Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
ANDIE
“ E ight.” Liam tips his head to one side and grins. “Nope. Make that nine.”
After smoothing down my dress, I reach for my glass of water. “I know I’m going to regret asking, but what are you rattling on about?”
“That’s how many men have checked you out tonight.” Liam winks at me and raises an eyebrow.
“Right,” I chuckle and shake my head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m not ridiculous. I’m serious. We’ve been here for just under thirty minutes and nine different men have checked you out. Probably more.”
“Whatever,” I scoff.
“Aaaaand, there’s number 10.”
“Stop it.”
“You don’t believe me?” Liam asks.
“Of course not,” I answer.
He empties the contents of his glass and sets it on a nearby table. His brows pull together in an almost frown. “Why would I make something like that up? ”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you’re you and you enjoy baiting me?”
Cocking his head to one side, he grins, and his eyes have a mischievous glint in them. “I really do.”
I reach across and slide my hand up the back of his arm, and then, “Ouch!” he squeals, and yanks his arm away, rubbing the spot I just pinched.
“Stop teasing me, Liam. You’re supposed to be my date tonight, remember?”
Wearing a guilty smirk, he reaches for my hand. “You’re right, but in my defense, you make it so easy for me to tease you. You always have.”
“So it’s my fault. Of course, it is. What was I thinking?”
“We’re sliding off topic here.” He gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “The fact is, I’ve seen at least ten–nope, now it’s eleven–men check you out in less than thirty minutes. And those are just the ones I’ve caught looking you up and down.”
I breathe out a huff. “You’re so full of cheesy bologna, Liam. I don’t know why I put up with you.”
“Because I’m eye candy and you love me.”
“Oh, right. That makes perfect sense. Thanks for clearing that up for me.”
Liam studies me for a moment and then gives his head a subtle shake. “All right, I’ll prove it to you.” He takes his phone from his pocket and unlocks his screen. “But first, would you mind grabbing me a tonic water from the bar? I need to check on something real quick. Oh, and ask them to put an extra lime wedge in it, okay?”
Rolling my eyes, I give him an exaggerated sigh. “Fine,” I huff teasingly. “I’ll be right back.” I turn on my heels and make my way to the open bar. Exactly how did I let Liam charm me into being my date tonight? Blast his stinking irresistible charm.
Smiling to myself, I stroll to the bar and order two tonic waters, both with an extra wedge of lime. Liam may be too alluring and likable for his own good, but he just ordered the very drink he knew I would choose for myself, a definite nod to our compatible friendship. Making me get our drinks wasn’t a very date-ish thing to do, and since he did promise me he would be the best date I’ve had in years, I plan to razz him about it.
“What can I get for the lady?” the bartender asks with a pleasant smile. His eyes flicker to my left hand and back to my face, his smile growing a bit wider.
“Two tonic waters, each with an extra wedge of lime, please.” His smile falters slightly, but he gives me a polite nod.
“Coming right up,” he says, and then turns to make our drinks. I tap my freshly manicured fingernails on the counter and let my gaze travel around the room. I hate myself for it, but I need to see if Derek and his girlfriend are here. It’s not because I care about him, it’s more that I need to get the initial impact of seeing him again over with. I don’t want to accidentally bump into him unprepared.
“Back of the room, to the left. Near the potted hibiscus.” I swivel my head toward the low rumbling sound, and my eyes clash with the bartender. He sets the two tonic waters in front of me, and squeezes double fresh lime into them. “You’re looking for your ex, right?”
My eyes widen in surprise. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Your ex. He’s standing in the back of the room to the left of the double doors.” He gestures subtly with his chin, and my eyes follow his line of sight. Sure enough, Derek is standing near a hibiscus tree talking to a small group of men. I recognize one of the men who works in the same real estate office as Derek. I think his name is Parker or Peter. Or maybe I’m mixing him up with Spiderman.
I turn back and meet the bartender’s gaze. “You know Derek?” I ask, confused, and also surprised that the bartender knows about Derek and me .
“I know most of the people in the room,” he says with a casual shrug.
“You don’t know me,” I quip. The challenge in my tone is perhaps a bit on the defensive side.
The bartender chuckles and spears me with a heated look. “I wouldn’t mind changing that.” He pauses for a moment before extending a hand to me. “Desmond Strong.”
I look down at his outstretched hand and hesitate before reluctantly placing my hand in his. His fingers close gently around mine.
“My friends call me Dez,” he says as I remove my hand from his grip.
“I’m Andie,” I reply. “My friends call me Andie.”
