Love in Deception.

Chapter Four

I looked away, pretending not to care. After all, he’s been doing his thing; now let me do mine. The man beside me leaned closer, whispering compliments that made my skin crawl. “You’re gorgeous… you look so sexy tonight.” His words dripped with hunger, but they didn’t move me.

I gave him a fleeting smile, more out of mischief than interest. My eyes flickered back to Liam, who still hadn’t stopped staring at me. His jaw was clenched, his hands tightening around his glass until his knuckles turned white. A dangerous thrill ran through me.

If he thought I was going to be the obedient, quiet wife who played by his rules, he was mistaken.

I decided to make him wet his pants with jealousy. Slowly, deliberately, I stood up, brushing past the man’s shoulder as I laughed at something he said. My fingers trailed lightly along my dress, adjusting it in a way that revealed just enough skin to keep the entire table watching.

The music throbbed in the background, couples already moving to the rhythm, the dim light of the reception hall casting a sultry glow. I didn’t miss the fire blazing in Liam’s eyes as he tracked every move I made.

When another man extended his hand and asked me to dance, I didn’t hesitate. I placed my hand in his, ignoring the sudden tension that rippled across the room. The man led me onto the dance floor, and I allowed him to hold me closer than was necessary. His palm pressed against my waist, his breath hot against my cheek as the music wrapped around us.

I tilted my head just enough to catch Liam’s expression. Fury. Possessiveness. A storm raging just beneath the surface.

And I loved it.

The man twirled me, laughing, but his touch lingered far too long on my hips. My body stiffened. I wasn’t truly interested in him—this was a game, one meant to remind Liam that I wasn’t a prize to be claimed without effort. But just as the man pulled me closer again, a shadow fell across us.

Liam.

Before I could react, Liam’s hand closed around mine, yanking me away from the man with a force that made my heart race. His glare was enough to silence any protest. “She’s my wife,” he bit out, his voice low and lethal.

The man raised his hands, retreating quickly, while Liam dragged me across the dance floor without another word. My pulse hammered in my ears as he pulled me through the hallway and out of the reception hall, his grip unyielding.

“Liam!” I gasped, trying to pull away, but he only tightened his hold.

The cool night air hit my skin as we stepped outside. He stopped abruptly, spinning me to face him. His eyes burned into mine, a mix of anger and something darker. Desire.

“What the hell do you think you were doing in there?” His voice was rough, dangerous, but it sent a shiver straight through me.

I lifted my chin, refusing to show weakness. “What does it look like? Having fun. Since this marriage is nothing but retribution, why should I care what you think?”

His jaw flexed, his nostrils flaring as if he were holding back from exploding. “You’re mine, Ana. And I don’t share what’s mine.”

I scoffed, though my body betrayed me with a tremor. “Yours? You made it clear at the altar that this isn’t love. So tell me, Liam… am I your wife, or your prisoner?”

He closed the space between us in one stride, his breath hot against my lips. “You can call it whatever you want. But tonight… I’ll make sure you understand exactly what being mine means.”

My heart stumbled, and before I could reply, his lips crashed onto mine. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t sweet. It was raw, consuming, and so full of pent-up desire that it left me breathless.

I moaned into his mouth, my anger dissolving under the heat of his kiss. His hands roamed over my waist, pulling me flush against his hard body. I wanted to resist, to remind him of my anger—but I melted instead, consumed by the fire that only he could ignite.

“Liam…” I moaned breathlessly, my voice trembling with need. “Let’s go to our villa.”

Without hesitation, he swept me into his arms, carrying me away as if I weighed nothing. The moment we entered the villa, his lips captured mine again—hungry, desperate. Each kiss grew deeper, and with every touch, my body melted further into his. His fingers slid to the straps of my dress, pushing them down until the fabric pooled at my feet.

His mouth found my breasts, warm and soft beneath his lips, and he devoured them with a hunger that made me gasp. His tongue teased me mercilessly, drawing moans from deep within my chest. I arched against him, needing more, craving the fire he was igniting inside me.

His kisses trailed lower, from the valley of my breasts down to my stomach, leaving a burning path. When his hands reached for the edge of my lace, I shivered in anticipation. Slowly, he tugged my panties aside, exposing me completely to him.

