I get lost in the taste of him. Liam claims me piece by piece with a kiss alone, owning my heart and my lips. My arms lock behind his neck and pull him in closer. I nip at his bottom lip. He lets out a groan as my tongue teases his, giving me back a small bit of control.
The sounds of people clapping brings me back to the present moment. Heat floods up my neck to my cheeks while Liam readjusts his pants and puts his hat back on, the brim sitting low enough to hide his face.
“The city of love strikes again.” An innocent bystander smiles at us.
No, sir, there’s no love here.
* * *
“Bring out the list.”
My hand fumbles at Liam’s request. I grab the list from my purse and place it on the table of his hotel room. His suite looks like an upgraded version of mine, with a sitting room, dining area, and a huge bedroom.
“Where’s the Sharpie?”
I find a pen after removing two lip balms, hand cream, and a brush. “Are we checking something off? I don’t see anything on here we can do.” My voice betrays my excitement.
He grabs the Sharpie from me and writes at the bottom of the paper, next to his last addition.
Have a friend with lots of benefits.
His written words have a sense of finality to them. “Now that we added that, I wonder where to start...Oh, I know.” His voice drops down to a husky whisper, making sirens go off in my head. “I forgot what a dirty mind you had making this.”
My cheeks burn. Liam rises from his chair and runs one finger down my shirt-clad spine, goosebumps breaking out where his finger trails. He grabs me and carries me toward his bedroom without a backward glance. I’m thrown onto the bed as if I weigh nothing, my body landing in a mangled heap with Liam staring at me from above. The room has enough lighting to make out important details like the way he smiles with mischief.
His gaze lingers on my chest before meeting my eyes. “See, I worry you’re going to back out of our deal. You tend to get all worked up, and as much fun as that is, I’d rather have you unwinding.”
Liam sees through me effortlessly. His words cause a bubble of something to build up in my chest. I stay silent, wondering where this will go.
“So, I think it’s a great idea for us to work out some of the kinks in our arrangement. In the name of making this work between us. So, I have an idea of what we can do to set the record straight.”
I feel afraid yet weirdly excited about which number he chose. “Something from the list?”
“Right. You’re a good girl. You like to be very thorough with everything you do, right?”
I nod my head along to his words.
He snickers. “You don’t want to give up on your list after all this time, right?”
“No.” I lie there like a sacrificial lamb while his eyes gaze over my body, taking in my jean shorts and black T-shirt.
“So, let me help you.”
Liam drops down in front of me once I nod in agreement. What a sexy sight, him with his knees planted on the bed. I lick my lips as he crawls toward me.
My heart thrums in my chest. Liam’s lips find mine, shutting my brain off and dismissing concerns. This kiss doesn’t compare to our previous ones. From the get-go, intensity rolls off him, his lips pushing against mine. Our fingers intertwine as he traps my arms next to my head. Fuck, it feels good.
Liam’s tongue licks across my lips, tempting my mouth to open for him. His teeth pull on my bottom lip as he rolls his body into mine. Emotions and sensations cloud my judgment and apprehension. I already screwed our friendship to hell with a simple kiss, so I might as well enjoy the ride.
He releases my hands, now more interested in exploring my body. His rough hands run across my curves. Despite the material separating his calloused fingers from my skin, I feel him everywhere. On my body, in my head, under my skin. There’s no dismissing the way he owns me, making my body desperate from a few kisses and touches alone. He lets out a moan when I nip and tug on his bottom lip.
My hands embarrassingly grope him like a horny TSA agent, testing out the corded muscles of his arms and back. Jacked doesn’t begin to describe him. Taut muscles press against his shirt, tensing wherever my fingers linger.
I pushed him away before, never wanting to look too close, afraid of my own self-control breaking. Everything about our chemistry makes me question my sanity for denying our connection.
Liam’s teeth graze my bottom lip before they break away from mine. His lips follow the curve of my neck. I sigh at the sensation of his stubble running against my skin, loving every second of his attention.
Our attraction makes me panic, hoping I didn’t ruin anything between us. Will Liam talk to me tomorrow? Am I ruining something between us?