“I know,” he says confidently.
I raise a dubious brow at him and wait for him to explain. “My company caters several of these events, and I’ve seen you and Derek a few times. He was usually the one who ordered your drinks.”
I tilt my head in a side nod. “Are you this observant with all your customers?”
This earns me a laugh. “I could lie and say it’s part of why I tend my own bar.”
“I prefer the truth.”
“In that case, then no. I’m not this observant with all my customers, only the pretty ones.”
I roll my eyes. “Ugh, you did not just say that!”
He tilts his head back and laughs. “Busted. Okay, the truth is,” his expression softens into something thoughtful. “I do consider you one of the pretty ones,” he winks, “But,” he says quickly when I screw my nose up at him. “I also enjoy watching people and wondering about their stories. Particularly couples. You can learn a lot by watching couples interact with each other. ”
I chuckle. “But how did you know I was scanning the room for Derek?”
“I didn’t.”
My eyebrows pull together. “But you said–”
“Lucky guess,” he says, as one corner of his mouth lifts in a half grin.
A warm hand lands on the small of my back, and Liam steps around to my side. He leans close, allowing his lips to lightly graze the skin just below my ear. The feel of his breath at my ear sends an unexpected shiver down the side of my body.
“Hey, Darlin’, I was starting to worry about you.” He speaks low against my ear, yet loud enough for Desmond to hear.
Dez backs away slightly and gives me a knowing grin before turning his attention to Liam. “You should know better than to send a beautiful woman to order her own drink. If Andie were my date, I’d never leave her side.”
Liam stiffens next to me, and his fingers flex against my back. “Because ordering two drinks wasn’t enough of a clue that she’s not here alone?”
Dez taps his hand against the counter twice and doesn’t even try to conceal the wink he throws in my direction. “Like I said, if she were my date, I wouldn’t leave her side.” He’s addressing Liam but his eyes never leave mine. “Nice chatting with you, Andie. Enjoy your drink.” With those parting words, Dez turns to greet another customer.
“You know him?” Liam asks as he reaches for our drinks and hands me one. He taps his glass against mine in a silent toast before taking a sip.
“No, not exactly. But I think he must know Derek because he knew Derek and I had dated and are broken up now.”
“Guess I’ll have to stop counting the number of guys checking you out and start counting the ones who hit on you instead.”
“Whatever,” I say with an amused chuckle. “He wasn’t hitting on me, he was being friendly. It’s part of his job–I should know, because unlike you, I know the difference between good PR and flirting.”
“Hah! That, my lovely date, is absolutely, one thousand percent false!” Resting an elbow on the bar, he adds, “I happen to be an expert when it comes to flirting. Trust me, he was dipping his toe in and testing the waters. And now, we’re up to twelve men who have checked you out tonight, you heartbreaker, you. Shouldn’t surprise me though, you are a knock-out in that dress!”
“Oh my gosh! You’re such a freaking goofball. How about I start counting the number of women who are checking you out?”
“Oh, Darlin’, I’m not sure anyone could count that high.”
“Of course,” I shake my head and laugh. “What was I thinking?”
Being with Liam is always easy. It’s been this way since we were in high school together. Playful, fun, easy conversation. We’ve always shared a unique kind of affection, as humorous as it is sincere. And we tease each other relentlessly–each dishing it out as willingly as we receive it.
“Come, sit with me for a minute,” Liam says as he gestures to a vacant table. “I want to show you something.”
“Should I be scared?” I nudge him with my elbow. “I feel like I should be scared.”
“I’ll let you be the judge.” He pulls out a chair for me and waits for me to be seated. Then he slides into the chair next to mine and scoots closer. “I’m always fascinated by people’s body language, particularly when it comes to meeting someone of the opposite sex.”
“Oh dear,” I sigh. “Am I about to have another Liam Graham life lesson?”
He gives me a pointed look. “Just hold your sass until you’ve seen the evidence. Think of it as a lesson in flirting. ”
“I don’t need lessons in flirting.”
“Agree to disagree,” he says, dismissing my assertion.
“What?” I press my hand to my chest in mock dismay. “Rude.”
Liam gives me a look that says he dares me to prove him wrong.
“Fine,” I concede. “So what? I’m not great at flirting.”
“Understated, but I’ll accept your concession. Now, can we get on with your lesson?”
“By all means, carry on, wise school master.” I wave my fingers at his phone, and he leans closer so I can see his phone screen.
“Since you appear to doubt my expertise in all things man-related–a foolish mistake on your behalf–I decided to do a little data collection tonight. Consider it research.”
