Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Audrey
I open the door, my heart pounding against my ribs. Max stands there, his eyes narrowed as he studies my face. “Where the fuck is he?” he demands, his voice sharp and accusatory. “Where is Liam, Audrey?”
Did he hear us kissing? God, what if he knows? It’s obviously none of his business, but I really don’t want my brother to know if I’m fucking his hot friend or not. It’s none of his business, right? My palms start to sweat as anxiety courses through my veins.
A lump forms in my throat as his gaze rakes over me, searching. “Did Liam make you cry? I’m going to kill him.” His fists clench at his sides, and I can see the protective rage simmering beneath his skin.
My fingers instinctively go to my cheeks, wondering if they’re so red he thinks I’ve been crying and not about to let his very hot friend fuck me seven ways to Sunday. I bite my lip, trying to calm my racing heart.
Is there any other reason why he thinks I was crying? I swallow the gasp. Was it my moans? Oh, fuck, what if he heard us? Okay, this is fine, Audrey. Just try to fake something . . . umm, yes, let’s go with you were crying. But why? Why the tear fest?
I recall Lucy’s texts and how upset I got after reading it. And there you go. These are angry tears. Yes, I have the solution. I pretend to clear my eyes with the back of my hand, and I shake my head furiously. “No, no. It’s not like that. Liam would never hurt me—just dragged me into his stupid lies like you four always did ever since I was able to walk.” My voice trembles slightly, adding to the believability of my act.
Relief washes over Max’s features briefly before his jaw ticks again. “Then what’s going on? You’re freaking me out here, Aud. Is it Grandma Cohen?”
“No, no,” I say, almost smiling at my award-winning performance. Quickly, I scroll through my messages with shaky hands until I find Lucy’s scathing words. Holding the phone out, I whisper, “I— I can’t bear to read them aloud again. Not again.” My bottom lip quivers, and I blink rapidly, feigning the onset of fresh tears.
Where’s the applause? I don’t think I’ve ever been so good at coming up with a lie and acting on it just as fast. Well, at work, I come up with plenty of stories when I have to explain to my clients why their bottom line is bad without telling them they’re not very smart at managing their business. Maybe it’s the years of practice. I had never put that experience into my personal life. I’m apparently almost as good as my brother. Perhaps even better if I can fool him.
Max’s eyes blaze as he takes in the messages, his face hardening with each passing second. “Our cousin is a horrible person. If our parents hadn’t raised me to be a gentleman, I would use another word to describe her,” he growls, his voice low and menacing. “Why do you always listen to her bullshit?” He looks at me, confusion and anger warring in his eyes.
“You know how Mom swears I should be like all our cousins and mostly Lucy,” I murmur, feigning hurt. My shoulders slump, and I avert my gaze, selling the lie with every fiber of my being. See, award-winning shit right here.
It’s a lot better than that Thanksgiving play I did back in kindergarten when I was a tree. Dad said I was the best human tree he’d ever seen. But let’s focus on the now and figure out how to get rid of my brother because I want to finish what Liam and I started. My skin tingles at the memory of his touch, and I fight the urge to squirm.
I clear my throat, pushing down the desire that threatens to consume me. “You’ve heard, Mom. Lucy has the career, the husband . . . even the children.” My voice cracks, and I hope Max buys it.
“Screw them.” Max’s arm comes around my shoulders, pulling me into a fierce hug. His warmth envelops me, and for a moment, I almost feel guilty for deceiving him. “You listen to me, okay? Mom is the best, but when it comes to pleasing her family, she’s pretty toxic. The best thing is to ignore her and do your thing.”
I let out a shuddering breath against his chest, letting him believe he’s comforting me. “You’re right, Maxy. You’re always right.” I nod, my face pressed against his shirt, trying to control the grin. It feels so good to be the one pulling the lie, but if he sees me right now he’ll catch me.
“I know,” he says with his big brother voice, as if he’s so wise and saving me. Poor sucker. “And by the way, that Angelina thing you spewed during dinner was pretty shitty.”
I cringe inwardly, regretting my thoughtless jab. “Sorry for bringing her up, but you were just pushing us too hard.” I step back, meeting his gaze, this time looking apologetic—and being sincere about it.
