Page 22 of My Knight Before Christmas
He smiled that delicious smile of his. The one that curled my toes. “Can’t wait.” I bit into my dessert, moaning in delight. Sometimes a simple treat really was the best. “It’s been a while. This is so good.”
Liam busied himself getting his s’more ready before he took a bite. “So true. This really hit the spot.”
I stared at the dying flame as I chewed. Liam had planned a fabulous second first date. Everything about tonight gave me hope that we had a future. I took my last bite and swallowed the delicious treat. “Thank you. That was really good.” I held up my sticky, gooey hands. “Is there a bathroom nearby?”
Liam went to the crate by his chair. “I have wipes.” He opened the container, passing me a cloth to cleanse my sticky fingers.
“All done.”
Liam’s eyes caught on my lips and stayed there. “What?” Did I have melted chocolate all over me? S’mores were quite messy.
Liam stepped closer to me until only a foot separated us. He lifted his thumb to my mouth, keeping his eyes locked on my face. “You have some chocolate and marshmallow stuck there.” He swiped his finger across the bottom corner of my lip.
It was as though leaves dancing in the wind had got caught in my stomach and the heat from the fire followed in their path. When Liam brought his thumb to his mouth and licked the sticky substance off, my hormones went wild. Not caring if I still had goo on my face, I put a hand behind Liam’s neck and pulled him toward me. I placed a hard kiss against his soft lips, letting my desire consume me. Liam’s hand slid around my waist. That trail of fire followed his touch. Liam moved his lips against mine and all I could think was how much I had missed this. But if I were truly going to give Liam a second chance, it couldn’t be based on physical affection alone. I had to learn to trust him again.
I broke off the kiss, burying my face in his chest. We stood hugging for a moment before Liam asked, “Is everything okay?”
I leaned back so I could see his face but still stay in his arms. “Yes.”
“Good.”
A few minutes later, Liam cleaned up the supplies and put out the fire. We took everything back to his Jeep, then strolled through the preserve hand-in-hand. Before I knew it, the sky had turned a deep royal-blue, and a smattering of stars had appeared. When the chilled air and mosquitos came out in hoards, Liam drove me back to my house.
My fingers twisted in my lap the whole way. Did Liam enjoy tonight? Did he want to be exclusive? Was he ready to be rid of me? I was willing to give us a second chance. Was he on the same page?
We stood on my porch where I positioned Liam’s back to face the living room, blocking his view of me from anyone peeking at us from the inside. I’d learned that lesson the hard way.
“I had a great time tonight.” I looked up into his glorious eyes.
“Me too.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. I wanted an answer to where Liam stood with the matter of us, but I was also scared to find out. His actions stated he wanted a future, and I was willing to learn to trust him again. But should I let it play out naturally?
“What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?” Liam squeezed my shoulder. “You’re working your cheek so hard, you’re going to bleed.”
I stared at the ground. Liam had been open and honest with me today. I decided to return the favor. “Where do you see us going?” Because it felt like we’d picked up exactly where we were three months ago.
His lips turned up on one side in a cocky, teasing way. “Like on our next date?”
If I had an object in my hand, I’d throw it at him. “Yes, Liam. On our next date, because you know I’ll never plan something for us to do.” I rolled my eyes. “I meant our future.”
He laughed. “If you want to have a DTR, just say it. Don’t prance around the subject.”
I did want him to define what our relationship meant to him. Or at least, where he hoped it would go. “Well, I want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“What page would you like us to be on?”
“I asked you first,” I challenged.
He put his other hand on my other shoulder, giving me his full attention. “As I mentioned before, I never stopped liking you. My feelings have grown since I saw you at Spencer's. I’d love to continue to date one another and see where it leads us. Although…” He tapped his chin. “I don’t enjoy the idea of you seeing other people.”
My heart rate picked up speed like a boat exiting the safety of the harbor. “In other words, you’re ready to be boyfriend and girlfriend?”
He met my gaze, keeping his steady. “I am.”
I hadn’t thought we’d get to this point so soon. At least I didn’t believe I had the ability to want to let Liam back in. But I also knew Liam was special on our first date. I wouldn’t have suffered if my feelings weren’t so deep. At the beach, I promised I would seize this second chance. And I was the one who needled this confession from him.
I tilted my head. “You’re right. The thought of another woman touching your lips stirs up violent tendencies in me. I think it’s wise for both of us to giveusour all.”