Then his mouth was on me. Hot. Demanding. Worshipping.

A cry tore from my lips as his tongue circled me, as he tasted me like I was the sweetest thing he had ever known. His hands gripped my thighs, holding me open for his hunger, and I clutched his hair desperately, urging him closer, moaning his name again and again.

“Liam—oh, God…”

He ate at me with relentless passion, every stroke of his tongue pulling me higher, every flick making my body tremble. I was lost in the waves of pleasure he gave me until I could barely breathe.

Desperate to feel him, I tugged him up to me, my hands frantically fumbling with his belt. I tore at his clothes, needing him bare against me. His pants fell, and he stepped out of them, finally standing before me—strong, magnificent, and utterly mine in that moment.

I looked up into his eyes, mischief dancing in mine. Slowly, I sank to my knees, my hands wrapping around the hard length of him. His sharp intake of breath told me how much he wanted this, how much he needed me.

I lowered my mouth over him, tasting him, savoring the way he trembled under my touch. His groan echoed through the room, deep and raw, and it fueled my hunger. I moaned around him, letting the vibrations ripple through his body, making him shudder with uncontrollable pleasure.

Liam’s hand tangled in my hair, his breath ragged as he groaned my name. His hips bucked instinctively against my mouth, his control unraveling with every stroke of my tongue. The taste of him filled me, raw and intoxicating, and the way his body trembled under my touch sent a rush of power and desire through me.

“Ana…” he gasped, his voice breaking as if he were both begging and warning at once. “If you don’t stop, I won’t last.”

I pulled away slowly, licking him one last time before rising to my feet, a wicked smile playing on my lips. “Maybe that’s exactly what I want,” I whispered, teasing him.

But Liam wasn’t about to surrender so easily. In one swift movement, he lifted me into his arms and laid me gently on the bed, his body hovering over mine. His eyes burned into me, full of hunger but also something deeper—something that made my chest tighten.

“You drive me insane,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from my face. His lips met mine again, softer this time, almost reverent, before the kiss deepened, fiery and consuming.

I gasped when his hand slid between my thighs, his fingers finding me wet and aching for him. He teased me slowly, drawing out every whimper and moan, his mouth never leaving mine. The room filled with the sound of our ragged breaths, the faint rustle of sheets, the soft creak of the bed beneath us.

“Liam…” I moaned, arching into his touch. “Please.”

That one word shattered the last of his restraint. He pushed my legs apart, positioning himself at my entrance. For a heartbeat, he paused, his forehead resting against mine, his breathing uneven.

“Tell me you want this,” he whispered hoarsely, his voice full of need but laced with vulnerability.

“I want you, Liam,” I breathed, clutching at his shoulders. “All of you.”

With a groan, he slid inside me, slowly at first, stretching and filling me until I cried out his name. The sensation was overwhelming—painful and pleasurable all at once—but soon it melted into pure bliss as he began to move. His rhythm was steady, each thrust deep and deliberate, as if he wanted to etch himself into every part of me.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, urging him deeper. Our bodies moved together in perfect sync, sweat glistening on his skin, his muscles straining as he drove us both higher. His lips found my neck, trailing kisses down to my collarbone, his teeth grazing me just enough to make me shiver.

The world outside ceased to exist. There was only Liam—his body, his heat, his desperate whispers against my skin.

“You’re mine, Ana,” he groaned, his pace quickening as the pressure inside me built to a breaking point. “Only mine.”

“Yes… yours,” I cried out, my voice breaking as waves of pleasure surged through me. My body clenched tightly around him, pulling him deeper as I shattered in his arms.

Liam followed moments later, his thrusts growing erratic before he let out a guttural moan, collapsing against me as he released inside me. His weight pressed me into the mattress, grounding me in the aftermath of our storm.

For a long moment, we stayed like that—entwined, breathless, hearts pounding in sync. He buried his face against my neck, his arms tightening around me as though he never wanted to let go.

When he finally looked at me, his eyes were softer, the fire still there but mingled with something far more dangerous—something tender.

And in that moment, I realized I wasn’t just falling into bed with Liam Hawthorne. I was falling into something I might never escape.