40

LILIANA

“I knew you were a smart man,” I said to Alistair as he came in with the food from Gianni’s. He was a little early, but I’d expected that.

He put the food on the table and pulled me close to kiss me.

“I had it under good authority that I’d better not be late. Didn’t want to ruin my reputation of showing up.”

I laughed at his arched eyebrow. Then I put my arms around his neck and gazed up at him.

“You did tell me once that if I needed anything, that you’d always show up for me.”

Alistair’s smile softened as he lowered his head to kiss me. He always had been there for me.

Even during the years when we lived states apart, not communicating aside from one sympathy card I sent. I think I knew deep down that if I’d called him for anything, he’d have dropped anything he needed to show up for me.

I definitely knew it now.

We had dinner with Alistair sitting right next to me, as if he couldn’t stand to be too far away.

“You remembered the extra breadsticks. I’m impressed.”

“You deserve all the breadsticks for the magic you’ve worked with Avalon Spirits.” He used a fingertip to brush my hair off my forehead. “And for other things.”

We talked about the upcoming tasting event a little.

“To you,” he finally said, holding up his wine glass. “And your fantastic job with Avalon Spirits.”

We toasted, and then Alistair took my hand in his. He pressed my palm against his cheek then brushed his lips over my knuckles.

“I’m full,” he said softly.

“Me too. I should clean this up.”

“Leave it. We’ll get it later.” Alistair pulled me up as he stood and hauled me close against him. He held me like we were going to slow dance, but instead, he stared down into me.

“Still the most gorgeous blue eyes I’ve ever seen,” he said softly. Then he brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “You’re so beautiful, Liliana.”

“You keep saying things like that, you just might get lucky,” I teased.

“I am lucky,” he said. He kissed me softly and slowly. “Lucky just to be here with you at all.”

I sensed that everything else was going to be forgotten for the time being anyway, so I started in the direction of the bedroom.

He kissed me until my legs came up against my bed. “I can’t imagine having to be apart from you. Not when I’m so in love with you I can hardly think straight.”

My breath caught.

It felt like everything I’d wanted had come true.

Alistair Ashford loved me.

“Alistair—”

He stopped me with his kiss. Whether it was to make it clear he didn’t expect me to say it back yet, or because he was afraid I wouldn’t, I didn’t know.

Whichever it was that had him stop me from answering what he said, I was grateful. Because I wasn’t ready to say it yet. A small part of me still feared getting hurt. But I felt it. I’d felt it for a long time.

And I wanted to show him so much, even if it wasn’t the right time to say it.

He leaned down, pushing me gently backward as he did. But I stopped him and dropped to my knees in front of him. I unzipped his fly while I stared up at him, licking my lips.

He shook his head like he could barely believe what he was seeing.

“So God damn gorgeous, Liliana.”

When I wrapped my lips around his cock, his whole body jerked. Alistair sank his fingers into my hair as I wrapped my tongue around his shaft, licking it like a lollipop. I licked and sucked like I was determined to taste every spot. Then I sucked him as deep as I could and swallowed while I glanced up.

Alistair made a strangled sound of pleasure, bending his shoulders forward to curl his body over me. He gently massaged my scalp with his fingertips and stroked my hair.

“Baby,” he gasped as I slid my mouth up and down his cock, varying the speed and suction. I cupped his balls in one hand, kneading them gently, and wrapped my other around his shaft.

I stroked him while I sucked, my movements getting more enthusiastic as I felt him thicken and harden in my mouth. He was close, and this time he wasn’t going to urge me into another position.

“Liliana,” he groaned as I sucked extra hard.

I moaned around his cock, and he shouted in pleasure as he came. I swallowed, determined to hang on until I’d wrung every drop from him.

When he’d finished, he hauled me up, letting me taste him in the kiss. Then we made quick work of our clothes, and Alistair urged me to lie face-down on the bed.

He moved behind me and gripped my hips to lift my ass into the air. Alistair stroked his hand over my back from my shoulders to my lower back, his hand finally coming to rest on the bottom of my ass and top of my thigh.

“Let me take care of you now,” he said, his breath against my body.

Then he licked my pussy in one long, upward stroke from clit to the top that turned my thigh muscles to jelly.

He held me open with his thumbs and licked inside me, stroking and massaging my folds until I almost couldn’t stand the pleasure anymore. I pressed my cheek into the pillow and spread my thighs as he finger-fucked me while mouthing at my clit. The bed shook a little, and I realized he was stroking himself.

When I felt his hard cock against my calf, I knew he was going to fuck me soon. I squeezed my inner muscles around his fingers, prompting him to suck my clit just right. Pleasure exploded in my lower body, rippling up my spine and making me cry out.

“Yeah, baby,” he groaned, his mouth against my pussy, his finger still pumping into my body.

Alistair shifted up to his knees and thrust his cock deep inside me while I was still coming. My body reacted with another wave of intense pleasure that laddered its way up my torse from my core, making my breath catch and a desperate little sound escape my throat.

He thrust hard and deep, ready to blow again. I pushed myself back against him, taking him as deep as possible as my pussy clenched around him.

“Fuck!” he shouted, slamming forward into me and almost flattening me on the bed with the force of it. He came, his hands pulling my hips back against him with each thrust, making wordless sounds of pleasure.

My orgasm finally started to slow and let me catch my breath. Alistair slumped forward over my back and mouthed at my shoulder, leaving a wet trail with his tongue. He licked over to my neck and sucked lightly there.

Finally, my legs gave out and I dropped flat onto the bed with Alistair on top of me. He kissed the shell of my ear, panting as he spoke.

“I love you, Liliana.” He nibbled the lobe and pushed his cock into me one last time. “I love you so much.”

When I could roll beneath him, he kissed me before I could say anything. Again, I was grateful.

I spent the rest of that night trying to show Alistair that I loved him too without having to take the risk of saying the words out loud. I knew I would. There’d be a better time. An easier time.

And until then, I’d make sure everything I did or said helped him realize it even without him hearing those exact words.