“A work associate of mine. Carl Umber, in fact. Not a bad guy, but I doubt you two would hit it off. You would terrify him.”
“I’m really not as feral as you make me out to be.”
“I know that. And honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
I smile as a sudden nervous fluttering starts to spread inside my chest. “You only think that because you don’t know me well enough. Once we spend more time together, you’ll find I’m inundated with a plethora of annoying habits.”
He takes the smallest step forward at my words. “Does that mean we’ll be spending more time together, then?” More delicious jitters have me instinctively shifting backwards, my shoulders brushing up against the door.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it. And I’m sure Juliette would be happy that I’m volunteering to go out on more dates.”
“Yes, I forgot we’re meant to be dating in this scenario.” He takes another step forward, and now we’re toe-to-toe. “Assuming this is indeed a date, I suppose this is when I would tell you that I had a wonderful time.”
I have to crane my neck to meet his eyes. I forgot how tall he is. “And I’d tell you I had a wonderful time, too.”
“I’d thank you for breaking the rules for me. Sneaking out on a work trip and all.”
“Secrets can be fun,” I say, a little breathless.
Liam shifts even closer then, his hands sliding around my waist. His touch is so soft, like he’s afraid I’ll disappear. I can hear myself breathing, and I hear him, too. My skin feels hot beneath my clothes as he continues to gently cage me in against the door. My blood is rushing, and my mind’s spinning. He continues to look down at me, watching me with soft but hazy eyes. It feels like I’m suspended over an abyss that I’m wildly ready to leap into.
“It’s alright,” he says quietly, his hands still gripping my waist. “I can be your secret.”
Not needing to hear anything else, I push up onto my toes and press my lips against his. I inch back a second later to catch his heady gaze, and he doesn’t seem surprised, only relieved. Apparently, he was waiting for me. I flash him the briefest smile, and he answers me with one of his own before swooping down to bring his lips back to mine. His arms weave around me completely—one hand sliding up my spine to palm the nape of my neck, the other encasing my waist to pull my hips flush against his. It feels like sinful heaven, and I don’t want it to stop. He kisses me again, over and over, his mouth warm and disorienting. I drag him forward even more and he follows my lead, effectively pinning me against the door.
I tilt my head up further, and Liam deepens the kiss, sweeping his tongue into my entirely willing mouth. If I thought I wanted more before, it pales in comparison to how ravenous I am now. And that’s why I could almost cry when he slowly leans back a few seconds later, his stormy blue eyes trained on mine as we both struggle to regulate our breathing.
“That was unexpected,” I find myself saying. My voice is velvety and low, sounding very much like a woman in the aftermath of the hottest kiss of her life.
“Sorry,” Liam answers, swallowing as his eyes slowly begin to clear. “I’ve just thought about doing that since the first time I saw you. Since I first heard your voice, really.”
I fail miserably at disguising my grin. “No need to apologize. I clearly enjoyed it.”
“As did I.” He returns my smirk as he gives me a brief kiss and gradually steps back. Breaking free of our self-made fog, we both begin to return to reality. Before I know it, sex god Liam drifts away, leaving behind the lighthearted guy I spent a perfect afternoon with. It’s like sweet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Sexy-Ass Hyde.
“I want to thank you for today, too,” he quickly says. “I think you’re amazing, Winnie. And I understand that the position you’re in is complicated, so whatever you want to do moving forward, just know that I’m in. Whether we’re just friends or friends who...”
“Passionately make out in hallways?” I offer.
Liam gives me a good-humored nod. “Yes, or that. Whichever you choose, I’ll go with it. I just don’t want our time together to be cut shorter than it’s already going to be.”
His words wrap around me like a calming breeze, and it grounds me in a way that feels relaxed and right. He’s not feeding me a line. He’s not telling me what he thinks I want to hear. He wants me for me, in whatever capacity I choose.
“I don’t want that either,” I tell him.
He smiles then, quiet and happy and perfectly reflecting my current feelings.
“Excellent,” he says.
I clear my throat and tuck my somewhat wild hookup hair behind my ears. “Should we go ahead and shake hands now, so you don’t have to go into panic mode about saying goodbye?”
“No, I think I’m just going to slowly back away, so as not to ruin our tender moment.” He does just that and, unfortunately, trips a bit as he goes.
“Afor effort,” I tell him. “Don’t get discouraged.”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll just wait for the elevator now.” He turns around and pushes the button, waiting patiently and rocking back and forth on his heels as he tries not to look at me.
“I’m going to head inside, then,” I say to his back.
