Nanny Makes Three(44)

“You’re the first woman I’ve been with in a year,” he reminded her, voice rasping as frustration overcame him. “I think that proves I’m already settled down. And I trust you.”

Doubt continued to shadow her eyes. He shifted on the couch, angling his body toward her. Gripped by the urgent need to kiss her, Liam dipped his head, shortening the distance between them. He would demonstrate that he was serious about her.

Before he could kiss her, Hadley set her fingertips on his lips. “Thank you for sharing how you felt about your mother not being around. I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t.” And yet it had been a relief to share his anger and sense of betrayal with her. “Thank you for listening.”

A moment earlier he’d had something to prove, but the mood was no longer right for seduction. Instead, he planted a friendly kiss on her cheek and held her in a tight hug.

“Let’s go upstairs,” she murmured, her hands sliding beneath his suit coat, fingers splaying over his back. “I want to make love to you.”

At her declaration Liam took a massive hit to his solar plexus. Pulse quickening, he caught her by the hand and drew her toward the stairs. They climbed together in a breathless rush. By the time they reached his bedroom, he was light-headed and more than a little frantic to get them both naked.

Once they crossed the threshold, Hadley plucked the pins from her hair, and it tumbled around her shoulders. Liam came to stand behind her, pushing the thick mass of blond hair away from her neck so he could kiss the slender column and make her shiver. He stripped off his jacket and shirt before turning his attention to the zipper of her dress. With more urgency than finesse, he stroked the dress down her body. When it pooled at her feet, he skimmed his palms back upward, hesitating over the ticklish spot beside her hip bones and investigating each bump of her ribs. The rise and fall of her chest grew less rhythmic as he unfastened her strapless bra and tossed the scrap of fabric on to a nearby chair.

Her hand came up to the back of his head as he cupped her breasts in his palms, thumbs flicking over her tight nipples. She shuddered, her head falling back against his chest, eyes closed as she surrendered to his touch. Although the tightness in his groin demanded that he stop all the foreplay and get down to business, Liam had no intention of rushing. He’d rather savor the silken heat of her skin and bring her body as much pleasure as it could take before seeking his own release.

She turned in his arms, her soft breasts flattening against his chest as she lifted on tiptoe and sought his mouth with hers. She cupped his face in her hands to hold him still while her tongue darted forward to toy with his. Liam crushed her to him, his fingers dipping below her black lace panties to swallow one butt cheek and lift her against his erection.

They both groaned as he rocked against her. She lifted her foot and wrapped her leg around his hips, angling the bulge behind his zipper into the warm, wet cleft between her thighs. The move unraveled all of Liam’s good intentions. He plucked her off her feet and moved toward the bed. She set the soles of her feet against his calves to keep him anchored between her thighs and impatiently removed his belt. It was torture to let her undress him. Every time her fingers glanced off his erection, he ground his teeth and bit back a groan. Only by watching the play of emotions race across her beautiful features was he able to maintain his control. By the time she’d slid open his zipper and pushed the pants down his thighs, his nerves screamed with impatience.

Liam stripped off pants, shoes, socks and underwear without ever taking his eyes off Hadley. With a sensual smile she moved backward, making room for him on the mattress. He stalked onto the bed, fitting between her spread thighs, covering her torso with his before claiming her lips in a hard kiss and her body with a single deep thrust.

He loved the way her hips lifted to meet his. How she arched her back and took him all the way in. Her chest vibrated with a moan. A matching sound gathered in his lungs. For a long moment they lay without moving, lips and tongues engaged.

Framing her face in his hands, Liam lifted his lips from hers and stared into her eyes. “Thank you for being my date tonight.” It wasn’t what he’d intended to say, but nevertheless his words pleased her.

“Thank you for asking. I had a lovely time.”

“Lovely?” He grinned. “Let’s see if we can’t upgrade that to fantastic.”

Her eyebrows lifted, daring him to try, while her fingers stroked down his sides. “We’re off to a wonderful start.”

Liam nuzzled his face into her throat and began to move inside her. “We certainly are.”