Chapter 17
Ididn’t step back.
Liam didn’t let go.
One hand smoothed up my spine while the other dove lower to dig into the small of my back.
“You’re glad it’s me?”
His voice did that raspy thing again. And the way he stared at me? Like he could see straight down into the bottom of my soul… Goodness, it was too much. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
Hell, I couldn’t even move.
“Why, Snow, couldn’t wait to be back in my arms?”
“Yes,” I said without thinking. The moment I realized what I’d done, I tried to recover. “No. I meant no.”
Liam’s grin just widened. My poor heart didn’t stand a chance. Beating to an erratic rhythm that showed no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
“Don’t worry, the—”
“There’s someone inside,” I blurted out. “I heard something break when I got here. I was on my way to get security.”
Liam’s body stiffened, and before I realized what was happening, he’d maneuvered us so I was behind him. He reached around and rested his hand on my hip.
“Stay behind me.”
“You can’t go in there.” I squeaked, curling my fingers into his suit jacket. “What if they’re armed?”
Before I could take my next breath, Liam faced me. He cradled my face between his palms and lowered his head to look into my eyes.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” His gaze searched mine. “I swear it, Snow.”
His words were sincere, his stare intense. So, so intense, all I could do was swallow and nod.
Liam’s gaze lingered on mine for a few more beats before his back was to me, and I was tucked in behind him again.
The rational part of me told me to turn around and get security like I’d intended to. But the other part, the part that’d felt safe in this man’s arms, not once but twice today, that part yelled for me to stay right where I was.
So I did.
I held on to his jacket and followed behind him as we carefully made our way to the kitchen. About halfway into our trek, Liam cocked his head to look at me.
“Good?”
“Yes.”
And I was. I was still scared shitless of whatever we might walk into, but somehow, I was okay, too.
Those blue eyes bored into mine, watching me so intently I almost forgot how to breathe. And then, just when I couldn’t take it anymore, he turned his attention back to the front.
I took a deep drag of air to my lungs, then another. On my third breath Liam suddenly stopped walking.
“What the fuck?”
His tone wasn’t angry or even concerned; he was genuinely curious.
Which, of course, made me curious, too.
I peeked out behind his back and saw Rafe impersonating an ice skater with two dish towels under his shoes. His movements were choppy while he furiously tried to mop up the enormous red spill on the floor.
I was still staring when someone snickering caught my attention. Following the sound, my gaze landed on another guy sitting on the countertop. Arms stretched out behind him, he seemed relaxed and amused.
I remembered him from when we’d signed the contract and prenup, but for the life of me, I couldn’t recall his name.
“The fuck are you doing?” Liam’s voice boomed again.
“What does it look like, stupido?” Rafe growled without taking his eyes off his feet. “Cleaning.”
Liam folded his arms in front of his chest. “I can see that. What I don’t understand is why you’re doing it in my apartment.”
“Poker night,” the guy on the countertop provided.
Liam sighed. “Have you lost your damn minds? You can’t just let yourselves in whenever you feel like it. Not anymore. Your little stunt today scared the shit out of Sn…Everlee.”
The way he’d said my name with that delicious British accent had the butterflies in my belly doing somersaults.
“We knocked,” countertop guy’s voice sounded again. “And when no one answered, we figured the coast was clear.”
“Fottuto bastardo.”
I didn’t know what it meant, but judging from Rafe’s tone, it couldn’t have been anything good.
“This is all your doing,” he spat at countertop guy.
“Hey, hey, hey.” The other guy held out his hands and hopped off the counter. “I didn’t tell you to follow me inside or, very rudely, yank the bottle of wine out of my hand. That was all you.” Taking a wide step around Rafe and the mess, he headed to where we stood in the doorway.
With a huge grin, he peeked around Liam’s body. “I don’t think we’ve officially met.” He held out his hand. “Tristan.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rafe shove his middle finger at Tristan’s back while more, what I presumed to be, Italian curses spilled from his lips. A smile tugged at my mouth, and I bit my cheek to keep it from spreading.
“Everlee.”
The moment my palm touched Tristan’s, he flipped my hand and brought my knuckles to his lips. “An honor, Everlee.”
He’d barely delivered his overdramatic words when Liam made an angry noise and shoved at his shoulder. “That’s enough.”
Tristan’s gaze traveled from my hand to Liam, then back to my hand again. A slow, easy smile spread across his face.
“All right, all right, no need to bare your fangs.”
Dropping my hand like it was on fire, Tristan took three big steps back. He glanced at Rafe over his shoulder, and the two shared a meaningful look.
Discomfort flooded my veins. I felt like an intruder in their tight circle. Like I didn’t belong.
Chest tightening to the point of pain, I stepped backward. “I’m just gonna”—taking another step, I threw a thumb over my shoulder—“go.”
