Stupid Smart

by Jenn Hype

  She narrowed her eyes but took a bite so I counted that as a win.

  "I'll eat, but you better start giving me answers or I'll start screaming until the police show up. How did you get in my apartment? And why on God's green earth are you cooking breakfast and looking way too comfortable in my kitchen?"

  Adjusting myself on the stool next to her so that I could see her better, I shrugged. "I brought you home from the bar last night and you were really wasted. Didn't want to leave you here alone all night in case you got sick and needed something. Came into your kitchen to get a drink and almost fainted when I saw how damn empty the fridge and cabinets are, so I called Malcolm and asked him to bring some groceries over. Figured you would need a good breakfast to soak up all that booze."

  Her eyes went comically wide. "You stayed all night?"

  I nodded. "I didn't do anything weird or go snooping, before you start accusing me. I mean, I had to snoop a little to find a pillow and blanket so I could get a little sleep on the couch, but other than that I was a perfect gentleman."

  "Okay, well, I um. I appreciate it?"

  "Are you asking me or telling me?" I teased her. With her nose all scrunched up in confusion she looked so damn adorable I wanted to reach out and tweak it. Getting smacked first thing in the morning didn't sound all that appealing, though, so I kept my hands to myself.

  "Telling you?" She answered finally and I laughed.

  "Go get a shower," I said as I gathered our plates and carried them to the sink. "I'll get the kitchen cleaned up while you get yourself cleaned up. That bird's nest on top of your head needs a little taming."

  From my periphery I saw her hand dart up, trying to smooth down her hair. It wouldn't do any good, but I refrained from commenting.

  See? I was already doing great. Before yesterday, I wouldn't have hesitated to give her shit about her obviously disheveled state. But I was being considerate and charming. All part of my plan.

  "How about instead of you ordering me around in my own home, you just let yourself out?"

  It never ceased to amaze me how she gave me so much shit. I'd never, not once, heard her talk to anyone else that way. Not even close. Nope, she seemed to save all that sass for me. And I fucking loved it.

  "No can do, sweet cheeks. We've got plans. Now get moving."

  "Who is we?"

  Turning to look at her but leaving my hands in the dishwater, I said, "Me and you, babe."

  Before I went back to washing the dishes I caught a glimpse of shock flash in her eyes.

  "Uh, no we don't."

  After rinsing off the last dish, I dried my hands on a towel and spun around, leaning casually against the counter.

  "You can keep arguing with me, but it won't get you anywhere. As it is, we have about thirty minutes before we need to scoot. So you can either use that time to make yourself presentable, or I can toss you over my shoulder with you as you are."

  I shrugged. Really, I was good either way. Yeah, she was a mess, but I would still be proud to be seen with her.

  Steam billowed out of her ears. Well, not really. Obviously. But I swear, if I squinted, I could almost see it.

  "You are the most infuriating human being I have ever met. If you think-"

  "Yeah, yeah. You tell me all these things every time we see each other. You now have," I paused to look at my watch, "twenty-eight minutes. You really want to stand here lecturing me?"

  She huffed and stomped her foot, but ultimately wound up storming off. The sound of the shower kicking on brought a smile to my lips. Damn she was fun to mess with.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Clara

  I hated myself just a little bit for the excitement threatening to bubble out of me. I shouldn't be so giddy about spending the day with Liam. I hated the guy. Right? He tormented me, went out of his way to make me miserable. He picked fights, started arguments, did everything he possibly could to annoy me.

  But this morning? This morning he was different. Making breakfast, wearing my apron? Doing dishes? Flirty smiles and terms of endearment? Who was this man and what did he do with the grate-on-my-last-nerve Liam.

  Despite him telling me I only had a certain amount of time to get ready, I took my time in the shower. I needed the reprieve to process. Did our sexy dancing change things? He obviously was up to something, but what? Another way to screw with me? Or was this genuine?

