Page 20 of Winter Unleashed
He nodded. “I understand.”
I lifted my hands toward him but didn’t touch him. “Can I?” He nodded again and sighed when I ran my hands through his hair to make sure it was real. Fascinated, I lowered my eyes to his while still playing with his hair.
Something changed while I looked at him. Something I couldn’t explain but it made mewantto believe everything he’d told me. Made me want to know him. That’s when I made a decision. I wasn’t sure it was a good one, but once I made up my mind I rarely backed down. So, I took a deep breath and went for it. “Will you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Will you kiss me?” The question came out lower than a whisper. My gaze dropped to his lips, and entranced, I watched him lick them.
He rested his hands on my hips, pulling me flush against his body. At five feet seven inches, I wasn’t a small woman, but standing next to his six foot two, broad frame with his large hands holding on to me, I felt tiny and delicate.
Shyness is not something I’ve ever felt around men. Being attacked by them daily then having to kick their asses to protect myself took away a lot of their charm. But with Liam Fraser’s eyes on me, the warmth of his body radiating against mine, I felt like a virgin about to have her first kiss. The excitement and anticipation coursing through me made me feel giddy. Butterflies danced a ballet in my stomach as I waited for his lips to touch mine.
“Are you sure?” His voice was low and husky. Being so close to him I could feel his chest rumble as he spoke. Another wave of nerves washed over me, and I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. “It drives me crazy when you do that,” he whispered, running his thumb over my lip.
“Really?” I asked, captivated by him.
With his gaze still on my lips, he nodded. “Really.” The butterflies kicked into high gear when his hand went back to my hip.
“Are you sure you want me to kiss you?” he asked, lifting his eyes to mine.
“Yes,” I breathed as I held on to his upper arms, almost bracing myself for what was to come.
His lips brushed against mine, once, twice, then a third time before he covered them with his. The kiss was tender, a light touching of mouths, sending sparkles of desire through me. It was the most perfect kiss I’d ever had. The way he moved his lips over mine made me feel things I’d never felt with anyone else. He wasn’t seducing me; he was showing me how much he cared about me. I felt special, safe, and… loved.
My hold on his arms tightened when his hands moved around to my lower back, and my eyes closed on a sigh when he pulled me against his body.
When he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, my wolf shifted. She reached for Liam as I ran my hands up his arms, over his shoulders, and into his hair, pulling him closer. He groaned but softened the kiss, brushing his lips against mine once more to end it.
Even though I could feel his desire pressed against me, he kept his hands to himself and made no attempt to escalate things. Part of me was thankful for his understanding, but the other part of me wanted him to have his way with me right there in front of the lake.
My fingers seemed to have a mind of their own as they toyed with the ends of his hair and caressed his neck. I couldn’t stop touching him. “We’ve been together here before, haven’t we?”
His face lit up as a smile pulled at his lips. “Yes. You remembered?”
I kissed him again to soften the blow. “No. It was just a hunch.” His face fell making my heart break a little. “Oh, please don’t look so sad.” I cupped his face in my hands, running my thumbs over his frown. “I’ll remember. That kiss… What I felt from you… That can’t be a lie. There was so much in that kiss. If there’s something to remember, I’ll remember. I have to.”
He touched his forehead to mine. “I hope so. Until then, will you have dinner with me tomorrow?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile, taking his hand in mine as we turned toward the trees. As we crossed into them, I remembered something Stella had said. “This Astrid person. Why can’t she just undo whatever Celeste did?”
He heaved a sigh that seemed to come from his toes. “That was the first thing I asked her. Celeste and Astrid have a sordid past. Astrid claims to be more powerful, but Celeste fights dirty. Whatever she did to you wasn’t something she should have been able to do.”
“Oh? Maybe that’s why it’s so sloppy.”
He nodded. “That’s what Astrid thinks, yes. For Astrid to reverse it, she needs to figure out how Celeste did it.”
“Do you think it’d help if I met Astrid… again. I assume I’ve met her already.” I nibbled my lip trying to remember, reaching out to that blocked part of my mind. The pain hit so hard I nearly fell. If Liam hadn’t been holding my hand I would have.
He had me cradled in his arms in the blink of an eye. “Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?” His eyes darted around the forest looking for signs of an attack.
“I’m okay. Part of the spell makes it hurt when I try to remember what Celeste took away. It’s another sign you’re all telling me the truth. It makes it too obvious someone messed with me.” I lifted a hand to his cheek, rubbing it over his beard. “The pain is gone now.”
He stared into my eyes for a long moment. His jaw twitched as he set me back on my feet. This time he slid his arm around my waist as we finished the trip back to his house. When we got to the front doors, I remembered I didn’t have my car.
“Uh… I need to find Isaac,” I said, lamely pointing at the stairs leading to the second floor.
He took my hand in his and pressed a kiss to my palm. “He’s busy,” he said with a smirk that had my eyes glued to his lips. That simple twist of his mouth was almost enough to have me on my knees begging him to touch me. “I can drive you home, if you’d like.”