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The number of days they’d known each other didn’t matter—he’d been with her almost constantly since the moment he’d saved her life He’d held her as she wept as if her heart were breaking He’d lain beside her the other night, knowing he couldn’t do anything else but hold her, but knowing, too, he would have given anything to take away her pain—no ht, helping her drive off the deiven up She was fighting for her life—her eht to free herself physically years ago Fro but unbelievable bravery He knew her Deep in his soul he knew herand recognized she was the one
He raised his hand and lightly brushed his fingertips against her cheek, then tucked her hair behind her ear She didn’t flinch away, as she’d done the first time he’d touched her And Liam knew this was thelove to her But if he had anything to say about it, it would be the way she’d drea a er all those years ago—and still did Secretly With every ro for hihtmare that had never ended, not even when she escaped seven years ago Because she was still in chains forged by her mind
“Cate” Just her na more But the color seeped into her cheeks at the intensity in his voice
“It’s okay,” she whispered again, and this tih he wanted to vehe when she ht he could take her body and use it for his own selfish needs, as if he was no better than ainst their will But he couldn’t tell her different He had to show her
He started slow And gentle Stroking his fingers along the contours of her face so delicately she would feel it as the brush of butterfly wings Whispering her na love to Showing her the wonder, the ic
Her eyes drifted closed, and Liahs he knew she wasn’t aware of, but which told hiht track Oh, sweetheart, he told her in hisstarted There’s so ood for you, you won’t re else Just here Just now Just love Sweet, sweet love
He stood, still cradling her in his arently, then following her down and stretching out beside her Letting her feel him hot and hard everywhere his body touched hers, but not holding her down Not using his strength against her in any way
He wanted to blurt out how much he loved her, explain that this experience was as new for hiless in this situation The knight-errant in hi what to do, where to touch her, and for how long Towith the intensity love brought to love her to completion with just his hands His lips His heart
He didn’t try to re she needed that protection, that htly, caressingly Letting her knoas co her the chance to object if he did anything she didn’t like She didn’t object, and Liam said a little prayer of thanks He would have stopped instantly if she grew fearful or showed any sign that what he was doing wasn’t right, but he didn’t want to stop He had so to proveto her
He rubbed his cheek against her nipples—first one, then the other—and felt them bead in response beneath her paja the material as he pulled both it and her nipple into his mouth And knew by her response that she loved what he was doing, which encouraged hio further
He slid one hand beneath the waistband of her paja her ti because he’d be daers brushed lower her whole body tightened in panic, and he paused Waiting
Without re his hand, he nuzzled her cheek “It’sshe needed the reminder
She breathed his name, but endless moments passed before she relaxed He didn’t immediately move his hand Instead he kissed her behind her ear, then teased her earlobe with his tongue and teeth until she shivered with a response she couldn’t hide Then and only then did he proceed