Page 40 of Built for Mercy

“Yeah. You’re totally right.” I pressed my lips to his before giving him a shaky smile. “Talk later?”

He nodded and placed a hand on my lower back as we walked to the front door together. He gave me a swooning kiss goodbye that was all lingering hands and delving tongues, before watching me leave.

All while I tried not to sprint down the hall—away from the heat of his touch, the weight of his presence, the way he made me feel like I was coming apart at the seams. Because if I stayedany longer, I might’ve done something reckless. Like crawl back to him and beg for more.

***

I hadn’t even fully walked into Callie’s shared office before she blurted out, “My girl got laid!”

Flinching, I averted my eyes. “Announce it to the world, why don’t you?” I was grumbly and cranky, knowing I was giving up something that could satisfy me, maybe even make me happy.

“Don’t act like that. You know damn well you celebrated when I was in your shoes. Besides, you should be in a better mood for someone who stayed the night with someone as fuck-hot as him.” Then she gasped. “Oh no. Was it bad?”

That had me giggling as I sank into the chair across from her perfectly neat desk. She was neurotically organized. “It was actually the best sex of my life. What I want to know is how you knew.”

“Soph, you’re covered in hickeys. And you’re glowing! That’s a post-coital glow if I’ve ever seen one.”

I pulled my shirt collar to the side, having completely forgotten about the hickeys. I swore under my breath and buttoned my shirt all the way up to conceal as many bruises as possible.

“What’s wrong, Sophie?” Callie could clearly see right through me.

My throat bobbed. “That’s the thing.Nothingis wrong.”

“Why are you acting like that’s a bad thing?”

I quickly glanced at her office mate. Callie rolled her eyes and waved in her general direction. “Don’t mind her. She keeps to herself and wears noise-canceling headphones.”

I snickered, then sobered. “He just… he pushed my limits last night. In, like, areallygood way. In ways I didn’t know werepossible. And then he was so gentle after. He asked me to ditch work today to just spend time with me and like… well, we live completely different lives. It would never work.”

My friend blinked at me. “Why wouldn’t it work? You can work out differences. Besides, you don’t even know if this would be serious or not. You should just focus on having fun.”

“This coming from the queen of heartache,” I quipped. “That’s what he said, too. That we’re just seeing where this goes. And he told me last night that he feels like there’s something more here.”

“So?”

I scoffed. “So? The point is, this is how it always starts, and it always ends in me getting hurt.”

“I’m going to disagree with you there.”

“Seriously, Cal?”

“Yes, seriously. I’ve never seen you like this before over a guy. I heard the man on the phoneandsaw him at that nightclub. He’s clearly obsessed with you. It’s worth giving it a shot. Don’t discredit it until you try.” She paused, letting her words sink in. “Plus, if he can make you come in bed, and he didn’t kick you out after, why not try? At the very least you’ll keep getting the best sex of your life.”

I pointed an accusatory finger. “I expected you to be on my side.”

She laughed in such a carefree way that it made me ache with jealousy. It wasn’t too long ago that our roles were reversed. “No, you expected me to join your pity party. I won’t. You’re self-sabotaging because you don’t think you’re lovable. I’m here to tell you that you’re dead wrong and that you just haven’t found the right guy yet. Or maybe you have now. Point is, you can’t keep running before things get too serious. And if you feel like he complements you and makes you feel things you never have before, it’s worth seeing through.”

Before I could respond to her sage advice, her eyes caught something over my shoulder and brightened. “Hey, babe! Look who came to visit me!”

We stood at the same time, and I caught the way Liam’s face softened the second he stepped into her office, his smile easy, like it belonged only to her. And the way she looked back at him—like he was home. Steady. Unshakable. My chest tightened. I envied that. That kind of love that wasn’t just fire and hunger, but something deeper. Something that lasted. They had been through hell to get here, but still. I wanted that. Someone who would look at me like I was worth the wreckage.

Liam gave me a quick hug. “Soph. Haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?”

Grinning, I said, “I’ve been great,” at the same time Callie said, “Her love life is in crisis.”

“Whatever, Cal.” I rolled my eyes as they laughed, their bodies naturally folding into each other before Liam tugged her in for a kiss—deep, unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world to taste her. When they broke away, they spent a moment talking quietly about something. Heat flared up my neck, and I turned my attention away, but not before catching the way her fingers curled into his shirt. The intimacy between them was precious; my heart ached, and that jealousy grew.

But more than that.