Page 97 of Fix Them Up
I’ll miss London, probably???
CALL MUM, DON’T BE A WIMP
Liam and I stood on Sandra and Brian’s porch, holding foil-covered plates and a bottle of white wine, but neither of us had knocked on the door yet. Neither of us had moved our hands towards the large gold knocker on the door. Liam shifted on his feet, and I glanced at him. I wished I could have climbed into his head and read his mind. I had a feeling I would discoverhe was feeling the same as me – protective of the little bubble we’d had this morning. We lazed around in bed, sipping coffee – black for him, a latte for me. We chatted about inane things, the kind of questions you ask when everything is fresh and new.
I asked Liam about what he was like at school. Predictably, he’d been the sporty type on all the school teams – football, rugby, and even cricket in the summers. I asked how he felt about becoming a dad so young, and he asked me about London – all my favourite places to visit and where I would take him if he ever visited. I saw his face tense for a second when I suggested he visit and swiftly moved on to talk about the restaurants in London – something I knew would distract him.
When we finally got out of bed, I tried not to go bright red when Willa gave me a smug look as I traipsed around Liam’s kitchen barefoot and in my short pyjamas. It felt weird having someone else witness our mornings.
Apart from Abigail, they had been ours.
Liam didn’t seem bothered at all. He still kissed the top of my head as he went around the kitchen preparing breakfast for Willa and me. Sweet potato hash with smoked salmon and poached eggs. Blueberry pancakes with hand-whipped cream and a strawberry compote. He poured us mimosas and handed Willa her black coffee.
Willa’s eyes went wide as Liam plated up. She mouthed,He cooks too.
When we dropped Willa back at the station, I tried not to get too tearful as she hugged me tight and whispered, ‘Be brave, Kat. He seems like a good guy.’ Her eyes flickered to Liam, standing by his van waiting for me. ‘And if he hurts you, I’m chopping his balls off.’
I laughed and hugged her tighter, and then she was gone.
In the van, I sniffed. Liam kept glancing over at me.
‘Do you still want to go?’ he asked. ‘I didn’t think you might be upset, we can go home –’
I threaded my hand through Liam’s.
‘I’m okay.’ I smiled. ‘Thank you for getting her up here. It really was the best birthday present.’
He cocked an eyebrow. ‘Better than this morning?’
I blushed. ‘Hm. I love Willa, but probably not as much as I love you going down on me.’
Liam punched the air, and I laughed.
*
As we stood in front of my aunt and uncle’s terraced house, I regretted not taking Liam up on his offer. The house sounded like a home. The TV was blaring in the front room, and music was playing from the kitchen. I could smell roast chicken and hear my uncle singing to Frank Sinatra in the kitchen.
I felt out of place.
I didn’t know the protocol. My family had never done the big, loud Sunday lunches. Mum had always said it was too much food for the three of us.
I glanced at Liam to find him staring down at me, his gaze skirting down me and lingering on my arse, where my dress was particularly tight.
I smirked, momentarily distracted by Liam’s stormy eyes.
I knew he liked the tight wool dress I’d picked out this morning. His eyes had widened and trailed over me, up and down, hungrily. He looked ready to throw me over his shoulder and drag me back upstairs. I was sure he would have done it if Willa hadn’t been there. The feeling was mutual when Liam wore a hunter-green soft jumper with tapered dark blue trousers and smart white trainers.
His arse looked just as good, but I had the decency to stare when he wasn’t looking. Right now, Liam clearly didn’t give a flying fuck. His eyes kept trailing over me, heat warming there.
‘My eyes are up here, Hunter.’
Liam made a strangled noise. ‘I don’t think I’m going to be able to get through this meal and hide that I’m clearly obsessed with you.’
I choked. ‘Obsessed with me?’
Liam grabbed the bottle of wine from my hand and placed it on the floor. With our hands free, he pulled me closer and kissed my neck.
Liam hummed. ‘Just let me get it out of my system. I know you don’t want to tell anyone, but sweetheart’ – his words made my heart squeeze – ‘you look ridiculously hot, and I just want to take you home and do terrible, horrible things to you, and everyone is going to see it on my face.’
