11
The next evening, Liam sat on the living room sofa with Angel purring in his lap. The cat was completely comfortable. His eyes were half-closed, his claws rhythmically kneading Liam’s leg. Normally, Liam would’ve noticed the sharp talons digging into his skin, but he was too busy trying not to stare at the glorious vision of Cora adjusting her stockings in front of him. The dress she was wearing looked like a piece of black silk wrapped around her torso, hips and thighs. Nothing else. Not even sleeves!
“So that’s how I adopted Angel from the animal shelter,” Cora was saying, smoothing the top of her stockings and letting the hem of her dress fall back into place. She came over to the couch and sat beside him, giving him her back. “Can you clasp the hook and eye above my zipper? I can’t get to it.”
Liam eyed the soft golden waves cascading down her back. This close, he could smell the sultry, vanilla scent of some exotic perfume. It was excruciating not to be able to touch her. He bounced his knee up and down in agitation.
Angel mewled in protest and hopped onto the floor.
Cora swept her hair over one shoulder. “It’s right at the top.”
Like a man in a trance, Liam reached out, his hands hovering over her creamy skin. Jesus wept, this woman. No man could be expected to resist this. A lone curl dangled near her shoulder blade. He carefully lifted it out of the way, sliding the silken strands between his fingers. Apparently, the angel’s curse only came into effect when he touched her skin. Thank God for small mercies. He held the lock of hair between his fingers and closed his eyes.
“Liam?”
“Hmm?” He was one heartbeat away from sliding his hand into her hair. Cursing under his breath, he tried to block the memory of what it felt like. It was so damned hard to play this role the angels foisted on him. It was—
“Pure evil,” she said with annoyance.
He dropped her hair as if it were on fire. “What?”
“Whoever designed these hook and eye clasps did it just to torture people. They’re impossible.”
Liam fumbled a couple of times. The intimacy of the moment was not lost on him, even though she treated it like no big deal. There was something intensely private about helping a woman dress, even in such a small way. The fact that she thought nothing of it bothered him, and he suddenly wondered who else had had the privilege of seeing her like this. The thought darkened his mood, and he finally managed to secure the tiny hook without touching the skin on the nape of her neck. Then he shot off the couch and began to pace. “Who is this man you’re going out with tonight, anyway? Tell me about him.”
“I can’t,” Cora said, flicking her hair back over her shoulders. “Suzette set us up. It’s a blind date.”
Liam stopped pacing in surprise. “He can’t see?”
“Oh, ha ha.” Cora threw him a look. “You’re not funny, you know. He’s a surgeon, so his vision’s just fine.”
“But—”
“I can’t tell you much, because we’ve never seen each other before.”
“A blind date,” Liam mused. His brows drew together as he committed the odd phrase to memory.
“Relax,” Cora said. “He’s a doctor from the medical spa where Suzette works. She said he’s polite, good-looking and financially stable. As far as date material goes, that pretty much checks all of my boxes. So when he gets here, you’re going to be civil.”
Liam scoffed. “I’ll make no such promise.”
“Then you’re going to be invisible,” she said, pointing down the hall to his bedroom. “You’re my roommate, not my bodyguard. I can’t have you scaring away my dates.”
Oh, yes you can.
The doorbell rang and Cora stood, smoothing her dress. Her legs looked a mile long in the strappy heels she was wearing.
Liam frowned. “Perhaps you should wear something more comfortable, like your running shoes.”
“Are you trying to give me fashion advice again?”
“No, it’s just... Those heels have to be hell on your feet.”
“Nonsense. The higher the heels, the closer to God.” She tossed her hair with a sassy smirk and sauntered toward the door.
Liam cursed the damned shoes. The sway of her hips was mesmerizing. This woman could tempt a saint. “Let me get it.”
She spun and pointed at him. “You stay where you are. And stop glowering like that.”