Once again, my spare phone jingled from its drawer purgatory, its outdated ringtone jarring.I should answer it.They hadn’t let up.It might have been important.But I couldn’t bring myself to do it.They’d fooled me before.
“No,” I said.“I don’t want to answer it.Let’s go get breakfast.”
Liam’s confusion would have been adorable if he were curious about anything else, but he’d heard that phone ring more than once.He’d seen me refuse to answer.And now he wanted to knowwhy.
He cocked an eyebrow in question.
“Drop it, please,” I gritted out through clenched teeth.Plastering on a smile to keep him from pressing, I added, “I’m starving.You wore me out last night.”
That did the trick.His curious frown morphed into a blinding grin.He pulled me close and pressed a kiss to my temple, setting butterflies loose in my belly.
“Don’t forget this morning,” he murmured.“It might have been quick, but it was pretty damn memorable.”
I snorted and was still laughing as we stepped out onto the sidewalk.Liam kept his arm around me as I locked the door, as if he were afraid to let go for even a moment.And truthfully, I didn’t want him to.Having his arms around me was starting to feel necessary.
“It was pretty memorable,” I admitted.
“An A-plus?”
I barked a laugh.“It might have been, if you hadn’t asked about it.The continued desperation drops your score down to an A-minus.You havegotto stop fishing for compliments.”
“Damn it.”He chuckled, kissing my temple again.“Foiled by my relentless need for feedback.”
I slipped an arm around his waist as we made the quick walk to the diner, savouring his warmth beneath my fingers.
I’d never had this with anyone.This desire for closeness.Sure, I hugged my friends.But I’d never felt this constant pull, this need to touch someone, to reach for them, to be near them.
It was terrifying.
But more than that, it was exhilarating.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Liam said, opening the diner door and ushering me inside.He stopped me as I edged past him, dipping his head to whisper, “Because you look an awful lot like someone who’s thinking about how she’s had half a dozenhigh-qualityorgasms in the last twelve hours.”
I fought back a laugh.“They were decent,” I whispered back.“But let’s not get carried away.You need more practice before I’d start calling them high-quality.”
Liam’s eyebrows shot up, and he opened his mouth with what I’m sure was a protest.
“I’m reserving judgment,” I continued, “until I can do more research.”
His scorching look made heat pool low in my belly.How does he do that?How does he wreck me with a single expression?
Andie rushed past with a tray of food, and I tore my eyes away from Liam.“Hey guys, change of plans.Grab a table if you can find one.I’ll be right over to take your order.”
The diner was filled to capacity.And from the looks of it, Andie was on her own.Considering it wassupposedto be her day off, that was doubly strange.Looked like someone picked up Carter, at least.She’d never have been able to manage all these customersanda three-year-old.
“Damn,” Liam said, taking in the bustling diner.“How long were we in the shower?”
I rolled my eyes at his blatant attempt to distract me.“I wonder if Andie needs any help?”
My instinct was to pitch in and get to work, but I couldn’t see anything that needed doing.Every single table looked happy, something I’d never accomplished in my years of waiting tables.Andie made it look so easy when, in my experience, it was anything but.
“She looks like she’s in the zone,” Liam said, watching her load a tray with more plates.“I don’t think sheneedshelp.”
As we took the last empty table, the door swung open and Greg walked out from the kitchen.Wearing a long apron tied over his dress shirt, vest, and slacks, he looked … capable.The pièce de résistance?Mr.Fluffy perched in a mesh pack on Greg’s back, enthusiastically munching on what looked like a piece of dried meat.
I blinked.
Liam blinked.
