Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 52643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Liam
If you wanted me to focus, you should’ve sent pictures of you in clothes…
Me
I thought you’d like these better.
Liam
I do…Thank you. You’re more than welcome to stay at my place for the weekend. Talk later.
I close my inbox and pull up the event site one last time as the subway lurches forward.
The Chrysler Building’s lobby gleams with my every step, and I bypass security and make it to the elevators.
Getting off on the fiftieth floor, I slip into the back of the room and spot Liam right as he’s walking onstage.
“Good morning,” he says. “The results of this study are conclusive, butI want you to know that—” He stops talking once his eyes meet mine.
He tilts his head to the side and blinks.
Then a slow smile spreads across his face before he clears his throat.
“I want you to know that my recommendations are thorough, but I’m open to being challenged on any point at the end of my presentation.”
I take a seat in the back row and watch him for an hour. I join the standing ovation at the end and treat myself to the coffee bar while he chats with suit after suit.
With every hour that passes, I refresh my train options, keeping my eyes on the time.
As I’m reaching for another cookie, Liam grabs my elbow from behind and pulls me into the hallway.
“Hi,” I say. “You did good today. I mean, well.”
He says nothing.
“I know you didn’t want me to come since I’m still on punishment technically, but I had to. I’m also hoping you won’t hold this against me.”
Still nothing.
“I may need a ride back to the train station in two hours, but if you can’t, I have to leave now and we can have a celebratory lunch back in Exeter.”
Liam is still silent.
“Are you upset with me about coming?” I step back. “I was just trying to be supportive.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me into an emergency stairwell.
The moment the door shuts, he pulls me close and kisses me. Without hesitation, he lifts up my skirt, and I wrap my legs around his waist.
Without saying another word, he fucks me with appreciation, covering my mouth with his hand as he fills me and makes me scream.
“Cancel your train ticket.” He breathes. “You’ll go back with me on Sunday.”
* * *
Later that night
I’m sitting with Liam in an oversized hotel tub, exhausted from a day of sightseeing and sex.
He’s kissing my neck and threading his fingers through my hair, and I’m wishing I could bottle this moment and hold onto it forever.
“Can I ask you something?” I say.
“Of course.”
“Before we met, when you were dating your ex-wife, what made you think she was the one?”
“I’m not sure I ever thought that,” he says. “We’d been dating for a while, I had feelings for her, and I didn’t want to spend time looking for anyone else.”
“That’s not romantic.”
“It’s the truth.”
I exhale as he lifts a lever to add more hot water. “But you were dedicated to spending the rest of your life with her?”
“Before she betrayed me, yes.”
The bubbles around us hiss and pop, and I try to think of a gentle way to word my next question.
“How far do you see the two of us going?”
He laughs softly, kissing my hair. “You should’ve started with that instead of leading me on.”
“I was trying to catch you off guard.”
“Good job.” He kisses my shoulder. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone, so probably for a very long time. Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Can you please stop thinking so much and try to relax?”
“I am relaxed.”
“Without the silly questions, Genevieve,” he says, tilting my chin up with his fingertips. “I need you to do that for me.”
“I don’t think my questions are—”
“I’m yours and you’re mine,” he interrupts. “That’s the end of our story and as one of the co-authors, I promise you there aren’t any plot twists.”
Smiling, I lay back against him and we spend the rest of our soak in a soothing silence.
4
GENEVIEVE
Hours later
Iroll over in bed and reach for Liam, but my hand grabs an abandoned pillow.
Confused, I sit up and see him standing on the balcony. He’s staring at the city below, lost in thought.
Pushing the covers off my body, I tiptoe towards him.
“You’re supposed to be resting,” he says, sensing when I’m a few feet away. He turns around and pulls me into his arms. “You need all the sleep you can get before Thesis Day.”
“You mean, Thesis Week?”
“Yes,” he says, looking into my eyes. “You need time to focus.”
“I think I’ll be fine. You were impressed when I presented my project to you.”
“You’ll definitely get a standing ovation,” he says, “But I won’t see you as much once we get back, remember?”
I hold back a sigh. “I don’t think the board will care if you blow off the review meeting and semester audits with them for another week.” I say. “Every teacher hates dealing with those anyway.”