Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.
—Yogi Berra
For days afterward, Liam kept to himself as much as he could, which wasn’t an easy thing to do at the Buoys, especially when Jessie and Finn constantly needed him to help them with something.
Kate was the only one who didn’t come looking for him, and that was driving him crazy, because she was the only one he wanted to talk to and she was the one he spent every minute thinking about.
Even high up on the ladder as he was then, with ceiling-fan parts in both hands, every thought was about her.
About how lying in that stupid rowboat had been the best non-date he’d ever been on, about how boating over to Hardy with her had been the best ride he could remember, and how kissing her in the kitchen had been astronomically better than any kiss he’d ever had before it. God, everything about that kiss—the way she smelled so damn good, the way she tasted like heaven, and the way her whole body melted against him, her soft curves fitting against him like no one else ever had—it was too much. Too good.
And when she curled her fingers through his hair…holy shit, man. How was that one kiss ever going to be enough? It wouldn’t be, and that was part of the reason he’d gone to find her when Jessie couldn’t reach her on the radio. If he could just have another minute with her, another chance to kiss her, to maybe apologize for the whole Finn’s-got-supplies-in-his-drawer episode, then he might have been okay.
Instead, he’d walked in and found her looking at that damn picture of Maggie. They should have taken it down years ago, but none of them could be bothered to find a picture to replace it, so that’s where it had stayed.
In truth, Liam hadn’t even thought about that picture in years, because for so long now he hadn’t had a reason to go into any of the cabins. Anytime he’d come home, he’d stay in his room in the lodge, and any work that the cabins needed was usually done in the spring, when the snow had melted—and that was when he was usually elbow deep in a bullpen somewhere.
He hadn’t wanted to see the picture, but Kate had been adamant, shoving it in his face the way she did. And the crazy thing was, even though he knew the picture and could have described Maggie down to the color apron she had on, looking at it there with Kate, it was as if he were seeing his mother for the first time.
Or maybe it was just that he was looking at her through different eyes.
What Kate had said about Maggie stuck in his mind and wouldn’t let go, no matter how hard he tried to shake it, and he knew why. She’d hit on something he’d spent most of his life knowing yet trying really hard to ignore—that, yeah, Maggie might have loved them, and she might have stayed as long as she did because of that love, but at the end of the day neither her love nor the love they had for her was enough.
None of them made her happy enough to stay, and that, right there, was the nagging itch he’d never been able to scratch. Love wasn’t enough. It hadn’t been enough for Maggie, it hadn’t been enough for Da, and it sure as hell hadn’t been enough for Ro and Mandy.
His ex-sister-in-law’s name was still fresh in that thought when the realization struck Liam like a cannon blast: Love hadn’t been enough for him and Kate, either.
They’d only known each other a few days in Vegas, so maybe it wasn’t love he’d felt for her, but whatever it was, it was a hell of a lot more than he’d ever felt for anyone else. And yet he’d walked out on her in the middle of the night, without so much as a word, and, sure, he’d used his career as an excuse, but that was only part of it.
He’d walked out on her because there was a part of him, that nagging unreachable itch, that knew it didn’t matter what he felt for her—at some point, it wouldn’t be enough. Sooner or later she’d leave, and that would’ve killed him. So he left before that could happen.
Liam sat down on the top of the ladder and stared down at the fan parts in his hands. He didn’t know how, and he didn’t know why, but every single thing he’d felt for Kate in Vegas had roared back the minute he saw her standing there in that thin little raincoat and yellow gum boots, and with every passing day it had only grown stronger.
He loved her. Hell, it was possible that maybe he’d always loved her, and maybe that was why, in the last ten years, no other woman had ever done it for him.
“Shit.”
He loved Kate. Kate, who would have to be certifiable to feel anything for him after what he did to her. Kate, who had every right to hate him and yet didn’t. Kate, who was only at the Buoys in preparation for Foster’s possible takeover.
Which brought him straight back to the problem. If love hadn’t been enough for his parents or for Ro and Mandy, why should Liam believe it would be enough for him and Kate now? Simple: He didn’t believe it, not for a second. But damn it all to hell if he could stop hoping.
For what, though?