  I went back and forth over how I felt about fighting with him. Part of me enjoyed it. A large part. I'd never bickered with someone. I couldn't stand it when someone didn't like me and I'd always gone out of my way to keep everyone around me happy. Not with Liam. With Liam I said whatever was on my mind, no matter if it was hateful or sarcastic or downright mean. He could take it just as well as he could dish it out, and he didn't seem to be going anywhere. Even in the midst of a heated argument, he always had a fire in his eyes, letting me know he was enjoying himself.

  It fascinated me. The idea of being so honest and real with someone and it not pushing them away. I craved his attention more and more. Couldn't wait for those few minutes with him where I didn't have to worry about my tone or expression. I didn't have to carefully mull over my choice of words before speaking. It felt...freeing.

  And if we wanna get real here and totally own up to emotions, then I'd have to admit that the main reason I tended to get so worked up where he was concerned was due to insecurity. Despite any outward appearances I gave, my insecurities threatened to eat me alive almost every minute of the day. Liam just...brought them all right to the surface. He set my skin on fire. Ignited feelings inside of me I'd never felt with any other man. I wanted him. Bad. But knowing he had gorgeous women available with the snap of his fingers intimidated me. I told myself early on that he would never return my attraction, so pushing him away seemed the safest way to keep from getting hurt.

  Obviously, that hadn't worked. He'd stuck around. Over the last few months, and apparently, last night.

  What was I supposed to do with kind, caring Liam? If my feelings ever started to go past the physical, I'd be in so much trouble. Liam wasn't looking to settle down. You could tell with only one conversation with him. He didn't take anything seriously, his attention constantly bouncing from one thing to the next. If I had to guess, I'd say the idea of planting roots probably freaked him out.

  All assumptions on my part, though, and was that really fair? I hadn't made any attempt to get to know the man, content to think the worst and keep him at a distance. Would it really be so bad to try, I don't know, being friends?

  Maybe. Probably. I never could tell how I was going to react or feel when he was around. So predicting the outcome? Damn near impossible.

  Still...

  I wanted to try. I wanted to know him. Even knowing it could backfire horribly, I couldn't deny how excited the idea of even more time with him made me.

  That excitement had me rushing to get ready at lightning speeds. Yes, I was that girl that took an hour, sometimes two, to get ready every day. But with Liam and his toned body and sexy smile waiting for me? Well, that was some damn good motivation.

  With my towel wrapped around my body, I put on a light layer of makeup. Mostly mascara, a little blush and a light pink lip gloss. After blow-drying my hair, I tossed it up in a messy bun, swooping the front in a pompadour-esque style.

  Not until I had everything done other than my clothes did I realize I hadn't brought any into the bathroom with me. And I had to pass the opening to the living room to get to my bedroom. So if Liam happened to be looking that way, he'd get a glimpse of me in a towel.

  Not a huge deal. I mean, all my bits were covered. Not nearly as much as I wanted them to be, but enough that I wouldn't be flashing him.

  I just needed to open the door and sprint. Maybe if I ran fast enough I'd just be a blur. He wouldn't even have time to register what he was seeing.

  Satisfied with my plan, I unlocked the door and yanked it open. A few seconds later and I'd safely made it to my room. I hadn
't even slowed down enough to see if Liam had seen me running, so I just pretended he'd been looking at his phone and was none the wiser.

  "My my, wasn't expecting this," Liam said from behind me, making me jump ten feet in the air.

  I spun around, my hand flying to my chest. Liam, in all his sexy, carefree glory, sat on my bed. Totally at ease and not at all uncomfortable with my near nakedness.

  Well, that's one of us...

  "Get out of my room!" I screeched at a decibel likely only heard by canines.

  "Okay," Liam agreed easily, getting up and walking towards the door. I had to step to the side to avoid him rubbing against me when he exited.

  "That's it? You're not going to argue?"

  He shrugged, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "This is your private space and I'm not going to make you uncomfortable somewhere that should feel safe to you. I'll wait in the living room while you get dressed."

