Chapter 40 Throbbing
Ava Reed
"Not done yet, baby."
The words send a shiver through me, equal parts terror and need.
And then he does something devastating, he slides two fingers inside me, curling them deep, and I snap again.
A broken moan rips from my throat, my whole body convulsing as a second orgasm slams through me with just as much force as the first.
My mind fractures around the edges, thoughts dissolving into sensation.
"Liam, I can't…" Tears prick my eyes.
I mean everything. I mean him.
"You can," he growls, thrusting his fingers in and out, slow but deep. "You will."
I don’t know how long he keeps me there. How long he pulls me under, makes me drown in pleasure, in him.
Time loses meaning. There is only this.
But when he finally, finally slows down, when he presses one last kiss to my sensitive, throbbing core, I’m completely boneless, my body limp, my head lolling against the mirror.
I feel emptied out. Wrecked. Claimed.
He stands, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and fuck, his lips are swollen, his jaw tense, his eyes hungry.
The sight of him steals what little breath I’ve recovered.
"You done running from me, Ava?" he asks, voice dark, raw.
The question feels heavier than it should.
I don’t even have the strength to answer.
But the way my body shudders for him?
The way I reach for him, pulling him close despite everything I swore?
That’s answer enough.
Because I know, deep in my bones, in my soul, that Liam owns me.
And I was never going to escape him.
I left the bathroom with unsteady legs. My skin still burned from Liam’s touch, my lips swollen from his kisses, and my entire body was trapped in the aftershocks of what he’d just done to me. My underwear felt like a lost cause, soaked through from the way he’d devoured me.
I should have been ashamed. Embarrassed. I’d let him bury his face between my thighs in a public bathroom. I’d come apart for him with nothing but his mouth and the sheer force of his will.
And the worst part? I didn’t regret it. Not one fucking bit.
I could still hear his voice in my head, low and dark, dripping with possession. I’ll see you at home.
It wasn’t a request. It wasn’t even a statement. It was a demand.
Liam expected me to come back. He expected me to accept what had happened, to act like nothing had changed. Like everything had changed.
But I wasn’t ready.
I ran a hand through my hair, forcing my breathing to steady before I stepped back into the main area of the lounge. The moment I did, Nathan’s eyes found mine. He was sitting in the same spot, leaning back against the leather booth, his fingers tapping against the side of his glass.
And the look he gave me?
Yeah. He knew something had happened.
I swallowed hard and forced my legs to work, making my way back to him. My heart was still racing, my mind still lost in the memory of Liam’s tongue, the way he’d held me open, how he’d pushed me to the edge and then dragged me under.
“Everything okay?” Nathan asked, his brow lifting slightly.
“Yeah. Fine.” I nodded too quickly.
His lips twitched like he didn’t believe me, but he didn’t push. Heat crawled up my neck.
No. I hadn’t forgotten about his offer, but I also wasn’t thinking about that. I was too busy trying to figure out how the hell I was supposed to go home to Liam after what just happened.
Nathan’s smirk faded slightly as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.
“You sure you’re okay? You look a little…” He tilted his head, studying me. “Wrecked.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. Did he know? Shit, was I giving out too much from my face?
I didn’t confirm or deny it. Instead, I reached for my drink. I needed something to ground me. Something to remind me that I was still in control.
Even if it was a lie.
Nathan watched me for a long moment before speaking. “You were quiet earlier. Before you went to… wherever you just went.”
“Yeah?” I swallowed another sip of my drink and looked up at him. “
“Yeah.” He exhaled, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “I know this wasn’t exactly a social call.”
I set my drink down carefully. “No. It wasn’t.”
He nodded like he already knew that. Like he’d known from the second I sat down that I wasn’t really here to catch up, that I wasn’t here for casual drinks. I was here for something else.
I was running
“You don’t have to give me an answer right now,” he said, watching me closely. “But I meant what I said earlier. If you want the job, it’s yours.”
The job.
Right. That was why I was here.
Nathan was offering me a position as his team’s full-time physiotherapist. It was a good job. A fresh start. A chance to work with a team outside of my father’s influence, outside of the tangled mess I’d created with Liam.
A chance to walk away before I made things worse.
I should’ve said yes. Heck I would’ve said yes if Liam hadn’t come in
But as I opened my mouth to speak, I felt it.
Liam’s hands on me. His mouth on me. His body pressed against mine.
I felt the way he’d held me like he was afraid I’d slip through his fingers. The way he’d looked at me when I told him we couldn’t happen.
The way he’d ignored every word and claimed me anyway.
And just like that, I knew.
I couldn’t leave.
I wasn’t ready to walk away from him.
Even if I should.
Even if every logical part of me screamed that it was the smart choice.
I looked up at Nathan and shook my head.
“I appreciate the offer, but… I can’t.”
His brows lifted slightly, but he didn’t look surprised. He just sighed and leaned back against the booth.
“Didn’t think you’d say yes.”
“Then why offer?” I frowned.
“Because you looked like you needed an out.” He shrugged. “Figured I’d give you one.”
Something twisted in my chest. I exhaled slowly and stood.
“I should go.”
He
nodded, lifting his glass in a silent toast.
“Take care of yourself, Ava.”
I turned and walked away, ignoring the tightness in my chest, the voice in my head that whispered that I was making a mistake.
I stepped outside into the cool night air, pulling my coat tighter around me as I started walking. I knew where I was going.
Where I needed to be.
And as much as I hated to admit it, there was only one person I wanted to see right now.
Only one person I wanted to be with. Liam.