That they could have what they had in Vegas? That hadn’t even been a week—any couple could have a good week. Was he hoping Kate could love him? Maybe.
Okay, yeah. But she’d acted as though she loved him before and he’d crapped all over it.
Why would he want her to love him if it was going to end up not being enough in the end? Why put either one of them through that again? They’d be crazy to even think about it, but damn! There was no way she could kiss him the way she did if she didn’t feel something for him, too.
The whole thing was a big jumbled mess, and he was just fishin’ for trouble if he pushed this—whatever this was—any further with Kate.
If he had a decent bone in his body he’d stop thinking about her, stop wanting to be with her, and yet he knew exactly what would happen if Kate walked into the room right then. He’d have her pressed up against the wall, his mouth on hers, devouring every one of those sexy little gasps while he ran his fingers over that freckle on her hip, then up her belly to her perfect breasts, which were made just for his hands.
Leaning over, elbows on his knees, his forehead pressed against the parts in his hands, Liam moaned, long and low.
“I am so fucked.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Jessie’s cry brought him upright so fast, the whole ladder wobbled beneath him.
“God almighty, woman,” he croaked. “You trying to get me killed?”
“Me? You’re the one teetering up there when it’s clearly painted all over the ladder that you’re not supposed to sit, stand, or lean on that top step!”
“What are you—” He stopped, blinked, and expelled a hard breath. She was right, of course, the warning was even in bright-red paint, but who paid attention to it? “I was fine until you scared the crap out of me.”
Mouth pinched tight, she stood there shaking her head at him for a second before huffing out a sigh. “Finn needs help down at the dock.”
“What’s he doing?”
“Replacing the chains on the west side.”
With a sigh of his own, Liam twisted around and tried not to let Jessie see how much of a struggle it was to get down with his hands full. He almost made it, too, until he lost his balance on the next-to-bottom rung and ended up half-hopping, half-falling to the floor.
“Idiot,” she muttered. “If you want to kill yourself, could you at least wait until the work’s done?”
“I’m fine, really.” He smirked. “Thanks for your concern.”
They were halfway to the lobby when Jess looked back over her shoulder at him.
“You okay?”
“Now she asks,” he laughed. “Nice.”
“Not that,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’ve been making yourself scarce lately. Is something wrong?”
“You mean besides the fact we open in three weeks and most of our reservations pages are empty? Or how about the fact we don’t have a single staff member lined up yet?”
“Yes, we do!” Her burst of excitement lasted almost a full second before it faded. “Well, we almost do. I just got off the phone with Olivia; we set up a time for her to come over and—”
“Hold on,” he said, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. “Who’s Olivia?”
“You know—Olivia! Kate’s friend who built the website for us.”
“She’s done already?”
“Yeah,” Jessie said, shrugging guiltily. “I offered her a bonus if she got it done fast, but before you get mad, it’s the best money we’ll spend, because in today’s world we can’t do anything without a website.”
“Okay,” he exhaled. “So why’s she coming over? And who’s paying for that?”
“We are.” She held her hand up to stop the veto he had ready on his tongue. “Yes, we are, because it turns out in her day job she’s a chef. Well, I guess it’s her night job, but you know what I mean.”
“A chef,” he repeated slowly. “Like a real chef or a fry-cook-at-McDonald’s kind of chef?”
That made Jessie smile one of her “gotcha” smiles. “Like five-star, bring-your-platinum-card, and make-reservations-weeks-in-advance kind of chef.”
Liam waited a couple of seconds, thinking maybe, just maybe, she’d punked him.
“Seriously?” he asked. “You’re not shittin’ me?”
“Not shittin’ you.” Jessie’s grin grew brighter, wider. “She’s not actually the head chef, she’s the…what d’you call it?”
“The understudy?”
“No,” she sneered. “Not the understudy. Like the first assistant chef person…you know…the sous! She’s the sous-chef, that’s what she is. She’s been at the same restaurant for a long time now and she wants a change; she wants to be in charge of her own kitchen, so—”
“So she’s coming here.” He didn’t mean to sound doubtful, but if this Olivia was such a great chef, surely she’d have offers up the ying-yang.
