by Jenn Hype
Under normal circumstances, I might actually feel pity for the guy. Unfortunately for him, I really, really didn't want to be there. So I bit my lip, trying to just get the night over with. If I engaged in conversation he either cut me off or got offended. I gave up early on.
"Hey man, are you Nelson Langhorn?" A familiar voice asked from behind me. I bit my lip to hide my grin.
My date lifted his head for the first time all night, his bushy eyebrows furrowed. "Yes. Who are you?"
"I'm the manager here. Someone called and referred to herself as Mrs. Langhorn and asked that we locate you and tell you to return home immediately."
Nelson's eyes bugged out of his head. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone.
"No reception. Crap. I gotta go," he practically yelled before tossing two twenties onto the table. Without another word, he ran out of the restaurant.
At least he had good enough manners to pay before running off.
Liam took the seat across from me, pushing Nelson's abandoned food to the middle of the table.
"Thank God. I wouldn't normally condone you lying, but I honestly think I was dying a slow death of boredom. Ten more minutes with that guy and I would have stabbed myself in the leg with my fork just for entertainment."
Liam smirked, looking so cocky and sexy it took my breath away.
The waitress, a busty brunette almost spilling out of her uniform, approached. Her eyes narrowed in on Liam. She didn't even bother trying to hide her intentions.
"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked Liam in a husky, seductive voice. Overkill.
His eyes never strayed from mine. "Nah, I'm good. We'll take the check, though. Gotta get my girl outta here."
Heat rose to my cheeks. The waitress huffed, probably insulted he'd ignored her. And maybe judging me a little for having just been on a date with another man but obviously going home with another.
Like I cared.
Liam called me his girl.
He winked at me. No doubt seeing right through my silence and into my thoughts. Hiding my reactions to him was impossible. Now that I knew he liked me - as juvenile as that sounded - it changed everything.
"So who ratted out my location this time?" I asked, taking a sip of my water just to have something to do with my hands.
"Your mom. She told me when I was at her house for lunch."
My eyes dang near pop out of my skull.
"What?! Why?"
The leather check presenter hit our table with a thud, startling me. Liam peeled his eyes off of me long enough to look inside, pulled a few bills out of his wallet and tossed it back down. The money Nelson left behind stayed there. I sat, too stunned to speak or move, so when Liam offered me his hand, I took it.
Like a gentleman, he lifted my jacket off the back of my chair and held it out for me to step into. Once my arms were in, he buttoned it up slowly, his hands steady and slow. Those hands dipped into the collar, lifting my hair out of my jacket and tossing it down my back. One arm snaked around my middle, pulling me into his side. A gentle kiss to the top of my head and we were on our way.
When we reached the sidewalk, his arm fell away. Before I had the chance to pout over the loss of contact, his hand grabbed mine, intertwining our fingers.
I stared, mouth agape, completely at a loss for words.
Liam has charm. The man could charm the devil. But the sweet, affectionate side of him killed me. Left me breathless and nervous and confused as hell.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
Instead of answering, Liam lifted our clasped hands and placed a sweet kiss to the top of mine.
"Wooing you. Duh."
He started walking again, but I tugged at our clasped hands, pulling him to a stop.
"Duh? Duh? I am two seconds away from my head exploding. I need answers. Please. For the sake of my sanity. What. Is. Happening."
With a slow smile and the look of a man with all the time in the world, Liam closed the distance between us and cupped my face. His long fingers speared into my hair, his thumbs stroking my chin with soft, subtle motions.
"I meant it when I told you I care about you. And I'll be brutally honest with you, I'm not even sure what to do with that. I never considered a serious relationship. Never wanted one."
The hope sparking to life inside of me started to fizzle. I couldn't do casual. Wouldn't even pretend to want to try. I just didn't have it in me. If he was about to suggest we become fuck buddies or something, I was going to slap him.
"Get those violent thoughts out of your head," he teased.
"You don't know what I was thinking."
He non-verbally called bullshit. "I know you. Better than you think. Trust me, I knew what you were thinking. And let me assure you, I am not trying to get into your pants."
This time I called bullshit.
Liam chuckled. "Okay, fine, I want in your pants. But that's not all I want."
To my surprise, I believed him. Trusted him. If for no other reason than I knew my brother would kill him if he hurt me, and Liam had to know that too. Surely my vagina wasn't worth risking loss of his job and possibly his life.
"I just mean I don't know what I'm doing. At all. So I went to your mom for help."
"You what?"
The calloused pad of his fingers swept across my cheek, making me shiver. In a very obvious way. Mistaking that for me being cold, Liam dropped my face and dragged me a few more feet down and into a little cafe.
"Sit down."
He pointed at a cozy looking couch. The brown leather looked worn and soft. It faced the front corner, a little table sitting between it and a fireplace.
"Don't boss me," I argued, just to be difficult.
"Stop being stubborn and sit that sexy ass of yours down while I get you some cocoa."
"How do you know I want cocoa?"
His eyebrows, always so dang expressive, popped up.
"You're still questioning how well I know you?"
I crossed my arms and shrugged. Not a chance did he know every little detail about me. Even if he'd done recon and asked everyone for all this information, he couldn't possibly retain it all.
