“He nearly had a panic attack earlier. Watch him, okay.”
“I will.” Liam stood by the door and watched her walk outside where she turned and looked back to him. “He’ll be okay, Kelly. I won't leave him if I think he won't be.”
She smiled softly, looking back at the house and then to Liam. “Then I guess he’s all yours.”
The way she said it made Liam stiffen a little, but he didn’t disagree. He actually liked the idea of Dalton being his. He’d never really had anyone referred to in that way before and it made him puff up his chest a bit and feel slightly more responsible for Dalton than he did a minute ago. “I guess so.”
“He's…”
“Confused.” Liam finished off for her and she nodded, a bigger smile on her face when he showed he understood. “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry about it. He's in good hands.” He waved his big mitts at her and she chuckled.
“I hope for his sake not everything is supersized on you, Liam.”
Liam snorted as she opened her car door. If only she knew. “Drive safe.”
“Will do.” She waved before she closed her car door and Liam stepped back inside and sighed.
Well, that was strange but sort of nice. She was nice. Shit! Liam locked the door and pulled his big boy pants up. Time for his softer side to make an appearance.
Chapter 17
Dalton watched as Liam’s tall frame made it back into the sitting room, both of them just looking at the other. Liam seemed to be thinking hard about what to do next, and Dalton was just trying to keep his chest from exploding and his brain from melting.
Kelly saw them holding each other. He’d caught her watching as she walked toward them, tea cups in hand, mouth slightly open. They’d looked at each other as he clung onto Liam, and then him and Liam sprang apart. Liam had quickly taken hold of his hand, and Dalton had clung onto it like a life buoy, not letting go until Liam prised them apart so he could feed him the tea.
“Are you okay?” Liam took a step closer, hands resting on his hips, t-shirt pulled tight over his hard chest, every muscle on display under the thin fabric.
Dalton had to look away, not being able to concentrate with the glorious image of Liam standing there. He always had issues looking full on at him, right from the start just over three months ago when Dalton felt like a second rate human being. Maybe it wasn’t down to Dalton’s lack of self-confidence after all, maybe it was down to the fact he enjoyed looking at Liam a bit too much and for more than just the general appreciation men showed other men with fit bodies.
“Hey.” Liam eventually took the seat beside him, pressing against his side and wrapping an arm around his shoulders, gently tilting him into Liam. Every time Liam held him, Dalton felt the rug being pulled from under his feet and he was left hanging, not knowing what to do or how to act. When he was pulled gruffly into Liam’s chest, face pressed in between those big pecs, eyes screwed tight to stop the tears from falling, Dalton felt more at ease than he had done in a long time.
There was something comforting about Liam. It could be something to do with his big frame and tall stature, or it could be the confidence he oozed, but Dalton felt underneath all the bravado was a softer side to Liam which only showed itself in those intimate moments, and it was that which drew him to Liam. Everything about Liam screamed safety, security, honesty. What you got was pretty much what you saw, and Dalton was learning you saw more, the more you got to know him.
There were no words, no tears, just Liam and his gentle bear hug. Dalton felt drained. The tension was building for months, and today was the tip of the iceberg. He would’ve fallen down into the inky blackness if Liam hadn't stayed with him. He couldn’t find this type of comfort from Kelly anymore, he didn’t want it, but Liam… He was different, and Dalton didn’t really understand why.
He was aware of Liam leaning back, taking him along for the ride until they were both comfortable on the sofa, Dalton clutching his forearm tightly, anchoring himself to the heavy weight of Liam as he breathed in his scent. They’d spent so much time together and yet they'd had no time at all.
It wasn’t always one on one. There were times recently where they'd spent hardly any time one on one, just passing ships in the night, but Dalton knew his scent, every line on his face, every frown and grimace, every sarcastic smile. He knew how to read his body, how tight his arms would go if he was pissed off, how his stance would relax when Dalton had done something to make him proud. But touch, well, touches happened, but they were quick and efficient, moving Dalton into the correct position, prodding him to do more, to do it faster, to keep going. He’d always pushed just enough then backed off when he knew Dalton couldn’t take it anymore. They seemed to know so much yet so little about the other at the same time.
