Trusting Liam(32)

A hand touched my arm, and when I turned, I found Kira looking at me with wide eyes—her head shaking back and forth. “She’s just doing it to get a reaction out of you.”

“Don’t—”

“No, Liam, I know her. I know what she’s doing! She wants to get back at you for this afternoon even if she won’t admit it!”

“Well, then it’s fucking working! But there’s no point to try to stop it when all she has done is push me away, and now I’ve finally given her a reason to.”

Kira’s eyes widened. “There isn’t?”

I ground my jaw and narrowed my eyes at her. “You and I both know she doesn’t want to be saved—”

“That doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be saved by you!” she yelled, cutting me off. “Liam, don’t let her continue to push you away. I know she needs you despite everything she’s done so far!”

My eyes darted to the side, and my body locked up again. Kennedy’s head had dropped back and the guy was leaning his head toward her chest.

Fuck this.

I moved from Kira’s hand and pushed forward through the crowd as fast as I could. As soon as I was close enough, I grabbed Kennedy around the waist and yanked her back before the guy’s mouth could touch her.

She was yelling at me. But with the music and my rage, I couldn’t make out her words as I pulled her away. It was taking everything in me to continue walking forward rather than going back and beating the shit out of someone who had no idea that the girl in my arms belonged to me. I practically carried Kennedy out of the main room, down the hall, and into my room. As soon as the door was shut, I turned and pinned her back against it.

“What the fuck is your problem?” she screamed.

“I want to know the same damn thing, Kennedy! What was that out there?”

Her eyes widened, then narrowed in anger. “You’re really going to ask me that after what I saw today?”

Leaning in close to her, I spoke low. “You have no idea what that was this afternoon, but I’ll tell you it wasn’t welcome.”

“I’m sure,” she bit out. “Because having girls climb onto your lap must be so rough on you!”

“If it’s not you? Then yeah, it is. You would know that if you hadn’t been avoiding me for the last few hours, and then trying to get off on some guy’s leg in my goddamn place.”

A cynical smile was plastered on her face. “What’s wrong, Liam? Jealous because it wasn’t you? Have you forgotten you don’t have a say over who I—”

She cut off quickly when I slammed my hand against the door and put my face directly in front of hers. “You are mine.”

“You do not know me, Liam Taylor, don’t you dare act like you own me!”

“Don’t I?” I challenged. Without giving her a chance to respond, I continued, “One last time, Kennedy. Why are you pushing me away when I know that’s not what you want?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say anymore!” she yelled. “What do you want, Liam? Do you want me to say you’re right? Okay, yes! Yes, Liam, I want you! Obviously you already know that. But I can’t—”

Before she could finish, I pressed my mouth firmly to hers. An aggravated moan rose up her throat before her lips parted—and then she was grabbing me and pulling me closer. My tongue slid into her mouth, and each stroke was matched with one of hers. If I had been watching us, I wouldn’t have known if we were kissing or fighting. Like the night in Vegas over a year ago, there were hands searching, I was situating myself between her legs and biting down on her lip, and she was moaning and arching away from the door—all the while we both fought to be in control of the kiss.

I knew the exact moment she gave in to it. Her body relaxed against the door, her hands began clinging to me instead of grabbing, and her moans turned into soft whimpers. But like at the bonfire, her body suddenly stiffened and she began pushing against my chest. When I looked down, her eyes were glued to her hands, her breathing ragged.

“I can’t,” she whispered.

“What?”

“I can’t do this.”

“No. No, you can’t go back to that.”

She pushed harder, but I held her against the door—afraid if I let go she would leave and that would be it for us. “It doesn’t matter if I want you or not, I can’t be with you! Don’t you get that?”

“No, I don’t! For so many reasons, including what just happened, I don’t buy that bullshit for a fucking second!”

She shook her head, indecision and fear covering her face.