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Liam paused his ministrations against my skin, his closed eyes popped open, landing on mine. My heart felt like it was slowly crystallizing.
He didn’t respond. Instead he sat up with a sigh and rubbed his forehead.
I slowly sat up, too, following him into the bathroom. He turned the shower on and stepped under the spray while I crossed my arms over my chest and watched.
“You coming?” He held out his hand, and I gently took it, feeling some of my frayed nerves settle.
Steam filled the shower, and I watched as the water ran down along the gray stonework that reminded me of his eyes. He must have noticed that the spray was hitting me but not warming me, because suddenly he pulled my arm until I was standing in front of him, taking up the bulk of the shower.
The heat hit my back in a delicious way, which made me relax enough to throw my arms around Liam’s neck.
We stood like that for a while, until he used soap on his hair and scrubbed mine with the same product. I didn’t mind. It would mean that I smelled like him.
“What made you think of the gym?” he finally asked, those gray eyes speared me with fear.
I had no idea what he was afraid of. I’d never hurt him—not intentionally, at least.
“I think…” I paused, looking up while the water hit my eyes and I tried to see through the drops coating my lashes. “It’s been in the back of my mind since you left for Europe. I mean, I know part of why you did it was to give us time, but you mentioned that you needed the money. I want to help. You’re important to me, Liam. The gym is your dream, and I just want to help protect it.”
His forehead lowered to mine, and we let more steam fill the space until he finally reached behind me and turned the shower off.
“Haley, I appreciate your efforts and that you care. I know you bailed Cole out of some hard times, but this is my thing. I have to be the one to protect it. Okay?”
He exited the shower and pulled a towel around him, handing me one too.
“Is my money going to be an issue?”
“Not if you don’t assume weneedyour money.”
Ouch. That sucked.
I wrapped the towel around me and tucked it in, walking to the counter to start my skin care routine.
“It’s not about you needing it, it’s just me wanting to spend it on the people I love.”
I bent over and wet my face, pumping a bit of face wash into my hands then rubbed it into my skin, closing my eyes.
It wasn’t until I rinsed, wondering why Liam hadn’t responded, that I realized what I had confessed.
I met his gaze in the mirror.
His arms were crossed over his chest, all the ink and those sculpted muscles on display. I wanted to trace each vein with my tongue and then end with the one that ran along his shaft.
“Do you mean that?” he asked, lowering his voice until it was almost a whisper.
My face felt blotchy as the realization hit me square in the chest. I’d walked right into an opportunity for him to reject me.
Likely sensing my discomfort, he stepped closer and pulled my towel until it came off. Then he hit the lights and pulled me to bed.
“Did you mean it?” he asked again. This time he sat on the bed and I was standing between his legs. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
I ran my fingers through his wet hair and nodded.
“Yes, I…” Words died on my tongue as I tried to explain it. I knew he thought I was too young and too naive, but I felt what I felt.
“I love you…and the girls. I love all of you, so when you say you want to take care of it, you don’t understand that I also want to take care of all of you.”
My palm was lifted to his lips where he pressed a quick kiss then he pulled me again until I was landing next to him, my head on the pillow, his too.
