Chapter 28
LONDON
After our day on the beach, we headed back to the house to shower and get ready for a casual dinner out. Sweltering hot sand under our feet flicked up to our legs as we walked, keeping us all pretty quiet on our way back.
Personally, I wasn’t only quiet because of the grains of lava sliding into my sandals and hitting my calves. I was also feeling a little flustered, a little sun-kissed, and a lot not over the way Liam’s abs had looked while diving for that volleyball.
Not that I’d noticed.
At all.
What was worse was that when we got back to the house, Lorelei asked to borrow the tub in my bathroom and Jerry grabbed a shower in theirs, which meant Liam and I both had to use his.
I sighed as I left my bedroom with my clothes in my arms and wearing only a thin silk robe.
I really should’ve knocked before I burst into his bedroom, but I didn’t.
Barging in on him with a towel wrapped around his hips and presumably nothing underneath was the last thing I needed right then. Yet I found myself once again face to face with those abs, the towel riding so low that I had no idea how it was even staying up.
My gaze dropped to place where fluffy white met tanned skin, my tongue sliding across my lips of its own accord. For just a fraction of a second, I let myself stare, nearly moaning out loud at the remembered pleasure of being covered by that body.
Thankfully, I caught myself in the act and deliberately moved my eyes back up to his, hugging my clothes tighter to my chest. Heat flushed my cheeks and I turned so that my back was to him. “Sorry, I, uh, I didn’t realize you were, uh, busy.”
A throaty chuckle filled the air, sending a slight shiver through me until I recognized the smug, self-satisfaction in his tone when he spoke. “That’s okay. It’s nothing you haven’t seen, am I right?”
I spun to shoot him a glare, but he ignored it, pumping his eyebrows at me before purposely letting his gaze drift to my chest. My robe had fallen open just a little as I’d spun and a slow grin spread on his lips.
“I’ve seen it all now too. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about anymore, Walker.”
“Yay,” I pretended to cheer, my eyes going wide with exasperation as I tried to cut for the shower.
He tsked his tongue and darted forward, beating me to the cubicle. “You’re a friend with benefits, not a girlfriend. That means I don’t have to be chivalrous.”
My mouth dropped open and he closed the door in my face. Cracking it open again to grin at me, he tossed the towel over the top of the glass. “I’ll save you some hot water. Maybe.”
Although the cubicle was frosted and I couldn’t make out specific details, I knew for a fact that he was naked in there now.
When the water started running, I considered sliding the towel over to my side and making him beg to get it back when he was done, but then I remembered how very confidently he’d walked about bare-ass naked just this morning.
Stealing his towel wouldn’t amount to getting my revenge. It’d only force me to see him in all his godly glory all over again, and then I’d jump his bones, Lori or Jerry would overhear us, and our little secret would be blown to kingdom come.
Great. I guess I’ll just wait then.
I stalked around the partition to his bed and flopped down on it, inhaling deeply and trying to remind myself that he’d always been infuriating. It was just too bad that said infuriation now also had a frustrating layer of sexual attraction attached to it.
Things had been so much simpler before that had happened, and yet, I still didn’t regret it. Letting out a quiet groan, I covered my face with my hands and focused on my breathing, relieved when I heard the water turn off.
“Almost done!” he called a moment later. “Just drying off, then you can come in here while I go out there to change.”
“Thanks. I wouldn’t have been able to figure that out by myself.” I rolled my eyes and stood up. “Ready or not, here I come.”
Liam was still drying off when I walked back into bathroom, bent over and rubbing the towel over his hips, but that didn’t stop me from catching a glimpse of his tight butt flexing and releasing.
I immediately slammed to a stop, spinning and letting out an exasperated groan. “Can you put that thing away?”
He chuckled. “I told you I was almost done. You can’t blame this on me.”
“Yes, I can.” I kept my back to him, skirting around to the vanity and setting my things down while he finished up.
Disappearing without a word, he whistled quietly from his closet and I hopped into the shower, only taking my robe off once I was safely in the cubicle.
Why it seemed to matter, I didn’t really know, but it just felt like having him see me naked in the heat of the moment was one thing.
Getting used to being naked around each other when we weren’t about to hook up seemed to be another.
That would be skirting into relationship territory.
I reached for the water and turned it on, grateful that it was already warm, but my shoulders and face stung under the spray. An ominous trepidation crawled through me. I’m not just sun-kissed, am I? I’m freaking burnt.
As soon as I got out of the shower, I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. Liam had steamed the whole place up, but now that it’d been a while since he’d been in here, I could finally see my reflection.
My face, shoulders, and chest were half a shade too pink, my hair an actual disaster, and once again, my mascara was smudged under my eyes like I’d fought Poseidon and lost. Aggressively applying aloe to my chest, I muttered under my breath.
“Cute. Just what every girl wants. Sunburn lines and a forehead that could fry an egg.”
“If you’re talking to yourself again, I’m calling someone,” Liam called from down the hall, his voice muffled.
“If you’re eavesdropping again, I’m calling your mother!” I replied, hearing him laugh through the door and cursing the way it made me smile.
A sneaky suspicion that things were slowly changing between us had been blooming in me all day long, and smiling because I’d heard him laugh was yet more evidence of that. Nah. It’s nothing to worry about. Just a natural consequence of seeing each other naked. We’ll be fine.