Another step and another, then I turned and made my escape. I didn’t get very far. Strong fingers curled around my upper arm and spun me around. I blinked, and Liam was right there, pinning me in place with his deep-blue stare.
“You haven’t had dinner.”
I twisted the stud in my ear. “I had a late lunch with Natalie.”
One of the guys said something, but I couldn’t hear a thing. I was too busy trying not to think about how Liam’s hand slid down my arm to grip my wrist.
His hold was tight but not uncomfortable, and when his thumb slowly moved back and forth over my pulse point, I had to remind myself how to breathe.
“Tristan’s right,” Liam’s low and gravelly voice filtered through the fog. “Late or not, lunch isn’t the last meal of the day.”
“Besides,” Rafe chimed in, “you don’t want to miss Nonna’s famous chicken cacciatore.”
“Stay,” Liam rasped.
His gaze was still locked on mine. So intense, I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. “It’s poker night,” I tried. “I don’t want to intrude.”
Tristan barked out a laugh. “All the more reason to join us. You can be my lucky charm. I’m kinda sick of your husband always taking my money.”
Liam’s grip on my wrist tightened. He took a step forward. Or maybe it was me. I wasn’t sure. All I knew was the distance between us was closing with every pound of my beating heart. And when I took my next breath, Liam’s woodsy scent enveloped me, filling my lungs and teasing my senses.
His lips parted, and when he spoke, it was a soft, almost intimate murmur meant solely for me, “I want you to stay.”
Five words, that’s all they were. And yet, they caused the same devastation as five wrecking balls. My insides were a mess. My head spun. Blood surged through my veins, fast and hot. And my poor heart beat to a rhythm ten times too fast.
All this just because he’d asked me to stay.
How freaking ridiculous.
I should have pulled free from him. I should’ve retreated to the safety of my room like I’d intended, but when I opened my mouth, “Okay,” was the only word that rolled off my tongue.
“Good.” The word rumbled through Liam’s chest. Stormy blue eyes captured mine, and with my next breath his beautiful face inched closer.
Unable to withstand the pull, I leaned in, too. So close, the warmth of his breath tingled my lips.
“It’s gonna be a fun night.”
Tristan smacked his hands together. The sound was so sudden my body jerked. So did Liam’s. He blinked then blinked again before he cleared his throat and dropped my arm as if his hand were on fire.
Another breath, and there was enough space between us to park a truck.
A strange sensation immediately washed over me. Almost like bereavement at the loss of his nearness. Ignoring the silly feeling, I swiped my clammy hands over my thighs and turned my attention to Rafe.
“Let me help with that.”
He was still trying to clean the spill with the dishtowels under his feet, but all he was doing was making a bigger mess.
Without waiting for an answer, I grabbed a mop from the cleaning cupboard and returned to Rafe.
“You’re an angel, thank you.” A sigh of relief rushed out after his words.
I laughed. But then, just as I prepared to soak up the mess, somebody tugged the handle from my grasp and tossed it back to Rafe.
“Clean your own bloody mess, my wife is not your servant.”
Liam’s tone was hard, almost angry. I thought for sure Rafe would take offense or throw some smart-ass remark back. He didn’t. Grinning like the damn Cheshire cat, he yet again shared a look with Tristan that said way more than words ever could.
Unease slammed into me faster than I could blink. My heart raced; my skin prickled. I wanted to run. To hide in my room.
I want you to stay.
Liam’s words whispered in my ears. The butterflies living in the belly woke from their slumber. My world spun, every flutter of their tiny wings churning my insides and twisting my emotions.
He didn’t mean anything by it. I kept telling myself that because allowing myself to believe otherwise for even a fraction of a second could be detrimental to my already bruised and battered heart.
“Hey.” My eyes fluttered, and when my vision went from blurry to focused, Liam was right there staring at me with more concern on his devastatingly handsome face than he had a right to.
“You okay? You look a little…pale.”
I rolled my lips over my teeth. “Yeah. I…uhm…” Taking a breath, I silently begged my heart to stop jackhammering against my ribs. “I just need to get out of these heels.”
Liam’s gaze immediately dropped to my feet. His mouth twitched, and the muscle beneath the scruff on his jaw popped. Teeth digging into his bottom lip, he stared at my feet for a few more moments, then lifted his eyes to meet mine.
Were they darker?
“Get comfortable, we’ve got everything under control in here.”
The manners my mother drove into me demanded I stay and help. I couldn’t do that. Not when this man was making me feel things I was terrified of feeling.
With a quick nod of thanks, I spun around and hurried to the safety of my room. I leaned against the door and pushed a heavy sigh from my lungs.
Get it together, Evie. You can’t cross that line with Liam.
My brain knew this, but my heart? She was way too stubborn to get the message.