A figure down the street caught his eye, and he wouldn’t have been able to look away if his life depended on it. Cora jogged toward him, her skin glowing, her eyes bright, her beautiful curves bouncing intriguingly in that devil of a running outfit.
She came to a stop in the yard, breathing heavily, then bent over to catch her breath. “Did you fix it?”
Liam flicked a glance at the green mower. Should he tell her the truth? Nah. He couldn’t betray the man’s confidence, after all. Liam just gave her a noncommittal shrug. “Give it a try.”
Cora jogged over, pressed the lever on the handle, then pulled the cord. Sure enough, the lawn mower purred to life. Liam made a mental note to activate the lever next time.
“This is awesome.” She shut the mower off, her smile so warm and genuine, he wanted to bask in it for as long as he could.
“I have another surprise for you.” He pulled her necklace from his pocket.
“Oh, my God!” Cora erupted into a squeal of glee. She took the necklace and stared at him, wide-eyed. “Where on earth did you find it?”
“It was in the grass.” Not a lie.
“The grass?” She looked mystified. “It must’ve fallen off my neck when I walked out to my car. You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you so much!” She threw her arms around his neck.
Liam sucked in a sharp breath. The shocking snap of pain intensified with every second her skin touched his. It radiated outward in all directions until he felt like a live wire. But this was the closest he’d come to her in almost two centuries, and he desperately wanted to feel it. Happiness rocketed through him, and for a split second it was almost enough to eclipse the pain. Almost. The conflicting feelings at war inside him were so acute, so blazingly strong, he stumbled backward, and she giggled.
It was agony and ecstasy. He’d forgotten what it felt like to be on the receiving end of Cora’s admiration—that light-as-air weightlessness. In the scant three seconds he could endure her embrace, the past came crashing back in a tidal wave. Her sweet scent. Her warm, glowing skin. The tickle of her hair against his face. God, he loved this woman. When she laughed, he could feel it radiating through his chest.
But the pain poisoned everything. It seeped through until all he could feel was the intensifying, blistering burn. Liam gripped her upper arms and shoved her away.
Confusion and hurt flashed across her face.
“I’m sorry,” Liam choked out. “I’m just not...” What could he tell her? I’m not used to your touch burning me from the inside, out?
“No, it’s fine. I get it.” She was still breathing heavily from her run, but she crossed her arms and took a step back, hugging herself. Her face flushed pink. “I’m sorry. I’m just really glad to have my necklace back. Thank you.” Her voice was cool and composed again. Liam hated it.
He struggled to explain. “Cora, I didn’t mean to push you away. I don’t want to give you the wrong idea, it’s just—”
“Totally cool.” She held up both hands. “To be honest, I don’t know what came over me. I’m not usually a huggy person.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I guess you just seem familiar to me, or something.”
“Do I?” Liam held his breath. Did she somehow feel their connection, even in this life?
“Yeah, it’s so weird,” she mused. “Sometimes, when I look at you, I feel like I’ve known you before.”
“I feel the same,” he said quickly.
Her forehead crinkled. “Maybe we ran into each other at a party once before, or something.”
“Or something,” he murmured, wishing the angels had never bestowed their goddamned blasted, bloody “training wheels” on him. Wishing she could wrap her arms around him once more, smiling at him as if the sun rose and set by his command. She used to look at him like that. If only she’d see him that way again.
Cora broke the intimate mood with a careless shrug, then gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. “Anyway, thanks for finding my necklace, O’Connor. I owe you one.” Then she walked back into the house, taking all the happiness with her.