“You’re awake.”
“The verdict is still out on that.” She dragged herself to a sitting position.
“I wanted to leave you to sleep longer, but last night you said if you slept past eight the day would be a mess.” He handed her the coffee, and she took it, her fingers brushing against his sending warmth across her body, and she didn’t think it was from the cup she now had her hands wrapped around.
“Thanks, you’re my hero.”
He laughed and perched on the edge of the bed. It had been a while since she’d had a naked man in her room. “I don’t think coffee is heroic exactly.”
“Well, thank you anyway. I certainly appreciate it.”
“So the numbers are sitting steady at forty for tonight, and no rain is predicted.”
“Thank goodness.” She knew he’d spent the week getting the rooftop looking amazing. He’d managed to erect a pergola and string it with lights, and he’d also installed a small bar. She didn’t want all that effort wasted. “I’m actually really looking forward to it.”
“Me too.” He looked at her closely. She was sure she looked like a hot mess. She’d pulled her hair up in a messy bun, and her face was makeup free. “You look exhausted. Are you sure I can’t just pay someone to deliver the food?”
Oh, she was tempted to say yes and she was touched that he had offered, but no, she wouldn’t be accepting.
“No, but I’m going to do an amazing charcuterie board, so I’m going to send you out with a list. You’ll need to go to the cheese shop and the deli. Think you can handle it?”
He shook his head. “You do know I’ve been feeding myself since I was five. A little bit of shopping with a list will not defeat me.”
“Yes, well, I don’t wish to serve Cheerios and mac and cheese from a box.”
He shuddered. “To this day the smell of powdered cheese gives me flashbacks.”
He was joking, of course, but it wasn’t funny. She leaned in and squeezed his forearm. That was a mistake. She should know better than to touch half-naked Liam. “I’m sorry about that.”
“We will not be rehashing my miserable childhood today, gorgeous. This is a happy day. You and I are both successful beyond anything we might have imagined. We’re living in New York, both working for ourselves, both in jobs we love, and now we’re sharing this amazing house. Today we celebrate our friendship and success, okay?”
“Okay.” She gave him her firm agreement. They would do that today, but they needed to talk about the past at some point. Every time she tried to bring it up, he diverted her. “Right, well, you need get out of here so I can get dressed and we can get this show on the road.”
With that he stood, gave her a mock salute, and exited. As she watched his gorgeous back retreat, she wondered how much of that sad sweet boy he used to be was still there in the man.
THEY WERE STANDING in the kitchen half an hour before the party was due to start and Liam stood back to admire all their efforts. There were trays laden with food. She had the cheese and meat boards, trays of bruschetta and arancini, a side of smoked salmon, and a huge pan of paella, and that was just the beginning. Even Georgie had admitted she’d over-catered for forty people, but she had seemed to have fun doing it.
They’d worked side by side all day. Well, mostly she’d given him instructions and he’d followed. He’d shopped and stirred and plated, which he now knew meant arranging the food on the plate. They’d laughed and danced along to music the whole day. There’d been not a cross word, and Liam honestly could not remember a happier day in his life. All the days since he’d moved in seemed to be good days.
“I’m my mother’s daughter. Heaven forbid anyone go home hungry.”
“Heaven forbid.” He smiled. Then he let his gaze fall on Georgie. She’d just come in from changing. She wore a simple back dress that slid off one shoulder to reveal silver straps of a cami. She had large silver hoops in her ears, and her arms were adorned with silver bracelets that jingled together, she wore silver Roman sandals that wound up her sweet calves. His dream girl looked like a dream.
If he’d known back as a kid that a life like this with Georgie was even possible, then he would have dreamed of this with her.
“You look amazing, and you are amazing.”
She blushed, of course she did. That was Georgie.
“Thanks, we make a good team.”
“That we do.”
She leaned in and straightened the collar of his black button-down shirt, her soft fingers brushing his neck. Her lips were a couple of inches away, and he wanted to lean in and taste them.
Liam had insisted on hiring someone to answer the door and bring the trays up and down from the kitchen. He didn’t want them missing their own party because they were working, and just at that moment the waitress, who Georgie knew, walked through from the front of the house.
“I rang, but you didn’t answer.” Okay, saved, or not, by the bell.
Georgie knew the girl from other jobs and introduced Becca to Liam before launching into instructions.
When she was done, he interrupted, “Come on. You and I are going to the roof. I’m sure Becca can handle it.”
He took her hand and led her to the roof that was lit with strings of white fairy lights.
“It’s so pretty,” she said, smiling up at him, her face soft in the glow of the lights. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. This is a team effort.”
He grabbed his phone. “Come on, I wanted to get a photo of just you and me before the masses descend.”
“By masses, I assume you mean our friends.” Her voice was soft and warm, teasing him.
“Of course.” He grinned at her, pulling her under his arm and extending his other to take the selfie. “I can’t remember when we last took a photo together.”
She looked up at him, and he took an impromptu picture before they both turned to the camera and smiled.
“That may be because you’re the world’s most unphotographed man. Such a pity too when you’re so freaking handsome.”
“You think I’m handsome?” He knew she did. He knew he was, but he still wanted to hear her say it.
