She was not expecting him to knock on the door on Saturday.
Mina brushed the crumbs from her toast off the flannel pajama pants she was still wearing and set her laptop carefully on the coffee table. So what if it was one in the afternoon? Her only plans for the day were to work and not think about Liam. She swiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. She considered running to the bathroom to take a look at her hair, but no. This was life. Her life. And whoever had come to see her would probably be prepared for that.
She pulled open the door and her heart was the first thing to react, banging against her rib cage like a girl at a Beatles concert. Liam, Liam, Liam, it chanted, and there he was, standing on her doormat with his hands in his pockets and a look on his face that made her think he had something serious on his mind.
“Listen.” He shoved his hand up over his head, knocking his winter hat askew. “I’ve been thinking about you. I wanna make sure we got this right.”
Her stomach flipped over. “If you’re having second thoughts, it’s probably too late.” Mina gripped the doorframe. If he was having second thoughts, she’d die right here on the doorstep.
Liam shook his head. “No, that’s not what I mean. I mean—I want to be sure that it took. I can’t just have you walking around out here with our deal unfulfilled.”
A laugh got away from her, breathy and high and totally unlike her. “I don’t think you can guarantee a pregnancy. That’s just not how it works.” She resisted the urge to fan herself. This was going exceedingly well.
“Well, I’m going to guarantee it as much as I possibly can, if that’s all right with you.” Liam frowned, raking his gaze down her body. “Are you busy right now? If you’re busy, I can come back later.” He cocked his head and peered behind her into the house. The perfectly silent house. Now that he was standing here, she became even more aware of just how quiet it was. There was no one to interrupt them.
Her entire body was already reacting to him. Goose bumps rose on her arms beneath her pajama shirt, her nipples peaking against her bra.
Be cool, she thought. He’s only trying to keep up his end of the bargain. And maybe he wants to burn some energy. Cold winter nights, and all that. She blew out a quick breath through her lips. “I’m not busy.” Mina stepped back to let him in.
One step over the threshold and he had his coat off and his arms around her waist, head bent to the side of her neck, lips hot on her skin. “You’re right,” she gasped. “We should make absolutely sure…”
That was the last thing she said for a solid forty-five minutes.
Liam came back the next day, and the day after that. His knock at the door was some kind of magic signal that turned the frigid days into something soaked through with heat and passion. By the fifth visit, five days later, Mina curled up on the sheets with a sigh. “You want to stay for dinner?” she said into the heady silence. “I was thinking takeout.”
Liam stayed for dinner. He stayed that evening, and came for lunch the next day, and brought pizza the next.
They ate on her sofa, a sitcom on the TV, and she felt…comfortable.
Mina jolted herself straight out of that thinking. She could not get used to Liam. She could absolutely not fall for him. This—the couch dinners and the sex and the laughing—this was only temporary. The winter would end, he’d go back to the rodeo, and she’d be on her own. What she should do was keep the front door closed. But Liam wasn’t the teenage boy she’d known once. He was all man, and every time she heard that sound, desire took over all her logical thinking.
By the ninth day, when she closed the door behind him, she promised herself she’d end it—just as soon as she had her positive pregnancy test. It was the only way.
12
Even being out on the snowmobile wasn’t calming Liam’s nerves.
He tried to lose himself in the twists and turns of the Wells’ property and the sting of the snow on his face, but something at the center of him felt…unsettled. He didn’t feel that way when he was inside Mina’s house, with the door firmly shut against the world. He didn’t feel that way when she sat next to him on the sofa, feet tucked up underneath her, laughing at whatever show he’d queued up on Netflix. But he wasn’t going to admit that. Not even to Lucky.
Back at home, he kept his eyes off the pull-out couch, which he’d put away as soon as Mina had gone. He’d gotten her to come out yesterday for a hike in the woods. They’d spotted an elk, and Mina’s face had lit up with delight. “It’s huge,” she’d whispered. “Look at that.” He’d felt his own heart lighten at the joy on her face. Over what? Over an elk. They’d both watched it move through the forest for a few moments before Lucky started barking, ready to chase. The elk took off, and so did they, ending up back here at the cabin.
“I’m impressed,” she’d told him, leaning against the counter in the kitchen. “You know a lot about nature and the mountains. I can tell you really respect it.” Her cheeks had been pink with the cold, her eyes bright from the surprise encounter. He wanted to press his thumb against her chin and kiss her, but he held back.
He’d felt a hundred feet tall—bigger and better than he ever did out on the rodeo circuit. Every single time she looked at him.
Liam shook his head. The sex—yes. The sex was off the charts. But he wanted the movies, and the dinners, and the hikes. He wanted those things so much his chest ached. He needed more movement, so he went to the fridge and scanned the shelves. Out of milk. He’d take the truck to the store. He could pick up some frozen dinners, too. It made less and less sense to cook when he lived alone. He hadn’t thought about it much before Mina stayed with him, but now?
The store, conveniently, was just past Mina’s house. He’d stop in and see how she was doing. That was all, he told himself as he pulled into her driveway and parked next to her car.
Mina answered the door with her lips curved down, something that sent an instant jolt to his nerves. “Hey, Liam.” She stepped back, almost automatically, and let him in. Mina kept her back straight, shoulders squared, and gestured toward the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink?”
He gave her a big smile. “What’s going on? You never offer me drinks. Not to say you’re a bad hostess—but you’ve never once offered to get me something to drink.”
Liam caught the hint of a smile and a big breath. “I’m—well, I’m pregnant.” Her blue eyes locked on his face. “So that means…”
“You’re pregnant,” he burst out, joy exploding at his core like a whole fireworks show. He threw his arms around her waist and spun her around, Mina’s laugh echoing in his ears. “You did it! We did it.” He set her gently back down on her feet. Mina looked at her hands on his chest, then lifted them slowly away.
“I am.” A slow nod. “So that means…our arrangement can be over now.”
Liam experienced a strange, plummeting sensation. “Right. Of course.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Wow. I’m available,” he went on, unable to stop himself. “I can help you with anything you need while I’m in town. Just let me know. You’ve got my number.”