"Hot cocoa, a shot of milk, extra marshmallows and a sprinkle of cinnamon."
Instead of showing my shock at his insanely accurate answer, I rolled my eyes. "Points for asking someone about me, but that doesn't mean you know me."
He scoffed. Freaking scoffed.
"I didn't ask anyone shit. I might have asked your mom for advice in winning you over, but that did not include invading your privacy or gaining access to details of your life you haven't yet given me permission to obtain."
Why is his formal fancy talk turning me on?
Focus, Clara.
"I've overheard your order twice, both times exactly the same. I told you, Clara, I know you. I've been watching intently, listening closely and observing you for months."
A shiver snaked down my spine when his hooded eyes sent some serious heat my way.
A gulp and a nod, that's all I had to give him. Talking would have been impossible.
Settling down into the couch cushions, I looked around the little cafe. I'd never been inside and already knew I'd be coming back. Cozy, quaint, yet chic. The place looked like an eclectic version of Central Perk.
"So before we dive into this discussion, let me ask you one thing," Liam said, gently placing the warm cup of cocoa into my hands. I breathed it in, my eyes closing, throat humming. It smelled freaking amazing.
"Why," Liam started, waiting until my gaze met his before continuing, "do you find it so hard to believe that I like you?"
My nose scrunched up. "What do you mean?"
He stared at my mouth as I puckered my lips to blow on the steam coming from the top of the plastic lid. Unintentionally, my tongue snaked out to wet my lips. Fascinatingly, his nostrils flared and jaw clenched.
I'm not stupid. He obviously found me attractive. I knew what a man looked like when he wanted a
woman. I'd just never had such heat directed at me. It felt...empowering.
"You acted so thrown off guard when I said I was wooing you. And you still don't seem to grasp what I'm saying when I'm trying to make my intentions very clear. So, why is it that you find me wanting you so hard to believe?"
Unexpected tears start to build, my nose burning the way it always does when I'm trying not to cry.
"I-I..."
My mouth opened and closed ten times over. No words. I had no words. The question was valid. I did feel that way. Disbelieving. Doubtful. Confused. But why?
Like a damn saint he waited while I processed. Grappled for an answer.
"I honestly don't know," I finally conceded.
He nodded slowly, like he hadn't really expected me to provide an answer.
"I-I, I guess...maybe it's because no one ever has? Wooed me, I mean, or whatever. Who says woo anymore anyway?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood and distract from my sudden vulnerability.
Instead of garnering a smile, Liam only offered up a frown.
"No one? How is it possible that no man has ever tried to win you over?"
My head teetered side to side while I mulled over how to answer.
"Probably because I never gave them the chance?"
He quirked a questioning eyebrow, and I huffed. How the hell was I going to explain it without sounding desperate and pathetic?
Screw it. Just be honest. If he doesn't like what he hears, then you're better off knowing now...
Sighing, I fought the urge to rub my eyes. Smearing my eyeliner all over my face wouldn't make this conversation any easier.
"I wanted love so badly, I guess I never really gave anyone a chance to pursue me. Hard to go after someone that's already chasing you, ya know? I never knew how to go with the flow or just see what happened. I needed answers, something concrete, something real right out the gate."
Liam's lips twitched. Kudos to him for holding back from smiling.
"I think... I think deep down I wanted to scare people off. If I came on too strong and they couldn't handle it, then it made me feel like they wouldn't have been around for the long haul anyway. And I think I knew I was trying to make things happen when they shouldn't. If that even makes sense. Like, I'd try to make a relationship with someone I totally knew wasn't the one for me just because I wanted a relationship in general. Wow. That makes me sound totally pathetic when I say it out loud."
Liam shook his head, pulling my hands into his and leveling me with a look so sincere that tears started to pool in my eyes.
"Not pathetic. You're amazing and strong. Not very many people can put themselves out there like that. We all try to protect ourselves in one way or another, but you're different. Braver. I admire that about you, among so many other things. I've never met someone as genuine and caring as you. It makes me want to be better."
Swiping away a tear, I laughed at myself for getting so worked up. Guys hated that, right? I'd been told on so many different occasions that I was too dramatic, too emotional. Tears made them uncomfortable, miserable even.
Liam didn't seem to mind. His eyes grew impossibly softer with every tear that escaped. It wasn't pity looking back at me. Admiration? Adoration? I couldn't name it, but it only jacked up the faucet even higher. The trickle turned into a downpour, hot tears streaking down my face.
"Going to need your help with this, blondie," Liam said affectionately, his thumbs continually swiping across my cheeks like little windshield wipers in a monsoon. "I might seem confident, but inside I'm sort of freaking the fuck out. I don't want to let you down. I want to do this right. So tell me if I do or say something wrong. If there's something you need that I'm not giving you. Communicate every little thing going on in that pretty little head of yours, okay? You won't scare me off. I promise."
I laughed, snorting back a hunk of snot in the process. Not intentional and totally embarrassing. But in that moment, I really didn't care. How could I? This beautiful, strong, amazing man was kneeled in front of me, pouring his heart out.
"We're kind of a mess, huh?"
