Page 22 of Ignite
He grunted. “Stop asking why, and just go with it. Sometimes, the answer is justbecause. Right place, right time. Luck. Coincidence. Fate. Whatever you want to call it. You want to livelife?”
I nodded, frozen in his grasp. I wanted it more than anything in the entireworld.
“Then reach out, and takeit.”
Overcome with a burst of passion, I leaned forward and fisted my hands into his T-shirt. I tugged him close and kissed him hard, sucking on his bottom lip. It only took a second before his mouth opened and his tongue twined with mine, and for a blissful moment, I felt everything clicking into place. But…there was always abut.
Liam’s hands nudged against my shoulders, and he broke away. My gaze met his, and I didn’t like what I saw. My heart sank like a rock as the realization of what I’d just done hit me. He didn’t want me. He’d never wantedme.
“Ali…” hemurmured.
I was the biggest idiot of the century. I’d just lost my job, I was borderline broke, I was on the brink of becoming homeless, and I’d just been rejected by a man who was way out of my league. My day could not get anyworse.
Pushing off the stool, I stood, my throat burning with unshed tears. Embarrassment heated my cheeks as I turned and fled, the old Alison taking control of mybody.
All this time, I’d been blaming my pathetic excuse of a life on other people, but had I been the problem all along? The one common denominator in all my failed relationships—romantic, personal, and professional—had always been me. What was wrong withme?
Finally, I found myself outside, the cool air taking some of the heat out of my skin. Staring up at the sky, I took a deep breath. Crying would get menowhere.
Whatever I’d been looking for, I wouldn’t find it here. It was as simple asthat.
10
Alison
“Ali! Wait!”The sound of Liam’s voice hit me like asledgehammer.
Closing my eyes, I swore under my breath. I didn’t want an apology, I just wanted to get out of here before I embarrassed myself even more than I already had. The ground could open up and swallow me, and I would beglad.
I rushed toward my car, my keys slipping through my shaking fingers and rattling uselessly in my pocket.Dammit!
“Ali, c’mon,” Liam said. He was standing right behindme.
Flinching, I bit my bottom lip and finally managed to grasp my keys. Finding the unlock button on the fob, I pressed it, and the indicatorsflashed.
“Ali.” This time, he grasped my arm and turned me around, using his super cage fighter strength against me. I had nochance.
“Don’t,” I said, my gaze meetinghis.
His eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward, his body forcing me backward. The moment my back pressed against the car, he slid his hands over my waist while capturing my mouth withhis.
Melting in his grasp, I moaned, my lips parting in surprise. His hands fisted in my hair and held me in place while he devoured, tasting my lips as my tongue slid greedily against his. Somehow, my hands found their way underneath the hem of his T-shirt and stroked his lower back. He felt warm, and his muscles tensed and rippled as I explored further, our kiss neverbreaking.
All coherent thought flew out the window as we stood there on the street and kissed like it was our last moment. I was drowning, and he’d reached out and pulled me back up, filling my lungs withair.
I trembled in his grasp, overcome by the emotions tearing through my body. Moving against him, I whimpered, the motion not doing anything to calm the ache between my legs. It only seemed to make itworse.
“I can’t promise you anything,” he murmured against my swollen lips. “But I can give youtonight.”
“So I’m just an itch that needs scratching?” I asked, my fingers tracing the curve of hisspine.
“I…” he started, but he swallowed back his words. His cock was hard against my hip, and it was all I could thinkabout.
“I’ve never been anyone’s itch,” I murmured. He frowned and began to pull away, but I grasped his shoulders. “You have to promise mesomething.”
His gaze lowered to my lips. “What?”
“I’m not an idiot, I know you only want a one-time thing,but…”
