Chapter 97: Preparations?* [FIXED!]
Liam stepped into his apartment, the heavy thud of the door closing behind him signaling the start of his private sanctuary. He didn’t just walk in; he exhaled, shedding the persona of the helpful mentor and the charming guest. As he tossed his keys onto the marble entryway table, a familiar, shimmering notification flickered across his vision—the interface of his rebate system.
[Ding!]
[Transaction Recorded]
[Target: Sophia Reyes (Mid-Tier MILF)]
[Investment: $0 (Sustained emotional presence + active investment in her dependent’s wellbeing)]
[Base Value: $1,840]
[300% Beginner Bonus Applied]
[Rebate Received: $7,360]
He paused, squinting at the numbers. The passive income had ticked upward again. It wasn’t a jackpot—not yet—but the steady stream of credits was a testament to the emotional tether he had established with Sophia. The system functioned on a scale of emotional intensity; the deeper the bond, the more visceral the attraction, and the higher the payout. He knew he hadn’t maxed out her emotional state yet—she was still fighting the pull, still trying to maintain that facade of the responsible older sister—but the fact that he was earning passively just by existing in her orbit was a victory. He smirked. He didn’t need to rush the peak; the climb was where the real pleasure lay.
He headed straight for the shower, stripping off his clothes in a hurried sequence. He let the water run scalding hot, the steam filling the bathroom until it was a thick, humid fog. He scrubbed his skin with a cedar-scented wash, the scent masculine and grounding, designed to linger on his skin just enough to be intoxicating when she pressed her face against his neck. He took his time grooming, ensuring every line of his body was primed. He wasn’t just preparing for a date; he was preparing for a conquest.
Once dried and dressed in a pair of dark, well-fitted trousers and a crisp black shirt with the top two buttons undone, he turned his attention to the evening’s sustenance. He knew Sophia. He knew the discipline it took to maintain the curves he had already spent hours exploring during their first encounter. She didn’t do mindless calories; she did fuel.
Since he didn’t have the mental bandwidth to spend two hours over a stove, he had curated a high-end spread from a boutique catering service. He laid it out on the coffee table with precision: seared ahi tuna with a ginger-soy glaze, grilled asparagus spears drizzled with lemon-infused olive oil, and a platter of chilled shrimp cocktail with a spicy horseradish dip. It was protein-dense, clean, and sophisticated—exactly what her diet demanded, but presented with a luxury that whispered indulgence. Beside the food, he poured two glasses of a deep, velvet-red Cabernet, the wine breathing in the open air, its aroma rich and heady.
He dimmed the lights, leaving only the warm glow of a few strategically placed lamps and the city skyline shimmering through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
He waited. The anticipation was a physical weight in his chest, a slow-burning fire that made his skin itch.
Then, the doorbell rang.
Liam didn’t need to check the peephole. He opened the door, and for a moment, the air simply left his lungs.
Sophia stood there, bathed in the hallway light, looking like a fever dream. She wasn’t saying a word, but her face was a map of giddy nervousness. She was smiling sheepishly, her cheeks flushed a soft pink, her eyes darting from his face to the floor and back again. But it was the outfit that held him captive.
She was wearing a gown that could barely be called a gown—it was a sliver of fabric, a daringly short piece of silk that clung to her hips and ended dangerously high on her thighs. Every time she shifted her weight, the hem threatened to ride up further, forcing her to instinctively press the fabric down with her palms to keep her buttocks from being fully exposed to the hallway.
Liam leaned against the doorframe, his gaze traveling slowly—agonizingly slowly—from her toes up to her eyes.
He let his eyes linger on the expanse of her bare legs before meeting her gaze with a predatory glint.
“I truly hope no one else saw you looking so damn sexy on the way here,” he murmured, his voice a low, vibrating rumble.
Sophia let out a tiny, breathless giggle, her shoulders shrugging.
“I… I thought maybe it was too much,” she whispered, glancing down at herself. To prove her point, she lifted the small bag she was carrying and shifted a heavy wool coat that was folded inside. “I have this, just in case.”
Liam’s smirk widened. He didn’t mind the modesty, but the thought of her hiding this masterpiece from the world—only to reveal it to him—sent a surge of possessiveness through him. He wanted to be the only one who knew the exact shade of her skin beneath that silk.
“And why the coat?” he asked, his voice dropping an octave.
Sophia looked up at him, her voice barely a whisper, filled with a sudden, raw honesty. “Because I wanted you to be the first one to see me like this, dum dum.”
Liam didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he reached out, his fingers wrapping firmly around her wrist, and gently pulled her into the apartment. With a playful but commanding motion, he guided her into a slow, graceful spin.
