Page 51 of Third Time's A Charm

Liam gave her a tentative smile. As far as smiles went, it didn’t do much to ease the sudden nerves fluttering around. He reached for her hands, taking both in his. They were warm and rough, a contrast to King’s perpetually cool ones. “King and I have had a bit of a heart-to-heart. I admitted a few things, and so did he. I know you know we’re attracted to each other. I also know you told him to go for it. But we never intended to hurt you.”

King ran his hand gently down her hair, adding, “When you’d hung up and I couldn’t get in contact with you, we were both upset. I’ll always regret letting you think that you’re anything but the most important person in my world. Hearing you cry because of what I wanted broke my heart. I will always love you—”

“I know that, King. I knew it when we were talking too. I was hurting, because…” She stopped herself, not wanting to divulge that information. It was something that King and Liam didn’t need to know. Not when they seemed to be working things out between them. It was enough that she’d always be friends with Liam. “Doesn’t matter.”

Liam squeezed her hands. His voice was low, and when she looked at him, she could see the concern mixed with something else. Fear, perhaps? “Can I tell you a secret?”

Adelaide untangled their fingers and cupped his face. He didn’t need to worry. Despite the nerves battling for dominance in her belly, she smiled. Liam always managed to do that. As much as she had pined over him for years, he had always made her happy. “Sure.”

He blew out a breath and looked to King. It was as if he needed the support. King leaned forward and dropped a hand on Liam’s knee, squeezing it. Adelaide focussed on that, on the connection they had. Once again, she didn’t experience any jealousy in seeing King’s hand on Liam. It was a longing, but not just for her involvement. It was for Liam to experience King’s entire focus on him. King had a way of making people the centre of his universe, and she wanted nothing more than Liam to experience it too. King would likely be swapping beds all weekend, but at least they could both be there with him.

Liam licked his lips and said, “I’m a blind bastard. I didn’t see you until it was too late. You arrived home with King that first time and I woke up. I finally saw you.”

She sucked in a breath, her heart slamming against her chest. Shock, and more than a little blind hope, held her captive, stilling her movements. She swallowed and spoke, her voice a squeak when she asked, “What are you saying, Liam?”

He looked down, focussing on their joined hands. He ran his rough thumbs over her knuckles and spoke in little more than a whisper. “You’d always been Lij’s little sister to that point. But then it was as if the blindfold had been taken off.” He glanced up and the truth in his eyes held her captivated. “I think I fell in love that day. Seeing you and King together made everything fall into place. I got confused. King was this beautiful muscly dude who made you smile and get all defensive over him. Then when you kissed, I couldn’t take my eyes off the two of you.”

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Closing it again, her gaze darted to King. He furrowed his brows, the encouraging smile he’d given to Liam falling from his face.

“Adds?”

“You love him?” Adelaide squeaked, ecstatic that he was in it for more than a one-night stand with King.

“And you.” Liam let the words hang between them. The gears in Adelaide’s brain ground to a halt and she blinked. Had she heard right? Was her brain playing some horrible trick on her, making her hear words that he hadn’t really said? Liam held her gaze, his lips pressed together. It was as if time slowed down, then sped up again, the quiet of the night a buzz in her ears.

“You… you love me?” she stuttered, her brows pinching and her mouth hanging open. “For real?”

“Yeah.” Liam nodded, his eyes searching hers for a reaction. Shock held her captive, but warmth unfurled in her chest like a cat stretching in the haze of the summer sun. Hope exploded inside her, effervescent bubbles rippling to the surface and making goosebumps break out on her skin. A hot flush whipped over her, electrifying her skin, and her core thrummed, want and need coalescing until she was practically vibrating out of her skin.

And still Liam kept talking.

“I want King, but I want you too. I know I’m being greedy, but—”

Restraint snapped, and Adelaide reacted on instinct, launching herself at him. Their bodies colliding, she wrapped her arms around his neck, crash-tackling him. Chest to chest, her knees on either side of his hips, Adelaide pressed her mouth to his, finally taking what she’d dreamed of for a decade.

One kiss, then two, and Liam’s lips kept moving, garbled sounds coming out of his mouth as his brain took a moment to catch up to her whirlwind assault. Then the moan. The one she’d been waiting for an eternity to hear. The one that Liam made at her hands. He kissed her back, dipping his tongue into her mouth. She tasted him—that flavour that was uniquely him—and Adelaide moaned, desire swirling alongside the ecstasy.

He chased her lips as she broke for air. He slid his hand down her body, grasping her hip and holding her nape, tangling his fingers in her hair as he hauled her closer. Pressed against him, she could feel every ripple of his muscles as he moved. He was much leaner than King, his abs and pecs more defined. His training during the pre-season was gruelling. He was shredding fat, building muscle, and regaining his speed. Adelaide had catalogued all the differences between Liam and King before, but this was the first time she was close enough to him to feel it. The only thing she wanted now was King’s touch too.

Liam lunged forward, joining their lips again, and she sank into the kiss, opening to him as Liam slid his tongue in alongside hers. They tasted each other for long moments, Adelaide not willing to let him up until she had her fill. Liam wanted her. He saw her as more than just Eli’s little sister. And she was kissing him! The man she’d been in love with since she was practically a kid.

Another hand landed on her back, sliding down to cup her arse. King. He’d shifted so he was sitting next to Liam on the chunky timber table. She pulled back from Liam, still straddling his hips as he rested an arm behind his head and dropped the other to her thigh.

King hooked his finger under her chin, turning her face to his. “That’s why you were crying when we spoke, isn’t it? You’re in love with him too, aren’t you?” His questions were rhetorical. Certainty shone in his eyes, triumph sparkling in them. He’d done this—realized her secret and brought them together.

Adelaide nodded. Tears burned her eyes and she blinked them back, willing them not to fall.

King thumbed her cheek with infinite gentleness, wiping the stray drop and whispered, “I’m so sorry for hurting you.” King pressed their lips together, kissing her slowly. His touch was gentle, savouring her. Worshipping her with his mouth. He licked at her bottom lip and Adelaide opened, wanting to fall into him. She reached for King, pulling him closer, needing to feel his body pressed against hers.

It was as if she was in freefall. Tumbling around in the sky and hurtling toward the earth all the while riding an adrenaline high that she never wanted to come down from. Liam’s cock flexed against her pussy, long and hard between her denim-clad legs. She whimpered and rocked on him while King sucked on her tongue and cupped her breast, flicking her nipple with his thumb. Sensation rocketed through her, and she gasped, her empty channel clenching with the need to be filled by her men.

Her men.

She’d never get sick of that.

Liam sat up, his body pressing against hers. Their heat enveloped her, their hands trailing over her sensitive skin while King took her mouth and Liam kissed a line down her throat, scraping his teeth gently over her collarbone. Sucking his way back up, he licked her pulse point. The two of them had her pussy fluttering. She wanted to get closer to them. But all too soon, King pulled back.

“Can I kiss you?” Liam asked him. “I really want to taste you like that too.”

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