Liam chuckled, but instead of responding, he just leaned forward until our foreheads touched. We stayed that way for a long time, just breathing each other in. Quiet, comfortable, and incredibly intimate. That brief exchange of nothing filled my heart with hope. Extinguished all the fear and doubt. Somehow, those few moments were exactly what I needed.
He could break my heart. This could wind up being a disaster. For the first time in my whole life, I was afraid to go after what I wanted because for the first time in my life, I truly had something to lose. Liam had already managed to weasel himself into my heart without me even realizing it. He meant more to me than any boyfriend or friend ever had. If I lost him, it would do actual, real damage.
But this was my chance. Somehow I just knew that he was it for me.
Terrifying and exhilarating. Like standing on the precipice of something huge, something life changing.
And when his head tilted up and his lips met mine in the softest, sweetest kiss?
Sigh.
How lucky was I?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Liam
"Give it back, Liam!"
Clara's little hand grappled for the remote, but I kept it just out of her reach. By the time she realized she'd never get it away from me, she was straddling my lap.
I smirked, feeling very proud of myself. I hadn't intentionally lured her on top of me but I wasn't going to start complaining, either.
She crossed her arms and pouted but didn't try to move off of me. In a few more seconds she would be feeling a little visitor below her bottom trying to make himself known.
"You can't just take over my television! If you don't like what I'm watching then go watch something on your own damn TV!"
All that bravado disappeared when she felt my dick come to life. Her eyes popped open wide and I chuckled. As much as I'd love to lift my hips and grind against her, she wasn't ready. Even if heat sparked to life in her eyes.
Down boy. You can wait.
Yeah, I'd started talking to my dick a lot the past couple weeks since I'd laid it all on the line for Clara. Things had been surprisingly... Easy. I think Clara knowing how I felt instead of constantly wondering helped relieve the majority of her stress when it came to our budding relationship.
She'd also decided to "help me out" when it came to learning about romance. How, you ask? By forcing me to watch every freaking romantic movie ever made.
I'd been a good sport through the first five or six. My patience was wearing thin now, though.
"No more. I can't take any more of these sappy, cheesy, make-me-want-to-kill-myself movies. They aren't even realistic."
Climbing off me and dumping herself onto the couch with her legs over my lap, Clara threw her arm over her eyes dramatically.
"Non-compliant and argumentative. You, sir, get an F in Romance Ed."
Too freaking adorable.
My fingers found the dip between her stomach and hips, digging into her flesh.
"No! No! No, Liam!"
It'd been an accident when I found out Clara hated being tickled. Too bad for her, I loved doing it. She kicked and flailed and screamed bloody murder, but that smile? That smile got me every time.
Until her heel connected with my nuts, anyway.
"Oh my gosh, are you okay?"
Clara clambered over, rushing to my aid. Her hand snaked out like she intended to rub away the pain before she realized where exactly I'd been injured. I might have laughed if I wasn't in excruciating pain.
I held up a finger so she'd give me a minute. Or twelve.
When I finally felt confident I wouldn't throw up all over her living room floor, I glanced in her direction. And found her glaring.
"Serves you right for tickling me. You know I hate that."
Lifting my hand, I wiggled my fingers. She pushed herself further away and I laughed.
"I'm done. Promise. No more."
She eyed me like she didn't believe me. So I gave her my best sad puppy look. Even though she rolled her eyes, she still moved back over and into my open arms.
Relaxing, her body burrowed into mine, my arms wrapping around her and holding her tightly against me. Amazing how comfortable we'd gotten with each other in such a short period of time. Sure, we still bickered constantly and annoying her still happened to be my favorite pastime, but we fell into the role of 'couple' with barely any effort.
Maybe that should have had warning bells sounding in my head, but I was too damn happy to care.
I cleared my throat nervously. The fundraiser my loving father had demanded I attend was coming up and I'd been debating whether or not to take Clara.
Of course I wanted to take her. To see her in a stunning gown, hold her in my arms on the dance floor and show her off to anyone and everyone in attendance. However, that would also mean introducing her to my father.
I'd get an earful of bullshit about how idiotic and naive it was to be in a relationship. Nothing he said mattered and wouldn't affect me in the least, but I couldn't be sure he wouldn't say all those things right in front of Clara. He gave zero fucks what people thought of him, most especially women.
I knew eventually I'd have to open up to her about him. Ashamed as I was to have someone like him for a dad, I couldn't change that fact and hiding it was pointless. However, things were going so well. Unbelievably well. Did I really want to risk fucking things up so early?
"You okay?" She asked after I cleared my throat again, tilting her head back so she could see me.
I smiled down at her, wondering not for the first time that day - hell, that hour - how I'd gotten so lucky as to find someone as amazing as Clara.
Not sure who moved first, but our lips connected. Briefly at first. The kiss grew hungrier by the second, though, and before I knew it, Clara had straddled my lap.
She must have sensed my hesitation, because she pulled back with her hands on my shoulders and leveled me with a fierce glare.
"Quit holding back on me, Langford. I'm not experienced, but I'm not a nun. If I want to slow down, I'll tell you. Stop making the decision for me."