BloodBorne Ch. 04

"Spit it out already."

"I didn't mean to imply that you're weak or something." She looked down at the highly polished floor as her face flushed. "I'm sorry."

"Yes, you are."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm tagging out of the game guys. Will resume play soon." Liam powered down his game system and switched to a random television channel before addressing Xan's question. "I said you're sorry," he said as he pulled off his headphones.

"You're calling me a sorry individual?"

"Isn't that what I just said?

She placed her hands on her hips as she tried to process the conversation. "I come in here and go out of my fucking way to apologize for being an ass, something you have yet to do, and the only thing you can think to do is insult me?" The last bit of her tirade came out as a shout as her body shook with fury. "You're a real fucking piece of work, did you know that?"

"Are you done yet? You're starting to get on my last nerve."

"Hijo de puta!"

"I never did know anyone who had the power to irritate the shit out of me in less than five minutes. And then I met you." Liam did not turn in his seat, knowing that if he did, she would surely see the apprehension in his gaze. He needed to be alone, to get over the feelings coursing through him when he was around her. Having Xan in his presence only made things worse. "Shouldn't you be off in a corner mourning your precious Magori?"

"You leave Pogue out of this." Her voice dropped to a whisper in her effort to keep from ripping his head off.

"What kind of a person are you anyway, following me around like a little puppy bitch, when the man you've lived with for years just died?" Liam's stomach knotted uncomfortably at the sounds of her harsh breathing. He'd gone too far with that one, farther than she'd gone with her mistaken insult. As much as he wanted to take that back, he couldn't; what was said, was said. He could only wait for the consequences that would come. It was better that she was upset; she'd storm out and leave him to remind himself that his duties came before his wants.

Xan wasn't aware of the tears that streamed down her face until she tasted the salt that seeped in to her mouth from the corner of her lips. "I don't even know why I try. Coming here was a mistake." She turned to leave but stopped at the words that flew out of his mouth.

"Making mistakes is your only true talent in this world."

She stood rooted in place for long moments, disbelief rolling over her in waves. Her hands trembled, her vision began to blur. Xan was positive that she'd burst into flame, she was so livid. A slow perusal of the back end of the room revealed a table covered with various remote controls. She stared at them for a moment, urging herself to calm down before she did something she would regret. Her body seemed to rebel, however; before she could stop herself, she'd walked to the table, picked up one of the remotes and hurled it at the back of his head. She made her mark but his shout of fury wasn't enough to sate her bloodlust; she threw three more at him. The first made contact with the center of his back as he stood up, the second he caught, and the third struck the center of his chest.

"What the fuck?!?" Liam dodged the arsenal of remote controls as he rushed toward her. He ignored the litany of profanities she screamed at him in both English and Spanish and groaned harshly when she landed a right hook to his jaw. The woman was beyond livid and was ready to kill him. The wild look in her eyes indicated that he wasn't getting out of this without a scratch. Liam blocked all of her moves, but it felt as if she'd landed each blow; the rage in her eyes couldn't mask her pain and embarrassment. His gut wrenched at that knowledge that he'd caused that pain. He gasped when she managed to get her thumb into the pressure point just behind his jaw. Shit, she fought dirty. Liam grabbed both of her arms and pinned them behind her, at he same time wedging his legs between hers so that she could not land another blow to his groin. He pressed her against the table, dodging her efforts to bite his face. Waiting for her to calm down was the only option; he was too close to her now to trust that she wouldn't continue her attack.

"Let me go you fucking prick!" Xan struggled against him, enraged at his unbreakable hold on her. She was quickly running out of energy and was already panting for breath.

"Stop fighting me." He pressed his body against hers, using his weight as an added restraint. Horrible idea; Liam was immediately aware of the pert orbs of her breasts against his chest and the way they pressed against him when she shifted. She was flushed from her struggles, and a fine sheen of sweat covered her exposed skin. His groin began to swell in response and he knew the second she felt it as well; she immediately froze. Liam focused his attention on Xan's wide eyes before moving to her parted lips. She licked her lips nervously, an unconscious move that prompted him to press more of his body onto hers.

