Jiselle's POV:

By the time Liam and I finally returned to our hotel room after the iHeartRadio Music Awards, I was exhausted.

The second the door closed behind us, I kicked off my heels.

"Oh, thank God."

Liam laughed as he shut and locked the door.

"That bad?"

"You try walking around in those things for hours."

I picked up one of my heels and held it toward him.

"Go ahead."

"I'm good."

"No, seriously. Put them on."

"Absolutely not."

"Coward."

Liam laughed as he loosened his tie.

I tossed my heels near the chair before dropping my purse onto it. After spending hours surrounded by flashing cameras, loud music, celebrities, reporters, and hundreds of people, the silence of the hotel room felt incredible.

No photographers.

No interviews.

No strangers watching us.

Just Liam and me.

I walked toward the large window overlooking the city.

The view was beautiful.

Thousands of lights stretched across the skyline below us, illuminating buildings and streets that seemed impossibly small from where I stood. Cars moved through the city like tiny dots of light.

For a few seconds, I simply stared.

"What a night," I whispered.

Liam walked farther into the room.

"You had fun?"

I smiled at the window.

"I did."

"Even with all the cameras?"

"Ask me tomorrow."

He laughed.

My feet were killing me, my face hurt from smiling for pictures, and I was more than ready to get out of the dress I'd been wearing all evening.

I reached behind myself and attempted to grab the zipper.

No luck.

I tried again.

Still nothing.

"Liam?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you unzip my dress?"

There was a short pause.

"Sure."

I heard his footsteps approaching from behind me.

I moved my hair over one shoulder and continued staring through the window.

Liam's fingers brushed against the back of my neck as he reached for the zipper.

A tiny shiver moved through me.

Seriously?

All he had done was touch my neck.

Get yourself together, Jiselle.

I felt the zipper slowly move down my back.

When he reached the bottom, I expected him to step away.

He didn't.

Instead, his fingertips gently brushed against the exposed skin along my back.

My breathing changed.

His hands moved carefully toward my sides, his fingers tracing the edges of my ribs.

Goosebumps immediately appeared across my skin.

I stared at our reflections in the window.

Liam was standing directly behind me.

Close.

Very close.

His eyes met mine through the reflection.

Neither of us said anything.

His hands stopped at my waist.

I swallowed.

I knew that look.

"What are you doing?" I asked quietly.

Liam leaned closer.

"You looked beautiful tonight."

My heart skipped.

I tried to pretend his words hadn't affected me.

"Only tonight?"

His mouth curved into a smile.

"Don't start."

"I'm asking a legitimate question."

"You look beautiful every night."

"Better."

He laughed softly.

Then he leaned toward my ear.

"But tonight..."

His voice became quieter.

"You were something else."

I felt my cheeks getting warm.

I hated how easily he could do that.

One compliment.

One stupid look.

One touch.

And suddenly I couldn't remember why I'd been tired five minutes ago.

I slowly turned around.

Liam looked down at me.

There was a moment where neither of us moved.

Then something came over me.

Maybe it was the adrenaline from the night.

Maybe it was the way he was looking at me.

Or maybe I was simply tired of letting him have all the fun.

I placed both hands against his chest.

And pushed.

Liam stumbled backward.

His eyebrows shot up.

"What—"

I pushed him again.

A smile appeared on his face.

"Oh."

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Give me that look."

"What look?"

I pushed him again.

He continued backing up until his shoulders met the wall.

I smiled.

For once, Liam looked genuinely surprised.

"Jiselle."

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

I reached for his tie.

His eyes followed my hands as I slowly loosened the knot.

"Jiselle?"

"You're asking too many questions."

"I asked one."

"And it was one too many."

I pulled the loosened tie over his head and tossed it somewhere behind me.

Liam glanced toward where it landed.

"That's expensive."

"You'll survive."

Next came his jacket.

I pushed it from his shoulders and let it fall onto the floor.

"You're making a mess."

"You made the mistake of asking me to come back to your hotel room."

"Our hotel room."

"Whatever."

I reached for the first button of his shirt.

Liam's smile disappeared.

Not because anything was wrong.

Quite the opposite.

His eyes remained fixed on mine as I slowly worked my way down the buttons.

Suddenly, I became very aware of how quiet the room was.

I could hear my own breathing.

His too.

When the final button came undone, I pushed the shirt away from his chest.

My eyes immediately moved toward his tattoos.

I'd seen them before.

Plenty of times.

But tonight, I found myself studying them.

My fingertips traced one of the designs across his skin.

Liam watched me.

"What?"

I looked up.

"Nothing."

"You're staring."

"I'm allowed to stare."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"Good to know."

I rolled my eyes and continued tracing the ink.

His body was warm beneath my fingertips.

My hand moved across his chest before settling over his heart.

For a moment, I felt it beating beneath my palm.

Fast.

I smiled.

"Your heart's racing."

"No, it isn't."

"Liar."

