Reaching across the divide, she tentatively brushed her fingertips over his knuckles, sending a tingle down his spine.
“And you…” she added in a tremulous whisper, “you and those girls have become my world.”
The vulnerability in her gaze seared straight through his tattered defenses. Unbidden, his mind flooded with visions of a future he would never dare to admit he imagined: Sunny curled up beside him in bed, her swollen belly cradled tenderly in his rough hands; a sun-kissed little one with her radiant smile and his stormyeyes frolicking in the backyard as he flipped burgers on the grill; Hailey and Maddie cooing over the baby.
It was a foolish fantasy, easily shattered by the harsh glare of public scrutiny and scathing condemnation. She was his nanny, his employee, almost a decade younger than him. He would be seen as a user, a harasser, a predator.
Yet that fleeting glimpse of a love and a life he never dreamed he’d have again made his weary heart ache with longing.
Wordlessly, Liam cupped Sunny’s tear-stained cheek, stroking her silken skin with the pad of his thumb. She instinctively leaned into his touch, a shaky exhalation escaping her lips.
“One last time,” she breathed, looking up at him. “Just one last time. For me. For us. An ending.”
Those words took him aback. Yet they were perfect — just right for this heady moment. Of course, it made no logical sense. But logic be damned right now.
Bridging the last few inches between them, Liam claimed her mouth in a searing kiss, pouring every ounce of his stolen hopes, fears, and desires into the passionate act.
Sunny stiffened briefly, then melted against him with a soft whimper, her slender arms winding around his neck as their bodies molded seamlessly together. Liam swept his hands over the dips and curves of her frame, eager to commit every exquisite inch to memory.
One last time. One last time.
Her fingers threaded through his hair, blunt nails scraping deliciously against his scalp as the kiss deepened. A low rumble resonated from Liam’s chest, his palms roaming the supple expanse of Sunny’s back.
In that heated moment, the world beyond their frenzied embrace ceased to exist. There were no damning exposés or looming PRnightmares — just two souls finding solace and pleasure in each other.
Liam deftly unfastened the buttons of Sunny’s sundress. The gossamer fabric parted easily, revealing her lithe form.
“Beautiful,” he rasped, his lips blazing a scorching path along the column of her throat. “So goddamn beautiful.”
Her nimble fingers made quick work of Liam’s shirt, pushing the fabric off his broad shoulders in one fluid motion. He was all lean muscle and faint silver scars from the hockey rink. Sunny’s fingertips danced across each ridge and imperfection, igniting a fiery trail in their wake.
Another moan rumbled through Liam’s chest as Sunny’s lips found that electrifying bundle of nerves just below his ear. Her hand rested on his lap before gingerly stroking his rapidly hardening cock over the fabric of his linen shorts. The combination of her lips and gliding hand felt electric to Liam.
For a brief moment, he questioned whether they were making the right choice and if this was truly the best way to end what they had. It was a completely irrational course of action, if you stopped to analyze it. But this was no time for clinical analysis.
“Sunny…” he gritted out through clenched teeth, his voice low with primal longing. “If we don’t stop, I won’t be able to— ”
“Shhh.” She sealed her lips over his in a searing kiss, effectively silencing his strained protest.
“Don’t think, Liam. Not now. Not tonight. Just… feel. I just want to feel.”
Her heated whisper severed his final tether to restraint.
He tumbled her backward onto the couch in a firm yet gentle motion. Sunny gazed up at him, her bee-stung lips curved in a sultry smile, all lingering traces of sorrow or self-doubt banished for the moment.
Liam drank in every detail of her radiant beauty like a man dying of thirst — the enchanting constellation of freckles dusting her shoulders, the tantalizing rise and fall of her chest as she breathed heavily, the enticing flush staining her porcelain skin from the skim of his stubble.
This woman was his undoing…and his salvation. No matter what heartache or chaos the harsh light of day might bring, he would cherish this moment.
He slipped his hands into her panties, his fingers probing the soft folds of flesh. She was soaking wet, warmth flowing from her. He placed a finger inside her, followed by another. Her wetness ensured he met no resistance.
Sunny threw her head back and moaned.
Liam took that as his cue to deepen his probing. His fingers were slick as he explored her curves and crevices. Her moans turned to gasps as he hit her walls. He could feel her flesh convulsing around his fingers, welcoming them in a rhythmic embrace.
He used his thumb to gently rub her enlarged clitoris in a circular motion while continuing to slide in and out of her. Her gasps intensified, her cheeks flushed red. She spread her legs wider, a signal for him to probe deeper and with more urgency.
His fingers worked furiously now, while his other hand caressed a nipple, flicking the rock-hard surface gently with the pad of his index finger.
