Page 7 of Love in the Net
“It’s only me,” I say. “I own the business, and it’s all I’ve got.” I shrug one shoulder, deciding to leave out the part where my dad remarried when I was fourteen, left Blue Ridge with his new wife and step-daughter, and I lived with my aunt until I graduated from high school.
“No family?” he asks.
“My aunt lives here,” I say. “And my half-sister came back.”
Liam watches me for a moment, and I drop my eyes to my food and push it around my plate with my chopsticks. “No parents?”
“My mom passed away when I was young,” I say. “My dad remarried and moved. He lives in Florida now.” I look up and meet his beautiful eyes. “You?”
“Mine are still in New York,” he says. “My only brother—younger than me—moved here when I joined the Buffaloes. He sort of acts like my assistant and my manager.”
“And your dog-sitter.”
Liam grins. “That too.” He finishes his food. “Well, I think you’re brave. Taking a risk on opening a dog treat bakery can’t have been easy.”
“Neither is standing in front of a goal with pucks flying at your face,” I say, grinning.
He chuckles again, the sound low and warm. “Fair point.” He gets up and takes our plates over to the sink. “I love playing hockey. The only thing that gets a little tiring is all the traveling.”
My insecurity deepens as the reality of his career hits me like a slap to the face. Could I really handle being with someonewho’s gone half the year? Someone whose life is so different from mine?
“You okay?” he asks, his brows furrowing as he returns to the table, takes my hands, and guides me to my feet.
“Yeah.” I force a smile and sink into his warm embrace. “Just thinking.”
“About what?”
I hesitate, not sure how much to share. But something about Liam makes me want to be honest. “About how different our lives are,” I say. “I mean, you’re this big-time professional athlete, and I’m just…the other day I tried a new recipe for dog muffins with a yogurt frosting.”
He grins at me. “Bear would love that.”
“Liam.” I push against his chest, but his grip on me tightens so I can’t get away.
“You’re not ‘just’ anything,” he says, his voice firm now. “You’re incredible, Claire. You have this passion and drive that most people only dream of. And you’re funny and kind and—” He cuts himself off, running a hand through his hair before settling it on my waist again. “I like you.”
His words make my pulse accelerate in the best possible way, but they don’t erase my doubts. “It’s hard for me to imagine how this would work, you know? With you traveling so much.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he says, his gaze steady. “If it’s worth it, you figure it out. And I think you’re worth it.”
His gaze locks on mine, and the air between us seems to thrum with a magnetic pull, as if the whole world has narrowed to just the two of us. My heart pounds so loudly I wonder if he can hear it. His hand moves to cradle the side of my face, his thumb brushing my cheek with a tenderness that sends goosebumps racing down my arms.
“Claire, tell me to stop,” he murmurs, his voice low, gravelly, and impossibly sexy.
But stopping is the last thing I want.
I shake my head slightly, a silent invitation, and that’s all it takes.
Liam closes the distance between us in one fluid motion, his lips capturing mine with a heat that steals my breath. His kiss is firm and deliberate, like he’s been holding back for far too long and simply can’t anymore. The world tilts on its axis, and I grip the front of his sweater to steady myself, the soft fabric bunching in my fists.
His other hand slides to my lower back, pulling me flush against him, and suddenly, I’m drowning in him—his warmth, his scent, the sheer presence of him. It’s overwhelming in the best way, like stepping into a bonfire and finding it doesn’t burn but ignites something deep inside me instead.
The kiss deepens as my hands slide up from his chest to his shoulders, then to the back of his neck, where my fingers tangle in his hair. He groans, the sound reverberating through me, and his arm tightens around my waist, anchoring me to him like he’s afraid I’ll slip away.
But I’m not going anywhere. Not when this kiss is unraveling me in ways I didn’t know were possible. His mouth moves against mine with a mix of passion and control, like he’s savoring every second, every sensation, and it makes my knees go weak. If his strong arms weren’t holding me up, I’m pretty sure I’d melt into a puddle at his feet.
When we finally break apart, both of us are breathing heavily, our foreheads resting together as we try to catch our breath. His gray eyes are molten, smoldering with a heat that makes my stomach flip over itself.
“Claire,” he murmurs, his voice rough and unsteady. His thumb brushes along my jawline, his touch achingly tender in contrast to the intensity of the kiss we just shared.
