by Paris Hansen
“Who’s Liam?” Savannah asked, her question breaking Finley out of her thoughts.
“Give me that.”
Finley grabbed the card out of her best friend’s hand then paused. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure if reading the card was the best idea. Part of her figured she should ignore it and send the flowers home with Savannah. No good could come from reading it. Liam had been a one-night stand. Someone she would likely never see again. That had been the beauty of their one night together. But based on the flowers, it was obvious she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t forget about that night.
She was obviously on his mind. Or maybe he was just sending her flowers to thank her for the good time.
Finley,
I can’t stop thinking about you. I know it was only one night, but I’m hoping we can make it more. Here’s my number 406-555-7877. Please call or text me. That night talking to you was the most like myself I’ve felt in years. I’d love to do it again…all of it.
Liam
Holy crap.
“So Fin. Who’s Liam? And why the heck haven’t you told me about him?”
“He’s just a guy I met at the wedding. Nobody important.”
“Huh, well it seems you might be someone important to him. This bouquet is beautiful and filled with your favorites. You had to have left a lasting impression for him to go to all the trouble. So, tell me the truth. Who’s Liam?”
Finley sighed. Stubborn might as well have been Savannah’s middle name. She was like a dog with a bone and she wouldn’t stop asking questions until Finley gave her something. But she didn’t want to talk about Liam. She didn’t want to give up the details. The more she thought about what they shared that night, the more she realized it wasn’t just about the sex. They’d both opened up. They’d both divulged things they never told other people. The sex had been earth-shattering, but the talking…the talking had been something even more mind-blowing.
And just thinking that made Finley cringe. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling or why this particular guy, this particular night, was any different than any of the others. Why had she felt like she could talk to Liam? Why did she tell him so much of what she’d tried to keep buried deep inside? Sure, she hadn’t told him everything. He didn’t know about her mother or what she’d done to Finley, but he knew how unhappy she was. Liam knew that she was questioning everything about her life, which was something she’d barely admitted to herself until she’d left for LA.
“I met Liam at the wedding. We talked and then I took him back to my room. We spent the night hooking up. I left him in my bed when I checked out and came home. He’s hot and really sweet, but it was just one night.”
“Sounds like he wants more than that. Is that something you’d be interested in?”
“The sex was amazing, but he lives in LA and you know how I feel about LA. I’m not going to travel there for a booty call when I could just find a piece of ass around here.”
“Finley…”
“What do you want me to say Sav? Sure. If Liam lived around here I’d have no problem hooking up with him again. But just for sex. You know I don’t do relationships,” Finley said. “It’s a moot point though since I’m never going to see him again.”
“He obviously thinks or at least hopes otherwise. What would it hurt talking to him again? Maybe he’s what you need to bust you out of your funk,” Savannah paused. “You think I haven’t noticed that something’s going on with you, but I know you better than you think I do. I know when you’re going through something and I know you don’t want to talk about it. But if you ever do, you know I’m here for you. In the meantime, maybe you can let Liam be there for you.”
“Savannah…”
“At least think about it okay? That’s all I’m asking. You never know what can happen when you open yourself up to new possibilities. Look at me and Gabriel. I stepped out of my comfort zone and found the love of my life. I know you aren’t into relationships, but maybe Liam will be the one that pushes you to finally make the changes you seem to need.”
“It was one night for crying out loud. I don’t even know how he found me. We didn’t exchange last names. I didn’t tell him the name of the club or anything. It wasn’t that big of a deal. I never would have searched him out.”
“Well obviously you’re so amazing that he couldn’t help himself. And seriously…he was at Elijah’s wedding. He’s probably a friend of Elijah’s or at the very least Amy’s. All he’d have to do is ask them. I’m sure there weren’t very many Finley’s at the wedding and even if there were, there definitely weren’t any that leave the kind of impression you do.”
Laughing, Finley tossed the card onto the bar next to the vase. She had no idea what to do with the fact Liam was interested in talking to her again. Ignoring him came to mind, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to do that. Savannah was right. He could end up being exactly the jolt she needed in her life to make changes. Just after one night of talking to him, her disinterest in her life had become clearer. Maybe if she talked to him again, she could come up with a solution to her problem.
“I’ve gotta go. Gabriel’s meeting me at a bakery in Ballard. He won’t let me make my own wedding cake and he says that Brooklyn will be too busy as maid of honor to do it, so I had one of my former professors give us some recommendations. I’m so picky though, I have a feeling finding someone that meets my standards is going to take a while. I guess it’s a good thing I don’t mind tasting mediocre cake, I just can’t stand serving it.”
Finley followed Savannah to the front door of the club so she could unlock the door for her. The half of the club that was just a bar didn’t open for another five hours, but 6 o’clock would come far too quickly for Finley if she didn’t get her mind back on stocking the liquor and supplies. She still had to make sure that the dance club and the VIP loft were fully stocked before she could go up to her apartment to change into her work clothes. Being able to convert part of the building into her living space had been a convenience she couldn’t live without, although it meant she never really left the club behind. Even if she wasn’t working, she was there, which had probably contributed to her burn out.
