Page 31 of Liam (The Valeur Billionaires #4)

Chapter Nineteen

ALERIA

I step into the Valeur Tech lobby, inhaling deeply.

My fingers brush over the phone in my pocket, where Liam’s message still glows: “Everything’s set up on the fifteenth floor.

Your team can start today.” After days of waiting while he arranged the ASTRA project’s temporary relocation, I’m finally back to work.

The lobby bustles with its usual morning energy, but there’s an undercurrent of excitement.

My LumiVera colleagues cluster in small groups, their voices low as they discuss the move to Valeur Tech.

I adjust the strap of my bag, feeling a mix of gratitude and nervous anticipation.

Moving an entire research project in five days couldn’t have been easy, even for a Valeur.

My eyes drift to the elevators, remembering Liam’s promise to give me a tour of the new labs.

But will he even show up? He’s been so busy these past few days that our only connection was relegated to brief phone calls about equipment transfers and security protocols.

Part of me wonders if he’s avoiding me, if the reality of our night together has sunk in.

I shake off the thought, scanning the crowd.

That’s when I spot him, standing by the elevator banks, his presence commanding as always in his perfectly tailored suit.

Our eyes lock across the lobby, and the days of separation vanish.

The warmth of his voice over the phone pales compared to the heat in his gaze.

My heart races, a mixture of excitement and anxiety. I haven’t seen our new lab space yet. I haven’t seen him in days. And now, both are just a few steps away.

I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. Time to act like a professional. I can do this. I can absolutely walk across this lobby without making a fool of myself in front of my entire research team.

Probably.

I lift my chin, forcing my legs into a casual stride past the elevators. One foot in front of the other, like I haven’t replayed that night’s events on a constant loop since I left his penthouse. My gaze fixates on a point beyond Liam’s shoulder, determined not to make eye contact.

My right foot catches on...nothing.

The world tilts sideways. My arms windmill as gravity takes hold. I hit the polished floor with a less-than-graceful thud, my bag flying open on impact.

Pens skitter across the marble in every direction. My notebook slides to a stop at the feet of a startled intern. A tampon rolls to a halt in front of the security desk. The entire lobby falls silent, all eyes fixed on the human disaster sprawled in their midst .

So much for playing it cool.

I lunge for the nearest pen, my fingers closing around it as another hand reaches for the same target. A jolt of electricity shoots up my arm as our hands collide. I look up, my eyes meeting Liam’s amused gaze.

“Causing chaos already, Dr. James?” he murmurs, his voice low enough for only me to hear. “I didn’t realize our night together would lead to such...explosive results.”

Heat floods my cheeks. “I was just showing the unpredictable nature of quantum fluctuations in everyday life,” I retort, snatching up a stray notebook.

Liam’s eyebrow quirks. “Is that what we’re calling it now? Here I thought it was just good old-fashioned clumsiness.”

“Careful, Mr. Valeur,” I whisper, leaning in. “We wouldn’t want you to cause a singularity in the middle of the lobby with that inflated ego of yours.”

He chuckles, handing me the last escaped pen. “I think you mean a black hole, Dr. James. A singularity is a point where?—”

“I know what a singularity is,” I cut him off, fighting a smile. “I was being metaphorical.”

“Ah, of course,” Liam nods. “Because nothing says ‘secret office romance’ like astrophysics metaphors at eight AM.”

I open my mouth to retort but realize we’re still crouched on the lobby floor, surrounded by curious onlookers. “Right. Well. Thank you for your help, Mr. Valeur. I should...go. Science waits for no one.”

As I stand, clutching my reassembled bag, Liam’s eyes twinkle with mischief. “Indeed, it doesn’t, Dr. James. Although I do hope you’ll be more careful in the new lab. We wouldn’t want any uncontrolled reactions.”

I bite my lip to keep from laughing and hurry toward the elevators.

The elevator doors slide open with a soft ding. I step inside, Liam behind me, the crowd forcing us to the back. The space is tight, bodies pressing in, the air thick with the scent of too many people too close together.

Liam shifts with the next lurch of the elevator, his chest grazing my back. Heat radiates from him, his breath steady.

His hand slides beneath the hem of my skirt, fingers bold as they trail up the inside of my thigh. My pulse quickens, the elevator suffocating. I grip my bag strap. What is he doing?

Another stop. People enter, pushing us even closer.

Liam’s voice remains steady, casual. “Morning, David,” he says with a nod.

