Page 84 of Winter Unleashed

“Isaac cares deeply for you, but even if we aren’t in love yet, I know he’s mine. He looks at me in a way I’ve dreamt about for far too long.” She smoothed her hand over his arm. “He’s a good one.”

We sat in silence watching Isaac sleep. He was calm for the longest stretch of time so far, and Ciara and I fell asleep ourselves. I’m not sure how long we were out but when a noise woke me up, I was groggy and disoriented.

I looked around the room trying to find what could have woken me, but nothing looked any different from before I’d fallen asleep. Ciara was curled up in the chair next to me, a benefit of her diminutive stature. And Belial and Astrid were asleep in the far corner of the room.

“Em,” Isaac whispered.

“Isaac? You’re awake,” I said with a huge smile. “How do you feel?”

“Shitty.”

I stood from my chair and angled toward the fairy and the demon in the corner.

“No,” Isaac said. His voice was weak, but his eyes were open, and he was talking, so that had to be good. “Don’t get them yet. Come here.”

I moved closer to the bed and bent down so my face was next to his. “What is it? Are you okay?”

“I heard you guys talking. I heard what Ciara said about us not being in love.”

“Oh. Well, you know…” I shrugged because I didn’t know what to say.

“Go to my house. In my left desk drawer is a box. Bring it back here, please.”

My eyes widened for a second before the smile came. “Sure thing.”

“Put it under my pillow.”

I nodded. “Will do. But I’m waking up the Odd Couple now,” I said as I pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Thanks for being here.”

I moved over to Astrid and Belial. They woke easily and were on Isaac within seconds. I woke Ciara next and told her I was leaving her to take care of him. Tears filled her eyes when she saw him looking at her.

My next stop was Liam’s bedroom. He was in bed on his back, staring at the ceiling with one arm under his head and the other draped over his abdomen. He turned his head and pinned me with those eyes of his. Without a word he slid from the bed and a jolt of desire hit me when I saw he was naked. We moved toward each other until we closed the distance between us.

I lifted my hands to his face to toy with his beard before running them through his hair. His hands went to my waist as his mouth met mine. “Are you okay?” he whispered against my lips.

“Yes. He woke up. I have to run an errand for him,” I said, smiling against his mouth. “I think he’s going to propose to your sister.”

A squeal escaped me when he squeezed my hips tightly and pulled me against him. He growled as he ran his hands over my back, down to cup my ass and lift me so I had no choice but to wrap my legs around him.

“Enough talking,” he grumbled as he walked with me wrapped around him. His touch was as rough as his voice, and I couldn’t stop the moan when my back hit the wall.

The silky lingerie did little to cover me especially since it had inched up my thighs because of my position. His hand slid between us to tear off my panties. Another moan slipped from my lips when he pushed himself inside me with one thrust.

My hands moved to his shoulders to hold on as he pumped his hips faster and harder with each breath. Then he stopped. I opened my eyes to find him looking at me with a dark, fierce look so full of passion it had my center throbbing.

“Your power… You have no idea how gorgeous you are.” His voice was thick and husky. “It’s more than your physical beauty,” he said, touching his lips to mine and squeezing my ass. “You care so much for so many, even if they’ve treated you horribly.”

“Oh, Liam,” I breathed. “You care too. I know you do.”

He smirked and shook his head. “Youmake me care. When I came to Cullum County, I was apathetic. Before that, in my youth especially…” He heaved a sigh that told me more than his words. “When you told me how I acted in your dreams… it wasn’t far from the truth.” He rubbed a hand over his beard and clenched his jaw. “Let’s just say, I’ve done horrible things in my life.”

I rested my hand on his cheek, caressing it with my thumb. “That was all in your past. There's more to you than the things you've done. You’re making up for them now with the research to cure human diseases. And what about the children’s hospital? You don’t charge the families. That’s huge. You care more than you like to think you do.”

“That. That right there is what I’m talking about. You have no idea what I’ve done in my past, but you don’t care. You don’t judge me.” He kissed me again, hard and desperately. “You’ve made me a better man. You make me want to be better. Hell, you make everyone you come across want to be better, do better. Look at Wallace.”

“That was Astrid’s doing.”