Page 25 of Raise Me Up

When he drops into the small space on the couch on my other side, I fall into the dip his body creates. Heartbeat skipping, I do my best to wiggle out of his personal space, but he stops me with a heavy hand on my bare thigh.

“Relax. I won’t bite.”

A breathy, flustered laugh slips out of me. Liam cocks a brow. “Sorry, you’ve just got that whole vampire lord thing going on.”

“A vampire lord, hmm?” Those sharp teeth come out to play, sinking into one side of his bottom lip to hold back a grin.

I want to tell him not to rob me of it. I’ve spent half a lifetime looking at this man.Dreamingof him. Searching for someone who could live up to him because I was convinced he would never look back at me.

Liam’s thumb moves over my skin in a teasing pattern. “These are a sad excuse for shorts.”

Indulging, I let my gaze run down the thick column of his neck to the wide cut out where his sleeve should be. “Well, you’re not really wearing a shirt, so I won’t accept judgement from you.”

His rumbly laugh zips through me like a hot sizzle of electricity. I grin.Idid that. I made him laugh. I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve heard that wonderful sound from him.

Beau leans back fully on the couch. I’m not sure when his buddy vanished from the room, but now the three of us are alone, snugly fit together.

Swallowing, I fight the urge to move from between these two men. Should I excuse myself for the night? I hadn’t planned on staying late, anyway.

But then Beau leans closer, his warm breath fanning against my neck. “Should we keep playing, sweetheart?”

I shiver, lured back under his spell. I’m not sure what game we’re playing. All I know is I can’t find the desire to say no.

eight

Liam

Beau’s eyes glitter with mischief I’m all too familiar with as he whispers something in Stas’s ear. I wait for a twist of jealousy, but even after listening to them flirt all afternoon, I’m overcome by a surge of undeniable lust. As much as I don’t like to admit it, both of them have me in a fucking chokehold.

Would I mind seeing themtogether?

My cock jerks in response. No, I don’t think I fucking would.

“You playing games with her, trouble?” I ask darkly.

Beau grins. “Nah. Stas and I are just friends, right?”

My jaw clenches at the way her expression sinks just a fraction. Unnoticeable to most, but I pay attention to everything she does.

Honestly, it’s a little exhausting.

To my surprise, Beau nudges her chin toward him with a knuckle. “But sometimes friends have fun together, don’t they?”

Her throat bobs. She’s hanging on his every word. Is she even breathing?

Fuck. My dick likes this too much. My brain does too as it conjures up visions of them, lips locked and perfect bodies moving seductively against each other.

Beau’s an unselfish lover, singularly focused on making his partner feel good. Years ago, I didn’t want that. I was too messed up in the head, andhe was too fresh in his career to think about anything outside of music. At least, that’s what I had decided for him.

But I want that for Stas. I want her to feel good. I want her firmly out of her head.

Beau could do that for her.

Then again, do I want him messing around with her when I haven’t gotten to the bottom of why he came to Dallas?

Ever since he finished baking with Stasi, he’s successfully kept himself surrounded by people to avoid a difficult conversation with me.

Whatever it is that pushed him here, I sense I’m not going to like it.