"Ughh…" Gael groaned, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "My fucking head."

"That's what you get," Nathan chuckled, then let out of moan of his own. "Shit. I'm gonna puke."

"Not in the rented van," Seth called back. "If you really need to, let me pull over first."

"You're a monster," Julian told Seth. "I hate you."

"No, you don't," Seth grinned at his friend. "You love me."

Julian grumbled.

The drinking game had continued while Liam and I were on the dance floor and my poor boys were in a world of pain. Of course, they didn't deserve me feeling sorry for them.

"You brought it on yourselves," I told them. "You're just lucky we don't have a concert tomorrow."

They continued to whine and complain as Seth dropped each of them off at home. Liam and I were the last ones left.

I glanced at Liam. I wanted to invite him to come home with me, but I didn't want Seth to know.

Liam squeezed my hand discreetly and called out to Seth from the backseat.

"I bet you're tired after driving all night," he said. "Why don't we drop you off next and I'll take the van back tomorrow morning?"

My heart beat a little thrill.

"Thanks man, appreciate it," Seth replied. He drove a few more minutes then pulled up to an apartment building and put on the brakes.

"You really rocked tonight," he told Liam as he grabbed the handle and swung the car door open. "I'm glad you showed up at our audition. Maybe we should bring you on full time," he half-joked.

Liam's expression went blank, even as his fists clenched into a ball. From his odd reaction, I had to assume joining the band was the last thing he wanted to do.

We watched Seth enter his building as Liam climbed into the driver's seat.

"So," Liam said, glancing at me through the rearview mirror. "Your place or mine?"

I had to suppress a silly little smile.

With a few quick directions, Liam navigated his way to my condo. We parked and rode the elevator to my floor. We were silent, but the tension between us hummed in the air. We were finally standing outside my front door. I hesitated before putting the keys in the lock.

"Are you going to warn me about the mess?" he asked. "I'm sure I've seen worse."

"No," I said, fumbling with the keys.

I hadn't had a man in my apartment since…

Since ever, really. I never invited guys home. It always felt too personal. Like an invasion of space.

Liam put his hand on mine. "You don't have to invite me in."

I met his eyes. "If you don't follow me into this apartment and immediately throw me down on the bed, I'm going to scream."

"You'll be screaming all right," Liam smirked. "I'll make sure of that."

My inner muscles clenched and throbbed.

I unlocked the door and we walked in. I wondered what Liam would think of the place. I tried to look at everything through new eyes, imagining what he might see. All my furniture was neutral colors, shades of beige and brown. Two overstuffed armchairs matched an equally squishy looking sofa. There was no TV in the living room, but there was a huge computer monitor on my desk in the corner.

"I'm surprised everything isn't red," he said, taking a look around.

"I have at least some taste, thanks very much."

My place was homey and cozy, warm and inviting. The outside word was such a harsh place, cold and painful. I wanted my home to be a safe, comforting spot.

"I thought you said your place wasn't a mess?" he teased, nodding to a bra hanging off my desk chair.

I snatched it up and quickly tossed it behind a closet door.

"If one stray bra is all that's left lying around, I don't think I have much to be embarrassed about."

"I see you wear black bras as well as panties and socks," he noted.

"Sorry there's no cute cartoon kittens or superhero themed underwear to tease me about."

He came up behind me and gripped my hips.

"I'll just have to tease you in other ways," he said.

My whole body flushed at the wicked intentions behind his words.

"Is that another promise?" I asked.

He brushed my hair aside and placed a kiss on my neck. I shivered. His hand slid down my stomach, going lower and lower, until his fingertips were a mere inch away from that tantalizing spot at the apex of my thighs. He kept his hand there, not moving any further.

"Tease," I breathed.

He only chuckled.

Reaching back, I cupped his cheek, stroking his skin as his fingers clenched the fabric of my skirt.

I took a step, forcing him to follow as I started off towards my bedroom. We were steps away from the bed when I turned around to face him. He tilted his head down and captured my mouth, lips moving hungrily over mine. Delicious sparks spread spread over my skin.

Liam hooked his thumbs into the waistband of my skirt as my palms slipped under his t-shirt. I let out a longing whimper into his mouth, the feeling of his toned torso under my fingers sending my heart to a flurry of wild beats. My skirt fell to the floor. I ran my hands all over his abs and chest, greedy and wanton, but he didn’t let me enjoy it for long.

With a swift movement, I was tossed onto my bed. Liam pulled his t-shirt up and over his head, throwing it on the floor. My gaze roamed his body as I leaned back on my hands.

"Like what you see?" he asked, lifting his eyebrow with a knowing smirk.

"You already know you're hotter than sin, you narcissist."

His lips quirked up. "Sometimes a guy likes to be reminded."

