“Yes, but my birth name was buried in a vault at the bottom of the sea.”
She laughed, and the sound went straight to his groin. “Business or sightseeing?”
A droplet of water slid down her cheek, over her jaw, and along her neck. “The sights.”
“By yourself?”
Her fishing expedition made him smile. “I’m selfish that way.”
“Avoiding someone or something?”
“A little of both.” He rotated his neck, working out the kinks. “An entire day without a single responsibility.”
She studied him. “No one else’s schedule. No one else’s likes or dislikes to consider.”
“And no one waiting on a decision.”
They both grinned. He couldn’t remember that last time he’d enjoyed a conversation so much.
“Actually, I was supposed to have dinner and hang out with my brother, but the shit—but he got caught up in work.”
“Work? This late?”
“It happens.”
Her expression turned to one of empathy. “You’re disappointed.”
He shrugged. “Not the first time. Besides, had he stuck around, I wouldn’t be here now.” Which was infinitely better than attempting a reconciliation with his big brother. He lowered his voice. “And I like where I am now.”
“So do I.”
Silence stretched between them. She might like being in his company, but that didn’t mean she was interested in anything beyond a bit of playful conversation.
“What kind of business brings you to the Grand Marquis?” he asked.
Her smile dimmed a second before turning appreciative. “It seems you have your own powers of observation.”
“You’re hard to forget too, Liv.”
“Yet so many do.”
He chewed on her cryptic remark for all of three seconds before a bead of moisture trailing down her chest diverted his attention. The drive to go to her, to set his mouth on that smooth expanse of skin, vibrated through his veins. He shifted his attention up her neck, over her slightly parted lips, to her eyes.
The moment stretched.
But rather than act on the charged tension pulsing between them, they both stayed rooted in their corners.
A silent, sensual duel.
“Are you staying in town through the weekend?” she asked.
“I leave tomorrow.” He hesitated a moment before deciding to throw out another lure. If this one didn’t hook some serious interest from her, he’d do his best to settle his raging hard-on and simply enjoy her company. He hoped to God she bit. “Unless I have a reason to remain for a few more days.”
“I leave tomorrow, too.”
He waited a heartbeat, then another, to see if she’d offer to linger another day. When she didn’t, he felt the loss in the deepest part of his gut. He drew in a long breath to quell the ache.
Friendly conversation, it was. He took in her glistening cheeks and the damp tendril of hair against her shoulder. At least his torture came with a view.