‘She had her story all figured out, telling my mum that I had gone into the cellar of my own accord and the door had shut behind me. She had hidden my bike and told the other kids I must have gone home, which is why they left without me. And she said it wasn’t until later when she went down into the cellar to get something that she realised I was down there. She was very convincing and my mum even thanked her for lending me the jeans, apologising that I had peed on her floor. I didn’t dare tell anyone what had really happened and I was terrified each time I left the house that she might grab me and force me to go back.’ Hannah finally looked up at Liam. ‘When you’re just a kid, threats like that seem like such a big deal.’ Her gaze dropped to study their linked hands, but she didn’t let go. After a moment, she reached for her glass with her free hand, gulping down the rest of her wine.

‘Thirsty?’ Liam asked, amused.

‘Dutch courage.’ When he arched a questioning brow, her words tumbled out. ‘I don’t want to be alone tonight.’

Shit.

He pulled his hand free and got up, starting to clear the table, knowing if he looked at her, it would be game over. It was talking about the past, he guessed. She was vulnerable right now and as attracted as he was to her, he couldn’t take advantage of that. ‘You don’t have to be alone. You can stay in the spare room again.’ He kept his tone light, knowing he had to nip this in the bud.

‘I don’t want to sleep in the spare room.’

‘Hannah, this isn’t a good idea.’

‘I don’t care.’ She was also on her feet now, her hand on his arm. ‘Liam—’

He turned to tell her no, but she caught him off guard, her mouth crushing against his, and he tried to resist her advances for all of about two seconds before lust took over common sense, his dick telling his brain to shut up.

She was intoxicating, both the taste and the feel of her as she pressed against him, and heat exploded in his belly as his hands moulded over her arse, pulling her closer as he drank her up.

He wasn’t supposed to sleep with her, this was never part of the plan, but he couldn’t think rationally while her hands were working their way under the back of his T-shirt and her breasts were mashed up against his chest.

As her mouth left his to graze down his jawline, he made one last half-hearted attempt to stop her. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’

She paused briefly, pulling her head back to look in his eyes, her own heavy with lust.