Page 24 of Anywhere with You
Allison starts to sit up. “Let me help you.” I lean down and place my arm around her back and gently lift her, so she’s sitting on the side of the bed.
She looks up at me with a small grin. “Are you going to help me change?” My heart stops. This beautiful amazingly sexy creature is looking at me with innocent, trusting eyes, asking me to help her remove her clothes for bed. Before I can get my brain to function, so I can respond, Aiden is protesting.
“Ash, I can go get Hales. She just laid down, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind helping you,” Aiden suggests.
Allison looks at Aiden like he’s crazy. “Why would I wake her when Liam can help me?” she says it so matter of fact, like me undressing her is as normal as breathing. My stalled heart is now thundering in my chest. It’s beating so loud, I’m sure they can both hear it. Somehow, I’m able to make myself speak above the thunder inside my chest. I cup her cheek in the palm of my hand. “I can get Hales if that would make you feel more comfortable.”Please, say you still want me to do it. Hell yes, I’m being selfish, but my protective instincts are in overdrive when it comes to Allison. I’ll always want it to be me.
Allison smiles up at me before turning her gaze on Aiden. “Can you give us a few minutes, so I can change?”
Aiden gives me a warning look before nodding his head and backing out of the room. I know he’s worried I’ll hurt her, but what hedoesn’t realize is I could never, would never. I’ll protect her with everything in me. I stand here staring into her green eyes and I’m overcome with emotion. I’m going to do it. I’m going all in with this girl, and I’m excited at the concept. There are no doubts floating through my mind. I crave her unlike anything I’ve never known. Suddenly, I need to make it real. I need her to tell me that it’s me. That no other man will ever touch her again, because the next time I’m not so sure I’ll be able to stop until I kill the fucker.
I drop to my knees in front of her, so we’re eye to eye. She raises her eyebrow at me in question. I place my hands on both of her cheeks before leaning in and placing a kiss on her forehead. “Allison, I know you said you want more, that you want it all.” I swallow the lump in my throat. Just because I’m positive this is what I want doesn’t mean I’m not scared as hell that I still won’t be enough for her, be what she wants. I take a deep breath and continue. “I want you, all of you. I never want to go through what I went through tonight ever again. When I saw his hands on you...” I shake my head to attempt to erase the memory. I gently pick up her hand and cradle it against my chest, right above my heart. Her eyes soften, and I know she can feel the thunderous rhythm playing inside me. Gently I kiss her hand. “I want to be with you, only you. I want to be the one who holds you at night, the one who gets your kisses and your smiles.” I brush my fingers across her cheek.
I feel her hand tremble against my chest. She’s just as affected by me as I am by her. “Liam, you know I don’t want casual. I don’t expect you to propose, but you told me yourself, you don’t want a serious relationship. How can I be sure you’ve really changed your mind?” She places her soft hand against my cheek. “I feel such a connection with you, it would only be a matter of time before I fall head over heels. You would have the power to break me, break my heart. I’m not sure I can take that chance.”
“Baby, I’m taking a chance too. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. Never has my entire world been turned upside down because of a beautiful girl consuming my every thought, everyemotion.” I take a deep breath, this is it; I’m going to let this girl in. I’m giving her the power to destroy me. “I’m taking a chance too, beautiful girl, but you have to take one on me as well. We’ll be in this together, you and me. You’re all that matters,” I whisper as I crush my mouth to hers. I need to taste her. I need her to understand this isn’t a game, not just a hookup. She is mine—I want her to be mine, need her to be mine.
CHAPTER 17
Allison
I’m trying to process what Liam just said. He tells me I’m all that matters, and then he crushes his mouth to mine. I moan deep in my throat. I can’t control it, even if I wanted to. The taste of his lips on mine is annihilating my common sense. I don’t want to fight this anymore. I want him and his kisses. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him in as close as I can get him. He drags his lips away, and I groan at the loss. He continues his assault on my senses by placing kisses on my cheek, down my neck. He pulls away, breathing heavy, as his hands make their way to the hem of my shirt. Without question or thought, I raise my arms in the air. Liam gently raises my shirt over my head. He then takes my hand and helps me stand. I watch as he places kisses on my collarbone, down my chest, working his way down my stomach. Once he reaches the waist of my jeans, he looks up at me with hooded eyes, seeking my approval. I can only nod my head as I run my hands through his hair. Liam slowlyunbuttons my jeans and slides them down as he peppers kisses on my thighs.