“What kind of research?”
He nods to his phone. “Take a look.”
My gaze shifts to his phone screen, and immediately, my gaze narrows. “You took a video of me walking?”
Liam pauses the video and zooms in on one of the men in the crowd. “Watch this guy’s eyes.” The video resumes in slow motion, and I see the man’s eyes snag on my legs and hold, before making their way up to my face. He seems to make a circle with his eyes–perhaps scanning my face or my hair–before dropping his gaze back to my legs. The eye movements are subtle, but seen in slow motion, there’s no disputing it.
“What the heck?” I rewind the video and study it more closely.
“There’s more,” Liam says and pauses the video again. “Now,” he points to a different man. “Check this one out.” He zooms to give me a closer look, and sure enough, as with the first one, this man’s eyes travel the length of my body. Only this time, he appears to notice my face first, before his gaze travels downward .
“Oh my gosh, that’s freaking crazy.”
“Right?” Liam winks at me.
“Wait a minute,” I say suspiciously. “Is that why you made me go order the drinks? So you could video me?”
Liam shrugs his shoulders. “Data collection, Darlin”. How else was I going to prove my point?”
“You little sneak!” I nudge his shoulder playfully.
“I prefer to think of it as being stealthy rather than sneaky.”
I laugh, “Of course, you do.” I pause for a second, then point to Liam’s phone. “So, what do these eye movements mean? Translation please.”
“I’m not finished yet.” Liam directs my attention back to his phone. He rewinds the video and then zooms in on Desmond’s face. He presses play, but I don’t notice anything peculiar about Dez’s gaze.
“What am I looking at? He’s not checking me out–his eyes aren’t doing anything.”
Liams chuckles. “Woman, are you messing with me, or are you really that blind? The guy’s eyes are glued to your face, and he doesn’t take them off you until you are just about to approach the bar. Watch.” He rewinds and plays the video again. “As soon as you get close enough, he averts his gaze, trying to act nonchalant, like he doesn’t notice you.” Liam plays the segment a third time, and to my amazement, he’s telling the truth.
“Wow, you’re right. But his eyes don’t do that whole down and up thing, like the other two guys.”
“Ahh, so you’re not blind after all.”
“Enlighten me, wise sage. What does all this mean?”
“Okay, exhibit A,” he rewinds to the first example. “This guy notices your legs first. The fact that his eyes linger there means he likes what he sees. Enough so, that he wants to see the rest of the package, so he allows his gaze to drift up your form until he reaches your face. Notice how his head tips slightly before his gaze wanders back down to your legs. The guy’s definitely a leg man, but he wouldn’t have taken a lingering second look unless he found your face attractive too.”
I lean back. “You got all that from a ten-second video?”
Liam chuckles. “Not exactly. After you walked by him, he turned his head to check out your backside. He was out of the frame, so I didn’t capture it on film.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little creepy?”
Liam’s eyebrows shoot up. “Don’t pretend you don’t do the same thing when you check guys out.”
I want to argue the point, but I can’t. There’s some truth to what Liam’s suggesting.
“Now, for exhibit B.” Liam zooms in on the second man. “His eyes scan the area while he’s engaged in a conversation. Probably just curious if there’s anyone more interesting to talk to than his current company.”
I bump Liam with my elbow. “There’s no way you can know that.”
“Maybe not, but I’ve been there myself, so it’s familiar territory. Now, pay attention and stop getting me off track.”
I motion for him to proceed. This is nothing, if not an entertaining way to pass the time. “When you said we were going to people-watch tonight, I had no idea this was hidden up your sleeve.”
Ignoring me, Liam nods to the video. “This guy’s gaze slides right past you at first, but then his eyes jet back and snag on your face. He thinks you're pretty enough that it’s worth checking out the rest of you. You see his eyes travel down the length of you, but notice that as his gaze reaches the floor, something else catches his attention and he aborts. Can’t say for sure what. Someone might have asked him a question or someone else might have walked by, or maybe his phone vibrated in his pocket.”
I shake my head and laugh. “Your imagination amazes me, Liam. I think there’s a more likely explanation. Maybe once he saw the rest of me he decided I wasn’t worth a second glance so he moved on.”
“Impossible.”
I struggle to fight the blush blooming on my cheeks and attempt to dismiss it with a shrug. “Guess we’ll never know, will we? But tell me the truth, do all men do this? Like purposely do that up-and-down eye thing?”
