Chapter 25 #2
His brow furrowed, a pulse beat in his cheek like a metronome. The amber flecks of his eyes glittered as he leaned closer, giving me a hint of his expensive, citrusy cologne. He was so close I could hear the brush of his t-shirt against his chest as it rose and fell with each breath he took.
“I said what I had to say earlier. He’s not coming to the dinner.”
“Just because he doesn’t get along with your best friend, who isn’t even coming to the dinner by the way, that’s not enough reason to uninvite him.
” Raising a brow, I waited for him to respond, but all I got was a narrowed gaze that dared me to continue arguing.
So, I did. “I’ve worked too hard on this dinner, getting sponsors who can make a difference to this town and our charity, to tell someone who is giving us a massive amount of money that neither he nor his cash are wanted. ”
“They’re not, and I’m sure if I told Nate he’d make up the shortfall.” He leaned forward into my space. “How much is he in for?”
“That’s not the point, Liam!” I threw my hands into the air. “It’s just not professional.”
“Like he knows anything about professionalism. He’s a dick and I don’t want him at an event I’m hosting.” He started to walk away, waving a dismissive hand. “That’s the end of it.”
He picked up the lasagna dish and when he slammed it down next to the hob, I startled.
“Do you have to be so damn angry?”
When he turned to face me, there was anger in his eyes, and his hands were curled into loose fists. “I’m angry because you won’t listen when I tell you that man is not the sort of person we want connected to the cooperative or more importantly this town.”
“Why?” I asked, my voice rising to a dangerously high note.
“All you need to know is that he’s not a good man and we do not need his money.” He moved to the sink and started to run water into it, adding dish soap. As he dropped a plate into the water, I grabbed a tea towel. “You don’t need to do that. Let them drain.”
“Stop being so damn grumpy and let me dry the damn dishes.”
“A lot of damns there, Charity,” he muttered.
“Yeah, well you’re annoying enough to make a nun curse.” I held my hand out ready for the dish he was washing. When he placed it on the drainer instead, I whipped the towel at his ass. “Stop being childish.”
“I’m not.” He rubbed a palm against his backside. “That hurt.”
“Don’t be so ridiculous. I barely touched you and you’re just saying that because I won’t back down and agree to some ridiculous request you have because your friend doesn’t like someone.” I rolled my eyes. “So childish.”
“I’m not, I’m just being honest about the kind of man he is,” he protested.
“You’re not, though. I have no idea what kind of man he is, just that you say he’s not a good one.”
“He’s a fucking controlling dick, that’s what he is.
He made Nate’s sister’s life a misery for the two years he dated her.
She lost herself because of that man. He controlled her finances, sucked the damn joy from her, and she’s still not truly back to herself even after three years.
” He grabbed the tea towel from me, wiped his hands on it and then threw it to one side.
“That’s why I don’t want him at the dinner.
And I’ll be totally honest with you, Charity, if he turns up, I may just punch him on the fucking nose. ”
Everything clicked into place. It was clear that he cared about people, I only had to think about what he’d done for Faith, but I was also a professional.
“Liam, I totally understand why you feel that way about him. I do. And I agree he sounds like a despicable man, and I remember Nellie from when we were kids. She was so happy and fun, so him taking that from her is terrible, but I can’t make a business decision based on that.”
Liam’s eyes went as wide as side plates. “Are you saying you’re condoning what he’s done then?”
“Did you not hear me say he sounds despicable?”
He gave a half shrug. “You said the words, but…”
“There is no but regarding what he’s done. The but is that it would seem wholly unprofessional and could be damaging to this town if we now tell him he can’t attend.”
“He’s not professional, so why should we care about him thinking we are?”
“I care.” I stabbed a finger against my chest. “I care because I care about the people who have put effort into the evening. I care about the town, and I know it’s not going to be nice to have him there, but maybe we can use the event and his money for good.
We could use it to promote Mrs. Rodriguez and her project.
” An idea was starting to form. A tiny little ball of a thought was snowballing into a boulder.
Liam tilted his head, clearly catching a thread of what I was thinking. “We already have a designated charity. Besides, Nate wouldn’t agree to that, seeing as he’s a sponsor of Mrs. R’s project.”
“Oh, okay,” I said thinking quickly. “So, why don’t we use the money that Whitfield will donate and announce the cooperative’s alliance with a new smaller charity.” I was getting excited about the idea. In my head, I thought it was a positive way for both of us to feel satisfied with the outcome.
