“Agreed,” he said. “One hundred percent.” Then there were his fingers tracing the most heavenly circles on my neck. I’m sure he noticed me tremble. I could feel that wicked smirk of his against my lips as he went in for more.
I tried to convince myself we had an agreement, but in context, the reality was sketchy.
When I arrived at the gathering, there was Liam being greeted by Lachlan and Scarlett at the door. I felt my face burn hot, and instantly, the heat spread all the way through my body. At least I wouldn’t be alone to face the firing squad. Because my sister knew me. And there would be questions. Questions I did not know how to answer.
I trudged up the stairs. Already this close to Liam, I was starting to feel overwhelmed by his presence. I wanted to reach up and run my hands over the outline of his muscular shape beneath his button up shirt, especially those pecs which I could stare at all day.
Scarlett caught me looking. I smiled too big, my poker face failing me. The only give I had was a manic smile, and that would never fly with her. The only problem with having a sister who knew me this well was that she knew me too well.
“So, how is it being husband and wife so far?” I said it too loudly and too showy, so they all turned to look at me. I tried not to get ensnared in Liam’s gaze, but he had a magnetism I couldn’t fight. And the thought of what we’d been doing all night, and all morning, for that matter, certainly didn’t help my resolve.
Scarlett shrugged a shoulder. “Meh,” she said. We all laughed while Lachlan pulled her close.
“I’ll show you meh,” he said. Then he drew her into the kind of kiss you wouldn’t believe a couple who’d been together two years would still be engaging in. That mix of complete comfort in each other’s presence and electric attraction was rare as anything. And they had it in spades.
They led us inside and behind them, Liam leaned in and whispered in my ear. “Can’t stop thinking of what you look like under that dress.”
I’m sure I turned purple, but thankfully all eyes were on Zooey, who came crashing down the stairs, a stuffed animal in each arm. One was dressed as a bride, the other a groom.
“Aunt Kath!” She ran into my arms and enclosed me in one of her epic hugs while I took in her strawberry shampoo. In seconds, she was out of my embrace and headed for Liam.
“Uncle Liam!”
Uncle? I wasn’t going to pretend the warm hug she enclosed him in didn’t shock me. Because it did.
Zooey yanked him by the hand to the yard, leaving the three of us at the entry, my face burning at about a million degrees.
“Good night?” Scarlett asked.
Oh, she knew. God love her, she wasn’t going to say anything now. But she was thinking it. And her thoughts were broadcast loud and clear.
“Oh yeah,” I said. I couldn’t help myself. For everything Scarlett kept mum about, I plunked double the truth right out there.
Lachlan quirked a brow, and I could see a twitch at his jaw, but he didn’t say a word.
My sister’s eyes bulged, but she plastered on a smile, and squeezed my shoulder. “Let’s head out back. The caterers made all your favorites. As a thank you—for watching Zooey this week, and of course, for everything you do for all of us.”
Zooey was giggling maniacally as Liam held her upside down by her ankles. What was it with gorgeous men and kids? Shit, he looked incredible. My heart skipped a beat. Surely that would be enough to scare me straight. This was so out of character for me.
The guests arrived quickly. I loved mingling with Lachlan’s family and friends from Australia. The different experiences, the phrases they used, the unique perspective, it all gave me a sense of expansion.
And for me, who’d grown up in San Francisco, never traveled overseas, I never felt I was missing out on anything because I had my sister, and of course, my best friend Tilly, whom I’d known since my first day at the local college.
We’d bonded over being stuck here—her because of cash flow issues, me because my parents had died and I wasn’t about to leave Scarlett and traipse off to take up my place at Boston University.
Despite the marginal mileage of my life, at twenty-nine, I was satisfied with my career and fun, indulgent, single lifestyle. And the truth was, I liked it—the idea that there was so much out there to discover. It added a new layer to life that thrilled me.
I found myself caught up in a succession of conversations, and hours flew. Yet the whole time, I was conscious of Liam. The way his head tipped back when he laughed, the way his fingers wrapped around a glass, and of course, the way he seemed to know where I was at all times. And how he made sure I understood we were connected in this crowd. Why did it feel like so much more than a one-night thing?
About an hour in, I saw him walk my way.
“Hey,” he said. His smile was full of everything that had passed between us. I don’t know how he distilled it and telegraphed it that way. But I’d certainly never get bored of it.
“Hey,” I said. I could feel my teeth pin down my lower lip. My body had a mind of its own in his presence.
“Zooey asked if I could come over tomorrow and spend the day with you guys.”
“Zooey did, huh?”
He smirked, those eyes aglow, nodding.
“I see. Well, if Zooey asked, I’m certainly not going to say no.”
Seven
KATH
He had me in a whirlwind, caught up in tropical storm Liam. I found myself kissing the happy couple, bundling Zooey and myself into the back of Driver Rick’s car, waving goodbye, and just as quickly, opening my front door to Liam, bright and early the next day, so we could visit the zoo.
Zooey had made him promise to come. The cocky smile he’d flashed me as he conveyed this information should have pissed me off—here we were again, trampling over the fact that it was meant to be a one-night thing—but it had the opposite effect.
My heart soared and seemed to dump happy hormones into every limb at the picture in my head of the three of us traipsing from giraffes to Siberian tigers. What the actual fuck?
“Infinity and one! Infinity and two! Infinity and three!” Zooey was yell-singing up and down my hallway as I opened the door to him.
I thought I’d prepared myself, but the sight of him took my breath away. In jeans and a tee shirt over his muscular build, he was even sexier than in a suit. Or maybe I’d let the proverbial door open a crack and now I was letting him all the way in.
He leaned in through the literal door and kissed me. I hadn’t expected that. I don’t know what I’d expected. Certainly not the instant liquid my body melted into.
“G’day,” he said.
“Infinity and four!”
He peeked around my head to see Zooey counting up to who-knows-what.
“This could go on for a while,” I said, shrugging and stepping aside, flourishing my not-exactly-steady hand for him to enter.
I closed the door when he walked across the threshold and Zooey came running. “Infinity and five!” She noticed Liam and bounded to him as he crouched and opened his arms to scoop her up. The way his muscles flexed to lift her was a work of art. “Liam!”
“Zooey! You know infinity is the biggest number. You don’t need to count past it,” he said.