"Do you think that makes a difference?" I asked.
He shrugged easily.
"There's no risk of anything going wrong long term," he said, studying me. "You know just as well as I do there's something between us."
I pressed my lips together and looked away. He stepped close. He tipped my chin back towards him with one finger. I glanced into his eyes as they met mine, a bright green.
"I would really like to work with your band," he said, "but I'm not sure I can agree to your demand."
He took another step towards me. I took a step back. I hit the wall. There was nowhere to go. Liam leaned in. The masculine scent, that same woodsy smell that had so overwhelmed my senses that night in the club, washed over me. The heady scent turned me dizzy.
What was I doing, saying no to him? This was the first time I'd felt anything for another man since…
I shook my head internally.
This was such a bad idea.
I stared into Liam's eyes. He leaned forward, his face getting closer to mine. My lips parted unconsciously. His eyes fixated on my mouth. If I didn't do something, he was going to…
Liam flicked his eyes to mine, studying me. He pulled back. I let out a breath of air with a silent whoosh.
"I know your band members convinced you to hire me," he said. "There's no way you would have agreed to let me in the band if they hadn't pressured you. You're too—" he cut himself off.
"What?" I demanded. "What were you going to say?"
"You're too much of narcissist to allow someone who's better than you in the band." He laughed as I narrowed my eyes at him. "But if your bandmates have made the decision then I guess you're stuck with me, aren't you?"
"Don't forget about my rule," I warned. "We keep this professional."
"What if I also have a rule?" he asked.
"What would that be?" I asked.
"I always get what I want." His eyes flashed with wicked heat. "And I want you."
The glint in Liam's eyes, the deep rumble of his voice, was enough to send warmth flooding my system.
It was one thing to know there was an attraction between Liam and I. It was a completely different thing to realize he wasn't going to give up his pursuit.
"I'm not going to give in that easily," I told him.
"I don't expect it to be easy," he said with a crooked smile.
The butterflies in my stomach returned. I opened my mouth but nothing came out.
Liam backed away, releasing me from his hypnotic stare.
"So if I've got the part, I suppose that means I need to meet my new band members?" Liam asked.
"Our drummer and keyboardist aren't here today," I said. "We'll have you come back and meet them in a few days."
"I can be patient," he said.
The double meaning wasn't lost on me.
"You might as well take off now," I said. "I'll call you when we've got a date and time." I held out my phone for him to enter his details into my contacts.
"So this is all just an excuse to get my number?" His eyes twinkled as he thumbed the screen rapidly.
