The Unpredictable Edge

Part Nine

"Hey," Liam says quietly.

I ignore him.

He walks up to me in my chair and kneels.

"I am sorry about missing dinner."

"You missed the whole evening. Where were you?" I say coldly.

"I told you at McAlister's."

"You said you had to drop something off."

"Yes, and then Mrs. McAlister wanted me to stay for dinner. So, I did."

"Liam, you were supposed to have dinner here with my family."

"I know. I am sorry, Princess. We got caught up talking about the merger."

" Do not call me Princess when I am mad. I am not happy with you." I say, all irritated. "And the fucking merger is a nightmare!" I clamor, "I hate the merger!"

"You will not." He starts softly, trying to calm me down.

"What does that mean?"

"I made some changes."

"I know my father told me; what does that have to do with anything?"

"It has to deal with you. The original idea of the merger was to give my business all of the money, but I changed the clause to say that at least 40% of it goes to you."

"For what?"

" Whatever you want, and if you still want to divorce me, you will be able to take all that money and half of what I already have with you."

"Shit. Really?"

"Yes." He admits. There is a pang of sorrow in his voice. Something I also did not think he was capable of.

"Thank you," I say, my voice ringing with sincerity.

"You are welcome." He smiles gently, looking down. He rises, and I take his hand and set my wine glass down.

The air changes between us, and I am suddenly turned on by his calm and polite care for my future. I stood up from the chair and kissed him sweetly, and with it, all thoughts of animosity vanished from my mind. He moves closer, his eyes never leaving mine, as he reached out and placed one hand on my waist. His touch sent a spark through me, and I leaned into him, letting my head fall against his chest as he pulled me close.

My heart raced as I watched the firelight dance on Liam's body. The heat of the flames seemed to ignite something inside of me, and I felt a warmth spreading through my veins that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room.

It must have awoken his primal need because he tilted my chin and kissed me back with this unfamiliar senselessness. He trailed soft kisses down my neck, sending delightful shivers through me and making my breath catch in anticipation of what would come next. His hands roamed my body, exploring every curve with gentle yet passionate touches that made it hard for me to stay still. My body arched towards him, silently begging for more. His hands snaked under my shirt, cupping my breasts through my bra before sliding it off completely. His kisses became hungrier and more binding.

The fire crackled in the background as he slowly continued to remove our clothes piece by piece until we were both completely exposed in front of the fire. He paused then, looking at me with an intensity that took away any sense of inhibition, letting me know just how much he wanted this moment.

We moved together in perfect harmony, our bodies intertwined like two pieces of a puzzle. There was no turning back now, only forward into a future filled with uncertainty beneath the glow of a cozy fire.

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling the warmth of the fire radiating against my skin. I saw the light orange ambers before me, casting a beautiful glow over everything around us. As I turned to look beside me, I saw Liam lying there peacefully with his eyes closed. We had spent the night cuddled up in front of this fireplace, surrounded by nothing but each other's company. I remember the sound of the burning logs crackling and filling the room as we rested.
A smile spread across my face as I watched him sleep. His chest rose and fell gently with each breath he took, and the faint light from the ambers illuminated his messy hair. He looked so peaceful and content that it made me feel fuzzy inside.

I could not help but reach out and trace his jawline softly with my fingertips. He stirred slightly at my touch, opening his eyes slowly and turning to face me.
"Good morning," he whispered huskily, kissing my forehead softly.
I smiled back at him before snuggling even closer into his embrace. We lay there for a while longer, enjoying each other's company.
At that moment, nothing else mattered; I was utterly lost in him. I closed my eyes again, listening to the sounds of our breathing mingling; I knew this was where I belonged - wrapped tightly in Liam's arms with nothing but love between us. But did Liam love me? Was last night the evidence of it?

"I think maybe we should get up," I push on his chest to sit up, "My parents will be down here any moment now."

He swings his arm over his face to cover his eyes from the light protruding through the window from the other side of the room.

"I suppose." He huffs.

I get up, throw on Liam's shirt from last night over my underwear, and head to the kitchen, where I find a platter of strawberries and chocolate-drizzled croissants. A mother always knows I acknowledge giggling to myself.

I pull a strawberry from the plate and take a bite. Yum.

"Liam, come here."

A groggy Liam slides into the kitchen.

"Oh! Yummy, strawberries." He rubs his eyes and steals two strawberries from the plate with a croissant.

"Aren't you glad we came to my parents for Christmas?"

"Yes." He smiles.