The Warmest Winter✓

Thirty-seven

"That's not true, Liam. What are you saying now?" I'm hurt and astonished by this allegation. A second thought? Not even in my dreams. Moving closer to him, I take a deep breath and say, "Forget what I said, okay? Let's go and have dinner. I'm starving." 

I don't want to fight with him. God, it's too early to argue when we've just landed in this place I'm supposed to call home. I step away but he holds my hand so that I don't move. 

"Kira, listen." He palms my cheeks and I look tentatively at him. "My only priority right now is to make you feel at home. If it weren't for these problems at the company, all I wanted was to spend as much time as possible with you on that honeymoon we've unfortunately cut short." He sounds desperate and I don't want him to be. 

"I know, Liam, trust me." I try to make him see my point. "I'm not complaining about anything . . . I'm just . . . . I'm just used to being busy and I suddenly realized that I won't be. You'll start working tomorrow and I'll be here, alone, and I don't know how I'll cope with this new life." A nervous laugh lurches out of my lips at the thought.

Honestly, it is not as easy as I imagined. Being in a foreign country without any knowledge of what you want to do is like walking in a deep and dark tunnel with a single hope to find the light at the end. 

Liam stares at me for a long moment before exhaling heavily. "Fine. We'll discuss this later, or tomorrow—I don't know." He frees my face, looking as confused as I am. "I just don't want us to fight or argue right now, Kira. We've just arrived and it's your first day in my house, and I'm already feeling like a big failure to upset you like this."

"Our house, Mr. Darcy," I correct him, trying to restore the playful mood we were in before we began worrying over things that can hopefully be fixed in time. 

"Exactly. Our house," Liam affirms, his bright smile back on his face. I grin triumphantly when he stoutly draws me closer. "This is now your home now. Our home."  With dominance he's holding the small of my back with one hand. 

"Thank you," I whisper. "And I don't want to fight with you either."

"But you still love stirring me up with your uncalled for astuteness." Saying this, he strokes the back of my head, grabbing my hair. My breath hitches. "You are acting as if I can't take care of you while I'm very capable of fulfilling your every need!" He tilts my head backward, so sharply that I moan startled.

His lips are on my navel, kissing my jaw, then my neck, tantalizing me in a soft torture, and I love every bit of it. 

"Does this . . . does this mean you don't want me to work?" I breathe, my voice husky and fervent.

A part of me is afraid of Liam's take on this, for the last thing I need is an overbearing husband who wants to dictate my career and other aspects of my life. I do believe he's not that type of a man, because if he is, then we are going to have a very big problem. 

"You can work," Liam rasps, taking my face closer to his vehemently. Pheew! My insides relax. "But it doesn't have to be right now, Kira. It definitely shouldn't be right now." He stares strongly at me, his eyes and words corresponding with perfection.

So, he's only concerned about timing, right? I guess that's negotiable. I also need some time before I get back to my career. 

"Okay." I nod softly like a docile kid, and he looks happy as he smiles. Pulling my face close, my body tighter onto his, he kisses my lips again.