What if she didn’t know how to say stop?
He thought about what she’d told him—how she had frozen when Jean-Paul kissed her. How she’d stayed with a narcissist for three years. Liam refused to ever put her in a position like that again.
He prided himself on being someone people could trust, especially her. Especially the woman he was starting to imagine a future with. But now, the idea that he might have unintentionally pressured her? It wrecked him.
Yes, she’d said she wanted it. Every time. But maybe she’d just been trying to keep up. Maybe he hadn’t listened hard enough. He’d been focused on her pleasure, but he couldn’t deny that his ego had loved it too. That it had done something to him, knowing he could unravel her like that.
But Cassidy… she wasn’t just anyone.
How could a woman so beautiful, so smart, so full of life and light, have only ever been with someone like Jean-Paul?
Liam had fallen for her fast. He could admit that now. He wanted her, in every way, but she didn’t need someone like him rushing in, piling intensity on top of intimacy before she’d even figured out what she wanted.
That was why she’d made the vow.
It wasn’t just about saying no to men; it was about finding herself again. And she’d been smart to make that vow. She needed space to learn what she liked, what she craved, what felt good on her own terms.
Not what he gave her.
Not what he thrust onto her.
His jaw clenched. His desire for her ran deep—too deep. And it terrified him.
She wasn’t a prize to be won.
She was a woman who deserved more.
And yet again, he wasn’t sure he was what she needed.
Even Muff seemed to pick up on the tension in the truck, glancing between Liam and Cassidy like she was trying to make sense of what was happening.
“Come here, girl,” Cassidy said, patting her lap. The pup scooted closer with a soft whine, resting her head on her thigh.
Thankfully, the drive from the high school back to downtown was short. Liam pulled into a parallel spot right in front of the shop and shifted the truck into park.
Cassidy hesitated. “Do you want to come in?” she asked softly.
He let out a slow breath, still looking at the windshield. “Sorry, but not tonight.”
She didn’t budge. “I’m not just going to get out of the truck and pretend like everything’s fine. Didn’t you just say you were going to stop keeping things to yourself? That you’d tell me what you’re feeling instead of shutting down?”
He was caught off guard by her calling him out—but she wasn’t wrong. He turned to face her, jaw tense.
“I’m uncomfortable.”
Her eyes widened. She clearly hadn’t expected that.
“Things have happened… fast. Intense. And I think we need to slow down.”
“Slow down?” Cassidy repeated, her voice sharp.
He could already feel the heat rising between them. He didn’t want to make things worse.
“You asked me to be honest, and I am. I’m not saying this to hurt you, Cassidy. I’m saying it because I care. But if you’re going to twist it into something else—if we’re about to fight about this—I can’t. Not right now. Can we just… talk later?”
Cassidy shook her head, stunned. “Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”
She opened the door and climbed out, Muff hopping down behind her. The only thing colder than the air was her voice.
