Page 2 of Crushing On Dad's Best Friend
My mom runs over and kisses me on the cheek as Liam peels off his jacket and puts it around me. She gives him a thumbs-up to thank him for meeting me with theumbrella.
My sister’s bridesmaids, all super-hot twenty-something girls who have a lot more experience than I do (ineverything) are standing around, bemoaning the fact that it’sraining.
“It wasn’t supposed to rain!” my sister says, running over to me and throwing her arms around my shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re finally here. Finally someone who wants to do something other than swim. Because we can’t swim.Look!”
“I see, I see!” I say, concurring with her with a frenetic nod. “Oh! Before I forget. Liam, can I please have mysuitcase?”
I turn to him and he rolls it to me while clearing his throat, but for some reason he’s barely looking at me. No, I know the reason — he’s in a room full of half-dressed, gorgeous women. I roll my eyes at him. I never knew him to be the flustered type, instead always as cool as a cucumber, but it’s like the swimsuit portion of a beauty contest in here right now. I don’t blame him for being a littledistracted.
I unzip my suitcase and dig my handin.
“I know they’re in here somewhere!” I say, thrusting my hand deeper until I find the gift I brought for my sister. “Ah,here!”
I pull out a pair of socks. Big, white, fluffy socks. I hand them to her and she puts them against her chest tenderly, swaying her shoulders, knowing exactly what theymean.
When my mom and dad were getting married, they were both so in love with each other and they got married so quickly that they were both afraid the other would bolt for the door. It was’t that they had any issues in the relationship. Actually, they both thought it was goingtoowell.
They both gave each other the same gift before the wedding, neither knowing what the other’s gift was going to be: a pair of socks, to keep their beloved warm if they got coldfeet.
It’s like the gift of the magi, except everyone got to keep their most treasured possessions. Plus, it only cost $4.99.
We’ve decided to keep this tradition in the family and never told my sister’s fiancé about it because we wanted it to just be ours — plus, Anthony has been so hung up on marrying Anna for the past two years that I don’t think his feet will even gettepid. No, he doesn’t need his feet to be warm. They’re already hotter than a coalwalker’s.
Anna throws her arms around me again and I feel her peering past me, atLiam.
“Weirdo,” she says as she pulls away from me, snapping his attention to us. “Will you get Katherine set up in herroom?”
“He isn’t a weirdo,” I say, putting my hand on his chest and leaning against him a little. “He’s just flustered around a group of beautiful youngwomen.”
“That’s not it,” he grumbles, bending to grab my suitcase from the floor. “Come on, I’ll show to your room. And next time, when you need a ride, you callme.”
I swallow thickly as he starts toward the stairs, my lips pulling into a straight line. I know I look horrible with my hair soaked and my cardigan sticking to my chest, but he didn’t have to get all mean about it. I watch him as he walks toward the stairs, every muscle in his big, broad back rippling under his perfectly-tailored whiteshirt.
I feel a spring compress between my legs as I follow him, grabbing the banister to keep my knees from knocking together and pulling his jacket up to my cheek to silently purr intoit.
What ishappening?
We’re silent as thieves in the night as we make our wayupstairs.
“Thanks,” I say, tugging my suitcase away from him when we get to my room. It has a little table outside it with a card reading my name. “This must beme.”
“Good to see you again,” he says, putting a hand on my shoulder. I look him up and down, blinking to take in everything like a series of snap-shots. Sexy face.Snap.Broad chest.Snap.Big, muscled hand on his hip.Snap.
This man makes me want to shake it like a Polaroidpicture.
“Good to see you,too.”
“I guess I’ll see you later,” hesays.
“Uh-huh. See youlater.”
He leans around me to open my door, making the spring between my legs tighten again. I smile up at him and go inside, closing the door slowly as he walks away. When he gets to the end of the hall he looks back at me, gives me a small smile through the crack in the door, then disappears down thestairs.
I let out a huge breath as I close the door behind me. I have to make the sign of the cross to exorcise all the naughty thoughts that are already weaving their way throughme.
