My heart was officially melted. I couldn’t let myself get too dependent on that, as tempting as it was. He couldn’t always be there. But the fact that he offered it? That sometimes I could let my guard down? Amazing.
“Liam,” I whispered. “That’s…thank you. It wasn’t you I was worried about, though. I want to be a good girlfriend to you. I only had that one boyfriend in college, and I didn’t like how I was with him. I was clingy when we were out and pushed him away when we were alone. So that doesn’t help me here at all.”
“Don’t compare anything about us to him,” Liam bit out.
“Don’t blame him. I used him to experiment. I was curious. I wanted to try things on my own terms.”
His expression gentled into a pout. “I still don’t like it.”
I kissed Liam’s palm. I definitely didn’t want to push him away. I was more comfortable with him than I ever thought I could be. And he made me want…everything. God, did he make me want. When we kissed in the park, and he held me, touching me so carefully, my core throbbed. Electricity zapped through me in places I hadn’t even known existed. I could barely focus to put one foot in front of the other on the walk back to my car. And then back at my apartment, we’d kissed more on my couch, with him once again positioning us where there was no possibility of penis contact. My body already craved him, and the way he was so considerate and protective, my head did too. My heart, well, that was already a complete goner.
Liam snaked a hand through my hair and pulled me toward him, holding my gaze, his eyes as intense as his words. “I like you just the way you are, Firefly. I’d glue you to my side if I could, so don’t worry about being clingy. And it will be a pleasure for us both as we slowly build up to doing more physically. If you ever feel the need to push me away, it’s because I fucked up and moved too fast. We’ll get there when we get there, and in whatever way works for us. If there’s certain things you’re never into, we’ll find other ways to be together. No pressure.”
My core throbbed again just from his words. Like he knew it somehow, or maybe he was feeling the same, his hand tightened around my hair and his lips brushed over mine, whisper soft.
“I already want more,” I murmured against his lips.
Liam smiled and gave me a quick kiss. “Soon, Firefly.” He pulled away, leaving a chill where his warmth had been. “Now I need a second to pull myself together before I leave the car.”
I looked down at the erection tenting his dark jeans. It didn’t scare me, I realized, and joy bubbled through me.
“You think it's funny?” he asked with a chuckle.
“No, I’m just happy. Really, really happy.” I didn’t know how I’d react when it was time for more, but I knew without a doubt he’d do everything he could to make it good for me.
“Me too. Ready?”
I nodded. Then I thought of something else. “Wait!”
“What?”
“I don’t like PDA.”
“Okay,” he agreed easily.
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” I clarified, his acceptance making me want to explain. “It’s just…if someone’s watching, it could make them notice me and think...things.”
His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. “If anyone looks at you like that, or fucking breaths in your direction with ill intent, it’ll be the last breath they take.”
Unease tightened my chest. I knew this would happen. “No, no. I freak out easily over nothing. You can’t go after someone just because they scared me. You’ll want to kill everyone.”
His expression softened, but there was still fire in his eyes. “I hate that you live with that fear. Don’t worry about me. I’ll only maim someone if they deserve it. The rest I’ll just scare away. Okay?”
“Yeah, I can live with that.” It sounded perfect, actually—if he could control himself.
“Can I hold your hand?” he asked.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
“Kiss you?”
“Little kisses?”
“Hold you against my side?”
“Yes.”
“Got it. Wait for me,” Liam said, and then he stepped out of the car and seconds later, he was at my door. Holding hands, we walked over to our friends.