Begin Again novel Chapter 86

Eden was floored by Liam's announcement, the butterflies in her stomach skipping out of control again while her heart jumped to her throat.

His half-empty bottle of wine didn't seem like a terrible idea now. Maybe a glass, half even, would do a fantastic job of calming her nerves because, quite frankly, her Evian water wasn't cutting it. But the last time she touched alcohol, she ended up in Liam's bed and pregnant with his child she's yet to inform him of.

To avoid making another catastrophic mistake, Eden picked up her water instead, her hand trembling slightly. "I don't think that's going to be possible."

"Why not?" Liam asked, his eyebrows shooting up. "You don't believe I can make you mine, Princess? You doubt me?"

The only person Eden doubted in this whole thing was her.

It would be so easy to give in to Liam, to be swept up in the excitement of possibility, to fall in love with the idea of 'what ifs' and allow herself to be consumed by her insatiable hunger for him.

Maybe for a little while, she could trick her mind into believing she's okay with just having his body. But she knew herself, and she knew her heart.

Soon she'll want more.

But there's no room for more in what Liam was proposing.

He wanted sex.

And she wanted his heart and for him to be a part of Aiden's life. But—

"Eden!" Liam waved his hand in front of her face, yanking her out of her thoughts and back to his insane determination.

She blinked at him, smiling uncertainly. "Yes?"

"I said I'll give you some time to think about it," he tipped his freshly topped-up glass at her before bringing it to his lips.

"Think about what?"

"You and me, of course! I know we'll be magical. We burned bright once before. There's no reason why we can't again. But I want you to come to me willingly."

"I won't. I'll never come to you." She shook her head. "I don't want you."

It was a big fat lie, of course. Liam's the only man she would ever want. But she was just an obsession for him. One he'll tire of as soon as she's fixed him.

"Of course, I can't tell you what to do, but while you take your time to figure things out, I don't recommend you see anyone else," Liam announced. "End it with the lawyer, for his sake. We both know this thing between you two won't go anywhere. Not when your body cries only for me, the same way mine yearns only for you."

Eden pushed her soup bowl away and threw on her blazer. "You're insane! If you think I'll show up every time you want to scratch your itch, think again."

"You're right; I am insane with need. For you." Liam said. "Eden, you consume. I crave you with every fibre of my being."

His admission sent a deep ache at her centre, and her stomach clenched as memories of their only night of passion and all the other heated, tempting moments they'd shared since then flooded her mind like a film reel.

Despite all her talk, she knew if Liam wanted to make love to her right now, she'd never have the strength to deny them both the one thing they desperately needed because she felt just as strongly for him.

They fell silent for a while, both weighing his words. But their moment of reflection was interrupted when their main course, a beautifully plated polvo à lagareiro—an exquisite dish of baked octopus with potatoes in herbed garlic oil—arrived.

The presentation was stunning, and Eden wanted to snap a few photos for Lydia's vlog. She resisted the urge and searched for something to distract herself. The damp water stain pooling under her glass was the perfect distraction. She stared at it for some time, thinking of the right words to say, a snarky comment, the perfect rebuttal to Liam's cockiness. But her mind drew a blank, failing her at the most critical moment when she needed to show him she's not in the least affected by his crazy proposal.

Yes, I did, Eden thought sadly. I still do. I think about you all the time because there's a little person who looks just like you in my house.

But she couldn't tell him this. Not when he had made it clear to his parents he doesn't want children. So she lied instead, praying he couldn't see the anguish in her eyes. If she had to give them both a clean break, she had to be brutal for both their sake.

"I had no reason to think of you." She said as she sat up and straightened her shoulders. "That night was okay at best, but I've barely thought about it since. I don't want you, Liam. I'll never want you. And I have Isaac now, so whatever this is, has to end—"

"Don't mention his name in my presence!" Liam warned her, his voice barely audible. "And I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to push me away again. It won't work this time, Princess."

"I'm telling you the truth. As much as you don't like me, you mean nothing to me as well. Not now and certainly not then. So the sooner you get over this little fascination you have with me, the better."

To prove she meant every word, Eden snatched her purse and rose from her seat. But before she had even made it halfway across the room, Liam grabbed her waist and spun her in his arms, kissing her senseless.

Sighing tearfully, she collapsed on his chest, her arms coming up to his neck as she stood on tiptoes.

Liam picked her up, and she wove her legs around his waist as he carried her to one of the empty tables and sat her down, their lips staying locked in a scorching kiss.

"You can lie all you want, Eden, but your body can't," Liam whispered in her neck, his gruff voice sending tingles down her spine as he left a trail of kisses on her jawline leading back to her mouth. "You are my hell and my paradise, and you belong to me."

"But you hate me," she moaned, tears sliding out of the corner of her eyes. "And I hate you."

"Oh, Princess, don't you know?" He growled on her lips, his hands gently cradling her aching breasts. "Hate is so much closer to love than indifference. We can work with that."

Eden knew then there would be no getting over each other. Not when their need for the other burned so bright.