Page 96 of An Inevitable Marriage

His entire demeanor changed. He dragged a rough hand through his hair and turned his back to me. “You don’t…” His broad shoulders slumped.

My heart hiccupped at how defeated he suddenly seemed.

“You don’t know the things I’ve done.”

I stepped up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Sometimes people who hurt just needed a hug.

“Everyone has a past, Liam. There isn’t a person alive who doesn’t have skeletons in their closet or things that keep them up at night. And yes, I don’t know everything, but”—I slid my palm up the left side of his chest—“I know enough that I can honestly say you have a good heart.”

He twisted in my arms, and those stormy eyes bored into mine. “Yeah?”

“Absolutely.”

I licked my lips. His gaze flicked down to follow the action. “Look at what you did for my dad. I never asked you to, and yet you did it anyway. There aren’t many people who’d do that.”

His lips parted, but instead of talking, he held my face between his palms and slanted his mouth over mine.

There was nothing gentle in the way his tongue coiled and twisted around mine. It was brutal, almost punishing.

A sweet, delicious torture that drove me wild.

Raw, unfiltered desire spread through my veins, fast and hot. My hands shot to his hips. Not only to feel his skin beneath my touch but, embarrassingly, to keep myself steady. Because the wicked things Liam did with his tongue weakened my knees and curled my toes.

I couldn’t recall a time when kissing had been this intense, this all-consuming.

And yet, every single time I’d tasted Liam’s mouth, this was exactly how it was.

Crazy.

Electrifying.

And, honestly, scary as shit.

That wasn’t something I wanted to think about right then. Concentrating on those big hands and their relentless hold on my face and the harsh sweep of his tongue was a far better use of my time.

I had no idea how long we kissed like that before we finally broke apart.

“Wow,” I breathed.

“Yeah.”

Gently resting his forehead against mine, Liam brushed his thumbs over my cheeks. His impossibly long fingers ended up in my hair, the tips firmly digging into my scalp.

I closed my eyes and sighed. “You’re so good at kissing me stupid.”

I hadn’t meant to say the words out loud. Embarrassment crawled up my cheeks and heated my skin.

“That’s good to know.” He chuckled. “Especially since I haven’t kissed anyone in decades.”

My eyes flew open. “You haven’t…? What?”

With another chuckle, he ran his nose along mine. “Yeah, but that’s a story for another day.”

I had so many questions, so freaking many, but instead of voicing them, I whispered a soft “Okay” against his lips.

My answer must not have been to his liking. A frustrated noise pushed past his throat, and he took a few steps backward.

“No.” Shaking his head, he roughly shoved a hand through his hair. “No, it’s not. You deserve more than the little snippets I give you.”