"It's perfectly normal."

I looked at him.

"Really?"

"Completely."

I slid my hand lower.

His breathing caught.

My smile widened.

"Still normal?"

"Jiselle."

"What?"

He stared at me.

I leaned closer.

"What are you doing?" he asked again.

Instead of answering, I kissed him.

Liam immediately kissed me back.

I pulled away after only a few seconds.

"Shut up."

His eyebrows lifted.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

He laughed.

"You're very bossy tonight."

"And yet you're still standing here."

"Against a wall."

"Exactly where I put you."

Liam stared at me for half a second.

Then he laughed.

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"Maybe."

I kissed him again.

This time, he didn't let me pull away as quickly.

His hands found my waist and pulled me closer.

Suddenly, the playful little game I'd started didn't feel quite so playful anymore.

My heart began pounding.

I rested my hands against his chest.

Then Liam stopped.

His forehead rested against mine.

"Okay?"

The question was quiet.

I nodded.

"Yes."

"Sure?"

I smiled.

"Very."

That was all he needed.

I slipped the straps of my dress from my shoulders and let the fabric fall away, leaving it in a pile alongside his jacket and tie.

Liam looked at me.

And kept looking.

I crossed my arms.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You're staring now."

"I know."

"Stop."

"No."

I tried not to smile.

Failed.

"You're annoying."

"And you're beautiful."

There he went again.

Before I could come up with a response, Liam wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him.

Then he shifted our positions.

My back gently met the wall.

I looked up at him.

"Thought I was in charge."

"You had your turn."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

I laughed.

His lips met mine again.

My hands moved into his hair as the kiss deepened. Everything else disappeared—the award show, the cameras, the crowds, the exhaustion I'd felt when we'd entered the room.

There was only him.

Liam.

His hands settled against my waist before moving down toward my thighs.

I realized what he was about to do a second too late.

"Liam—"

He lifted me.

I gasped and immediately wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Liam!"

"What?"

"Warn me!"

He laughed.

"You knew what I was doing."

"No, I didn't."

"You wrapped your legs around me."

"Instinct!"

"Sure."

"Don't drop me."

His smile faded.

"I'd never drop you."

Something about the way he said it made my heart flutter.

And I knew he wasn't only talking about physically dropping me.

At least, I hoped he wasn't.

Liam carried me toward the bed.

He lowered me onto the mattress far more gently than I'd expected after all the teasing.

For a moment, he simply hovered above me.

I reached up and touched his face.

His expression softened.

The playful arrogance disappeared.

"You okay?" he asked again.

I nodded.

"I'm okay."

He turned his head and kissed my palm.

That tiny gesture affected me more than it should have.

I pulled him closer.

"Come here."

His lips found mine again.

The kisses became slower.

Softer.

More intimate.

His lips moved from mine toward my cheek and then down my neck.

I closed my eyes.

"Oh my God," I whispered.

I felt him smile against my skin.

"Don't get cocky."

"Didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

Liam laughed softly.

I wrapped my arms around him.

And somewhere between the teasing, the kissing, and the quiet moments where we stopped simply to look at each other, I realized this felt different from the way I'd imagined it.

It wasn't perfect.

We laughed.

We bumped into things.

At one point, Liam nearly tripped over the jacket I'd thrown onto the floor.

I laughed so hard I had to bury my face in a pillow.

"Don't," he warned.

"I'm sorry!"

"You're not."

"I'm really not."

"Terrible person."

"You love me."

The words came out automatically.

Then I froze.

So did Liam.

Oh.

I slowly lifted my head.

Neither of us said anything.

My stomach twisted.

Why did I say that?

I had meant it as a joke.

At least, I thought I had.

Liam looked at me for another second before a small smile appeared.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

My heart stopped.

"What?"

His smile grew.

"You heard me."

"Liam—"

He kissed me before I could finish.

And suddenly, I didn't care about finishing the sentence.

The rest of the night belonged to us.

No cameras.

No interviews.

No red carpets.

No reporters wanting to know who I was or why I was with him.

For those few hours, he wasn't Liam Payne.

He was simply Liam.

And I was simply Jiselle.

That was more than enough.

***

I woke up slowly.

For several seconds, I had absolutely no idea where I was.

The room was dark except for the sunlight slipping through the small opening between the hotel curtains.

I blinked.

Hotel.

Right.

Awards show.

Liam.

Then the memories from the night before returned.

My eyes widened.

"Oh."

I stared at the ceiling.

"Oh my God."

I slowly looked down.

The only thing covering me was a white hotel sheet.

Wonderful.

I pulled it slightly higher.

Then I noticed the room.

It looked like a tornado had come through.

My dress was lying near the wall.

One of my heels was somehow beside the television.

The other was near the chair.

Liam's jacket was on the floor.

His tie had somehow ended up hanging halfway off the lamp.

I stared at it.

How did that even happen?

I honestly didn't remember.

I turned my head toward the other side of the bed.