“If you’re asking if guys intentionally check women out, then yes. And women do it too, they’re just more stealth about it. But what I captured on video happened in mere seconds. These men aren’t trying to be creepy, it’s just a thing a man’s eyes do. Half the time, a guy isn’t even aware he’s doing it.”
I raise my brows and start to argue but Liam directs my attention back to his phone.
“Now this guy, he’s far too cool–” Liam adds air quotes around the word cool, “--to risk you catching him looking.”
“Or,” I interrupt, “he doesn’t see anything worth looking at.”
Liam laughs. “Just watch.” He directs my gaze back to the phone. Sure enough, I walk right by this guy, and as soon I pass him, he glances over his shoulder and watches me walk. It’s quick, but the slow motion of Liam’s video picks up on the path of the man’s gaze. “He doesn’t want to be obvious, so he tries to make it look as though he’s scanning the room. By the way, women are masters at this technique.”
I sit back in my seat and smooth a wrinkle out of my navy blue cocktail dress. “This is all fascinating, Liam,” I deadpan. “But maybe, just maybe, you’re reading too much into it.”
Liam gives me an incredulous look. “Are you even for real right now?”
“Why, because I’m challenging your interpretation of the evidence?”
Shaking his head, Liam says, “You know what your problem is? ”
“I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.”
“You don’t recognize flirting when it walks right up to you and slaps you in the face. Maybe if you were better at flirting yourself, you’d recognize it when someone flirts with you.”
My eyebrows shoot to the ceiling. “I see we’re circling back to that. Look, Liam, it’s not that I can’t flirt, it’s just that I’m not great at it. Either that, or I choose the wrong men to flirt with.”
Liam’s light blue eyes scrutinize mine for a moment, then he gives his head a slight shake.
“What? What was that look for?” I ask, my fingers circling around his face.
“Never mind,” he says. “Let’s continue discussing your bartender boyfriend.”
I roll my eyes. “Please. Do continue.”
“Thank you,” he says with mock haughtiness. “As I’ve already pointed out, his focus never leaves your face.”
“Wait, let me guess. That means he didn’t find me interesting enough to bother checking out the rest of me, right?” I nearly cringe hearing the words fall from my mouth, knowing how they make me sound. But this is Liam after all, and he’s safe; however, I admit his little experiment has me completely distracted. I haven’t glanced even once in Derek’s direction. Maybe that’s the whole point of what Liam’s doing.
“Andie,” Liam rubs his temples and exhales in a deep sigh. “You just don’t get it, do you.”
“Get what?”
Liam turns his head at the same time I turn mine, and our gazes lock. We’re so close, there’s barely a breath between us. Liam swallows as his eyes search mine. He’s quiet for a moment before finishing his thought.
“Your bartender boyfriend’s eyes never left your face, because you look ravishing this evening–navy blue really compliments your complexion, by the way–and he didn’t need to see more of you to appreciate your beauty.” Liam’s hand lifts as if he’s about to brush my cheek, but he must second guess himself because he lowers his hand back to his side. “That’s the sign of a man who wants to know you better. Spend time with you. Not merely appreciate how strikingly gorgeous you are.” His words end in a low whisper, and his gaze drifts to my mouth for the briefest second. He gives his head an infinitesimal shake before backing away.
Clearing his throat, he shrugs and says, “Trust me, Andie. That guy was moments away from asking for your number.”
“I suppose it’s a good thing that my date ,” I emphasize the word and point my finger at Liam, “showed up when he did and saved me from such a horrid fate.”
Liam’s brows pull into a frown. “Wait, did you want him to ask for your number?”
Did I? I mean, Desmond was friendly and certainly not bad to look at–handsome even–but honestly, I felt no pull of attraction toward him.
I answer with an affirming chuckle. “No, I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I would have been flattered, and I might have given him my number rather than risk hurting his feelings or making him feel awkward, but that’s all.”
“Wait a minute. You would actually give a guy your number just to keep from hurting his feelings?”
I screw up my face in a grimace. “Yes?” I answer reluctantly.
Liam shakes his head in disbelief. “Woman, have you learned nothing from me in all these years?”
“What? I don’t like making people feel awkward.”
Liam tsks. “So you’d rather give a guy false hope before shooting him down, is that it?”
“Well, no. But what am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to shoot a guy down without hurting his feelings?”
Chuckling, Liam says, “Andie, Andie. What am I going to do with you? When a guy asks for your number, all you have to do is smile at him and tell him you’re already seeing someone. ”
“But what if I’m not seeing someone? That would be lying.”
