"What happened to your endurance, roomie?" Liam smiled at me, raking his fingers through his damp hair, waiting for me to catch a breath.
I forgot what it was like to dance as if you were going to showcase your skills. Dance practice with Liam was no joke- apart from knowing the moves of pretty much every dance that existed, he was serious about stretches and warmups.
We'd been dancing together for almost two weeks, and the more time we spent at the studio, the fitter I felt. My mood was excellent, and my focus improved.
I wasn't going to fail Econ, of that I was certain. The girls and I had to finish the project still, but for the first time since I started my degree, I felt interested and motivated. I listened to Liam and realized that what I studied had many practical applications. I could have my own business, and thanks to what I studied, I would know how to make it successful.
Being with the right person meant improving other areas of your life. I now understood what Ellie meant when she said that she and Aiden pushed each other in the right direction. When I got tired and grumpy and complained about how much I had to study, Liam made me a cup of tea and hugged me while I drank it. Then, I could carry on studying with him by my side. He would work on his laptop while I read or took notes, and although we hardly talked not to distract each other, being together like that felt oddly reassuring.
"My endurance is okay." I pretended to pout as Liam chuckled, shaking his head.
"I doubt it. Let me remind you that you were the one to choose the songs today. If it were up to me, we would be slow-dancing."
"Horizontally in bed?" I asked, biting my lip.
Liam groaned, walking to the windowsill where he'd left his phone. "Yeah, sweetheart. Keep saying those things to me as if you hadn't driven me wild already. You know I will wait for as long as you want me to, but it doesn't mean that I'm not dying to kiss you and sleep in your bed."
I smiled at the guy who started to fumble with his phone, looking for the last song for today's practice.
Today, I made Liam dance to my girl power playlist, and although he laughed and shook his head, he didn't say no to Beyonce. Liam was trying to make me happy, and he succeeded.
"Okay, I've got it," my dance partner said. "I'm going to do something, and you will do as I say, okay?"
I shrugged. "Sure, bossy pants. Show me your daddy ways."
Liam chuckled, rolling his eyes. Then, he walked up to me, holding a thin scarf in his hands.
A slow melody started to play. It wasn't that typical, though - I would call it a mix of pop and classical music because of the instrumental part.
Liam reached behind me and tied the ends of the scarf behind my head.
"Why?" I asked, uncomfortable because of my inability to see.
"I'm gonna stop the song now, and then it will play again. When the chorus sounds, you will run and jump into my arms, and I will lift you. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"
"I can't see, Liam."
I heard Liam whisper, "I know."
"What if I fall?"
"You won't."
"How do you know?"
Liam sighed. I felt him take my hand in his and smooth his thumb over the back of it.
"Because it's about trust, Sky. You have to trust me to know that I will be there to catch you, and I won't let you fall. If you trust me dancing with your eyes closed, you will also do it out of the studio. For example, in bed, when we both decide we're ready. So, you'll run, and you'll jump, and I'll lift you above my head."
I heard Liam's footsteps as he walked away from me. The song started to play again.
I was scared to do it with my eyes open, let alone without seeing. The guy had to be strong. I knew Liam was, but it did little to ease my fears.
"Sky, now," Liam called me.
I ran to him, barefoot, and jumped on the high note of the chorus. Liam's hands were on my waist in no time, lifting me and holding me above his head as if I weighed nothing.
I squealed at the feeling. Laughing, Liam put me down and pressed me to him. The music was still playing, but the blindfold was gone, and now I was staring into Liam's eyes.
"See? You didn't fall," he whispered, skimming his lips over my cheek.
I felt my heart flutter in my chest, and the warmth from Liam's touch set my skin ablaze. This time, I knew I was ready to take things further, to be with him in every way, but being ready didn't mean I wasn't scared. I still had those lingering doubts. What if I started to panic or was unable to relax?
Liam went on kissing my cheeks and my jaw, stroking my back and holding me tightly to him with his other arm until the last note of the song faded.
"Have you heard it?"
Liam's whisper made me look at his face again. I shook my head, not knowing what he referred to. Liam pressed his fingers to my lips.