And there was Liam.

Fast asleep.

His hair was an absolute disaster.

One arm rested above his head while a pillow and part of the sheet were strategically covering him.

I stared.

Then I covered my mouth.

"Oh my God," I whispered.

Last night definitely happened.

For some reason, seeing him lying beside me made everything feel more real.

I carefully rolled onto my back.

My mind immediately started replaying pieces of the night before.

The hotel window.

His hands against my back.

The wall.

His stupid smile.

The bed.

And then—

Nope.

I covered my face.

I was not doing this to myself at eight in the morning.

Beside me, Liam shifted.

I froze.

His arm moved across the pillow until it found me.

Then it wrapped around my shoulders.

"Good morning, Jiselle."

His voice was deep and rough with sleep.

I turned toward him.

His eyes were barely open.

"Good morning."

A lazy smile appeared.

"You've been staring at me."

"I was not."

"You were."

"Your eyes were closed."

"I could feel it."

"That's ridiculous."

"Still true."

I rolled my eyes.

"Go back to sleep."

Liam moved closer.

I adjusted my position until my head rested comfortably against his arm.

His hand settled against my lower back.

For a few moments, neither of us spoke.

Then I looked around the room again.

"Liam."

"Hmm?"

"What happened in here?"

He opened one eye.

"What do you mean?"

I pointed toward his tie.

"Why is that on the lamp?"

He followed my finger.

There was a pause.

"Huh."

"Huh?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I was distracted."

I stared at him.

He smiled.

"By you."

I immediately pulled the sheet over my face.

"Stop."

Liam laughed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Are you embarrassed?"

"No."

"You're hiding."

"I'm tired."

"Under a sheet?"

"It's comfortable."

He pulled the sheet down enough to reveal my face.

"Morning."

I tried to glare at him.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stop smiling.

"Morning."

His expression softened.

Then he lifted one hand and gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

"How are you feeling?"

There was something different in his voice.

Less teasing.

More genuine.

I knew what he was really asking.

"I'm good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

I nodded.

"I'm sure."

He smiled.

"Good."

His thumb gently stroked my cheek.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

Everything felt peaceful.

Dangerously peaceful.

Because lying there beside him felt natural.

Too natural.

That scared me more than anything we'd done the night before.

I opened my eyes.

"Liam?"

"Hmm?"

"About last night..."

His hand stopped.

"What about it?"

I hesitated.

Suddenly, I wasn't sure what I wanted to ask.

What are we?

Did you mean what you said?

Do you love me?

Are things different now?

Every possible question seemed too serious for eight in the morning.

So instead, I asked, "Do you regret it?"

Liam's eyes opened fully.

"No."

The answer came so quickly that I almost laughed.

"Not even a little?"

"Not even remotely."

I smiled.

"Good."

"Do you?"

I looked at him.

"No."

"Good."

A comfortable silence settled between us again.

Liam's fingers returned to my hair.

He gently stroked the side of my head while his other hand remained against my back.

My eyelids became heavier.

I hadn't realized how tired I still was.

"Liam?"

"Yeah?"

"You said something last night."

There was a pause.

"I said a lot of things."

I opened one eye.

"Don't play stupid."

He smiled.

"What did I say?"

"You know."

"Do I?"

"Liam."

His smile widened.

I shoved his shoulder.

He caught my hand.

"Okay, okay."

He brought my fingers to his lips and kissed them.

"I remember."

My heart started beating faster.

I stared at him.

"And?"

"And what?"

"Did you mean it?"

The teasing disappeared from his face.

For several seconds, Liam simply looked at me.

Then he moved closer.

"Yeah."

My throat suddenly felt dry.

"Yeah?"

He nodded.

"I meant it."

I didn't know what to say.

Apparently, Liam decided I didn't need to say anything.

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

I moved closer until my head rested against his chest.

His arm wrapped securely around me.

I listened to his heartbeat.

Slow.

Steady.

Comforting.

"I love you too," I whispered.

His arm tightened around me.

I smiled against his chest.

There.

I'd said it.

And surprisingly, the world didn't explode.

Nothing dramatic happened.

There wasn't music playing somewhere in the background.

There weren't cameras capturing the moment.

It was simply the two of us lying in a messy hotel room with clothes scattered everywhere and sunlight beginning to creep through the curtains.

And somehow, that made it better.

My eyes slowly drifted closed.

Liam's fingers moved gently through my hair.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered.

"You too."

"I will."

I was already halfway there.

The last thing I felt before falling asleep was Liam's hand against my back and his lips gently touching the top of my head.

For once, I wasn't thinking about what would happen next.

I wasn't worried about the cameras.

I wasn't worried about the attention that came with dating him.

I wasn't even worried about how terrifying it was to realize that I'd fallen in love with him.

For that morning, none of it mattered.

I was exactly where I wanted to be.

Wrapped in Liam's arms.

And apparently, he wanted me there too.