he gave her a look over her shoulder. Jasper, not Liam. Liam apparently knew what he wanted, and Arden’s overprotective dog had apparently taken cues from her brothers.
No, she wouldn’t be thinking about them tonight. Not even a little. She quickly put away the bag, then ran to her bedroom to make sure everything looked okay. She wasn’t messy, but she hadn’t really been expecting to have a man over. Before she could clean up her spare blanket and hide the other bra that she’d tossed away when Bristol had told her to change, a strong arm wrapped around her waist even as the sound of the door snicking closed hit her ears.
“Hi,” she whispered breathily.
“Hi.” Liam kissed her neck, and her knees went weak, her body warming even as she ached between her legs.
“Where were we?” Liam asked, his voice a growl.
Arden arched into him, her whole body shaking. There was just something about him. Even when she felt like she was at her lowest, Arden couldn’t help but want him, she couldn’t help but need him.
He just made her feel.
Yes, that was it. Liam made her feel.
“I think we were right here,” Arden whispered against his mouth. Then he was kissing her again, his hands moving along her back, slowly lowering to cup her ass.
She let out a breathy moan, arching into him as the hard line of his erection pressed into her belly.
Just thinking about how long and thick he was against her made her suck in a breath.
Because, dear Lord, if what she felt under the lines of his jeans was him, she was in trouble. The best kind of trouble. The sort that she couldn’t wait to get into.
His tongue teased her, and she opened more, loving the taste of him, and the way he explored her mouth—gentle at first, then with a little nibbling and then some touching.
She heated from the inside out, her nipples pebbling, and her core aching. She wanted him inside her, and she wasn’t even sure how she had gotten to this point. One moment, they were talking about meatballs. The next, she couldn’t breathe without wanting him.
This was everything, and yet not enough.
She rubbed her thighs together, moaning again.
Liam let out a rough chuckle and slid his denim-clad thigh between her legs, forcing her to arch for him even more.
He kept kissing her, one hand on the back of her head, forcing her mouth exactly where he wanted it, the other firmly planted on her butt, pushing her closer as she slowly rocked against his thigh. The seam of her jeans rubbed on her clit, and it almost made her cry out.
She closed her eyes, trying to keep her breathing steady as he slowly rocked. He moved with her, one wave, one roll, and then another.
She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t focus, and then his hand was suddenly between her cheeks on her butt, slowly running down the seam of her jeans to meet his thigh and then back up again. Stroke, stroke, stroke, even as he rocked into her. And then she came, just like that, a hair-trigger. She couldn’t say anything, just rolled her head back as she shook on his thigh.
When she could open her eyes again, she saw that he was grinning, his eyes dark with lust. She knew she was blushing.
She had just come by dry-humping his thigh, and she had no idea what to say about that.
“You’re so beautiful when you come,” he growled.
Arden swallowed hard. “Well, that was a little quicker than I thought. Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. But I think that means I’m going to start counting. One.” He kissed her hard, and she rocked into him again. “Now, let’s see how we can get to two.”
Counting? Oh, she was not going to last the night, not with the wicked gleam and the determination in his gaze.
“Are we going to count with you?”
“We can, but first, it’s all about you. And a second. And maybe a third.”
She swallowed hard, and then he was kissing her again, this time slowly moving her back to the edge of the bed.
His fingers went to the bottom of her tunic, slowly raising it up and over her head. She swallowed hard, wondering how this was happening. How was she standing in front of him in just her bra and her jeans, her shoes toed off when she walked into the bedroom?
“Stop thinking so hard. It’s just you and me. Just right now. Anytime you need a break, I’m here. If you need me to stop, you tell me. But for now? It’s just you and me.” He growled the words, so low and deep that it went straight through her, making her shiver, her breasts heavy and pushing against her bra. And then his hands were behind her back, and her bra was on the floor, his mouth on her nipples.
She slid her hands through his hair, arching into him as he lapped at her nipple, using his hand to play with her other breast.
He paid such gentle attention—nibbling, sucking, using his tongue in a way that she hadn’t thought possible. And then his mouth moved over to her other breast, and he paid equal attention to that side, sucking and molding.
She was a bundle of nerves, her whole body shaking as he pressed her breasts together and licked between her nipples, his eyes filled with dark need and laughter as their gazes met.
“I love your tits,” he growled. “So, fucking fuckable.”
“Fucking fuckable?” she asked, snorting.
“It’s a thing. And maybe I’ll fuck them later. But first, I need you.”
She really didn’t have anything to say to that because he was suddenly on his knees, kissing down her stomach and over the seam of her jeans, biting at her belly button. Her hands slid over his shoulders again, and then he was undoing her pants, forcefully pulling them down to get them over her butt, taking her panties with them.
Then she was naked in front of him, self-conscious and blushing all over.
But she didn’t have enough time or mental energy to feel embarrassed about it. In the next breath, Liam’s mouth was on her, slowly spreading her with his fingers as he licked at her clit and lapped at her.
