The next moment, Mandy pressed her lips hard against his throat, her teeth grazing his skin in a teasing bite.
Liam felt a jolt of electricity race from his neck, sparking through every nerve in his body.
The sensation was unfamiliar—strange, electric, and yet so intoxicating he instantly craved more.
He couldn’t hold back any longer. Instinct took over; in one swift movement, he flipped them over, pinning Mandy beneath him.
Her hands roamed along his neck, fingers tracing circles that made his pulse leap.
Liam’s breath came heavier now, his chest rising and falling with the pounding of his heart, but somewhere inside, a shred of self-control remained.
He forced himself upright, fighting to steady both his ragged breathing and the wild thrum in his veins.
A glance at Mandy—collapsed across the countertop, hair disheveled, cheeks flushed a deep rose—was almost too much. He tore his gaze away, terrified that one more look would shatter his restraint completely.
The fevered intimacy of just a moment ago had left his emotional defenses on the verge of collapse.
She’s drunk, not herself. I can’t take advantage of her like this, Liam repeated silently, again and again.
But Mandy looked up at him, her eyes wide with accusation, her words slurring, “Why won’t you want me?”
Then, suddenly, she began to cry, tears welling up as she whimpered. She’d finally met someone whose looks matched her every fantasy—only to find out he apparently preferred men, not women.
She wanted to say, Why can’t you want a woman? Why do you only like men? But the alcohol had dulled her thoughts, and all she could do was mumble, over and over, “You don’t want me. You can’t…”
For any man, those words were a stinging slap.
Even Liam, usually a master of self-control, felt something snap inside as Mandy repeated that damning phrase—“You can’t”—again and again.
Liam’s eyes darkened further. He leaned over her, wrestling with his own desire, his voice rough and low. “Just say the word, and I’ll let you go.”
But Mandy didn’t back down. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down, and pressed her lips to his throat again, sucking hard. She left a mark—a vivid love bite where anyone could see.
That was all it took. The last of Liam’s restraint went up in flames. His breath came fast and hot against her skin, and in one motion, he pulled her robe open, exposing more of her to his hungry gaze.
“You asked for this,” he growled.
He pinned her to the mattress, his breath hot on her cheek. His lips traced down her jaw, lingering at her ear, pressing soft, deliberate kisses that made Mandy shiver and gasp.
The room filled with the thick, heady air of desire. The temperature climbed higher with every passing moment.
Their heartbeats thundered in the silence, pounding like frantic drums, echoing through the night—wild, reckless, and utterly unstoppable.
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