Reese Ryan - Playing With Desire

Maya surveyed the glass-and-steel structure. Head tilted, she shifted her gaze to him. As if trying to decide whether this was part of some dodgy plan to bed her.

It was.

Though he’d planned a smoother transition that didn’t include some bloke’s fist connecting with his cheekbone. One of his best features, if he was to believe the magazines back home.

Liam grimaced as he reached into his pocket. “The address is on my li—”

Maya held her hand up. “Just c’mon before the buzz wears off and I change my mind.” She pursed her pink lips. “By the way...thank you. That’s twice in one night you’ve rescued me.”

“Self-preservation, love. I wasn’t saving you. I was afraid that guy was going to knock you into me.” Liam tried to suppress a smile, but his cheeks rose. He winced.

Maya laughed. “Well, whatever the case, it’s time I return the favor.”

He stood, his head throbbing. He draped an arm around her shoulders as they made their way the two blocks to his flat.

Chapter 5

An uneasiness grew in Maya’s chest as they approached the twelve-story structure. It wasn’t fear. She felt comfortable with Liam.

Too comfortable.

They barely knew each other. Yet, something in his penetrating stare made her feel as if he knew her intimately, in ways she didn’t quite know herself.

He instinctively seemed to know what she wanted. The most unnerving part? So far he’d been right.

Until the brawl at the club cut their night short, they’d been having a fabulous evening. Magical even. Maya cringed. That last martini must’ve gone straight to her head. She was a grown-ass woman who knew from experience there was nothing magical about love and relationships. Not that this was either.

Still, she couldn’t shake the heightened sensation that vibrated through her body, making it harder to breathe as her mind returned to the kiss they’d shared. The roughness of his beard. The way he held her in his arms. Nor could she escape the unrelenting desire to experience it again.

Everything about her night with Liam was a dreamy indulgence that might never come again.

“You’re quiet.” His voice, low and warm, seemed to apologize for intruding on her thoughts. “Haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

“And abandon you midrescue? No way.” She stopped and pulled out her phone. “This is a beautiful building. Mind if I take a picture of it?”

He smiled knowingly. “Of course not. Only when you tell your sister about the brawl, make me look good, will you?”

Maya laughed as she snapped a photo of the building, which included its name, The Jameson, highlighted in tall neon letters. She dashed off a quick text to Kendra with a brief note: Hanging out at Liam’s place. Don’t get the wrong idea. Long story.

They entered the large, bright lobby of the newly renovated industrial building and took the elevator to the penthouse level. Glass windows in the corridor rose another full story.

“I thought the penthouse was always on the top floor.” She surveyed the space, mesmerized by the view of the water.

“These units occupy the two top floors.” He opened the door and stepped inside, holding his hand out to her. “I’ll show you.”

Last chance to change your mind.

Fighting the jittery sensation that turned her stomach inside out, she inhaled deeply, put her hand in his and stepped inside.

The dim lighting enhanced the view of the skyline along the waterfront. The windows spanned the entire length of one wall, affording a view of the Atlantic Ocean.

“What an amazing view.” She slipped her heels off and left them by the entrance. An instant relief after a night of dancing and the walk to Liam’s place.

“I don’t need to put raw steak on my face, do I?” His voice echoed across the hardwood floors from where he stood in the kitchen.

Maya padded toward the kitchen and stood beside him. She plucked a bag of frozen peas out of the open freezer drawer, then positioned them on his swollen cheek. “You must have a hell of a headache. You should sit down.”

He shifted his jaw from side to side and winced. “Nothing a stiff drink can’t rectify. Can I get you anything?”

“I drank more tonight than I have in the past six months. Just water, please.”

Liam stepped behind his well-stocked bar and handed her a bottle of sparkling mineral water from the mini fridge. He filled his glass with an amber-colored liquor. “I admire your restraint. I don’t share it, but I do admire it. Should you change your mind and decide to join me, let me know.”

“I’m impressed.” Maya sank onto the sofa.

“Why?” He sat beside her.

“You didn’t put the peas down once. You’re pretty proficient with one hand.”

“I am indeed.” Waggling his brows, he flashed a smile that warmed her nearly as much as the kiss had.

Heat spread through her cheeks. “About that headache...” She stood, putting space between them. “Can I get you something for it?”

“Yes, please.” He repositioned the bag. “In the cabinet over the kitchen sink.”

Maya grabbed the pills from the cabinet and a bottle of water from the fridge. She handed both items to him, then knelt on the couch beside him. Lifting the bag of frozen peas, she inspected his face.

“What’s the verdict, doc?”

“The swelling is subsiding, but now bruises are forming on your cheek and underneath your eye.”

“Bugger. No chance that’ll resolve itself by eight a.m. on Monday. Better concoct a tall tale. I was attacked by two hooligans while defending an intriguing young woman whose extraordinary beauty had me completely mesmerized.” He grazed her cheekbone with his thumb, his fingers resting gently on her neck.

Maya shuddered inwardly. His gaze was filled with a white-hot heat as tantalizing as a flame to an unsuspecting moth. She could see it as clearly as the sun in a cloudless sky. Yet, she couldn’t turn away.

Her skin flamed beneath his touch. Heat crawled down her neck and into the beaded tips of her breasts, culminating at the simmering junction between her thighs. Liam glided his thumb across her lower lip. Her heart skipped a beat, her breathing shallow. The hungry look in his dark eyes went straight to her head, making her dizzy with desire.

Liam tightened his grip on her neck, pulling her closer until his lips met hers. Maya’s lids drifted closed as he placed soft kisses on one side of her mouth then the other. Her skin vibrated with alternate sensations. The contrast of his beard grazing her skin with the delicate caress of his lips like butterfly wings whispering against her skin. Gentle and sweet, yet surprisingly erotic.

She was playing a dangerous game.

Her brain understood this. Every other part of her anatomy disagreed.

Maya dropped the frozen peas and tangled her chilly fingers in his dark curls. Her other hand braced his shoulder, enjoying the delicious feeling of the hard, taut muscles there.

Liam slid one hand to her waist, his fingers pressing into her spine, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. He sucked her lower lip between his, then glided his tongue along the ridge between her lips. God help her, she made a noise reminiscent of a purr as she parted her lips, granting him access.

He glided his tongue against hers, then gently grazed her palate. Liam’s mouth tasted of the liquor he’d just consumed. A smoky, rich flavor. Chocolate with the slightest hint of berries. He let out a low hum that vibrated in her throat as his hand glided down her side, and then down her leg. Wrapping his fingers around her thigh, he pulled her onto his lap so she straddled him.

The pressure of his steely length pressed against her swollen folds sent a shock of bliss throughout her body—already wound as taut as a violin string. She gasped, breaking their kiss, as she tried to catch her breath and coax her traitorous body back to reality.