A Fierce Archer (Clan Ross Book 6) by Hildie McQueen (great novels TXT) 📕

sound of movement. The soft cushion and smooth microfiber feel under her, alerted her senses. The warm blanket that covered her smelled of spice and musk. A momentary feeling of dread crept over her before she remembered where she was.

She had spent the night with Liam, on his couch, curled up into him under his lofty blanket. His essence now covered her from head to toe. The memories of Liam embracing her through the night swept over, and she smiled at the thought. Only now, she was alone.

The delicious aroma of coffee hit her nose, awakening her senses. Opening her eyes, the view of Liam’s flat welcomed her. It was masculine, but comfortable. The enormous oversized sofa took up much of the space. Most of his furniture was a shade of grey or brown, giving the flat a warm feel, and a large flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall across from where she lay.

She sat up to the image of Liam walking toward her, carrying a cup of coffee. Although he had already gotten dressed, Emily was half tempted to ask him to crawl back on the couch with her. She had enjoyed lying across him, listening to his heartbeat against her cheek. She had also grown more accustomed to the electrical charge that pulsed between them.

“Good Morning,” Liam said, his eyes sparkled. “I made some coffee.”

“Mmm. Good Morning,” Emily said before looking up and taking the cup of coffee he handed to her as he sat down. “Thank you.” She inhaled the heavenly, nutty, slightly spicy scent before taking a sip. The luscious, smooth liquid warmed her throat and insides. “This is perfect. How did you know how I like my coffee?”

Liam chuckled. “Well, I didn’t want to wake you, and I saw that Lexi had sent you a text. I didn’t want her to worry. I hope you don’t mind. I told her you were still sleeping and that you would text her back as soon as you woke up, and I needed to know how you like your coffee. Cream until it hits a caramel color and a bit of sugar.”

Emily stared at Liam in awe. She had been attracted to him from the first moment she laid eyes on him. But now, knowing he cared about her so much that he asked her best friend how she took her coffee so he could have it ready for her when she woke up had Emily falling for him faster and harder. The more time she spent around Liam, the more he impressed her, and the more comfortable she became. “You asked Lexi how I like my coffee?”

Liam grinned, and a hint of pink bloomed across his cheeks. “Are you mad at me?”

“No, I’m not mad. That was sweet of you. Thank you.”

After a moment, Liam cleared his throat. “So. I was thinking, if you’re up for it, we can go downstairs so you can shower and change. Then, I want to take you to breakfast. When we come back here, we’ll talk to Trey and Luke to see if they captured anything last night. Does that sound okay?”

The thought of returning to her flat had Emily’s anxiety creeping up. She had decided to fight the spirit and take control of her life, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t scared of what he could do to her.

Liam must have caught the apprehension because he asked, “What is it?”

Emily looked up into his calm crystal eyes and said, “I don’t really want to go back to my flat. I especially don’t want to shower there. Just the thought makes me feel so uneasy.”

Liam placed his palm on her cheek, scooting closer to her in the process. “Em, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’ll sit in the bathroom with you until you’re done if you want me to. Either way, I’ll be waiting for you in your flat until you’re ready. Or, if you’d like, we can go grab you some clothes and you can get ready here.”

Thinking for a moment, taking in Liam’s kind words, Emily answered, “I’d like to grab some clothes and come back here to shower.”

“Okay. Let’s go.” Liam took her hand and led her through his front door and down the stairs.

“Are Trey and Luke still here?”

“No. They said they were going out for breakfast. We’ll all meet back here later.”

Inside, the flat was still cold. Trey and Luke did a good job covering up the front window using a tarp they had kept in the van, but it did little to keep out the morning chill.

Liam followed Emily into her bedroom while she grabbed clothes. “Em, grab enough stuff for a couple of days.”

Emily stared at Liam, confused. Liam turned to face her, taking both of her hands in his. “I don’t want you staying here alone until we figure all of this out. I’d like you to stay in my flat with me if you’re okay with that.”

“I’m okay with that,” Emily said in a low whisper. And she was okay with it. Not only was she okay, but the relief she felt was overwhelming. Liam let go of her hands as she turned toward her closet to grab a small duffle bag. Emily stuffed the bag with a pair of pajamas and sweatpants, a pair of jeans, a pair of her favorite yoga pants and leggings, a sweater, a couple of shirts, an extra bra, her favorite warm fuzzy socks, and a hand full of panties. Then, she made her way to her bathroom and grabbed only the bare necessities, including makeup. Emily knew she could always come back to her flat if she needed anything, but the truth was she really didn’t want to step foot in her flat again. At least not for the time being and definitely not by herself.

“Ready?” Liam asked from the kitchen. He was looking over notes that Trey and Luke had made.

“Yes…Wait.” Emily was more than ready to leave and