“Listen, Anna,” his voice comes out as a ragged growl.

I was right. I’m not going to be able to say no to him.

“I’m listening.”

“My father wants me to be more traditional. He wants me to have a girl on my arm. A ring on her finger. A baby. A kid. Strollers. A dog and a cat. He doesn’t like that I haven’t settled down yet. I’m thirty-two years old, and I’m not some kid anymore. So partly, yeah, I agree with him. It’s just been hard to meet someone who doesn’t have any pretenses about me. To be honest, you’re the first girl I’ve met in a long time who didn’t immediately know who I am.”

“Well,” I say, straightening up, “thank you for the drink. It was delicious, and you’re right, I did need a drink before hearing that outlandish question.”

“I don’t think it’s that crazy, Anna,” he says, leaning forward and slipping my hands into his. “With the amount of time I spend working, between my family’s company and my own stuff on the side, I have no time to build a real relationship. My brother’s married, he’s got the picture-perfect family, and he and his wife know nothing about each other. So is this really so crazy?”

“But it’s not real, right?” I say, my mind swimming, thoughts racing. “It’s all for show, right? It’s so your father can see you as the perfect son he wants.”

“Isn’t everything for show, on some level?” he asks meaningfully, gazing into my eyes.

God, he is absolutely melting my heart.

But I can’t do this.

“I don’t know if I can pretend to be your girlfriend,” I say, “it’s just too crazy. Isn’t it? What if...what if we start liking each other?”

“Anna, I already like you. That’s why I asked you here. And I think you like me too. I can see it in your body language. The way you’re leaning into me. The way your eyes are dreamy around me. And when I saw you in that wedding gown, my fucking heart broke because I knew I’d never have a chance with you. Now, I do. Plus, I will compensate you for your time.”

“Compensate me? Like...like a prostitute?”

“No,” he says, biting down on his bottom lip. “I never said anything about sex.”

I swallow thickly, taking in the moment.

This is insane.

This is the definition of insanity

And it might be just what I need right now.

“I don’t know if I can say no to you,” I say, my voice coming out smaller than I want it to.

He reaches forward and puts his fingers on my cheek, my temple, and brings them down under my chin.

“Do you want to say no, baby? You can say no if you want to,” he growls.

“I don’t want to say no,” I shake my head. “I want to say yes.”

“Then say yes baby, and let me show you how fucking good it’ll feel to be my girl.”

* * *

I’ve never been in a building like this. I’ve been in this neighborhood before, because this is where the shop is, but I’ve never been inside any of the residential buildings.

“Come here baby,” Liam says in the darkness as we enter his apartment.

I should tell him the truth. I should tell him I’m a virgin.

I have to.

“Liam,” I breathe into the air between us, his arms wrapping around me, his fingers reaching for the zipper on the back of my dress, “I have to tell you something.”

“Yeah baby?” he growls, pulling the zipper down slowly. The sound sizzles into my ears, lascivious and luscious against my mind, the sound of being undressed by this sexy man for the first time.

I can’t tell him.

“It’s nothing,” I say, putting my arms around his neck.

What if he figures it out? What if he can tell by the fact that I don’t know what the hell I’m doing?

“No Anna, tell me. I want to make sure everything is okay before we go any farther. Because once we start, you’re not going to want to stop. Once I have my tongue wrapped up around your clit, you’re not going to be able to say anything except more and please. You are going to begging me to keep going all fucking night long,” he growls, his words burning into my brain.

I swallow thickly, my mouth watering at the thought of tasting his lips, of him kissing me on the mouth...other places.

“I have to tell you something about me,” I say as he pulls the zipper down farther.

“What is it, baby? You wanna tell me how good you feel right now? Just wait to see what else I can do for you.”

He spins me around and takes me in his arms, and in the darkness I reach up to his chest and begin to unbutton his shirt. He is taking his time with me, and I with him, but I can feel that he wants this to move faster. He’s probably used to everything moving faster.

Even though this is plenty fast already.

“I’ve never done this before, Liam,” I breath into the air between us. It feels soft and I feel my body melt under my own words, and his body grows rougher and harder as he pulls away from me gently.

Damn, he is so good looking, even in the darkness where I can’t even see his features. It’s like I am seeing him with my hands, with my mind, the sharp edges of his face and the contours of his features playing out inside my head.

And then his hands go lower. He pulls my body against his and puts his expert, big hands on my ass, scooping me up and making me wrap my legs around him.

My arms wrap compliantly around his big, strong shoulders, and my fingers go to the back of his head instinctively.

“You’ve never had a boyfriend before?” he growls into my ear, pushing my hair away gently.

“No,” I reply, “I haven’t. I just thought you should know.”

“And does that mean that you’ve never had a man touch you, taste you, make you feel like the fucking princess you are?”

I swallow thickly, his words absolutely swimming around me.

“That’s right,” I confirm, and before I can get the words out, his lips crush against mine, and the kiss burns me up from the inside.

Why was I waiting? What was I waiting for?

I think I know now.