I headed up the stairs and listened to her follow behind me. Once we were in my bedroom, we both tensed. As much as I wanted to be with her, to feel her intimately, I wasn"t ready for that. I doubt she felt the same way, but I knew she wouldn"t press me.
I pulled my shirt off and removed my shorts.
Without asking my permission, she opened one of my drawers and pulled out a t-shirt. Then she walked into the bathroom.
I was glad she didn"t ask if that was okay.
I got into bed and waited for her, anxious to feel her smooth body against mine. I slept alone for so long, and I hated every moment of it. It was bitter and painful.
She came out of the bathroom, my t-shirt drowning her body. The bottom reached past her knees, and one side fell down her shoulder because it was too big for her small size.
But she looked like my greatest fantasy.
She came to the bed then pulled the covers back. After she glanced at me, she slid inside and darted for my chest, hooking her leg around mine and her arm around my chest.
My arm wrapped around her and my other rested on her thigh.
She released a deep sigh, the stress and pain leaving her lungs within the breath.
I listened to her breathe, remembering the sound from our time living together. For the first time, I felt tired. For the first time, I felt relaxed. Having her share my bed was the greatest sleeping pill I would ever find. She completed me in a way no one else ever could. After my one-night stands, I kicked the girls out because I hated sleeping with people. It was always uncomfortable and they were too clingy. Keira was different. She couldn"t be clingy enough.
My lips moved to her forehead and I gave her a long kiss.
Her chest suddenly expanded, taking in a large breath. Her fingers dug into my chest for a moment, showing her emotion.
My mouth finally pulled away, still feeling the burn. I hadn"t kissed her forehead in so long I forgot how it felt.
She hugged me tightly for a moment before she loosened her hold. "I won"t let you down, Liam."
I hoped that was the case. If it wasn"t...I didn"t want to think about it.
Chapter Six.
Keira I didn"t realize how much pain I was in until Liam hugged me. The weight of my suffering suddenly lifted, making me understand just how heavy it was. I thought we"d never be together again. I a.s.sumed I would never get another chance. Even though his offer was conditional, it was still the best thing that ever happened to me.
Ever since we met, Liam had been the stronger one. He taught me how to defend myself, how to get back into the world I was so afraid of, and he taught me how to trust again. But now the strength in him was gone. I shattered him into a million pieces, taking the fight out of him.
Now I had to put him back together.
Could I do it? Yes, I could. Because failure wasn"t an option. He could rely on me for anything and I"d be there for him. His weakness wouldn"t sabotage this relationship. I would be patient and supportive as long as he needed to be. We were unbreakable together, but now we would be uncrushable.
But that depended on me.
When I woke up the next morning, Liam was wrapped tightly around me, his arms still acting as steel cages. His eyes were closed and his breathing was heavy. I felt refreshed and vibrant, something I hadn"t felt in so long I couldn"t recall. Being with Liam finally helped me sleep.
He stirred slightly then opened his eyes. They locked onto mine, taking me in through the morning light drifting through his window. His hair was messy and all over the place. The sleepiness to his eyes gave him a lazy look. Just like always, he looked s.e.xy as h.e.l.l.
"Morning," he said with his deep voice.
"Morning." I couldn"t believe I was waking up next to him. It was a dream.
His hand was across my stomach, covering it entirely with just his palm. He dragged me closer to him, eliminating any possible s.p.a.ce between us. He released a sigh then buried his face in my neck.
I could lay like this all day.
"How did you sleep?" he whispered in my ear.
"Like I"ve never slept before."
I felt his mouth move as he smiled. "Me too."
"I don"t want to go to cla.s.s..."
"Then don"t." He pulled me tighter.
G.o.d, that was tempting. "I have an exam for my third cla.s.s."
"Who cares?" he teased.
"Well, if I don"t pa.s.s Calculus the credential program will kick me out."
He moved from my neck and sat up. "You"re in the credential program?"
"No, not yet. I applied the other day. I hope I get it. I think my chances are good since there"s such a demand for math and science teachers."
He stared at me for a moment, the shadow on his chin looking darker than yesterday. "I didn"t know you applied."
"Yeah..." I didn"t know what else to say.
"Well, I hope you get it."
"Me too."
He kept staring at me.
"What?"
"Isn"t that guy in your calculus cla.s.s...?"
"What guy?"
His eyes flashed in irritation. "The one hitting on you at the bar."
Was he jealous...? "Yeah."
He nodded slightly. "All the more reason to ditch."
I couldn"t help but smile. "There"s only one man in my heart."
"And only one in your bed."
"That too." I was loving this. Liam was always so calm and collected. I"d never seen him lose his cool like this.
He cuddled next to me again. "I feel like I"ve missed so much..."
"Me too..."
"When will you know if you"re accepted?"
"Pretty soon. I think in a week."
"That"s quick."
"Well, they don"t have a lot of applications for the math and science positions..."
He smirked. "I guess not."
Should I tell him about the support group I applied for? No. There was no point in mentioning it unless I got it. "Don"t you have cla.s.s today?"
He groaned. "Don"t remind me."
"Why don"t you just drop out now?"
"I"d rather finish the remaining weeks. Otherwise, it would make all the work for nothing."
"I guess."
He sat up and pulled the blankets down. Looking at his back made me shiver. The lines of muscle rippled as he moved. He was a ma.s.s of muscle and power. As ashamed as I was to admit it, I wanted to be under him, to feel him the way I used to. But he wasn"t ready for that so I wouldn"t push him. He had to come to me in his own time.
He stood up then ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "I"m going to shower."
My eyes widened as I looked at his bare chest. Sculpted and defined, he was perfect. I hadn"t paid much attention the night before because I was too emotional to think about him in that way. But now I was definitely thinking about him in that way. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, I looked away. "Okay."
He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.
I wish I could watch.
When he came downstairs, the coffee was made, and eggs and toast were on the table. He shoveled the food onto his plate then grabbed a mug. "Thanks for making this."
"Sure." I felt my warm mug in my hands.
He sat across from me then ate his food quietly.
I tried not to stare at him but it was difficult.
Then my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and read the message.
Where the f.u.c.k were you last night? I just got home and I can tell you haven"t been here.
There weren"t dishes in the sink and the shower wasn"t wet. The coffee hadn"t been made. It was pretty obvious I never came home last night. I stayed at Liam"s.
You did? Why?
What do you mean why?
He"s sleeping with that girl Theresa.
The dark thought came into my mind but I pushed it away. Liam wouldn"t lie to me. If I really trusted him, I needed to start proving it. No, he isn"t.
He"s with her all the time. And she"s hot. Believe me, Liam isn"t the kind of guy to just be friends with a girl.
He wouldn"t lie to me.
Did he actually tell you he wasn"t sleeping with her?
Yes. Now stay out of it, Scotty.
My screen went dark because he didn"t text me again.
Liam eyed me from across the table. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah." I put my phone back in my pocket.
Judging the concerned expression on his face, he didn"t believe me. "I"m guessing that was Scotty."
"Of course."
He nodded. "He"s not my biggest fan right now."
I didn"t have anything to say, so I said nothing at all.
"He thinks I"m sleeping with Theresa, doesn"t he?" He stared me down, watching my face.
"I don"t care what he thinks." I held his gaze.
His eyes searched mine before he dropped them back to his plate.
I looked at the clock and realized I needed to leave. "I should get to cla.s.s."
"Okay." He abandoned his food and stood up, walking me to the door.
After I grabbed my bag, we stood on the threshold. I really wanted him to kiss me, to feel his mouth against mine. But I didn"t get my hopes up.