“Well, she’s coming tomorrow so we can all meet her. She’ll whip up some things for us to try, and if we’re all on board, then we’ll have to figure out how the hell we’re going to pay her.”
There it was. For a second, Liam almost got excited about having a chef again, but once Olivia found out that the pay scale was next to nothing, they wouldn’t see her for dust. And then what would they do? They couldn’t expect their guests to pay good money for the types of meals Liam could make.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Jessie said, slowly walking backward toward the office. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m always right.”
“I don’t know about that,” he chuckled. “But it sure seems like you’re getting your wish for more estrogen around here.”
“ ’Bout damn time.”
Kate wasn’t even a little bit surprised when, three bites into the meal, Liam and Finn were practically begging Olivia to take the job. But when they started to talk details, Kate excused herself, went down to her cabin, and curled up in one of the tub chairs with a blanket and her notepad.
Olivia had overseen the catering on enough of Kate’s work projects that they’d become friendly, but they certainly weren’t close friends by any stretch. Still, it was enough for Kate to feel conflicted over whether or not she should warn Liv that the Buoys couldn’t possibly afford her and that she could be making a huge mistake giving up her job at La Joie de Vivre.
If she were Liv, she’d want to know, and yet the idea of sharing that information with her made Kate’s stomach ache. It would feel disloyal somehow, which was ridiculous, because she didn’t owe the Buoys any more than it owed her, and yet…
Ugh!
Everything inside her screamed for her to do whatever she could to protect Liam and the Buoys. With Liv working her culinary miracles in the kitchen, the menu at the Buoys would be second to none, that was for damn sure, and that might help attract more guests, which in turn would increase their income, which just might get them through the tax deadline.
Maybe.
If it didn’t…Kate sighed heavily. If Paul took over, Kate might be able to convince him to keep Liv on, so that was something. Or was it? The longer Kate was at the Buoys, the harder it was to picture herself anywhere else, but would it be the same if Liam wasn’t there?
No. Not even close.
With halting motions, she dragged her pencil across the page, adding Liv’s name next to Jessie’s as possible employees. She’d been putting off sending Jessie’s name to Paul, though he’d emailed several times asking if Kate had thoughts on whom they might hire once he took over.
God, she hated this. Maybe she should come clean with Paul and tell him about Liam. No, not only about Liam but about how much Kate hated the idea of the Buoys losing what it was. Maybe she could convince him to invest in it instead of buying it.
No, that wasn’t how the Foster Group did business. They recruited investors for properties they owned; they never invested in something they wouldn’t have a majority control over.
The knock on the door jolted her upright, and even though she was pretty sure she knew who it was, she hesitated before opening the door.
Liam.
He’d put his rain gear back on, which meant he still had work to do outside. Maybe he needed her help?
“You did it,” he said, his slow, warm smile sending a flood of chaos through her.
“What did I do?”
“You gave us Olivia, who’s not only put us on the Web but whose cooking is going to put this place on the map. I don’t think there’s another lodge anywhere on the coast that’ll be able to compete with our menu now.”
“Oh.” It was crazy how she could be so happy about that but feel so bad about it at the same time. “That’s great.”
Stepping back, she tossed her notebook on the little table next to the red Foster Group binder, then pulled the blanket off her chair and wrapped it tightly around her shoulders.
“What’s the matter?”
He didn’t wait to be invited, just stepped inside and closed the door, making it almost impossible for Kate to think clearly. God, she could barely breathe.
“Nothing,” she said. “That’s great. Is she still here? I should go see her before she leaves.”
“The Helijet picked her up a couple minutes ago, so stop stalling and tell me what’s wrong.”
Maybe if she put a bit more distance between them, maybe that would help. Easier said than done when the room was eight feet squared and the only other places she could go were the bathroom or the bedroom.
That wasn’t going to happen.
Clearing her throat, she moved in behind the tub chair and forced herself to look at him.
“Okay, it’s just that Liv has a really good job right now, and coming here is…well, I’m sorry to say it, but let’s call a spade a spade, it’s uncertain at best. And I know it’s none of my business, but how are you—”
“How are we going to pay her?” he finished. “Is that why you didn’t stay up there, because you didn’t know if we’d be up front with her or not?”
