I’d given myself some hard rules to follow before calling Simon and jumping on that plane for America. Number one, no social media. I had deactivated all my accounts in an effort to go completely silent. Number two, no sex. Not until I’d cleaned up my mess back home. Number three, I would give myself one month. I couldn’t hide out forever. In one month’s time, I would go home and face the music. If the public still wanted to shame and hate me for doing what I felt was right, then so be it. I would at least face their wrath with a clear head and a full heart.
But as Chelsea and I parted—her closing the pool house door behind her and me heading toward the remote that controlled the surround sound before diving back into the pool—I knew I was in trouble. Maybe more trouble than I’d left back home.
It was only day one, and my self-imposed rules were already hard to follow. I couldn’t think about all the hard endeavors to come.
4
Chelsea
It was noon when I grabbed the Hogues’ mail then crossed the rear courtyard terrace to enter the back entrance of their main house. The double French doors led directly into the dining room and open kitchen. I set the mail down on the square granite island and found a large jug from the cabinets. After filling it to the brim with water, I started my daily rounds of watering the indoor plants. It was the only time I had reason to enter the main home, and I was strangely aware of the fact that there was a man in the house with me today. If I was quick and quiet, I could probably make it out before he saw me.
Last night had been awkward. I couldn’t imagine how much more awkward things would have been if Simon hadn’t called me back when he did. The cops would have arrived. The neighbors would have freaked out. The Hogues would have had to call to clear up the entire mess. And Liam would have been caught in the middle of it all, making for a shitty holiday for him.
A little more notice from the Hogues would have been great, but in retrospect, everything was fine. I just needed to do what I came to do and retire to my pool house to work on my book.
My book. That was where my focus should be. I’d finally worked up the nerve to contact a list of editors I’d been keeping. One of them had immediate availability, which I quickly learned was rare. My plan was to take one more pass at my manuscript then send it out before I could lose my nerve.
I didn’t need any more reason to dwell on quitting school, not when my love for the written word rose above anything any professor could ever teach me. Creativity didn’t come from acquiring a degree or having anyone approve my art. It came from living, from breathing, and expressing.
The classroom would never teach me what life could—what a real job would. Experience was what I needed to feed my creativity. I’d already trusted that bold voice in my head that would never shut up. Now, I just had to be bold enough to publish.
Sighing, I climbed the ladder of Simon’s library bookshelf to reach a succulent that sat in the windowsill above, a cactus that I was only required to water once that week. It was a bulb-shaped thing with spines blossoming every which way. I checked the soil and confirmed it was dry before soaking it thoroughly, just as instructed.
“Hello, love.”
The deep voice bulleted through the air so unexpectedly that I jumped and turned toward it. My movements were too fast. I lost my grip on the ladder and reached back for it but missed, cupping the cactus instead.
“Ah!” I screamed as the damn spines pierced my skin.
I fell backward, imagining my deathly tumble to the hardwood ten feet below. Luckily, strong arms caught me instead, and he made the catch feel effortless.
I opened my eyes, my heart pounding a million miles a second, and sucked in a breath when I found Liam staring down at me. His green eyes sparkled, reminding me of the first time I saw moss on a tree. My parents had taken me to George Washington State Campground for a weekend getaway when I was a little girl. We set up a tent, fished in the lake, and hiked for miles. There was nothing like the feeling of nature surrounding me, and I was completely in awe. Everything felt bigger than life, just like the man standing in front of me now.
“I frightened you again, didn’t I?” His smile faded, but he made no move to set me down.
The burning sensation in my hand intensified, drawing my attention to where the cactus had pierced my skin. Holy shit. The pain. I held my hand up, almost afraid to see the damage. Three of the needles were still wedged in my palm. Just the sight of them made it hurt more.
“What the—” Liam’s eyes widened as he took in my injury, then he sprang into action. Everything happened so fast. He jogged, carrying me to the couch, and set me down. He grabbed my injured hand and examined it, flipping it over, bringing it closer to him, all with a gentle touch. One by one, he carefully plucked the long spines from my fingers.
Even after my hands were free and clear of cactus needles, the burning continued to intensify, spreading from my wounds to every inch of my body, including my neck and face. Within seconds, I could see bumps rising on my skin. “Are those hives?” I squealed.
Liam scanned my arms then my face and confirmed it with a nod. “Afraid so, sweetheart. Stay here. I’ll fetch some medicine.” He started to jog away then halted before spinning around to face me. “Do you happen to know where I can find some?”
“In the hall bathroom upstairs next to the girls’ room.”
He took off. I didn’t know for how long. All I knew was that my body felt on fire and that it itched just as badly as it burned. The bumps were everywhere that I could see, and I felt lightheaded.
When Liam finally returned, it was with a bottle of medicine. “Take this,” he said as he uncapped the bottle and poured a dose of it into a plastic measuring cup. “You might feel drowsy after, but it will make the hives go away.”
I didn’t hesitate. I drank down the nasty syrup in one gulp and handed him the cup before rising to my feet. “I should get back to my place.”
Liam stood, towering over me and bunching his brows together. Until that moment, I couldn’t have imagined an angry Liam. Cocky, definitely. Annoyingly witty, for sure. But angry, no.
“You’re not going anywhere, not until those hives go away.” He pointed to the couch. “Lie down.”
I let out a laugh. He was being ridiculous. “I’ll be fine, Liam. I’d rather rest at my place.”
“Then I’m coming with you until you feel better.”
“What? No.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not a doctor, and I just administered medicine to you. I’d like to make sure you don’t go into some sort of anaphylactic shock.”
Squeezing my lids together, I slapped my hands to my sides and shrugged. “Fine. Whatever. But I need to finish watering the plants.”
“Rest first. The plants can wait.”
I found something deeply sexy about his commanding tone, especially since it was with the intention of helping me heal. For that reason alone, I gave in, turned away, and walked back to the pool house with Liam right behind me.
By the time we walked into my place, I was dizzy with exhaustion. If he weren’t with me, I would have gone straight to my bedroom, shut all my curtains, and crawled under the covers. But I couldn’t bring Liam to my room. I didn’t even know the guy. I did feel some peace knowing he was a close friend of the Hogues’, but still. He was a stranger. The fact that I’d seen him with his shirt off and that he’d just saved my life didn’t matter.