It'd been almost two weeks since we came back from the mountains. Not many things happened.

Felix told me to keep calm. They were working on the case, and I would receive news soon. Meanwhile, Paul was still free, roaming Parisian streets.

Afraid of the repetition of what Paul tried to do to me, Liam insisted on taking me to classes and picking me up after them. Today, he would wait for me next to my university as well, but the reason was different— we were going to see Sophia together.

It would be my first appointment after the attack and the winter break. Sophia went on vacation and came back yesterday. Luckily, she could pencil us in for today.

Tim started his new soccer training program, which gave Liam more free time. Today, the boy was staying with Antoine.

"Is your boyfriend picking you up again?" asked Natalie when we exited the university building, and I spotted Liam's car idling close to it.

"Yeah," I replied.

My classmate smiled. "Lucky you. Have fun with your hot guy."

I waved goodbye to her and rushed toward Liam's car. As soon as I opened the door and sat in the passenger seat, Liam cupped my face in his palms and captured my lips in a tender kiss.

"Well, hello," I said against his mouth.

Liam put his hand on my knee and caressed it before gripping the gear stick. "All good, sweetheart?"

"Yeah. The classes aren't so hard this semester."

Liam nodded without letting his eyes stray from the dense traffic on the road. "Anything weird you've noticed?"

"Nothing. Stop worrying. He won't be stupid to come near me after those two people saw him and he ran away. I'm sure he's hiding somewhere."

"We shouldn't underestimate him, baby. Okay, enough about the bastard. I was going to ask you if you're sure you're comfortable with me going to see your therapist with you."

I smiled and looked at Liam. "Of course. I need to tell her about the attack, and having you there with me will help. Besides, I want you to meet Sophia."

Liam focused on driving. In barely five minutes, he slowed down next to the building where Sophia's office was.  After parking the vehicle, Liam took my hand in his, and we made our way inside.

Sophia's door was open; she was waiting for us.

"Sky." She beamed at me. "It's good to see you again. I hope your winter break was okay."

"It was, thank you," I replied. Noticing that Sophia was looking at Liam, I said, "This is Liam, my boyfriend. I hope you don't mind that I asked him to accompany me."

Sophia laughed. "God, no. Not at all. In fact, it's good that he's here. I'm Sophia," she added, shaking Liam's hand.

Liam and I sat on the couch side by side. Not wanting to waste time, I decided to rip off the proverbial band-aid and tell Sophia about the attack first.

I could feel the tension emanating from Liam while I recalled bits and pieces of that awful evening. I broke down and burst into tears at the end of the story, and this time, Liam was the one to give me comfort, rubbing my back and kissing my tears away.

"You have to be careful while the police are doing their job. I'm more than sure that they are watching him, but you shouldn't underestimate the attacker," said Sophia.

"I told Sky the same," I heard Liam say.

Sophia sighed. "Let's hope he will be behind bars soon. You should be proud of yourself, Sky. I am sure exposing him and talking about what he did took lots of courage. Not every victim of abuse does it, unfortunately."

I sniffled. "Thank you. There's one more thing I wanted to tell you."

Sophia cast a curious glance at me, silently prompting me to go on talking. I took Liam's hand in mine and said, "Liam and I made love."

"I take it everything went well," said my therapist.

"More than," Liam whispered, pressing his lips to my temple. Then, he cleared his throat and said, "Can I ask you a question regarding that?"

Sophia nodded. "Go on."

Liam glanced at me and then focused his eyes on the woman. "I wanted to know if there's anything I shouldn't be doing. I don't want to make things worse for Sky or go too fast. It's all very recent, after all."

Sophia smiled. "It's good that you worry, but you shouldn't. As long as Sky is relaxed and in the right state of mind, everything will be alright. You trust each other from what I can see. Trust is crucial to those who go through similar situations. You can experiment and get to know each other intimately without any problems. Does that answer your question?"

Liam nodded. "It does. Thank you."

The session ended shortly after. We said our goodbyes and walked out of Sophia's office. When we were next to Liam's car, he drew his arms around me and hugged me tightly as if he tried to protect me from the cold January air, the sadness of the revelations about my ex, or both.

As I circled Liam's neck with my arms, I wished he didn't have to go back to work. I needed him with me if only to help me forget about everything.

I gazed into Liam's eyes and buried my fingers in his hair, bringing his face closer to mine. "I need you," I whispered against Liam's lips. Then, I kissed him slowly, barely pressing my mouth to his. As soon as our lips touched, he deepened the kiss, weaving his fingers into my blond strands, and devouring my lips.

