“I’d love to see everything. And maybe grab a quick shower?”
“Right this way.” Liam pushed open the oversized front door. The building’s stone exterior was mirrored inside the entranceway, with blocks of rough-hewn granite lining three walls. The floorboards were old, wide, and aged to a whiskey-colored richness.
He set her bags on the floor, reached for her jacket, and hung it on one of the hammered iron hooks lining a section of the wall then tossed his keys onto a simple table.
“Did you make this?” Anna asked, running her hand over the silky, smooth surface of the wood, marveling at the detailed joints as she pulled open the center drawer.
“I did. It’s bird’s eye maple, one of my favorites. Milled the wood myself.”
“It’s beautiful.” The warmth and coloring of his home’s interior matched what she’d seen of the Liam she’d come to know. It was reassuring to feel the consistency.
“Let me show you the rest of the house.”
He took her hand, interlacing their fingers, and led her up the stairs, pausing at the landing. “The kitchen, living room, and guest room are on this floor.” He gestured with the hand holding hers. “We’re going up one more.”
The third floor was closed off by a door almost as large as the one at the front of the house. Anna waited as he grabbed the handle and slid the door to the side. To the right, another door, already open, led to a stunning bathroom, complete with raw rock walls, thick looped wool rugs, and a walk-in shower.
“I could spend the weekend in here,” she remarked, unable to dampen the awe in her voice.
“Only if I can scrub your back and feed you. You can sleep over here.”
To the left of the landing, his bedroom was equally as simple, elegant, and like so much of his house, oversized without feeling overwhelming. A floating king-sized bed, hanging from industrial strength cables, dominated the center of the room. Two tall wardrobes, a long bench, and a fireplace with sitting area kept the rest of the room uncluttered.
Anna gasped and pointed to the bed. “Is this another one of your designs?”
“All of it,” he said, grinning. He took her by the waist and guided her toward the bed. “Want to give it a spin?”
She fell back, arms spread and giggling, and lifted one leg, wiggling her leather-clad foot in his direction. “Think you can get these off?”
Liam took his time obliging her request. A thick rug muffled the sound of the boots hitting the floor. He slid his hands between her leg and her skirt and peeled off each thigh-high stocking, adding them to the pile on the floor. “Can I get you anything before we, uh, take that nap?”
“I’m thirsty,” she said. “Water?”
“Be right back.”
Anna roused herself and went to the bathroom, steadying herself by the sink as Liam’s steps faded. Walking into his home was the physical equivalent of opening the centerfold of a design magazine, every room a showpiece of craftsmanship, masculinity, and warmth. She loved it. Being surrounded by objects he designed and wood he shaped felt like being in his embrace.
So why was she feeling so damn nervous? She ran water into the sink, filled her cupped hands, and lowered her face.
Introducing Liam to her daughter had come so easily, but then again, they had been in her territory—cooking in her kitchen, which had often been a group activity for her family. She knew next to nothing about Liam’s uncle or the rest of his family. He hadn’t mentioned anyone outside of his immediate circle. But it’s not like the two of them were in their twenties, talking about marriage, their whole lives ahead them. Meeting someone’s family at this stage in her life had a different feel to it.
She opened the bathroom door. Liam stood by one of the windows, his back to her, hands in his pockets, two glasses of water on the table by the bed. Anna tiptoed across the wide maple floorboards in her bare feet and circled his waist with her arms. Resting her head between his shoulder blades, she listened for his breath.
This was how they had started, their bodies in proximity, learning to synchronize their breathing until it felt like they were sharing lungs. It was a simple start, one that had led them to experience exquisite, intimate pleasures.
“Thank you for coming out on short notice.” Liam’s voice was quiet.
The leafless branches of a giant maple tree created a pattern of black lace against a sky growing darker by the minute. It was as quiet here as their side-by-side island cottages, minus the sound of the ocean.
“Want to lie down?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He rotated in her embrace, signaled his desire to carry her. Anna lifted her heels as he bent his knees and picked her up. Locking his arms under her butt, he nuzzled her neck to her earlobe and across her jaw until he found her lips.
She’d been waiting for this moment of their reunion, the getting-to-the-bed moment. He bent his knees and lowered her to the mattress. Anna pulled him with her, needing his kisses, needing the reassuring affirmation of his mouth on hers as she fumbled with her clothes, peeling away enough material to expose her thong.
He swept the small triangle of fabric to the side and ran the pad of his thumb over her labia. “We don’t have time for foreplay.”
“This entire day has been foreplay. I couldn’t wait to get here.” Anna nudged his hand away and finished stripping off her sliver of an undergarment. She spread her knees wide, her fingers playing where the echo of Liam’s thumb continued to burn. “I need you.”
He shed his pants and made his way up the bed to Anna until she could wrap her legs behind his thighs and offer a more explicit and undeniably clear invitation to enter.
“I can’t believe we have dinner plans in thirty minutes,” he groaned, entering her in one stroke.
“Think
