“What’s your name, baby?” he asks confidently, placing his hands on my hips.
“Maddie. What about yours?” We sway together in rhythm, and I can see Liam’s gaze burning into me.
“Sam,” he says.
The song ends and another starts, and after a minute, Sam has the audacity to grab a handful of my ass. Five seconds later, Liam is by my side, pulling me away.
“What the hell, man?” Sam snaps.
“You’ve gotten your fucking fill,” Liam snarls, leading me to the bar with a scowl on his face.
“I had it under control,” I tell him, annoyed he’s treating me like a kid. “How do you know I didn’t want to go home with him?” I cross my arms, pinning him in place with my annoyance.
Liam grimaces. “Is that what you really want? Some random dickhead at a bar?”
I sit next to him, thinking about his question, and check the time. I have ten minutes before I can legally order alcohol.
“Do you wanna know what I really want, Liam?” My mood turns serious, but he started it.
He chugs the rest of his beer and sets it down. “I’m afraid to ask.”
I study his face and peer into his blue eyes. Nervously, he runs his fingers through his messy hair.
At that moment, I decide to forget about all the boundaries and tell him the truth. “I want you, Liam.”
Sucking in a deep breath, he looks away before meeting my eyes again. He leans in close so our conversation is more private, though no one is paying attention to us.
“I can’t take your virginity,” he simply says, driving a knife through my heart.
“Why not? You’ll fuck any other woman who flaunts themselves around you. Half the time, you don’t even remember their name. But here I am, willing and able, and I’m off-limits. Sounds like bullshit to me.”
“Sophie and Lennon are like my sisters, and that’s damn special to me, Maddie. My friends are my family; something I don’t really have outside my circle. You need to wait until you fall in love with someone who feels the same way about you. Trust me when I say I’m not that guy. I can’t be.” There’s nothing harsh about his tone, and he sounds sincere, which only makes it hurt more.
“We both know love doesn’t matter. Most of my friends who’ve built it up to be something so amazing were let down and left heartbroken. I bet you’re scared of falling in love with me and being the one who gets hurt.”
A laugh escapes him. “That’s not a bet I’m taking. But hey, look what time it is.”
Liam turns his phone around, and I have one minute until it’s my birthday. The bartender comes over, and I smirk when Liam orders a hurricane for me, explaining it’s my birthday and to make it good.
“It’s fruity, so you’ll like it. And it will probably only take one before you start feeling it,” he says. A moment later, I’m being handed a red and orange ombre colored drink with a pineapple slice and a cherry on a cocktail stick. I take a sip, and my eyes widen at how sweet it tastes but also strong.
“Oh my God. This is delicious,” I tell him, beaming.
“Which means it’s dangerous as fuck, so pace yourself,” he demands. It takes me all of five minutes before the liquid is gone.
“You good?” he asks suspiciously when I can’t stop smiling.
I stand and tell him I want a shot.
Liam tilts his head. “You sure about that? You’re gonna feel like shit tomorrow if you drink too much.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I smirk. “I’ll just order it myself then,” I say confidently.
I wave over a female bartender. “I’d like a screaming orgasm,” I tell her.
“Don’t we all, sweetheart?” Chuckling, she grins bigger when her eyes land on Liam. Of fucking course. She mixes the alcohol together, then pours it into a shot glass. Just as she places it in front of me, Liam sets down a twenty and tells the girl to add two shots of tequila. Puffing out her chest with a flirty giggle, she purposely shows off her large tits. I immediately want to crash my lips to his just to make a point—don’t make googly eyes at a guy who’s drinking with another woman.
I’m relieved when he doesn’t flirt back and only pays attention to me. “Well, let’s see if an orgasm is as good as they all say it is.” I throw him a wink before downing it and squirming. “Wow.”
“Good?”
“Dare I say, I’ve had better?” I laugh when Liam’s jaw locks at the insinuation.
The two shots he ordered are placed in front of us.
“Teach me the proper way to drink it, Hulk,” I beg after he hands it to me.
He pulls in his bottom lip, then smirks. “Alright, first, you lick the salt off the rim, shoot it down, then suck on the lime. The salt helps ease the burn, then the citrus acts as a chaser. Got it?”