Page 55 of Landing Liam

“Morning,” I reply, my lips twitching into a lazy smile.

Suddenly, she pulls her hand away and covers her mouth. “Morning breath,” she groans, her cheeks flushing a deep pink. It’s the kind of honesty that catches me off guard and makes me like her even more.

I chuckle, propping myself up on an elbow to watch her. “I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

“It’s that bad,” she insists dramatically, her eyes narrowing playfully before she quickly slips out of bed.

My breath hitches as the blanket falls away, revealing her completely bare form. She’s all smooth curves and soft edges, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. She’s stunning, and the easy confidence in the way she darts toward the bathroom only makes her more so.

I don’t even try to stop my grin as the bathroom door closes behind her. “You’re killing me, Cooper,” I mutter to myself, falling back against the pillows.

The phone buzzes again, but I can’t bring myself to care. All I can think about is how fast she’s taken over my mind and how, somehow, I’m already dreading the moment she walks out of my life.

When she finally reemerges, Maggie saunters over to my side of the bed, her freshly scrubbed face glowing in the soft morning light. Without hesitation, she crawls in beside me, hooking her leg over mine as her head finds its place on my chest. The warmth of her skin against mine sends a surge of contentment through me, like she’s the missing piece I didn’t know I was looking for.

“Last night was…” she begins, soft and hesitant.

“Amazing?” I finish for her, my fingers brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

She lifts her eyes to mine, those big, mesmerizing blues locking me in place. For a moment, her lips twitch upward, but whatever she’s thinking clouds over, and her brow furrows. I can’t stand the look of doubt on her face, so I gently smooth the lines with my thumb.

“What’s wrong, Cooper?” I ask softly.

Instead of answering, she buries her face in my chest, her arms curling around me. The way she clings to me feels so natural, so right, that it’s hard to believe we’ve only had one night together. It’s as if she’s always been here, like this is where she belongs.

“I have to leave tomorrow,” she murmurs, her words muffled against my skin.

“And?” I prompt, sensing there’s more.

Her body stiffens, and I feel the shift immediately. Her walls are going up, brick by cautious brick.

“And I’m not sure I’m ready to leave,” she admits so quietly that I almost don’t catch it.

I tilt my head to look at her, trying to gauge the emotions flickering across her face. “You’re not?” I echo, steady but hopeful.

She shrugs, her cheek still pressed against my chest. “Maybe.”

I want to tell her not to go. I want to say all the things I’m feeling, lay it all out there, but I know better. Maggie is like a skittish animal—too much too soon, and she’ll bolt. Instead, I tighten my hold on her.

“You don’t have to decide anything right now,” I say. “But for what it’s worth, I’m not ready for you to leave either.”

Her breath catches, and she shifts slightly to look up at me again. Her expression is guarded, but there’s a flicker of something—hope, maybe?—in her eyes.

“Liam…” she starts, but I shake my head, cutting her off gently.

“No pressure,” I assure her, brushing my lips against her forehead. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”

She nods, her body relaxing against mine again, but I can still feel the tension lingering beneath the surface. I don’t want to push her, but I also don’t want her to think this is just some fling. Not to me. Not when it feels like she’s already carved out a space in my chest that I didn’t even know was empty.

Holding her like this feels as natural as breathing, as if every nerve in my body was designed to respond to her touch. We move instinctively, like two halves of a whole finally finding each other. At the exact same moment, she lifts her head as I lower mine, and our lips collide in a kiss that doesn’t feel like all the others. This one is frenzied and hungry, an urgent tangle of passion and need that threatens to undo me completely.

Maggie climbs on top of me, her soft thighs bracketing my hips as her hands dive into my hair, tugging me closer. She’s completely in control, and I can’t help but love it.

“Condom?” she breathes against my lips, her voice raspy and filled with longing.

I shake my head, my chest rising and falling heavily. “We used them all last night.”

Her lips curve into a slow, sensual smile as she leans in, pressing a softer, more deliberate kiss to my mouth. “I want you,” she whispers.