“But giving a man false hopes isn’t?”
I frown. “I never thought of it that way,”
“Regardless, you’re in luck. You can always tell a man you’re seeing someone and use me as your scapegoat. I make an excellent wingman, just ask Larson, and trust me, I’ll always back you up.”
“Ah. So now you’ve elevated yourself to scapegoat status? What’s next? Knight in shining Armour?”
Liam frowns. “I thought I was already your knight in shining armor.”
I giggle and poke Liam’s shoulder. “Silly me for forgetting.”
This seems to satisfy Liam. Slapping his hand on the table, he slides his chair back and stands. “I believe I promised you I’d dance with you until your legs collapse. So, what d’you say? Are you ready to dance until you drop?”
“I am, but only if you promise to enlighten me more about how men and women check each other out.”
“Aha!” He claps his hands and rubs his palms together. “I’ve captured your curiosity, haven’t I?”
I nod. “You have, you stinker. And I’m afraid I’m going to obsess about it until I know everything you do and more.”
Chuckling, he takes my hand and twirls me onto the dance floor.
We spend the next hour or so laughing and dancing. And now that Liam has planted the seed, I find myself watching everyone a little too closely, studying their eye movements and the dynamics of their body language when they notice someone of the opposite sex.
Great. Liam’s created a monster in me. I must admit he’s correct about women too, although, if you ask me, the women in attendance tonight aren’t nearly as stealthy in their admiration as the men are. Fascinating.
Someone taps me on the back of my shoulder, and I spin around to find Derek standing there. His mouth lifts in a smile when our eyes meet.
“Hey, Andie,” he says, as his eyes drink me in. And oh my gosh, he makes a show of sliding his gaze down the length of me. “You look nice.”
“Thank you,” I say curtly.
He takes note of Liam, who stands stiffly at my side. “You here by yourself tonight?”
“She’s with me,” Liam says, his eyes as cold as ice. I reach for Liam’s arm and rest my fingers on his forearm, before sliding them down to where Liam’s hand is clenched tightly into a fist. I stroke his fingers with my thumb, feeling his tension ease a tiny fraction.
Derek’s eyes follow the movement, and his gaze meets mine again. “Save me a dance?” he says with an amused smirk.
“What do you want, Derek?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Can’t a guy ask a girl to dance?”
“No,” Liam growls before I can answer.
“I’m with Liam, Derek, so no. I won’t be saving a dance for you.”
Derek has the audacity to conceal his laugh with a snort. “Right,” he nods. Just as I feared, Derek doesn’t believe for a moment that Liam and I are here as more than friends. Why should he?
“Where’s your girlfriend?” Liam asks as he loosens his fist and threads his fingers through mine. The movement is intimate and sensual, which catches me by surprise. As close as Liam and I are, we don’t hold hands this way–the way people who are dating do.
Derek’s eyes track the movement, before looking back to me. “She’s not my girlfriend, Andie. She never was.” He says his response to me, even though Liam is the one who asked the question.
Liam scoffs. “So, just a little side piece, then, huh, Derek? A string of one-offs?”
“That’s rich coming from you, of all people,” Derek chuckles and then directs his attention back to me. “Andie, could we talk for a minute?” His eyes flit to Liam, then return to me. “Privately?”
A low sound comes from Liam–a rumble somewhere between a snarl and a growl.
The music slows to a song I don’t recognize, and Liam tugs on my hand. “Excuse us, this is our song.”
Without waiting for a reply, Liam pulls me into his arms. Ignoring Derek's hostile glower, I wrap my hands around Liam’s neck, and we begin swaying to the beat of a tune popular a few decades ago. Liam hums the tune in my ear, and the heat of his breath on my ear does something fluttery to my insides.
“Is he gone?” I whisper.
“No,” Liam whispers back. “He’s watching.” Liam shakes his head and his lips press into a line. “He’s been watching you ever since he arrived.”
“What? No. Why? That doesn’t make any sense.” I start to turn around but Liam stops me.
“Don’t look in his direction, Andie. If you do, he’ll know we’re talking about him and that’s the last thing you want. You want him to think we’re so wrapped up in each other that he’s the last thing on our mind.”
“I don’t get it. It’s been almost a year since our final break up, and he’s the one who freaking cheated on me. Repeatedly, I might add. So why the sudden interest now?”
Liam’s steps slow slightly. “Sleaze-bucket wears the look of a man who knows he messed up and has finally realized what it cost him. Trust me, seeing you with me is driving him insane.”
“I doubt that. He knows you and I are just friends.”
