“Are you going to keep staring or are you going to invite me in?” His husky laugh sparks some functioning brain cells.
“I like you right where you are.”
Letting Liam into my room would be the worst idea of all ideas. No matter how much my body wants me to say yes, my mind wins, solidifying my defenses.
He sends me an irresistible cocky grin. “I’d like you much more in bed, but I can compromise.”
My jaw pops open.
He doesn’t give me a chance to speak, thank God because I don’t know how to respond. “I didn’t like how tonight ended.”
“So, you decided to come here because…?” My eyebrows lift.
“We have to plan a redo of our date.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening.”
“If you don’t, then I get to choose something from your list.” He dares to smirk at me, the creator of said list.
“Also not happening. Pretend the list never existed.” I cross my arms.
He steps toward me. “Impossible.”
“I’m sure you’re bound to move onto something more entertaining soon enough. Men tend to have limited attention spans.”
“You’re such a naughty girl when you want to be.”
“How do you make something innocent sound sexual?” I stare into his beautiful eyes, framed with dark lashes that put women’s falsies to shame. His eyes remain focused on my lips.
“Add it to my list of talents. You know, all three of them.”
Whoa. He remembers how I told him he had two talents three years ago? His attention to detail catches me off guard. Enough so, that Liam surprisingly tugs me into his body as one of his hands wraps around the base of my neck. His thumb rubs against the sensitive skin there, making my skin pebble.
He leans forward, closing his eyes, while mine remain wide open and not ready.
“Wait.” My hands push against his chest. His eyes snap open, his lips agape.
I pull out the power card, ready to slap a label on our attraction that no guy likes to hear. At least not a man who offers to make me a custom vibrator and looks at me like he wants to taste me, fuck me, and mark me for the night.
“I want to be friends. Just friends.” Words pour from my mouth as defenses get thrown up left and right, protecting me from the one person I can’t control.
Liam hits me with a pained look, his eyes wide as they flash with an unknown emotion. His body stills as he catches his breath. Weird. He leans in once more as his thumb brushes across my neck. His refreshing smell overwhelms me, playing with my senses and my mental control.
I pull my hands away from his warm chest. He plants a kiss on the top of my head, his lips pressing a second longer than necessary. Two whole seconds leave my body buzzing and my head swimming. My heart squeezes at the tender notion, unable to believe someone like him is capable of something like that.
“If that’s what makes you happy. I can be friends.” He hesitates on the last word.
“I hope so because I’m not going anywhere, and you don’t want to make things weird between us. You have enough haters this season.” I smile up at him.
I can’t help questioning why his eyes look sad. He pulls away from the door, his fists tightening at his sides.
“Have a good night, Sophie. Thanks for a night I’ll never forget.”
You and me both.
He recovers from his odd behavior, sending me a signature wink over his shoulder before he enters a waiting elevator. I let out a sigh as he disappears behind closed doors, sealing me off from the seduction trap that is Liam Zander. I may be willing to compromise on my list, but I can’t with my heart.