Flicking the deadbolt to unlock, she pushed the heavy door open for Savannah, her mind still thinking about Liam and the flowers. She didn’t register that there was someone standing on the other side of the door until she heard her friend speak. Figuring it was just a patron or another one of the annoying salespeople that had been stopping by all week she didn’t bother to look up until Savannah started to stutter.
“Oh. I’m sorry, but the club isn’t open…h..h..h…holy crap, your Liam Crawford…”
The minute Finley’s eyes met his, her heart followed Savannah’s lead and started to flutter in her chest. It was ridiculous. He was just another man; one who had seen her naked, sure, but that didn’t put him in a class by himself. Lots of guys had seen her naked.
But none of them had seen you vulnerable. There’s a difference, she thought.
“Hi.”
A chill slid down her spine with that simple word. His voice was magic, the deep tone and the slight accent. He smiled then, like he knew how much he was affecting her just by standing there. Finley didn’t want him to know that she was as captivated by him as he seemed to be by her. But it obviously wasn’t something she could hide. She felt her cheeks flush as reality sunk in. Her one-night stand was standing on her doorstep, over a thousand miles away from where he lived. What the hell?
“Wait…oh..oh my god. Seriously, Fin? Why the hell didn’t you tell me that your Liam is Liam Crawford?” Savannah whispered, although Finley was pretty sure it wasn’t really a whisper since she could hear it over the rapid beating of her heart.
The smirk that appeared on Liam’s face proved he’d heard her friend’s question. He was obviously amused by Savannah’s antics, Finley definitely wasn’t. If she had the ability to move, she’d probably run from both of them, instead she found herself with her back plastered
to the heavy metal door, her arms spread out at her sides to hold it open….or to hold herself up, she wasn’t sure.
With both of them staring at her waiting for an answer, Finley started to feel self-conscious which thankfully pissed her off enough to knock her out of her stupor. How did this man affect her like he did? And who the hell was Liam Crawford? A damn good question that she immediately asked them both.
“Seriously?” Savannah asked. “Only one of the most talented actors working today. How could you not know who he is especially since you slept with him? He’s on the cover of magazines and in some of the best movies to have come out in the last couple of years.”
“You know I don’t watch movies unless you force me to. And can we quit talking about him like he’s not right here?”
“So you didn’t know who I was when we met at the gazebo?” Liam asked, finally speaking again.
“No. I had no idea you were an actor, although now that I think about it, I should have assumed you were in the business somehow given where we were. Though, if I’d known you were part of Hollywood, that night would have turned out a lot differently.”
Liam’s smile faltered, but he caught it quick enough that Savannah probably didn’t notice. But Finley did. She’d memorized that smile during their time together. It may have been less than 24 hours, but it was enough to have his smile, his scent and his sexy body burned into her brain. And that voice…that voice had been flitting through her mind since she’d left him Sunday morning.
“Ummmm…well I guess I’ll leave you guys to talk, I’ve got cake to taste and this is getting a bit awkward. Finley, I’ll see you later. Liam, hopefully I’ll get a chance to meet you when there’s a little less tension in the air.”
The last thing Finley wanted was to be alone with him. Or was it the only thing she wanted? She had no idea what to say or do. Liam was an actor. That changed everything, but then it really didn’t. She hadn’t planned on seeing him again and now she had the perfect excuse. Although, she didn’t know what to do about the fact that he was standing on her doorstep. She couldn’t slam the door in his face. That would make her look crazy, plus the door was too damn heavy.
“I hope you don’t mind that I just showed up. Elijah told me how to find you and I couldn’t help myself. I needed to see you again. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and since I didn’t get to say goodbye before you left on Sunday, I had to come.”
Finley felt her mouth open, but nothing came out. She was at a loss. Part of her was angry with Elijah for telling this man where to find her, the rest of her was flattered that he went through the trouble to see her again. But she couldn’t let that change anything. He was still a part of something she said she’d never get wrapped up in again. She just had no idea what to do with the man in front of her.
Liam
“Did you get the flowers?”
“Uh, yeah, they came a little bit ago,” Finley finally said her voice just as sultry as he remembered it. “Thank you. That was really sweet of you, but completely unnecessary.”
Neither one of them spoke right away. Liam wanted to argue with her that the flowers were completely necessary, but he could tell she wasn’t in the mood. In fact, it was getting pretty obvious that she didn’t really want him there. Her arms were no longer out at her sides, instead they were crossed over her chest; her back ramrod straight instead of relaxed liked she’d been when she’d first walked out with her friend.
The silence stretched between them. Finley kicked at the ground in front of her, dust clouding around her black boots. Liam wanted to wait for her to invite him in. He wanted her to make the first move, but he had a feeling she would rather he left her alone. Unfortunately for her, he wasn’t going to do that. From even that small amount of time they spent together, he knew she could be stubborn, but so could he. Giving up on something he wanted was not an option for him.