Xan was suddenly unsure of how to feel. She still wanted to kill Liam, but at the same time, that damned feeling in the pit of her stomach had returned. It didn't help that his body was pressed so closely to hers and that she could feel the heat of his erection even through their clothing. She shifted back into a half-sitting position on the table, but the move only served to intensify the intimacy of their position. It was a fight to hold still; the way his groin fit against hers made her want to wiggle closer. There was a heat building between her thighs and it made her shiver. He was leaning closer again, his intent clear. The heat intensified and inched upwards until it hummed through every cell of her body. No, she hated him right now. She couldn't be feeling this. He couldn't --

Christ, his scent was overwhelmingly intoxicating. Xan couldn't stop herself from leaning closer to inhale more of him. She gasped when he suddenly leaned forward to kiss her; his lips were hot and demanding, slanting over hers again and again. Shock kept her from pushing him away, and all too soon, she became too consumed in the sensations coursing through her to care about anything else. She kissed Liam back, moaning as his tongue invaded her mouth. His fingers dug into her hips and it was then that she realized that he'd freed her hands. Instead of pushing him away, she pulled him closer, slowly sliding her hands upward from his strong back to the nape of his neck where she fisted her fingers in his hair. She couldn't stop herself from sucking on his tongue or moving her chest against his when her breasts began to ache.

Liam groaned at the raw passion emanating off of Xan. Her body trembled against his. He liked that. He liked the way she tasted even more; sweet like honey, but tart and incredibly addicting. Her tongue moved against his sensuously, and he couldn't stop himself from moving his hands from her hips to underneath her shirt. Her nipples were hard beneath her sports bra. She shivered when he brushed the pads of his thumbs against them. Liam groaned again when her hips instinctively rolled forward and rubbed against his encased member. He couldn't stop himself from slipping a hand into her pants. It was easy to find the source of her heat and at the first touch of her sweet nectar coating his fingers, he lost all control.

Xan gasped in pleasure at the sweet friction his fingers created. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck, kissing a blazing trail of passion over her skin. She moved with him and against him, falling into the intensity of his touch. He increased the pressure of his ministrations; she tightened her hold on his hair in response. "Ah, Jesus."

He said nothing, only moved his fingers faster over her. Xan's moans and whimpers made him ache and throb with renewed desire, and it wasn't long before he moved his hips against hers. He'd long stopped his exploration of her nipples and moved his unoccupied hand to the fastenings of her pants. It only took moments for him to get them undone, and he quickly dug his fingers into the waistband to pull them down.

"Wait, wait." Xan tensed as he tugged on her clothing. This was getting too heavy. She pushed him away and was glad that he did not go against her wishes. He deliberately dragged his fingers away from her core, stealing a moan from her. The fire in her loins throbbed when he stared at her as he licked his fingers clean. "Dios..."

Liam smiled at the way she panted and fought for breath. Their adverse feelings forgotten, he took a step back and watched her refasten her pants. "Why'd you stop me?"

"Because I hate you."

"You have a very interesting way of showing it."

Interesting indeed. Xan moved away from the table as she said, "That was not smart. It won't happen again."

"You sure about that?" Liam was sure that if he touched her again, there wouldn't be any stopping anything that happened between them.

She didn't like the smirk on his face. Xan knew that it meant that he didn't take her words seriously. She also knew that he knew that she was putty in his hands. "Yes, I'm sure. It won't be happening again."

Liam smiled at the boast. "We'll see."

"We'll see? We'll see?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You know what? It'll be a cold day in hell before you touch me again."

Liam grunted in response as he considered the desperation behind her words. Was she terrified of the way he acted or the way she responded? Neither answer mattered; he knew what he wanted, and he wasn't going to stop until he got it. He'd worry about their constant fighting later. "I'll be sure to bring my parka."