“It’s not like she hurt me—well, she did hurt my pride. But, dude, don’t remind Mom that I’m not going to be part of her plan: marry, have children, and all that shit. That’s what you and Jacob are for.” A wry smirk curves his lips.
“Where is Jake by the way?” I suddenly ask because if we’re going to be dealing with Mom’s family, we should do it with a sibling front. Not just Max and me.
Max shrugs, his shoulders rising and falling with nonchalance. “He said he’d be here on Saturday.”
“And Mom let him?”
“She’s not happy, but what can she do when he’s in another country closing deals.” He rolls his eyes.
I cross my arms and tap my foot. “Where is he, really?”
“At home in New York.” He shrugs again. “You know he’ll do anything to avoid crowds—and Mom’s family.”
“Yet, he lives in one of the busiest places in the world. The irony.” I laugh, but then circle back to something that I want him to stop doing for the remainder of this trip. “Going back to you taking jabs at me. You have to stop.”
“It’s kind of fun to wind you up and . . . funny enough, Liam gets irritated too. That’s a new thing.”
As if he was waiting for just the right moment, footsteps approach from Liam’s bedroom, and my breath catches. Liam emerges, his chest bare and glistening with droplets of water from the shower.
The temptation to reach out and touch him is overwhelming. My eyes shamelessly rake over the ridges of his abdomen, the defined V of his hips disappearing beneath the sweats riding low on his waist. The damp strands of his tousled hair only enhance the rugged, edible appeal. I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry.
Heat licks up my neck as our gazes meet and hold. There’s a scorching intensity there that has become achingly familiar. My heartbeat thrums with reckless want, and I feel a flutter low in my belly.
Max clears his throat loudly, the sound shattering the heated tension. “Are you seriously eye-fucking my sister, asshole?”
I flush hotly, tearing my gaze away from Liam’s tantalizing form. His smirk suggests he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. Bastard.
Liam holds his hands up in surrender, droplets of water trailing down his sculpted abs. “I was just looking at her. She seems distraught. What did you do to her this time?” His tone is light, but there’s an underlying edge to his words.
Max waves the phone displaying Lucy’s cruel messages. “It was some toxic family drama, which needs to stop. We’re supposed to be enjoying this weekend, not dealing with Lucy’s nonsense.”
Liam nods in agreement. “They can be pretty fucked up.”
“They are, aren’t they?” I exhale slowly, finally calming myself from the earlier intensity of our heated kisses and the reckless path we nearly went down. Oh my God, was I really going to have sex with him? That’s crazy . . . isn’t it? I should avoid being alone with him at all costs. My heart races at the thought, a mixture of desire and trepidation coursing through my veins .
“You don’t have to live up to anyone’s bullshit standards but your own.” Liam’s low rumble resonates deep within me.
Calloused fingers graze my arm, raising goose bumps in their wake. I want to kick Max out of the room so we can continue what we were doing, but of course we can’t.
“You’re incredible just as you are.” His eyes, soft and sincere, bore into mine, making my heart skip a beat.
Heat flares in my cheeks at his words, at the tender sincerity in his gaze. I feel a warmth blooming in my chest, a longing to believe him.
Max clears his throat again, breaking the spell, and I step back, flustered.
“Hands off the sister,” he insists gruffly in disapproval. “In fact, I should stay here, and you should go to my place.”
“Audrey? Go to your place? And me being with you for the remainder of my visit?” Liam scoffs, eyes twinkling with mischief. “There are so many reasons why that is such a bad idea. For starters, I don’t think you and I can room together. Remember, that’s exactly why you always stay at a hotel when you go to check on the San Diego branch.” He crosses his arms over his chest, emphasizing the hard planes of his muscles, and I force myself to look away .
“If Mom or Dad come here to check on me, they’ll catch on that this is a lie,” I add so he doesn’t find yet another loophole.
“Yeah, but I don’t trust him with you.” Max points at Liam, his jaw set stubbornly.
“Hello, I’m totally fine. You don’t need to take care of me—and you need to trust me,” I insist, frustration creeping into my voice.
“But I’m your brother. I have to look out for you.” Max’s tone softens, his eyes filled with concern.
Laughing, I shake my head at his antics. Underneath the banter, I can sense the protective older brother peeking through. He won’t let this go easily. “Seriously, you need to quit smothering me. I’m not a kid anymore.” I place my hands on my hips, meeting his gaze defiantly.
