My heart was in my throat. If I had a napkin in my hands it would have been in shreds in seconds. “I know we haven’t discussed it, but we hang out all the time. It wouldn’t be weird if we went together. We don’t have to tell anyone anything. It’d just be hanging out. If you don’t want to it’s okay, I’d understand.”
He smiled and cupped my cheek. “You’re rambling. Of course I’ll go with you. We don’t have to define anything now and we don’t have to tell anyone if you don’t want to.”
I bit my lip. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” He kissed my nose, then crossed the room to bend down and pick up his shoes. I guess one of the upsides about living with him now was I could ogle him at every opportunity without being weird.
I had a feeling it was going to become a habit.
After unmuting the call, I said to Layla, “Count Liam and I in.”
* * *
“You sure you don’t mind going with me?” I asked the next day. “I didn’t get to talk to you much after you got back from the interview.”
I couldn’t read his reaction because his arm was thrown over his face. I tried not to notice that his skin was still slightly damp from his workout. The waistband of his sweats rode dangerously low on his hips, leaving my mouth bone-dry.
To say I was frustrated was an understatement.
That had to be why I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the golden trail of hair dusting his chest and abdomen. It was the only logical explanation for the way my fingers itched to tug down his sweats to see how far down it went. The slight bulge between his legs hadn’t escaped my notice, either, but I was trying to be good. We’d kissed twice now. He’d made me come. I wanted to do both again more than I should and I was only one flex of his abs away from begging.
“I already told you I’d go with you, sweetheart. Besides, we have to do something to celebrate my new job,” Liam said and I managed, barely, to tear my eyes away from the visual feast that was his body. He caught me staring and grinned. “Unless you’d rather stay home instead.”
Heat filled my cheeks and I shifted from foot to foot. “Don’t distract me. Layla would kill me if I didn’t show up.”
He did an ab crunch and his hand shot out to grab my wrist before I could move out of his reach. I squealed as he tugged me down to the bed. “Distract you like this, you mean?”
I should just forget about breathing when he’s this close to me, I decided. His teeth nipped at my lips and my mind went blank. “What?”
Liam chuckled and slapped my butt. “You might wanna go get dressed. We don’t want to be late for our first official date.”
A date. With Liam.
I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around it. The little voice that had kept me from getting too into any guy was drowned out by how right it felt being in his arms. Maybe this level of comfort is what I’d be waiting for this whole time. I didn’t know how things would change once summer came, but for now…for now I wanted to enjoy him.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Liam asked as he rubbed the furrow between my eyes.
“Just how crazy this is.” I was afraid to even say the words. Maybe that’s what had kept me from taking risks in my previous relationships. Why I kept running. I was afraid.
I leapt to my feet and skirted around his bed away from his reach. This could go so wrong. We could come to care for each other and then something could happen and we could break up. These are things I’d hadn’t considered until the second he said date. Somehow being around people now made everything real in a way that it hadn’t been while we were cocooned in our house.
He got to his feet and gripped my biceps. “I’ve got you, Charlie. I’m not going anywhere.”
The knots inside my chest loosened. “I’m being silly.”
“You are if you don’t get your ass in gear and get dressed. I know you don’t want to be late.” Using his grip on me, he drew me closer for another kiss.
I practically floated back to my room, heart going a mile a minute as waves of cool air washed over my heated body. Note to self: drink lots of water and wear something breathable. I tore through my closet hoping to find something that straddled the line between indecent and classy because Layla would absolutely flip if I went out dressed in yoga pants again. Focusing on my appearance distracted me from how my lips still tingled from his kiss.
Well, at least a little bit.
I chose a casual but classy dress in siren red that I'd been too shy to wear with anyone else. It would drive Liam crazy and I liked the thought of making him as wild as he made me. I tugged on the dress and imagined how it would feel when he took it off again. A secret smile painted my lips as I ran my hands over the fabric covering my curves.
