“The spare bedroom,” she said softly. “I want to show you something.”

  “Lead the way.”

  She grabbed my wrist and led me down the hall to a spare room I remembered as mostly empty and white walled. The only other time I’d seen it had been when I’d prowled through the house looking for an intruder that first night. But when she opened the door for me and stepped in, I realized a lot had changed since then.

  Color.

  There was color everywhere. On canvases propped along the baseboards and on every wall including the window frame. Bright, sweeping oranges and yellows for sunsets. Dark, lush greens and browns for forests. It all blended together in a representation of emotion in a way I’d never seen. Abstract but also a visceral definition of form that left me speechless.

  “Cassie, this is amazing,” I managed, staring at what she’d created before finally turning back to her with wide eyes.

  She shrugged, much like I had when she’d complimented my woodworking. “It’s fun. And I’m enjoying doing something for no other reason than pleasure.”

  I stared at her, completely blown away by the raw talent and depth and sincerity in the woman I’d come to know. And the desire that had been momentarily shoved aside sprang back to life, curling in my gut and hardening my cock instantly. I reached for, pulling her against my chest.

  “That’s good to hear,” I breathed, pulling her hair aside so that I could plant a lingering kiss on her throat. “Because I’ve got something else we can do purely for the pleasure of it.”

  She leaned in, sighing as I kissed a trail from her chin to ear and back again. “I’ve missed you,” she said. When her lips turned toward mine, I crashed my mouth against hers, suddenly a lot hungrier now.

  Maybe this wouldn’t be slow after all.

  Cassie broke the kiss, reaching for my pants and yanking them open. She coaxed my erection free, stroking it so that my balls tightened and my knees went weak. “Fuck me,” I breathed.

  “That’s my plan.”

  I smirked. Two could play at this game.

  I reached for her, but she slid away, her hand still working up and down on my cock. She slid to her knees, her big blue eyes staring up at me, and I groaned in anticipation. Moving slowly, her tongue made small circles over the tip of my dick, and I shuddered.

  “Holy shit,” I managed, my head falling backward as she began tracing lines up and down the length of my cock with her tongue. The moment her mouth closed over me, my breath whooshed out, and I had to catch myself to stay upright. Nope. At this rate, it definitely wouldn’t take long at all.

  The sensation of Cassie’s mouth around me was insane. She sucked and pulled, and I grabbed a handful of her hair, holding it out of her face and using the pressure of my squeezing hand to brace the tension that was building fast. Really fucking fast.

  I couldn’t take much more of this.

  “My turn,” I growled, pulling out of her mouth and falling to my knees before her. I didn’t give her a chance to argue before I grabbed her and eased her back onto the carpet, rising up over her and yanking her shorts off. I spread her legs and pulled her panties aside, leaning in and delving my tongue between her folds fast enough to make her ass jump up off the floor.

  She gasped, but I didn’t let up. If she was going full speed ahead, so was I.

  My tongue was insistent as I licked and sucked at her clit then probed her folds until her wetness dripped from both of us. When she whimpered, her hips bucking and rocking toward me, I knew she was just as close as I was. With one hand, I reached up and found her already taut nipple inside her shirt. I plucked at it, pulling lightly and running the pad of my thumb over the hardened tip. With my other hand, I slid two fingers inside her.

  “Liam,” she warned.

  I kept licking and pumping my fingers into her until I felt the muscles in her thighs tense.

  “Liam,” she said again, louder now. More insistent.

  My cock jumped and throbbed, aching to be inside her.

  At the last second, I pulled my fingers out of her and sat up, yanking her panties off and sliding into her so fast, we both inhaled sharply. Cassie gasped and my breath caught, my chest tightening and my dick hardening even more.

  I slid farther, burying myself inside her as far as I could go. Cassie was completely taut, her hips pushed against mine. I stared down at her, neither one of us moving an inch, and let myself get lost in the liquid warmth of her blue eyes.

  So much heat. Inside and out, it was all I could feel from her. Passion and heat and need. “Liam, I...”

  She trailed off, just like she had earlier, but I didn’t care. I didn’t need to hear it. Not now, like this. Not when I could literally fucking feel the truth in her. In answer, I let myself fall over her, my mouth crashing to hers and making it impossible for her to talk.

  Moving slowly at first, I eased back a little and then rocked lightly against her. She whimpered, her nails digging into my back. “No more talking,” I told her, my mouth barely releasing hers as I spoke. “Just coming.”

  Her answering moan was exactly right.

  “Faster,” she breathed and I complied, pushing against her harder now. Faster, in and out, I lost myself in her, until the rhythm of our bodies was all that existed. I reached around with one hand, cupping her ass and holding her against me as she grinded her hips, meeting every one of my thrusts with her own.

  “Liam, I’m going to...”

