Page 64 of Push

“Both.” His amusement vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. “You ask too many questions you won’t want to know the answer to. Come. Elias will lose more of my money if you delight me too long with your cynicism.” His lips curved ever so slightly. “I’ve missed it.”

His tone was almost sincere, his strange praise making my stomach flutter. “Well, we can’t have that. Come on in.” I stepped inside, my palm spreading across the door to keep it open so he could follow. “I’ll take a look at your shady late-night contract. My friend shouldn’t bother us.”

Liam’s footsteps slowed. “You…have a friend…here?”

“Yes?”

His face gave nothing away, but the tight pull of his shoulders hinted at his unease.

“My best friend, Marnie. She’s just through there.” I pointed to the kitchen, only a few steps away. “Is that okay, boss?”

I meant it as a joke, but Liam’s head tilted to the side, thinking it over. Eventually, he must have decided it was fine because he jerked a nod. I stared open-mouthed as he shrugged off his suit jacket, hung it on the coatrack by the front door, and then started undoing his gold cufflinks.

My eyes bulged. “Wha–what are you doing?”

“Taking off my cufflinks.”

“But—” I cleared the awkward lump in my throat with a quick cough. “Why?”

“Optics.”

That explained literally nothing.

Once each cufflink was off and tucked safely in his pocket, his gaze fell on mine as he started folding the cuffs of his shirt to his elbows, stopping short of where the scars started to mottle his skin.

“And all this”—I waved my finger over the front of his shirt—“is for…optics…too?”

His face was grim. “Yes.” He tugged off his tie and hooked it on the coatrack. “Appearances and reputations matter.” He slowly plucked off the top two buttons of his shirt. “Your friend will have a certain expectation of me thanks to the online gossips.I don’t intend to disappoint her with reality. Only you have an inkling of that vile little hellspawn.”

“Don’t call yourself that,” I insisted, my voice only a whisper.

“Ah, but our mother’s favorite name for me rolls so easily off the tongue, don’t you think?”

I almost breathed a sigh of relief when Liam closed his eyes. Somehow, the narrow hallway had become claustrophobic, and my heart thumped too fast. I preferred not to remember those nights…of my mother…or him…or the relentless thud of her fists while he didn’t whimper a single sound.

Liam rolled his neck and shoulders before exhaling a long, slow breath. He reminded me of how Toby had psyched himself up before running on the field for a big game.

When Liam’s eyes snapped open again, a switch had flipped.

His cold exterior melted away. His shoulders relaxed, his lips parted, and his hand went into his pocket like he was taking a casual stroll. Pale lashes dropped slowly before he flashed me a lazy smile that was white and dazzling…and so very, very scary.

I stumbled back a step.

“Go.” His low voice was a command. A shiver zipped down my spine. “Let’s get this part over with quickly. I want your clever mind focused only on me, clever Gwen.”

There wasdefinitelysomething not quite right about my brother.

21

She Entertained Her Boss

Gwen

The bit of carrotMarnie nibbled fell from her fingers. Her eyes rounded. No surprise who she was gawking at over my shoulder.

“You—that’s—” Her jaw dropped. “He’syour new boss?”

Liam bent down slightly, his voice low by my ear. “You didn’t tell your friend about me? Should I be offended?”

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