Her hips needed no further encouragement to find a rhythm to match his thrusts. She reached between their bodies and alternated circling her clit with squeezing the base of his erection. Her orgasm built fast.
She capped the record-breaking encounter with laughter. “Oh, my God. I couldn’t hold that back.”
Liam pinned her to the bed, forehead to forehead, forcing himself to take long, steadying breaths in and out through his nose. “We have to go.”
“Nooo…” Anna wanted to remain right where she was, impaled and half-dressed, and stay the course toward a matching orgasm for him.
“How about we try this again later?” He withdrew slowly, his gaze fixed on Anna’s.
“Promise?” she asked, digging her heels into the backs of his thighs.
“Promise.”
“Okay. I’m going to rinse off.”
“Why?” he asked, sliding to the foot of the bed and standing, his eyes heavy-lidded, his erection proud and undiminished. “You smell sexy as fuck.”
Anna pressed her thighs together and groaned. Her ability to walk the straight line to the bathroom was compromised by the intensity of her orgasm’s contractions. She’d have to crawl or hitch a ride.
“Liam, I can’t meet your uncle smelling like we just had sex. I’ll be quick.” She shed the rest of her clothes on the wobbly walk to the shower, hoping the hot water would come up fast. All she needed was a quick wash under her arms and between her legs. She stayed an extra minute, letting the water beat on her upper back. Delicious.
Wrapping a generous towel around her torso, she returned to the bedroom, opened her suitcase, and withdrew fresh underwear. Liam was half dressed and texting.
“Just letting my uncle know we’re on our way.” He tucked his phone into his pocket before reaching into one of the wardrobes for a new shirt. He added a vest and buttoned it while Anna finished zipping up her boots. “Ready?”
He closed the front door behind them.
She coiled her scarf around her neck one more time. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
A flutter like a flock of birds suddenly lifting off a branch rocked Anna’s body. Liam had parked the car and was making his way to her side to open the door. He wanted one of the most important people in his life to meet her.
Their seven o’clock dinner reservation meant the sky was completely dark except for street lamps and the inviting glow coming from restaurant windows. The bistro was no exception. Walking arm in arm to the front door, Anna caught sight of a long room with a bar running along one side and tables for two to four set up along the other. Wood and paper lamps hung above each table. Her mouth watered at the aromas when the door opened and they entered the entrance alcove.
Liam spoke with the restaurant’s host, giving Anna a moment to survey the room. Half way down the row of tables, she saw a familiar figure. The fluttering in her body reached manic proportions, a warning to the flock to take off. Again. Now. Fast.
“Liam, I need to use the bathroom. I’ll meet you at the table.” She fled, hoping her legs would get her beyond the door to the closest stall, where she sat, fully clothed, elbows propped on her knees, forehead in her hands.
Liam’s uncle was Daniel Strauss.
No wonder her lover’s face seemed familiar. She could see it now, the way their brown eyes drooped slightly at the outer edges. Liam’s skin was darker and his hair lighter, but the resemblance was there. She’d been an idiot not to notice, especially once she saw Daniel in the flesh in Mexico. They shared more than physical traits and mannerisms. They worked in similar creative fields, making her former flame the mentor Liam spoke of with such affection.
There was no way she could walk into the restaurant, sit at the same table with Liam and Daniel, joke about the odds, and go on to engage in anything resembling a conversation. She opened the stall door, splashed water on her face, unrolled one of the terrycloth hand towels, and patted dry. She peeked out the bathroom door, stayed close to the wall, head down, and left the restaurant.
“I’m sick. At car. Plz come alone,” she texted Liam, hit send, and stepped into the covered entranceway of a woman’s boutique to wait.
Liam was shoving his arms into his jacket, wide-eyed with worry as he approached.
“Anna, what’s wrong?” He took her shoulders, lifted her chin, and peered at her face. All she could do was shake her head, wordless, and point to the car. He unlocked the passenger door, helped her get situated, and hustled to the other door. “Can you talk? No, don’t worry about it. We’ll be home in a few minutes. Tell me what happened later.”
Anna squeezed his hand and curled into herself as tight as she could. It wasn’t helping that the night was so cold. She could see her breath, and she couldn’t stop shaking, even after they’d entered the warm embrace of his house.
“Do you have any mint tea? Or chamomile, something herbal?” she asked.
Liam took her jacket, hung it up, and draped her bag over the same hook. “I’ll look. Go on upstairs, get into bed.”
She held tight to the handrail, afraid to trust her legs, her mind blank and raging at the same time. She had no idea what to do next or what to say to Liam. She stripped off her clothes, and put on a pair of flowy knit pants and an oversized cashmere sweater. She needed to be surrounded by warm, soft things.
The doorbell chimed as Liam climbed the stairs. He handed the mug of tea to Anna.
“I’ll get rid of whoever it is,” he promised, “and be right up.”
She set the mug on the long bench that ran the length of the bed and awaited the coming storm.
“Where is she?" Daniel’s voice rumbled like low, angry thunder.
