Page 69 of The Wedding Engagement

Arran stood to meet her gaze, holding out his hand. She took it, sliding her fingers between his. He held her firmly with just theright amount of pressure, instilling a sense of safety and protection while simultaneously stoking the ever-burning desire deep in her belly. They began to walk and he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand in a slow, soothing circle. His touch was comforting yet sensual, making her recall her instinctual thoughts that he would be amazing in bed. She ached to have him touch her in a sexual way.

He gave her hand a squeeze. “I would say sorry that I didn’t get here sooner, but you clearly had the whole thing under control.” He glanced down. “So, instead, sorry for adding in my twopence worth. I know you didn’t need it. It was for my own benefit.”

She gave him a quizzical look. “Your own benefit?”

He swallowed. “Yeah. My own basic need to smash the guy in the face. I saw the way he was looking at you in the pub and I didn’t like it. So I hung back to wait for you down the street. When it took a little longer than anticipated for you to appear, I walked back a bit and saw the two of you.” He took a breath. “Nice moves. You’re awesome, Aggie.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

The tension in his face dissipated, replaced with a smile. “Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you. You’re a total badass.”

Liv laughed. “I reserve my moves for douchebags. Hence, you’re safe.”

“Good to know.” His smile faded, and his jaw tightened. “I so wanted to flatten that guy, by the way.”

Her breath seemed to get stuck in her chest. “I know. But best to leave it at that and report him to the police.”

He gave her a look of concern. “Do you want to call them when we get home?”

“Yeah. Just in case he gets any ideas in the meantime about trying the same thing with a woman whodoesn’thappen to be a black belt in karate.”

He nodded. “I’ll stay up with you until it’s sorted. At least he won’t be in any fit state to try anything else tonight, what with the bloody nose you gave him.”

She laughed. “Yep. Also, it makes him easier for the police to recognize. Probably not too many others going around town with a flattened nose.”

Arran shook his head, grinning. “You’re a mastermind as well as a badass.”

Liv bit her lip, studying him as they walked. The need to have him closer, to extend their touch, was too great. She let go of his hand, sliding her arm around his waist. He immediately responded by circling her shoulders. And it feltso good.

“Thanks, though,” she said, absorbing the warmth of having him pressed against her side. “For noticing the twat and hanging around.”

Arran squeezed her shoulders in response.

She cleared her throat, trying to keep her mind on their conversation because his proximity was short-circuiting her brain. “How come you clocked him, by the way? I don’t think anyone else did. And I misinterpreted his attention as being due to us appearing overdressed for the pub.”

A dark expression slid over his features, and his jaw clenched. “He noticed the way you were dressed all right. He kept staring at you when you were chatting to the girls. And not in a surreptitious, admiring kind of way, but in a predatory, sleazy way. It fucked me off.”

Liv snuggled further into his side and felt the tension leave his body in response.

He took a deep breath, his tone becoming a little unsteady. “And to answer your question, the reason I clocked it is that I’ve not been able to take my eyes off you all night.”

Her heart flipped, her breath getting caught in her throat.

His voice thrummed into her body as she pressed into his side.“I’ve not been able to take my eyes off you for a long time, if I’m honest. And I don’t just mean this weekend.”

Her head began to spin. This felt dangerously close to him admitting what she wanted to hear. Would he take things further than he had the evening he’d stopped by after their blind date and told her she was beautiful? Anticipation made her heart beat so hard that blood whooshed in her ears.

“And I’ve been feeling more than a little jealous about you and Brodie.” He sighed. “I know that makes me a dick.”

She swallowed in an attempt to halt her palpitations, and stopped walking, placing her other arm around his waist to bring him in to face her. With her heels on, she could look him in the eye with a tip of her head. “You’re not a dick.”

Keeping his arm around her shoulders, he lifted his other hand to graze his fingers against her cheek. Her skin ached under his touch, filling her with an intense craving to feel it all over her body.

“I am,” he said gruffly. “It’s none of my business who you date.”

“True,” she said, eliciting a smile from him. “But Brodie and I aren’t dating. We both decided on our first date that there was no chemistry.”

He hesitated, searching her eyes. “But you guys seem…close.”

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