Page 96 of Truck Hard

I reach between us, finding him hard and straining against his jeans. He hisses when I palm him through the fabric.

“Need you,” I whisper against his mouth. “Please.”

He stands just long enough to strip off his jeans and boxers, giving me a perfect view of his body. He’s beautiful—all lean muscle and tan skin. His cock stands proud, flushed and heavy.

I sit up and reach for him but he catches my hand, bringing it to his lips instead. “Next time. Right now I need to be inside you.”

The promise of ‘next time’ makes my heart flutter. He fumbles in his discarded jeans for his wallet, pulling out a condom.

I watch through heavy-lidded eyes as he rolls it on, then settles back between my thighs. He kisses me deeply as he lines himself up.

“Ready?”

I wrap my legs around his waist in answer. He pushes in slowly, giving me time to adjust to his size. When he’s fully seated, we both groan at the sensation.

“Fuck.” He pants against my neck. “You feel amazing.”

He starts moving with long, deep strokes that has my head spinning. One of his hands slides under my hips, changing the angle until I’m gasping with every thrust.

“That’s it, sweetheart.” He encourages. “Let me hear you.”

I’ve never been vocal during sex—Charlie always hated it. But with Liam, the sounds fall from my lips naturally. Every moan, every gasp seems to drive him wild.

His pace increases gradually, but he never loses that careful control. Even when he’s pounding into me, there’s a tenderness in the way he touches me, the way he watches my face.

I can feel another orgasm building, coiling tight in my belly. “Liam, I’m close.”

“Me too.” His thumb finds my clit, circling in time with his thrusts. “Come with me, sweetheart. Wanna feel you.”

The added stimulation pushes me over the edge for a second time. I come with a cry, my pussy clenching around him. He follows a moment later, his hips stuttering as he groans my name.

We stay connected for a long moment, trading lazy kisses as our breathing returns to normal. When he finally pulls out, I whimper at the loss.

He disposes of the condom and grabs a blanket from the picnic basket to cover us. I curl into his side, feeling safer and more content than I have in years.

He presses a kiss to my forehead and follows it up with an, “I love you.”

The words are soft, barely more than a whisper against my hair. But they hit me like a thunderbolt, and a chill infuses my being.

I should say it back. Iwantto say it back. The words are there, burning in my throat. But fear grips me—memories of Charlie, of pain, of betrayal rising like ghosts.

Liam must feel me tense because he strokes my back soothingly. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I just… I needed you to know. To say it out loud.”

But I can see the hurt in his eyes, carefully hidden behind understanding. I’ve wounded him, even as he tries to protect me from guilt.

I want to explain—want to tell him that I do love him, that I’ve always loved him. But the words won’t come. Charlie’s voiceechoes in my head.Love is weakness. Love is control. Love is pain.

So I stay silent, hating myself for my cowardice, for letting Charlie win even now. Liam holds me close, but there’s a new tension in his body that wasn’t there before.

The sun begins to set over the lake, painting everything in shades of gold and pink. It should be beautiful. Instead, it feels like watching something precious slip away.

I’ve hurt him. Again. And I’m not sure I’m capable of fixing it.

Chapter 21

Shattered Connections

Liam

---