“Of course, I do because you obviously are. No fishing for compliments, mister. There’ll be a house full of women swarming for your attention soon enough.”
“Will you be jealous?”
“Of course, I will. You’re mine, remember? I always hate sharing you.” She nudged his shoulder.
“Likewise. Makes me wonder why we’re not sitting up here alone tonight? Why are we having his party again?”
He let her step away, and he headed to the bar to pour them each one of the cocktails he’d developed for the evening. It was a twist on a gin fizz and was infused with cucumber.
“Why? Because we’re not recluses and because we want to celebrate our new home and our fabulous New York life,” she said, moving to stack and restack some napkins that looked perfect to him as they were.
“Ah yes, that rings a bell.” He handed her the drink. “To you and me and our fabulous new life.”
“Cheers to that.”
GEORGIE REALIZED her mistake about ten minutes into the party. She should never have put Zach, Alvaro, and Liam on the same spectacular rooftop because no good could come of it. Liam, at least, was well-mannered enough to keep his attitude on a low simmer. Alvaro and Zach not so much.
“That talk with Alvaro didn’t exactly work,” Marnie said as she stood beside her, sucking back a cocktail.
“It would seem not. I shouldn’t have invited him.”
“Maybe he thinks it’s okay to be smoldering and possessive now that he’s off the clock.”
“Yeah, well, it would be, perhaps, if we were actually dating, which we are not now nor will we be as I’ve told him repeatedly.” She sighed.
“True. What about Zach? You dating him?”
“I invited him to Christmas drinks, he flooded my apartment, and we’ve had one drink, well, one dat
e I suppose. Not exactly time to walk down the aisle or be possessive either.”
“You think those two will arm wrestle for you?”
She laughed because she didn’t know what else to do, but it wasn’t funny. Every step she took one or the other of them was right beside her trying to edge the other one out. “This is why I don’t date.”
“Why would you? You have New York’s most eligible new bachelor under your roof and looking at you like you hung the moon.”
She looked across at Liam, and he winked at her. “That’s just Liam.”
“He’s not looking at me like that.” It was true, he wasn’t, and Marnie looked amazing in black tuxedo pants and a sparkly silver top with spiked high heels. She took another sip of her cocktail. Did Marnie have a crush on Liam? Georgie hoped not. She wasn’t sure how she’d cope with the two of them together. Third wheeling with two of her closest friends did not sound fun.
Zach approached and gave her a smile. “I love the new place. It seems like you’ve taken a bad situation and turned it around.”
“I guess so. Though really it was mostly Liam’s doing.”
“Must we talk about Liam?” Zach asked.
“You are at his party,” she reminded him
“Yes, but I came to see you.” He ran a finger up her forearm in a way that she imagined was meant to be suggestive. “And we’ve barely had a moment together.”
Oh, Georgie thought, this is why we can’t have nice things like male friends and parties. “And I’m so pleased that you did. Obviously, I do have to divide my attention between everyone. Have you met my business partner, Marnie?”
Marnie took the bait like the good friend she was, and Georgie made a beeline toward her friends from the No Brides Club. She needed people who weren’t trying to set her up or date her and fast. Unfortunately, after they got over gushing about the house and the food, they were keen to talk about Mr. Temptation.
“He looks even hotter tonight,” Melody said, and they all turned their heads to where Mal and Liam were standing by the bar.
“Subtle, ladies,” Rachel said with a laugh. Georgie couldn’t help but shake her head and laugh along. Her friends were ridiculous. “So, how are the living arrangements going?”
“Perfect actually.”
“Is he still pretty much shirtless all the time?”
She nodded and took a fortifying sip of her drink. “Pretty much. He also makes me coffee, and Tapioca is in love.”
“Just Tapioca?” Rachel elbowed her in the ribs.
She didn’t have to answer because Alvaro joined the group, and for once she wasn’t so sorry about that.
ZACH SIDLED up to the bar, and Liam and Malcolm both plastered smiles across their faces. They were talking with Jaz and Deidre from the office about some new client, and while Liam didn’t much want to talk to Zach, his arrival meant two things. One, they’d stop talking shop, and two, Zach wasn’t talking to Georgie right now. Both were good news in his book.
To be fair, Liam didn’t get the feeling that Georgie was especially enamored with Zach. She never had been fond of men who acted possessive of her, which was why Liam was all the way over here behind the bar letting Alvaro and Zach duke it out.
“Do you need a beer, man?” Liam asked affably and held one up for Zach.
“Sure, thanks,” the other guy said, taking it when Liam slid one his way.
Liam made the introductions and watched as Deidre lit up at the sight of Zach and the news that he was a pilot. What was it with women and flyboys?
A few minutes later, Zach broke away to talk to Liam directly. “So you and Georgie, are you really just roommates?”
He didn’t want to answer that question honestly but he had to. “Georgie is very special to me. Her happiness is the most important thing to me. You think you can make her happy?”
“I, uh . . .” Yeah, the guy was not that confident, that was good. “I’d like a shot.”