“Could’ve fooled me with those tantrums you keep throwing.” Max raises an infuriating brow, a smirk tugging at his lips.
My cheeks flush hot, embarrassment and annoyance warring within me. “Oh my God, you’re the worst.” I smack his arm slightly, fighting a grin. “Look, why don’t you go to your place, take your friend with you, and I’ll stay here? That way no one has to babysit me.” I suggest, hoping he’ll take the bait and realize there’s nothing happening between me and his friend .
His eyes narrow suspiciously even as Liam snorts out a laugh. “Something is not adding up here. I just can’t figure out what.”
“You’re just trying to make shit up.” I shrug nonchalantly, actively avoiding looking at Liam and his distractingly bare chest. “I’m totally fine staying here with the big ass tub and the spa downstairs to pamper me after the stress Mom’s family is causing. You’re just wanting to enjoy this luxurious place and that’s why you’re trying to find an excuse for me to leave.”
Max shoots Liam a pointed glare, then blows out a sigh. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’ll be calling to check in. And Liam?” His tone turns menacing as he steps closer to his friend, jabbing a finger against his chest. “Hands off my sister, or I’ll end you.”
Liam shrugs innocently. “I wouldn’t dare touch her.”
The weighted look Max shoots Liam says he doesn’t believe his “perfect gentleman” act for a second. I avert my eyes, cheeks burning, as my overbearing brother finally heads for the door. As soon as it clicks shut behind him, the air thickens with an unmistakable charge, crackling with tension and unspoken desires.
“So . . .” Liam drawls, taking a deliberate step toward me, his voice low and husky. My gaze snaps to him, pupils dilating as I shamelessly drink in the sight of his bare, sculpted chest. “You want me to keep my hands off you?” His eyes, dark and intense, bore into mine, sending a shiver down my spine.
A tremor wracks my slight frame as he prowls closer—a predator closing in on his prey. My tongue darts out to moisten my suddenly dry lips, and his gaze tracks the movement with rapt fascination, his lips parting slightly. My heart races, pounding against my rib cage as anticipation builds within me.
“Well?” Another step, and he’s near enough that I can feel the heated puffs of his breath fanning my flushed skin. The woodsy, masculine scent of him is utterly intoxicating, making my head spin with desire. “Is that what you want, Audrey?” His voice is a low rumble, filled with promise and temptation. “For me to keep my hands. My mouth. My body away from you.”
Want him away? No, I definitely don’t want that. The opposite, in fact. I want his hands on me, his mouth, every glorious inch of his body pressed against mine as we tumble into oblivion together. The yearning is so strong, it takes my breath away.
But I can’t say that out loud. Can’t give voice to the blazing need coursing through me, setting my nerves alight. So instead, I swallow hard and try for nonchalance with a casual shrug, even as my body trembles with barely contained desire.
“I mean . . . he’s your friend and just warned you off me. I wouldn’t want to . . . come between you two.” My voice comes out breathy, betraying the depth of my longing.
The words trail off feebly. Even to my own ears, I sound totally unconvincing. Liam’s eyes blaze with a mixture of hunger and challenge as he takes another step, backing me up against the wall. Caging me in with his bigger frame, he leans in until our lips are a hairsbreadth apart, his body heat enveloping me.
“Liar,” he murmurs roughly, his breath ghosting over my lips, making them tingle with anticipation. “You don’t want me to keep my hands off you at all, do you, baby?” His words, dripping with sensual promise, sending a jolt of pure, unadulterated want straight to my core.
The rational part of my brain screams at me to push him away, to remember the consequences, but it’s drowned out by the deafening roar of my own thirst.
I’m trapped, caught between the hard planes of his body and the wall behind me, every nerve ending in my body screaming for his touch. My resolve wavers, teetering on the brink of surrender as I gaze up at him through hooded eyes, my lips parted in a silent invitation.
He leans closer, his lips brushing against mine cautiously, gently, until he deepens the kiss, and I’m lost, forgetting my brother’s warning and everything outside this hotel suite.
This, Liam and I having sex was inevitable. We just have to be careful with the consequences.
We’re adults, and we can handle those, right?