Page 71 of A Simple Reminder
A dark chuckle rumbles from his chest as he stands, smooth and predatory, his movements calculated like he’s stalking prey. He reaches for me, his fingers curling around my wrist, pulling me up.
“Now,” he drawls, his voice like molten sin, pulling me closer until I’m perched on his lap, straddling him, “where were we?” His hands settle firmly on my hips, holding me in place, making it impossible to escape—not that I’d even try.
His head dips, his breath hot against my neck as his lips brush the shell of my ear. “I’m still hungry, Sunshine,” he whispers, his voice so low it sends a shiver straight down my spine.
My hands find his shoulders for balance, though they feel anything but steady. He shifts beneath me, deliberately slow, a teasing pressure that makes me bite my lip to keep from making a sound.
“Liam,” I manage, though it comes out breathier than I intended, betraying the way he’s already unraveling me.
“Hmm?” His lips trail down the column of my neck, his stubble grazing my skin and leaving a delicious burn in its wake. “You were saying?”
I don’t have a chance to answer before his mouth finds the sensitive spot just below my jaw, his tongue flicking out to taste. My head tips back instinctively, a soft gasp escaping before I can stop it.
“That’s what I thought,” he murmurs, his smirk evident in the way his lips curve against my skin. “Now, be a good girl and let me enjoy my lunch in peace this time.”
THIRTY
SOPHIE
“You’re sleeping together?” Adeline’s voice is thick with disbelief, her eyebrows lifting as she draws out the words. I nod, sheepishly.
“And you’ve decided to be…‘fuck-buddies’?” She curls her fingers to air-quote the term, her tone skeptical. To be fair, I didn’t exactly call it that. I only said that whatever’s happening between us can and will only be physical.
“Do you think that’s a good idea, Soph?”
I shrug, feeling the weight of her question. “I don’t know,” I admit. I really don’t. All I know is that I want it. Or more likeneedit.
“How long has this little dance been going on, then?” Here comes the big question, the one I know Addie’s about to hit me with. Her problem won’t be that Liam and I are sleeping together—it’s that I kept it from her for two full weeks. I didn’t plan for any of this. Didn’t even want it. Okay, now I’m lying. Of course, I wanted it, but I sure didn’t expect it. It was only supposed to be that one night after dinner with Jared. One night to get him out of my system. But, of course, it takes much more than one time to get Liam out of your system. And he had to keep provoking me, seducing me in his own infuriating way.
So, yeah, I kissed him in the office. It wasn’t part of the plan. I went in there ready to give him a piece of my mind, but the second I saw Lilly on her knees, it was like someone poured ice water over me. And it hurt—even though nothing actually happened. Liam explained everything, but it just made one thing painfully clear: I’m still hung up on him. And worse? I’m still so damn possessive of him.
And yet, the idea of us getting back together? Still doesn’t sit right. It’s not just about my reputation—I’m terrified of failing again. People say I overthink, and maybe I do. But after all the mess we’ve been through, isn’t it smart to be cautious? I mean, I’m the one who convinced Leora to marry Lucas in the first place—even if it started as a fake marriage. But with Liam and me? We’re doomed to fail. So, I’ve taken the safer route.Physical. And oh, it’s been very, very physical. We’ve kept it within the hotel walls—mainly his office. On his desk. The sofa. The walls. The carpet. The bathroom. You get the gist.
Here I am, about to explain myself to my best friends, and I can feel that tiny, unsettling knot of fear tightening in my chest. ”Two weeks,” I mumble under my breath.
“Speak louder, sweetie, I can’t hear you.”
Clearing my throat, I raise my voice a little, “Two weeks.”
“TWO WEEKS!” she shrieks, her eyes as wide as saucers.
I planned on telling her after that first…incident in the office, but when I got home, she wasn’t here, and after that, we just kept missing each other. Okay, maybe not for two whole weeks, but I think I was scared. I was scared of hearing someone say this was wrong, that we shouldn’t do it. Honestly, I don’t want anyone talking sense into me.
“We’re not…fuck-buddies,though. I don’t like that term.”
“Then whatareyou?” Her voice softens, eyes searching.
Whatarewe? It’s exactly what we are, and yet...I can’t bring myself to say it. Because we can’t be anything more, and no one beyond my closest friends can know.
“I don’t know.” My shoulders sag as I fumble with what to say, trying to make sense of it all.
“Habibi, it’s okay. You know that, right?” Adeline places a gentle hand on my arm, giving it a comforting squeeze.
I shrug, still unsure.
“Itisokay!” She grabs my shoulders, her eyes fierce. “Why is it only acceptable when guys do this kind of thing? You can do whatever you want—as long as you’re not hurting yourself or letting anyone else hurt you in the process.”
“You’re right,” I sigh, feeling a little lighter. “The only thing I’m really afraid of is if it gets out.”
