Possessing Liberty (Claimed 1)

I toss our clothes in the chair in the corner. She watches every move I make with those wide, sleepy eyes. She opens her mouth and then closes it. Does it again. She wants to say something. I wait her out, not rushing her.

I crawl into bed beside her before pulling her into my arms. She comes willingly, snuggling up against my chest. One arm slides across my abdomen, her feet tangling with mine beneath the covers. A sweet little sigh washes across my chest.

I reach over and turn off the lamp, casting the room into darkness.

Finally, she speaks.

"Did you mean what you said?"

"Yeah," I murmur, smiling in the dark. "I meant it."

She processes that for a minute, turning it over in her mind, absorbing it.

"Okay," she whispers then. "I…"

"Don't have to say anything," I say, cutting her off. "Didn't say it so you'd say it back. Just thought you should know where I stand. We've got time, as much as you need."

"Okay," she whispers again.

I kiss her on the forehead, and she settles back down in my arms, letting me hold her again. My hand drifts through her damp hair, my eyes drifting close.

This is heaven.

"Is Liberty here yet?" I ask Kathy, stopping at her desk on my way in. I had to run home and change, so Liberty drove herself. I didn't like it. Holding her all night and waking up with her still in my arms was utter goddamn perfection. She looked so sweet this morning. I desperately wanted to fuck her, but I resisted the urge. She didn't like that much, but I know she needs a break.

Leaving her to go home was hell. Her place is small, but it's a home. Mine is just the place I go to at the end of the day. My shit is still in boxes, my walls bare. Maybe that's not a bad thing though. It means she'll be able to change whatever she wants, however she wants because her place isn't big enough for a family…and we're definitely going to have one of those.

The more I think about a future with her, the more I want it all.

"Haven't seen her," Kathy says, handing me a stack of checks. "Those need to be signed so I can get them in the mail. And the plumber called. He's trying to track down a part he needs to finish up in the kitchen. Also, the washer delivery will be here in twenty minutes."

I tuck the bag of food I picked up for Liberty under my arm to take the checks from Kathy. "Good. Call Stavros and tell him to meet me in A Wing in fifteen."

"Yes, sir."

I stride toward my office, eager to set eyes on Liberty before I tackle all the shit on my list for the day. She needs to move in with me sooner rather than later. This driving in different cars bullshit isn't going to work for me. I want her with me, where I can keep an eye on her.

I frown when I get to the office and see the lights are off. She's not here yet. I head inside, dropping the checks on my desk and her breakfast on hers. I doubt she had a chance to eat after I left. We were running late. Mostly because letting her put clothes on should be criminal. She's a goddess.

I drag my phone out of my pocket to call her.

"Hey," she answers on the third ring, breathless. "I'm running late. Traffic."

"You're moving in with me."

"What?"

"You're moving in with me," I repeat, adjusting the flowers on her desk so they're closer to the window. They probably need sunlight.

"You can't order me to move in with you, Killian," she says, her voice quiet.

"I'm not."

"It certainly sounds like it."