Lord almighty.
I clear my throat and hope my nipples aren’t cutting through the fabric of my bikini.
He is a beautiful sight.
All olive-skinned and ripped from head to toe with a six-pack that I’m very partial to running my tongue over.His shoulders and biceps are my favorite, and when he lifts me onto a table to spread my legs, I’m a goner.
Even with two dozen other military guys around him, Liam still stands out to me as the hottest.
He always has.
Always will.
I flop on the sand next to Briar, who has her two babies with her.
“Aren’t you two cute.”I tag the nose of one of them.
“Amelia and Lucas,” Briar says.“Also known as loud and louder.”
To prove the point, Lucas lets out a screech.
Another baby a few feet reacts in the same tone, and it’s like they are communicating with one another when Lucas kicks its legs happily.
“I feel like our babies have a secret language and they’re judging us,” the mother says.
I chuckle.
“Have you met Jessie?”Briar asks.“This is Scarlett and Zara.And that’s Cassy and Trina.”
“Nice to meet you.Can I?”
Briar nods and hands Amelia to me.Bouncing her on my knee, I smile at her gorgeous face.I’ve never wanted to be a mom.That’s not to say I won’t.Naomi says I will change my mind, but I don’t know.I just don’t seem to have the maternal instinct she has.
When she rang this morning and asked how Hollywood was going, I didn’t mention Liam.
“It’s so different from Texas.The beaches are amazing, but the people are crazy, Naomi,” I’d giggled.
“I miss you.Come home.”
I hadn’t told her I wanted to stay.She’d want to know why, and sharing my feelings about Liam just makes me sound pathetic.
At almost twenty-five, I should have gotten over my childhood crush.Except I knew it was more.And clearly, I’m right.
Anyway, that’s not why I left Texas...and she doesn’t need to know that either.It’s a dark secret I have tucked away inside me.
So I played up the Hollywood thing.
“Not sure.If I get an acting job here, I’ll stay.”
“Boo.I guess I knew it was a possibility.Don’t forget me when you’re famous,” Naomi said.“Now, I need to tell you about Adam.”
I listened to her on-again-off-again gossip about her sort of boyfriend and waited for Liam to get back from his run.
It’s strange being here in California in some ways.Aside from Liam, all these faces are unfamiliar to me.They’re all friendly and accepting, and there’s a vibe that my world is changing.A feeling I can’t pin down.Like, I’ll look back in a year and realize everything was happening for a reason.
Right now, I’m living through it.
I glance at Liam down on the sand playing volleyball...but he’s not playing, he’s staring at me.