As she turned, the light fabric of the gown flared. Liam watched with rapt attention as the movement caused her thighs and the soft curve of her rear to jiggle rhythmically. The sight was hypnotic. The way her flesh moved, the subtle bounce of her hips, the sheer accessibility of her—it was an invitation written in skin and silk.
For a split second, the impulse to dive right in was overwhelming. He wanted to pin her against the door, hike that dress up to her waist, and remind her exactly why she had dressed this way.
He could almost feel the heat of her, the memory of their first time together flashing through his mind—the friction, the sound of her breath catching, the way she had arched under him.
But he stopped himself. He breathed through the lust, forcing the tension to build. The hunt was better when the prey was trembling.
“You look incredible, Sophia,” he whispered, his breath brushing against her ear as he released her. “Come. I have something for you.”
He led her toward the living area, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back. He could feel the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric, and he noticed the way she leaned into his touch, her body subconsciously seeking his.
He presented the spread of food and the wine. Sophia’s eyes lit up as she saw the menu. “H-How did you know?” she said, her voice soft. “The protein… the greens… you…”
“I pay attention to everything about you,” Liam replied, handing her a glass of wine.
They sat on the oversized velvet sofa, not quite touching, but close enough that the heat radiating between them was palpable. The atmosphere was thick, charged with an electric current that made every movement feel amplified.
Sophia took a sip of the wine, her lips staining a deep crimson. She looked at the seared tuna, then back at Liam. She picked up a piece of the fish with a fork, but instead of eating it quickly, she let it linger. She closed her eyes for a second, savoring the flavor, her tongue darting out to lick a stray drop of glaze from her lower lip.
Liam watched her, his gaze fixed on her mouth. He didn’t eat. He just watched the way her throat moved as she swallowed, the way her chest rose and fell in a slightly uneven rhythm.
“It’s delicious,” she murmured, her voice sounding slightly thicker, more sensual.
“Is it?” Liam asked, his voice a low drawl. He finally took a piece of the asparagus, chewing slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. “I thought you might appreciate the balance. Fuel for the body… and something to relax the mind.”
Sophia shifted on the sofa. The short gown rode up another inch, exposing the creamy skin of her upper thigh. She didn’t pull it down this time. Instead, she crossed her legs, a movement that caused the fabric to stretch tight across her lap. She leaned back, her arm draping over the back of the sofa, exposing the delicate line of her neck.
“And what exactly is on the menu for the mind tonight, Liam?” she asked, a playful, challenging spark in her eyes.
Liam chuckled, a dark, knowing sound. He leaned in closer, the scent of his cedar cologne mixing with the rich aroma of the wine. He didn’t touch her, but he entered her personal space, his face only inches from hers. He could see the dilation of her pupils, the way her breath hitched in her throat.
“The mind is just the appetizer,” he whispered. “I’m more interested in the main course.”
Sophia let out a shaky breath, her gaze dropping to his lips. “You’re very confident.”
“I’m very experienced with you,” he countered, his voice a velvet caress.
“I remember how you sound when you lose control. I remember how you feel when you stop thinking about being the ’responsible sister’ and just… let go.”
Sophia shivered, a visible tremor that ran through her entire frame. She took another sip of wine, but her hand was trembling slightly. She shifted again, rubbing her thigh against the velvet of the couch, a subconscious gesture of friction that didn’t go unnoticed by Liam.
“You’re doing this on purpose,” she accused, though there was no heat in it, only longing.
“Doing what?” Liam asked innocently, though his eyes were burning.
“This… this tension. This teasing.”
Liam leaned back just an inch, a smirk playing on his lips.
“The best things in life are worth the wait, Sophia. The anticipation is half the pleasure. Don’t you feel it? That tightening in your chest? The way your skin feels too sensitive for your clothes?”
Sophia gasped softly, her eyes fluttering shut. He had read her perfectly. The lust was no longer a simmer; it was a rolling boil. She wanted him—she wanted the weight of him, the strength of his hands, the erasure of all the rules she lived by.
She reached out, her fingers grazing the fabric of his shirt, not quite touching his skin, but the proximity was enough to make them both ache.
“I hate how well you know me,” she whispered.
“I don’t know everything yet,” Liam replied, his voice dropping to a dangerous, intimate level. “There are still so many things I want to discover about you. So many ways I want to make you smile like that.”
They sat there in the dim light, the food forgotten, the wine half-finished, trapped in a magnetic field of their own making. Every breath was a conversation, every shift in posture a promise. The air was heavy with the scent of red wine and raw desire, a slow-burn foreplay that pushed them both to the edge of their endurance.
Liam watched her, his mind calculating the emotional peak, the rebate system humming in the background, but for once, the credits didn’t matter. The real reward was the sight of Sophia, undone and wanting, draped in a dress that was barely there, waiting for him to finally break the silence.