“We can’t just do that, we have to run it past the rest of the cooperative.” He shook his head. “No, Charity, I admire your thinking but no.”
“Just like that you’re saying no.” Pressing my fingertips to my temples I was close to screaming. The pressure was building in my chest, ready to burst. “God, why are you so annoying? So damn unbendable.”
“I’m annoying?” He linked his hands behind his neck and groaned. “You’re the most annoying woman I’ve ever had to work with.”
“Yeah, well, lucky me because I have to say I don't think there's anyone more annoying on the planet than you.”
We stood there glaring at each other, both breathing hard like we'd been running instead of arguing in his kitchen. The space between us felt charged, electric—like the air before lightning strikes.
“You are the most stubborn woman I have ever met,” he said, his voice low and rough.
“And you are the most impossible man I've ever had the misfortune to—”
I didn't get to finish the sentence because suddenly his hands were on either side of my face, and his mouth was on mine.
Hard, desperate. Angry. I should have pushed him away, should have told him this was exactly the wrong way to handle an argument, but instead I found myself kissing him back with equal fury.
My hands fisted in his t-shirt, pulling him closer, even as my mind screamed that this was crazy.
His kiss tasted like frustration and need, and something I couldn't name but didn't want to stop.
When his tongue swept against mine, I made a sound that was part gasp, part moan, and he responded by backing me against the kitchen island.
Then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped. We broke apart, both of us breathing raggedly, staring at each other in shock.
“Shit,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Charity, I—”
“That was...” I touched my lips, which were still tingling. “That was unexpected.”
“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—”
“Don't apologize,” I said quickly. “I kissed you back.”
The silence stretched between us, heavy with confusion and want and the weight of what had just happened.
“This is a mess,” he said finally, scrubbing his face with both hands.
“I've been thinking about you constantly since we got back from Dallas. About what happened between us there. About what you mean to me.” He looked at me, something raw and vulnerable in his eyes.
“I told Nate I was falling for you, and he said I needed to stop over thinking and not mess up something that might be good.”
“Liam...”
“But I can't do that here. Not with the dinner hanging over us, not with this argument about Whitfield, and cooperative meetings. Everyone in town will end up watching our every move if we even so much as look at one another. Then there’s the site and those damn remains.”
He leaned against the counter, putting distance between us, but his gaze never wavered.
“In Dallas, we might have been looking for Faith, but mostly it was just us.
You saw parts of me I haven't shown anyone in fourteen years, and it didn't scare you away. But here... everything keeps getting in the way.” He rolled his eyes.
“Even Cole and his damn Donkey, considering he wants me to feed him carrots tomorrow.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I wrapped my arms around myself, understanding exactly what he meant.
“I haven't let anyone get close since Mallory died,” he continued, his voice quieter now.
“Haven't wanted to. But you... you've gotten under my skin, Sunshine. I'm terrified and confused, and I can't think straight. Tonight was supposed to be about us spending more time together, but it’s all gone wrong. It wasn’t what I wanted to say to you.”
“So, what did you want to say?”
“I wanted to tell you how this is huge for me.
Opening up like this, wanting someone in my life again.
I need to know if it's real, for both of us, without all the noise.” He ran a hand through his hair.
“I have a fishing cabin about an hour north of here.
It's quiet, private. No phones, no interruptions, no cooperative dinners, or unwanted guests to argue about.”
My heart stilled for a second. “You want to run away?”
“I want to find out what we are when it's just us. Like it was in Dallas.” His voice was rough with emotion. “I want to see if what I felt there, what we had there, can survive in the real world. But not this real world where everyone has an opinion and obligations that keep pulling us apart. I feel like we deserve to start this with some peace, because I think it’s going to be just as big for you as it is for me.”
He stepped closer, his hand reaching up to touch my cheek. “This weekend? We could leave Friday after work, come back Sunday night. No town drama, no business decisions, just... us. Figuring out if I'm brave enough to let someone matter this much again. If you’ll let me.”
The vulnerability in his voice, the admission of how scared he was, made my heart clench. This wasn't just about physical attraction or getting away from stress. This was about a man who'd lost everything once, taking the biggest risk of his life.
“What do you say, Sunshine? Want to disappear with me for a few days and see what we really are?”
Looking into his eyes, I found hope mixed with terror there.
I nodded. “Okay,” I whispered. “Yes.”
The smile that spread across his face was worth every bit of uncertainty this was sure to bring. Because he was right, we needed to know if this was real, and we couldn't figure that out with the whole world watching.