26. Beau
twenty-six
Beau
I blame the headache for my insanity.
Sunk into my favorite velvet couch in the recording studio lobby, I browse the internet on my phone for real estate agents in Phoenix.
In my other hand, I’m holding a half-drank, overpriced strawberry milkshake. Liam gave me a critical look when the delivery guy walked in the door, but he didn’t refuse the shake I’d handed him.
Turns out I was right. Chocolate is his favorite flavor. Didn’t think he’d be a vanilla kind of guy.
There are only two things keeping me from impulsively putting my house on the market. One, my dad lives in Phoenix. Yeah, I haven’t talked to him in months, but it still doesn’t feel right to up and move without reaching out.
And two, I’m not sure if my sudden decision to make my stay permanent will go over well with Liam. I can’t shake the worry that I’m in too deep again. That he’ll wake up one morning and decide he doesn’t want me.
What if I’m in the way? What if he wants Stasi all to himself?
What if’s fucking suck, and they’re not helping my weird mood. Maybe I should have ordered a large milkshake instead of a medium.
I tip my head back and shut my eyes. Selling my house is a wild idea. Wilder than randomly buying a one-way plane ticket to Dallas .
But Stasi’s words are stuck in my head. I don’t want her to feel alone. Even if she decides she doesn’t want to be romantically involved, that won’t stop me from supporting her as a friend.
I want to be at her Saturday morning yoga classes. I want to drink overpriced juices and steal the strawberries from her plate. I want to snuggle on the couch with her and have her womansplain football to me while I fuck up the rules on purpose just to get a rise out of her.
I want to take her on more dates and fall asleep with her in my arms.
Swallowing becomes an effort. Why do we struggle with involuntary actions when we start thinking about them? Are emotions contagious? Because now I’m all up in my feels, and I don’t know how to escape them.
Lifting a hand to my forehead, I rub at the spot that’s throbbing. A hand catches my wrist. When I crack my eyes open, Liam’s standing between my spread legs wearing a frown.
“Another headache?”
“Probably lack of caffeine or sleep,” I mumble.
But there’s the creeping suspicion that something more is going on. Something worse than migraines. The universe seems to enjoy kicking me while I’m down. Why not throw health issues on top of cutting my musical career short?
Liam drops down onto the couch beside me. I quickly close out of my phone, not ready for that conversation.
“Beau.”
My pulse leaps. “Hmm?”
“Take the rest of the day off. Go home and rest.”
“Nah. I’d rather hang out here.”
Liam takes the shake cup out of my hand and sets it on the floor. He repositions me so my head rests on his warm thigh. Emma peeks over from her computer, flashing a quick smile at the two of us. She makes a heart symbol with her hands.
“You can sleep right here,” Liam says. “We’ve got some downtime.”
“What if I refuse?” I waggle my brows.
Eyes glinting with humor, he lowers his voice so only I can hear. “You just want to be punished.”
I smile at him. “So what if I do?”
He strokes his thumb over one of my dimples. “Then you were made for me.”
My heart stutters. I shut my eyes as he explores my features, brushing fingers along the line of my jaw and over the patch of lighter skin I hide under my hair.
I’m satisfied to lie here and let him touch me as long as he wants to.
One second I’m humming in satisfaction, and then next I’m opening my eyes in confusion to an eerily quiet studio, the only light source coming from Liam’s open office door.
Fuck . Did I fall asleep? How the hell did I manage that with musicians coming in and out?
I press the heels of my hands into my eyes. Why am I still so tired?
When I drop my hands away, the room lurches to the side, and my entire body feels like it’s off balance. I cling to the edge of the couch until the spinning sensation fades.
Must be the massive amount of sugar I consumed and the lack of dinner.
I pull out my phone to check the time. There’s a missed text from Stasi.
Did you know it’s Liam’s birthday today?? ?
With a surge of anger, I shove to my feet. Another dizzy spell hits me as I stumble into Liam’s office and find it empty. He left the spare set of keys on his desk with a note to lock up if I decide to come home tonight.
I type out a rapid message to Stasi and send it.
WTF. No, he didn’t tell me shit.
