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  With heavy emotions clawing at my throat, I look out at the water, hoping he doesn’t notice he’s affecting me. If he does, he doesn’t say anything. He’s silent beside me, taking in Santa Monica moving by us in a blur. I’m lost in the way I feel in this exact moment.

  Here, there’s no feud. There’s no confusion. There is only us. And us feels pretty damn great.

  Aria

  By the time we return to the house, my belly is full from the seafood dinner we had on the pier. Darkness has settled over the skies, and I leave Liam in the living room, quickly scurrying off to the bathroom, pretending I have to pee. My emotions feel put through the wringer. I’m questioning everything I think I know when I enter the sleek bathroom and shut the door, locking it behind me. I move to the closed toilet lid and take a seat, my cellphone a heavy weight in my hand.

  First things first, the information that I learned from Liam over breakfast about the Bakker deal is circling in my mind. What Liam doesn’t know, and what Jackson didn’t want Liam to know to gain leverage over him, is that Jackson is secretly representing one of the clients fighting for the merger, the Pioneer Group. Our clients recently fired their lawyers, hiring Keller LLC instead. It’s something the public doesn’t know yet, and clearly Liam doesn’t know it either because he’s told me something he shouldn’t have. I don’t know if it’s because his guards are down, or if he simply trusts me more now, but I feel like I’m being torn in two directions.

  Jackson could use this information to seal his deal. I know what Liam is planning to offer Bakker now. Jackson could easily win this by offering something better. Because there’s something I know that Bakker’s employees also don’t have. And that’s a pension. But can I sell Liam out like that?

  Before today, yes, in a second. I’m loyal to Jackson.

  After today?

  I don’t know anymore. My heart feels different than it did yesterday. “You’ve gone and made this fucking complicated,” I chastise myself, knowing I can only do one thing now. I click the button on the side of my cell, awakening the screen, and call Mallory.

  She answers on the third ring. “Shouldn’t you be having the best sex of your life right now instead of calling me?”

  “I am having the best sex of my life,” I reply.

  “If that’s true, then why are we talking?”

  I pause, trying to put into words how I’m feeling. My heart is tied up in knots. I didn’t know it would be like this with Liam. I thought he’d flaunt his money all over me. Isn’t that what rich, powerful men do? But he’s not about money at all. His beach house belonged to his father. That was meaningful. He likely paid a lot for our breakfast, not to wow me, but for privacy. Just the two of us. The ornament was so damn thoughtful, I still can’t wrap my head around any guy doing stuff like that for me. Mallory does, of course. But men usually don’t get me that way.

  “Aria?” Mallory asks gently.

  “I like him,” I blurt out.

  “You. Like. Him?”

  I drop my head into my free hand. “Yes, he’s practically perfect in every goddamn way.”

  “Okay,” Mallory says slowly. “You’re going to have to catch me up on this because I’m confused as shit over here. Is liking him a good or a bad thing?”

  “I don’t know,” I answer honestly, staring down at my pink painted toenails. “I mean, he’s everything I knew he would be. Hot. Intense. Incredible lover. But then he’s so much more.”

  “I’m still not catching the bad part in all this.”

  I curl my toes underneath themselves, wanting to curl into myself. “Okay, so today, we had this amazing, and sexy, I might add, breakfast. Then we spent the rest of the day at the Santa Monica Pier, shopping, having the most romantic sunset dinner, and honestly just having fun. It was a perfect day, Mallory. Totally and mind-bogglingly perfect.”

  “Wow.” Mallory snorts a laugh. “You’re right, that all sounds terrible.”

  I snort. “I’m not supposed to like him, remember? I didn’t come here to fall for Liam. I came here to get him out of my system.”

  Mallory pauses then gently says, “I don’t think this should really come as any big surprise. You guys have had this crazy thing going on for a long time.”

  “My point exactly,” I retort. “We can’t have this crazy thing on. I told myself that I couldn’t. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t. I can’t do that to Jackson.”

