Page 7 of Because of Liam

Chapter Five

There’sa collective moan as we take that first bite of lasagna. A perfect storm of flavors, melting on my tongue. The creaminess of the cheese, the tangy sauce, the freshness of the herbs, all combined into a bite of pure bliss. It’s been at least three years since I tasted Mary’s lasagna. MREs or military rations come in two flavors: bad and inedible. Some of the guys liked them. But I grew up spoiled with Mary preparing all our meals and she could make anything taste good.

“Bro, this is just as good as Mary’s.”

Logan has a big smile on his face. I could not have paid him a bigger compliment.

“Nah, you just forgot what real food tastes like.”

“Who’s Mary?” River asks.

Logan is sitting at the end of the table, Skye to his left, and River next to her. I’m sitting opposite to the girls—it’s hard for River not to look my way when she glances over, but she’s doing her damn best to avoid me. She’s discreet. I don’t think anyone else picks up on it. After she threw that little tidbit about multiple orgasms at me, I can think of nothing else but making her come. Multiple times. Add to that the fact I haven’t gotten laid in over a year, and my dick is doing somersaults in my pants in anticipation. Maybe she’s right. I do need to get laid. Now, how do I get her to be the one to take me up on it?

“Mary is our cook. Or she was when we lived at home still,” I answer, my eyes staying on River.

“You had a cook?” River asks, but she directs it to Logan.

“Our mother couldn’t boil water.” Logan smiles at her the way one would at a little sister. There’s fondness in his expression.

“Logan spent a lot of time in the kitchen with Mary and he learned to cook from her.”

Skye asks, “How about you, Liam? Can you cook?”

“Liam inherited Mother’s ability to cook.” Logan laughs, the bastard.

“How did you two meet?” I ask. “I never heard that story.”

River groans, while Logan and Skye exchange a look, and Skye’s face pinks up.

A huge smile breaks on Logan’s face.

“It was all because of River,” Skye answers me.

“Yes! Thank you, River.” Logan lifts his wine glass.

She rolls her eyes at him.

He goes on. “Well, I was almost at the end of my shift, when I see this car pull through a yellow light and go after it.”

“Yep. That was me.” Skye points to herself.

“When she pulls over, and I walk up to the car, I can smell alcohol.”

That surprises me. I know how much Logan hates people who drink and drive.

“But it wasn’t me drinking.” Skye picks up where Logan stopped. “See, River was at a party and when her ride bailed on her, she called me to pick her up and she had a couple of drinks.”

“It smelled like a brewery in that car,” Logan adds.

“Hey, in my defense, someone spilled beer on me. I didn’t drink all that much.” River glances at me for a few extra seconds now.

“I told Skye to get out of the car to do a sobriety test. Best outfit ever!”

I look at Logan. “Okay, you lost me.”

It’s Skye’s turn to groan and River’s to laugh.

“She was wearing these little pajamas and pink bunny slippers. Man, I still think about that.”

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