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“He’s never noticed me before. Why would he start now?”
“Maybe all he needs is a sign to point him in the right direction,” Emma added. Adelaide couldn’t help but laugh at Katy’s groan.
Twenty-two
Kingston
G
o to him. Kiss him.”
With her words playing on repeat, King acted on instinct. He let his legs carry him to the man he’d dreamed about. He was conflicted—how could he love Adds like he did, and want Liam so much? But it was a question he had to wait to answer, because rounding the side of the house, he spied Liam through the glass door. He was huddled over himself, sitting on his usual chair at the kitchen table. With Liam’s elbows resting on his knees and his head bent low, King watched his chest expand and contract with each shuddery breath. When he lifted the heels of his hands to his eyes and rubbed, King couldn’t wait any longer. His heart shattered knowing that Liam was hurting. There was no more hesitation, no more second-guessing. He needed to show Liam just how wanted he was.
King shoved open the door, the glass slider bouncing on the stopper in his rush to get to him. Liam startled, jumping up from the table as King strode through. “King? I thought—”
Sliding the phone gently on the table, he cupped the other man’s face and drew him close. His stubble tickled King’s fingertips, Liam’s scent filling his senses. Liam’s eyes slipped closed, and King eliminated the distance between them, pressing their foreheads together. Breathing the same air, King brushed his thumb over Liam’s cheek. He couldn’t describe the sensation except that it was right having this beautiful, complex man in his arms.
Liam’s needy whimper echoed through him like a siren’s call. He nuzzled their cheeks together and Liam melted into him. King sucked in a breath and slid his hand into the other man’s hair while Liam gripped his hips. King groaned, his nerve endings sizzling as Liam’s body connected with his from head to knees.
With shallow breaths, Liam whispered, “I’m so sorry.” His voice was broken. Hoarse from the emotion riding him.
King pressed a kiss to his cheek. Soft and lingering. Liam slid his arms around King’s waist and nuzzled into him again, rubbing against his face like a cat.
“Shh,” King whispered. “I want this. I want you.”
“But you’ve got Addy and I should never have crossed that line.”
“She knows.” King pressed his lips to the corner of Liam’s, and Liam turned his face into it, bringing their lips together. He kissed him again, a soft, slow press of lips. It was chaste—not even a hint of tongue—but perfect in its simplicity. King knew just from that one touch that Liam wanted more than one-night with him. Feelings were involved, and as much as he loved it, it terrified him too.
Liam must have sensed the shift in him. The conflicting emotions. He wanted to dive in headfirst and show Liam just how good they could be together. But fear had him hesitating too. He couldn’t lose Adelaide. He couldn’t hurt her, and she was hurting. She’d put on a brave face, telling him to act on his attraction, but she’d readily confessed her fears too. Her broken-hearted sobs had shattered him. Destroyed a part of him that had promised not to hurt her.
He looked over to his phone and swallowed. His screen was dark. Adds had hung up. She was scared and insecure, and all alone. If he put himself in her shoes, he’d be a wreck. Every one of his fears would come to the fore, and he’d be convinced that their relationship would be on the downward slide to being over.
“Liam,” he croaked, his voice cracking. He buried his face in Liam’s neck and breathed the other man in. What should he do? Where did he go from there?
“Call her,” Liam murmured, pressing a kiss to his temple and running his hands up and down his back. King exhaled on a shudder, Liam’s touch and his words overwhelming him in the best of ways. It was too much, and not enough.
With his fingers tangled in Liam’s hair, King nuzzled his throat. Pressing another soft kiss there, the warmth of his breath raised goosebumps. Having Liam in his arms was as natural as holding Addy, and that was a complete mind fuck. He loved Adds’s curves and the beauty in her petite frame, and he’d well and truly fallen for Liam. But being selfish wasn’t fair to either of them.
Liam picked up King’s phone and handed it to him. “Go on.” King took it from his fingers, Liam’s touch lingering as he palmed the phone and brought up her contact. It went through to message bank. He hung up. What he needed to speak to Adds about wasn’t something that could be said over the phone—not that he had any idea what to say.
King blew out a breath, his heart galloping in his chest. It wasn’t as if Adds was there to answer his calls on a whim, but his gut churned. He needed to know if she was okay. “I hate this,” he mumbled. “Not you. Not what’s happening here, but not having her nearby. Not being able to make sure she’s okay.”
“What is happening here?” Liam asked, then shook his head. “Never mind. It’s a shitty time for me to ask that question when you’re worried about Adds.”
King reached for him again, sliding his hand to his cheek. The uncertainty in Liam’s gaze gutted him. He was doing a really shitty job of telling the people who were important to him how he felt. “I’m in love with Adds. I can see myself growing old with her, you know? But there’s something about you too. There’s something more between us that I can’t ignore. I don’t want to ignore it either. You’re important to me.”
Liam slid his hand to King’s face, mirroring his pose, but there was wonder in his eyes. “I don’t want to ignore it either.” He pressed a kiss to King’s cheek and ran his nose down the line of his trimmed stubble. “I’ve never done this before. Kissed a man. Never been attracted to one either. But you captured my attention straight away.”
“I couldn’t take my eyes off either one of you,” King confessed in a whisper.
“Addy’s beautiful. The two of you together...” He huffed out a laugh and shook his head, leaving the rest of his sentence unsaid. “See if she’s available yet.” There was no answer again, and King swallowed hard. “You know, I reckon we’d be able to get a flight. All up, we could make Sydney in a few hours.” King snapped his eyes up to Liam. Was he serious? “You could surprise Addy and talk to her. She’s important, King. If you’re worried about her, we should go.”
“You’d want that?”
He nodded. “Yeah, King. Making the trip isn’t a big deal. If it means spending time with you, I’d go anywhere. I love you as much as I love Ad—” His eyes widened and he pressed his lips together, looking away. His cheeks flushed, the colour staining them a pretty pink.
King tilted his face up and smiled, biting back the jubilant grin. Liam was in love. With both of them.