After putting on my underwear, I grabbed the sundress I’d brought with me and slid it over my head, and I was midway through adjusting my top when Liam walked right into the bathroom. He hadn’t knocked or given me a heads-up at all, just barging in like I’d done before.
“Hey, do you want—” He stopped moving, his eyes widening to blue-green orbs of shock and maybe a little bit of awe.
I held his gaze firmly, my heart pounding but my voice unwavering and my hands frozen on my top. “I swear to all that is holy, if you look down right now, I will end you.”
“Too late.” He grinned. “Impressive choice of bra, though. I like it.”
“Get out, you troll,” I demanded, completely deadpan. “And knock next time, will ya?”
He winked. “This is my room, remember?”
Quickly backing out of the bathroom, he chuckled and vanished, and I didn’t know whether to murder him or fan myself. In the end, I settled for cussing him out under my breath and completely ignoring how very good he looked with his skin glowing after a day spent in the sun.
Obviously, he’d managed not to get burned. Instead, he was gorgeously bronzed in a way that made his eyes twinkle and pop. He was more ruggedly handsome than ever while I looked like a half-cooked lobster. Asshole.
I hadn’t even seen him applying any sunscreen, whereas I’d applied mine religiously and look at what had happened. Some people just really do have all the luck.
The door to his bedroom opened again and I looked over, eyes narrowed in preparation to really give it to him this time, but it was Lorelei who came walking in. Stunningly rosy cheeked and looking fresh and gorgeous, she smiled as she shut the door behind her.
“They asked me to come find out if you want pizza, burgers, or Vietnamese for dinner.” She smiled, striding further into the room and looking around, pausing for a moment when she realized two of his walls were windows.
“Wow. I’m surprised you let him have the master.
That’s a really awesome view to give up. ”
I sighed. “He caught me by offering two bedrooms if he could have this one. The closet here’s not that big.”
She chuckled. “He knows you well, that boy.”
Finally moving to the bed, she sat down daintily at the edge and looked me over as I gathered my things and left the bathroom. “You two could be good together, you know.”
“We’d be a disaster, and why are we talking about this again? I thought we’d already had this conversation.”
“Yeah, but I still feel like I’m missing something.” She exhaled and smoothed her hands over her white-and-navy striped shorts. “As long as you know I’m always here if you want to talk. What’s it going to be for dinner, then?”
“Let’s do pizza,” I said without even having to think about it. “That seems quick and easy, and we’ll be able to bring back leftovers for a midnight snack.”
“Girl, after the day we had, none of us are going to be seeing midnight, but I’ve got you. Pizza it is.”
We left Liam’s bedroom and she sat with me in my own room while I tried to do damage control on my hair and face. When we finally went downstairs, the guys complained loudly about they were starving, but they seemed pleased with my choice of food for the evening.
It turned out that they’d done something useful with the time they’d been waiting though, having Googled a few restaurants nearby and knowing exactly which one they wanted to try for pizza.
Situated on a rooftop overlooking the city, it was a trendy eatery that offered homemade sangria with their food.
“It’s been ages since I’ve had this.” I clutched my glass close to my chest and sighed. “Why is that? This is delicious.”
Liam sat next to me at the table, with Lorelei and Jerry across from us. He pushed his glass toward me. “I don’t know how you can think that. Fruit does not belong in wine. I need a good old-fashioned beer.”
“You’re so boring.” I made a face at him but accepted the wine while watching the sunset in the distance and feeling genuinely happy. Hot and glowing, but happy. “More for me, though.”
Our waitress appeared on his and Jerry’s side of the table, a stunning, bubbly blonde with huge boobs and full, childbearing hips. Her gaze skipped across us all, landing on Liam and staying there. “What can I get you, folks? I heard something about beer?”
He laughed and made those eyes I’d seen him make at women a thousand times. The only difference was that this time, it bugged me to see them aimed at another woman. “You heard right. I’d like one, please. Pick a beer, any beer, and bring it to me. Anything is better than soggy fruit in wine.”
“Our fruit is fresh, not soggy, but you got it. I’m more of a beer lover myself, though I can and do recommend our sangria to anyone.
” She flashed him a smile that said she’d love to share any of those drinks with him sometime, but then her gaze moved to mine and her face dropped a little. “Oh. Are you guys a couple?”
What is it with him and hitting it off with anyone who serves us in any freaking establishment? It’s absurd.
“Ye—” Liam started, but I cut him off.
Aware that our friends were right there and listening to every word, I leaned forward and shot her a go-get-him grin. “Nope, he’s one hundred percent available. We’re just friends.”
He blinked a few times but rolled with it, recovering faster than the speed of light and redirecting. “Yes, I’m available. Totally available. We can meet tonight after you get off work, pretty lady. What time does your shift end?”
My heart dropped. Why is that? We’re just friends playing around. That’s it. Right? Or was he really going to say ‘yes’ to being in a couple with me?
Secretly, I was suddenly wishing that I hadn’t been so quick to make it clear that we were just friends, but Lorelei and Jerry were still watching, and above all else, we’d promised that our friendship would remain our priority.
I just hadn’t realized that it would get this hard, and I definitely hadn’t expected it to happen so fast.