“Well, you know you might have to up your game.” Why was he giving the guy advice? That’s right, because he really did want Georgie to be happy and also because he didn’t think the guy actually had that much game to up. He’d had six months to win Georgie over, and he’d taken her out for one drink until the apartment flooded. He wasn’t exactly slick. Maybe Liam could use this to his advantage. If all these guys came on too strong, Georgie would lose interest and fast. “I’ve lived with her only a couple of weeks and I can tell you that you’re not that only guy with his eye on her, and they’re doing more than you are to win her attention.”
Liam tilted his head toward where Georgie stood with a circle of people, including Alvaro who was standing way too close and another couple of guys who were watching her goggle-eyed as she talked. As he was talking to Zach, an idea formed in Liam’s head. If he encouraged these guys to go in hot pursuit, Liam would look like a peaceful mellow guy, which he wasn’t where she was concerned. It was a risk, but he could already see the chest pounding was irritating her. She wanted to be seen for herself not some prize.
There was, after all, a history here and a reason Georgie had joined the No Brides Club. She didn’t want men chasing her. She had her eyes on the prize, and if these guys annoyed her, she’d cut them free. Meanwhile, Liam would be there being kind and patient and ready to pounce.
It was an almost perfect plan.
“Really?” Zach interrupted him.
“One date in a month, Zach?” he asked, his tone saying it was obvious that was a paltry effort.
“I travel for work. And so does she.”
“All I’m saying is that she can’t wait around forever.”
Zach was off like a shot. And a big smile formed on Liam’s face.
“What did you do?” Mal asked. “I know that smile, and it means you’re up to no good.”
“Mal, so cynical. I didn’t do anything.”
Mal turned to follow Liam’s eyeline, which followed Zach toward Georgie.
“Oh yeah, you did.” Mal shook his head. “And I’m not some shmuck, I know you like her and I know you must have a plan to get her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, you wanted me to introduce you to Marnie, here’s your chance.”
Distraction was the name of the game here.
GEORGIE WAS SITTING on a beanbag on the rooftop talking to the last remaining guests who happened to be Mal and Marnie and Rachel. Liam was busy doing a bit of a rooftop tidying with Tapioca dancing at his heels hoping to scam some treats. It turned out Tapioca loved a party a lot.
The party had been a great success. All her friends from work and the No Brides Club and a couple of old friends from the television series who were in town swung by.
She couldn’t help but laugh at how in this crowd she was no longer a celebrity but her old castmates Sasha and Jody were. People had literally done a double take when they’d appeared at the top of the stairs and engulfed Georgie in a hug.
As always, Sasha had flirted with Liam and he’d given as good as he’d gotten. She’d always wondered if something had happened between them back when he’d visited the show and Georgie had been with Hunter. She’d never asked and neither had said and now she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. That felt like a lifetime ago, and so many of her memories from that time had been tarnished by Hunter. Still, when she was with Sasha and Jody who she’d basically grown up with on set, she remembered the good times and the friendships they’d formed and it made her smile.
She’d promised to get out to LA to see them soon. They were each working on dramas based in LA.
“That was a great party,” Rachel said beside her. “You two are a really good team.”
“There’s a lot of history there.”
“I know. And you two never . . .” Her voice dropped away.
“No, just friends.”
“And that’s what you want? To just be friends with Mr. Temptation.” The girls had been calling him that all night, not in earshot of him of course. She gla
nced over at Mal and Marnie who were in a heated discussion about their favorite baseball teams. Not something she and Rachel could really engage in.
“That’s always been fine. But now . . .”
“Now that you’re living together it’s different?” She liked that her friend didn’t make her spell it out.
She bit her lip. “It’s harder for sure. I’ve always had feelings, more of a crush, but I sort of thought it was a hangover from when we were kids and he always looked out for me. He took me to that audition and forced me up on stage. Without Liam, I wouldn’t even have a career.”
“I didn’t know that. That’s amazing.”
“Yeah, he couldn’t wait for me to get out of there. To get rid of me.”
“I don’t think it was like that.” Rachel laughed. “He wanted you to succeed I bet.”
Of course, her friend didn’t know how scared she’d been to get on stage. Or how much she hadn’t wanted to succeed. She hadn’t wanted to leave her home or her family, but she’d done it for him. He needed to see her get out, and so she’d gone off to Hollywood. She didn’t regret it, but what she’d wanted back then was just to be Liam’s girl.
“Well anyway, I guess I just thought it was some girlish fantasy, but now I don’t know if maybe it’s something more.”
“Now you’re wondering if it could be more and you don’t know how he feels at all?”
She nodded, and her eyes followed him around the rooftop, collecting cups and carrying them to the bar. “I know that we’re friends, and I can’t risk that. He doesn’t feel that way about me, I know it.”
“Are you sure?”
The last couple of weeks she’d started to believe maybe there was something between them. On the roof before the party she thought he might have been going to kiss her. She’d hoped he would.
Then tonight she was surprised and disappointed that he’d obviously been encouraging Zach to pursue her. Zach had told her as much, that Liam said if he was interested in Georgie he needed to step up, so she should expect to be hearing from him and soon.
No Time for Temptation (The No Brides Club Book 4) Page 7