Our breathing turned heavy. Pecking my lips once more, Liam fished his phone out of his pocket and called someone.

"Dar," I heard him say. "Everything is taking me longer than I thought. I'll work from home for the rest of the afternoon. Email me what you need me to do first."

I heard Liam listen to his colleague. Then, he said goodbye and hung up.

"All yours now, sweetheart."

Blushing, I snuggled into Liam, resting my cheek against his shoulder. "You did it for me, just like that."

A chuckle left Liam's lips. "God, you're adorable. You said you needed me while you kissed me. I didn't need you to tell me twice. Now come on, let's go home unless you want to go on kissing on the sidewalk."

Liam kissed my forehead and took my hand in his, leading me to the car.

A short drive later, we were next to our apartment building.

As soon as the apartment door behind us closed, Liam went to the kitchen. I followed him there and saw him put some water to boil.

"I thought you might use a cup of tea."

"Thank you." I smiled, perching on a chair. "And, thank you for going to see Sophia with me."

"It's nothing, sweetheart. I like her, and I'm happy you're getting help. I wish you'd told me sooner. I would've done things differently if I knew."

"Differently, how?"

Liam sighed, turning around to busy himself with our drinks. "Protecting you, being there for you, not behaving like an asshole."

I hopped off the chair and crossed the distance separating us. Then, I drew my arms around Liam's waist and kissed his back. "You were never an asshole. You've always treated me well. Everyone makes mistakes. I understand you also have your baggage after everything you've been through."

Liam turned around and pecked my lips. Then, he handed me my mug. "Bedroom."

I followed him to his room. Now, we slept there one night and stayed in my bedroom the other. Sitting on Liam's bed, I sipped the herbal tea he made, watching him do the same.

Our eyes locked over the rim of the mug. Liam put it on the nightstand and whispered, "Come here."

I moved closer to him. Liam placed his hand on my cheek and leaned in. His lips grazed mine. This time, I was the one to open my mouth and let Liam's tongue play with mine, moaning as he caressed it and sucked on it. Until Liam, I didn't know I was capable of feeling any of it. This all-consuming passion and the constant craving of his body, and his touch were as new as the warmth in my chest whenever he was near me.

Gently, Liam lowered me onto his comforter. Licking my bottom lip, he smoothed his hand over the front of my shirt, letting out a soft groan when he felt my nipples harden under his palm. My heart rate sped up with every button he undid. He seemed to be doing it deliberately slowly, taking his time to touch every inch of skin he uncovered with his fingertips.

"So beautiful," he mumbled when all the buttons were undone, and Liam stared at my lace-covered chest. "I'm going to take my time with you, sweetheart," Liam said, and his words sounded like a promise I wanted him to keep.

I gripped the hem of his sweater and pulled it over his head, instantly growing more aroused at the sight of his tattooed skin. Letting my fingertips trail over his muscles, I smiled at the way Liam closed his eyes, breathing faster and harder with each minute I went on exploring every part of him within my reach.

Liam's mouth landed on mine again. I moaned into the kiss, pulling him to me, feeling his impatient hands unclasp my bra and push it and my shirt off my shoulders until I lay on the bed in nothing but my jeans and my underwear.

Liam kissed my neck almost too slowly, while one of his hands covered my chest and flattened over my breast. Liam touched my nipple with his fingertips, making me whimper.

"I want your mouth there," I whispered, gripping his hair.

Humming a yes, Liam kissed his way down my chest until his lips were on my breast, and he captured my nipple between them, licking and biting.

"You have no idea how much I want you," he whispered, thrusting his hips slowly so that his hardness met my center.

I arched my back. "Touch me, baby."

Not wasting a minute, Liam undid the button on my jeans and pushed them down my hips. I helped him take them off. My breathing turned ragged when Liam got rid of my panties, leaving me bare in front of him.

"I wanna play with you, baby," he murmured.

I licked my lips. "How?"

Liam pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Trust me, okay?"

I nodded. He got up from the bed abruptly, and I watched his broad back disappear in the doorway.

A couple of minutes passed, and Liam was back with something in his hands. At first, I didn't get what it was.  Then, I recognized the silk ribbon I kept from the gift Liam gave me at Christmas.

He sat on the bed with his knees on either side of me. "Your wrists, sweetheart."

I raised my eyebrows. "That's how you want to play?"

Liam wiggled his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah."

