Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
FOUR WEEKS LATER
“I don’t remember it ever being this hot in D.C.
at the end of June,” Emily said as they rounded the block in her new neighborhood of Adams Morgan, a vibrant area of the city wedged between Woodley Park and Dupont Circle.
“Is the asphalt melting?” She eyed a wisp of steam rising from the road off to their right.
“There are a few benefits of this hot weather.” Liam stopped walking, his gaze falling to her white ribbed tank top.
She peered down at the streaks of sweat dropping into her bra, her breasts practically swelling from the heat. “Funny,” she said with a laugh. “No sexy thoughts yet. Doctor’s orders.” She tightened her arm around his to offer extra support as they began moving again.
“He didn’t say anything about fantasizing, and you know I’ve been in bed for weeks, so how do you think I’ve kept my mind occupied?”
She slipped her sunglasses to the top of her head and looked his way so he could witness her eye roll. A hearty laugh left his lips, and the sound was heaven.
They’d left London two weeks ago, and he’d already improved significantly in that time.
“When you’re better I want to take you there,” she said while pointing to a saloon. “Best whiskey in the area. Not that I drink the stuff, but you and the guys seem to love it. That and beer.”
“Mm. You know me so well.”
And she did, didn’t she? She’d taken the last month off to be with him during recovery, and it’d given them a chance to learn all the other details about each other they hadn’t yet discovered.
Like his love of dipping fries into vanilla ice cream—and then smearing the fry onto her nose before licking the cream off. He claimed it’d be her body next, but the idea of getting sticky was still up for discussion.
Liam’s mom had stayed in London for ten days after he’d woken up, and Emily had promised to visit Sydney as soon as Liam got cleared by the doc.
“I think we should stop now.”
“One more time around the block.” He picked up his pace, and she tugged at his arm, trying to get him to slow down.
“You already pushed yourself hard at PT this morning.”
“Knox took me, so how do you know I pushed myself?”
She’d hated missing the session, but she had to meet with her boss to ask for a few more weeks off. She wasn’t ready to go back to work yet, and since they’d just moved into their new home a week ago, she needed more time to get situated.
“He called me. Says you’re pushing too hard.” She dropped her shades back in place, glimpsing the multicolored row homes off to their left.
“Nah, he’s just worried about losing the bet.”
“What bet?” She stopped walking again and faced him.
He pressed a hand to the top of a gate at his side for support. “As to when I’ll be back on Bravo.”
“Tell me you didn’t partake in—”
“Three months, three weeks. Knox has me at four. So, he’s worried I’m going to win.”
“You’re ready when you’re ready,” she exclaimed.
“But—”
“Don’t even think about arguing with me, and just wait until I see the guys next. There’s going to be hell to pay.”
“So, I shouldn’t tell you about the other bet, I guess.” He smirked.
“Liam James Evans.”
He chuckled. “You know when you use my name like that it only turns me on.”
“Tell me,” she said, struggling to maintain a serious look when she wanted to laugh.
“That I won’t make it the six weeks until the doctor clears me for—”
“Sex?” she rasped. “Tell me you didn’t join in on that bet.”
“Maybe I went for longer.” He lifted both palms in the air but then nearly lost his balance and grabbed the gate at his side again.
“Sure you did.”
“Just talking about it has me horny as fuck.” He tipped his head toward the sky as if he were in pain—well, in the groin area, at least.
“You’re always horny.”
“Like I said before, I’ve had a lot of time to contemplate all of the many positions we’re going to try once I’ve got the OK.”
Geometry. And now maybe she was getting horny, too.
Aside from a slight limp, no one would ever know an RPG had almost ended his life. In ash-gray board shorts and a white tee that showcased the muscles he was worried about losing—not likely—he looked relaxed and so damn sexy.
“Come on, let’s get you back home. If you overdo it too much we might not get to make love in two weeks.”
They began moving on the sidewalk again, and her eyes flitted from the bright electric cars passing on her right and over to him when he’d dropped a soft thank you into the air.
“For what? The sponge baths and massages?”
He gestured toward the wrought-iron bench off to the side of their new place as they neared their home. Our home. Liam’s first permanent address in years.
She helped him sit, and he stretched his legs out, crossing one ankle over the other. One wide-strapped flip-flop nearly falling off in the process.
She interlocked their fingers together between them on the bench.
“Thank you for not giving up on me. Sticking with me through all of this.” The deep timbre of his tone dropped a bit more as if someone applied pressure to his vocal cords. “Putting up with my parents and brothers. All the guys.” He cleared his throat. “Knox told me about the DNR papers, too.”
He hadn’t brought this up before, and part of her hadn’t been sure if Liam had been aware of what had been asked of her.
Her heartbeat picked up, and the heat from the sunrays continued to melt her, her sweat bleeding through the top of the tank. “I didn’t want to agree to let you go, you know.”
“But you would’ve.” He fixed his eyes on hers. “And I know that couldn’t have been easy and—”
“It would’ve been the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she whispered, fighting the tears in her eyes.
“But I love you.” She tried to shrug away the emotions and flicked her wrist. “But thankfully, I knew you were a stubborn ass and wouldn’t leave me.
” She brought her finger beneath the frames.
“And if the situation were ever reverse—”
“Oh, hell no! Extraordinary measures all the way for you.”
“Liam!” She playfully swatted his arm, but when her gaze moved to a man walking by, a young girl atop his shoulders licking ice cream, her hand fell back to her lap.
“Knox told me something at PT today about Elaina.” Liam’s words ripped her focus back to him. “The boys found out that Hans’s project at NORAD is complete, and he just took a gig in Paris. He starts in two weeks.”
“Paris?” No. No. No. “Elaina won’t want to go.”
He unlocked their hands and looped his arm around her side, pulling her in close.
“Liam, you know what she wants.”
“She has us. We Skype all the time.” He paused. “She’ll always have us, but she has a father who wants her, and I don’t know how to compete with blood.”
“Bravo. Echo. They’re not blood. But they’re family.”
“We can be like the cool aunt and uncle, though.”
“Is that what you really want?” she whispered, knowing damn well he felt the same about this as she did.
He lowered his head. “No,” he said, his voice deep. “No, I want more.”