Always

Always - Chapter One

Chapter One

Ten Years Earlier

"Oh shit!" Teegan whispered in a panic and threw him off her. "Get under the bed, quick."

He did as she said, knowing they only had a second before they'd be caught. She was thankful her nightgown was still on as she threw the blankets over her and pretended to sleep restlessly. She'd have to come up with another explanation for her blasted headboard hitting the wall. They'd been too absorbed in the moment and had been careless of any consequences. 

Her door creaked open, and her mother peeked in. "Teeg?"

Teegan lay there pretending to sleep restlessly. She exaggerated her movements and purposely smacked the headboard, praying her mother would buy in to her dramatic acting and wouldn't find Liam under the bed.

"Teegan, honey, are you all right?"

Her heart beat faster as she felt the edge of the bed dip, and her mother wiped her hair from her forehead. "Teeg?"

"Mom?" she whispered, trying to sound out of sorts, as if she'd just woken up. Good Lord, please just leave, please just leave. "What are you doing here?"

"Strange noises were coming from in here, and they woke me up. I thought I'd make sure everything was all right. You were very restless—"

"It must have been a nightmare." Teegan gulped. "I've been having a few of those lately. It must be the stress of starting college. You know, leaving home and all that..."

"Well, you can always go to college somewhere closer to home." Her mother's mouth twitched to fight a smile. "And of course we'll always be here whenever you want to come home after you've left us for school."

Teegan looked around the room nervously, trying to figure out how to wrap this up. Poor Liam was stuck under the bed. "Thanks, Mom. I have a bit of time to work through the jitters, but right now I think I'd like to get back to sleep."

"All right, baby." Her mother stood and headed toward the door. She stopped as she opened it. "I love you, Teeg."

"I love you too, Mom."

The light from the hallway slowly dimmed as the door creaked shut, and she sighed in relief. "That was a close one. I must be a better actress than I thought."

"Very close," Liam whispered, laughing quietly as he crawled out from beneath the bed. "But maybe I should just go."

"Please don't." Teegan scooted toward the end of her bed to reach for him. "I'm not finished with you yet."

"Really?" He smiled and embraced her. "I think I like the sound of that, Ms. Hallowell, but the bed isn't an option right now, so what do you propose we do?" He leaned forward to close the distance between them and brushed his lips lightly over hers. She nipped his bottom lip and then rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Liam, I'm pretty disappointed with you right now. You're the one that's supposed to be more experienced, yet I seem to have more imagination than you do right now." She looked around the room, noting several possibilities, and then watched as his gaze followed hers.

"Hmm, my little nympho, I believe you're right, and I have to say I'm liking the sex goddess I've created here," he teased, and it made her giggle.

"Oh, shut up already." She playfully shoved at him as he helped her off the bed and lowered her to the ground. "I love you, Liam."

"Me too, Sunshine."

They parted their lips, and their tongues met with equal desire, circling, tasting, as they loved their moment as one.