At least I bought him ice cream. Doesn’t make me any less pissed that he didn’t tell me.
I message Liam.
Am I allowed to call you an asshole on your birthday?
He leaves me on read. My fingers fumble over the keys enough times that I get frustrated with a response and pocket my phone.
Snatching the keys off the desk, I lock up and storm toward the Porsche in the dark parking lot, prepared to give him a piece of my mind when I get to his house.
And yeah, maybe my mouth and ass, too.
Stasi’s SUV is parked in the driveway when I pull up. A pang of longing hits me out of nowhere.
No one will be waiting for me at my house back in Phoenix.
Sure, I miss the dry heat and the mountains. I have fond memories there. And yeah, my dad’s there…
But Phoenix doesn’t have them .
Even if Noah called to offer me a second chance with Lithos, even if my headaches and numbness and dizziness magically went away, I don’t like the idea of going back out on tour.
I’ve felt that same rush of excitement working with artists in the studio and spending time with Liam and Stasi as I used to get performing in front of fans.
I should have a talk with Liam .
But first, I’m gonna kick his ass for keeping a secret about his fucking birthday.
The patio door is wide open when I stomp inside the house, a pleasant evening breeze rolling in. I spot Stasi out in the grassy area throwing a frisbee for the dog Liam agreed to house temporarily when no chip was found at the vet.
In other words, he’s now the owner of a pet she's secretly named Cosmo.
Liam’s absent from the outdoor activities, so I carry on with my search. Spinning around toward the stairs, I bump right into his hard chest.
“ You ,” I spit out, squaring up to him.
“ Me .”
“You are a grade A asshole.”
Liam's expression remains neutral. “Old news.”
I try to stand my ground, but he manages to push me back a step. And then another. My ass bumps up against something hard. Whipping my head around, I frown at the dining table that wasn’t there before, accompanied by six gray upholstered chairs.
Nope . I will not be distracted by his random furniture purchases. His recent behavior cannot be analyzed for trends at the moment.
I jab a finger at his chest. “Why didn’t you wake me up? And why didn’t you tell me it’s your birthday?”
His eyes crackle with amusement. “Why does it matter?”
“Because we should celebrate.”
Liam crowds me, and I struggle to hold on to my anger.
“Yeah? How?” His seductive tone has my blood racing and my cock stirring.
“Well, that’s up to you to decide. What do you want? ”
He seals our bodies together. My stomach muscles spasm as they struggle to keep me somewhat upright against his weight as he leans into me. “You really want to know?”
I swallow. “Yeah.”
Lowering his head, he kisses my neck. “I want you to run, Beau.”
My heart stops. When Liam steps back, it takes a few moments for his words to trickle through my sluggish brain. I can see the hard outline of his cock in his jeans.
Oh, hell yeah.
I take off, darting into the formal dining room, half expecting to bump into new furniture there, too.
Liam’s house isn’t big, but it’s laid out in a square with connecting rooms, so I have somewhat of a fighting chance. And if he starts gaining on me, I can just slip out the back door and find somewhere to hide. Maybe in some bushes. Maybe behind Stasi or the dog.
The thought of Liam claiming me in the grass under the stars has blood rushing to my cock. But as much as I want to get caught, I’m enjoying our game of chase.
So much for my anger.
I manage to dodge Liam's capture for several laps, only because he’s not ready to catch me. My breaths are heavy. My head is pounding, but my need for him to fuck me takes priority. I’ll forget about the pain when he’s pounding me into submission.
A dark laugh echoes through the house. “Sounds like you need to do some cardio.”
“Yeah, fuck that,” I shout back.
Glancing behind me, I stumble. Liam’s stalking toward me without a shirt, those lethal muscles flexing. He’s got one hand wrapped around his studded belt to rip it free from his black pants .
Shit . I’m half panicked I’m going to come without even being touched.
Liam breaks into a run, and my heart nearly explodes from my chest. I make it three strides before his arm hooks me. He cradles the side of my head with a hand as he takes me down.
Still, the sudden jolt of his body colliding with mine has my vision blurring. One second, I register that I’m on the floor.
And the next, everything fades to black.