A small dining table stood on one end of the suite. The two of them sat across from each other. Liam kept both her hands in his as they talked.

“It’s hard for me to depend on other people.”

“I put that together,” he said with a slight smile. “Here is the beauty of a truly committed relationship. You’re allowed to depend on someone else. When you’re hurting, they hurt, so it’s on both your radars to fix the problem. Just because you zone out doesn’t stop the other from caring.”

“The last thing I wanted was to hurt you.”

He squeezed her hands, saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Finding out that your girlfriend is three thousand miles away chasing this Spider guy all by herself wasn’t painful, it made me feel helpless. I’m here. You don’t have to do any of this alone.”

“I see that now. I’ll try.”

“Do or don’t do. There is no try.” His words were there to make her grin. They succeeded.

“You’re quoting Yoda?”

“Whatever it takes to make you smile.”

She brushed away a tear. “I’m so tired.”

He summoned her with a crook of his finger, and she slid out of her chair and onto his lap. His hands traveled once again to the bruise on her cheek. “How many more scars am I going to find when I undress you?”

She rocked her head back and forth. “A few.”

He somehow thought that meant a dozen.

The thought of anyone hitting her made him boil. He downplayed her bruises so that he could keep from losing his shit. “You let them get close enough to punch you?”

Avery’s laugh started slowly. “Have you been talking to Brenda?”

“It does sound like something she’d say.”

She placed her palm to the side of his face. “I feel so much better with you here.”

“Good thing.”

“Don’t let me run off again.”

Let her?

“Is that a demand?” he asked.

“It’s a . . .” She caught herself. “Yeah. It is.”

He grinned and leaned in for a kiss. “You got it, Princess.”

Hours later, after he’d seen Avery eat more than he’d seen any woman consume before, he drew her a bath, counted her bruises. He poured her a glass of wine while she soaked in the tub, and then sat on the edge of the thing, rubbing her feet.

And they talked.

She told him about the beating. In her words, it was as if he felt every blow and every needle from the hospital. But her delivery of the attack lacked the heat he expected. A testament to her tired state. He imagined that she’d be fired up about Spider after a night of rest.

Liam, on the other hand, poured himself a drink from the minibar to keep from searching every street in New York to find the guy. Not to mention the assholes from bars two, three, and four.

“More people stood up to help than stood back to watch,” she told him when talking of the last fight.

“No more New York nightclubs without me,” he told her.

“Is that a demand?”

He smiled and without hesitation said, “Yes.”

“One for one.” She moved her hand along the bubbles hiding her nudity.

“I have another demand,” he said.

“Pushing your luck.”

He took a drink from his cocktail and leaned his head against the harsh porcelain of the hotel wall. “No more lying. If you don’t want to answer the question or tell me something, then tell me that. But don’t lie.”

She nodded. “I’ll try.”

He hiked a brow.

“I will,” she amended.

Liam pushed off the edge of the tub. “Finish your bath. I need to call Reed and give him an update.”

“I’m sure Sasha already has.”

“What Sasha is going to say to him won’t keep your gaggle of friends away. What I’m going to tell him will.”

“Liam?”

He turned at the door.

“Thank you for coming.”

He crossed the room in two steps and kissed her quickly. “Always.”

By the time Liam made it back into the bedroom of the suite, Avery was curled up in a ball on the bed, asleep.

Liam stood at the door and watched her.

He loved this woman. With every ounce of baggage and bundle of insecurities she had, he loved her. The sassy mouth, the attitude, her independence. He loved all that, too. He couldn’t help but feel like they’d gotten over the biggest hurdle and now all he had to do was keep his promises and show her she could depend on him.

All she needed to do was let him love her. He’d do all the rest.

He moved around the room, turned off lights, stripped his clothes, and slid into bed beside her.

She turned into his arms the moment he settled, and draped a bare leg over his. “I missed you,” she whispered.

“Shh, go to sleep. You need to rest.”

Her hand resting on his chest started to move. “I do need to sleep. But I need you more.”

She lifted her hazel eyes to his.

“Are you sure? You’ve been on empty.”

Velvet fingertips fresh from the bath brushed against him, and his cock jumped into her palm. “I’ll let you do all the work.”

He kissed her softly, slowly.

Her lips moved over his as if drinking him in.

“I thought I was losing you,” he whispered. He traced her back, careful of the places where he’d seen her bruises. Felt the tips of her breasts against his chest.

“I’m here and I want to feel you.”

Her words were all the invitation he needed. Liam rolled her gently on her back and held her arms spread out, intertwining their fingers. His lips lingered on hers, and he tasted the soap from her bath, drew in her scent as he dipped his way down her neck, her shoulder.

The tips of her breasts were already tiny nubs, asking to be licked. When he pulled one into his mouth, she arched against the mattress, her fingers squeezing. He spent time on one, moved to the next, and moved gently over her bruises, tiny kisses meant to soothe the pain she must have felt when receiving the blows that caused the colors to erupt.

Avery wiggled her hips and opened her legs as he settled in lower. She twisted her hands away from his and threaded them through his hair. So damn soft, this spot, the one where her hip met the top of her thigh, loved the feel of his tongue. He sensed her need even before he felt her lift one knee and place her foot on his back. Oh, yes . . . this was his. All his, so he kissed and nibbled until he found the place inside her that made her grab the back of his head and keep him exactly where she wanted. She tasted like sunshine and smelled like dreams.

“Oh, please . . . more. Liam, more.”

Her breathy request was all he needed. If she wanted more, she’d get more until she told him to stop. Much as he wanted to make love to her all night, he wouldn’t be that selfish. He pulled her swollen flesh between lips and tongue, found the right angle, and found her rhythm. When she was close, he moved his fingers inside of her until she stiffened under him, and he tasted everything she had to give.

“Liam.” His name was a cry.

He kissed her aftershocks, felt her thighs quivering next to his cheeks.

“Come here,” she said, looking down at him.

Crawling up her body, he captured her kiss, his erection screaming.

“Inside. I need you inside.”

He smiled into her kiss. “Demands?”

“Hell, yeah.”

Reaching down, he found his pants, unearthed a condom from his wallet, and pulled it on.

Avery smiled and drew him closer.

“I’m a lucky man,” he told her as he gave her what she demanded.

So warm.

Like home.

“Take me,” she told him, her legs wrapped around his waist, and he shifted his angle to move deeper.

“So good,” he managed as his thrusts became quicker, her tiny cries became a sharp inhale and a word of encouragement for more . . . everything. When everything inside of her gripped all of him, his rush of release rivaled hers.

A satisfied smile met him when he opened his eyes. He collapsed back onto the bed, careful to not crush her.

“We do that really well together,” she said in his ear.

“Imagine how much better it will be when I learn every spot, and every desire.”

She wrapped lazy arms over his back and kept her legs entwined with his. “We’re already off the charts, I’m not sure it gets better.”

“That’s a challenge I’m happy to accept.” Her laughter warmed his heart. “I love you, Avery.”

Her smile waned but didn’t disappear altogether. “Liam, I’m not ready to—”

“I know, Princess. You don’t have to say it back right now. I know the words don’t come easy, which just means that they mean more when you do say them. I can wait. I’m not going anywhere. I need you to know how I feel so that when you do tell me you love me, I know we’re all in.”

Her smile softened, and he knew he’d eased her into the thought of loving him completely.

“How is it you know me so well already?”

He lowered his lips to hers again. “Because I love you.”

“Is that going to be your ending statement from here on out?”

He nodded. “Yup.”