Page 74 of Fighting With Light

I fish out some lightweight athletic shorts and a crop top sports bra. Liam has spun around listening to someone talk on the phone with his eyebrows slightly squished together as he watches me carefully. I take my moment to mess with him more and drop my towel to the floor. His eyes immediately widen, and his jaw ticks. I grab my shorts and slide them over my legs, snapping the elastic.

Then I reach forward for a sports bra, and there is no sexy way to put on a sports bra. They’re cuter nowadays, but you have to get it over your head and it into place. I shimmy myself into it and turn around to find Liam still watching me.

I take slow steps towards him and his legs widen as I run my hand through my hair, continuing my little show while his other hand opens, palm up, as if he’s ready to hold me.

“Mhm, yeah, that’s fine. I can do that,” he says. The person on the other side keeps talking.

I climb into his lap, and he groans, then remembers himself and coughs to cover it up. “What? Oh yeah, the plan is Cali, and then we can—”

I grin and move my hand over his chiseled chest and down his stomach to his waistband.

“Yeah,” he rasps, looking at my hand and where it sits.

I slip my fingers past his shorts and I swear he stops breathing for a moment.

“Sure, no problem,” he whooshes out.

Leaning forward, keeping my fingers where they are, I kiss his ocean skin on the corner of his jaw. “I’m not sure I want to do that interview. I don’t want to jinx myself,” Liam hurries out, and I slide my fingers lower. “Mhm,” he grunts.

I know I’m getting to him, and I love it.

“Hey, I’m—” I shake my head.

“Finish the call,” I whisper.

He shoots daggers from his eyes, and I push my hand all the way past his shorts, and his head tilts back in a silent groan.

“Yeah, okay, that sounds cool. I’m—I’m glad to hear the sponsors are happy about Portugal. It was a tough surf since we got rescheduled so much.”

I graze my fingers over him and his whole body is stretched tight like he could snap at any second.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I did something a little different, and I think it’s made all the difference,” he says.

My hand stalls, his eyes lock onto mine, and my smile drops. I have never felt wanted the way I do with Liam. It’s not just for sex, though it’s great. No, he simply wanted me there to watch him surf because he values my presence.

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later. Bye,” he says, tapping his phone before dropping it on the desk next to him.

“Are you going to finish what you started?” He grins, looking down at my hand in his board shorts.

“I—”

He cuts me off by carrying me to the bed and drops me on the edge. He sets his knee next to my hip while my legs hang off the side.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, princess.” He grins and nips my lip, slipping his hand under the hem of my shorts.

I glance down at my basic, olive green athletic shorts. The hem is a little fluttery to make it look like a skirt—that’s the only cute thing about them.

“Easy access.” He grins and slips his fingers over me.

I gasp and he takes my mouth.

“That really wasn’t why I put them on,” I mutter against his lips.

He chuckles darkly. “Really? Because I’m pretty sure you wear things just to mess with me.”

The corner of my mouth tips up and I can’t say I don’t because I do wear things to mess with him. Just add it to the list of games we play with each other.

I sigh and lean my head back. He kisses down my neck to the dip in my throat. “Okay, fine. I do wear things to mess with you, but this time, I just grabbed a pair of shorts.” I feel his smile against my skin and then he lifts up to look me in the eye.