Liam took hold of my hand. “Listen, we don’t have to stay here. If you want, we can go home. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“You’re such a gentleman, and since we’re here, we might as well enjoy it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.” I smiled.
I found myself missing his touch. His hands roaming my naked body and his warm lips pressed against mine. To most women, this would be a dream. But to me, it was a nightmare. My own hell that I couldn’t escape. To so badly want to be with someone and to know that I would ultimately fuck things up and make him leave was the only thought that resided in my head.
“Excuse me, Mr. Wyatt. Dinner is served.”
“Thank you, Lawrence. We’ll be up in a minute. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“I’m starving.”
We walked to the dining area where a table with white linens, fine china, and crystal glasses was set. Liam pulled out my chair.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he spoke as he took the seat across from me.
Chapter 32
Liam
Delilah wasn’t sick. She felt perfectly fine when I kissed her cheek. As cool as a cucumber. This was Oliver’s plan all along. He never had any intention of staying on this boat. He did this for me so I could be alone with the woman I was in love with. As we finished up dinner, the sun was about to set. I grabbed our wine glasses and told Avery to follow me up to the deck of the yacht. We took seats in the lounge chairs that faced the ocean.
“The sun is about to set,” I spoke. “It’s one of the most beautiful sights in the world.”
“I love watching the sun set almost as much as I love to watch it rise. I remember when I went to California with Claudia and Lisa for vacation. I would get up every morning at the crack of dawn, walk down to the beach, and perch myself in the sand, waiting for the sun to rise. It was so beautiful the way it rose over the ocean water. It symbolized the start of a brand new day and I could make that day anything I wanted to. Of course, they thought I was crazy, but I found it soothing.”
I reached over and took hold of her hand. “May I?” I asked.
“Yes, you may,” she spoke with a smile.
I held up my glass to her. “Here’s to sunrises and sunsets.”
She tapped her glass against mine and took a sip. We sat there in silence as we watched the sun set over the ocean. It surely was beautiful, but not as beautiful as Avery was sitting there watching it. This was a moment that I’d never forget. I wanted nothing more than to hold her, to wrap my arms around her, and keep her close to my heart. A heart that was no longer empty, but full and content every time she was around.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and put on some music. “Will you dance with me?” I asked, nervously waiting for her to tell me hell no. But she didn’t. She softly smiled as she nodded her head. Still holding on to her hand, we both stood up, and I placed my other hand on her hip as we swayed back and forth to the music. Staring into her beautiful blue eyes made me happy. She made me happy, and before this weekend was over, I was going to tell her. I was going to risk everything. My eyes left hers and traveled to her lips. Leaning in, I softly kissed her and pulled back to study her reaction. Her reaction was comforting. A simple smile escaped her lips and her eyes were telling me to keep going. Leaning in again, I took her bottom lip between my teeth. A moan escaped her as she tilted her head back, allowing my tongue to slide across her soft skin. I pulled her into me, my erection pressing against her pelvis.
“This is what you do to me, Avery. You make me want you so badly.”
Her hand traveled to the front of my pants, the palm of her hand pressing against my cock. “If you want me, then take me.”
I picked her up and carried her down to the bedroom, standing her in front of the bed. My hands gripped the bottom of her shirt and lifted it over her head, tossing it to the side while her hands reached back and unzipped her skirt, which fell to the ground. She stood before me in her bra and matching panties, a goddess-like creature that was waiting to be devoured. Stripping out of my clothes, I reached around her and unhooked her bra, slowly removing it to reveal her supple breasts. My hands latched on to them, massaging every inch of them before my fingers found their way to her hardened nipples, which were full of excitement and yearning to be played with. Her breath hitched as I lay her down on the bed, back pressed firmly against the mattress. I spread her legs wide, and my tongue drew tiny circles around her inner thigh.
“Oh God, Liam,” she panted.
As my fingers dipped over the cotton fabric that covered her slick spot, I could feel the wetness already pouring from her, making my erection even harder to the point that I thought I was going to explode. I needed to taste her, take her in my mouth, and give her the greatest pleasure she’d ever had. After I pulled down her panties, my tongue slid up her thigh and to her already swollen clit, while my fingers dipped inside her. Arching her back, she let out a low moan.
“I need you to come for me, baby,” I whispered as my tongue circled around her and my fingers moved in and out.
“Oh God, please don’t stop. I’m so—”
She couldn’t finish her words as her body shook and the satisfied whisper of my name escaped her lips. I couldn’t hold out anymore. I needed to be inside her, to feel the warmth enveloped around my cock. Hovering over her and softly stroking her face, I pushed inside of her, burying myself so deep that we both gasped as our lips met each other in our heated moment of ecstasy.
****
Avery
Our bodies coordinated perfectly with each other and his orgasms seemed to become more intense each time we made love. Every time we touched, we entered our own private world, my brain emptying all thoughts and concerns. His breathing heavy, he thrust in and out of me swiftly, satisfying both our needs and applying the right pressure that sent my body over the edge to another euphoric orgasm. He halted deep inside me, a low groan emerging from his lips as he threw his head back and strained as he said my name, filling my insides with his come. Slowly falling on top of me, our bodies covered in sweat, Liam took hold of my hands and interlaced our fingers, extending my arms over my head and burying his face into my neck while our breathing returned to normal.