“Well, yeah,” she muttered. “I mean, crap, Liam, I really like Liv, but I’m…I mean, I’m stuck here not knowing what the hell I’m supposed to do. Do I warn her that there’s no money to pay her and that she’d be crazy to give up her six-figure salary? Or do I keep my mouth shut because we need her here? She’s like an ace up our sleeve.”
Liam’s smile grew wider, warmer. Hotter.
“This isn’t funny! It’s her career and her life we’re talking about.”
“You said, ‘we.’ ”
“What?” Hold on, why was he moving closer? Didn’t he realize there was only so much room?
“You said ‘we’ need her and that she was an ace up ‘our’ sleeve.”
“Y-yeah,” Kate stammered. “So? I didn’t…that wasn’t…Damn it, I meant—”
“Come on, Kate, face it. You like it here. You’re becoming one of us.”
“No, I’m—” He needed to stop moving, because she was trapped and her only way out was to run right through him. “Would you stop? Just stop for a second.”
He did. Immediately.
“What? Are you saying you don’t like it here?” His smile was but a memory now as a new look—a mix of uncertainty, worry, and desperation—crept into his eyes.
“No,” she said, sighing quietly. “God no, I love it here. It’s getting a little confusing for me, is all.”
“Okay, well, let me clear one thing up for you.” He took one more step, then wrapped his hands around the back of the chair and leaned against it. “We explained the whole situation to Olivia, gave her every opportunity to say no.”
“You did?” she asked tentatively. “Really?”
“Really.” He nodded, the corner of his mouth starting to curl up again. “Apparently it’s more than wanting her own kitchen. Sounds like her personal life has taken a nosedive and she wants to walk away from all of it for a while. And it’s not like she’s never going to get paid, it’s just going to take us awhile to sort it out, that’s all.”
“Oh, thank God.” The words whooshed out of Kate in a single breath.
“Tell me something,” he said slowly. “If we hadn’t told her, would you have?”
“I don’t know.”
All it took was a tip of his head and a tiny little sparkle in his eye for her to drop her head and groan.
“No,” she admitted. “I wouldn’t have, and that’s so wrong, but every time I think of this place I get so…I don’t even know anymore…because there’s Jessie, who’s like…God, I love her, and she’s so great at everything and…and there’s Finn…who I’d like to punch most of the time—”
Liam chuckled low in his throat.
“—and then there’s…” She paused, turned her head away, but then looked back and flicked her fingers his way. “All that.”
“Kate.”
“Whatever. It’s fine.”
As he closed the rest of the distance between them, she tried to scoot by him, but his hand caught hers and tugged her back. And, damn it all anyway, he didn’t even have to tug hard.
Hell, he didn’t have to do anything; she was the one who reached for him, who threw her arms around his neck and kissed him like it was the last damn thing on her bucket list. She loved the way everything about him put her on sensory overload.
He smelled like the ocean—clean, fresh, and wild; he tasted like passion, warm and sweet, with a hint of the Guinness he’d had with dinner; and everywhere she touched sent jolts of heat searing through her fingers.
The kiss was neither fast nor hard, but there was a trembling layer of frenzy to it that made her whimper when his mouth left hers to trail slow, soft kisses across her cheek and down her neck.
“This is a really bad idea,” she breathed, tipping her head so he could reach below her ear. His lips were like magic across her skin, lighting tiny fires with each touch. “Maybe…maybe we should…think about it for a second.”
“I’ve been thinking about this since the day I walked out of that damn hotel room in Vegas.” Feeling him smile against her throat sent an aching rush straight through Kate, forcing her to curl her fingers through his hair for balance.
“Good,” she said, laughing quietly. “I hope you suffered.”
She sucked in a disappointed sigh when Liam’s lips eased away from her skin, but her breath froze altogether when he brought his face up to hers, his blue eyes staring straight at her, his thumb smoothing her cheek.
“Like you can’t even imagine,” he said, his voice softly tortured as his gaze drifted down to her mouth. “When you came walking up that path with Jessie…”
The rumble started low in his throat and ended as a long, gravelly groan.