  “I think all of this is just so stupid,” Mallory says, anger edging her voice. “Why can’t you two be together? I know Liam. I care for him. He’s a good guy. He’d make you happy. You’d make him happy. You guys would be so great together—which I have told you a thousand times before now. Why is Jackson stopping that from happening?”

  “Because he hates him.”

  “For what, though?”

  “I don’t know.” And that was the problem. “Whatever it is, Mallory, it must be serious. They loathe each other, and right now I can’t see who is really at fault. Because as much as Jackson has told me that Liam is going to play me like fiddle, I don’t see it. Everything he does, it’s with me in mind.”

  “Well, yeah, that’s because Liam is in love with you, which I’ve also told you.”

  “I know you have, and I’m starting to believe you,” I finally admit to both her and myself for the very first time.

  She pauses again, obviously shocked by my admission. Hell, even I’m shocked by my admission. Okay, yes, I knew there was something special between us but maybe I’d convinced myself that I had some way of controlling it.

  I was dead wrong.

  When Mallory speaks again, her voice is softer now. “Did he say those three little words to you?”

  “He doesn’t need to, I feel them right in my bones, Mallory.”

  Another pause. Then, “I guess the only thing left to ask is how do you feel about him?”

  I draw in a long deep breath, allowing myself to absorb the meaning behind the words before I let them free. “You already know how I feel about him.”

  “Yeah, I do know.”

  I don’t need to say those three little words as much as Liam doesn’t need to tell them to me. It’s strange falling for someone you have a business relationship with, but Liam’s right, in our world professional and personal mix often. I think keeping things professional kept a boundary up, but now we’ve crossed that line and there is no going back.

  When the heart knows, it knows. But what in the fuck do I do now?

  The thought of hurting Jackson devastates me. Liam has hurt him, that much I know. He might not have told me what stands between him and Liam but his pain has always been clear to me.

  Though can I say goodbye to Liam tomorrow?

  “I should get going,” I say, lifting my head, knowing I’m never going to have that answer tonight. “I’m sure Liam’s wondering what I’m doing in here. And I really don’t want him thinking I’m sick or something.”

  Mallory barks a laugh. “Total sexy killer.”

  I laugh with her, glad for the break in the tension. “Before I go, how about you? Any news on your front about your date?”

  “The only news at all was a message from the event coordinator telling me that a driver would be picking me up Tuesday morning.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  For Mallory’s sake, I’m hoping this date happens. Unlike me, she actually dates, but she’s been unable to hold down a steady boyfriend. I don’t really know why. She’s beautiful, sassy, and smart but she’s picky. Very picky. Though I’m also starting to wonder if someone bet on her at the auction to donate the money to the charity but doesn’t want the date to happen. “Keep me updated on that, all right?”

  “Will do,” she says then hesitates. “And, Aria?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I know you and Liam both very well. I can’t say why Jackson hates him. Maybe Liam burned him somehow. But that had to have happened a long time ago. Everyone deserves a se
cond chance, and Liam never hurt you. In fact, I’d say the only person possibly hurting you right now is Jackson if he’s holding you back from being incredibly happy with Liam.”

  “Saying it like that makes it sound all very simple.”

  “It is, isn’t it?”

  I rise and stare at myself in the mirror, seeing a sparkle there behind the tension. It’s that feeling when someone understands you, truly, and appreciates you. It’s infectious and warm, and the fact that I’m feeling it with Liam is incredible. “It would be, if I could trust what I’m feeling around him. If I could trust the words that come from his mouth.”

  “Trust is a prickly bitch,” she says in total agreement. “Well, then, all I can say as your bestie is trust your gut. It’s never led you wrong.”

  “I love you, Malls.”

  “Love you, too.”