  I felt it the moment she tensed. A split second where her body wasn’t her own anymore. Tension, pressure, and pure passion—and then she came apart. Exploding into an orgasm that I felt all the way through me. My cock throbbed as her walls contracted against it, and then I went with her, crashing over the edge of my own release and falling, falling with only Cassie there to catch me at the bottom.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Cassie

  I stood on the sidewalk, watching the progress of the crane currently lifting the sign into place over the entrance to Liam’s store. The sun had set behind the building just enough not to blind me, and I watched as the crew communicated about centering the rectangular display and then leveling it out before securing it into place. It was the last step before Liam opened next week. After three weeks of preparation, we were actually ahead of schedule. I was so proud of him—a fact I mentioned often. Mostly to make up for the fact that it was still too terrifying to tell him the one thing I really wanted to say. And Liam never pushed me or made me feel bad for it. In fact, he seemed perfectly fine with my lack of response and used it as a challenge for a much more physical response instead. I’d lost count of how many times I’d shown him my feelings lately.

  “Looking good.” A pair of arms covered in sawdust slid around my waist from behind.

  I turned and offered my mouth for a kiss. “They’ve done a great job,” I agreed.

  “I wasn’t talking about the sign.” He grinned and slid around to face me, his arms still holding me tight.

  “Such a smooth talker,” I teased. “Is that how you’re going to treat all your customers?”

  He scoffed. “Of course not. I have you to charm them.”

  My eyes widened. “I think you have me mixed up with someone else. I am not your employee, and I am most definitely not charming.”

  He nibbled my ear. “Job’s yours if you want it.”

  His easy offer left me speechless. Not because I didn’t want it. I was touched that he’d extended the invite, especially after how terrified he’d been when I’d offered to help him negotiate the lease a few weeks back. A lot had changed, not the least of which was my need for control. Apparently, Liam was noticing that too.

  When I didn’t answer, he leaned in and planted a kiss on the tip of my nose. “You are very charming when you want to be. Lucky for me, I’m the only one in the world you want to charm. Otherwise, we’d all be in trouble, and I’d probably have a lawsuit of my own to deal with.”

  “Very funny.” I tried not to let his comment make me think of Evan, but it was a losing battle.

  “Sorry,” Liam said, squeezing my hand.

  “It’s fine.”

  “Have you heard from your dad?”

  I shook my head.

  Liam had been gently pushing me to reach out, but so far, I hadn’t tried. My dad was the one who needed to apologize. Until he did that, I wasn’t sure what there was to even say. I knew Liam had a sort of “life’s too short” outlook when it came to that stuff, but I wasn’t quite there yet.

  “Are you ready for all this?” I asked, changing the subject as we turned to face the store again. We watched as the crew put the finishing touches on the sign.

  “I don’t know. I guess. I mean, I did sign a two-year lease so I have to be, right?”

  “One thing I know for sure: you don’t have to do anything in this life that you don’t want to.”

  He smiled at me. “Spoken like a true rebel.”

  “I’m trying.”

  And I was. With each new passing day, I got further from the old Cassie and more acquainted with the new one. When I wasn’t with Liam, I spent my spare time finding things that brought me pleasure. I was planning a second tattoo and considering taking art lessons at some point. Mostly, I was just breathing easier. And wearing more tank tops thanks to the fact that I was now on day twenty-two without the rash. And the panic. Mostly.

  “Speaking of rebels, Jess called,” I said, and Liam’s expression turned annoyed—a reaction I was starting to suspect was more out of habit for them both than actual dislike. “She thinks you should have a party for your opening.”

  “Of course she does.”

  “And apparently Jamie agrees.”

  “If there’s one thing those two can agree on, it’s a party.”

  “So is that a yes?”

  He hesitated.

  “If you don’t want the attention, we can skip it,” I began.

  “No, let’s do it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.” He glanced back at the sign. “Publicity for doing what I love is something I want to get used to.”

  I beamed up at him. “I’m really proud of you.” He was never going to want the spotlight for what had happened to him in the military, and I couldn’t blame him there. But for this, he deserved it.

  He wiggled his brows. “How about instead of going out with Jess tonight, you and I step into the back room and you can show me how proud—”

  I laughed, swatting at him. “You’re so bad.”

  He darted in for another kiss. “You love it.”

  I felt my face flush with warmth. “I do. If I bring you breakfast tomorrow, does that make me a good girlfriend?”

  “Yes. But if you are breakfast tomorrow, it makes you an even better one. Have a good time tonight,” he said, sending me off with another kiss that made it very tempting to take him up on his offer to go back inside. But in the end, I managed to untangle myself and promised to see him in the morning. By the time I drove away, Liam’s sign had lit up in my rearview, and I was still smiling.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Liam

  My earache, a dull throb that had persisted since last night, suddenly turned sharp, and I grunted at the stabbing sensation coming from inside my ear canal. When it didn’t pass, I signaled to Jamie to lower the table he was helping me haul into the shop space I’d rented. The moment it was out of my grip, I doubled back outside, and fumbled in the cab of the truck for the eardrops the doc had prescribed. After a couple of drops, the pain dialed back again, leaving me dizzy but able walk. Sort of. I leaned back against the building, breathing and wincing with the pain that had migrated from my ears to my head.

  Jamie stepped out, squinting into the morning sun, and crossed his arms over his chest, studying me. “You look like shit, bro.”