She shuddered, reaching behind her so she could grip the bed to steady herself. Her knees were actually weakening as he slowly licked, licked, and licked some more. He teased her, blowing cool air over her, and then changing hands to warm her as he played with her clit and lapped at her quickly.
She came again in a blast of heat and stars and tried to focus. Attempted to reach out to him, call his name. But there was nothing.
There was just him, just them.
And then she was on her back on the bed, and Liam’s shirt was off.
She sucked in a breath, her focus fully on him now.
He was a thing of beauty. Arden had known Liam was hard and built, but she hadn’t known he was like that. She didn’t actually know people in real life who had eight-packs. Not just a six-pack, but an eight. The ridges of his abdomen were so defined that every time he breathed, sucked in an inhale, she could see them working. He had that V, the Adonis lines that went beneath his jeans, and she couldn’t wait to see exactly what they pointed to.
His shoulders were broad, his muscles perfectly sculpted, and she just licked her lips, wanting to touch every inch of him.
“You keep looking at me like that, I’m going to come in my jeans like a teenager.”
She looked down at his groin and licked her lips. “So, you better take them off,” she said with a laugh. Liam grinned.
“Okay, you really need to stop talking like that.” But then he undid his belt and shucked his jeans.
His cock sprang free, slapping his belly and leaving behind a little trail of fluid on his skin.
He was long, thick, and hard.
And he was about to fill her.
A lot.
Dear God.
“Wow,” she whispered. “I mean, it was wow before, but are you sure that’s going to fit?”
“Seriously? You say
the sweetest things. Now, how do you want me?”
Before she could answer, his head was between her legs once more, one of her thighs over his shoulder as he sucked her to orgasm again.
Dear God, the man could do things with his tongue. She knew he had a way with words, knew he could use his mouth to say wonderful things, but his mouth on her core just then?
Dear. God.
Before she could even come down from her orgasm, Liam was bent over the bed, rustling for something in his pocket, and then there was a condom on his cock, and his hands were on her hips.
“Got to be safe. Only got one, though. I better make it last.”
“Okay, but I definitely think I can go again.” She knew her words were breathy, so she gripped her breasts, pinching her nipples to keep herself in the moment and force herself to focus.
“Okay, you really need to stop doing that,” Liam said, gripping the base of his cock. “That…that’s going to make me come.”
She grinned and rolled her nipples between her fingers. Liam groaned, slowly cupping his balls since the rest of him was covered.
But before she could make him come in his condom just by standing in front of her, he rolled them so he was on his back, and she was over him.
“I want to see you play with those tits as you slide over me. Come on, baby, come and ride me.”
She licked her lips again, and he groaned. Then she let go of one of her breasts so she could slowly guide him into her.
It had been a long time, and though she used toys, this was probably going to hurt.
Liam must have realized that she was going slow for a reason, so he reached around. He kept one hand on her hip to steady her, but his other hand was on her clit, his thumb rolling slightly until she got impossibly wetter.
She met his gaze, forcing herself not to let her head fall back, and then she was fully seated on him, his entire length inside her, filling her, stretching her.
“I can’t. I need to move.” She gasped.
“Then, move. Ride me,” Liam instructed.
And so she did. She rocked, slowly at first, and then quicker. She lifted herself up and over him, using one hand to brace herself on his chest as she played with her breast with the other.
Liam kept his thumb on her clit and made her come for the fourth time. And then a fifth.
She couldn’t even remember counting, couldn’t remember much of anything, and then she was on her back, and he was pounding into her, the muscles in his neck and shoulders straining as he leaned forward and took her lips. And then he came, both of them sucking in breaths as she tried to figure out precisely what was happening and where they were.
But it was no use.
This was Liam. And this was them. And Arden couldn’t focus. Couldn’t do anything.
Because that had been the best sex she’d ever had.
Though she knew it was more than sex. More than just hot heat. With what they had shared during dinner and how things had just gone, it was obvious.
But while he might be fun for the moment, she would do her best to shield her heart. This had to be just sex. It had to be.
Chapter 11
Liam looked down at the hose in Arden’s hand and raised a brow. “You want me to what?”
“Help me wash Jasper. Please?” She batted her eyelashes at him, and he just shook his head, determined not to give in to that all-too-cute and damn sexy look of hers.
Liam glanced at Jasper and held back a laugh. The first time he’d met the all-white Husky, the dog’s face had been stained blue. Today was even better.
“Your dog is green.”
“Yes. Yes, he is. But he’s shy about it, so don’t look at him with pity in your eyes.”
Liam blinked, then looked down at Jasper, who was rolling around on the grass in Arden’s back yard rather than paying attention to them.
“Shy?”
“Dogs can be shy, Liam Montgomery.”
“Sure. But not your dog. Your dog is never shy.”
“He can be.” She raised her chin, and Liam held back a laugh.
“Sure, baby.” Then he leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. When she glared, he winced. “Babe.”
