On the way back to the Hall place, Liam had to remind himself to keep his eyes on the road and stop glancing over at Celeste every few seconds. It was as if he suspected she'd vanish if he turned his attention away for too long. And truth be told, he'd been afraid he would never see her again. After Dr. Luke forced him to leave Celeste behind at the clinic, Liam feared her condition would worsen. It terrified him to think he wouldn't be able to say goodbye to her, just as he hadn't been able to say goodbye to his mother.

But the young woman sitting in the passenger seat seemed perfectly fine. A little quiet, maybe, which made Liam wonder how she was processing everything she'd gone through in the last few days. When their eyes now briefly met, she smiled at him. 

Liam tried to return that smile, for he wanted Celeste to know how much he'd missed her, and how glad he was that she was okay. Without warning, he got choked up, forced to fight back tears.

Celeste placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Liam, what's wrong?"

He shook his head, angry that the fresh grief had overwhelmed him yet again. Keeping his stare fixed on the road, he said, "I learned that my mom and stepdad died. We'd been out of touch since they left for the city to check on some relatives, but Dr. Luke told me..." His voice trailed off into silence. 

"I'm so sorry." Celeste kept her hand where it was, and he found comfort in her touch. "I wish I could have been there for you when you found out." Her sigh was clearly audible. "Turns out I caused you a lot of trouble, after all."

"You haven't," Liam insisted, a little more vehemently than he'd intended. "I'm really glad you're able to come back home with me."

She gave his arm a squeeze. "Me, too. I think I'll be alright now. I feel like those spells are over."

"Does Dr. Luke think so, too?"

Celeste didn't respond for a long moment. It was only when Liam again glanced her way that she said, "He must, or he wouldn't have allowed me to leave him. You know..." She turned to look out the window, so Liam couldn't see her face. "I believe Dr. Luke lost someone dear to him as well. These clothes I'm wearing? I'm certain they belonged to his wife, but she wasn't at his house with us. And he seemed... so sad there sometimes."

Liam furrowed his brow. "You were all alone with Dr. Luke at his house?" For some reason, that revelation bothered him. But only for a moment, since he quickly realized that Celeste was probably right. "If his wife wasn't there, she must have passed away, like so many others."

A somber silence fell between them as Liam wondered if there was anyone who hadn't experienced loss and grief in the past six months. His own sadness again threatened to descend; sometimes, he feared its weight would bury him.

He grew desperate to fight off that despair, and to make Celeste smile again. "Maybe we can make soup with some of those vegetables," he suggested. "I'm pretty tired of beans and rice."

"Sounds good to me," she replied, and Liam knew he'd succeeded in bringing a smile to her face, for he easily heard it in her voice.

Back at the cottage, Celeste quickly settled in, just as she had before. She was eager to help Liam in the kitchen, and when her skin brushed against his in that small space, he felt a pulsing desire for more contact. For the past two nights, he'd lain alone in bed, his thoughts consumed by this woman. And now she was here again. He didn't know if her feelings for him had changed; maybe she no longer wanted to be anything more than friends. If that was the case, he'd take whatever she was willing to give him.

Still, he hoped her attraction to him hadn't faded. It was nearly impossible not to touch her intimately. His lips actually grew warm as he imagined lowering them to Celeste's mouth. 

Once the soup was simmering on the stove, Celeste waved a hand in front of her face, as if she was hot. "I'm going to step outside for a minute."

"Sure." Liam watched her walk toward the door and slip out onto the porch. 

When ten minutes passed and Celeste remained outside, he went to the screen door to check on her. With her back to him, she stared off into the distance, and toward the ridge which served as a barrier between her old home and this new one.

Though Liam couldn't see her face, he sensed her longing, almost palpable. It pained him that she missed her former life. Was she even now wishing she was back in those mountains?

He gave her space, asking no questions once she finally returned to the kitchen. Wordlessly, she closed the distance between them and slipped her arms around his waist.

He quickly embraced her, lowering his lips to her hair. "I know you and I are still practically strangers to each other," he murmured, "but I already feel so close to you, Celeste. I don't want us to be apart."

She made a sound like a whimper, then lifted her head to gaze up at him. "I need to tell you something, Liam."

Those words made his heart feel like it was twisting in knots. "Okay," he managed to reply. "I'm listening."

Taking his hand, Celeste led him into the front room. Together, they sat on the couch, which was so old that its upholstery sported numerous holes. Again, Celeste looked toward the window, and toward the mountains. "Late last year," she began softly, "a man arrived at our community. By then, it was just me and my grandmother. Grandma knew and trusted this man, so I readily did as well."

Already, Liam wished she would stop talking. But he held his own tongue gently between his teeth in an effort to keep quiet.

"He and I fell in love," Celeste revealed. "He couldn't stay for very long at a time, but he always promised to come back. We planned on eventually leaving the mountains together. When Grandma died..." Her voice quavered, and she cleared her throat before trying again. "I didn't know what to do. I'd spent my entire life in that hollow, but once I was all alone there, my surroundings seemed... strange, completely unfamiliar. I guess I was so devastated that I wasn't thinking straight. And I..." Her face crumpled with the onslaught of tears. "I wanted to give Grandma a proper burial. I knew I couldn't do it by myself. So I panicked; I left my home to get help, when I should have waited."

"For that man?" Liam's words held an unmistakable edge. "Why did he leave you in the first place?"

Celeste shook her head, appearing helpless. "It's difficult to explain. I just feel you should know..." Her finger glided over his skin as she continued holding his hand. "I'll need to go back to the mountains. To him. Dr. Luke wants me to stay here until he can go over the results of my bloodwork with me."

