Chapter 14
Something had shifted between us. I couldn’t say exactly what it was, but watching him change out that tire I just knew that something was very different.
The only thing that could have distracted me from such weighty thoughts was the image of Liam O’Conner under my car, grease smeared across one toned forearm, white T-shirt tight on his chest as he strained to remove the ruined tire.
God, the man was hot. Seriously, how did anyone look that good in a T-shirt and cargo shorts? I didn’t even like cargo shorts on a guy, but somehow Liam made them work. He would probably look good in a damn potato sack.
And there was something even more appealing about the ease with which he worked under my car.
This was a man who knew how to do things, how to take care of business.
When he offered to help, I’d kind of assumed that he was going to wait with me until a tow truck came. But that clearly wasn’t Liam’s style.
He had the spare on my car before I even would have been able to get through to a human at my insurance company, wiping his dirty hands on his shorts like it was no big deal.
I kind of wanted to jump him.
Okay, not kind of. I totally wanted to jump this man right there in the parking lot.
Get a hold of yourself, Grace Knight.
Apparently, I had a mechanic kink and had never realized it. Peyton would probably have a field day with that.
It wasn’t just the hot factor, though. Watching the range of emotions cross his face when he got here and realized Josie wasn’t around had been heart wrenching.
I could only hear his side of the conversation with the grandmother, but I got the gist of it.
Josie had asked to stay there because she wasn’t happy with her dad.
I knew Liam well enough to see the self-doubt on his face.
It was the same expression he used to get whenever he had a test coming up.
I’d always found it so strange that a guy with all of his talents, a guy who was so supremely confident on the ice, could turn around and doubt himself so much when it came to school work.
And now I could plainly see that the same doubt existed when it came to his daughter. He was blaming himself for the tough spot that they were in. He was worried sick about Josie and their relationship.
I wished there was a way to make him see that the mere fact he was so upset about it proved what a good dad he really was.
The shitty dads didn’t care when their kids were upset or in need.
I knew that from experience—both as a teacher and from the total abandonment of my own father when I was even younger than Josie.
“I think that should do it,” he said, swiping his greasy hands along the bottom of his T-shirt. Then he frowned, looking over at the not quite setting sun. “I don’t know if you should drive on it though. I don’t like the idea of you being out on a spare when it gets dark.”
I couldn’t hold back a giggle. Who knew he was such a worrywart? “Liam, we probably have another two or three hours of sunlight. It’s still September, for God’s sake. My house is less than twenty minutes away. I’ll be fine.”
He scowled. “I want to follow you home.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted to go to the bar.”
He rolled his eyes. “That was just me feeling sorry for myself. Now I have a task to complete. So go on and start the car and I’ll be right behind you. Make sure you keep your speed under forty with that spare.”
I wanted to argue with him some more—he was being truly silly—but I also didn’t want to say goodbye just yet. That unnamed thing was still humming in the air between us and I was afraid if we went our separate ways right now it would fade into nothingness.
“Okay,” I said. “It’s a pretty straight shot to my place.”
He nodded, then gestured for me to get inside. I noted that he waited for me to buckle my seatbelt and start the engine before he got into his own car.
There was an unmistakable sense of anticipation humming along in my chest as I drove to my house.
I had the strongest feeling that something was going to happen tonight.
It was similar to standing on the edge of a diving board, just waiting for the right moment to jump, knowing that no matter what happened, staying on the board was not possible.
I parked in the driveway, Liam pulling his sleek SUV to the curb in front of the house. We both climbed out of our vehicles and I watched as he walked toward me across the patch of grass, late afternoon light glinting on his golden hair.
“Nice place,” he said, eying the duplex.
It was a comfortable little house in a nice neighborhood.
Andy had bought the entire building, insisting that real estate was a good investment and it had nothing to do with me.
But I was pretty sure the rent I paid him was well under market value.
I had tried to complain about it once and his response had been to call his accountant, right there in front of me, and have him explain, over speaker phone, exactly how much money Andy had made since waking up that morning. Smarmy little ass.
