by Jody Holford
“Then I guess I’ll probably see you tomorrow. Please stop calling,” she said.
She heard him say her name as she pressed end. Her phone buzzed almost immediately with a text: You need to get back and deal with the Conroy merger. Dad and I will take care of meeting with the lawyer.
Right. Because she trusted them to handle anything on her behalf and actually share it with her. Not likely.
She’d come to Nashville to find a piece of family history she hadn’t known existed. Maybe, instead, she’d find her backbone where her father and brother were concerned. She turned off her phone and shoved it in her purse.
When she looked up, Liam’s gaze was fixed on her, and a sweet, sexy smile tilted the corners of his lips.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “You turned off your phone.”
She stepped closer. “Yes. I’m tired of interruptions.”
“You okay?” He inched nearer.
“My brother and father will be here tomorrow.”
His lips pressed together in a hard, straight line. “I heard. You have any idea why?”
She nodded. “The lawyer asked them to, I guess.” Still, her father never did anything if he didn’t want to. Something more was at work here.
“Is there a funeral?”
She nodded, her chest tightening. “We aren’t invited. There’s a celebration of life next week but…” She didn’t need to finish the sentence; she wouldn’t be here then. Her life was waiting at home. A strange sensation pushed at her lungs. Her life? Okay, maybe just Addie was waiting for her back in Colorado.
Liam’s eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath. It was difficult not to focus on his mouth, which made it easy to see how quickly he lost his smile.
“Next week? Saturday?”
She nodded, unease creeping up her spine. “Yes. I don’t think I’ll be staying that long.”
Liam leaned on the building, and though they hadn’t been touching each other, she felt the loss of his warmth. “My boss died.”
Isla’s jaw dropped, her heart following. “What? When?”
He stared at her like he was waiting for her to figure out some unknown puzzle. She stepped closer, not even thinking about the fact that they’d known each other less than a day. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, giving him back the comfort he’d given her.
“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” She wondered if they had a third partner in the bar but didn’t ask; she just wanted to soothe him.
Liam’s arms locked around her, bringing their bodies together like aligning stars just waiting to fit perfectly somewhere. The errant thought sent a shiver through her body. Or maybe that was because of the feel of him holding her so tight.
“I’m okay. We weren’t close. It’s sad. It’s just…it’s a coincidence, right? A weird one? His celebration is next week. Saturday.”
She pulled back, looked into his eyes. There was a cloudy storm brewing in them, and she wondered if he was more upset than he said. “It is.” What more could she say? Life was full of weird moments and interconnected paths. For whatever reason, hers had brought her here, to this man. And she was staying only a few days. One of which she had to spend mourning a man she didn’t know, surrounded by men she wasn’t pleased to know at the moment.
“Isla, what’s your last name?”
She smiled at the way he asked so innocently. “Bennett.”
Though she didn’t understand the relief that flashed in his eyes, she felt the exhale.
They stood there, wrapped in each other, and though Isla had never been one to jump, everything about Liam, and maybe the timeline on what they could be to each other in only a few days, pushed her forward.
His broad shoulders and short cropped hair made him look a little dangerous and a whole lot capable. Of many things.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Red?” He tugged on a lock of her hair and gave her a smile that shot fireworks through her blood.
“I was just thinking that I don’t want to waste the day or two I have here thinking about my brother, my dad, or anything else.”
Liam stepped closer. “Seems like you could use a little break from them.”
She laughed at his dead-on assessment. “How is it that you hardly know me and yet you see things other people don’t?”
In her professional life, everyone had the utmost respect for her father and brother. The dynamic duo of the fitness center world. Never mind the long days and nights that Isla spent making things come together. Things like the deal with Conroy Hotels. Her father’s gyms were going to be a part of ten Conroy properties starting in the new year. Thanks to Isla.
Only, no one had thanked her, except Jonathan Conroy, with whom she’d struck the deal. He’d been gracious and kind. A great negotiator. He’d treated her as an equal.
“Maybe it’s because I’m looking so closely,” he said, his voice lowering. Had she moved? Did he? She wasn’t sure, but the front of each of their bodies was touching, and despite the chill in the air, Isla’s skin warmed beneath her layers.
“Hmm. You are looking quite closely,” she said, not intending for her voice to come out so husky.
Liam ran his thumb over her cheek, then back, down over her lower lip. Her knees went loose, and she pressed her hand to his chest. It was hard and solid like the brick wall at her back. But so much hotter. With his jacket open, she pressed her hand to his soft shirt and felt the sleek muscle beneath.
“I like what I see,” he said, his face coming closer.
“Me too,” she whispered. A little too much. Could she blame her overtaxed emotions? Probably not. There was just something about Liam.
The first touch of his lips pushed thoughts of anything other than him, of getting closer, out of her brain. One of his hands threaded through her hair, anchoring her where he wanted so he could slant his mouth over hers, teasing and testing, before diving all the way in.
Isla’s fingers fisted in his shirt, curling the fabric in her palm as she arched to get closer, to take more. Liam gentled the kiss, slowing it down before he leaned back, enough so he could speak but so they were still sharing the same air, their breath mingling and intertwining sort of like their bodies.