  “Your encouragement is noted.” I leaned my head against the brick and closed my eyes, concentrating on my heart rate. After the sign had gone up last night, I’d cut out and gone back to the shop to work on the last pieces. Jamie had arrived bright and early to help me begin bringing them over, but the earache that had only been an annoying background issue for weeks was suddenly much more pronounced today. It hurt like hell—enough that I wasn’t playing it off anymore when Jamie asked how I felt.

  “I’m serious,” Jamie said now, real concern lacing his words. “What did the doc say?”

  “To call him if the drops didn’t help the pain,” I admitted.

  “Uh-huh.” Jamie’s brows rose. “Let me guess, you’re getting to that.”

  I shrugged. “It’s on my list of things to do.”

  His look was like an entire lecture wrapped in a glare. “Bro.”

  I held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t start with me. You sound like Sophie.”

  “For good reason. You’re being stupid.”

  “Again with the encouragement. I just have to get this stuff loaded for the opening and then I can take a break.”

  “And if your ears explode or some shit before all your customers can come buy your wood?” He ignored his own joke—a sure sign he was pissed. “I hate to point out the obvious, but no Liam, no customers.”

  When I didn’t answer, he sighed. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

  “Say what?”

  “How much I love you and can’t live without you. If something happens to you—”

  “Nothing is going to happen.” I shoved off the building, pushing past him to unload the next item from the truck.

  Jamie blocked me, his nostrils flaring. I’d gotten to him. “Your balance is still giving you problems, isn’t it?”

  I sighed and gave up on the nightstand I’d been trying to grab. “I have fluid in my ears.”

  “Fluid,” he repeated. “Have you told anyone? Sophie? Cassie?”

  I shook my head and Jamie cursed. “Doc isn’t sure what it’s from,” I told him. “He gave me these drops, but they aren’t doing much.”

  “And you didn’t think that was important enough to follow up on?”

  “I think I’m opening a new business and in between that I’m having the best sex of my life. I’m a little busy. I’ll get to it.”

  Jamie shook his head. “Get to it soon, bro.”

  “Yes, Dad.”

  “Don’t even joke with me, man,” he warned. “We’ll wrestle it out like we did in high school. The only way you’re getting out of that headlock will be to answer the question ‘who’s your daddy?’”

  “What makes you think you’ll get me into a headlock?”

  “Please.” He scoffed. “I always whooped your ass...”

  His mouth kept moving, but the sound was suddenly gone.

  I blinked, tugging at my ears when they began to tingle. Then they began to hurt again. Not a little. A lot.

  As I tugged, the sound returned, but it wasn’t the same. Everything sounded garbled—like I was hearing it from underwater.

  “Dude.” I formed the word, but when it came out, I had no idea how it sounded.

  I stumbled, a wave of dizziness washing over me. My chest tightened as I sucked in a startled breath. What the fuck was happening to me?

  Jamie’s hand closed around my elbow. I swayed and he grabbed me, holding me upright. I looked up and found him watching me, worry lines around his eyes and mouth. His mouth was moving again but I couldn’t make out the words.

  “I can’t hear,” I told him, wincing at the pain in my head. “And I can’t stand.”

  Jamie replied with something unintelligible.

  He helped lower me to the ground, and I sat, watching as he whipped out his phone, pressing buttons too fast for me to see. A second later, he began talking again, his eyes glued to mine.

  Another wave of dizziness hit me.

  I leaned my head back against the brick wall, breathing slowly in and out.

  The pain in my ear intensified, and I cringed, pulling and tugging at my earlobe. But it only made the pain worse. “Fuck,” I muttered, my stomach roiling with the pain that radiated out into the rest of my head and down into my body. This was almost worse than the explosion itself.

  Jamie tapped me, and I opened my eyes, unsure how long I’d been sitting here now. The pain screamed through my skull, making it hard to concentrate. His mouth was moving, but I couldn’t understand the words.

  Another face joined his. I took in the uniform and the bag he set beside him. A medic. Good.

  The guy asked me a question. I shook my head, looking to Jamie. Talking made everything hurt worse. I let him explain. After a minute of some crazy hand gestures on Jamie’s part, the medic nodded and then began a quick vital check while two more medics appeared behind him with a stretcher.

  I groaned, but by the time they’d finished checking me out and given the green light for me to move onto the thin mattress on wheels, I didn’t fight it. Right now, I wanted to get to a doctor as fast as possible. The quicker I got to one, the quicker they could make this pain stop. Or, at least that’s what I hoped.

  Chapter Thirty

  Cassie

  I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. Grumbling about manners and good sense, I picked it up, fully expecting it to be Liam or even Jess bothering me this early in the morning. But the display read Dad and I sat up quickly, worried, nervous, and then worried again in the split second before I answered it.

  “Hello? Dad? Is everything okay?”

  “Hi, Cassie. Everything’s fine.”

  I frowned. “Why are you calling me so early?”

  “It’s eight,” he said.

  “I know.”

  “On a weekday.” The way he said it made his point clear: a month ago, this would not have been early for me. I remained silent, annoyed already. “Anyway,” he said after a beat. “I need to tell you something. About the company. And Evan and—”