He rips my shorts down with a frustration that speaks louder than words. The fabric is gone in an instant—tossed aside like it had no right to be there. I gasp, not just from the shock, but from the way Liam’s eyes burn as they travel down my body like a man who’s starved for far too long.

Before I can react, his hands are on my thighs, pinning me to the bed with a grip that’s firm—possessive.

“Liam—wait.”

“No more waiting,” he growls low in his throat, voice thick with restraint he’s seconds away from snapping. “You pushed me, Lara. Now you don’t get to pull away.”

His fingers explore me through my underwear, slow at first, then with growing urgency. Every move of his feels like a battle—between control and chaos. My body arches beneath him, torn between resisting and melting into him.

“Damn it,” he mutters, eyes wild. “You don’t even know what you do to me.”

I try to shift, the tension in the air tightening like a noose. But he doesn't budge. One hand holds me down at my hip while the other traces lazy circles on my skin, too soft for what I know he's feeling inside.

“You think I can share you?” he asks suddenly, dark eyes locking with mine. “Even the thought of another man looking at you—touching you—makes me want to burn the world down.”

I freeze under his gaze. He’s always had an edge, but tonight that edge feels sharper. More dangerous.

Still, I can’t look away. Can’t move. My body trembles not in fear, but in anticipation.

“You’re mine, Lara,” he whispers, leaning down until our foreheads touch. “Every inch of you. Your voice, your body… your heart. All of it.”

His lips hover near mine, just barely brushing. “And I’ll prove it until you never doubt it again.”

I nod, even though I don’t know what I’m agreeing to. Maybe I’m just too far gone. Or maybe… I never wanted anyone else to claim me the way Liam just did.

He pulls back slightly, his chest rising and falling like he’s just run a marathon. Then, slowly, he begins unbuttoning his shirt, his gaze never leaving mine.

“Take yours off too,” he says softly. “Let me see you.”

Not a command. A plea. But there’s steel behind it.

With shaking fingers, I reach for the hem of my top and lift it over my head. The room is silent except for our breathing, the air between us charged with something I can’t explain.

Liam steps closer, eyes raking over me with reverence and obsession.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmurs, brushing his fingers along my cheek. “So damn beautiful it hurts.”

He leans in again, slower this time. His lips meet mine in a kiss that’s no longer rushed or rough—but deep, claiming, and endless. Like he wants to imprint himself on me, soul and all.

"That fucker, Did he tasted you ...hmmm lara tell me?” His grip is so tight around my throat, I can’t actually answer him. I run my hand up his arm, feeling him, trying to breach the distance he’s created between us, at least the physical one, but his face is too far away. Instead, I bring my hand down and cup his lower through his pants as I shake my head 'no'. He hisses sharply through his teeth, seeming to hold his breath as I move my hand up and down his length twice. He presses me down violently into the mattress, snarling in my face. “No one sees you like this.” It’s not phrased like a question and yet he’s poised over me, waiting for confirmation. I shake my head slightly, a refusal to answer. Anger flashes in his eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the veins popping in his arm as he holds me captive against the mattress. “No one, Lara. Say it.” He demands. I shake my head again. If she can touch him, then anyone can touch me. Theoretically. He laughs cruelly. “I told you you wanted the villain.”

Shaking my hand off, he unzips his pants. I hear the crinkling of a condom wrapper. With his grip pinning me to the mattress, I can barely see. But I feel it, feel him, rubbing up and down between my legs. I squeeze my legs together to try to bring him towards my entrance, but Liam slaps my inner thigh, forcing them back open. The slap is harsh, almost uncaring, but fuck it feels good. Back and forth and back and forth, he rocks his hips lazily. He touches my entrance but never presses in. His eyes are fixed against my flesh, enraptured. “You have no idea how fucking filthy you look right now. Spread open for me, tilting your hips to feel more of me like a greedy little slut.” A throaty moan escapes my lips. The way he talks makes me so hot, so ready for him.

“Last chance. Tell me no one sees you like this.”