Chapter Thirty
Fierce Hope
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I breathed deeply, calming myself by repeating that I didn't need him. Anger rushed up so suddenly I nearly fell over. He'd said that he'd be here at seven. That was twelve hours ago and I hadn't received a call, a message, anything. If this was his idea of payback he could go shove a pike up his ass. He wasn't here. If he really had any feelings for me, other than physical attraction, than he would have at least let me know he wasn't coming back.
I picked up the television remote and threw it across the room. It hit a picture hanging on the wall, the glass cracking. I glared at the webbed lines of the cracked glass. I had the urge to turn the entire suite upside down, leaving the mess for Liam to pay for and clean up. It would serve him right.
Thanks to my motionless state, I could just hear the rattle of the front door knob being turned, gently, and the door pushed slightly forward before the security chain reached its limit and the door could no longer be opened. The intruder made no sound of protest, none that I could hear anyway. I crept across the carpet so I could get the door in sight. There was a gloved hand reaching in the opening, using some kind of box-shaped mechanism to loosen the screw that held the chain in place.
Panic bubbled up my throat. Did I confront the person breaking in? What if it was Jacob? NO! I shouted in my mind. I was NOT afraid of him! I rushed forward, hands outstretched so that I could slam the door, the hand crushed as I did so. I hit the door with my forward momentum, a great force.
It didn't budge, even as my body followed my hands and hit the door with a thump. I crumpled to the floor, everything aching dully. Whoever was on the other side must have anticipated my charge and used his strength to hold the door in place. His hand continued to unscrew until the chain dropped, hanging loosely. I stared at the gold links, dreading the moment when the door opened and the intruder stepped through, bearing the face of my nightmare. It opened slowly, as if expecting me to be standing behind it with a big knife. I wish.
My heart skipped a beat when Liam's head poked around the corner.
"Kayli?" he said, his voice hoarse and dark rings around his eyes.
I turned my head away and pushed myself off the floor. Why had he forced his way in here? Why couldn't he have just knocked?
"Kayli, just listen..."
I spun around, putting all my anger into my eyes so that he could fully understand how mad I was at him.
"I know I messed up. I know! But I needed you. And you weren't there."
I turned back around and ran in the direction of the bathroom, intending to lock myself in there until... well I wasn't sure. Maybe I'd never come out. I just wanted to shut everything out. I hardly made it two steps before strong, warm arms wrapped around me from behind, holding me immobile. Liam's head came down onto my shoulder, his body was shivering but he wasn't cold. I closed my eyes, savouring the closeness, soaking it in like an addict who'd gotten one last fix.
I let out a breath. "Liam..."
He squeezed me tighter. "Not yet. Let me just hold you."
"What happened, Liam?" I asked, a little frightened. He was acting like he had just had a traumatic experience. And if something had scared him then it must've been horrible.
"I - I can't..." He turned me around, his eyes on my mouth. "I need... Kayli, I just need."
His lips caught mine, kissing hungrily. The feeling that overwhelmed me was one I'd never felt. He'd told me he'd needed me before, but not with such yearning and veracity. His kiss was hot and urgent, as if he'd been deprived. His hands travelled down to my legs and with one powerful tug he lifted me off the ground. I wrapped my legs around him, using them to pull myself up further, closer to him, because while this was the hottest kiss we'd shared, I still felt that I wasn't having enough. He took one hand away from my leg and lifted the bottom of my top, pulling it up over my head. His lips trailed down my face, neck to my collarbone where he paused for breath. In that instant I recovered a clear mind and slowly unwrapped my legs from around him, lowering to the floor. His hands caught my waist, preventing me from taking a step back.