It's funny, because I used to make fun of the girls who pranced around dressed to the nines or pretended to be obsessed with his interest. They'd flounce around in baseball jerseys because he was a huge Atlanta Braves fan like Tripp or they'd agree to go four-wheeler riding after a hard rain because he enjoyed getting as dirty as possible while going as fast as possible. I never wanted to do those things. In fact, I vehemently protested whenever he'd drag me along to games or kept me out past dark driving through the thick of the woods. I thought I was better than the girls who vied for his attention because I never tried to be the center of it. I got it now. I wanted his eyes on me, no matter what I had to do to get them there. Even if it meant going a little out of my comfort zone.
I zipped up the dress and buttoned the closure at the back of my neck. The keyhole opening at the front showed off just the barest hint of cleavage and the hem of the dress skimmed my thighs. I couldn't keep a tan to save my life, but my legs were toned from hours of being on my feet at work and it had been a long time since I wanted to show them off. I left my hair down and misted it with product to enhance and define the curls. After a quick touch up on my makeup— nothing too dramatic, just a little eyeliner and mascara to define my eyes—I wandered out of my room in search of Liam.
The memories of the girls who used to drool over him had left me feeling vulnerable. We’d explore whatever this was, but I had to remember to be smart while we did. If push came to love, I’d put our friendship first. Always. Relationships came and went, but what we had was timeless.
“Ready to go?” I asked my feet as I pretended to look for something in the small clutch I’d transferred my wallet and keys to.
He didn’t answer, but I was hardly paying attention. The first thing I was going to do when I got to the bar was drink my weight in screwdrivers. Then I was going to find Layla, console her like I always did when her mother decided to focus attention on her. That should give me enough time to figure out how to deal with this Liam thing.
It took me a few minutes of mental preparation to realize he hadn't answered me, so I looked up, my brows drawn and found him staring at me, his eyes stormy and intense. "You okay?" I asked, clutch and personal miseries forgotten. I'd never seen him look at me quite like that before. It made my stomach twist—though not unpleasantly. If I weren't mistaken, he was looking at me the way a man looks at a woman he wanted, badly.
When I managed to tear my eyes away from his expression, I couldn't help but take in the rest of him and, oh, it got better with every. Single. Inch. He wore an old hat he'd had forever pulled down low over his eyes. It cast a shadow over his face, darkening the blonde five-o'clock shadow on his square jaw. He wore a plaid shirt with pearl snap buttons tucked into a new pair of jeans that fit him like a glove. I'd never had an opinion about pearl snap shirts, but they had instantly become my new favorite thing. I couldn't help but think how good he looked, but that he'd look even better if every stitch of it were on the floor.
I swallowed once, hard, and tried to control my breathing. I tried to speak, but my mouth was too dry to form words so I could only stand with my mouth opening and closing like a befuddled fish.
"You look nice," he said and his voice sounded like I felt. My body didn’t care
about my fears. All it wanted was another tumble on his bed.
“We’d better get going,” I said before we did just that.
The dimple in his cheek winked and I knew he knew just what I’d been thinking.
Chapter Sixteen
Liam
As a college town, Tallahassee, boasted a healthy variety of bars, clubs, and restaurants. A couple years ago, I could be found in any number of them looking for a woman, a good time, or both. But I wasn't as interested in the casual thing as I used to be. Swiping through dating apps or trolling the night life for an easy tumble between the sheets wasn't appealing. Probably because it was just that—easy. Not to say I didn't appreciate a woman who knows what she wants, it had just become hollow. The last time I'd taken a woman home, I felt nothing.
I signaled to the bartender for a beer, hoping to feel a little more nothing. I wasn't sure what was worse. The endless line of women, so many at times their faces blurred together, or the thought of risking it all for a woman like Charlie. Just thinking about it made my hands tremble with nerves. The bartender placed a bottle in front of me. I took it with one hand and paid with the other, tipping generously for the quick service.
