Part 3Ex to Relative
About 2,206 characters · Part 3 is the last of the three Parts printed here; Part 4 continues in the official app.
My feelings for Liam were, I think, purely physical. Every time I saw him, I had an irresistible urge to get closer, to touch him, to want more.
But Liam was different. He was all self-control and restraint. Even when we traveled together, he would book two separate rooms. If it weren't for the way he responded when we kissed, I might have thought he had a problem.
The day we finally crossed that line was his birthday.
I had booked a suite with an ocean view. We were cuddled up on the couch, watching a movie. Halfway through, I slipped off my cardigan, revealing the bunny costume I was wearing underneath. I took his hand and placed it on the fluffy, round tail.
I felt his breath catch in his throat. But he didn't pull away. He just watched me, his eyes dark.
Emboldened, I grabbed the collar of his shirt and nibbled on his Adam's apple. Then, I lifted his shirt and traced the lines of his abs with my fingers.
His body was even better than I had imagined. A well-defined chest, hard abs, and those lean, muscular lines that drove me crazy.
But his self-control was insane. Even then, with his chest heaving and his skin burning hot, he didn't move.
I looked up at him, the bunny ears on my headband flopping. "If you're not into this, I'll just go."
I bit his lower abdomen playfully, then slowly stood up and walked toward the door. Just as my hand touched the doorknob, he finally broke.
In two long strides, he was behind me, his strong arms wrapping around me, his teeth grazing my shoulder. "Serena," he whispered, his voice hoarse, "you're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Teasing me, then threatening to leave. How can you be so cruel?"
That night, Liam finally shed his mask of restraint, and we were tangled together until dawn.
We were together like that for six months. We traveled to the pink lakes of Western Australia, Hyde Park in Sydney, and Bruny Island in Tasmania, our bodies trembling in each other's arms in hotel rooms across the country.
I thought he was perfect.
But when I happily posted a photo of us on my social media, a single comment made my world come to a screeching halt.
"Damn, Serena, you're good. You actually managed to snag Liam Thorne, the heir to the Thorne fortune."