Liam abruptly pulled his hand away. "So, you're saying that what we did your first night here, it meant nothing to you?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all." Her eyes were pleading. "It meant a great deal to me then, and it does now. I care for you, Liam. I always will."

"But not enough to stay here with me." He hated how bitter he sounded. "And what would this other man think of you and me sleeping together?"

When Celeste reached for his hand again, he allowed her to take it. "He wouldn't mind; I know he would understand."

"Well, I don't." Liam couldn't bring himself to look at her. "I know it was just one night, and that you didn't make any promises to me. I'm acting like an idiot. But..." He tried and failed to find the right words. Finally, he whispered, "When I saw you come out of those woods, it felt like my entire life changed."

"Mine, too." Celeste moved closer, until she was practically sitting on his lap. "You'll always be with me. I promise."

Liam couldn't fathom what she meant. He wouldn't be with her once she left for the mountains, and this other man she loved.

When she pressed a hand against his cheek, turning his face toward her, he reluctantly withdrew. "I should check on the soup."

Celeste's grasp on his arm was surprisingly strong. "It's not ready yet," she told him firmly. "Let it simmer."

Liam obeyed her order, remaining on the couch at her side. Still, he didn't try to touch her. She was the one who drew him closer, until their lips were just inches apart. 

"Do you still want me?" she whispered.

"More than anything," he confessed.

Celeste's kiss was so passionate that it instilled a sense of momentary vertigo within him. He clung to her, as if trying to keep his balance. The internal spinning subsided only when she slid upon his lap, anchoring him to the couch. In moments, he was growing hard, and Celeste coaxed his erection along by grinding against his crotch.

"Do you want to go to the bedroom?" he asked between heavy breaths.

"Right here's fine," she replied with a grin.

They were quick to discard their clothes. Beneath her T-shirt, Celeste was naked, and Liam noticed the lilac panties she wore were loose upon her thin frame. She wriggled out of them as he stripped free of his jeans. 

Moments later, they lay spooning on the couch, with Celeste's back pressed against the front of Liam's body. His hard cock prodded her skin. Gazing down at her, Liam thought of the man who had already captured her affection. It made him sick with heartache that she belonged to someone else, but hadn't he decided just that afternoon that he'd take whatever she was willing to give?

Celeste draped her leg over his, opening herself to him. He positioned himself to take her; already, he could feel her slick warmth against his tip. Her hair cascaded over his arm, and a moan escaped her lips when he cupped her breast. 

Slowly, gently, Liam entered her. Fixing his stare on her face, he watched her eyelids flutter, and her entire body trembled from unadulterated pleasure. He began moving with measured thrusts, his own need growing by the second. With each pump of his hips, he longed to obliterate the love Celeste had for another. Even through the heat of his lust, he ached to know why she couldn't be his alone.

On that couch, their bodies connected with a satisfying rhythm, like a key sliding into the lock it was made for. When Celeste turned her face toward him, he gave her a fierce kiss. The feel of her tongue grazing his made him thrust harder, and he soon had her poised on the edge of climax.  

"You're gonna make me come!" she cried. As if in warning, her muscles tightened all around his cock.

"Let go!" Liam urged in a guttural voice. Though he was close as well, he knew he could last until she was satisfied. Her flesh was hot surrounding him, and when she took her bottom lip between her teeth, he knew she was only moments from orgasm. 

His hips worked like a machine, driving his cock deep inside her. Flashing a devious smile, he slipped a hand between her thighs and began massaging her clit. She wailed his name, her fingers clawing at his skin. His touch grew more fervent, delivering a sweet torment to her swollen bud. Even as her body quaked against his, he wouldn't allow his rhythm to falter. Not until she surrendered.

And when she did, Liam sucked in a sharp breath, struggling to withstand those contractions. The moment they subsided, and Celeste lay flushed and panting, he eased out of her. With blatant urgency, he guided her onto her back, then knelt between her spread legs.

Celeste lifted her head, eagerly watching as Liam jerked his cock. His breathing grew shallow and uneven, and his hand pumped away at a rough pace. "Almost there!" he choked out.

The first shot of semen had plenty of force behind it. Celeste's eyes widened when that burst of cum struck her left breast. For a second, Liam worried she might be upset that he'd marked her in such an obscene way, but her laughter banished his concern.

"More," she told him with a playful grin. 

He gently squeezed the tip of his cock, determined to milk every drop of seed from it. By the time he was finished, Celeste's skin bore an impressive amount of cum. 

Liam was still trembling as he climbed from the couch. Pausing long enough to lean down and give Celeste a kiss, he whispered, "I'll be right back."

A minute later, he returned with a wet cloth and set about wiping her clean. She lay against the couch, appearing utterly content. "I bet the soup's ready by now," she said. "You hungry?"

Lifting an eyebrow, Liam smiled. "I did work up an appetite."

Again, she laughed, and he delighted in that beautiful sound. Already, it felt as though she belonged here. Not in the mountains. And not with another man. He couldn't allow himself to think of how quiet and somber the cottage would be once she was gone. 

Liam tried to sound casual when he spoke again. "How long will it be before Dr. Luke gets the results of your bloodwork?"

"He said it might be a while," Celeste replied. "I'm sure I'm fine, but I promised him I'd wait."

Liam was glad the doctor had extracted that promise from her. A strand of hope wove through his melancholy, and he couldn't help but nurture that fleeting brightness. Maybe in the days to come, he'd manage to convince Celeste to stay. 

And maybe she could grow to love him, the way he already loved her.