Page 31 of Fighting With Light

Unknown: I’m going to say it, anyway.

Unknown: You know what? No, I’m not. I’m going to say it to your face when you get here. See you in….three hours.

I look up from my phone and study Liam’s profile. “Did you read them?”

“Yes,” I rasp.

“So then, what are we?” he asks.

“I thought you were going to tell me.”

He chuckles and checks over his shoulder before moving into the next lane. “We’re obviously…teammates, but I told you what I am, Aelia. I want you to tell me what youwant.”

“You heard me. I don’t do relationships.”

“That makes two of us,” Liam says, glancing at me and then back at the road.

“So it’s a partnership with…benefits?”

He chuckles. “How about friends with benefits?”

“Have you seen a single rom-com? Someone always gets hurt.”

He purses his lips and looks at me again. But he’s driving and not focused on the road ahead of him. I start to tell him to focus on the road and he glances at it,then looks back at me. “I think I’m willing to get hurt by you, princess. I think the pain will be worth it.”

My eyes widen and he doesn’t see it with his eyes back on the road. My heart flutters in my chest like a hummingbird searching for nectar and I don’t know what to do with that. Except say, “I think I’m willing to get hurt, too.”

He veers to the right and gets off the highway. I’m not paying attention to our direction because I’m staring at him. “I miss those jungle eyes on my skin,” he says quietly, almost like the thought shouldn’t have passed his lips.

The car turns and then comes to a stop. I look up and we’re parked by a group of buildings. “Why did we stop?”

“No one else, Aelia.”

“What?” I ask him.

He grabs my hand, enveloping it in his large palm. “No one else. If we are going to do this, knowing how it will end, then I want you to promise me no one else until we’re done.”

Understanding fills me and the mere thought of being with anyone else makes my stomach hurt. This is not love, but I am an honest woman. I wouldn’t do that to anyone if we were casual for one week or three months.

“No one else,” I repeat back.

“Good, so now I can do this,” he says and grabs my face, smashing his lips to mine.

I sigh into his kiss, and it feels like…no. It’s a toe curling kiss. His tongue thrusts into my mouth and I lean forward further into him to the point I’m on my knees, bracing myself on the armrest. Then he growls and pulls away, resting his forehead against mine. “I thought you might want to do some shopping.”

“Why?” I ask him.

“Because I’m going to take you rock climbing.”

“Liam, I’m not…I can’t do that. You saw me in Bali.” He rubs his head against mine. Our foreheads are pressed together, and I lift my hand and draw my thumb across his lips.

“Yes, you can. I’m going to teach you better than Trick did, if you want to, of course.”

“Why not,” I sigh.

“Cool,” he says and hops out of the car.

I follow him into an outdoor outfitter and he starts grabbing things. I had to try on some shoes and then harnesses. I found pants that are like the shorts he’s wearing now and grab a pair. We were in there for less than an hour and he dropped two grand so I could go amateur rock climbing.