  The phone line goes dead before I can say anything more. I turn off my cell, shutting out the world for a little bit longer, and exit the bathroom. Silence surrounds me when I journey down the thin hallway of white painted bare walls. I expect to find Liam in the living room but he’s nowhere in sight, though I notice the sliding door in the living room is wide open. I leave my cellphone on the counter then pad my way across the white ceramic floors and step outside.

  That’s when he appears.

  Beneath the full moon, Liam stands at the edge of the water, power and calmness all in one. There’s a lot on my mind, that much I do know. A lot I need to figure out. But what this man does to me, the control he has over my body is not one of them.

  Chapter 6

  Liam

  My toes dig into the sand, the cool water splashing up on my legs. The night is quiet with a slight breeze creating waves out on the water. When warm hands slide beneath my arms and over my chest, I smile and turn to Aria. I catch the strain in her eyes, and understand perfectly. I’m right there with her.

  Tonight is all we’ve got left.

  I can only hope I’ve begun to show her that right here with me is where she belongs. Though as I stare into her eyes, I’m torn between wanting her to realize this and hating to see her struggle like she is. “You don’t want this night to end?” I ask, brushing a thumb across her cheek.

  “Here everything is very uncomplicated,” she admits.

  I brush my fingers across her cheeks, tucking her hair behind her ears, appreciating her honesty. “What’s so complicated?” I need to get through to her, no matter what.

  She stares into my eyes, the moonlight casting a stunning glow across her face. “I thought we’d have this epic weekend of hot sex.”

  I arch a single eyebrow. “Have we not had that?”

  She laughs softly, leaning her palms against my chest. “Of course, we have, but it’s more than hot sex. I like being with you. Today, it was…”

  “Easy,” I offer, understanding completely.

  She nods and smiles. “It feels good being around you.”

  Now that’s exactly what I want to hear. “I know it feels good.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because it works, you and I.”

  Her brows draw together, confusion so heavy in her eyes. “How can you be so sure about me?”

  “You’re unforgettable, Aria.”

  I see the way my words affect her, softening her eyes. “See, it’s things like that. Why do you have to say stuff like that?”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Is it?” she asks, wide-eyed.

  That’s when I see what this is all about. Jackson has poisoned her mind. She’s desperate to believe me but she can’t. And she can’t because Jackson has clearly told her not to trust me. I hate him for that, as much as I hate him for everything he’s done. I refuse to waste my last night with Aria thinking about Jackson. I step closer, sliding both of my hands across her face. “Stay here with me, Aria.” I brush my lips across hers. “Can you do that?”

  Her eyes search mine. It’s clear she’s fighting against all the lies in her mind to what the truth of my touch holds. “I can try,” she says gently.

  “That’s all I ask.”

  It wasn’t, though. Not truly. She knows that truth. So do I. I want her to give me everything. I want to wake up next to her in the morning. I want to go to sleep with her safe in my arms. There is not a memory from this night on that I don’t want her in.

  To remind her how real things are between us, and to break the hold the lies have on her mind, I take her hand and lead her back into the house, locking the door behind me. Up until now, I’ve played gently. I won’t anymore. She’s mine, and it’s about time she knows it.

  When we reach the bathroom, I stop in the middle of the room and look at her. I drop any shields I usually keep up, where I fight the dominance I feel around her. Now I flood her with all of me. Perhaps it’s the way I look at her, or something more, but her pupils dilate, lips part and she begins breathing heavily, anticipation peppering the air.

  “Undress and then press your hands against the vanity and wait for me,” I tell her.

  I don’t stick around to see if she obeys my instructions. I know she will. I leave the bathroom and move to the bedroom, opening the dresser drawer when I get there. I fetch out the items I bought before the trip and then I return to Aria. I stop in the doorway, studying the beauty who did exactly as I asked. My vision narrows on her, a gorgeous woman there for my taking. “I want you,” I tell her, not getting closer, letting her anticipate my moving to her. “All of you. Will you give me that, Aria?”

  “Yes,” she rasps, staring at me in the mirror.