His fingers slide higher, brushing the thin fabric between my legs. My body reacts, heat surging through me, muscles tightening, but I keep my face neutral, biting the inside of my cheek to stop any sound from slipping out.

His fingers push beneath the fabric. I clench the strap of my bag harder, my body going rigid as he presses into me, slow but insistent. My legs tremble, knees threatening to give, but he keeps me upright, one hand steady on his briefcase, the other hidden, working me from the inside.

Another stop.

Two more people step in, their conversations filling the small space.

Liam shifts his briefcase, hiding the motion of his hand as his thumb presses against my clit, rubbing in slow, deliberate circles.

My entire body tightens, a wave of heat rolling through me.

I can barely breathe, my pulse loud in my ears, every nerve alive and straining toward the edge.

“Good to see you, John,” Liam says, his tone light, almost amused.

His fingers curl deeper inside me, stroking, rubbing, his thumb moving with purpose, relentless. I bite down hard on my lip, fighting the moan rising in my throat. My body pulses with need, the tension building. I’m so close—so fucking close.

The elevator dings again, another stop. More people pack in, brushing against us.

I shift, trying to keep my legs from giving out beneath me.

I can’t stand straight, not with his hand buried between my thighs, driving me toward the edge.

But he doesn’t let go. His fingers move faster now, rubbing my clit in tight, teasing circles, the pleasure almost unbearable.

I want him to stop. But I don’t want him to stop.

His breath warms my neck as he leans in, his lips grazing the shell of my ear. “Stay with me,” he murmurs, his voice low, commanding.

His thumb presses harder, sending sparks of heat through me. I’m right there, teetering on the brink, but I can’t fall. Not here. Not now.

Oh my God, not where everyone can see, can hear.

Another stop. The doors slide open again. Liam’s hand doesn’t stop, and my body trembles. His fingers push deeper, and I tighten around him, the pressure inside building, building.

He shifts again, greeting each newcomer with a calm nod, all while his hand works me mercilessly. I grip my bag so tight it could snap. I’m on the edge, clinging to the last thread of control .

The elevator dings. Our floor. The doors open, his fingers curling one last time, pushing me closer to the brink before he pulls out.

I stumble forward, barely standing as I step out, Liam at my side, his hand slipping free, leaving me trembling, every inch of me alive with the ghost of his touch.

Liam steps out of the elevator, his hand brushing mine as if by accident. I follow, trying to catch my breath. But before I can take another step, his hand grips my arm, firm but urgent, pulling me to the side.

“Liam—”

He drags me into a nearby copy room, the door snapping shut behind us. The air feels electric, my pulse pounding in my ears.

Before I can catch my breath, he’s on me. His lips crash into mine, rough and demanding, as if the restraint he held back in the elevator has snapped.

I gasp against his mouth, and he deepens the kiss, his tongue sweeping inside, tasting, claiming. The force of it presses me back against the wall, and I melt into him, every shred of professionalism obliterated in an instant.

Liam’s hands grip my waist, fingers digging in, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us. His body is solid, heat radiating off him in waves, and a soft moan escapes me as his hands slide up my sides, tugging me harder against him.

His lips are relentless, moving from my mouth to my jaw, then down my neck, nipping, teasing, sending shivers skittering across my skin.

My fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer, the need to feel him overwhelming every thought.

He growls against my throat, the sound vibrating through me, sparking a deeper ache. His hands are everywhere, roaming over my body, tracing the lines of my curves as if he’s memorizing me, and it’s intoxicating, drowning me in the sensation of him.

I arch into him, pressing myself against the hard planes of his chest. My breathing is shallow, rapid, as he kisses me harder, fiercer, each movement stoking the fire between us. His teeth graze my bottom lip, tugging before plunging back into a kiss that leaves me breathless.

“Liam,” I whisper against his mouth, my voice shaky, but he doesn’t stop.

His hands move lower, gripping my hips with a possessiveness that sends a thrill racing through me. His lips are on my throat again, sucking, biting just enough to leave a mark—one I’ll have to hide later. But right now, I don’t care.

He pulls back just an inch, his forehead resting against mine, his breath ragged.

“I couldn’t resist,” he murmurs, his voice husky, rough with desire.

His hands don’t let go, fingers still digging into my hips as if he’s afraid to release me. His eyes burn into mine, dark, smoldering, as if he’s barely holding himself back.