  He disappeared before I could pick my jaw up off the floor.

  Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus on picking out clothes instead of trying to figure out what Liam was up to. Until I had more information, it would all be hypotheticals, likely none of them even close to the truth. My only option was to see what he had planned and hopefully glean a little information about his intentions.

  "Can you at least give me a little information about what you're planning to torture me with today so I know how to dress!" I shouted.

  "Nope!"

  I growled. Men. They just didn't understand.

  Instead of reaching for a dress and heels like I would any other day, I snatched my skinny jeans and a Kelly green polka dot halter top off the hangers. The only reason I picked out a really cute set of matching lingerie was because it made me more confident. Not because I thought even for a second that Liam might be seeing them.

  After a second of debating shoe choices, I wound up going with a matching pair of Converse. I had some in nearly every color. They were the only shoes I owned that didn't have heels. Diamond studs in my ears completed my ensemble.

  Nerves fluttered low in my belly. With no excuse to delay the inevitable any longer, and a tad too excited to see what he had planned, I made my way to the living room where he sat on my couch, flipping through my TV channels.

  "Do you always just make yourself comfortable in other people's homes?"

  Without answering, he powered off the TV and jumped to his feet.

  "Nope. You're special. You ready?"

  He looked me up and down before nodding, which I assumed meant he approved of my choice in clothing.

  After gathering my things and locking up behind me, we were on our way to God knows where. Since our dynamic called for arguing about everything, I felt the need to whine about not knowing our destination. Fortunately for him, his butt distracted me. It looked seriously good in the loose-fitting jeans that hung low on his hips.

  "You're really not going to give me shit about this?" He asked with sincere curiosity once we were in one of the SUVs my brother owned for his company. That he'd given Liam the car meant he either knew what Liam was up to or Liam had lied, which I doubted. Lying to my brother was pointless. He'd always find out. He had too many resources at his disposal. Learned that the hard way myself.

  "Honestly? I'm a little too caught off guard to do much of anything right now. We've never spent time alone together. Are we meeting up with everyone or something?"

  I shouldn't have felt so relaxed. Preparing myself for humiliation or some sort of prank would have been smarter, but I just couldn't muster up the energy to feel on edge. Maybe it was the way he leaned into his seat so casually, one arm draped over the steering wheel as he drove us away from the city. Black aviators covered his eyes, making him look hot as sin and completely at ease. For whatever reason, his demeanor made it impossible for me to feel anything but comfortable.

  "Nope, just me and you. I'm changing things up today."

  Shifting in my seat as much as I could with my seat belt restricting me, I tucked one leg underneath the other so I could face him.

  "What is that supposed to mean?"

  One corner of his mouth quirked up and butterflies swarmed my stomach. It just wasn't fair how freaking attractive he was.

  "You'll see."

  I growled playfully and leaned my head against the headrest, still looking at him. He didn't seem to mind my staring.

  "Seriously? Should I be freaking out right now? Trying to jump out while the car is moving and hoping that a good tuck and roll is enough to save me? I feel like I should be worried."

  His head fell back, laughter filling the small space between us. The sound sent lust signals straight to my hoo-hah.

  I'd always been attracted to Liam. He could probably even give straight men a half chub, there was just no denying his good looks. But keeping it at bay had never been an issue. I buried it behind annoyance and disdain. Masked it with contempt for his casual sex lifestyle and constant tomfoolery.

  There was no hiding it now, though. I didn't know how. Not when he was like this. I couldn't help but feel a little vulnerable and a whole lot nervous with my guard down. And getting us back to that place, the place where we fought and spurred each other on, probably wouldn't be hard. A few well worded insults and some complaining would likely do the trick.

  So why couldn't I bring myself to do it?

  Chalk it up to the completely foreign situation I found myself in. Blame it on the fact that he'd just surprised me and it threw me off my game. Really, that's the only explanation.

  "No, you don't need to worry."

