With luck, her control would return, too.
Counting on it, she stepped close and lifted up to kiss his cheek in response to his sweet words…only she missed his cheek and got his mouth instead.
Shoot.
Trying to save face, she silently ordered her feet to back up, but it was useless. They didn’t listen and she remained in his space. His warm, sexy, heady space.
His hands slid up her arms. “Stacy...”
The gravelly warning tone of his voice sent a quiver through her body.
A big one.
Tsunami sized.
As if feeling it, Liam tightened his grip on her arms and roughly whispered her name. That was when she lost the tenuous hold on her sanity and reached for him at the same time he crushed her close.
Pressed fully against Liam’s incredible body, Stacy moaned. It had been so long…
A growl rumbled from him before his mouth came down on hers for a long, hard, hungry kiss that left them breathing wildly when he eventually broke the kiss to stare at her in the firelight.
“This isn’t a good idea,” he muttered, his voice gruff like he wanted to mean it but didn’t. “We shouldn’t tempt fate. Besides, I’m not staying. My life is in Texas. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Liam was still holding her close. She could feel him hard and ready against her.
The man definitely wasn’t buying anything he was saying.
This gave her the confidence to continue to be truthful. “I know,” she said. “And it doesn’t change the fact we want each other.”
He blew out a breath and dropped his forehead to hers. “You’re killing me, Stace.”
“Welcome to the party, pal.”
He huffed out a laugh. “God, I’ve missed you.”
Her heart squeezed, but she refused to let old hurts rise to the surface and ruin the moment. This was just a hot, physical release. One they both wanted.
One they both needed.
“Good,” she said, still being truthful. “And I miss your hands on me.”
A satisfied gleam flickered through his eyes as he cupped her face and stared at her for a few long beats.
She raised a brow. “Not exactly what I’d meant…” Then showed him by placing one of his hands on her ass.
He muttered something under his breath followed by a low growl that had Trident lifting his head to stare at them before the dog yawned and returned to his slumber.
“You sure about this?” Liam released her face and ass to slide his hands beneath her sweater, his fingers inching north. “Last chance to stop me.”
Chapter Eight
What Stacy was sure of was her need for this man. Maybe if she gave in and assuaged it, she could move on with her life.
“Last thing I want is for you to stop,” she said, and to prove it, she pushed him until the back of his legs hit the couch, forcing him to sit down.
Then she quickly straddled him.
Heat flared in his eyes. “Roger that.”
A second later, her sweater was ripped off over her head, his gaze flicked over her candy cane covered bra and his lips twitched for a beat before his hand was cupping her neck and jaw, turning her where he wanted her as he kissed her long and deep.
Finally, they were getting to the good part. The part where her whole body was on fire and shaking with need.
Breaking the kiss, she leaned back to stare at the mouthwatering muscles and ridges she’d been dreaming about. Magnificent. She ran her hands over his hot flesh, loving how he quivered beneath her touch.
“Still perfect,” she whispered, and reached for the button on his jeans. Liam muttered an oath and Stacy smiled as she dipped down to nip his lower lip. “Patience, grasshopper.”
He choked out a laugh at her reference to an old television show. “I’ll show you patience.”
Liam shoved a hand in her hair and sealed his mouth to hers, his tongue demanding entrance she was only too happy to give. The instant she parted her lips, a low, sexy sound emanated from the back of his throat and heat rushed to all her tingling good parts.
Using his free hand, he managed to remove her festive bra and send it flying like her sweater, and then his glorious hands were cupping her breasts. This ripped a low, hungry sound from her, and still straddling him, she let her head fall back as she rocked her hips.
Liam muttered another oath before grabbing her ass and grinding against her. Stacy gasped at the incredible, erotic feel and he captured her mouth again. Like always, his kiss was amazing. All wet and hot and deep as they went at each other.
Back in California, they’d been acquaintances, then lovers. Sex had been wild and hot. This time, knowing Liam, missing Liam, made this time even better. It was like coming home.
“Lose your boots,” he murmured against her mouth.
Kneeling on the sofa, she was proud of the contortionist moves she executed to remove her Ugg knockoffs and red candy cane socks while he tugged her jeans to her thighs.
“Stand up.”
Still bossy.
And it still turned her on.
Dammit.
Apparently, she was moving too slow because as soon as she stood, he yanked her jeans the rest of the way off, leaving her in just a tiny red bikini panty.
“Nice.” An instant later, he had them off and flying undamaged through the air…only to land on the blazing logs in the fireplace.
“Hey…” She blinked at the burning material before looking at him. “They were new.”
There was so much heat in his smoldering gaze it was a miracle her body didn’t turn to ash and disappear up the chimney in a puff of smoke like her panties.
He grinned wickedly at her. “I’ll owe you.”
That nearly set her off.
She swallowed. “They matched my bra.”
His grin widened. “I’ll owe you twice.”
As great as that sounded, she needed to stick with a one and done with this man, otherwise she’d become addicted again. Get hurt again.
That was the past. She set her shoulders. This was the now.
And it was a great now. Her entire body trembled in anticipation of what it knew was to come. Then she stiffened and her heart stopped for a full beat.