  I smile letting her know I like that answer then approach. When I step in next to her, I place the black crop, black silk ribbon, and a silver butt plug on the vanity in her line of vision. “Do you truly want to give me everything I want?” I ask again, letting her back out.

  “Yes,” she says.

  I slide my hand across the small of her back feeling the slight tremble beneath her flesh. “If you say stop, I stop. This isn’t about pushing limits. Do you understand?”

  She shivers against me. “What if I want to push my limits?”

  Regardless that I find her amusing and grin, I lean down and nip her shoulder hard, loving the gasp she gives me. I look at her through the mirror and say more firmly now, “Do you understand?”

  Dark eyes greet me. “Yes.”

  “Good girl.” I reach for her hands, taking the black ribbon and tying her wrists. “Ah, look what I have here, such a pretty present.” I hook that ribbon over the faucet, keeping her bound there, then I step in behind her, undressing as I stare at her. “Spread your legs.” She wiggles her legs open wider, and I instruct, “Arch your back. I want to see what’s mine this weekend, Aria.”

  Her bottom jiggles slightly with her shiver as she arches her back, showing off her damp folds glistening in the light. “That’s it,” I murmur, absorbing the desire she pulls out in me. “So very pretty.” I reach for the crop and slide the leather up her thigh over her bottom to drag down the other thigh. I don’t stop that teasing, continuing to drag the crop up the long line of her spine, letting her anticipate when I’m going to strike her.

  Just when I see the slight quiver, a telling sign her adrenaline is running high, I lightly tap my way down her spine to her ass, where I swat each butt cheek before I slide the leather against her reddened flesh.

  I glance at her face in the mirror and she’s watching me intently, a sexy gleam in her eyes. It’s playful. I like her this way, surrendering to me. I glance away from her face, paying attention to her body while I continue to drag the crop over her until I’m sliding it down her puckered knot and over her wet folds.

  She moans, and I listen to what she’s telling me. I step in behind her, squatting and staring at her ready entrance. I gently tap the crop up against her clit, once, twice, three times.

  Just when I can tell she’s right there, I use the flat of the crop to rub against her bundle of nerves until her legs begin shak
ing. It’s a sexy show of her accepting pleasure, and it hardens my dick to steel.

  Her breath hitches, her moans cutting off with her rising pleasure, but I won’t allow her to come this way. I drop the crop, spread her cheeks with my hands and from underneath, I suck on her clit. Hard. Purposeful. Intent.

  It’s no surprise she immediately explodes against me. The only thing holding her up is my hands and her shuddering pussy against my mouth. When her knees lock again and she’s gasping for breath, I lick her slit, treating myself to her taste.

  When her soft, satisfied moans fill the air again, I rise and move to the drawer taking out the bottle of lube. I drop a generous amount into my hand then stroke the butt plug as I move to her. I rub the remainder of liquid on my hand across her puckered knot, then I spread her cheeks and place just the tip of the plug against her ass.

  With my free hand, I grab her hair, loving the way she moans when I do. I’ll use each and every on button she has to my advantage. I lean down kissing her shoulder while I use my hand to bend her head, exposing her neck to me. I wait until her moans grow deeper, raspier, then I push against the plug, slowly. I don’t need to rush. I want her body aching for whatever I give her, opening to all that I want.

  I drag my lips from her neck to her mouth when I grab her neck, holding firmly while I take her mouth in the ways I’ve yearned to take her. It’s dominating. It’s passionate. It’s wild and dirty. And I fucking love how she melts beneath me.

  When the plug finally pushes past the tight rim and settles into place, I finish with a slow slide of my tongue against her parted lips before I lean away and lift the thick ribbon off the facet and tug her forward. Her eyes are dark, nipples tight, all but begging for my mouth.

  I grab the lube again before we step into the shower, and I grasp her hip, positioning her to stand under the water. My focus narrows on her when I turn the cold water on. Her eyes go huge and her gasp sizzles over me; I like waking her up like this. From hot to cold, I want her fucking alive for me.