I spotted Charlie across the room and downed half my glass to sooth the rawness in my throat. She'd found her friends Layla--a stunning, if aloof, brunette, and Ember a fiery redhead with a mile-wide smile. They were in the middle of an intense discussion by the looks of it and even though I knew I should look away I couldn't.
She'd pulled her dirty blonde hair over one shoulder and I realized there was a matching cutout on the back of her dress that showed the dip of her spine. I'd never been so irritated and turned on at the same time in my life. I downed the rest of my beer and signaled for another. This one would have to last me the rest of the night because there was no way in hell I was going to let her out of my sight looking as good as she does.
I couldn't take my eyes off her if I tried.
It wasn't the dress, though she looked smoking hot in it, all long legs and shining hair streaming down her back. It was the heated looks she kept sending me and the way her eyes would light up when she caught me looking at her from across the room.
Tripp had come along with Ember and sidled up to me with a fresh beer. I accepted without turning away from the view of Charlie laughing with her friends a little ways down the bar. God, she was stunning when she smiled.
“Hey, man. I didn’t know you were gonna be here tonight.”
I managed to pull my eyes away from Charlie for a second to find Tripp standing next to me. A starter on the university baseball team, Tripp had been friends with Charlie’s friend Ember for as long as I’ve known them.
“How’s it goin’? You here with Ember?”
He signaled to the bartender. “I’ll have whatever he’s having. Yeah, she didn’t want to come alone and begged me to tag along. "Something going on between you two?" he nodded to the three girls across the room.
"What's that?"
Tripp accepted a beer from the bartender. "You and Charlie. Something's different there."
"What the hell is this, social hour? We gossiping now?"
"Spring training. I'm going stir crazy so don't blame me. But you're evading the question, which basically tells me all I need to know."
“What the fuck ever,” I said, but we both knew it was just bullshit. I still hadn’t taken my eyes off Charlie.
He slapped me on the shoulder, his focus already on a pretty blonde a couple stools down at the bar. I felt for him almost as much as I did for myself. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knew he had a huge thing for Ember, but she was dating some grad student who kept stringing her along. Tripp spent most of his time drowning in women to pretend he didn't care about her, even though it was obvious to everyone but Ember.
As he moved in on the blonde, I made my way across the room to the girls. I pulled Layla close to press a kiss to her cheek. "Sorry to interrupt," I told them. "I just wanted to make sure this little lady didn’t need a knight in shining armor."
"Thank you, Liam," Layla's eyes were as bright as her smile. "We were just talking about you since you’re applying to vet school next semester. Did you get in? I asked Charlie, but she said she wasn't sure."
"Probably the only thing she doesn't know about you," Ember said, eyes twinkling. I had a feeling she’d cottoned on to the fact that I hovered close to Charlie’s side and had a protective armed around her and propped on the bar.
I could practically feel Charlie vibrating in front of me and it made me want to smile darkly. I’d teased her plenty as friends, but there was a delicious new aspect to teasing her this way. Leaning forward so my lips were just near her ear, I said, “I have a few things to submit for scholarships and I’ve applied to schools here and a couple other places.
“You have?” Charlie asked twisting around to look at me, her eyes wide.
“Congratulations,” Layla exclaimed. “That’s amazing. I’m sure you’re going to do well wherever you go. I can’t believe you haven’t said anything!” she added in Charlie’s direction.
Charlie just took a sip of her fruity drink, but she’d stiffened against me.
Unable to have her be uncomfortable, I placed a soothing hand around her waist, then said, “I haven’t said much about it because I’m still weighing my options. There’s been a lot going on, family wise.”
“I hear you. The twins are driving me crazy. One of them wants to start ballet, the other one wants to start t-ball. With that, school, and my shifts I can barely see straight let alone apply for scholarships,” Ember said, but she smiled. “I don’t know how you do it.”
