He took a deep breath and tried to get his raging attraction—yes, that was what it was—under control. From the looks of the snow, they were going to be here for a while. Unless…
Liam went back into the house, skirting the living room and going directly into his bedroom. His phone perched on the bedside table. No bars. “Hey, Mina?”
She appeared at the door in seconds. “Yeah?”
“Does your cell have any bars?”
Mina frowned, then turned on her heel. He heard her ruffling through her coat pockets. “No,” she called, disappointment ringing in her voice.
Liam dropped his cell at the foot of the bed. He’d heard Mina talking to Lucky, and his heart sank for her. Even if they left right now, they’d never make it to an appointment in the city today. And there was no leaving now—not with his car buried in the driveway, and her car buried in the ditch. If cell service didn’t come back soon, there was no telling how long they’d be stuck.
8
Mina swallowed hard. No bars on her cell. She’d been dreading the call to the clinic, dreading hearing Jennifer’s voice telling her exactly how much money she’d lost—but now her face felt hot and clammy. She couldn’t make the call after all. She couldn’t plead bad weather and ask them to make an exception. She’d been busy hating the thought of asking for a favor like that, but what else was she supposed to do? It was a relative ton of money, but that spark of hope down at the pit of her gut? It wouldn’t go out, no matter how hard she’d tried to accept the facts.
Now she had no choice but to accept them. She shook the phone one more time. It had no effect on the bars. She slipped it back into the pocket of her jacket.
Liam leaned against the doorframe to the kitchen. “No service for you, either?”
Mina shook her head. “Not a single solitary bar. I’m guessing your phone is the same.”
“Storm must’ve knocked out one of the towers.” He grimaced. “I’m sorry you have to miss your appointment.”
She shrugged, not wanting to show the devastation that pressed against her ribs and felt ready to burst out of her body. “I can’t control the weather. I’m sure it’ll all work out.” The lie almost choked her. She wasn’t sure it would all work out. But Mina wasn’t the type to complain too much about any one thing. There was a solution out there, and she’d find it. In fact, she’d already found it—the solution was simply to wait a few more months while she saved money. It was definitely not to fall into bed with Liam Wells.
Liam stretched his arms over his head. The hem of his shirt rode up. And there were his abs, as cut and gorgeous as they had been this morning, when he’d been wearing only his boxer shorts. Mina bit her lip. In the moment, the kiss in the living room had seemed like it lasted several years. Kissing Liam Wells had expanded time, giving her blood a chance to beat hard through her veins and carry her desire over every inch of her skin. Now, looking back, it had only been a few seconds. Not nearly enough time to taste him. Not nearly enough time to satisfy her inner teenager, who’d had fantasies of kissing Liam every day leading up to that party…and even afterward. Not nearly enough time to lift up the shirt herself and run her fingers down the ridges of his abs.
She was still staring when he lowered his arms, light dancing in his green eyes. “What do you say, Mina?” The pause gave her one heartbeat of a chance to flirt with him, to say something. “You want some breakfast?”
The hot, heavy feeling dropped away. If they were going to sit down to breakfast, there was really no hope of making it to her appointment. No hope at all. “Yeah.” The word escaped on a sigh. “Let’s have some breakfast.”
Liam moved past her into the kitchen, his hand resting ever so briefly on the curve of her waist. “Coffee to drink?”
“I prefer tea,” she said automatically.
Liam rummaged in one of the cupboards over the stove. “I’ve got green tea. Will that do?”
Green tea wasn’t her favorite, but then again, neither was missing the appointment. Either way, she would live. “That sounds great.”
When Liam moved to the fridge, she got some water started in a teapot and set it on the stove. The flame came to life in the burner with a click, click whoosh that reminded her of the stove in her grandmother’s house. She’d spent a lot of time there just like this—her thoughts wandering, waiting for water to boil. And boy, did her thoughts wander. They skimmed over Lucky’s entrance into the room, tail wagging. Liam bent to pat the dog on the head, speaking gentle words into his ears and stroking his fur. Then he stood up tall to wash his hands and go back to the fridge. Lucky followed him. It wasn’t a large kitchen, but it was like the dog couldn’t bear to be too far from Liam.
It was surprising, how quickly he’d bonded with the dog. She’d never taken Liam to be the kind of man who’d fall in love with an animal like that. He’d been a daredevil, up for anything, and as far as she knew, that was how he’d been through adulthood, too. That kind of life didn’t lend itself to quiet mornings with the dog.
“Mina? Did you hear me?”
She snapped back to reality. “No, I didn’t.” Because I can feel that old crush coming back, even stronger this time. “What did you say?”
He lifted a carton of eggs into the air. “Eggs?”
“Of course.” She sidled out of the way while he got out the frying pan, tipped a generous heap of butter into the bottom, and started the process of making scrambled eggs. And away went her thoughts again.
All those years, she’d been so hurt and angry. It was a wound that had festered and never quite healed, no matter how old she got or how far away she went to go to college or how much freelance work she took on here in town. And now it had turned out that she was wrong. Liam Wells wasn’t the daredevil jerk she’d known him to be. He was trying to do the right thing. It was good they’d cleared the air. No awkwardness hung in the kitchen, only her own disappointment about the appointment, and the aroma of eggs cooking in the pan. Liam put some bread in the toaster and got that started, too. He’d looked so unbearably good with those boxers pasted to his skin. So good. Mina almost wished things were awkward so she didn’t have to think about how ridiculously handsome he was. That jawline, like it had been carved from hardwood. The broad line of his shoulders. His biceps. His—
Steam poured from the spout of the teapot and she stepped forward automatically, her hip bumping against his as she grabbed for the pot holder on the front of the stove. Mina whisked the teapot to the side, where Liam had set out two mugs, and pretended with all her might that she hadn’t been checking him out. “Tea’s almost ready,” she joked.
“Lucky for you, you’ll have some eggs and toast to go with it.” Liam deftly let the eggs slide onto two plates at the same moment the toast popped up from the toaster.
“Oh, I can get—okay.” Liam had already pulled a knife from one of the drawers and the butter from a nearby dish and spread it quickly over the slices.
“No need,” he said, eyes flickering up to hers. “Can’t waste any time with toast. If you wait too long, the butter doesn’t melt right. Put toast in the microwave and you’ll end up with a soggy mess.” He turned the knife to the side and cut the toast in neat triangles, then laughed to himself. “Hope you don’t mind the slices. I think it looks nicer on the plate.”