Page 23 of Liam

“What are they?”

“Beef curry, spaghetti Bolognese, full English, and beans on toast.” He counted the meals off on his fingers as he spoke.

Taamira moved closer and looked down at him as his gaze travelled slowly up her body. A shiver ran through her, and her nipples pebbled with the desperate need for his touch, at the sudden heat in his gaze.

“Beans on toast,” she said instead trying to distract herself and fighting the sudden urge to move closer and slide her ass onto his lap.

“British staple, canned beans in tomato sauce on toast.” His voice was gravelly, and she liked the fact he didn’t try to hide his desire.

“Doesn’t that make the toast wet?”

“So moist,” he said with a smirk, and she had the feeling he was not talking about toast anymore.

Taamira wanted to squeeze her thighs together to ease the sudden bolt of desire there. He moved to stand quickly, and she took a step back, but he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his front. Her breasts pressed up against the hardness of his chest and her eyes rose to his in surprise, her hands landing on his pecs, confirming the muscle beneath her fingers.

Liam stared at her lips, his blue eyes darkening to midnight as he did. “You can’t say words like wet to me, especially in that honey-dipped voice, treacle.”

“I cannot? Why?”

“Because it makes me think about things I shouldn’t be. Like how wet you might be if I dipped my fingers under the waistband of these trousers.”

Her heart began to beat a rapid tattoo in her chest as excitement thrummed through her body, having the exact effect he was suggesting. “Oh,” she murmured.

Liam smirked as if he could somehow tell what he was doing to her. “So, unless you want me to do that, I suggest we table talk of wet or moist things, and you stop walking around looking like fucking temptation.”

Taamira paused, considering his words. The fact was, she did want him to do those things but to say she wasn’t scared of the effect he had on her, and the ability he had to arouse her body, would be an understatement. Taamira bit her lip not knowing what to say.

Liam groaned. “Treacle, are you trying to kill me?

“No, of course not, and I wasn’t trying to be a temptation.”

“I know that, treacle. But with you looking like you do, and being the person you are and having you in my space, it’s enough to make me want to break every rule in the book and say fuck it and let the chips land where they do.”

Taamira liked his words and how they gave her confidence, as if she were beautiful and worthy.

“Shall we order in?”

Liam grinned and released her with a squeeze to her hip that was more of a caress. “Menus are in the third draw down on the left, Princess.”

Taamira watched him walk towards his office before he turned his head back to her. “I have to make some calls. Just order whatever you want and get me the same.”

She watched him disappear and turned to the drawer, and for the first time in her life, she was going to order food for another person. She found she liked the idea of taking care of someone; especially when that person was Liam.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

LIAM PUSHED HIMSELF THROUGH ONE MORE SET OF GOBLET SQUATS BEFORE HE LOWERED THE WEIGHT and wiped his face with a towel. He’d swapped out with Blake and Decker early this morning. He knew the Princess slept late after taking a sleeping pill, just one more thing he knew about her that perhaps he shouldn’t. His attraction to her was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, but more than that, so was the reason for it.

Watching her in his home last night as she puttered around his kitchen, she had seemed a world away from the Princess that was demanding and haughty. She had been sweet, listening to him, taking an interest in his home, his past. Ordering him food. Although thinking of that had him smiling inwardly.

He’d forgotten Taamira was who she was and in doing so had let down his guard, which was why he’d ended up with a fridge full of leftover Chinese food when she’d ordered enough for a banquet. It was also why he’d needed to escape, clear his mind, and use exercise to maintain his focus.

Last night he’d been so close to kissing her, to taking her hand and leading her to his bedroom and making her his in every way possible. Only her innocence had stopped him, and even that almost wasn’t enough when she looked at him as if she wanted to eat him.

She’d laughed, her eyes widening when the food was delivered, and she had realised how much food she’d bought. Liam had found it endearing, especially when she had tried to brazen it out by saying she was hungry and then tried to eat all of it. He’d sat back in his chair and grinned as she ate slower and slower, each mouthful becoming torturous before he’d taken pity on her, laughing, and taking the plate away.

Taamira had flopped her head on the table and groaned. “I am so full. I may never eat ever again.”

Liam had cleared away their plates and packed away the food into containers in the fridge. “I forgot you’re pampered, Princess. I should’ve ordered the food.” He’d not meant anything by it, but when she went silent, he’d looked over and seen the hurt on her face.