“What are you doing up there?” Liam asks, his tone curious but concerned.
My body reacts to the concern and the caveman role he took barging into my room. He’d look sexy in a loincloth. “Looking for the whiskey.”
“Whoops.”
I stare down at him, and my heart leaps into my throat at the unreadable look on his face. Is he annoyed? Did I scar him for life because boring Emily tried to spice up her sex life?
I turn back to the cupboard and search for the backup bottle. “What emergency did you have that required an entire bottle of whiskey?”
“I’ve had a few lately.” He’s so close. His breath blows hot against the backs of my knees. A flurry of butterflies swirl in my stomach.Relax, Emily. They are just a reaction to the weirdness of the situation. Liam is just a friend.
His fingers curl around my ankle, and his thumb slowly strokes my skin. “Kyle’s a fucking idiot.”
His touch is soft and delicate, intended to be soothing, but my heart thumps an extra beat.
I find a bottle of gin, crack the lid open and tilt it to my lips. With our eyes locked, I gulp a mouthful, the liquid burning down my throat and making me grimace.
Liam grips my hips—his skin soft but searing on my bare flesh—and tugs me toward him. “Get down before you fall.”
I squeal and tumble into his arms, my legs curling around him on instinct.
He carries me into the living room and then drops down onto the couch so that I’m sitting on him, one knee on either side of his hips.
We’ve sat like this many times before, but right now, I can feel every inch of him pressed to my soft folds, only a thin strip of lace and his jeans separating us.
This does not feel like all the other times.
Liam rubs soothing circles up and down my back, hitting the strap of my bra and elastic of my panties each time, reminding me of how naked I am.
“You okay?” he asks.
I’m not sure how to answer. Each sweep of his hand fogs my brain more, and the small amount of clothing between us feels thinner with every passing second.
What the heck, Emily? You just found out your boyfriend cheated on you; you’re supposed to be devastated.
I look down at my chest, mentally taking stock of how my heart feels. It aches—getting cheated on sucks—but it’s not broken. If I really loved Kyle, wouldn’t I be a sobbing mess?
I blink my dry eyes and lift the bottle to my lips again.
I didn’t love Kyle; that is obvious. One night of drinking and the scar on my heart will heal. My self-confidence, on the other hand…
“Am I boring?”
Liam frowns. “What?”
“Nothing.” I clear my throat and sit up, suddenly shy. “I’m sorry about what you walked in on.”
Liam’s throat bobs, and his hands slowly glide down and settle on my hips. “I should be the one apologizing.”
“What happened to your date?”
He flexes his fingers against my hips, alternating between a tight squeeze and gentle pressure. “I stood her up.”
“Why?”
He drops his gaze to my mouth and shifts his hips slightly. “My body seems to be very responsive to your new purchases.”
My eyes widen at his confession, and I remember his immediate reaction when he saw me with Ally. I touch the edge of lace, cupping my breast. “This?”
