Page 44 of Claiming Her Cougar
“You’re Lory?”He looks at me quizzically.His eyes widen as realization hits.I could drown in their clear blue depths.“Oh, short for Mallory.”
“Yep.How do you know Trevor?Did you play hockey together?He’s a few years younger than you.I wouldn’t think you were on the same teams.”
“We met at Thanksgiving.He’s friends with my sister Kendall.”He skates over to the boards where I’m standing.“We got to talking hockey, and he helped me and Logan put up the lights at their house.We came here to skate while we were waiting until the girls finished shopping.”
“Wow, small world.”
“Yeah.”Liam leans on the board in front of me.In his skates, he’s at least a full foot taller than I am.I feel tiny, not a feeling I get to enjoy that often.That’s why I feel that thrill.It’s not that Liam is close to me, flushed with exertion and smelling deliciously manly.I’ve smelled way more sweaty hockey gear than any woman should have to in her lifetime, but for once, I’m not gagging.
He flicks the end of my ponytail playfully.“You realize even if we hadn’t met in Vegas, we would have met each other eventually with all the connections we have?It’s fate.”
His grin is a mixture of boyish exuberance and sexy man.It’s not fair I have to resist the tug I feel when I’m near him.Is it fate that we found each other that night six months ago?Twenty-five plus years here in South Jersey without our paths crossing.It’s crazy, considering how many of our orbits intersect.It’s amazing we haven’t been tripping over each other our entire lives.
“Yeah.”I look up into his gorgeous eyes.“I’m glad we met then and had that night without knowing how complicated things are.”
“They don’t have to be complicated.We like each other, we do our own thing and live our lives.”
That could work, and it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.“Friends with benefits?We’d have to keep it just between us.No telling Daphne or Logan.Trevor can never know.Nothing at work.”
Liam nods.“Friends with benefits.”
Now that we have that settled, I can’t wait to reap some benefits.
17
LIAM
She wantsto be friends with benefits.No dating, no relationship, just hooking up.
I don’t believe that’s what she really wants.I’m pretty sure she wants me, and I think she wants more than hookups, but she won’t admit it.Why agree to lunch with me twice?Why FaceTime with me when she knows I’m not what her parents want?When she looks at me, it’s not just like she’s checking out my ass.She sees me, and she likes me.That has to mean something.I want more than hooking up, but for now I’ll go along with her idea and work on changing her mind.
I’m too sweaty and gross to reap the rewards of our new benefits arrangement, but I can at least get a kiss out of this.She’s flushed, and I don’t think it’s just from her workout.
“Did you go for a run?”I ask.
When she nods, I continue, “How far?”
Shrugging, she responds, “About six miles.There are trails through the woods.I set my watch for an hour and run until it goes off.”
She checks her watch.“6.2 miles.I normally do four or five miles a few times a week on the treadmill, but it’s nice out, and I wanted to be in nature.I spend too much time cooped up inside.”
Trevor had said his sister appreciated nature more than anyone else in their family.I can’t believe I didn’t put the pieces together sooner.They each spoke about living out in the woods and having siblings.I assume Logan doesn’t know, or maybe he does and suggesting I come out here is his attempt to play matchmaker.
I raise my hand and place it against her soft cheek, running my thumb along her rosy skin.I lean down and press my lips to hers, tasting and savoring in a way we didn’t before.In Vegas, our kisses were hungry and passionate, a product of desire and desperation.Now, we can take our time and enjoy learning the feel of each other’s lips, give each other teasing, nibbling kisses, deep kisses, playful kisses.I want all the kisses with Mallory.
Her sigh as our lips meet and the way she rises on her toes to press her lips to mine show she’s as eager to kiss me as I am her.Her hand rests against my chest where my heart’s pounding, not just from the exertion of my skating but from the thrill of being near Mallory again.From kissing her again.I never thought I’d have this opportunity and would have to make do with the scant memories I collected from our too-brief time together in Vegas.Her nails scrape lightly against my chest as if her hand can’t rest, as if it needs to claw me, mark me as hers.Her other hand grasps my bicep to pull me closer.
I wish we didn’t have the boards of the rink separating us, but maybe that’s for the best.If I could pull her body against mine and feel all her luscious curves, I don’t think I could stop at just kissing.The sound of multiple car doors closing pulls me from the bubble our kisses have cocooned us in.
“Are you expecting anyone?”I ask, lifting my head.
“No, were you?”
The voices I hear cause me to close my eyes and groan.
“It’s my cousin.He suggested I ask Trevor.He must have seen my Bronco as he drove back from the tree lot.”
“Hello!You here, Liam?”Logan calls out as he slips through the barn doors to the rink.Daphne follows.With our mothers.Fuuccckk.