“Please tell me you have a condom.” Stacy crossed her fingers. Tight.
A grin tugged his lips. “Got one when I bought your fuel pump this morning.”
She lifted a brow. “You found a place that gives out free condoms with an auto part purchase?”
“Something like that,” he murmured, dipping down to kiss her shoulder.
Goosebumps spread down her arm. “I owe you for the fuel pump and labor, but I’ll let you eat the cost on the condom.”
Lifting his mouth from her shoulder, he grinned at her. “I’d rather eat—”
Stacy cut him off with a kiss because her body was already wound too tight and his words could send her over. As it was, she had a hard time remembering her name with his hands roaming down her back, squeezing her ass, making her nuts.
By the time they broke apart they were both dragging in air.
“Forget about owing me twice,” she said between breaths. “I’ll settle for one big payback.” And realizing she was totally naked—and he was still wearing his pants—she pointed to them. “But first, strip.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned again, and a second later, his jeans littered the floor with hers and he was sitting back down onto the couch, his thick erection bouncing enticingly from the action.
Commando.
Stacy’s mouth watered and she barely had the chance to admire his nakedness before he tugged her onto his lap, surged up with a ripple of his gorgeous abs and teased her nipples with his talented mouth and tongue.
No way could she stop the needy moan that escaped her mouth. That just wasn’t a possibility, and didn’t she care. It seemed to trigger something primal inside Liam because the next instant, he was swearing again, reaching down to fish in one of the pockets
of his jeans piled by his feet on the floor.
When he produced a condom, she silently echoed his grateful grunt by squeezing his hips with her knees.
He groaned and the rough, ragged sound sent heat pooling low in her belly and it increased when he ripped the packet open and rolled on the condom.
A quiver rushed to her toes. Her body remembered his. Remembered how good he made her feel. All her nerve endings had stood up and thrummed in response to ministrations only he could provide. And now, she could feel that starting to happen again.
By the time he gripped her by the waist, lifted her up and positioned himself near her center, she was more than ready. And if his ragged breathing was any indication, so was he. So, when he held her gaze and drove himself all the way inside her, she didn’t bother to hold back her throaty cry of pleasure.
“Fuck…Stacy.” His voice was equally hoarse as he dropped his head back against the cushions, his eyes heavy-lidded with the same euphoria rushing through her. “Always…so good.”
She was in complete agreement but powerless to voice it. It was as if she was weightless, in a warm, sensuous limbo, anticipating the impending release.
Gripping her hips, he held her gaze as he pulled nearly all the way out before he thrust up hard and deep inside her again. And again.
Stacy clutched Liam’s shoulders and closed her eyes as he leaned forward to suck one of her nipples into his mouth. Air funneled into her lungs, clogging her throat as they moved together in a rhythm that felt achingly blessed and familiar.
That sweet pleasure built hard and fast, in hot, welcome layers. Over and over, she whispered his name, but she didn’t care. It felt amazing. He felt amazing.
Wanting to give back, she squeezed him with her thighs again, and he released her nipple and sucked in a hissed breath. Stacy watched as his throat worked and his eyes closed.
“Damn, Stace…”
His lips were parted, his chest rising and falling with ragged exhales. He was so hot. So handsome. Firelight sent shadows across his heated skin, flickering in the ridges and valleys she longed to lick.
God, she’d missed him. Missed this.
“Liam…”
He opened his eyes, lifting his head to glance down and watch her body engulf his. “Damn, Stace,” he repeated.
She swallowed. “I know.”
His gaze met hers again and her thumping pulse jumped at the hunger, longing, and…sorrow in his gorgeous green eyes. He fisted a hand in her hair and brought her mouth to his.
“You okay?” he asked against her lips
“Very,” she panted, squeezing him with each breath. “Calling in your debt. I need…more.”
As she spoke her last word, he thrust into her then pulled out so deliciously slow her eyes threatened to roll back in her head.
“Ask like that and I’ll give you the world,” he said like he meant it.
Although half of her wanted to hold those words in her heart, she let them go, knowing they were only spoken in the heat of the moment. Instead, she rode his movements, arching into him, moaning at the feel of her breasts brushing the hard muscles in his chest.
“Liam,” she whispered, so close to peaking.
He leaned forward and kissed her throat. “I’ve got you,” he murmured with all the confidence of a man on a mission.
Years ago, Stacy had discovered Liam was unstoppable while on a mission, and tonight he proved nothing had changed when he snuck a hand between them and brushed his thumb over her sensitive center.
“Yes…” She tightened her grip on his shoulders and bucked wildly.
All it took were two more strokes for him to bring her to that blissful precipice, then one more to push her over. And as she came, clenching around the only man who could rock her world, Stacy took him right over that edge along with her in a heated frenzy that left her breathless and wonderfully boneless…and in no doubt that her one and done theory just went up in flames.
***
Liam could hear himself dragging in air when Stacy finally lifted her face from where she’d plastered it into the spot where his neck met his shoulder. The feel of her naked curves brushing his body was exquisite but the vision of the beautifully tousled woman sitting astride him stole his damn breath.
