“Not as much as I’d like.”
“We’ll have to work on that.”
The room goes quiet, the moment fraught with tension, and neither of us moves to ease it. We just take it in, letting it fill us up until Liam speaks again.
“Were you going to come over later? There’s a great restaurant around the corner from me that we could go to, or, better yet, we could get takeaway and watch a movie.”
“Are you inviting me to Netflix and chill?” I ask with a small smile.
“Do they haveRobin Hoodon Netflix?”
“I’m sure they do.”
“Then yes, I would very much like to Netflix and chill.”
I let out a quiet laugh and glance down at my feet. “I can’t,” I tell him. “It’s been a long day. I think I’m just going to grab a salad from down the street and call it a night.”
I see a quick flash of vulnerability in Liam’s eyes before he instinctively blinks it away.
“Yes, that makes total sense. Today did err a bit on the tumultuous side, so a rousing historical drama might not be the best choice to help you unwind.”
“Exactly,” I agree gently. I decide not to mention the main reason I need to stay in is that my phone interview for West Lane is due to start in an hour. “Another time, though.”
Liam’s gaze moves to my suitcase, and Ollie’s carrier on the floor. “Absolutely,” he says. “Another time.”
I’m not quite sure how to make the situation better, so I just throw on a strained, bright smile before he heads to the door and opens it. He turns around once he’s in the hallway, and I wonder if I should kiss him or hug him or give him an awkward high five, which he claims to be so famous for.
“Thank you again for driving us today. If Juliette eventually asks how I got there, I swear I won’t rat you out.”
“That’s very kind, though I wouldn’t hesitate to go down in a blaze of glory with you.”
My insides light up a bit at his declaration. He doesn’t want me to go down in flames alone. He wants to stay by my side through Juliette’s wrath. I force myself to push away just how much that means to me as I once again resume my token playful demeanor.
“That’s because you’re both a gentleman and a scholar.”
“True, though I do think I’ve amply proven I’m not quite atotalgentleman.”
His innuendo hits me like a ton of suggestive bricks, but I know I have to resist. Today was heavy, and after everything, the rational part of me knows I should spend the night alone—no matter how vehemently every other part of me disagrees.
“I’m well aware,” I say softly. “Will you text me tomorrow?”
“Of course.” He leans in and kisses my cheek, and I have to physically stop myself from dragging him back into the apartment by the front of his shirt. “Until tomorrow.” He turns then and walks away, disappearing into the stairwell and forgoing waiting for the elevator.
It’s a smooth exit, and no matter how much I don’t want to admit it, I immediately start to miss him.
It’s one o’clock in the morning when I quietly but insistently knock on Liam’s door. It takes less than a minute until it swings open, revealing a tired-looking redhead squinting at me as his eyes adjust to the light. He’s wearing nothing but boxers, and me-oh-my, sleepy, bed-tussled Liam is an absolute jolt to my system.
“I’m sorry to wake you up, but I couldn’t sleep, and I can’t stay long.” I walk past him and into the apartment, whirling around to face him in the darkness when he shuts the door behind me. “Ollie is out cold, but I still don’t feel comfortable being here for more than two hours in case he wakes up. I know you probably think I’m a psycho for showing up here in the middle of the night after you asked me to come over and I said no, but I can’t shake this restless feeling, and I keep thinking about you, and I don’t know, I just had to see you.”
Liam continues to look at me, now seeming more lucid and understanding of the situation.
“Also, this is me rambling,” I then add for good measure. “In case it wasn’t obvious.”
He continues to stay quiet, and I start to think that I just made yet another massive mistake. I’m considering if I should walk or run to the door when Liam is suddenly closing the distance between us, locking me into the most calming hug that I was absolutely craving.
It appears that he needed my touch as much as I needed his, because it’s a solid half minute before we loosen our holds and lean back to look at each other. I breathe in his scent as his comforting presence surrounds me, and I waste no time in rising up on my toes to kiss him. I weave my arms around his neck, and my hands brush up into his hair, so soft and perfect as I run my fingers through it. He deepens the kiss, which I’m all too eager to return as his hands slide down from the small of my back to cup my bottom. He squeezes firmly, and I moan into his mouth. Just kissing him made the cab ride worth it—would have made the trip over here worth it if I ran the whole way instead.
Knowing our time is limited, both tonight and in general, I step back to pull him with me towards the couch. I sit on the cushions, wondering how to best position myself, when Liam pushes me down by my shoulders and instantly covers my body with his. I’m all about it as I steal my arms around his back to drag him even more intimately against me. One of his knees wedges itself between my thighs as his other foot remains on the floor for leverage. I can’t stop myself from rubbing against him, only just obtaining the friction I’m desperate to chase down.
