Page 164 of Perfect Liar
They were coming for us.
Thomas popped into the dining room and startled me when he called out to Will.
“Just hold up for a fucking minute, brother.”
He filled a plate, then kissed his mother’s cheek, teasing her about not having pizza parties when he was younger.
Mary’s eyes gave her away. Her sons so easily charmed her.
“We’re doing things differently these days, but I love you boys all the same,” she said.
As I watched her interact with Thomas, Will’s hot stare burned onto the side of my face. He didn’t stop. I slid my chair away from the table and went into the hall with him.
As he reached for my hand, his tattoo—the one with my name—leaped out at me, making my heart twist and punish me again for hurting him. And because I took too long to give him what he wanted, he jerked me against him, holding up my chin to look at my eyes.
“Christ, you’ve been crying.”
I shut my eyes, nodding, and he kissed my forehead.
“Don’t do that, baby. I can’t take it when you cry.”
I opened my eyes and searched his for pain, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for anger and didn’t find that either. Instead, his eyes were flawless, invincible, as beautiful as ever.
“Come in and get something to eat,” I said.
He shook his head, brushed his thumb over my lip.
“I’ll get something later. I’ll see you upstairs…in our room.”
Then he kissed me softly and headed back to his war room.
Steaming water ran down the front of me, and Will’s hard body warmed my backside. I dropped my head back against his good shoulder.
He kissed me behind my ear, on my neck, along my shoulder. He caressed my curves. And when his erection grew so hard against my back, the buzzing blood inside me dropped down between my thighs.
“I need you, baby,” he breathed against my skin.
My own breath rushed from my lungs.
He pulled my mouth around to his. He kissed me deeply, he kissed me slowly. His touch was deliberate and soft, and every kiss the same.
I turned around in his arms and met his eyes.
The hot water rained over our bodies as we stood face to face, and a small voice whispered inside my head, telling me to give him what he needed…telling me to marry him sooner than later.
“I won’t push you, Elle. Maybe I should have waited a few more years. But we’re here, and I can’t go back. I can only give you the time you need to take the next step.”
“What? No. No, you shouldn’t have waited longer. And what do you mean, give me time?”
“I’ve said it more than once, I’ll deny you nothing. I mean it.”
He paused for a second, his gaze dropping to the stone tile.
“Just say your hesitation isn’t because you’re unsure about me, and I’ll wait as long as you want.”
My heart thrashed inside me. I did want to wear this man’s ring. But damn me, I’d had to hurt him first. I fucking hated myself for always pushing him so far beyond what was necessary.
No matter how many steps forward we took, one of us always seemed to lose our footing, forcing the other one to find a way to fix us again. It had to stop.