He let go of my hands and rolled off of me, wrapping his arms around me tightly and pulling me to his chest.
“You are so incredible,” he whispered as he stroked my hair.
“So are you.”
Laying my head against his muscular chest and being wrapped around his body made me feel protected, a feeling I’d never felt with any other guy. I was swimming in dangerous territory as the wall I built around me started to perish. Every time we made love—hell, every time he spoke to me—a piece would crumble and fall away. I needed to get up and go to my own room. Hesitantly, I broke from his embrace, and as I started to climb out of bed, he grabbed my hand tightly and held on as if I was his lifeline.
“Please don’t go. Please stay in this bed with me. Let me hold you until you fall asleep and then I promise I’ll leave and go sleep in the other room.”
I swallowed hard as I stared into his pleading eyes. He wasn’t asking to spend the full night with me. He only wanted to stay until I fell asleep. I gave him a small smile as I crawled under the covers and into his arms. My indecision still ate away at me as I lay there, safe, secure, with the most beautiful man in the world protecting me from my own insecurities.
I remember drifting into a sound sleep but was awakened by his movement as he kissed my shoulder and began to get out of bed. Without turning around, I reached behind me and took hold of his arm, stopping him before both of his feet could touch the ground.
“Don’t go.”
“Are you sure?” he whispered.
I turned around, holding the sheet that covered my breasts and softly stroked his arm. “Yes.”
Even though darkness infiltrated the room, I could feel his smile as
he nestled back in and laid his head on the pillow, wrapping his arm around me. I laid my head against his chest as his lips pressed against me. I had just broken my number one rule and another piece of my wall came crumbling down.
Chapter 33
Liam
I couldn’t help but stare at her as she peacefully slept in my arms. Finally, she gave in and spent the night with me. When she asked me not to go, she made me the happiest man in the world. She slowly opened her eyes and the corners of her mouth slightly curved upwards as she looked at me.
“Good morning.” I kissed her forehead.
“Good morning. How long have you been awake?”
“Just a few minutes.” My finger traced a line across her collarbone.
“What time is it?” she asked with a yawn.
“It’s eight o’clock.”
“I haven’t slept in this late in a long time.”
I kissed her lips and climbed out of bed.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be right back.”
I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Walking back into the room, I held out my hand to her. “I thought we could start the day with a shower before breakfast.”
She sat up and let the sheet fell off of her, exposing her beautiful breasts. She looked down at my cock, which was already hard and wanting her.
“Sounds nice.” She smiled as she placed her hand in mine and I led her to the bathroom. She stepped in first and I followed, closing the large glass door behind me. With the warm water beating down her backside, my hands took hold of her breasts, massaging them fully as my lips brushed against hers. Her hands were planted firmly on my hips and then over my cock. Her grip was firm as she stroked me up and down. Breaking our kiss, she slid her tongue slowly down my chest and to my abdomen. She got down on her knees and wrapped her lips around me. I was pleasantly surprised and let out a low moan. When I placed my hands on her head, she took my entire length in her mouth, sucking and rolling her tongue along my most sensitive spot. Fuck. She was going to make me come. I pulled out of her mouth and stood her up, turning her around so she was facing the wall. She planted her hands firmly against the marble tile, and I thrust into her from behind, hard and deep, our wet skin pressed against each other. I placed my hands on hers, interlacing our fingers as I moved in and out of her. The pressure was building for both of us. Her moans deepened as she orgasmed, causing me to do the same. I pushed one last time, holding steady as I filled her with my come. She looked back at me as our lips met and we kissed one last time before I pulled out of her and we finished up our shower.
We spent the day doing nothing but lying in the sun, eating, drinking, and talking. She was the most relaxed I’d seen her since we met. We talked a lot about the Kilbrand vs. Essex case, and even though I knew she was incredibly smart, it fascinated me to listen to her. She loved her job. It was obvious because she lit up every time she talked about stepping foot inside the courtroom. She was exactly what I wanted and needed.
“Have you ever been jet skiing?” I asked as I stared at her long, sculpted legs and perfectly taut abs.
She looked at me over her sunglasses. “No. I’ve never been. To be honest, it actually kind of scares me.”
“Really? It’s a lot of fun.”
“I’ll have to try it some time.”
“How about now?” I grinned. “The yacht has Jet Skis.”
She took off her glasses and I could see the panic settle into her eyes. “Umm. No way. Maybe if we were on a lake, but not on the ocean. Are you nuts?”
I chuckled. “Me and Oliver always used to jet ski in the ocean.”
I got up from my lounge chair and held out my hand. “Come on. You can ride with me. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
She put her sunglasses back on and stared ahead at the water. “Are you crazy?”
“Maybe just a little.”
