Chapter 63 Teaser
LIAM
Ava had spent the entire night testing me.
Not subtly. Not innocently.
Deliberately.
Across the dinner table, beneath the soft amber glow of candlelight, she’d look up at me through her lashes like she was bored, like she had no idea that the slow drag of her gaze down my chest was setting off alarms in my head. She’d tilt her glass to her lips, eyes never leaving mine, mouth curving just slightly like she was keeping a secret.
She knew.
Every time her fingers brushed over my hand, it lingered a second too long. Just enough to feel intentional. Just enough to make my pulse kick harder. She’d trace the edge of my knuckles absentmindedly while talking about something completely harmless, as if she wasn’t very aware of how my jaw tightened in response.
And when she leaned in to whisper?
That was her favorite move.
Her body would press just a little too close. The silk of her dress warm against my side. Her lips near my ear, breath soft and distracting, saying something simple, something completely normal, but the way she said it? Slow. Intimate. Like it was meant for me alone.
She’d pull back with that look.
That smug, satisfied look.
Like she was keeping score.
She wanted to push me.
Wanted to see how far she could take it. How long I could sit there across from her, nodding politely, pretending to care about the menu or the art on the walls or anything other than the way her knee brushed mine under the table.
She wanted to see when I’d break.
And I didn’t.
Not at dinner. Not in the car. Not when she smiled at me like she’d already won.
But I felt it building.
Slow. Steady. Tightening in my chest. Coiling low in my stomach. Every glance. Every touch. Every quiet little challenge adding fuel.
She thought she was in control.
And maybe she had been.
Until now.
Because the second the lodge door closed behind us, the world outside disappeared. No waiters. No museum guards. No polite public restraint.
Just us.
And now?
Now she was about to find
The second we stepped inside the lodge, I had her against the door. One hand pressed beside her head, the other gripping her waist, pulling her flush against me. I could feel the rapid rise and fall of her chest, the way her breath hitched as I slid my fingers down the soft fabric of her dress, tracing the outline of her curves.
"You think it’s funny, don’t you?" My voice was low, rough.
"What?" she tilted her head, eyes gleaming with challenge.
"You spent the whole night testing me, baby. Watching me like you wanted me to break." I huffed out a dark chuckle.
"Did I?" Her lips curled, fingers playing at the open collar of my coat.
Fuck. She was so goddamn smug.
I tightened my grip on her waist, dragging her body even closer. "Yeah," I murmured, lips brushing her ear. "You did."
Before she could say another word, I claimed her mouth.
It wasn’t sweet. It wasn’t careful. It was raw, hungry, and mine. She gasped against my lips, and I swallowed the sound, deepening the kiss, my hand sliding down to grip the curve of her ass.
I could feel how warm she was, how her body melted into mine, her fingers tangling in my hair, tugging just enough to send fire licking down my spine. I groaned, pressing her harder against the door, letting her feel exactly what she’d done to me.
"You like playing games, don’t you?" I muttered, sliding my lips down the curve of her jaw, to her neck, sucking just hard enough to make her squirm. "You like driving me crazy?"
"I like seeing you lose control." She moaned softly, tilting her head to give me more access.
"Then I hope you’re ready for what happens next." My grip tightened.
I spun her around before she could react, pressing her front against the door. Her palms splayed flat against the wood, her breath coming faster. I trailed my fingers down her spine, tracing the open-back design of her dress, letting my lips follow the path.
"You’ve been teasing me all night," I whispered against her skin. "Now, it’s my turn."
My hands skimmed up her thighs, slow, deliberate, slipping beneath the fabric of her dress. When my fingers found the lace of her panties, I groaned against her neck. "You wore this for me, didn’t you?"
"Yes." she whimpered.
I hooked my fingers into the waistband and dragged them down, letting my hands graze her bare skin as I went. She shivered, pressing back against me, her hips arching in silent invitation.
"You really don’t know what you do to me, do you?" I exhaled sharply, barely holding on to my restraint.
"I think I do." she turned her head slightly, just enough for me to see the wicked smirk playing on her lips.
I chuckled darkly, slipping my fingers between her thighs. The second they made contact, she sucked in a sharp breath, her fingers curling against the door.
"Fuck, Liam… Please"
"You look so pretty when you beg." I grinned, sliding my lips up the side of her neck.
She let out a breathy whimper, pushing back against my touch. I could feel how warm, how ready she was for me, and it nearly broke me.
I spun her back around, my eyes dark with heat as I stared down at her. "Take off the dress."
Ava swallowed hard, her hands moving to the thin straps at her shoulders. She held my gaze as she let them slip, the fabric gliding down her body, pooling at her feet.
And fuck.
My throat went dry. My hands clenched at my sides.
She was standing there in nothing but her heels, her skin glowing under the dim lights, her body soft and perfect and mine.
"You're trying to kill me," I muttered, my voice rough.
She smirked, stepping closer, pressing her bare body against me. She reached up, fingers curling in my shirt as she whispered against my lips,
"I told you, I like seeing you lose control."
"Then I hope you’re ready to take what you started." I let out a low, dangerous chuckle.
I grabbed her thighs and lifted her into my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carried her to the bed. She barely had time to gasp before I tossed her down onto the mattress, covering her body with mine in an instant.
Her nails dragged down my back, a soft moan spilling from her lips as I kissed my way down her chest, my hands roaming, claiming, owning.
Tonight, there were no distractions. No interruptions. Just us.
And I wasn’t stopping until she was screaming my name.