I smile again. I’m unable to prevent it. I’m happy. “I did,” confirming he heard me correctly.
“Would you mind elaborating on that subject for me?”
I sigh. “Liam and I have been tiptoeing around our attraction for one another since the day we met. He knew I wanted more, but he wasn’t sure he could give me what I wanted. Now he says he can. I’m taking a chance on him.” I pause to gauge his reaction. “We’re taking a chance on each other.”
Aiden’s quiet for several minutes while he processes what I just said. “Is this what you want? Are you happy?”
“Yes, and yes I am. There’s this connection between us, Ace. I can’t explain it, but I want him, and I’m willing to risk a broken heart to have him.”
Aiden nods in understanding before I’m even finished speaking. “Liam’s a great guy, my best friend, aside from you. If anything, Liam is a man of his word. He would never lead you astray on purpose. Not to mention, he’s never had a girlfriend. I’ve watched him mope around here, since the day he met you. I’ve seen him turn other girls away, saying he would just be pretending they were you.” He smiles at me. “I’ve lectured and warned him off of you. Threatening if he starts anything, he’d better be serious. We’ve been thick as thieves, since freshman year, and I’ve never seen him act like this. He really is into you.”
Again with the smiling. My face is going to be sore tomorrow. “I want to see where this goes. I feel safe with him, wanted-” I don’t bother to elaborate; Aiden knows how I feel about being alone in the world. “Shit.”
“What is it, what’s wrong?” Aiden asks, concern lacing his voice.
“I’m Liam MacCoy’s girlfriend,” I whisper.
Aiden throws his head back and laughs.
“It’s not funny. I’m in your bed, sleeping next to you, while my very new, very sexy boyfriend is sleeping just down the hall.” I can see why Liam is so frustrated. I’m not so sure I could handle him sleeping with another girl, best friend and adopted sister or not. He really is practicing great restraint with this entire situation. I’ll need to make sure I make it up to him.
“It’s not your fault, and, besides, with you and Liam being an official couple this will not happen again. Liam will make sure of that.” Laughing, Aiden leans over and kisses my cheek. “Night, Ash.”
“Night, Ace.”
Chapter 18
Liam
It takes all the fucking willpower I have to walk away from Allison. She’s all snuggled up under the covers in fucking Aiden’s bed. Jackass. In reality, I know it has nothing to do with Aiden and it’s simply the bad luck of Blitzen being flooded out of his apartment, as well as me not wanting to make Hales sleep with Aiden. I’m hoping she’ll ask me to do just that. I won’t be able to tell her no. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen.
I make it to my room, and Hales is sound asleep. I change into gym shorts and climb in beside her. I love my little sister, we’re close, but I don’t really like her all that much at the moment. I’m definitely getting a futon tomorrow. Little sis and I are going to have a long chat tomorrow about her choice of dates; Todd and Jason of all people to go on a date with. What the fuck was she thinking? Either one of them could have been hurt worse than Allison’s bruised hand. The thought of either one of them hurt in any way has me seeing red. After what seems like hours, I finally fall asleep.
I wake to the sound of footsteps in the hallway. I immediately open my eyes and hop out of bed. Today is a new day, and I’m going to spend every damn minute of it with my girlfriend. I stall, waiting for the panic to set in—nothing.
I make my way down the hall, following the noise, which leads me to the kitchen. I find Allison standing at the sink, opening the new bottle of Advil I bought last night. I stand here just watching her. She’s so sexy, even in my sweats that swallow her, and she’s all mine. Finally. She must sense me watching her because she looks up. “Good morning, beautiful,” I say as I make quick work of the space between us. I pull her back against my chest and nuzzle her neck. “Need some help?”
She exhales. “Yes, please.” She hands me the bottle, and I reluctantly let her go to open it for her. “I can never get these damn things open.”
“How are you feeling today?”
Allison shrugs her shoulders. “I’m fine, Liam. I have more of a headache than anything.”
I lead her to the table and pull out a chair for her. “Sit while I make you some coffee. You probably need to eat something with this as well, eggs and toast okay?” I ask her as I shuffle about the kitchen, making coffee and grabbing eggs out of the fridge.
“Thank you, but I can just grab a Pop-Tart or something back at the dorm. You don’t need to wait on me.”
I immediately stop what I’m doing and stalk to the table and kneel down in front of her. I tuck a loose piece of her hair, which has fallen out of its holder, behind her ear. “First of all, I know I don’t have to make you breakfast, I want to. Second, you need to get used to me taking care of you. You’re my girl.” I kiss her on the forehead. “And third, why are you going back to the dorm so early? I thought maybe we could hang out today.” I rise to my feet and go back to making breakfast.
“I need to get clean clothes and call Gran to check on her.” She pauses. “Besides, I wasn’t sure you wanted me to stick around. I thought maybe you might have regrets about the whole girlfriend thing.” She averts her gaze, looking at the wall in front of her.
As soon as I hear the word regret out of her mouth, I panic. I’m at her chair in three strides. I bend down, scoop her up, then sit in her chair, placing her on my lap. I wrap one arm around her, holding her tight against me while the other rubs circles on her thigh. “Allie, look at me.” I wait patiently. Internally I’m unnerved waiting until she turns to face me. “I cannot, and will not, ever regret you. I’m all in. You and I are taking a chance on each other, remember?” She nods her head in agreement and it suddenly hits me—maybe she’s the one with regrets. I take a deep breath “Unless, do you ….” I can barely get the question out before I start to get flustered. I just got her, I can’t lose her. “So—do you regret your decision to take a chance on us?” I whisper, too afraid of what she might say.
“What? No, of course not. I thought, maybe in the light of day, you would, you know, maybe change your mind about me, about us.”
Instead of responding, I pull her close and kiss her. I start out slow and easy, but when she parts her lips and invites me in, I take full advantage. I thrust my tongue into her mouth, gently caressing her thighs with my hands. The taste of her on my tongue is amazing. Will I ever get enough? Allison pulls away, and I groan in protest. She meets my gaze and licks her lips as she stands up then sits back down, straddling my hips. Hell yes. I envelope her body in my arms, and she resumes her sensual assault on my mouth. Allison places her hands on my shoulders and rocks her hips into my erection. I moan deep in my throat. Before I know what’s happening, Allison pulls away and buries her head between my neck and shoulder. Confused from the lust coursing through my body, it takes me a few seconds to realize what’s happening. Hales, Aiden, and Blitzen are all three standing in the kitchen doorway beside us, mouths gaping.