Throbs raced between my legs as he crawled into bed. He rolled my panties down, keeping his eyes locked with mine. I felt the callouses of his fingers and the softness of his lips traveling up my legs. His fingertips circled my entrance. My very core scorched with need.

"You know how you keep on saying I'm amazing?" he asked, his voice a low murmur. I nodded without words. "Add this to your list."

With one last smirk, he dove between my thighs.

My legs clamped down around his shoulders, my moans filling my bedroom as my need was finally met. I pressed the heels of my feet into his back, drawing him in, encouraging him. I twisted my fingers through his hair, savoring his mouth, his lips, his tongue.

Liam hadn't been bragging. He was amazing at this. On and on it went, thorough and all-consuming, until my pleasure reached its peak. My hips jerked up and against him. I gripped the sheets, eyes squeezing shut as waves of a powerful orgasm rolled through me, stealing my breath.

As I slowly came down from the high, my whimpers were interrupted by the sound of his belt unbuckling and his jeans hitting the floor. He rolled on protection as he scanned my body from feet to head.

My limbs were still shaky, but when he made a movement to settle back on top of me, I grabbed him and flipped us around, climbing on top of him. Liam's lips parted in surprise but he didn’t speak. His eyes just turned even hungrier, filled with a rabid lust. He liked that I was taking change.

I took full advantage of that, running my fingers across his shoulders as I devoured his lips in another fiery kiss. He hurriedly unlaced my corset and tossed it to the floor, then palmed the undersides of my breasts. I tossed my head back, exposing more of my chest. He flicked my nipples with his thumbs, then sat up to suck and nip at them. I shuddered, my insides throbbing, as if my breasts had a direct line to my core.

One hand found my folds again. He parted me, making room for his tip to nudge against my entrance. I met his eyes. They were wild, dark and ravenous. In one swift motion I sat up then forced myself down onto his cock. His moaned matched my own as my inner walls spread and clenched around him. I dug my nails into his chest, lifting my hips to take him deeper. The firm squeeze on my breasts made me bite my lower lip. I could feel every hard inch pulsing in me, pleasure spiraling higher with every swivel of my hips.

He let his fingers roam over my flesh, squeezing, grabbing and kneading. Every touch sent me closer to the edge. The heat inside me increased by the second. We moved together, him thrusting and me bucking, our bodies meeting one another in this animalistic ritual.

His fingers found my clit again as he circled his thumb around and around, pressing down. With that, another orgasm tore through my body, sending me into a tailspin of pure bliss. I cried out his name with a ragged moan, the sound resonating through the walls of the bedroom.

As I pulsed and fluttered around him, he groaned and jolted his hips upward. His cock twitched inside me and I knew he was following me into that bliss.

After long moments, my muscles relaxed and I collapsed onto him. His legs went limp, his low moan audible over mine. We lay still, gasping for breath together, trembling in the aftermath.

"Holy fuck," he groaned.

"Mmm," was all I could muster.

When I could finally move again, I rolled over next to him, snuggling my back up to his chest. I could feel his cock still half-hard against me.

His finger trailed and up down my stomach, circling my belly button, mapping out my skin. A slow trail of kisses up the back of my neck had me giggling like a besotted schoolgirl. His hand crept lower and lower.

"Stop," I half-moaned, half-laughed. "I can't go again. I'm done."

Liam hummed in amusement and crushed me to his chest. "Just want to make sure you've gotten your fill."

"I appreciate your generosity but I'm more than satisfied."

He squeezed me again. We lay there cuddling as our breathing evened out. I was just about to drop off into sleep when he spoke.

"Can I ask you something?" he said in low tones.

"Anything."

He went quiet. I could practically hear him thinking, could hear his hesitation. I was filled with a sort of dread, wondering what terrible subject he was going to ask about.

"What changed your mind?" he finally spoke up.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes.

I was glad he was pressed against my back, so he couldn't see the panic in my eyes. I didn't know how much to tell him. How much to reveal to him.

But if I was going to be in this, truly in this with him, I couldn't keep it to myself.

"I was afraid," I confessed.

"Of what?"

"Of opening up," I said. "Of being vulnerable. Of being weak."

Liam huffed out a snort. "You're one of the strongest people I know."

"Sometimes," I agreed. "But I wasn't always. And I never wanted to feel like that again." I turned in the circle of his arms. "But I realized something up there on that stage. I don't feel weak around you."

Liam's eyes went soft, understanding. He stroked my hair with a soft hand.

"It was just like you said before," I continued. "When I'm singing, I feel like I can take on the world. But I realized, I don't want to do it alone."

I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes. I could feel his heartbeat against my cheek.

"I want to take on the world with you by my side."