Grabbing her hand, I pulled her up from the chair and led her down to the back of the boat where the Jet Skis were. The captain was already standing there with two wet suits in his hand. Grabbing one for Avery, I handed it to her.
“Put this on. The water is pretty cold.”
“Another reason why I’m not going,” she said as she pushed the wet suit away.
“Come on, Avery. Live a little. It’s so much fun and I promise I won’t go too fast.”
With a tilted head, a glaring eye, and a sigh, she took the wet suit from me and put it on. “If I want to stop, you better stop.”
“I will. I promise. The last thing I want is for you to be scared. Here, put your life jacket on.”
I put on my wetsuit and life jacket and the captain lowered one Jet Ski into the water. After I climbed on first, he helped Avery climb on behind me. Instantly, her arms wrapped tightly around me.
****
Avery
I loved the water. I loved the ocean. Just as long as I was safe on a large boat or looking at it from the land. Why was I even on this Jet Ski with him? On a lake, yes. On an ocean, I was terrified. I held on tightly before Liam even took off. He turned his head and looked at me.
“Are you okay? You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
Now he tells me. “I’m fine. I put my big girl panties on.” I gave a terrified smile.
“Remember, if at any time you want me to turn back, just say the word.”
He took off, racing across the open water. My heart was trying to escape my chest as the spray of waves crept up around us. Feeling the pressure of the wind against my face was startling at first, but I felt safe with him. He promised to keep me safe and, suddenly, I found myself smiling as he full-throttled across the blue water.
“Are you okay?” he yelled as he slightly turned his head.
“Yeah. I’m good.” I smiled as I kissed his cheek.
We continued to ride for a while, my grip loosening around him. When we arrived back at the boat, the captain held out his hand and helped me up.
“I see you survived.” He grinned.
“I did. It was a lot of fun.”
Liam climbed back on the boat and we took off our wetsuits and handed them to the captain. Liam hooked his arm around me and kissed the side of my head.
“I know you loved it. Admit it.”
Laying my head on his shoulder, I smiled. “I did. It was quite a rush. Thank you for letting me hang on to you so tight.”
“You can hang on to me whenever you want.” He winked.
Heading to the bedroom, we attempted to change into our clothes for dinner, but ended up having hot sex and having dinner delivered to the room, where we had more sex, watched a movie, had sex again, and then drifted off into a sound sleep. Something was happening or had happened. This wasn’t casual sex anymore. It had gone beyond that in the blink of an eye and my insecurities and fears reared their ugly little heads, warning me of what was going to come if I continued my relationship with Liam.
Chapter 34
Avery
We spent part of the next day enjoying the sun as the boat headed back to shore. The weekend spent with him was one of the best times I’d ever had in my life. My mind was filled with confusion because I didn’t want it to end, yet it did. The boat docked and we were back to reality; a reality where the distractions of life would eventually pull us apart. I became sad and Liam could sense it. We climbed into the back of his Rolls Royce.
“What’s wrong?” he asked with a pout.
“Nothing,” I lied.
I wanted to tell him all the things I was feeling, the good and the bad, but I couldn’t. He took hold of my hand and interlaced our fingers, giving me a light squeeze.
“I had an amazing time this weekend, Avery. It’s probably, no, it was the best weekend of my life.”
“Nah. I’m sure you’ve had lots of amazing weekends.”
“You’re right, I have. But none of them compare to this weekend spent with you.”
Tears filled my eyes as I stared out the window. He
was a kind, beautiful man and he deserved so much better than me.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.
“No.” A tear fell from my eye and I gently wiped it away.
“Why are you crying?”
I didn’t answer him. I couldn’t.
“Avery. Look at me,” he commanded.
I lightly shook my head. “Please, Liam. Just stop.”
The car pulled up to my apartment building and I couldn’t get out fast enough. The air was thick and I felt like I was suffocating. Liam climbed out and Declan took my bag from the trunk. I took it from him and looked at Liam. His eyes not only displayed sadness, but also a hint of anger.
“You’re just going to walk away from me after this weekend?” he snapped as he followed me inside the building.
“Please, Liam. I don’t want to do this right now.” I stepped inside the elevator, and just as the doors began to shut, Liam stopped it with his hand.
“I don’t care, Avery. What the hell is the matter with you?”
A lady and her child stepped inside the elevator and looked at Liam. He stepped in and the doors shut. As the elevator began to go up, silence filled the small area and the woman glared at Liam. As soon as she stepped out onto the eighteenth floor and the doors shut, Liam turned to me. He was angry and I didn’t blame him.
“I just need you to talk to me. Please, Avery. Let’s just talk about this.”
“This? Tell me exactly what ‘this’ is?” I sharply spoke as I stepped off the elevator.
My hands were steadily shaking as I fumbled for my keys in my purse. After I unlocked the door, Liam grabbed my bag and followed me inside.
“Us. We need to talk about us and what we felt this weekend. Hell, what I’ve felt since the first day I met you.”
I stood with my back to him because I couldn’t bear for him to see the tears that filled my eyes once again.
“What the fuck are you so afraid of? We’ve had a connection from day one and you can’t deny that.”