“My parents died not so long ago,” Liam spoke quietly, absentmindedly playing with the collar on Dalton’s t-shirt. “I know how hard it is. You lost your mum too?”
“Three years ago,” Dalton said with his face still pressed into his chest, breathing in the comforting scent. “How long since yours passed?”
“Dad left us a couple of years ago. Mum went five.”
“I'm sorry, Liam.”
“Thanks. I loved them a lot. They were getting on, didn’t take any of the pain away, but at least I got them for as long as I could. Your dad’s nearly eighty Kelly said?”
“Yeah.” Dalton let out a deep breath and adjusted himself, feeling like he should make an effort to sit up or something.
“Stay there. I'm only going to have to pull you back in a few minutes if you move, so let’s save us both the hassle.”
Dalton smiled into Liam’s chest before looking up to his smirking face. “You don’t have to stay, you know.”
“I don’t do anything I don’t want to, Dee. I want to be here, so here I am. Tell me to fuck off and I may think about it, but only when I'm sure you're not just pissing me about.”
“I'm not going to ask you to leave.” Dalton flinched when he felt Liam’s heavy hand and thick fingers running over his cropped hair, but relaxed when he felt those powerful fingers massaging his scalp. He even moaned a little, letting his body give way to the movements. “That feels good.”
“I can tell by your moaning.” Liam leaned down, pressing his lips against Dalton’s forehead. “I enjoy hearing those moans.”
Dalton’s breathing picked up and he fought to keep relaxed, but Liam must have felt him tense and gave him a quick shake, forcing Dalton to relax and just go with it. “Kelly thinks there's something going on between us.”
“There kind of is something going on between us if I'm not mistaken.”
Dalton stiffened again and got another rattle on the shoulder from Liam. He smirked and relaxed again. “You're not mistaken. It’s just not what she thinks it is.”
“And you know what she thinks, do you?”
“She thinks it’s some sort of new relationship or something.”
“Does it matter what she thinks?”
“I don’t want her to get the wrong idea about you and me. She’ll think I'm set up with someone new and be all happy and excited, ask me a ton of questions which I can't answer.”
“I think she’ll stay out of it if you let her know it’s not up for discussion. She seems okay. Reasonable.”
“She is.”
“Dalton…” Liam took hold of his chin and tilted his head back, looking down into his eyes, silently reaching out to him. Liam’s hand was running down his back, firm and strong, kneading his flesh in small circles. “Shit, look…” Liam turned from him, closing his expressive eyes. “I don’t know what you want to happen between us, and I'm not about to go into that now because I think you need to concentrate on your dad, but I'm always here for you as a friend, no matter what other shit does or doesn’t happen between us. I want you to know that.”
“Thank you.” Dalton moved, sensing something had changed in Liam and wanting to let him have some space.
That time, Liam didn’t stop him, and he found himself being the one to reach out and touch Liam. His hair, slightly wavy and light brown was trimmed in a short mess style which looked like he, or someone else, had been running their fingers through it, or fisting it. Dalton found his hand on Liam’s thigh, his other playing with the tips of his locks as he took in Liam’s profile. Firm jaw, five o’clock shadow, stubble nice and thick spreading around his lips, and those lips… Dalton removed his hand from Liam’s thigh as if burnt by the memory of what those lips felt like on his.
Everything about the kiss was different. How he felt in those big arms, the power, the way Liam took over, his mouth harder, more demanding, and that constant stubble rubbing against Dalton’s own. Small details which Dalton never even considered could turn him on.
Liam turned as soon as Dalton’s hand left his thigh, capturing the back of his neck in a tight grip and hauling his mouth to his, crashing their lips together in a violent, passionate kiss. Each kiss with Liam felt more intense than the last. Maybe that was down to Dalton just letting go and enjoying it more than fearing it, but this time, Dalton reached up, holding Liam’s head to him, parting his lips and letting Liam find his tongue.