Lourdes

I’ve had three martinis, and I don’t drink. Finding out about Liam’s life freaked me out, so the first drink was to calm my nerves. The second one was from Kit because he wants me to dance. And number three was sent to me anonymously from someone at the bar. So now I’m on the dance floor, smashed between Kit and some hot gay guy, being bounced back and forth like the guys on SNL in the What is Love skit. If I could get out of this crotch Ping-Pong game, I would, but they seem to have me pinned—or maybe I’m too drunk to figure out how to get away. My hair is ruined, and I think I’ve effectively sweat most of my makeup off, but I’m still having fun despite being manhandled by these dorks.

The beat slows, and Kit takes mercy on me and spins me away from his new friend. The lights are all turned off except for purple and red fluorescent beams that slice through the dance floor. One second I’m holding onto Kit’s shoulders while trying to keep my balance, and the next, I’m being lifted off my feet from behind, watching Kit smile as I’m carried away.

For a split second, I panic until I smell Liam’s unique scent. He smells exactly like a man should smell, clean, minty and earthy all mixed together. When we reach the edge of the dance floor, he sets me on my aching feet facing the DJ booth. He guides me forward up the stairs with his hands on my hips.

When we are in the booth, he helps me to a chair that I’m positive wasn’t here earlier. I’m sitting, and he’s squatting in front of me, removing my shoes without ever looking at me. I’m a little concerned but still pretty blitzed, so I relax in the comfortable chair and watch him do his thing. He stands my shoes neatly next to the chair and produces a bottle of water—from where, I can’t be sure. I’m supposed to drink, I guess, but I’m already sloshy, so I push it away and shake my head with a pout. He looks at me sternly with one brow lifted, and I huff and take the water. I should be able to decide if I want water, shouldn’t I?

When I’ve slugged half the bottle—I was thirsty after all—I hand it back to a very satisfied Liam. We haven’t spoken a word. It’s hard to hear with the music so loud. He holds up a finger indicating that I should wait a minute. I nod and watch with interest as he stands and turns his back on me to do something to the music. I slouch down in the chair and drape my arms over the sides with my knees together and my feet spread apart.

I think I could watch him forever. I love the way he bounces to the beat of the music. I love how his muscles flex when he reaches out to press a button or turn a knob. Something about the way his shoulders tense when the music crescendos and the beat is about to drop makes me shiver. I’m lost in a little fantasy where I’m propped on the edge of the control panel with my legs wrapped around Liam’s waist and he has my dress pushed up. His hands are full of my ass while he devours my mouth.

He turns around as if he can feel me burning a hole in his back. He is very still, and if I hadn’t had so much to drink, I would have sworn he swayed and held the counter to steady himself, but I’m sure it was just my eyes playing tricks on me. Now that I’ve captured his attention, I drag my eyes from his eyes to his mouth, where I stare long enough to make it uncomfortable, but I don’t care. He is completely facing me now, and he’s propped his ass against the counter with his hands gripping it on both sides of him. My eyes trail slowly down his body to his chest, and I consider writing a letter of thanks to whoever invented the new fitted shirts that men are wearing these days. My God, he looks delicious. I’m surprised he’s allowing this to go on, but I’m enjoying myself so I continue. I linger on his abdomen long enough to imagine my tongue dipping between each one of his washboard abdominal muscles. But I know all hope is lost when I lower my gaze a few inches and feel the heat of a deep blush creep up my neck at the sight of his cock straining against his jeans. I squirm in my chair, but he doesn’t so much as blink. He’s allowing me to have my fantasy, and he’s probably having one of his own.

He cocks his head to the side and narrows his eyes for a moment. Then, as if he’s had an idea, he leans to the side and reaches into his back pocket for his phone. His eyes never leave mine while he presses buttons, readying the phone to take a picture. Somehow, he knows he is in the camera app, and he lifts it to snap a picture of me, and then another and another. Having him photograph me causes me to consider how I look slouching in a chair, buzzed, with my hair tussled and my makeup smeared on my face. Not sexy. I move to straighten up, but he holds out his hand, indicating that I should stay like I am. He pushes off the counter and approaches me to show me one of the pictures.

I don’t even recognize the woman in the photograph. She’s sultry and sexy, with wanton eyes full of raw desire. He leans forward and brushes my hair away from my ear and whispers.

“You are the sexiest fucking woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. Sooner or later, you’re going to be mine.”

I swallow hard. I feel faint, and I’m certain I’m no longer breathing. He doesn’t move, and there is a direct line from my ear to my core where a bomb is ticking, waiting for him to detonate it with his touch.

God, I’ve never wanted anything more. No man, not even Terrell, has ever made me feel this sexy and desirable. If we were alone, I would be having sex with a married man right now, and that is the smack of reality I need to take a deep breath and move away from him. I straighten up in the chair, and he unfolds to his full height, which isn’t helping matters, because now I’m looking directly at his bulging cock.

The universe has its mind made up. Liam and I have been paired by a higher power. There’s no doubt. I have no choice but to believe him. Sooner or later, I will be his. As wrong as it is to lust after another woman’s husband, I do. The circumstances of his marriage make me feel less guilty, but marriage is marriage. It’s amazing that Liam is still married to Amira, considering she all but stole six months of his life, but if she hadn’t, the chances of me meeting him would have been slim to none. In a warped way, I am grateful that she did what she did.

He leans down, not as close this time, but close enough for me to hear him.

“I want to drive you home. Do you think you can hold on for another hour?”

His blue eyes are hypnotizing. He could ask me to sit here until the end of time and I would. I nod yes just as something catches his eye behind me. He makes a few gestures with his hands that look like sign language before he pins me with his stare again.

He trails the tip of his finger down the side of my cheek and along my chin. I close my eyes and feel the room spin. I loll my head back into the chair and pray that this is as bad as it gets. I feel Liam press a kiss to the top of my head, and my heart rate doubles. This isn’t going to be easy. Why am I letting him drive me home again? Oh, yes. Because I’m beguiled, spellbound, mesmerized, and helpless against his powers. That’s why.