Part 3My Possessive Puppy vs. The Ex Who Won't Let Go

"Mmph…"

The moment the apartment door clicked shut behind us, Liam, who had been silent the entire ride home, suddenly spun me around, lifting me onto the console table in the entryway. Before I could even process it, his lips were on mine.

I have to admit, the speed of a man's progress in this particular area is astonishing. He’d gone from clumsy, innocent first kisses to this—a practiced, predatory confidence.

He kissed me until my legs went weak, my body feeling like it was melting. The heavy scent of alcohol on his breath made my head spin. It wasn't until his warm hand slid from my waist toward the hem of my skirt that I snapped out of the daze and stopped him.

"Go take a shower."

Liam froze, his eyes dark with a barely concealed desire. He bit my lower lip, a small act of petulant protest. After a few ragged breaths against my ear, he relented and trudged obediently to the bathroom.

By the time Liam emerged, wrapped in a cloud of steam, I was lying in bed, already half-asleep. I squinted at him, and my breath hitched.

As if deliberately trying to seduce me, he had come out with only a towel slung low on his hips. Droplets of water still clung to his skin, tracing paths down the well-defined planes of his abs before disappearing into the V of his torso.

Liam seemed oblivious, leaning over me with his dark, damp hair falling into his eyes. He whispered my name, his voice soft and low.

"Audrey…"

I fought to suppress the direction my thoughts were heading and reached for the hairdryer on the nightstand. He sat on the edge of the bed, and I began to dry his hair, running my fingers through the wet strands until they were soft and fluffy. I set the hairdryer down.

"All done."

But Liam didn't move. He just stared at me, his eyes shimmering, the corners of his mouth turning down in the prelude to a pout. "Audrey, my head is killing me."

"And whose fault is it that you drank so much?"

"..."

He didn't argue, just wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his face against my stomach and letting out a few pathetic whimpers.

"It hurts."

I had never been able to resist him. I sighed, my hands going to his temples, gently massaging them in slow circles.

After a while, I asked, "Is that helping?"

"Mm-hmm."

We stayed like that in silence. I don't know how much time passed, but my hands started to ache. The moment I stopped, Liam nuzzled his fluffy head into the crook of my neck, his hands beginning to roam again.

"Liam—"

I tried to stop him, but the man in my arms was already deploying his ultimate weapon: a wounded, pleading tone.

"Audrey, it's been three days. You haven't sent me a single text." His voice was a mumble against my skin. "I've missed you so much."

I was exhausted from a long week at work and had no intention of giving in, but I was already losing the battle against temptation. As he spoke, he began nibbling on my earlobe, his fingers tracing lazy circles on the small of my back.

"Audrey…"

I sighed, defeated. "Just once."

I don't remember if he agreed. I don't remember who turned off the lights. All I remember is a room filled with the rise and fall of bodies, lost in the dark.