Page 27 of All's Fair in Love and Magic

“You’re going to wait as long as you can, aren’t you?”

“Obviously.”

Liam grunted. “There’s no reason to draw it out pointlessly.”

“It’s not pointless to me.”

“The longer it takes, the more intimate things will get between us.”

“I don’t think it gets more intimate than having sex to seal the bond.”

“You don’t think letting me eat you out is more intense than just fucking fast and hard?” he asked.

It was a good thing my entire body was already flushed, or I would’ve blushed hard core. “I think all of it is more intimate than I want it to be. And I’m not ready for more.”

Liam grunted again.

I could hear people’s voices getting closer, so I opened my eyes. Everything was still spinning a little, but I could see that we weren’t headed straight for a restaurant or the tower, like I’d assumed we were.

Instead, Liam carried me toward a bungalow on the beach. It was small, but not tiny, and done in a coastal style. Surrounded by plants, it looked like a tropical getaway.

Though it was identical to most of the other bungalows I’d seen on the island, the way Liam headed toward it told me it was the one he used for storage.

He typed a code into the door’s lock—it definitely wasn’t 8888—and opened it.

When he did, the smell of cleaning supplies made my nose itch.

I looked around, expecting to see boxes and tarps everywhere, but nothing was there.

Just comfortable-looking furniture, making the small living area and kitchen feel cozy and spacious.

“I decided to pay someone to clean it,” Liam said, closing the door behind me.

“You let someone else go through your stuff?”

“Harv offered to move it up to my room in the tower.”

“You trust him.” It wasn’t a question, but an observation.

“Yes.”

“You know he’s sleeping with Bailey, right?”

“Of course. It’s the worst-kept secret on the island.”

“Then why are they keeping it a secret at all?”

“They think I’ll worry they’re going to try to overthrow me.”

My eyebrows shot upward. “Willthey try to overthrow you?”

“You know as well as I do what will happen to this place if someone kills me.”

He was the one holding the wards together, so… yeah. Trying to take the leadership position from him would be a terrible idea. The resort would cease to be safe instantly.

“Right.”

“Besides, killing me at all would be nearly impossible. My magic heals me as soon as I’m injured.”