The sound of footfalls echoed through the studio, making us look at each other with our brows furrowed.
Liam rushed toward the door to the hall and yanked it open, swiveling his head around to see where the noises came from.
"Stay here," he told me, stepping out of the room and into the hallway.
Liam was back in a couple of minutes.
"Does anyone else have a key?"
"Only Brigitte, but she's home today."
Liam frowned. "Have you ever heard any noises before?"
"Never. It was probably nothing, Liam."
Liam didn't look convinced. "Right, nothing, and the damn building doesn't even have a security camera. I don't like it, Sky."
I giggled. "You're cute when you worry."
Rolling his eyes, Liam started to pick up our things from the floor. "I'd rather seem crazy than let it slide. What if someone got into the building? What if someone was here when you were alone? It's not a joke, sweetheart. We're gonna ask Brigitte if anyone else has a key, okay? Now, come on, let's go."
I slapped Liam's backside. "Bossy pants."
Chuckling, he kissed my cheek. "I didn't slap you that hard. Is that how you want it to be, bebegorl? You can just say it, and it's yours."
Liam and I got dressed and left the studio. I didn't miss the way Liam scanned the area around it. I wasn't sure what we heard were real footsteps - it could be anything in a building that old.
Amelia's car stopped next to our building when we were approaching it.
Tim got out of it and rushed toward us. "Sky!" he yelled, clinging to my waist as soon as he was by my side.
"Alright, forget that I'm here, buddy," Liam pouted.
Amelia laughed from the car and waved goodbye to the three of us before driving away.
"How was soccer?" Liam asked his brother.
Tim gave him a thumbs-up. "I'm excited to start with another team. It's a shame Antoine cannot do it."
Liam kissed the top of his brother's head. "You'll be best friends anyway. We'll make sure you can spend time together. Right, Sky?"
I smiled. "Right."
The elevator stopped on our floor, and I went to my room to take a shower and get changed, thinking that although it might have seemed insignificant, what Liam did was a big deal. He included me in something that had to do with Tim, making it look as if the decision was both his and mine. It was him showing trust in his way, and I couldn't help grinning as I went to the living room in a while, hoping to spend time with Liam.
He was sitting on the couch with his phone in his hands. The TV was off, and, judging by the silence, Tim was already in bed.
I sat down next to Liam, and he drew an arm around my waist, pressing his lips to my neck. "Fuck, your smell." I heard him mutter.
Smiling, I traced his jaw with my fingertips. "What were you doing? Calling the mysterious guy again?"
Liam nodded with a sigh. "I think it was probably a scam or a mistake. I've been trying to reach him for weeks now, and nobody picks up the phone."
"Don't stress yourself out." I pecked Liam's cheek and snuggled into him. "Do you want to watch a movie?"
Wiggling his eyebrows, Liam pressed his lips to mine. Then, he whispered, "A dick flick?"
"A chick flick." I giggled.
Liam shook his head. "I danced to your songs today, but the movie selection is on me. I'll try to find some action with a bit of romance if that's what you want."
"Aren't you every girl's dream, Liam Dupont?" I said dreamily, and Liam laughed, grabbing the remote from the couch.
"Bring the snacks, roomie. If you want some wine, I'm not gonna say no."
I rushed to the kitchen and got everything ready - popcorn, some cheese and fruit, and some red wine I poured in two glasses.
When I was back, I saw that Liam didn't waste time- there was a lit candle on the coffee table, and he chose the movie. A warm blanket lay on the couch, and Liam was leaning against the cushions.
"Come here," he called me.
I bent to leave the snacks on the table and heard Liam groan. "How many pairs of those shorts do you own, Sky?"
I bit my lip. "I might have bought an extra pair after what you told me that night you got drunk."
Liam frowned and patted the couch next to him. "Come, tell me what I said."
I sat down by his side and grinned, looking at Liam's serious expression. "You said that you loved my shorts and wanted to take them off me and fuck me senseless on this couch with me on top, in the shower from behind, and in bed with me under you."