  "Can you at least give me a hint?" I pleaded, bouncing a little in my seat. The bigger his smile grew, the more excited I became. Damn him. His happiness was contagious.

  "You've never been there before."

  I rolled my eyes. "That gives me nothing. There are tons of places I haven't been."

  "You know what? Neither have I. We should make a list and start checking things off together."

  His suggestion threw me for a loop. Seriously, what was he up to?

  "Already making plans for us to spend more time together?"

  "Yep. Me and you? We're gonna be best friends."

  Eyebrows, meet hairline.

  "We can't stand each other."

  Looking away from the road, he tipped his head down so he could look at me from under his sunglasses.

  "You know that's not true. So we butt heads? Just means we have passion. It's just been misdirected."

  Passion? The word could be used in many ways, but with the way Liam said it? Explicit visions of said passion flashed through my mind. Never in my life had I had so many dirty thoughts about someone. I wasn't a prude, even though I was a virgin, but I just didn't think about sex all the time. Or I didn't used to.

  "Feel free to control the radio," Liam offered.

  "Seriously? What if I want to listen to 90s pop music?"

  He shrugged. "If that's what you want, then sure."

  I crossed my arms. "You are really starting to freak me out. I have no idea what to do with this version of you. I feel like it's a trap or something."

  Liam chuckled before taking one hand off the wheel and using it to grip my thigh. Friendly, innocent, probably meant to reassure or comfort, but all I felt when his big hand gripped my thigh was lust. If I couldn't get my libido under control around him, I was in for a seriously uncomfortable day.

  "I don't normally fight with people like I do you. I'm actually pretty laid back. And since we're going to be friends, I figured I'd let you see how I usually am."

  Once his hand was back on the wheel and I could breathe again, I responded, "What if I liked you how you were? What if I don't like this pushover side of you."

  His eyebrows shot up. "Pushover? Hardly. Accommodating and a little malleable? Sure. But pushover? Not a chance."

  "Okay, then," I conceded, shifting my focus to the radio. From the corner of my eye I watched to see if he'd react to any of the stations I passed,
hoping he'd give himself away and I could find a type of music that would annoy him. He gave me the ammunition I needed with a slight wince when the radio stopped on a classic rock station.

  "Don't like Zeppelin?"

  He grimaced. "Can't say I'm a fan of the 80s rock era."

  "Why not?"

  My question, though innocent, made his shoulders stiffen and his face pull tight. His unwillingness to answer spoke volumes and I took pity on him, changing the station.

  Conversation flowed easily the rest of the drive. At one point it started to feel like I was dreaming. The whole morning had been so surreal. He kept finding reasons to touch me, his hands never lingering but still venturing to my side more than necessary. Until we'd danced together at the bar we'd never really touched. Now that I knew what it felt like to have him against me, to feel his long fingers gingerly stroking my body in innocent places, all I wanted was to feel more. All of him. Anything he'd give me. In fact, the more miles from the city we drove, the more desperate I became. By the time we reached our destination, I was practically panting.

  "Stay," he ordered once the car was parked. I'd been so focused on him I hadn't bothered to look outside the SUV for the past hour. Not until he'd rounded the car and pulled open my door, extending a hand to help me out of the cab, did I even realize where we were.

  "You brought me to Hersheypark?"

  He smiled bashfully, giving me a glimpse of vulnerability. Really freaking odd thing to see on Liam. But the strangest part? It turned me on even more than the touches he'd been torturing me with the past few hours. I wanted to pull him closer and burrow into his chest, squeezing him until that confident, cocky side of him returned.

  "I've never been here," I admitted, my voice cracking a little with emotion. These foreign, affection-filled emotions starting to consume me.

  He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I know. I asked CJ for a suggestion of what you might want to do."

  I jerked back so hard my butt hit the SUV. "You what?"

  His eyes fell to the ground and I wanted to say or do something, anything, to break the tense silence, but I was too stunned. Taking care of me last night, making breakfast, then asking my brother for advice on where to take me for a friend date?