GRIND

The crowd laughed, and Sage clenched my hand in hers as Randy pulled something out of his pocket. When he dropped down to one knee in front of Mom, my heart swelled and Sage gasped, just as many in the audience did.

Mom was already on the verge of tears as her jaw dropped when he produced a small teal box. "I love you more and more each day, so Kay Dumas Waterhouse, would you do me the extreme honor of marrying me?"

She squeaked out a yes and he slid the sparkling ring over her finger, the crowd around us standing to its feet and roaring with applause. I was shocked, but only in the best kind of way. I'd never seen Mom so happy before.

Not only an hour later, Mom's house felt full with all of the friends and family that had stopped by to celebrate her award and the engagement. I couldn't help but get absorbed in the whole thing, holding on to Sage tightly as we watched Mom's dreams come true.

I needed a breather after a few minutes and decided to freshen up before I went searching for Liam, but as soon as I turned the corner to where my old bedroom was, someone quite literally bumped right into me.

It was Liam.

My heart stuttered as I took in the handsome tuxedo he was wearing, but I frowned when I saw his nose, which was still red and swollen, immediately wanting to reach out and touch his face. It felt like his pain was my fault.

I opened my mouth to speak but Liam pushed me against the darkened hallway wall, gathering me up in his arms as his mouth coaxed mine open, his tongue tasting of wine and mint. I threw my arms around his neck, gasping for breath.

He trailed kisses along my jawline, never stopping as he whispered, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. What happened? Why did you go off the grid on me?"

Guilt circled my gut, along with the same ache that pierced right through me, my body begging me to drag Liam to my room right away. "I was scared. I overheard some women talking about you; one of them said she had a present for you and you really liked it… I don't know. It all sounds so silly, now that I'm saying it out loud. I thought maybe you were just using me as your vacation sex or whatever. Oh God, I'm so sorry that Josh freaked out on you like that, Liam."

I hated that this was on me, but Liam's eyes crinkled in the corners as he wiped a tear sliding down my cheek. "There's nothing to apologize for. I barely feel anything, anyway. He was a shit shot. And the lady you probably overheard? It was a regular at the spa, and she was talking about the present her son made for me. He and I are buddies—I let him come hang out with me when she's at the spa. His name is Owen, and he's seven."

Unable to do anything but laugh at my own stupidity, I shook my head against his broad chest. "Wow. Well, don't I feel like a huge idiot?"

"I'll give you a chance to make it up," he teased, brushing the soft hair away from my eyes. "Why don't you come stay the night with me tonight? I sort of had this whole night planned for us before you bailed on me."

I didn't know whether to cry from relief that he was okay with how I’d acted this past week, or whether I should pace myself. In the end I did neither, begging him to give me a few minutes so I could pack my purse up for the night.

I had no idea what to expect when Liam opened the door to his house, but the minimal and clean look of the place felt like it had Liam written all over it. It wasn't a gross bachelor pad—this was a place where a real man lived.

Liam took my bag from me and hung it up in his closet, turning back to smile at me. "You know, I'd be happy to get you some—"

I ran straight at him, knocking him back against the closed closet door as I crashed into him, desperately undoing the buttons to his tuxedo, pushing it back off of him and onto the floor. Designer clothes be damned, nothing was more perfect than Liam's naked body.

His eyes went wide and he crushed me to him, his fingers fumbling for the clasp to my dress at the back of my neck, his lips wild and pliant on mine.

I couldn't get him out of his clothes fast enough—this time, I was the one ripping the black button-up shirt right off of him, the buttons flying everywhere as I smoothed my hands across his taut chest, running my thumbs over his nipples. He hissed, his eyes flashing, and helped me yank off his belt and toss it behind him.

Quickly flipping my heels off, I whimpered, frustrated as I tried to pull down the top part of my dress. Liam jumped in to help, his fingers working at the tiny little hooks that held the back in place. When I felt the fabric go slack around my chest, I sighed and pushed it down, goosebumps erupting across my skin when Liam's fingers undid the clasp of my strapless bra, freeing me even more.