“Thanks for the escort,” I told Liam. “And thanks again for fixing the tire. I really appreciate it.”
He stopped a few feet away from me and it somehow felt too far. “Don’t drive on that spare for long,” he said. “Do you have a regular mechanic? I know it’s not a pleasant way to spend a Saturday, but you really should have it taken care of tomorrow.”
“I’ll take it in to the dealership,” I assured him, and he nodded.
We stood like that for a long moment, just watching each other. Tension had settled between us again, something expectant and needy in the air. That thrum of anticipation still buzzed in my chest. I wanted Liam to close the gap between us. I wanted him to touch me.
I wanted something extraordinary to happen.
“Can I buy you dinner?” I finally blurted out, surprising myself. Liam barely reacted though, his eyes fixed on my face, gaze so intense I finally had to shift on my feet to prevent a full-body shudder of desire to pass over me.
“Dinner would be great,” he murmured.
I ran my sweaty palms down over my skirt. “What do you feel like?”
A hint of a smile tugged on his mouth. “You’re the Austin restaurant expert, right? Just take me somewhere you love. I’m sure I’ll love it too.”
“Okay,” I said, my mind fixing on the perfect spot. “How do you feel about tacos? Because I know a place that does the best fish tacos you’ll ever eat.” I caught his smile growing. “What?” I asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
Liam shrugged. “You’re cute when you get all excited about food.”
I looked down at my outfit. A pale-yellow peasant skirt that hit me mid knee and a light green blouse that I liked to think brought out the color in my eyes.
I didn’t have to dress up all that much to teach third grade.
Right now, though, I felt a little bit frumpy.
Not really ready for dinner with the hottest man I’d ever seen.
“Do you mind if I just run in and change?”
“Not at all.” He smirked at me. “I’d love to see your place.”
Color flooded my cheeks, for more than one reason. The thought of Liam O’Conner in my space, mere feet away from the bed where I’d lain and thought of him a hundred times before, made my stomach feel funny.
It also reminded me of the fact Liam had never seen where I lived in high school.
As much time as we spent together, that was one boundary I never wanted to cross.
I shuddered to think what a guy like him, a guy with such a loving family and comfortable home, would think of the trailer where Andy and I lived with our mother on those occasions she was around.
The trailer was dirty and constantly smelled like her cheap booze and cigarettes, but at least it was something.
More often than not, mom would take off to God only knew where, leaving us to be shuffled around between the couches of whatever family members could be bothered to take us, until we were old enough for her to just leave us alone.
Not that ten was actually old enough.
Those days are long behind you, I reminded myself as I inserted the key into the front door lock.
Now I lived in a comfortable, cozy house that I’d been able to decorate all myself.
I had a little garden in the backyard where I planted flowers and a few vegetables and herbs when I was feeling ambitious.
I had pictures of good friends and happy memories on my walls.
It was small, but it was a home, a real home. And I was damn proud of it.
“Wow,” Liam said, stepping into the entryway behind me. He chuckled softly. “Yeah, this is definitely your house.”
I looked over my shoulder at him to see his gaze scanning the living room. “What does that mean?” I asked.
Liam shrugged, still looking all around.
“It looks like you. All the books. All the color.” He gestured around the room which was, admittedly, pretty bright.
A turquoise couch sat in the middle of the space, two floral patterned chairs on either side.
All three pieces of furniture were adorned with cozy throw blankets and pillows in yellow, pink, and green. What could I say? I liked happy colors.
“God, you’re gorgeous when you blush,” he murmured, his voice practically a whisper in the still silence of my house.
“I’m not,” I said, holding my palms to the burning skin. “If my cheeks are as red as my hair I just look like a giant tomato.”
He took a step closer to me, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. “I guess it’s a good thing I find tomatoes so attractive.”
I burst out laughing. He was so—
Then his mouth swooped down on me, catching me mid-laugh, and I completely forgot what I’d been thinking. I forgot everything—where I was, why I’d been laughing. Hell, I forgot my damn name.
“You’re so good at that,” I whispered against his mouth.