"Oh, fuck," Liam groaned, burying his face in his palms. "Could I be more of an idiot?"
I laughed. "There's always room for more. Don't worry; I don't hold grudges. You didn't know what you were saying."
Liam chuckled. "If only. And of all the fruit we have in the kitchen, you just had to bring oranges to snack on now, right, sweetheart?"
"Let's watch the movie," I said instead, taking my glass of wine and making myself comfortable as I sat with my back to Liam's chest.
For the first half ah hour, we focused on the plot and sipped our wine, but it didn't last long.
Soon, I was snuggled into Liam under the blanket, feeling warm and comfortable after finishing my glass of Bordeaux and regretting my decision to take things slow.
Now that I knew how good Liam's kisses felt, not doing anything was hard, as was something else belonging to my maybe-boyfriend.
I looked up at Liam from where I was lying on his chest. He shrugged. "I'm a guy, baby. You feel so good and warm, and you smell like oranges. What do you want me to do?"
I laughed, pressing my forehead to Liam's chest, and frowned when I saw him wince.
"Liam?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did you wince?"
Liam kissed my forehead. "It's nothing."
"I don't believe you," I said, gripping the hem of Liam's shirt so that I could lift it and take a look.
He stopped me, covering my hand with his.
"I got a new tattoo at lunch break today, okay? It needs to heal. I will show you when it does."
"Tattoo of what?" I asked.
Liam pulled me to him. "Nothing, Sky, just something in Chinese. I'll show you later."
I sighed. "Okay."
My ability to focus was gone. I tucked my head in the crook of Liam's neck and draped a leg over him. It was our usual position. For the last two weeks, it was how we spent our evenings together- lying in each other's arms on the couch, talking or watching movies, and then going to sleep in separate beds.
Now, as Liam rested his hand on the small of my back and started to draw patterns on my bare skin, I wanted more.
I pressed my lips to Liam's neck and kissed it, licking his skin and sucking on it lightly.
Liam moaned, shifting under me, and this time, with my lips still on his skin, I smoothed my hand over his chest and slid it lower, to the front of Liam's shorts, cupping him through the thin fabric.
"Damn, baby," he whispered, closing his eyes. His mouth was slightly open, and I fought the urge to kiss him because I knew that if I did, it wouldn't be just one kiss.
I freed Liam from his shorts and closed my fingers around his hard length, starting to move my hand, gripping him tightly and caressing him in the way he'd shown me. He grew even hotter and harder in my hand. I went on kissing his neck, trying to match the pace of my heated kisses with the caresses of my hand.
Liam began to move his hips, raising them slightly with each movement of mine. I felt him tense, and his moans grew louder.
I wanted him to let go and feel the pleasure I could give him. I wanted to see him let loose for real, to know what it was like when he didn't hold back.
I wanted to feel him inside me, filling me and making me his.
But for now, I ran my thumb over the tip of his erection and then moved my hand faster, kissing Liam's neck again.
"God, baby, don't stop." Liam moaned and surrendered to his pleasure, coming hard barely a few seconds later.
I kissed his jaw and then his lips, just a brief touch of my mouth to let him know I was in the moment with him.
Liam's chest was still rising and falling fast when he cupped my cheek with his warm palm and kissed me briefly but hard.
"You also got your sweet orange," I said into Liam's neck and felt him smile.
"No cold showers for me tonight, sweetheart. Can I ask you to do something for me?"
I giggled. "Do you want another one?"
Liam slid his hand to my bum and rubbed it through the shorts. "I do. I want many of those, all night long, buried deep inside you, but for tonight, I just want to sleep with you in my bed. I want to hold you and give you an orange too if you want it. Pretty please?"
We haven't slept together in weeks, and doing it was against my self-imposed rules, but for tonight, I decided that breaking them had way more benefits. A night in Liam's arms was worth it all, and I found myself agreeing to it, and Liam kissing my lips as soon as the words came out.
Hope it was good😀
Footsteps and oranges, what a combo. Theories?
Thank you for being patient with me, and a huge thank you to those who checked out Kitten. You guys are the best.
Love you!❤