“Wow,” he whispered, pressing his brow to hers.
“Yeah. Wow.” Two or three days of doing exactly that didn’t seem like nearly enough.
Liam’s hands ran down her arms, back up, over her shoulders, and then he pulled her close and wrapped his around her, hugging her tight and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Isla sank in. If she could have only a couple days with him, she was going to enjoy every second of it. Which meant blocking out all of the questions and the uncertainty.
When he pulled back, Liam’s eyes were a mix of desire and sweetness. “You like Johnny Cash?”
Isla laughed at the quick change of subject. “The Man in Black? Sure.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” he said, taking her hand again. “Come on.”
She realized as she walked beside him down the cute street, full of history and charm, that she really liked this place. Maybe it was Liam. But it felt like more.
Colorado had always been her home, but she didn’t spend much time enjoying it. While it was beautiful, it didn’t evoke the same sense of calm this little street seemed to. A nagging piece of her brain wondered if it was the place, the man beside her, or being away from her father. When Liam led her to the small museum featuring memorabilia from Johnny Cash’s life, she stopped thinking about her family and focused on enjoying the brief respite from the real world.
Maybe no one would miss her if she took a few extra days and explored Nashville. It certainly felt like the universe wanted her here, with this man, at this time.
Liam squeezed her hand. So she’d explore the city and the part of herself Liam seemed to bring out in her—the Isla she could be if she wasn’t always trying to live up to an unattainable standard. One who actually felt seen.
Cha
pter Six
They’d strolled through Franklin until early afternoon, and Liam couldn’t remember the last day he’d felt so unguarded. He loved baseball, needed it the way he did air. But there were pressures that came with living in the city where he was supposed to pull the home team out of a slump. Something Walter Pennington would, sadly, never get to witness.
There had been a moment of unease, one that nearly swept his knees out from under him, when Isla had mentioned the celebration. There was no way the world was that small, but for a second, his head had spun with possibilities.
Bennett. Not Pennington. He should have told her, then and there, what he did for a living. But today, last night, they felt like a gift. A small bubble of time he could just be himself, let his guard down with a woman who intrigued, offered comfort, stirred his blood, and made him laugh. Worrying about the team could wait.
As he pulled up to The Smiling Elephant, his favorite Thai place, he took her hand over the console. “I’ll run in and get our order. You sure you’re okay with coming back to my place?”
She nodded, the sadness in her eyes shadowing the smile she gave him. “As long as you are. I’m having a wonderful day. Despite the circumstances, I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt so relaxed.”
Liam stroked his thumb over her hand. “Have I mentioned that I’m glad you walked into my bar?”
She reached out and ran her hand over his jaw. He needed a shave, but she didn’t seem to mind the rasp of his days’ worth of growth. “You have. How can it feel like I’ve known you so much longer than I have?”
He didn’t know the answer to that, but he didn’t want the bubble to burst just yet. He just wanted to explore this chemistry he’d never felt before. He leaned forward and kissed her, gently, letting everything else fall away.
“I feel the same,” he said, his forehead resting against hers. He liked the connection. He’d had plenty of hookups in his life, but with his travel schedule and—well, his life, he didn’t make time for more. His priorities had been single focus for years.
Not since his high school girlfriend had he thought so much about the simple pleasures of a woman. Touching her hand, kissing her whenever the mood struck, the scent of her shampoo—which was actually his shampoo, since she’d used his shower. And damn if that didn’t illuminate some possessive instincts.
“You are definitely the highlight of my trip, Mr. Cruz,” she replied. Her eyes teased, but her tone was serious.
“Hmm. Maybe I can get you to extend it just a little more,” he said.
She bit her lip, and he pulled back. Best not to push. She had a lot going on.
“Be right back,” he said.
“Want me to come in?”
He couldn’t think of a single time since signing with the Slammers, or long before, that he hadn’t been recognized in Nashville’s hot spots. He didn’t want to go there. Not right now. He wanted, more than he should, to soak up every minute of time with her that he could. It wasn’t that he loved baseball any less than he had years ago, but he got tired of being asked questions about stats or other players. Even if she didn’t ask him those things, there was a reputation that came with being an all-star. Things highlighted in magazines designed to sell as many lies as possible. It was selfish, but he just wanted her to keep looking at him the way she was now. Before who he was changed how she saw him.
“Nope. You stay here. I’ll be only a minute.”
Liam had ordered the pad Thai, veggie dumplings, and coconut soup with shrimp. When he’d asked Isla if she trusted him to order, she’d said yes without hesitation. He wasn’t sure why that pleased him so much, but it made the attraction even stronger.
Almost every scuffed, well-used table in the place was full. He walked to the cash register, smiling at the wood décor as he always did, and gave his name.
The kid at the counter gave him a nervous glance. “Is it true?”
Liam frowned. Gossip and speculation had been speed demons even before the age of social media, so it was no surprise that people were in the know.
“About the owner?” Liam asked.
