Page 65 of The Tower (Billionaire Brothers Grimm #1)
She complied, stripping off both blouse and bra, then tossing them aside. He leaned forward, his mouth immediately closing over one gorgeous peak as he sat up, then sucked hard enough to make her cry out and clench around him.
“That’s it, Princess,” he growled against her breast, one hand sliding between them to tease her clit. “Come for me again.”
She drew in a ragged breath, then rode him harder, chasing the building pressure, her rhythm growing erratic as she approached the edge. “Liam,” she gasped, nails digging into his shoulders. “I’m close. Don’t stop. Please, please don’t stop.”
“Never,” he promised, his eyes devouring her as she moved above him. “Look at you. Taking me so deep. Like you were made for me.”
“I was.” She ground down on him gasping. “We were made for each other.”
Yes , he thought. Oh, god, yes.
The simple truth of it broke something open in him. His hands tightened on her hips as he took control of her movements, driving her down onto him with increasing urgency. “I love you,” he said, the words more raw and honest than any he’d ever spoken. “Fuck, Sasha, I love you so damn much.”
“I love you, too,” she managed. “I need you, Liam. Wildly. Desperately.”
Her words washed over him with the same force as his strongest orgasm. She was his. He was hers. And nothing would change that.
That realization, so powerful and true, drove him on. His fingers on her clit. His cock hitting that perfect spot inside her, all driving her rapidly toward another climax. “Grimm, I’m going to?—”
“Yes,” he urged, his voice strained with the effort of holding back his own release. “Give it to me. Let me feel you.”
She came with his name on her lips, her body clenching around him in waves that seemed to go on forever. He followed a heartbeat later, his hips jerking upward as he emptied himself inside her with a hoarse moan.
For a long moment, they stayed locked together, both panting, sweat-slicked and trembling. Then Liam shifted, keeping her in his arms as he adjusted their position on the sofa, still joined, her body sprawled across his chest.
“That was …” he began, then laughed softly. “I don’t even have words.”
“Worth waiting for,” she said, then pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “Although I may have to reupholster the couch.”
He chuckled. “Worth it.”
“Oh, yeah.”
He cupped her face, his expression shifting to something more serious, more vulnerable. “I meant it, you know. What I said.”
“I know,” she replied, no need to specify which words. “I meant it, too.”
He finally withdrew, but only to gather her more comfortably against him. “Bed,” he said firmly. “That was just the appetizer.”
“Are you sure you’re up for more?” she teased, though she could already feel him hardening against her again.
He flashed a predatory smile. “I’ve got to make up for lost time.” He shifted their positions, then stood up with her in his arms. “Hope you didn’t have plans for the rest of the night.”
“Just a half-dozen really cute guys. But I’ll cancel.”
“Careful,” he teased. “I’d hate to have to spank you.”
She laughed. “No, you wouldn’t.”
“True,” he said, then bent to kiss her. “And you’d like it, too.”
Later—much later—they lay tangled in the sheets, her back to his front, his arm possessively draped over her waist. Their bodies were like a map of their reunion—bite marks on her neck and breasts, her ass still a bit red, and scratches on his back and shoulders.
Both of them deliciously sore in the best possible way.
“What are you thinking?”
His fingers traced idle patterns on her hip, the earlier urgency replaced by something gentler but no less intimate.
“That I’ve never felt this before,” he admitted, the truth easier in post-coital darkness.
“This … peace.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face, cherishing her touch.
Hell, cherishing her . “We walked through fire, Princess. And we came out stronger. Together.”
She smiled, something bright and genuine that made his chest ache with feelings he was still learning to name. “Together,” she echoed, settling back, her body fitting perfectly against his.
When morning came, he woke to find her watching him. “Creepy,” he murmured, smiling as he remembered their night—and morning—at the Celestial. “Watching me sleep.”
“Just making sure this is real. That you’re really here.”
He reached out to touch her face, tracing the line of her jaw with gentle fingers. “I’m here,” he assured her. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
Liam stared at his phone, the message from Leo sending ice through his veins. Bane on the move. Sources confirm plan to abduct Sasha tonight. Team of six. Armed.
He looked across the breakfast table at Sasha as she talked about her plans for Lydia Cosmetics, her face animated with passion for her mother's legacy. She was happy. Safe. At peace.
And Desmond Bane was about to fuck that all to hell.
He gripped his phone tighter. After everything he and Sasha had been through, they'd finally found their way back to each other. And, yes, he'd sworn to never make decisions for her again, never to steal her agency.
But this was different. This was her safety.
He stood abruptly, his chair screeching on the polished floor. "I need to head into the city."
"Everything okay?"
"Nothing I can't handle," he said, already calculating how quickly he could reach Bane and take the bastard out of the equation.
He kissed her forehead, lingering a moment longer than necessary. “I'll be back before dinner."
She nodded, then returned to her coffee, her expression worry-free. Why wouldn’t it be? She trusted him.
Trust.
Still so fragile between them.
But this was different. More dire.
At least that’s what he told himself as he walked to the door.
Except it was a goddamn lie.
He stopped, his hand on the knob. What the fuck was he doing? Repeating goddamn history, that’s what.
This was exactly what he'd done before. Exactly how he'd justified killing Victor. Protecting her. Keeping her safe.
And keeping her in the dark through all of it.
“Fuck.”
He turned around, then headed back to the dining area. She was still at the table, reviewing marketing materials for the rebranding.
“Forget something?” she asked, not looking up.
“Yes.” He put his phone down in front of her with Leo’s text visible. “The truth.”
She read the message, her face paling. “Bane is coming here? Tonight?”
“Apparently.” He took the seat across from her, forcing himself to stay calm. “My first instinct was to go after him myself. To handle it. To protect you without involving you.”
She glanced toward the front door as understanding dawned in her eyes. “You were about to go after him. Like with my father.”
He nodded. “I was halfway out the door when I realized what I was doing. Making the same damn mistake again.”
She reached across the table, covering his hand with hers. “But you didn’t.”
“No.” He turned his palm up, intertwining their fingers. “I didn’t.”
A smile flickered on her lips. “So, what should we do?”
The we sent a surge of something warm through his chest. Partnership. Trust. Something he’d nearly thrown away.
“We call the FBI,” he said. “Anonymous tip. Leo’s gathered enough evidence to convince them it’s credible. They can intercept Bane before he gets anywhere near here.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
“Then we have contingency plans. Together.”
She studied him for a long moment, then smiled. “I’m proud of you.”
Three simple words. Yet they hit him with more force than any praise he’d ever received.
“Don’t get used to it,” he said, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “I still have a reputation to maintain.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.” She stood, tugging him to his feet. “Make the call. I’ll pack a bag, just in case.”
She paused on the way to the bedroom, looking back at him. “Thanks. For trusting me enough to tell me. For understanding that I need to know, too.”
He nodded, something tight in his chest loosening. “Always. From now on. Count on it.”
And as he dialed, Liam realized he’d finally, shaken off that damn need to control everything. The belief that he alone could protect what was his. The truth was, some threats couldn’t be eliminated alone. Some battles were meant to be fought together.