His breath was hot on my neck, his mouth right behind my ear, simply breathing next to me while he wound one hand in my hair and pulled it away from the nape of my neck. He dropped tiny barely-there kisses from my earlobe back around my neck to the other side, and with his other hand, he slid it across my belly and upward.

When he squeezed the heft of my breast in his one hand, my soft flesh spilling over, he hummed in my ear before biting it and sending a delicious jolt of pleasure through my body. I could feel his rock hard cock pressing up against what remained of my dress, settling right along my ass. I rolled my hips so that my ass bounced, and he growled in my ear, "You're a dirty little thing, aren't you?"

Excitement pooled between my legs, my pussy already drenched from having to wait so long for this. "Yes," I whispered in reply.

"Good."

And with that, Liam pulled me away from the closet and led me to the nearest surface, which happened to be the arm of an elegant leather couch. He bent me over it, flipped my dress up over my hips, and sighed to himself as he got a full view of my black thong and garters. "Oh, baby. You know just how to make me happy."

I looked over my shoulder at him and gave him my sexiest smile, wiggling my bare ass around for him. "And does this make you happy, Liam?"

He closed his eyes and grinned, his hands on either side of my hips as he leaned in again. "You have no fucking idea."

Spreading my thighs apart, Liam hooked his warm fingers inside the top part of my thong, sliding underneath the fabric bit by bit, pulling the string out from my ass crack as he went. My inner walls were quivering when he just barely skirted over my mound, pulling the slick underwear down until it was around my knees and leaving it there.

I was locked in with his knees on either side of mine, squirming in anticipation. Liam pushed the head of his thick cock against my dripping wet entrance, shoving himself in hard, then withdrawing himself only to shove it back in again. I splayed my hands out on the cushion and held on for dear life.

Each time Liam shoved himself deep inside of me, he pulled out slowly, taking his time so that he could hit my g-spot. I moaned, my breath stopping and starting again when he filled me up. I gripped at him from the inside, rocking my hips against him the best I could.

"Fuck, you are so tight, Aly. How can you be so damn amazing at this?" Liam said in a husky voice, slowly pulling back out.

But I couldn't speak because he pushed his hand between my stomach and the arm of the couch, his fingers making their way down between my legs, spreading me open enough to access my clit. I jumped from the contact, my eyes rolling up in my head as every single part of my body became aware of each nerve I possessed.

Hell, I was possessed…

Every muscle in me burned, twisted in the most excruciating kind of pleasure as Liam fucked me faster now, his breath coming in pants as I ground myself against him. I writhed and arched my neck, Liam bending down to roughly kiss the side of my face as he slammed into me over and over relentlessly.

"Oh, oh, oh!" I cried out, moans tearing up my throat, tears pricking at my eyes as I came hard, my vision going red and velvet behind my lids.

But Liam wasn't finished with me just yet, and he pushed my dress gently down and off of me, leaving me standing there naked in front of him, sweat dewing across my forehead. Laying me on the couch, he sank himself deep inside, throwing my legs over his shoulders just like in that one dream I had, and fucked

me hard and fast.

"Fuck. Fuck!" he grunted, his cock releasing within my pussy, throbbing as I clenched myself around him, milking him.

Several hours later, I found myself naked and exhausted beyond anything I’d ever experienced on Liam’s bed.

The ceiling fan spun overhead, dizzying me in my already fatigued state. Liam's arm was around my mid-section, squeezing me as if he were worried I was going to take off. A smile spread across my face.

"Hey Al?" He propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at me with those unfairly gorgeous blue eyes.

"Mm?"

"I just wanted to let you know… you're not just some fuck buddy to me. You're something else, something bigger, something greater than all that. I can't thank you enough for making me want to push myself. I've been thinking about it and…"

Patiently I waited, holding my breath.