Chapter 1 Party Pressure #2
I blink at him. “Do lines like that actually work for you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t usually need lines.”
I start to laugh at how arrogant he is. “Right. Okay,” I mock.
And he watches me, so I stand taller to look for Maddie. I need her to save me right fucking now. My pulse is fluttering in my stomach, and I need to leave. Abort mission. Abort mission.
When I look back at Liam, he raises a questionable eyebrow, saying more with his face than words could.
I swallow the lump in my throat, wondering what’s going to give.
He’s too handsome, too smooth, too magnetic. The kind of guy who probably has a different girl every weekend and thinks commitment is a four-letter word.
Punch me in the stomach and jab my eyes out because I can’t fucking look away.
But I know he’s full of shit. Am I seriously falling for this?
Omg. My sex-deprived smut-reading brain is romanticizing the fuck out of this situation right now. This is all in my head, and I need something to break the ice because he’s looking at me like… I don’t know.
“Let me guess,” I say, trying to regain my footing. “You’re used to girls falling all over themselves when you flash those blue-green eyes, Liam.”
His eyes fall to my lips like he enjoyed hearing his name from my mouth. “I don’t know. Are you falling all over yourself?”
I press my lips together and shake my head. “Not even a little bit.”
“Good,” he says, and there’s something almost relieved in his voice. “I like a challenge.”
I snort. “Trust me, I’m not a challenge you want to take on.”
“Why not?”
Because I’m allergic to drama and heartbreak, and you scream both, I think. Instead, I say, “Because I’m not interested in whatever it is hockey players are selling.”
“And what exactly do you think we’re selling?”
I tick off on my fingers. “Ego, one-night stands, and commitment issues.”
“Ouch.” But he’s grinning. “That’s quite the generalization.”
“Is it wrong?”
He pretends to consider this, tilting his head in a way that draws my attention to the strong line of his jaw. “Well, the ego part is probably fair. We do spend a lot of time having people cheer for us.”
I laugh, considering, but then I catch myself. “And the rest?”
“What if I told you I was the exception?”
I laugh again. I can’t help it. “I’d say that’s exactly what someone who wasn’t the exception would say.”
“Okay.” He takes a sip of his beer, studying me over the bottle. “So what would it take to convince you?”
“To convince me of what?”
“That I’m worth thirty minutes of your time.”
My heart skips at the way he says it. Not pushy or demanding, but like he’s genuinely curious about my answer.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say, but my voice doesn’t sound as certain as I’d like it to.
“Because I play hockey?”
“Because you’re trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
There’s that smirk again.
I stare at him. He’s the kind of trouble that would have me breaking all my carefully constructed rules. The kind that would have me forgetting why those rules exist in the first place.
“The worst kind,” I say instead.
He moves closer, close enough that I can see the depth of blues and greens in his eyes. Close enough to smell that intoxicating scent again. Close enough to make me forget how to breathe properly.
“You know,” he says, his voice lower now, “you’ve been giving me every reason to leave you alone since I walked over here.”
“Maybe you should take the hint.”
“But here’s the thing, Harper with no last name.” He leans in slightly, and I can feel the warmth radiating off his body. “I can’t stop thinking about how much fun it would be to ignore all of them.”
My pulse is racing now, and I’m pretty sure he can tell. This is the moment where I should make my excuses and actually find Maddie. This is where I should stick to my guns and walk away from the gorgeous, charming hockey player who is definitely going to be nothing but trouble.
Instead, I hear myself saying, “What exactly are you suggesting?”
His smile turns slightly wicked. “Nothing too scandalous. Just... ditch this party with me. Go somewhere we can actually hear each other.”
“That sounds suspiciously like a line.”
“Maybe. Does it matter if it’s working?”
I want to say yes, it matters. I want to tell him that I don’t do casual hookups with anyone I just met. I want to stick to my rules and protect my heart and go home to my romance books and live vicariously through those because it’s safe.
But I’m tired of being safe. I’m tired of hiding. And there’s something about Liam Murphy, something beyond the obvious physical attraction, that makes me want to be reckless for once in my carefully controlled life.
So instead of saying any of the sensible things I should say, I down the rest of my wine and look him straight in the eye.
“Fine,” I say, feeling bold and terrified and electric all at once. “One night. No promises, no expectations, no awkward goodbyes.”
His smile could light up the world. “Deal.”
I pull out my phone to text Maddie that I’m leaving, and when I look up, Liam is watching me with an expression I can’t quite read. There’s heat there, definitely, but something else too. Something that looks almost like surprise.
“Having second thoughts?” I ask.
“Never.” He holds out his hand. “Ready to get out of here?”
I look at his outstretched hand, knowing that taking it is probably the worst decision I’ve made in months. Knowing that tomorrow I’ll probably regret whatever happens.
But tonight? Tonight I’m tired of being careful.
I take his hand.