Layla and Charlie frowned. “What about your parents?” Layla asked.
Ember gestured to the bartender for another drink and made a noncommittal noise in her throat. “They’re both working double shifts. But it’s alright. My neighbors watch the kids when I get a call or have to go to class.”
“Are your parents still giving you a hard time about going back to school to become a paramedic?” I asked Ember.
She glared at Charlie, who shrugged, which caused her shoulders to brush against my chest. I brushed her hair off her shoulder absently and pressed a kiss to the bare skin there.
Layla and Ember shared wide-eyed looks, but Charlie was too dazed by the casual show of affection to notice. I was glad she wasn’t concerned about me kissing her in public. That was progress.
Ember managed to answer despite her surprise. “They don’t understand why I want to go back to school when I’m already making decent money.”
“You mean they’re disappointed you don’t devote all of your time to raising their kids?” Layla corrected.
“We’re family,” Ember replied with a shrug. Her voice cut out and I glanced over my shoulder to see what caught her eye. Tripp and the blonde were in a very passionate lip-lock in a darkened corner. When I glanced back at Ember, a shadow crossed her expression but- it was gone as soon as it appeared. “Besides,” she said with faux cheerfulness, “I like Tillie and Mollie. They keep me entertained when Chris is busy and I’m not working.”
“You know I’m happy to babysit anytime you need help,” Charlie offered.
Charlie’s friends weren’t my besties or anything, but they were sweet girls who mean a lot to Charlie. So when her offer to Ember made the sweet redhead’s sharp green eyes go watery a burst of pride filled my chest. Charlie wasn’t just a good friend to me, she was a good person in general.
“Now she’s making me look bad,” Layla said. “Fine, I’ll help you, too. But I do not change any diapers.”
We all shared a laugh.
“I think you’re safe there,” Ember told her. “The twins were potty trained by two.”
The two of them had broken the somber mood and managed to distract Ember from Tripp escorting his newest lady out of the restaurant. I doubt Charlie had forgotten about my applying to schools, but she had to know that. Right? My goal was to attend a school he
re in Florida, if possible, but I’d go wherever afforded me the best opportunity. It was something we’d need to talk about…later. For now, we had a couple hours, an open bar, and some bad food to distract us.
“Layla,” came a sharp voice that reminded me all too much of a snake. “Layla Lucille Tate!”
I turned to Layla, who unceremoniously downed the rest of her drink. “You’re middle name’s Lucille?” I asked with a grin.
She grimaced. “I hate you.”
“Don’t worry,” Charlie rubbed her arm. “We’ll be right here.”
Layla squared her shoulders and sighed as she crossed the bar area to a woman who must be her infamous mother. She was the spitting image of Layla, only a more severe version. Her dark hair was twisted into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. On Layla the sharp jut of her chin emphasized her fairy-like appearance. On her mother, the sharper edges of her jaw and cheekbones seemed as hard as steel and just as unforgiving.
“What’s the story there?” I asked Charlie, who’d turned to lean her back against my arm on the bar.
Ember rolled her eyes and Charlie said, “Layla’s mom wants her to go into finance, but Layla refuses. She’s wanted to be a teacher her whole life and her mom likes to give her a hard time about it.”
I watched as Layla’s mom pushed her forward with a claw at the small of Layla’s back. A group of fancy suit-types accepted her with fake smiles and her mom beamed proudly. My dad may be overly obsessed with me following in his footsteps, but he’d never treated me like an object or a prize. We didn’t get along about everything, but he loved me in his own way. For the first time in a long time, I felt a shred of tenderness for the old bastard.
Maybe I’d give him a call soon.
“I’m gonna go keep an eye on our girl,” Ember said as she polished off her own drink, leaving Charlie and I alone.
I twisted around until I had her pinned between me and the bar. “Having a good time?” I asked as I took in the rosiness of her lips and wondered if she’d let me kiss her again. If not here, then when we were back at home, alone.
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