Page 72 of The Wedding Engagement

She shuddered. Had she been wrong to defend herself? Was guilt driving her unease?

Arran made them all tea and Liv watched him, taking deep breaths to stem her rapidly firing pulse and mounting nausea.

—

Arran took hold of Liv’shand as they sat across the dining table from the two policewomen, studying her face as she spoke. She answered their questions calmly and eloquently and he was so proud of her.

He’d pushed the memory of that kiss down in order to concentrate on the task at hand. But it had taken some willpower. It kept threatening to burst into the fore every time he looked at her.

When it was his turn to speak, he told the policewomen his part, albeit through gritted teeth because he was still so enraged at the twat.

He’d been waiting farther down the hill from the pub, just out of sight, when he’d heard Liv’s voice. He’d doubled back to take a look and spotted the guy gripping her arm, then Liv karate chopping the sleazebag. So he’d started to run the few yards back to the pub, arriving right as Liv flattened the guy’s nose.

Arran might’ve managed to control his temper and merely shout and lead Liv away, had he not heard him call her a fucking bitch. His temper had exploded and he’d slammed the dickhead into the wall.

He tried hard to sound as calm as Liv when he spoke, to keep the anger out of his voice, though he wasn’t sure he’d succeeded. The policewomen gave them both sympathetic looks and noises as they took down the information.

When they finished, he and Liv saw the police out, past where Elise and Nico were sitting in the living area. They said that the guy shouldn’t be hard to find and that they’d keep in touch. Luckily, there would also be CCTV footage from the area outside the pub.

Arran closed the door behind them, turning to gently take Liv’s shoulders. “Okay?”

She nodded quickly, giving him a look that set his blood on fire, but then blinking with a worried expression and looking away.

“I’m fine,” she said, not looking at him. “Just tired. Think I need to go to bed.”

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you upstairs.” He put his arm around her to go back into the living room. She collapsed against him like she had when they’d walked home, before they had kissed. But this time he sensed a new tension in her.

Elise stood as they entered the room. “How’re you doing, Liv?”

Liv gave her a weak smile. “Just knackered.”

“I’ll come up to bed with you,” Elise said, crossing over to take Liv’s hand.

Arran’s heart sank. He’d wanted to be the one to accompany herupstairs. Not because he wanted anything further to happen between them. Well, he did. But not tonight. He just had this inexplicable need to see her safely tucked up in bed. Ideally, he wanted to lie there with her and hold her all night.

But she was sharing a room with Elise, and suggesting otherwise felt inappropriate. Reluctantly, he let his arm slide off her shoulders as Liv took Elise’s hand. She glanced back as the two of them neared the stairs, and he met her gaze with a spike in his pulse.

“Night, Arran,” she said.

His voice was hoarse. “Night.”

Liv dragged her eyes off him onto where Nico was coming to stand next to him. “Night, Nico.”

“See you in the morning,” Nico said. Arran could feel Nico’s eyes on him as he continued to watch Liv and Elise climb the stairs, until they disappeared onto the upstairs landing.

Nico nudged his shoulder. “Areyouokay? You seem pretty rattled too.”

Arran swallowed, trying to decide whether witnessing Liv being harassed by that twat or the heat of their kiss was the thing rattling him the most. “Yeah. It’s been an eventful night.”

Nico put his arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “You get off to bed too. I’ll tidy down here and lock up.”

Arran nodded, giving him a grateful smile. “Thanks, man.”

Nico ruffled his hair, then departed toward the table to clear away the mugs.

Arran climbed the stairs, his gait slowing as he passed Liv and Elise’s door, before he continued to his and Nico’s room.

Tomorrow, at Neist Point. It was time to speak to Liv about this thing between them.

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