Chapter 63 Afraid Of Change
Liam
For the first time ever, I actually want someone.
It began with breaking her, humiliating her, controlling her. Then it turned into wanting to see her happy instead of sad. Now it’s become care… overprotectiveness.
She was never mine to begin with.
That woman is married, damn it.
Even if he’s a worthless scumbag, even if their marriage is already dead in every way that counts, they’re still legally bound. And that knowledge leaves a sour, ugly taste in my mouth.
But thinking about it honestly, do I even want anything more developed than what we already have?
Do I want to settle down with her?
Do I love her?
No.
If I push this any further, I know, deep in my gut, I’ll change.
And if there’s one thing Liam King is afraid of, it’s change.
I fought tooth and nail to get where I am today. Every scrap I picked up off the ground, every dirty job, every sleepless night—it all led to this.
My empire. Built from nothing. Forged with my blood, my sweat, my willingness to cross lines most people won’t even look at.
And yes—it’s illegal. Every last piece of it. That’s the kind of man I am. That ruthlessness, that edge, that refusal to play clean is exactly what carried me this far.
Now imagine dragging someone like her into it.
Mrs. Claire, dignified, composed, the kind of woman who’s never had to beg for anything in her life, never had to dirty her hands or break a single law.
If I let her in, really let her in, she’ll change me.
She’ll make me question every choice I’ve ever made. She’ll make me want to be better. She’ll hate this world I’ve built, and if I ever give myself to her completely, if I ever let her have that kind of hold, I know what happens next.
I’ll do whatever she asks.
I’ll walk away from everything.
I’ll burn it all down and start over. Clean. Boring. But filled with her, filled with us, making love until we both run out of breath.
So I can’t let that happen.
I have to hide it. Keep her at arm’s length. Keep the distance subtle but firm.
I’ll keep doing what I do, running the empire, staying sharp, staying dangerous.
And when I need her, I’ll call. We’ll fuck like animals until we’re both spent, and then I’ll send her back to her world while I stay in mine.
That’s the plan.
But right now, with Pattie sitting so close I can smell her perfume, all I can think about is pulling my phone from my jacket and dialing Claire. My palms are literally itching. It’s driving me insane.
“You just sit here,” Pattie says, voice soft but edged, “in this dimly lit room, with no one around to keep you company. And even when I’m right here, you want to shut me out.”
She’s damn right. That’s exactly what I want this minute.
“I already told you, Pat, I like to be alone,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “Why don’t you behave like a good girl and run along? I have an important call to make.”
She smiled slowly, nodding like she’d expected it.
“An important call… or you want to call that lady?”
I sighed. Here we go again.
Her jealousy is going to kill her one day.
“Why are you so obsessed with knowing about this woman?” I asked, irritation creeping in.
“Because she can do what I can’t,” Pattie said quietly, lowering her head. Her expression was hard to read, vulnerable, almost broken. “What no one else can. And it’s not just about making you come.”
“Then what?” I pressed, brows furrowing.
She lifted her eyes to mine again.
“I don’t think you’ve ever been with anyone the way you are with her. You’re acting like a lover.”
The words hit harder than I expected. I scoffed, trying to brush it off.
“You must be joking.”
But she shook her head, fierce this time.
“No, I’m not. When you said you were dating me, you still fucked other women left and right. But since you found her… you haven’t touched anyone else. You’re behaving like a committed man. Like you’re a lover.”
I stared at her, the room suddenly too quiet.
Me? Acting like a committed lover to Mrs. Claire?
You can’t be serious.
Of course I’ve fucked other wo—
Fuck.
No. I haven’t.
The one time I did, right after I’d come inside her for the first time that day, I dragged another girl to bed. We kissed. I sucked her tits. I slid inside her cunt. I did every single thing I’d done to Claire.
And nothing.
No release. No rush. Just empty thrusting until I gave up, frustrated and miserable.
That’s when I came up with the stupid plan. Blackmail her. Not just to leave her husband and Pattie to continue their affairs, but to make her mine, my plaything, my obsession, whatever the hell I wanted to call it.
From that day in the car, when she finally gave in, she became mine.
And since then? Not a single other woman.
In fact, I don’t think I’ve even gotten properly hard for anyone else.
My cock only stirs when I see Claire. When I think about her. When she’s close enough that I can smell her skin and feel the heat coming off her body.
But it’s not commitment, it’s just practical.
I don’t waste time sleeping with women who can’t make me come anyway.
Why bother?
“You’re talking nonsense, Pat,” I said, voice low and edged. “You of all people should know commitment isn’t what I do.”
My hand was already moving, instinctively reaching for my pocket. Fuck.
I was about to call her right now.
I couldn’t believe all I’d get today was a kiss. Just a goddamn kiss, and it was already driving me insane.
“I just hope you’re right, Liam,” Pattie said quietly.
I looked up at her.
“I just hope you don’t…” She paused, then sighed. “Love her. Or fall in love with her. Because as you said—you’re not committed to anyone.”
She said it like a warning. Like she was trying to protect me from myself.
I leaned back, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make her uncomfortable.
“I think you’ve overstayed your welcome.”
She nodded once, stood up slowly, and started toward the door.
“Wait.”
She stopped, turned and looked at me.
Now I was smiling, slow, deliberate, the kind of smile that made people uneasy.
“I don’t want my precious Pattie, who makes me the most money, to fall short,” I said, planting both hands flat on the desk as I stared straight into her eyes. “So I’m gonna save you from the headache. Because you look like shit right now.”
She stared back, waiting, brow slightly raised.
“The only woman who has ever made me come,” I continued, letting the words drop like stones and her anticipation grew, “is Mrs. Claire Anthony. The wife of your ex-sugar daddy.”