Page 138 of The Reno
I rubbed my temple. I was fucking this up. Liam touched my hand, gently pulling it away from my face.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Liam ran a hand up my arm. “I’m just happy you’re here. I hadn’t planned on so many people. But you invite Pat, you’re inviting everyone.”
We just looked at each other then. I took in the small smile on his face, the smile creases around his chestnut-brown eyes. His face softened.
“I missed you,” he murmured, and then I was in his arms. I launched myself at him so hard that he took a step back at the force and gave a husky laugh.
“I missed you, too,” I whispered into his neck.
“How have you been?” he said. “I want to know everything.”
We shifted, and my feet hit the ground, but we didn’t separate. We just stood in each other’s arms.
“Miserable. London was hot. And usually it’s hot in June but this time it was worse. Like suffocating. And moving in withMum and Graham was tedious. I only did it so I could prove a point. I just kept talking about you and Everly Heath, partly just to piss off my mum, which was a stupid teenager move, but I couldn’t help it.” I inhaled for the next words. “Willa is miserable too, but she won’t let me help her. I tried my best to sort what I could, but I get the feeling something bigger is happening that she won’t share with me. And I just fucking missed you every day. I wanted to strangle you for saying I couldn’t call or text. I was going to FaceTime you for sex one night, just to see if you’d cave—”
Liam gave a shuttered laugh. “I probably would have.”
“Damn it. I knew I should have given it a go.” I sighed. “But annoyingly, I’m glad I went back. I helped Willa land some clients and recruit someone else. And Mum seems to have come around to the idea of me moving here. She was actually quite nice when I left. She and Graham helped me pack up my stuff.”
I was suddenly aware I was waffling. I closed my mouth, and the silence held for a moment. I pulled back to see Liam’s lip turned up, but he was just staring at me with that resting bitch face.
“Say something!” I said, my hands flapped uselessly.
“Just checking you were done,” Liam said, hiding his smile. “Sometimes you get a second wind.”
“Ugh, what do you want me to say? I should never have gone back. Because I will—”
My words died as Liam stepped forward and pressed his lips against mine. His chest pressed against my own. The world roared with white noise, but my head was quiet. Peaceful. UntilLiam’s teeth grazed my lower lip, teasing me, and blood roared in my ears.
He pulled back, and I swallowed my disappointed noise.
Liam cradled my neck. “I’ve been miserable. More of an arsehole than usual. Sandra banned me from the club.”
“She banned you?” I gasped.
“She held a public vote. Everyone voted yes.”
I gave a strangled laugh.
“Don’t laugh.” But his eyes twinkled. “I was a mess because I missed you. God, it’s been so quiet.”
My eyes narrowed. “Excuse me—”
“Too quiet,” Liam murmured, his hands gripping my hair.
Our lips met. Relief and the smell of Liam’s cologne flooded my senses. Liam’s hands fell to my neck, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss. He kissed my cheeks and forehead like I was something precious.
Liam’s eyes were soft, flickering between my lips and my eyes.
“I’ve got something to show you,” Liam said as he grasped my hand and led me away from the restaurant, which was teeming with people.
“What about the party?” I said, frowning. “Liam, we can’t leave.”
“It can wait.”
“Liam. You’ve worked so hard on this. We can’t just walk off—”
Liam turned, clasping my head in his hands, planting a quick kiss on my lips. He grinned down at me, a glint in his eyes. “I’ve been waiting two months for my life to restart again. Trust me, the party can wait. This can’t.”
