Chapter 18
Avery
The second the door closes, his mouth is on mine.
I twist away, gesturing at Hudson in the driver's seat.
“He's not bothered,” Liam murmurs against my jaw, his hand cupping the back of my neck. “Are you, Hudson?”
“Not at all, Mr. Novak,” Hudson says smoothly, pulling into traffic without even glancing in the rearview mirror.
But it's not fine. It's embarrassing to make out in the back of a chauffeur driven car. Except his mouth is moving against mine with such obvious need that my objections dissolve.
“I've missed you,” Liam whispers between kisses. “It's been twelve hours and I've missed you.”
“Your math is wrong,” I chuckle, but I'm kissing him back, my hands sliding into his hair. “We just spent the morning together.”
“Not alone. Not like this.” His hand spans my waist, pulling me closer. “I need our time alone, Avery. Just you and me.”
I've missed this too. The taste of him and the way nothing else matters when we're touching. I sink into the kiss, letting myself have this moment of just feeling instead of thinking.
We make out like teenagers the entire drive to the hospital, breaking apart only when Hudson announces we've arrived. My lips feel swollen and I’m sure my lipstick is completely gone.
Liam looks similarly disheveled with his hair standing up where my fingers ran through it.
“You're a menace,” I tell him, trying to fix my appearance using my phone camera.
“You love it,” he says, grinning.
I don't deny it. I’m addicted to this totally unsuitable man.
The Hospital is beautiful with colorful murals on the walls and natural light flooding through large windows. Harper is waiting in the lobby, looking professional in tailored pants and a crisp white blouse.
“Avery.” She greets me with a warm hug. “The guys are in the pediatric wing getting set up. Come on.”
We walk through the corridors together while Liam and the other players head to meet with the hospital coordinator. Harper leads me to an observation area where we can watch without being intrusive.
The pediatric common room has been transformed. Renegades merchandise covers every surface. There are t-shirts, hats, signed photos and even mini hockey sticks. The kids are already gathering, some in wheelchairs, some with IVs attached, all of them vibrating with excitement.
Then the players enter.
Cole leads the way with Jake is right behind him, already making the kids laugh with some joke I can't hear. Ryan, Alex, and Liam follow, and the room erupts in cheers.
“They're great with kids,” Harper says beside me. “Cole does this kind of thing constantly. He doesn't publicize it much, but he's here at least once a month.”
Liam crouches down to talk to a little girl in a wheelchair. She's maybe six or seven, wearing a hospital gown and a Renegades cap that is too big for her head. He says something that makes her giggle, then gently adjusts her cap so she can see better.
Everything inside me goes warm and gooey.
He’s gentle and patient and impossibly sweet. The cameras are clicking but he doesn't seem to notice or care. He's completely focused on this little girl, listening intently as she tells him something.
“How's the party planning going?” I ask Harper, tearing my eyes away from Liam.
“A nightmare,” she says, but she's grinning. “But it'll be worth it. He has no idea. Did you get your costume sorted?”
“Yes, but I'm not telling you who I'm coming as. It's a surprise.”
“Fair enough. I sent you the address earlier, right? Party starts at seven, but come a bit early if you can.”
“Will do.”
The players are helping kids try on jerseys and t-shirts. Liam lifts a tiny boy onto his shoulders so he can reach a poster being hung on the wall. The boy squeals with delight, and Liam's laugh carries up to where we're standing.
“He's really good with them,” Harper observes.
I keep my expression neutral. “They all are.”
“True. But he keeps looking up here.” She pauses. “At you.”
My stomach flips. “He's probably just checking if I'm getting good photo ops for social media.”
“Sure,” Harper says with a grin.
I change the subject quickly. “So where exactly is the party?”
“My place. Well, Cole's and mine.”
I nearly choke. “Cole is your boyfriend? The captain?”
Harper laughs at my expression. “You didn't know? I thought it was obvious.”
“You never said. I mean, you mentioned having a boyfriend, but—” I'm babbling now. “How does that work? Dating a player? Doesn't it complicate things?”
“Oh, it's complicated as hell,” Harper says with a laugh. “The schedule alone is insane. And there's always speculation in the media, people assuming I'm with him for his money or status. But,” her expression softens, “he's worth it. All of it.”
“How do you handle the public attention?”
“We keep most of it private. The team knows, obviously. His close friends know. But we don't post about it on social media, don't do couple photos for magazines. We just live our lives.”
“That sounds hard.”
“It is. But harder would be not being with him because I was scared of complications.” She turns to face me fully now. “I was right, wasn't I? There's more going on with you two.”
I should deny it, instead, I hear myself say, “Yeah. But it's complicated.”
“It always is,” Harper says gently with an endearing smile. “Especially in this world. But complicated doesn't mean impossible.”
I swing my gaze back to the common room. Liam is signing autographs, his head bent close to a little boy who's showing him a drawing. He glances up, and our eyes meet across the distance. He smiles but I feel it like a physical touch.
Harper definitely notices. “Wow, that look.” Then she laughs. “Cole won't believe that the great Liam, 'I don't do relationships', has finally fallen for someone.”
My head snaps toward her, panic flooding through me. “Harper, you can't tell him. You can't tell anyone.”
She holds up her hands immediately. “Hey, relax. Your secret is safe with me.”
“I'm serious. We're keeping this completely private for now.”
“Avery.” She touches my arm gently. “I won't say anything. I promise.”
I study her face, looking for any sign that she's not taking this seriously. But her expression is sincere, understanding even.
“I went through the same thing with Cole,” she says quietly.
“The hiding, the sneaking around, worrying about what people would think or say.
It's not easy.” She glances down at the common room where Cole is lifting a little girl onto his shoulders.
“I'll tell you about it someday. Over wine. Lots of wine.”
Except, her relationship with Cole worked out. Which is not a surprise. Cole seems very serious about life. And Liam is right on the opposite end of that spectrum.
Still, relief loosens the knot in my chest. “Thank you.”
The visit lasts another hour. The players take photos with every single child, sign everything put in front of them, and listen to countless stories about favorite games and players.
Liam gives each kid his complete attention, like they're the most important person in the room.
By the time we're walking back to the lobby, I've taken approximately three hundred photos for social media and my heart has grown three sizes watching Liam with those kids.
“That was wonderful,” Harper says as we say goodbye in the parking lot. “See you tonight?”
“See you tonight.”
Hudson drives us back to my apartment. This time, I'm more prepared for Liam's intensity, sinking into his kiss the moment we're alone.
“Come to dinner with me,” he says in between kisses. “We can go somewhere quiet where no one will see us.”
“I can't. I have Cole's surprise party.”
He pulls back, frowning.
“Harper invited me. It's at seven.”
Liam nods. “If you're going, I'm going.”
“Weren’t you planning on going?”
“I wasn't feeling up to it after last night. But if you're there,” he grins, “I’m up to it.”
Hudson pulls up to my building. Liam follows me to the door, his hand at the small of my back. “Can I come up?”
“I have to go back to the office.”
Liam is visibly disappointed. “Fine. But tonight, we go home together.”
I can’t help but smile. “Tonight,” I agree.
He backs me against my building door, his body pressing mine into the wood. “Look sexy,” he whispers, then kisses me hard enough to make my knees weak.
“What are you coming as?” I ask when we break apart.
“You'll have to wait and see.” His smile is wicked. “But I'm planning to find you the second I get there.”
“We have to be careful.”
“I know. I will be.” Another kiss. “But I'm bringing you home with me after. That's non-negotiable,” Liam says, finger hooked under my chin.