“Don’t babe me. Jasper can be shy. But that’s not the point. He needs a bath. You wanted to go on a date, and I said I needed to do this first. So, here we are.”
“I’ll help, I’ll help.” Liam raised his hands in surrender. “But I still want to know how he’s green. Did he throw his whole body into a vat of green frosting?”
When her lips quirked into a smile, he leaned down and kissed her again. He couldn’t help it. He liked kissing her. He should probably stop, probably take a step back and not act so domesticated and as if he had a place in her home like this, but he couldn’t seem to quit.
This was…it was nice. And he didn’t want to stop.
She moaned into him and then pulled away, pointing the end of the hose at him. “Hey there, Montgomery. Don’t get all swoony on me.”
“Swoony? I think you were the one that moaned. You’re the swoony one.” He honestly couldn’t believe he was having this conversation, but he couldn’t help it. Arden was fun, his distraction. Exactly what he needed.
“We’re getting off-topic,” she said quickly, her hand on the handle of the nozzle. “Jasper is green because he likes freshly mowed grass. So much so, as you can see, he has to roll around in it.”
“You mowed the lawn? I told you’d I’d handle it if Cross couldn’t.” He didn’t want her to tire herself out. They’d already talked about this.
She narrowed her eyes. “I can do this small patch, thank you very much. We’re not getting into that. Anyway, my baby boy loves grass, but…he’s a white dog. White fur plus newly cut grass equals a green dog. So, he needs a bath.” She fluttered those lashes again. “And I could use your help.”
She held out the hose, and he grinned. “Not going to spray me down?”
“Oh, I could. But that’ll be for later. First, though, we have to catch Jasper.”
“Catch?” Jasper was one of the most well-behaved dogs he knew, so the idea of having to catch him didn’t make much sense.
“He doesn’t like b-a-t-h-s out here. The diva would rather go to the doggie spa,” she whispered as she leaned toward him.
“Why are you whispering?” Liam whispered back.
“He knows.” As if on cue, Jasper stopped rolling around, and his ears perked.
“Uh-oh,” Liam said, smiling.
“Get the bucket filled,” Arden called as she started chasing after Jasper, laughter in her voice. “There’s already soap!”
Liam just shook his head and did as he was told, laughing so hard now his stomach hurt as he watched Arden and Jasper chase each other around the yard. He was about to join her but, right at that moment, Jasper decided he wanted water of all things and leapt into the bucket.
Soapy water sloshed over the sides and high into the air, landing on the grass as well as Liam’s entire body, though mostly his face.
Arden’s laughter cut off, and he wiped the soap from his eyes before looking at her. She had her hand over her mouth, her face red as she tried not to laugh.
“Your dog, Arden. Your dog.”
“He’s shy!”
“Lies. All lies.”
Soon, they were both covered in soapy water and dog kisses. Jasper stood still enough to be scrubbed down since all Arden had to do was ask. Apparently, the chasing was all part of the game the two loved, and Liam wasn’t going to complain. After all, he had his own quirks. Arden’s just seemed to revolve around her dog.
By the time Jasper was partially dry and sunning himself on the patio, Liam was exhausted and drenched.
“I can’t believe you do that on your own,” he said, still laughing.
“Oh, my brothers usually help, or I call the groomer. Like I said, he loves that for some reason.” She shrugged, and Liam raised his brows. “I thought this would be a nice home date or somethin
g. I sort of suck at being romantic.”
Something clenched in his belly at that, but he pushed it to the side. “Oh?”
“Yeah, not the best idea, but your shirt is wet and stuck to your very sexy chest, so I think I’m winning.”
Liam gave a pointed look to her pale peach shirt and her very thin bra with the outline of her nipples.
“Yeah, pretty sure I’m the winner here.”
Her nipples pebbled under his gaze, and he swallowed hard, adjusting himself under his wet jeans. That was probably going to leave a mark.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she whispered, her hands moving to cover her breasts.
“I don’t know, kind of hard to stop with you looking all sexy and cute like that.”
“Oh?” she asked, wiping a stray bubble from her cheek.
“Yeah, oh.” He took a few steps toward her and cupped her face. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she breathed. “Thanks for your help.”
“Any time, babe.” He leaned down, brushing his lips along hers. “Anytime.”
And that was the truth. He’d actually had fun, and he couldn’t fight this pull towards her, this attraction. Arden made him smile, made him laugh.
And considering everything that had been going on recently, she seemed to be precisely what he needed.
He’d think about what that meant later. For now?
For now, he had a wet and soapy Arden in his hands. What more did he need?
Chapter 12
“You know I have no idea what’s going on, right?” Arden asked, and Liam just snorted.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him, away from the other guys also seated at the bar.
“I thought you knew basketball,” Liam said before kissing the top of her head.
“Oh, I know basketball. As in I’ve been to a Denver Nuggets game or two. But I don’t actually know college ball.”
The guys behind her sneered, laughing to themselves as they whispered. Liam glared. He was bigger than both of them, also older, but fuck them and the high horse they rode in on.
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