“Yeah?” she chuckled. “You got a thing for gum boots, do ya, Sporto?”
“Only when they’re on you.” He didn’t so much as crack a smile when he said it, and maybe that’s why she kissed him.
She savored his lips against hers, the way everything about them was both familiar and new. God, she’d missed this: the way he could, with the barest of touches, make her feel so much all at once. It was physical and emotional chaos rioting inside her—wanting to get physically closer to him yet knowing her body would take her heart with it, and that was going to be a problem.
Or was it? The first time they’d gotten together, she didn’t have a clue what she was doing, but this time her eyes were wide open. She already knew how it would end, so she’d be ready for it this time. But she still had her job to think about, and once this thing with Liam, with the Buoys, was over, her job would be the only thing left in her life.
She’d be stupid to risk that.
Easing away from him, she let her hands slide down until they rested flat against his chest. She felt him sigh deep inside, but somehow he managed to keep it from making any sound.
“Yeah,” he whispered, tucking her hair back behind her ear and smiling down at her, his eyes so blue, so troubled. “Whew. Maybe you’re right; maybe we are a bad idea.”
Wait, that’s not what she’d said, was it? Before she could sort it out, he’d already squeezed her hands, kissed her cheek with a tenderness she’d never experienced before, and was heading for the door.
It was going to take him about half a second to reach it, and then he’d be gone and this—whatever this was—would be over again.
“Wait.” In that moment, with him reaching for the doorknob and Kate standing there watching him, it felt like the pinball championships were going on inside her head. So many things bouncing off one another but never staying still long enough for her to focus, until—BAM!—of course.
“Kate, you don’t have to—”
“Just give me a second, will you?” She held her hands out like a couple of stop signs, nodding the whole time. “Just…just…wait. Right there. Don’t move.”
Oh God. What was she doing? This was crazy. This wasn’t something Smart Kate would do. No, it wasn’t, but Smart Kate had spent most of the last ten years alone, searching for the kind of feelings only one man had ever pulled out of her. And that man was standing eight feet away.
Reaching for her suitcase, Kate shook the rest of the doubt from her mind, then closed herself in the tiny bathroom. She didn’t even give herself time to think about it—she ditched everything she had on and pulled the old jersey over her shoulders, forcing her trembling fingers to work their way around the top three buttons.
The shirt hung a bit below her butt, so she was covered, barely, but maybe she should put her underwear back on.
And looking at her reflection in the mirror, maybe she should shower, too. At least brush her hair.
“Stop it!” she muttered. “Just be thankful you shaved your legs this morning. Now, take a damn breath and get out there before he leaves.”
She eased the door open enough that she could peek out, and there was Liam, exactly where she’d left him. The only thing different was his expression. Gone was the storm of trouble, and in its place was something she’d seen on his face only one time before—and that was when they stepped up in front of the minister ten years ago.
It was hope.
“If you walk out here in something from Victoria’s Secret,” he said, choking on a laugh, “there’s no way you can hold me responsible for what happens.”
The flood of warmth started at her toes and rushed up her body until she stopped quaking behind the door and smiled.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” she said, “but I don’t own anything from Victoria’s Secret.”
“That’s too—” One step into the room and Liam’s jaw fell open, his eyes rounded, and he couldn’t seem to talk for a few long seconds. “I…Is that…”
As he took a step closer, Kate released the top button, which froze him in his tracks.
When she lifted her brow at him, testing, daring, he took another tentative step forward, and she rewarded him by flicking open the next button.
“That’s my jersey,” he said slowly, his mouth curling into a smile that sent all sorts of tingles through Kate’s girlie parts.
“Yes, it is,” she said, toying with the last button. “Would you like to have it back?”
The long, shuddering breath he released made her laugh, which sort of detracted from her attempt to seduce him, but he obviously didn’t care.
“Not as much as I’d like to have what’s under it.”
Flick. The third button sprung free as he closed the rest of the distance between them. They reached for each other at the same time, no hesitation this time, no second thoughts, just a jumble of flailing arms and laughter as she struggled to get him out of that damn rain jacket.
“Zippers and snaps?” she grunted. “Really?”
