Chapter <b>73 </b>
He was sitting on the bed.
Fresh from a shower, damp hair pushed back, gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips, a long–sleeved shirt clinging to his frame. His feet were nted on the floor, elbows resting on his knees, gaze locked on the window like he was waiting for someone to show up outside and tell him how to feel.
“Hey,” I said softly, stepping into the room.
He didn’t even blink.
I walked over and sat beside him, careful not to get too close.
“Are you good?”
Silence.
“Are you okay with me being here?”
Nothing.
“Liam, please. At least say something.”
He didn’t look at me. Didn’t move. The silence cut deeper than any words.
I let out a curse under
my
breath. “Seriously?”
He finally turned his head, just enough for his voice to carry. <fn9b04> The rightful source is FιndＮovel</fn9b04>
“Why did youe back?”
I swallowed. “For you.”
He looked at me fully now, his eyes unreadable. “I don’t remember asking you to.
“I didn’t say you did,” I said, trying to stay calm. “I came because I wanted to.”
<i>” </i>
His jaw clenched. “Why? Wasn’t the tour fun anymore? The attention? The cameras? Being someone else’s mystery girl?”
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That stung.
My lips parted. “Are you being serious right now?”
He said nothing.
“You think I came back because I couldn’t handle being in the spotlight? That I got bored of Mason?”
Not a word.
I stood. “You know what? Maybe this was a mistake.”
I turned to walk toward the door.
But his hand shot out and caught my wrist. His grip was firm–not rough, just… unyielding.
He pulled me back, turning me to face him.
“Do you really thinking here was a mistake?”
His voice was raw. Low. Like it hurt to even ask.
I blinked. My heart thundered in my chest.
He stepped closer, eyes locking on mine.
“Say it,” he whispered. “Say it was a mistake and I’ll let you go.”
My mouth opened, but no words came out.
The tension between us snapped tight like a wire pulled too far.
I felt the heat of him, the electric charge between us rising.
His hand slipped to the side of my neck, thumb brushing just below my jaw.
“You’re not repeating it because deep down, you know it’s a lie,” he muttered.
I didn’t move.
“You came back because you couldn’t stay away.
And before I could say anything, he kissed me.
<i>” </i>
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No hesitation. No gentle lead–in.
Just raw, bottled–up frustration and longing crashing together.
His lips were firm, demanding. I melted into it, hands sliding to his chest, his shirt wrinkling under my fingers.
We broke apart only long enough to breathe.
“I hate how much I missed you,” he whispered, forehead resting against mine.
The room still smelled like his skin. Like heat and tension and something purely Liam. My body felt boneless, sated, wrapped against his chest like it had found its rightful home. The ache between my legs hadn’t faded, but it wasn’t pain. It was the memory of being taken, devoured, worshipped in the roughest way possible.
His hand was heavy around my waist. Possessive. Like he was daring the world to try and take me again.
I ran my fingers along his bare chest, brushing over the steady rise and fall. There was a moment of perfect silence, broken only by our breathing.
Then, I whispered, “I missed you so badly.”
His arm tightened around me. He exhaled through his nose. “God, I hate how I can’t stay mad at you.”
I pulled back a little to look at him. “You nned to stay mad at me?”
He tilted his head on the pillow, eyes fixed on the ceiling like it was safer than looking at me. “nned it all. Long and hard. I was going to ignore your calls, block your number, act like you didn’t exist. But the moment I walked through that door and saw you…”
He turned, locking eyes with me. “The only thing I could think about was hugging you, kissing you, and punishing you.”
My lips curled. “Punish me, huh? And what exactly would that entail?”
His voice dropped, smoky and rough. “Reminding you who you belong to. Who your body responds to. Who your heart calls out for.”
A hum rolled in my throat. I leaned closer, letting my hand trail lower beneath the sheets. “Sounds intense.”
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“Oh, it will be,” he growled.
My breath hitched. “Maybe I deserve the punishment.”
He pulled back slightly, eyes narrowing with a slow, hungry gleam. “Strip. Slowly. I want to see you naked again.”
I sat up, still flushed from earlier, but I obeyed. One piece at a time, I peeled the sheet off, let it slide down my body. My skin tingled under his gaze.