The Rebel (Red's Tavern 2)

“So you’re saying our hearts and our dicks were right all along.”

“Yeah,” Red said, nodding. “Who needs a brain, anyway?”

I shook my head. “I’m pretty sure my brain says this is the best thing I’ve ever felt, too,” I whispered. “God. I was… I had a plan.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have ten more rose plants like that one back in my car,” I said, nodding to the small pot sitting on the ground next to us. “I was going to plant them in front of the bar. In the place where Colin ruined the old plants.”

“Liam Hardy,” Red said, watching me like I’d hung the moon. “You might be the sweetest person to have ever lived.”

I shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe it was just an excuse to see you again tonight,” I said.

“You never need an excuse for that,” Red said. “I want you to see me all the fucking time.”

I let out a shuddering breath. “It used to be so scary to even dream of saying something like that to you. To lay it all out there. Tell you how badly I actually want you.”

“I understand completely,” he said.

“You do?”

He nodded. “I was scared too, the whole damn time, even if it didn’t seem like it.”

“Everything feels so different now,” I whispered. “Everything.”

“It’s because you’re not afraid anymore,” Red said. “And neither am I.”

I didn’t know if he was right. I still felt afraid of so many things. But for the first time, I was letting something other than fear take the steering wheel.

I wasn’t running from anything anymore.

In fact, I was running toward something, just as Katie said. I was running as fast as I fucking could. I was running toward love with the person I cared about more than anyone in the world.

Red dipped to kiss against my neck and I puffed out a small laugh. “Y’know what?”

“Hmm?” he hummed in response, kissing my collarbone.

“I’ve been a thrill-seeker all my life,” I said. “But I was just looking for it in the wrong place.”

He began to wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me so close against him. The warmth of his body against mine was intoxicating.

“Well, do you think you’re in the right place now?” he murmured, his fingertips sneaking underneath the hem of my shirt, sliding across my burning skin.

“Yes,” I whispered. “This is a bigger thrill than anything. Trusting you. Even if it feels like free-falling without a parachute.”

He leaned back a little, shaking his head at me. “You aren’t in free fall. I’m right here to catch you. Any time you need.”

I couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across my face. “Okay, cowboy,” I said.

“Mmm,” he hummed deeply. “Keep calling me your cowboy and I’m going to have to ride off with you into the sunset,” he said. He slid a hand into my back pocket, squeezing my ass. My cock was pressing hard against the front of my jeans now, and the overwhelmed feeling had rapidly channeled into me becoming ridiculously turned on.

“Then I guess I’m going to be calling you my cowboy every damn day,” I said.

He pressed his lips to mine, kissing me slowly and deeply, sliding his tongue against mine. “Well, giddy-up,” he murmured against me, gently biting my lower lip.

I couldn’t get him inside fast enough.

17

Red

I kept my lips pressed to Liam’s as he dragged me inside his house, slamming the front door behind us. I pushed his body up against the back of it, sliding a hand down the back of his jeans pocket to grip his ass.

Fire ripped through me. I usually considered myself a level-headed person, but I needed every inch of his skin against mine now.

“Mmm,” he hummed deeply, bucking his hips forward. “Impatient much?”

“As if you aren’t,” I said, my voice low and hungry. I started to grind my hips forward right back into his. I could feel his erection pressing hard up against mine through layers of denim.

“Way too many fucking clothes,” I said.

“So start taking some off,” he said, giving me a little shove forward.

I licked my lips, nodding at him. “You first.”

His eyes flashed with recognition. “You want to watch, don’t you?”

“I want to watch very badly,” I said, feeling every word of it down to my bones.

“Come with me,” he said, shimmying past me. My eyes were fixed on him as he walked away. I followed, running my palm against my cock.

I lifted an eyebrow as Liam walked to the kitchen, reaching up into a cabinet for a glass, very clearly pushing his ass out to torture me. He grabbed the glass, leisurely heading over to the fridge and pulling out the pitcher of water. He poured it, then took a sip, eyes fixed on me.

“You’re doing this on purpose,” I said, finally realizing.

He gave me a flirty, innocent look. “What do you mean?”