The kid nodded. “Yeah.”
“From what I hear, yeah.”
“Sucks, man.”
“Agreed.”
“Order up,” one of the guys in the back called, waving at Liam.
Liam paid and nodded, shook a couple of hands on the way out. His gut cramped, wondering what this meant for his team. For him.
If Isla can push her grief aside for the day, so can you. He wanted today—all of it—with her. Though he knew, full well, the outside world was trying to find its way in today. He’d had to switch his phone to silent because of all the calls, texts, and notifications.
Isla caught his eye as he came back to the vehicle. He opened the passenger door and handed her the food.
“Mind holding this?”
“Mm. It smells delicious.”
Liam leaned in, capturing her mouth in a quick, easy kiss. “So do you,” he murmured against her lips. It was tempting to deepen the kiss, but he made himself pull back. Her eyelids fluttered open, and satisfaction over the somewhat dazed look beat hard against his ribs. He’d never fallen hard and fast for a woman. Probably because you know this one isn’t staying. It could be a stolen pocket of time he’d be able to hang onto.
“I’m going to start eating this from the package soon,” she said, grinning.
Liam laughed. “Right. We should go.”
She watched out the window as they drove through Nashville toward his house. Nerves trickled down his spine as he turned into his long driveway. The Green Hills area was about a half hour from Fairview, where he’d grown up—where his parents still lived. A bit of distance was better or his mother would be showing up with baked goods and dinners more often than she already did.
“Wow. Your house is incredible,” Isla said on a breathy note, her eyes widening as she took in the craftsman-style home.
“Thanks. Like I said, it’s a bit big for one person.” Maybe somewhere inside of him, he’d known he didn’t always want to be single. As much as he loved baseball, it wasn’t the kind of profession that would let him retire at a late age. In truth, coming to the Slammers had been more about just needing to be home than baseball. Despite still being one of the best hitters in the MLB, his body didn’t feel the way it had ten years ago.
“I guess the bar business is good,” she said, laughter in her voice and her gaze.
Liam looked back at the house and pressed the button on his visor for his garage. His gut cramped uncomfortably. This was the first time since they’d met that he felt like he was lying to her, and that went so hard against the grain it felt like he’d given himself splinters. Liam had worked his whole life to avoid scandal and making decisions that would hurt others.
It was easy to get caught up in the lifestyle that could come along with being a professional sports star, but his family had never given him enough breathing space to let him fall from grace. By the time he was old enough to know better, he did. He liked being in the spotlight for good deeds and great plays rather than because he was dating this week’s top model. That coverage could go to his teammates.
Human nature was a funny thing. Even though he didn’t think Isla was the type to judge a book by its cover, or a man by the antics of his friends, he couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t make assumptions. Like you are about her? He’d tell her after dinner. His chest immediately loosened with the decision.
In the garage, she met him at the hood of his truck, and he took the food from her. Other than family and guy friends—mostly guys from the team—he hadn’t had anyone here. No women. Nerves ricocheted in his chest. Don’t attach more meaning to it. She’s not even staying. Now that he’d put the concern to rest over who her grandfather was, he wanted her to stay more than ever.
Opening the door that led from the garage into a huge family-style kitchen, he tilted his head so Isla would go first.
“Oh my
goodness. Liam, this is like something out of a magazine. Do you cook?” She turned around, her eyes moving over every detail. Pride suffused him. Setting the takeout bag down on the granite top of the island that was perfect for sitting and working around, he leaned against it.
“I do. My family loves to cook. Insisted we learn. I’m nowhere near as good as Tal, but I can hold my own.”
Pushing off the counter, he came up behind her where she was looking out the wide picture window over the undermount kitchen sink. Resting his hands on her shoulders, liking the soft feel of her flesh under his hands, he did something out of the norm.
“If you stay, I could cook you dinner,” he said.
Isla turned. “You mean tonight?” Her eyes were such a unique shade of green. Or maybe they weren’t. Maybe he just found everything about her interesting and unique. Invigorating. Maybe she was the first woman to stop and make him wonder about something so small.
“Tonight.” He shrugged. His gut clenched, but he spoke the words on his tongue. He was no coward. “Tomorrow night. Maybe the next.”
Her lips tipped up one corner at a time, and her eyes became playful.
“That’s quite the invitation,” she said, her arms coming up around his neck.
Take it. The words bounced around in his head. He’d tell her who he was, hope like hell it changed nothing, and they could take a few days to enjoy each other.
“There’s a lot more of Nashville to see,” he added.
“Why don’t we eat? I’m starving, and you can tell me what else you’re interested in showing me,” Isla said.
Liam’s blood heated to the point of needing to take a deep breath. Damn. The woman had no idea how alluring she was. She probably also had no idea how many things he’d be interested in showing her.
Her gaze came back to his, her hands pausing on the plastic white takeout bag. Pulling her lip between her teeth, making him want to kiss her, her cheeks flushed.
“Um, I meant—”
Liam held up a hand for his own sanity. “I know what you meant, Red. Let me get some plates. We can eat in the living room.”