Biting my lip, I extended my arms in front of me. Liam put the ribbon around my wrists and tied up the ends of it, checking that the knot wasn't too tight.

I blushed at the way Liam swept his hungry eyes over my body. I was bare with my hands tied in front of me, at his mercy and yet, trusting him completely even in such a vulnerable position.

"My lips or my hands, baby? What do you want?" he whispered.

I swallowed. "Both?"

"I like that."

Liam raised my arms above my head and then lowered his mouth to my chest again, kissing my breasts gently but with enough insistence to make me want more. I closed my eyes when his fingers trailed over my front and came to rest on my sex.

"Open your legs for me, sweetheart," I heard Liam's voice, as gentle as usual when he talked to me.

When I did what he asked me to do, it wasn't only his fingers — he kissed the way down my body and put his mouth on my most sensitive spot. I raised my hips to meet the caresses of his lips and moaned when he slipped one of his fingers inside me, adding another one and starting to move them in and out of me, matching the movements of his tongue.

"Do you like watching me?" asked Liam, and all I could do was nod and surrender to the feeling of his kisses that grew in intensity the longer I looked at him.

"Undress," I whispered. "I want to see you, too."

Liam unbuttoned his slacks and got rid of them and his underwear. Seeing him naked while pleasuring me in broad daylight was new and almost sinful. Definitely the latter when he touched himself, looking at me with heavy-lidded eyes.

I regretted not being able to touch him. A whimper left my lips when Liam resumed his kisses and moved his fingers in and out of me much faster. I lifted my hips off the comforter, desperate to get rid of the pressure building up inside of me. I was close and only needed a bit more to lose it. Liam gave it to me, sucking on my sensitive spot and flattering his tongue over it when I started to shake.

"That's my girl," he whispered, still pumping inside me, watching me fall apart.

"I need you inside me." I moaned, and Liam didn't waste time to open the drawer of his nightstand and grab a foil packet.

This time he was the one to rip it open and put the condom on himself under my gaze. Settling between my legs, he kissed my breasts again and then hesitated for a moment, looking at me.

"Now, baby," I urged him. He entered me in one swift thrust, letting out a hiss when my muscles clenched around him. I was still sensitive and somehow felt it wouldn't take me long to get there again, but this time, I wanted to do it with Liam.

He lay on top of me, keeping his weight on one forearm. His wet mouth found mine again, and the thrusts of his tongue paired with the feeling of him filling me as he made love to me sent me into a state of bliss.

"I love being deep inside you. You feel so good, baby. So damn wet," Liam whispered in my ear, changing the pace of his movements.

"Wet for you," I said, circling his hips with my legs and moving with him.

Liam groaned, sucking on my neck as he untied my wrists. I hugged him to me immediately. The fingers of my hand got tangled in his hair, and I pulled at the roots, making Liam moan.

"Fuck me harder," I begged, moving faster.

Liam's eyes met mine. "I'm making love to you, sweetheart. But if what you want is this—"

He slammed into me, making me throw my head back. Moaning, I gripped his backside, pushing him even deeper inside me. Our skin was sleek with sweat now, and the movements grew less controlled and measured. I couldn't get enough of this, him, us.

He sensed I was close. His fingers rubbed my clit, and it was all it took for me to come again.

"Fuck, baby, I'm—"

I felt Liam tense, and then he moaned my name into my neck. Pressing me to him even tighter, he rolled us over so that I ended up on top of his hard, hot body.

"How do you do it?" He chuckled, kissing my neck. "I want you all day. I can't stop thinking about you."

"I have you under my spell," I mumbled into Liam's shoulder.

"Fuck yeah, you do. And all I planned to do was having a cup of tea with you."

"You wanted tea and got an orange," I said, smiling when Liam laughed and rained tender kisses over every inch of my neck.

"Let's shower cause we have to go to the studio to dance. It's been weeks."

Reluctantly, I let Liam move out of me and took his hand as he helped me up and led me to the bathroom.

After a quick shower, we got dressed and left the apartment.

The way to the studio took us longer than usual because of stopping to kiss every two minutes. The same happened once we were there.

Finally, Liam chose a song, and we began to move. When the chorus started playing, I nearly collided with Liam because he stopped dancing and pressed a finger to his lips.

My blood froze — it was the same sound of footsteps outside the hall we heard only because the music wasn't as loud as usual.

This time, Liam motioned for me to keep on moving and padded to the door. He didn't want to alert whoever that was of the fact we knew they were there.

In one swift motion, Liam threw the door open, and I gasped.

We were met with four pairs of eyes.