Shoving her hands away, Liam reached behind his head, grabbed the back of the stupid thing, and tugged it up, over, and off.
“Better?”
“It’s a start,” she muttered. “But I’m nearly buck-ass naked and you’re still fully dressed.”
“Not quite.”
If there was one thing Liam was good at, it was multitasking. Toeing his boots off, he slipped his fingers under the shoulder of one side of her shirt and slid it down her arm until it caught on her bent elbow, then he repeated it on the other side.
Kate never took her eyes off his as he finally shook off his boots, then stood perfectly still as he watched the jersey slip to the floor.
“Holy shit,” he breathed. “Now you’re buck-ass naked.”
“Yeah,” she laughed. “I was kind of hoping you’d join me.”
Seconds later he was down to nothing but his boxers and one dangling sock, but Kate wasn’t waiting another second for him to lose either one.
Wrapping her hands around his neck, she dragged him down for a long kiss that had him pulling her up close as he growled deep in his throat. Oh God, how she’d missed that sound.
Just as she’d missed the way his muscled arms held her so tight yet so tenderly at the same time. And the way he splayed his hands across her back, sliding them slowly down to her hips, where every touch was like an electric shock. Without even looking, Liam moved his fingers straight to the freckle on her right hip and caressed it until she sighed against his mouth and wrapped her leg around him.
He reached his left hand around for her ankle, smoothing his way up her calf and over her knee, easing his way along her thigh, where he lingered for a moment before lifting her off the floor. Two steps later he had her against the wall, but when she made to drop her leg, he caught her around the knee and moved it back around him.
Kate’s smiling lips never left his, not even as his fingers danced down her hip, lower, softer, seeking the part of her that ached to be touched. As he slid his finger inside, he pushed himself against her, so hard and so ready.
Her breath caught and held as he tucked his face against the side of her neck and groaned.
“God, Kate, you’re so wet.”
“No shit,” she laughed shakily. “Whose fault d’you suppose that is?”
“Please say it’s mine.”
“Lose the boxers,” she said, whispering against his ear. “And I’ll say anything you want me to.”
With a couple of jerky moves, he ditched not only the boxers but the sock, too, and for a second afterward they just stood there grinning at each other, until Kate leaned up and pressed her lips to his.
“The bed’s over there,” she said, talking against his mouth as she tipped her head toward the bedroom. “The mattress is a little narrow, so it might be a bit of a tight fit.”
“God, I hope so.” He took a step back, then made a diving grab for his jeans. “I raided Finn’s stash.”
Sure enough, out of one of the pockets he pulled out a blue foil packet and held it up for her to see.
“So you carry one around with you now?” she laughed. “Seriously?”
“What are you on about—one?” His grin was part embarrassed, part hopeful, and a whole lot adorable. “There’s a couple in that pocket, sweetheart.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but the second his fingers wound around hers, every other thought melted from her brain. All that mattered right then was the feel of his fingers folded through hers as he tugged her down on the bed with him.
The scant few times she’d been with someone else, it had never felt completely natural. There’d always been an awkwardness about it, a clumsiness. But not with Liam. He knew exactly what she needed, even when her desperation couldn’t decide what the hell she wanted or how she wanted it.
Liam knew. Propped up on his side next to her, he kissed her slowly, his mouth hot against hers, his tongue dipping, tasting, and teasing as his hand cradled her face, tipping it up to his.
Half delirious, Kate gave her hands free rein to do what they pleased, to go where they pleased, and if his hitched breathing was any indication, they were hitting all the right spots. Across his chest and over his shoulders, her fingers played against his skin, tickling their way down to his butt, causing him to suck in a sharp breath.
She tried to inch closer, but he smiled and pressed her back against the mattress.
“What’s your hurry?” He chuckled, moving a little lower. “Got a date or something?”
“I just—” Her brain stopped working the second his mouth found her breast. “Ohhh.”
Curling her fingers through his hair, she tried to hold him there, but he wouldn’t be controlled. Instead, he slowed, taking his sweet time as he trailed his tongue from the tip of one breast to the other and then back again.
Kate’s breath came in short, sharp gasps and then froze in her lungs when he slid his hand down her leg to her knee, then up again until she was all but vibrating, arching into his touch, silently begging for more.
