Chapter 18
Isat at the makeshift poker table in the living room, surrounded by Liam, Rafe, and Tristan. We’d been playing for a couple of hours now, peeking at the cards in my hand, I couldn’t help but grin.
It was a freaking great hand—a pair of kings and two aces.
Liam cleared his throat and shot me a sly smile. “You ready to fold yet, Snow?”
“Fold?” I shook my head. “I think I’ll raise.” Mirroring his smile, I pushed a stack of chips into the center of the table.
There weren’t many things I was good at, but planning events and playing poker were without a doubt my top two. Much to the dismay of the guys I went to college with.
I’d cleaned them out on more than one occasion.
I tapped my fingers on the green felt and flicked my gaze over to Tristan and Rafe.
They exchanged the same glance as earlier in the kitchen. Only this time, it didn’t make me uncomfortable. Somewhere between Rafe’s nonna’s chicken cacciatore and playing poker, I’d relaxed enough to really enjoy their company.
They might have had more money than they knew what to do with, but not one had the ego to match. They were down-to-earth guys who enjoyed good food, good drinks, and good company.
I respected that.
Liam cleared his throat, effectively drawing my attention back to him. Brows raised, blue eyes trained on me, the corner of his mouth curved up as he matched my bet.
I held his gaze and my breath while Rafe revealed the next cards.
A king and an ace, giving me a full house.
I bit my lip in mock concentration and added more chips to the pot. “How about it, boys?”
Tristan grumbled something under his breath and folded. Rafe did the same. Liam, determined not to back down, pushed all his remaining chips into the center.
I met his challenge with a grin. “I guess we’re both all in.” The last of my chips joined his.
Liam smiled; it was big and devastatingly beautiful. My heart made a funny dip, not only because there was no way he could win, but this pull I had to him grew so much stronger the more time I spent in his presence.
It was unnerving.
“Come on, don’t keep us in suspense,” Rafe complained.
With his stormy gaze pinned on me, Liam revealed his cards. He had two pairs, definitely not enough to beat my full house.
A deep laugh rumbled from Tristan’s chest. “Again. She wins again.” His hazel-eyed gaze landed on me. “I thought you said you couldn’t play.”
“I didn’t.” I laughed. “You just assumed.”
“Donna pericolosa,” Rafe muttered and took a long swig of his bourbon.
Unable to keep the smile off my face, I eagerly gathered my chips. “What does that even mean?”
“Dangerous woman,” Liam provided.
His voice was low and raspy, and I couldn’t help but look up. The moment our gazes locked; sweet, delicious tension wrapped around my body. His tongue darted out to wet the corner of his lip, and my freaking blood hummed.
“He’s right. You, Snow, are very dangerous.”
Gosh, this man and whatever power he had over my body was going to be the death of me. Either that or land me in a padded cell. Because when he spoke to me like that, looked at me like that, I could almost believe he wanted me.
What a scary, exhilarating thought.
“Well, it’s no fun having my ass handed to me.”
Tristan slammed his palm on the table. The jolt was just what I needed to snap me out of whatever trance I’d fallen in. “I say we make this more interesting and swap the chips for clothes.”
“No!”
“What?”
Liam and I spoke at the same time.
“The fuck is wrong with you?” he growled at his friend. “We’re not playing strip poker. In fact,” Liam pushed to his feet, “I think it’s time for you to leave.”
“You’re throwing us out?” Tristan sounded incredulous.
“Absolutely.”
Shaking his head, Tristan got up and rounded the table to where I was. He took my hand and had it halfway to his mouth when another one of those angry noises rumbled through Liam’s chest.
Tristan chuckled and shook my hand instead.
“Even I know when it’s time to stop poking the bear. Goodnight, Evie.”
Chewing my cheek, I tried to hide my laugh. “Goodnight.”
It was Rafe’s turn next. He completely ignored the sounds coming from his friend and pulled me to my feet, straight into a hug.
I was stunned for about two seconds before I came to my senses and hugged him back.
“I was right. You’re exactly what he needs.”
I couldn’t ask him what he’d meant. Liam gripped him by the shoulder and yanked him away from me.
Rafe only laughed. And with one last wave, the three men headed for the front door.
I, on the other hand, stood frozen in place. What was I supposed to do? Go to my room? Wait for Liam and say goodnight?
I had no freaking clue.
Things between us had shifted. I just wasn’t sure in which direction.
That uncertainty led me to the kitchen to clean. Covering the leftovers and loading the dishwasher was far safer than unpacking the mixed emotions swirling inside me.
I’d just started rinsing the plates when the hair at the back of my neck stood on end. Chills danced up and down my spine, and my skin prickled.
Liam.
I couldn’t see him, but I knew he was there. Watching me.
My breath caught in my throat. I was torn. One part wanted to turn around, and the other wanted to ignore him until he left.
I didn’t turn around.
And Liam? Well, he didn’t leave like I’d hoped.
Instead, he crossed the room, those long legs eating up the distance between us in a few easy strides. He stopped right next to me, causing every cell inside my body to go haywire.
My feet burned with a fierce desire to get away from this man. While my hands itched with desperation to touch him.
I’d never felt like this before.
Wreaking more havoc on my system, Liam stepped even closer. Close enough for the heat of his body to seep into my pores. Then, just when I thought my heart couldn’t possibly beat any faster or louder, Liam invaded my space and snatched the plate from my hand.
“I’ll do that.”
His fingers brushed against mine. A simple touch. He didn’t even linger. But he might as well have held live wires in his hands. Electricity zipped and zapped up my arm, goosebumps pebbling my skin.
Dragging my palm over the little bumps, I nibbled on my lip. “I don’t mind.”
Liam immediately shook his head and left the plate in the sink so he could roll up his sleeves. Such a small thing to do, and yet my eyes were glued to those long fingers as he folded the fabric just below his elbows.
I shouldn’t have found it so sensual, so sinful. And yet, I couldn’t deny the low tug in my belly or the tingles between my thighs.
I needed help. Serious help. Because who the hell got turned on by a man rolling up his sleeves?
Unaware of the craziness happening inside my body, Liam turned and leaned his hip against the sink. “Did you have a good time tonight?”
“I did.”
The words came easily because they were the truth. The evening had been filled with laughter and conversation, and for the first time in I didn’t even know how long, I’d genuinely enjoyed myself.
“Good.” His lips twitched. “That’s good.”
His gaze captured mine and held. The air shifted. Tension coiled around us, and suddenly, every moment, every breath was charged with meaning.
Again, we moved closer. Like the opposite ends of a magnet.
I breathed him in. His scent so deliciously intoxicating, I swayed a little. His hand came up, the anticipation of his touch excruciating. A sweet, delectable torture that left me yearning for the inevitable.
Only it never came.
Mere inches from my face, Liam balled his hand into a fist and shoved it into his slacks.
“Go to bed, Snow.”
It wasn’t an order but rather a plea. I felt the desperation of it in every cell of my body.
In my dreams, his solemn request wouldn’t have mattered. I would have pushed onto my toes, taken his face in my hands, and kissed him until both of us couldn’t see straight. Hell, in my dreams, he wouldn’t have asked me to leave in the first place.
His hands would have been all over me, giving me more pleasure than my body could handle.
But this wasn’t a dream. It was reality, one in which Liam wanted to touch me but wouldn’t allow himself to.
Ignoring the tight squeeze behind my ribs, I pushed my hair behind my ear and whispered, “Goodnight, Liam.”