Bad Romeo Christmas: A Starcrossed Anthology (Starcrossed #4)(46)

When he finishes, he rubs my bottom gently. Right now, I don't want gentle. I want his fingers inside me. Rough and insistent. Hitting my deepest places.

Instead, he lets out a rough breath. "Have you learned your lesson? Or do I need to continue?" His voice is strange. It has an edge I've never heard before.

I'd actually like him to continue doing other things.

"Lesson learned," I whisper as my pulse beats double time. "Thank you."

He lifts me until I'm sitting on his lap, and then he grips the back of my neck and pulls my head down to his mouth. "Thank you ...?" His lips brush my ear, making me shiver.

"Thank you, master."

He makes a low noise in his chest, and for a moment I think he's going to throw me down on the couch and f*ck me after all. But his expression morphs into deep contemplation, and he stands abruptly to set me on my feet.

"Are you okay?" he asks. "Did I hurt you?"

"Yes," I say, a little embarrassed. "But only because I asked you to."

"Fuck. Okay." He nods and thinks for a few seconds before stepping away from me. "I'm ... ah ..." He looks down the hallway. "I need to take a shower."

"Liam—"

"Could you call Alba and ask her to bring over my clothes? I dropped my suitcase off on the way here last night. Everything was soaked."

"Sure, but I—"

"I won't be long."

"Okay."

He strides over to the stairs and takes them two at a time until he's out of sight.

More than a little confused, I go to the kitchen and call Alba. When I hang up, I sit on one of the stools, careful of my tender behind.

Well, that took an interesting turn.

Did it freak him out that I asked to be spanked? I mean, our sex is rarely gentle, but this was something we've never done before. Maybe it was too different.

I rub my eyes. I wouldn't blame him if he was freaked out. I am, too. Even though I consider myself pretty tough as far as injuries go, I never considered I might have a thing for pain. What the hell does that say about me?

???

After Luis and Alba deliver all of Liam's freshly laundered clothes, we all bustle about setting up for breakfast on the balcony beside the pool. Liam comes down to help, freshly showered and wearing bright red board shorts that sit deliciously low on his hips. I don't miss the way Alba's eyes widen when she sees him shirtless.

She shoots me a quick glance, and I nod, as if to say, "I know right? How dare he be so hot?"

When the preparations are nearly done, I dash upstairs and pull on another of my new bikinis before topping it off with a sarong.

By the time I come back down, the large wooden table next to the pool has been set with sparkling silverware and fresh flowers, and Liam is lying on a sun chair with his eyes closed. His hair has been pulled up into a ponytail, which highlights his cheekbones like crazy. Even though it's still early, his body is already glistening with a thin layer of sweat. It only accentuates his muscles.

I make a mental note to rub sunscreen on him later. After all, somebody has to do it.

He cracks his eyes open as he hears me approach, and when he registers what I'm wearing, his brows furrow, and he sits up.

"Nice sarong." Despite his words, his tone suggests he thinks the sarong is an *. "Where did you get it? And why does it want to hurt me by hiding your hotness from my eyeballs?"

With a patient smile, I stand in front him and untie the knot around my neck. Then I strike a pose and hold the sarong open so Liam can see my bikini. This one is deep blue with gold highlights.

Liam takes in a breath then exhales as he tries to look everywhere at once. Even though he gives my whole body a thorough appraisal, his gaze keeps coming back to my chest.

"Okay," he says, still staring at my boobs. "So, that's you in a bikini. Don't let this go to your head, but this is possibly the best thing I've ever seen in my life."

I smile. "What about the view out here? The ocean, the cliff, the pristine beach below us? It's stunning."

At last he makes it up to my face. "Liss, there's not a single thing on this planet as stunning as you. How do you not know that by now?"

As usual, he melts me with his words, but there's something else in his expression, and I wonder if he's still bothered by what happened earlier.

I'm working up the courage to ask him when Alba calls out, "Breakfast!"

Liam sighs in disappointment when I refasten my sarong, and he takes my hand as we go sit at the table where Alba and Luis have set out omelets, fresh fruit, tea, and coffee.

We eat breakfast in relative silence, content to take in the view. When we're done, Liam leans back and rubs his completely flat stomach, as if there were something there other than ripped abs.

"So, Miss Holt, how adventurous are you feeling today?"

I dab my mouth with the linen napkin, still thinking about the glory of Alba's cheese omelet. "Hmm, depends. On a scale from ‘using a different brand of dental floss’ to ‘swimming with sharks’, how adventurous are we talking?"

"Adventurous enough to get your blood racing."

I put my hand on his thigh. "Being with you is enough to get my blood racing, Mr. Quinn." His posture stiffens as I slide my hand up toward his crotch. "So as long as you're with me, I can do anything."