side with her head and one arm propped on his broad chest. His breathing evened out, his lips softening as he seemed to fall asleep.
“You look exhausted,” she whispered.
“Been having weird dreams,” he mumbled, as if he was only half conscious.
She brushed her fingers over his cheekbone, just below the shadowy skin under his eye. “Nightmares?”
He was quiet for a second. Then he turned his head slightly to the side, snuggling deeper into her touch. “Dreams about my mum.”
She stilled, shocked to get such a personal answer. “Your mum?”
His eyelids opened to narrow slits, and the pain she saw behind them nearly made her heart stop. “She died in February.”
Tess’s breath fled her lungs. “I’m so sorry.”
The tip of his tongue touched his lower lip, his brows drawing together. He searched her face for some answer. After several moments, seeming to find whatever he was looking for, he said, “I think I’ve dreamed about her every night since. They’re so vivid, like she’s right here with me...or I’m there with her.”
“Where?” Heaven? Hell?
“Everywhere. She was quite a storyteller. When I was growing up, she told me lots of stories about her life. How she met my dad, how she felt on their wedding day and the day I was born... Now I keep dreaming that I’m part of those experiences, only she knows I’m there. She can see me, talk to me.” He drew in a deep breath, his chest rising beneath her. “And we always end up fighting.”
“Fighting how?”
“Arguing over...stupid things. We’re both so stubborn, neither of us can give in, and then she just fades away and I wake up knowing I’ve wasted whatever time I had with her.”
Tess cupped his cheek and he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as if his confessions had exhausted him further. Gratitude welled up that he would share such personal things. “Liam?”
“Hmm?”
“You were very close to her, weren’t you?”
He nodded.
“Then you didn’t waste the time you had with her. It sounds like you cherished her, and I’m sure she cherished you.” Who wouldn’t?
He pulled her hand over his mouth, kissing the sensitive center of her palm and nuzzling her. Heart swelling painfully, Tess slid her hand out from under his and replaced it with her mouth, trying to tell him everything with her kiss. His mouth opened, his fingers sliding through her hair, holding her close as his lips slanted under hers. When his tongue touched hers, she was lost.
His free arm wrapped around her back, clasping her hip so he could drag her lower body to lie on top of his. He hugged her so close she rode every breath, every ripple that passed through him. His shivers of delight became hers. The sights and sounds of paradise disappeared until all that was left was him, hard and getting harder under her.
When she pulled back to catch her breath, he buried his face in her neck. His voice was low, gruff, as he said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a swim.”
“So soon after eating?” Nice one , nervous ninny.
He gave her an assessing look, then glanced at the pool. “I don’t think it’s that deep. But if you want, I’ll test it out and let you know.”
Tess rolled off him and watched as he stood and dusted off his bum. Never taking his eyes from her, he crossed his arms in front of his stomach and whisked his T-shirt over his head. Her mouth went utterly dry at the sight of his chiseled chest and abs. Jesus, the man had better breasts than she did. So bloody unfair.
She’d seen him topless before. In fact, her sister gave her a London Legends calendar every year, which featured twelve players lounging around the changing room in various states of undress. Last year, Mr. July here had been starkers. She’d really hated that strategically placed rugby ball he’d held.
Being confronted with his body in person, though, was a joy she’d never imagined she would have. His muscles bunched up as he bent to undo
“You look exhausted,” she whispered.
“Been having weird dreams,” he mumbled, as if he was only half conscious.
She brushed her fingers over his cheekbone, just below the shadowy skin under his eye. “Nightmares?”
He was quiet for a second. Then he turned his head slightly to the side, snuggling deeper into her touch. “Dreams about my mum.”
She stilled, shocked to get such a personal answer. “Your mum?”
His eyelids opened to narrow slits, and the pain she saw behind them nearly made her heart stop. “She died in February.”
Tess’s breath fled her lungs. “I’m so sorry.”
The tip of his tongue touched his lower lip, his brows drawing together. He searched her face for some answer. After several moments, seeming to find whatever he was looking for, he said, “I think I’ve dreamed about her every night since. They’re so vivid, like she’s right here with me...or I’m there with her.”
“Where?” Heaven? Hell?
“Everywhere. She was quite a storyteller. When I was growing up, she told me lots of stories about her life. How she met my dad, how she felt on their wedding day and the day I was born... Now I keep dreaming that I’m part of those experiences, only she knows I’m there. She can see me, talk to me.” He drew in a deep breath, his chest rising beneath her. “And we always end up fighting.”
“Fighting how?”
“Arguing over...stupid things. We’re both so stubborn, neither of us can give in, and then she just fades away and I wake up knowing I’ve wasted whatever time I had with her.”
Tess cupped his cheek and he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as if his confessions had exhausted him further. Gratitude welled up that he would share such personal things. “Liam?”
“Hmm?”
“You were very close to her, weren’t you?”
He nodded.
“Then you didn’t waste the time you had with her. It sounds like you cherished her, and I’m sure she cherished you.” Who wouldn’t?
He pulled her hand over his mouth, kissing the sensitive center of her palm and nuzzling her. Heart swelling painfully, Tess slid her hand out from under his and replaced it with her mouth, trying to tell him everything with her kiss. His mouth opened, his fingers sliding through her hair, holding her close as his lips slanted under hers. When his tongue touched hers, she was lost.
His free arm wrapped around her back, clasping her hip so he could drag her lower body to lie on top of his. He hugged her so close she rode every breath, every ripple that passed through him. His shivers of delight became hers. The sights and sounds of paradise disappeared until all that was left was him, hard and getting harder under her.
When she pulled back to catch her breath, he buried his face in her neck. His voice was low, gruff, as he said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a swim.”
“So soon after eating?” Nice one , nervous ninny.
He gave her an assessing look, then glanced at the pool. “I don’t think it’s that deep. But if you want, I’ll test it out and let you know.”
Tess rolled off him and watched as he stood and dusted off his bum. Never taking his eyes from her, he crossed his arms in front of his stomach and whisked his T-shirt over his head. Her mouth went utterly dry at the sight of his chiseled chest and abs. Jesus, the man had better breasts than she did. So bloody unfair.
She’d seen him topless before. In fact, her sister gave her a London Legends calendar every year, which featured twelve players lounging around the changing room in various states of undress. Last year, Mr. July here had been starkers. She’d really hated that strategically placed rugby ball he’d held.
Being confronted with his body in person, though, was a joy she’d never imagined she would have. His muscles bunched up as he bent to undo
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