Caught in the Act (Independence Falls 2)

His lips touched her ear. “Come for me. Now.”

He felt her body tense. The hand rubbing the front of his jeans stilled. It was as if she’d been waiting for those words.

And then she exploded. Liam watched as her eyes closed and her lips parted. Maybe it was the way she moved her lips, or her silent cry, but he swore he saw the same sense of awe and wonder in her expression that he’d witnessed years ago. That look—it pushed past the physical, touching something deep inside him.

Katie stepped forward, breaking free from his hold as she adjusted her skirt.

He smiled down at her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Want another drink, or are you ready to go?”

She stared out at the crowd for a moment before turning to him. Moving closer, she ran her hand up his thigh, stopping short of his crotch. “I think I’ve done enough research for one night. And you might be more comfortable in the car.”

Her words held a sensual promise. Before he could tell her that he planned to take a rain check, she abandoned their quiet corner, weaving her way through the crowd toward the door. Liam followed close behind. Outside, in the cool night air, they headed for her wagon.

“I’ll need your keys,” he said, holding out his hand.

Katie turned, leaning back against the trunk. “In a hurry to get home? Without even a good-night kiss?”

She took his hand, pulling him close. Staring down into her green eyes, Liam placed one hand on either side of her head, palms flat against the wagon. Moving closer until his thigh touched hers, he leaned down and brushed her lips, a simple, chaste kiss.

“I’m done with stolen moments in parking lots, or out under trees,” he said. “Next time, I want a bed.”

Her hands reached for his hips, trying to draw him closer. He didn’t budge. This was too important. If he wanted to find his way back to the moment when she’d looked at him, her eyes filled with love, he couldn’t rush to the finish line.

“What makes you think there will be a next time?” she said, her tone light and teasing.

“I’m not giving up on you. On us. Not this time.”

KATIE STARED INTO his brown eyes. She still felt the lingering effect of his touch. When this man took over, her body obeyed as if acting on pure instinct. She’d made plans, dammit. But he touched her and she set them aside.

Turning her gaze to the full moon high in the sky above them, she struggled to collect her thoughts, one question rushing to the forefront. She looked back to him, taking in the hard line of his jaw, set and determined.

“Why now?” she asked. “Is it because of my family’s company?”

His gaze sharpened. “Hell no. If anything, I should steer clear of you until the deal is done.”

“Then why?”

“Because I didn’t have anything to offer you back then.” He stepped back, lifted his hands, running them through his short hair.

“That morning, in the field, I saw the love and hope in your eyes, and I panicked,” he continued. “I was one year out of school, living at home and caring for my mom while she battled cancer, knowing she was losing the fight. I was following in my father’s footsteps, working in the industry that had kept a roof over our heads and food on the table, but not much more.”

“I wasn’t asking you for anything,” she said. She had stupidly believed she’d already won his heart.

“Honey, you looked at me like I was your future, and I was taking life one day at a time. I wasn’t ready. And shit, I’m sorry I led you on. I’m sorry for the way it ended.”

He was sorry. Hearing that now snuffed out her lingering desire, making room for the feelings she’d carried around for years.

“Most guys panic and they stop calling.” Her voice trembled with the ancient hurt. “My brothers confronted you and you told them everything. You—”

“Not everything, Katie,” he said.

“Liam, you said that you regretted what we’d done. You opened my eyes to a world of pleasure, and then you walked away, leaving me feeling as if I’d done something wrong.”

Liam closed his eyes, bowing his chin to his chest. “At the time, I thought I was doing the right thing. Your brothers demanded that I leave you alone if I wasn’t serious. And I refused to make promises that I knew would end up broken.”

“Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was?” she said, pressing her palms flat against the side of the wagon as if the car could anchor her. “Look at me, Liam.”

For once, he obeyed her.