“I know regret when I see it. I know what it’s like to think the grass is greener in someone else’s yard, only to find out it was all just an illusion.”
Liam looks away. His jaw flexes, but he’s quick to school his features and paste on a smile before turning back to me.
“You almost sound like you’re speaking from experience. But in all the years I’ve known you, I can’t think of any of your relationships that lasted more than a couple of months.”
Liam’s brow lifts as he studies me. He says something in a low voice that sounds like, “Only one.” His gaze shifts to somewhere over my shoulder. “Andie, tell me right now if you want to give Derek an opening. If not, then we need to shut the door on him for good.”
Five years is a long time to invest in a relationship only to have it crash and burn, and as much as it hurt when we broke up, I don’t hesitate for a moment before responding. “I don’t want to merely close the door. I want to slam it shut, secure the deadbolt, and throw away the key.”
Liam grins. “Good girl.” He removes one of his hands from my waist and lifts my chin with his thumb and index finger. “I’m going to kiss you. Try not to freak out, okay?”
“Wait. What? Why?”
“Because if you were really my girlfriend, and I was holding you close like this, I most definitely would kiss you.”
“Liam, you and me pretending to be together is one thing, but kissing is next level, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, we should probably have talked this part through before tonight. But hey, it’s just me,” he shrugs his shoulders. “And it’s just a kiss, okay?”
A wave of nerves crash in my stomach, but I manage to squeak out a whisper. “Okay, sure.” Why should I be nervous? I’ve kissed Liam before–plenty of times. We made out all the time in high school. The fact that it was fifteen years ago shouldn’t matter, right?
I mean, it’s just Liam. Just my first love. Just the boy who gave me my first real kiss and taught me how to french kiss. Just the boy who took me to prom two years in a row. Just the boy who carved our initials in the trunk of a noble fir at the top of the canyon. Just the boy who gave me a necklace with a bicycle-built-for-two charm dangling from it, because it reminded him of our first date. Just the boy who wrote me an insanely long letter while serving after-school detention during our junior year. Just the boy who has remained my best friend for the past fifteen years, despite our painful parting when we went our separate ways to attend separate colleges.
It’s just Liam. And like he said, it’s just a kiss.
I school my emotions and prepare for him to kiss me. He slides his hand from my chin to cup the side of my face. I try my best to ignore the shudder I feel in my spine, but when his mouth brushes against mine, my whole world tilts on its axis.
Liam’s lips are soft, his kiss a whisper against my mouth as if he’s experiencing me for the first time. He tugs me closer to him and slowly increases the pressure of his kiss. This isn’t the familiar Liam kiss of fifteen years ago. This is new. A taste, a nip, a tug. Tender. His mouth owns mine. When he pulls away slightly, his gaze drifts from my mouth to my eyes, a look of wonder and shock in his expression. His eyes ask a question–a question I answer by tugging his mouth back to mine.
And then the world around me completely falls away. Disappears. Evaporates into utter oblivion. Our kiss goes from tender and sweet to something heated and intense. He threads his fingers through my hair and draws me more fully against him. When he parts my lips with his, I allow him in, and our tongues slide against each other in a familiar dance. A question needles in the back of my mind. If this kiss is just for show, just to slam the door shut on Derek, then why the need for tongue? It’s not like Derek can see, right?
Yet here we are.
Liam swallows every one of my moans, answering each of them with one of his own as he continues to deepen the kiss. And then, he breaks the kiss with a sharp suddenness that leaves me reeling. His gaze flicks up to meet mine and he clears his throat, then releases me and steps away. I can’t determine if the stunned look on his face is one of shock or horror.
He gives his head a subtle shake and grins. Not the natural, easy grin that belongs to Liam, but a stilted one that could possibly pass as more of a grimace.
“I think that did the trick,” he says, his voice as stiff as his forced smile.
The reminder that this kiss was just part of an act cuts deeper than it should. It was just for show. Pretend.
It’s not real. I repeat the words internally, hoping they take up residence somewhere in my mind because let me tell you, that kiss sure felt real .
Something that feels like disappointment settles in my chest, but I smother the feeling with a false smile of my own–one that doesn’t reach my eyes. A pretend smile to mirror Liam’s, following our very pretend kiss.
It’s fake. It’s fake. It’s fake. If I chant it enough, I’ll believe it.
Liam’s eyes scan the room, landing on everything and everyone but me. Obviously, he’s uncomfortable and possibly just as confused as I am. Confused and wondering what just happened?
And more importantly, what happens now?