Page 10 of Dangerous Pursuit
"Care to share?" Liam asks, his eyes narrowing slightly, his gaze flicking up and down my body as if he's trying to read me. Suddenly, I feel more naked that everybody in this godforsaken joint, despite being one of the few fully clothed ones.
I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. Dare I say it?
Fuck it. I didn't come here to chicken out. "You. You're the reason," I admit. "I've been thinking about you."
Someone bumps into me from behind, shoving me forward. I stumble, grabbing Liam's arm to steady myself. Hard muscle flexes under my palm and I suck in a sharp breath. Our bodies connect for the briefest second—but long enough for me to feel the solid width of his chest and the unyielding strength in his frame.
Then I'm upright again and he's stepping away, out of reach. "You shouldn't have," he says flatly. "Look, you should go."
I frown. "Why? You were hitting on me, so I know it's not me—"
"It is you."
The song changes at the exact moment he says it. The words that land right into a miniscule gap in music hit me like a punch in the gut. "Oh…" Yeah, 'Oh' indeed. Jesus, why do I have to be so dumb? Of course he wasn'tactuallyhitting on me. It's probably what he does with all the clients. Maybe it's in his fucking contract. No longer able to hold his stare, I drop my gazeto the floor. Still, I just have to know for sure. I'll be able to close that door once I do. I try to keep my voice steady. "So… What's wrong with me?" I ask, my voice barely breaking through the music that's now blasting from the speakers with full force.
When he initially doesn't answer, I hesitantly glance up.
Jesus. Why does he have to be so picture-perfect?
He regards me for a few more seconds, and then—
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong with you." He sighs, leaning his hip against the bar as he rubs a hand over his face. "Everything's right with you, actually."
"Seriously?" I snap, my mood changing instantly. Is he fucking with me on purpose? "What is it then?"
Liam holds my gaze, his eyes intense. "You're a virgin," he states bluntly.
I almost fall over. Where the fuck did that come from? "What? I'm not—"
"Ever been with a man before?"
My face grows hot and I lean in closer, simultaneously trying to lower my voice and make him actually be able to hear me. "Well… No. But that doesn't make me—"
"It does. To me, it does," he cuts in, his tone leaving no room for arguments.
I stare at him, stunned into silence. The ache in my chest intensifies, morphing into anger.
Who the fuck does he think he is?
I shake my head, scoffing under my breath. "Wait. Isn't it like the dream or something? To turn a straight guy?"
The second the words leave my mouth, I regret them. Shit. It's probably not the best idea to be a smartass about a lifestyle I don't know the first thing about.
Liam stares me down and his expression changes. I can't figure out if he's amused or angry. Maybe both.
Finally, he nods. "It is, but not for me. So find someone else, okay?" He motions his hand around the club. "Plenty of fish in the sea."
I follow his hand with my eyes, which is ridiculous. Because I thought about it, alright.A lot. And every time I did, which was every day for the past three weeks, I couldn't find it in me to care about any man that isn't Liam.
My gaze lingers at a random guy Liam's pointing at, and it's not like I can even see him. So why do I do it? Well, maybe because Liam told me to. And before that realization has a chance to sink in, and I bolt out of the club to run away from it, my head snaps back to Liam. "I don't care. I want you."
What the fuck is going on with me? This isn't like me. Never in my life have I been so bold, so pushy, so persistent.
I swallow as Liam's eyes darken and I swear he grows another two inches as he stares me down. "Well, you can't have me."
I open my mouth to argue, but a better thought pops into my head. My temperature spikes and I'm lightheaded as I reach down for the hem of my shirt and lift it up, all the way to the middle of my torso.
When Liam’s gaze inevitably drops to my abs, I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop the smug grin that threatens to split my face in two.