Once my jeans hit my ankles, I step out of them with Liam’s assistance. He stands and wraps his right arm around my waist while placing his left hand behind my neck to pull me close to him. He crashes his lips to mine and kisses me with so much passion that if he wasn’t holding onto me, I would fall to the floor in a puddle of lust. I never want him to stop. I want to spend every second of every day wrapped in his arms being consumed by his kisses.
Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door. “Ash, you guys done in there?” Aiden yells through the door.
Liam pulls away and places his forehead against mine. “He has impeccable timing. You might want to answer him, baby. I don’t think he would trust me if I said you were fine.”
“Give us a minute, Ace!” I yell back. How I’m able to find my voice and use it is beyond me. What started out as me flirting with Liam, asking him to help me change, turned into confessions and scorching kisses. I’m perfectly capable of changing on my own, my hand doesn’t even hurt.What has gotten into me?
“What are we doing, Liam? What does this mean?”
Liam stares at me intently. “I would like to think I was kissing my girlfriend while helping her change,” he sheepishly replies.
“Girlfriend?” I whisper.
“Girlfriend,” he whispers back in confirmation.
I try to control my emotions at this sexy man calling me his girlfriend. I’m also trying really hard not to let my insecurities consume me. I just had my first kiss a few months ago and now here I stand in nothing but my underwear with Liam’s sexy body wrapped around me, and he’s calling me his girlfriend.Holy Shit!I should be nervous being exposed to him, my first time ever being exposed to a guy. However, I’m not nervous. Liam makes me feel safe, protected, wanted.
I take a deep breath. I’m tired of fighting it. I’m going to take a chance on Liam, just like he asked me to. I just hope my heart cantake it when he walks away and realizes I’m not what he wants after all. I take another deep breath. “Well, I guess you better help your girlfriend get changed before Aiden starts beating down the door.”
The smile that lights up Liam’s face is one I’ve never seen before. He kisses me tenderly, then engulfs me in his big strong arms for the greatest hug I’ve ever received. “You’re really mine?” he asks me, pulling back only far enough to look into my eyes.
I nod. I’m not capable of more than that, my emotions are running rampant.
Liam pulls away and takes his dress shirt off. He pulls the t-shirt he has on underneath it off, and has it over my head before I know what’s happening. He shrugs back into his dress shirt and buttons it up. “I can’t have my girl sleeping in another man’s shirt, now can I? It’s bad enough you’re sleeping in his bed.” He takes a deep breath. “I know he’s like a brother to you, but I want you next to me, wrapped in my arms. I want you to be the last thing I see before I fall asleep and the first thing I see when I wake up,” he says as he kisses below my ear, trailing down my neck. I feel him slip his hands under the t-shirt and caress my back. The next thing I know, he has my bra unhooked and is helping me pull it through my sleeves.
“Tonight is the last night you’ll ever sleep in another man’s bed. I’m going out tomorrow and buying a futon, so if Blitzen is here there will still be enough places to sleep for Hales, him, and Aiden. Because you, my beautiful girlfriend, will be in my bed with me.” He then picks up all of my discarded clothes, places a kiss on my temple, and says he’ll be right back as he leaves the room with my clothes.
I can hear him talking to Aiden in the hallway. He tells Aiden he needs to get me something really quick before Aiden can come back in. Well, actually what he really says is, “Don’t fucking go in there, I’ll be right back, she’s not decent, yet.” I don’t hear Aiden’s reply.
Liam comes rushing back into the room, holding a pair of sweatpants. “I know these will swallow you, but I can’t stand the thought of you sleeping in just a t-shirt in his bed.” He looks almost embarrassed at his admission.
I roll my eyes at him as he drops to my feet and begins dressing me in his sweats. He gently pulls me off the bed to pull them up over my hips. “Let’s get you tucked in, so we can get this night over with and get you back in my arms where you belong.”
I slide under the covers as Liam bends down to kiss me goodnight. “Goodnight, my beautiful girlfriend,” he whispers, then turns and walks toward the door.
