Page 88 of An Inevitable Marriage

When I found whoever made her believe she wasn’t worth looking at, I’d make the sorry bastard eat his own words.

“Look at me.” I waited until her gaze found mine. “You’re fucking exquisite. Whoever made you believe otherwise is a dirty fucking liar. Seeing you, having my hands on you? Shit, I’ve been fantasizing about that since the moment we met.”

Her eyes went wide, and her lips popped open.

She didn’t have time to voice her protest because I quickly spoke again.

“I will never force you to do anything you’re not ready for. Hell, there are things I’m not ready for either.” I held her stare, ensuring she fully grasped what I was about to say. “You’re safe with me.”

Chapter twenty-four

Everlee

You’resafewithme.

No one had ever said those words to me or, more importantly, made me believe them.

Until now.

I wholeheartedly believed Liam when he’d said that. Unfortunately, believing it didn’t miraculously cure my lack of confidence or fear of what he’d say or think if he saw me naked. Exactly why I’d freaked out in the first place.

I’d been right there with him in that incredible kiss. My blood was hot, my insides a tingly, needy mess, but when I’d felt where his hand went, all I’d heard were insults.

Ugly, ugly insults that had no right to intrude on this moment.

And as much as I would have liked to point my finger and blame someone else, I couldn’t. Yes, Anthony was a bastard who threw cheap shots to make me hurt, butIwas the one who chose to believe them.

Liam gently pressed his mouth against my forehead, effectively pulling me from my crazy inner ramblings. The kiss he placed on my skin was so soft, so tender, my heart squeezed tight.

“Goodnight, Snow.”

He took a step back. I didn’t want him to leave. I also didn’t know how to ask him to stay.

“Goodnight,” I said weakly.

He took one more step, then another, and another. My heart almost broke through my ribs.Stay. The word was right there, captive on the tip of my tongue. Even when Liam cleared the room and gently closed the door behind him, I still couldn’t say it.

“What the hell is wrong with me?”

Throwing my head back, I glared at the ceiling. It didn’t hold the answers I so freaking desperately needed. I had to search a whole lot deeper for that. An angry, frustrated noise spilled over my lips.

I shoved my hands into my hair, tugging at the ends until sharp tingles crawled over my scalp.

Ugh!

Why did I have to be so damn…broken?

Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, and instead of blinking them away, I allowed the emotion to roll down my cheeks. I took a moment to miss the one thing I didn’t have. The only thing I never had.

Confidence.

If it’d been a present companion, I would probably have been well on my way to experiencing a bone-melting orgasm. Honestly, if the man kissed like it was his sole purpose to do so, he most definitely did other things with the same amount of passion.

One of those toe-curling shivers ran down my spine at the thought of Liam and the wicked things he could do. But then, right on cue, too, that annoying voice inside my head made itself known again.

He’ll be disgusted if he sees you without clothes.

He won’t be able to look at you.