Her long brown hair fell haphazardly down her chest and back, her lips were red and swollen, and her skin wore a beautiful flush.
She was incredibly gorgeous and visibly baffled.
Her blinking gaze and wrinkled brow sent an unexpected surge of affection through Liam. His need to soothe and protect the beauty hit hard, and he brushed her hair from her damp forehead and pressed his lips to her temple.
“What just happened?” she asked in a soft, breathless voice.
He lifted a brow and fought a grin. “Amazing sex.”
“Ya think?” She snickered. “I swear I went off like a keg of dynamite.”
He chuckled, and because he was still buried deep inside her, he felt her shudder from the movement. Aftershocks of incredible sex.
Sex with Stacy had always been incredible.
His insides fisted as he slid his hands up her warm body and gently brushed the underside of her breasts with his thumbs.
“Liam—” She inhaled a sharply drawn breath.
Her skin was extraordinarily soft, and he swallowed a groan at the feel of it on his fingers. Touching her was obviously dangerous.
“Oh, no. Not those magic hands again,” she said, scrambling off his lap.
The loss of her delicious warmth almost went unnoticed when she treated him to a fantastic view of her bare ass. And when she bent to grab her bra and sweater and proceeded to slip them on, Liam nearly swallowed his tongue at the mouthwatering view before him. Closing his eyes, he swore under his breath and counted to ten before opening them again. Just in time to see her pulling on her jeans.
Commando. Like he’d been, but with her it was the sexiest damn thing he’d ever seen.
Well, second sexiest thing. The first was the way she’d pushed him down on the couch before she’d straddled him, her gaze hungry and possessive as she’d ridden—
“All right, so…as usual…that was amazing,” she said, shoving her feet in her socks then boots. “But our last time. I don’t care how much my body begs.” She paused to slip on her coat before facing him. “I’m going to resist you.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Your body begs for mine?”
Sighing, she shook her head. “Of course, that’s all you heard.”
“I think you should explain it to me. In great detail,” he said, pulling his jeans on.
“Unbelievable.” Her head continued to shake and her still wild hair moved with it, but her gaze was soft despite the annoyance in her tone.
He wanted to tell her the “just-had-an-orgasm” expression looked great on her but wisely kept that to himself. Keeping his mouth shut altogether was the wise thing to do…too bad he was stupid.
“So, I’m unbelievable and amazing.” He smiled. “I can live with that.”
Groaning, she twisted the door handle and opened the door.
After sticking his feet in his boots, Liam rushed after Stacy, catching up with her in front of her cabin.
“Hang on,” he said, aware of the wind whistling through the trees and the sounds of the river off in the distance.
And Stacy shivering.
Fisting her coat closed with one hand, she moved to her door. “You didn’t need to walk me home, Liam,” she said as he followed.
“You know me better than that.” He swiped her keys from her fingers, unlocked her door and held it open. He waited for her to step inside then turn back to him before handing her the keys.
She leaned against the doorframe. “You’re right. You were unbelievable and amazing tonight.”
“So were you,” he said, stroking a strand of hair off her temple, tucking it behind her ear, wishing to God things could be different.
Releasing a breath, she nodded. “
If I’m going to have any chance at resisting you, I’m going to need your help.”
Her honesty was one of the things that made Stacy so special. It also gutted him.
He lowered his hand and straightened his spine. She was right. They both needed to work at this.
“I’ll do my best,” he said quietly.
And meant it.
Trouble was, now that he’d had a taste of her again, Liam wasn’t so sure his best would be good enough to help him keep his distance.
Chapter Nine
The next day, Stacy’s plans changed. Originally, she’d intended to stay in and read, but that was before last night when she’d given in to need and gotten reacquainted with Liam’s magnificent body.
Sex with Liam had been great.
Too great.
So great, she’d immediately hightailed it to her cabin afterward. If she hadn’t retreated, she’d still be there, tangled in sheets and wrapped around the irresistible guy, completely blowing her one and done deal she’d promised herself.
It was tough to admit, but she wasn’t entirely sure she’d turn him away if he showed up at her door. Nor was she certain she’d stay off his porch.
So, yeah, when Cammie had called, inviting her to go wine tasting with her and Trisha this morning, she’d scrambled to get ready and happily met them in the lobby by ten.
Running scared?
Abso-damn-lutely.
Giving in to need and enjoying Liam’s body wasn’t the danger. No. The danger was if her heart got involved once more. Because then she could get hurt again.
Hurt…
Although deliciously sore in all the right places, Stacy wasn’t hurt. In fact, she felt great. Amazing, even.
And totally relaxed.
This was the third time in as many months that they’d gone tasting, and always to a new location. Surprisingly, there were quite a few wineries in the state, and Stacy and the girls each took turns as the DD—designated driver. Today was Cammie’s turn, so she’d driven them almost two hours west.
Not much chance of Stacy running into Liam there, so she embraced her relaxed state, taking her time to savor the first two wines. She swirled and sniffed, swished and swallowed, doing her best to mentally catalog the flavors hitting her palate, except memories of hot embraces and slow, deep, wet kisses kept hijacking her brain.
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