Life After Life

•C h a p t e r T h i r t y - F i v e•

Liam blinked at me, taken aback by my answer. The yacht swayed and billowed on the waves, moving us with it.

"Only you," I whispered. My eyes flickered to his lips for a split second and then to his dark eyes that matched the ocean of stars in the sky.

All reason left my mind. Without thinking, I pressed my lips against Liam's, my hand circling around his neck to pull him closer.

Liam responded quickly, moving his lips against mine. They were soft, almost silky against my own and I could feel the tickle of his breath beneath my nose. His fingers carded through the strands of my hair.

His arm snaked around my waist, pulling me even closer. Our bodies pressed together, both of us breathing heavily against each other.

My hands trailed down Liam's back, while my other played at the hair on the nape of his neck. He shivered under my touch and I smiled between our lips, triumphant at the effect I had on him.

I could taste our shared breath as our hearts thudded in sync with one another. The smell of Liam's cologne muddled my brain and all I could feel and focus on were the butterflies dancing in my stomach.

We finally broke apart, breathing heavily as we rested our foreheads against each other. Our lips curled up into identical smiles.

I rested my head on his chest as we sat in silence. My eyes fluttered shut as I listened to the steady thumping rhythm of his heart, while his fingers combed between the strands of my hair. The boat rock calmly below us. It had long stopped moving when we'd gotten far enough from shore and now, it floated aimlessly.

"I have an idea," Liam said, his voice reverberating through his chest and to me.

I found myself smiling, "What would that be?"

Liam and I sat up and he set our glasses of grape juice aside. My eyes widened when he swiftly pulled his shirt off, tossing it on the blanket.

"W-what idea is this?" I stammered, feeling my cheeks burn.

"We're on the ocean. It only makes sense that we go for a swim," Liam shrugged, smirking at my reaction. He stood up, loosening his belt and I pressed my eyes shut. The heat had spread from my face to my chest.

"Let's not do that," I managed to get out. The ocean during the day was creepy enough. It wasn't any better at night.

"You can open your eyes, I'm not naked," Liam said. Even with my eyes shut, I could tell he was smiling and very much amused.

I opened my eyes one by one, trying to focus my attention on Liam's face, and not any lower than that. Of course, I failed miserably.

My eyes trailed down his body, taking extra long on his toned stomach and chest. He only had his boxers on, the rest of his clothes scattered around. I swallowed hard, expertly avoiding the area below his torso. My stomach performed multiple backflips from the sight of him, rivalling that of an Olympic athlete.

I cleared my throat, tearing my eyes away from his body and to his dark, mischievous eyes, "I'm not going into the ocean."

"If you never face it, you'll never get over your fear," he raised an eyebrow at me.

"It's not a fear," I said sternly, standing up. "It's a strong dislike."

The wind was much stronger in the middle of the ocean, threading through the tangled strands of my hair. I shivered, pulling my jacket over my body.

"Same thing," Liam rolled his eyes, smiling. I tore my eyes away from his, my hands wrung together subconsciously.

He approached me, taking my hands in his. I glanced down at our intertwined hands. His hands were comforting and reassuring. Warmth blossomed in my chest.