“Hold on.” His murmur had barely registered in her ears when his finger slid inside, deeper, as his mouth covered her aching breast.
Kate’s fingers shot straight out, then fisted in his hair as she rode the heat of his touch.
“I can’t…” she gasped. “I’m gonna—”
His mouth was on hers that fast, hot and demanding, tormenting a desperate cry from her throat while he eased her leg up around his waist. He filled her slowly, completely, pushing her toward a place she hadn’t been in a very long time. Not since…
“Perfect,” he murmured, pulling back, then easing inside her again. “God, it’s just like—”
“I know!” she cried, laughing as he grinned down at her.
Her senses swirled, dipped, and crashed with each stroke as he pushed them closer and closer to the edge. Threading his fingers through hers again, he eased her hand down to where they joined so she could touch their shared heat. Kate lifted off the mattress as he thrust into her with one final deep stroke, sending her spiraling off the edge. He held her tighter, closer, until the last wave began to ebb, then he buried his face against her neck and growled her name long and low as he crashed over with her.
Spent, he collapsed on top of her, his heart pounding against her own, his face pressed into the pillow, while she wrapped all her limbs around him and hung on, in case he had any crazy ideas of moving.
He didn’t. Come to that, when they’d been in Vegas together, he’d never been in any hurry to move or ease away from her, and she loved that about him. She loved the closeness, the taste of his skin after they’d exploded together, and she loved to feel him grow hard inside her again, sending her to the brink with the slightest of movements.
Still buried deep inside her, he tucked his arms under her back and rolled them so she was on top, her cheek against his chest, and both of them panting as if they’d just sprinted a half marathon.
Drawing lazy circles over her back, Liam twisted so he could kiss her temple. “Say it.”
“Hmm?” she murmured, feeling more than a little sapped. “Say what?”
“What you used to say to me every time we did that in Vegas.”
“What? No.” Laughing, Kate used what strength she had left to try to pinch his arm. Apparently, muscle didn’t pinch.
“A deal’s a deal, Kate.” She couldn’t see his face, but she could hear the smile in his voice. “You said if I lost the boxers you’d say anything I wanted you to.”
“I did?” she asked. “I must have been delirious.”
“Say it,” he repeated, this time with a gentle jab to her ribs, making her squirm. Then she squirmed some more when she realized it was making him hard again.
“Okay, fine,” she sighed. “That was incredible. There, are you happy now?”
“That wasn’t very sincere.”
“No?”
Easing herself off him, she pulled a few tissues out of the box on the side table and handed them to him while she went to the bathroom to get the garbage pail. With that taken care of, she climbed over him again, straddling his hips, then leaned over and tickled his chest with her tongue as she repeated the words again.
“That,” she said, circling his left nipple slowly.
“Kate.” Another growl, only this one sounded more like a warning.
Moving right, she sucked the nipple between her teeth and flicked it with her tongue. “Was.”
His whole body stiffened as she trailed lower, whispering, “Incredible,” as she dipped her tongue inside his belly button, making him fist both hands into the sheet.
“Shit,” he roared. “Get my jeans—in the pocket! For the love of God, woman, hurry up!”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. She had him suited up in record time, but when he moved to roll her over, she refused to budge.
“What’s your hurry?” she said, lowering herself down on him inch by inch. “You got a date or something?”
For every second of torture it was for him, it was double for Kate, but torture had never been so sweet or so freakin’ amazing, and she finally collapsed on top of him; he didn’t even try to move, just pulled the blanket up over them and held her tight in the cradle of his arms.
It was probably a good thing Liam hadn’t taken all of Finn’s stash, or Kate might not have let him leave for the rest of the night. Hell, she didn’t even like it when he climbed out of bed a couple of hours later to go to the bathroom.
What she did like, though, was watching his bare butt as he walked. She couldn’t see him once he went into the bathroom, but she knew what was coming and she wasn’t putting up with that kind of crap here.
“Li—” She’d barely gotten the first syllable out when he leaned back and flicked the bathroom door shut. Grinning, Kate snuggled down under the covers. “Thank you.”