Page 106 of The Wedding Engagement

A smile tugged at his mouth as he nudged her arm. “You know what I mean.” He paused to rub his beard. “Do you think that’s another reason why you invested in karate? Maybe it was an unconscious tactic to help you get out all this stuff.”

She hadn’t thought of it that way. “Yeah, maybe. It could have been an outlet for the emotions I didn’t feel able to show in any other way.”

He reached over to squeeze her hand. “I’m glad you told me. Now I can reassure you that you have no need to worry about being anything like our deadbeat dad, and you can feel free to say whatever’s on your mind. Negative or not. I’ve got your back.”

Warm relief soothed her system further, calming her troubled thoughts. “Everything you’re saying mirrors what Arran said. I’m so glad I told him.”

Sam’s face softened. “You confided in Arran?”

She nodded.

“And you hadn’t told anyone before?”

She shook her head.

Sam smiled. “He’s enabled you to open up, Liv. And he’s encouraged you to go on doing that. Don’t you see how significant that is?”

She frowned. “Of course I do. He’s an amazing friend.”

He gave her another squeeze. “It means more than that. Maya is an amazing friend. So is Elise.” He pretended to dust his shoulder. “And so am I.” She punched his arm lightly and he gave her a mock wince. “But you still didn’t confide in any of us. There’s something between you and Arran. A special connection.” He raised his eyebrows. “And I think you know what it’s called.”

The frown melted from her face as she processed what Sam was saying. She and Arran were best friends, but she didn’t have the same intense connection with her other best friends. And the shift to becoming lovers had brought something unexpected with it.Love.

Her jaw dropped.

Sam was smiling softly. “You’ve just figured it out, haven’t you?”

Her mouth was dry. “Yeah,” she said, speaking through sandpaper. “I have.”

“You have to tell him,” Sam said.

Shit. I do.

She stood abruptly. “I have to go now. Before I lose my nerve.”

He nodded “Go for it. I’ll cover for you with the olds.”

“Thanks, bro.” She kissed his cheek, then hotfooted it out of the living room, down the hallway, and out the front door, where she hurried into her car and pulled away.

Somebody must have extended the road between her mum’s and Arran’s, because the journey tookforever. She checked the time on her car display. It was only ten a.m. He wouldn’t have left to collect Jayce yet.

What was she going to say when she got there? “Morning. I love you. Fancy a cup of tea?”

Her heart was racing by the time she arrived, and she sat for a minute, attempting to gather her thoughts and taking a couple of deep breaths. When no helpful thoughts were forthcoming and she felt as if her heart was going to beat out of her chest, she left the car and somehow managed to ring the doorbell without passing out.

It seemed to take a while for the door to be answered, and she wasn’t sure if it was just her warped sense of time since she’d decided she needed to come here and declare her feelings for Arran out in the open.

Then the door opened, and she held her breath in anticipation of seeing his beautiful face.

But instead of Arran standing there, it was Jess. Her long sandy hair was tousled and she was wearing a T-shirt that was definitely Arran’s…and, it appeared, nothing else. Jess shifted in the doorway, the T-shirt riding up a little, and Liv caught sight of a flash of lace.

Phew. She’s wearing underwear.

Liv swallowed hard, dragging her eyes up from Jess’s very lovelylegs to meet her eyes. What the hell was she doing there? Practically naked except for Arran’s T-shirt?

The memory of straddling Arran, lifting his T-shirt over her head, flashed into her mind. Nausea swelled in her gut.

Jess frowned. “Are you looking for Arran?”

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