Page 16 of When It Rains He Pours

Chapter Three

Glory

We walked in silence, our feet clicking against the sidewalk in tandem. I could hear my heart beating inside my chest, thudding so loudly I glanced up at him, expecting he could hear it too.

“Did you know your eyes have a little green in them?”

“What?” I asked, nervously brushing the hair out of my face.

“Your eyes, when the light hits them just right, there's speckles of green.”

Shaking my head, I kept my gaze on my feet. “I didn't know that.”

Stopping short, Liam's arm reached out and snagged my wrist. Turning me on my feet, I stumbled slightly from the sudden change in direction. But he didn't let me fall. His strong arm swept in, curling around my waist and tugging me into his chest.

He didn't speak as his other hand came up and captured my jaw, tipping my head up so our eyes connected. He held me, never looking away, never loosening his hold on my waist.

Dragging his tongue over his bottom lip, Liam's thumb traced the curve of my jaw, following the line in one slow stroke.

Oh my god. . . What is he doing?

Is he going to kiss me?

Every nerve, every vein and strand of muscle in my body came alive. I could feel his heart beating through his thumb as he held it against my skin and cupped my chin. I could feel the air between us, growing thick and dense.

His chest puffed as he took in a long breath, exhaling warm air over my face. He was drawing strings from my arms, forcing them to gently brace his chest as I found solid ground to cling to.

Kiss me, please kiss me.

Parting his lips, he leaned in, gently placing his mouth on mine. And I accepted, tilting my head to give him room to kiss me deeper.

My mouth opened, tongue tempting the edge of my lips as he slipped his inside. Licking and tasting, my eyes closed, giving in to the drunken lust and forbidden freedom one single kiss was able to deliver.

I felt lighter than air caged in his arms, safe and protected against the world.

Liam pulled away, causing me to wobble on my feet, dizzy and woozy from the feelings he left me with.

With a tight smile, Liam stepped back and ran his hand through his hair. “Did you know that I've wanted to do that all fucking night?”

Lifting my fingers to my lips, I touched the warm skin, still able to feel his shadowed presence. Shaking my head, I tried to catch my breath. I couldn't think, I couldn't find words or capture letters to make a sentence. My brain was blank, fumbling around the sensations he drummed up.

Braiding our fingers together, he started walking again. “Do you want me to walk you hom—”

Cutting him off, I told him exactly what I wanted. “Back to your place, walk me back to your place.”

His fingers tightened around mine, tender yet greedy. “Let's go.”

I didn't want to go home. I wanted to finish what his kiss started. I wanted to feel more of him, I wanted him to touch me, to caress me, to deliver a sliver of goodness in this fucked up world.

The city was still, a few cars drove by here and there, and the occasional light was on in a window of the buildings we walked past. But most of the city was asleep, long before we left that bar. The distant chirp of sirens and the echo of a dog filled the silence around us.

I liked it, I liked feeling like we were the only ones there. In that moment, the city, the street, the sky and the moon—it was all ours.

“I'm up here, around the corner.”

“Wait, you're staying in the Hull?”

“Yeah, why?”

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