He hadn’t backed down from a fight yet and he wasn’t planning on starting now.
“Can I come in?”
Not waiting for an answer, Liam brushed past her, making sure his hand skimmed along her arm as he moved into the converted firehouse. The night they met, things changed between them the moment they touched. He hoped the same would happen now that he’d found her again. He wasn’t above using their physical attraction to get closer to her. All he needed was a way in, and then he could do whatever he needed to do to get her to see that there was more between them than just sex. He would show her that there was something between them worth exploring.
He felt it the moment their eyes met for the first time and he knew she felt it too. That night together might have started as a quick wedding hook-up, but somewhere between the second time they fucked and the first time he slowly made love to her a connection was made. There was still a lot they didn’t know about each other, but Liam had gotten a glimpse at the Finley that lived behind the heavy walls she kept around herself. Those walls had lowered a little while they were together, but they were back up now that she was home.
Liam was going to have to work hard to get behind those walls again, to get Finley to let him in. He didn’t know exactly what he was working against. They hadn’t talked much about their baggage even though they talked about their lives growing up. Given her reaction when she found out what he did for a living, it seemed she might have an issue with actors, although her best friend was an actor as was her mother, so he wasn’t sure if it was his profession or him that she had the problem with.
Looking around, Liam appreciated the work Finley had put into remodeling the space. She’d told him a lot about the club during their night together. It was obvious that she was proud of what she’d built, but her love for the club was waning, which he could relate to. The inside of the building was impressive. Aside from a few cosmetic things and the fact that it still said Firehouse 51 on the outside of the building, Liam wouldn’t have even known what the building used to be if she hadn’t told him. With its raised bar and extended dance floor, this one no longer resembled any firehouse he’d ever seen.
The heavy metal door shut behind him, the interior of the large room no longer illuminated by the bright sunlight from outside. Liam didn’t bother to turn around; he could feel Finley behind him, her eyes focused on him. Part of him wanted to see the look on her face so he could gauge her reaction to him showing up, but he had a feeling she wasn’t all that thrilled to see him and he didn’t want to see that on her face. Instead he walked further into the club continuing to take in the differences.
“Why are you here?” she asked, her voice cracking in the middle of her question.
“I told you. I needed to see you again. You left without saying goodbye…”
“I have a lot I need to do before we open tonight, so if I say goodbye now will you leave?” she interrupted.
Turning around Liam walked toward her, closing the distance between them. Finley had let the door close behind her, but hadn’t moved any further into the building. She leaned against the wall next to the door, her arms crossed over her chest, a mixture of anger and something he couldn’t pinpoint filled her eyes. With a few steps he had her trapped between his body and the wall, he fought the urge to touch her, instead bringing his arms up on either side of her head so she was caged in.
“I told you I needed to see you again. Leaving is not an option. And there won’t be any goodbyes until I’m good and ready. You left me before I was ready to let you go. I think you owe me and I want to collect.”
Standing up straighter, Finley’s arms dropped to her sides. Liam could tell she was fighting the urge to touch him too; he just wasn’t sure if it was the kind of touch he was craving or if she wanted to slap him in the face. It could really go either way and he admittedly deserved a little of both. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, her eyes meeting his. All he wanted to do in that moment was take her against the wall, but that wasn’t what he was supposed to be focusing on. Tension crackled between them, his dick jerked in
his pants as he moved closer to her until their bodies were pressed together completely.
Her breath caught, her eyes fluttering closed. “I don’t owe you anything Liam. It was one night…”
“One amazing night that I want to turn into more. One night where you got so under my skin I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
“It was only a week ago, you’ll forget me eventually.”
“I don’t think so. Tell me you haven’t been thinking about me too Finley.”
“I haven’t…I can’t. I don’t want to keep thinking about you, but I can’t seem to stop. But that doesn’t change anything. I’m here and you’re in L.A., although I’m guessing you’re not there all that often with your job and everything. I can’t be involved in that.”
Liam sighed, “I don’t know what your hang ups are with actors and L.A., but I plan to find out. Either way it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I want to get to know you better. I want to see more of you. I have never felt a connection with anyone like the one I feel with you and I’m not just talking about the physical connection. Although I’m sure you can feel how much I want you pressed against your body right now.”
Finley’s mouth opened then shut quickly.
“Look, I’ll leave you alone for now because you have work to do, but I’ll be back tonight. We will talk about this whether you like it or not. I want to see what there is between us and I know you do too, you just have to talk yourself into it.”
Before she could respond, he leaned in brushing his lips against her forehead. Stepping back, he looked at her one last time before pushing open the door next to them. He hated to leave her, but he didn’t want to interfere with her work. He knew pissing her off wasn’t going to help his cause. He had time before he had to head back to work and he planned on using that time to convince her that he was right. Before he headed back she was going to agree to give them a shot.