“Couldn’t be me.” Liam arches a brow, his stare colliding with mine before raking down my body, setting every inch of me ablaze. “You calledmesweet, really?” he asks, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
Unbridled panic flashes through my eyes. I’m a good two seconds away from total humiliation, and I deserve it. If I had told Harmony the truth, I wouldn’t have set Liam up for this opportunity.
“I believe my exact words were, ‘he’s really sweet when he wants to be.’” I nervously laugh.
“When he wants to be, right. That makes more sense. And the dreamy part?” He cocks his head to the side, crossing his arms and leaning against one of the oak barrels.
“Oh! I added that myself,” Harmony interrupts. “But you could tell the way her eyes lit up that she’s got it bad for her boyfriend.”
The corners of Liam’s lips twitch with amusement as a mischievous glint twinkles in the recess of his gaze. “Huh. I’m glad to hear that because, well, you know our Peaches here. Sometimes she plays it so close to the vest I have my doubts she even likes me.”
“What? Of course, I like you. Why would your silly little head think otherwise?” I flash him a tight smile, trying to settle the endless pit of anxiety and doom roiling in the depths of my stomach.
“Insecurity of mine.” He shrugs. “I do have a question about this boyfriend part, though.”
“Oh, this is awkward,” Harmony says gleefully. Okay. Seriously. Chill. At least pretend like you’ll miss me after this kill shot.
Gathering the strength of Marshal Michel Nay, I face the firing squad, ready to take a bullet to the heart. An impish grin spreads wide across Liam’s face, popping the dimples of doom. I doubt Marshal Nay dealt with such a mirthful executioner, but here I am, waiting for my impending social death at the hands of Hades once more.
“I mean, I feel like I’ve been pretty clear with my intentions, and maybe I was reading this wrong—” Reaching for me, he hooks a finger through a belt loop on my jeggings and pulls me into his orbit. “But I didn’t think you were warming up to the idea too.”
Nervous laughter bubbles out of me as I attempt to collect myself and steady my wildly beating heart. He’s managed to catch me off guard with the direction he’s chosen to take this, and I’ve never been great with improv.
“Oh yeah, very warm on the boyfriend idea, hot even! Hot for boyfriend! Not that I’m hot for you... but that would be okay if I were because...” I sigh, my brain finally catching up with my tongue. “Sorry, my poor heart and brain still get so flustered this close, but I’m sure you get what I’m trying to say, right... sunshine?”
I press a hand to his chest, and his muscles tighten a fraction. The slow, steady heartbeat I expected to find underneath my palm greets me in a wild, staccato fashion.
Confused by his willingness to play this charade—by the rhythm of his heart—I glance up at his face, only to find a smug, challenging gleam washed over him.
His hand falls on my back and rubs soft circles into it. With each stroke of his thumb my nerves slowly melt away. “We’re still working on the whole verbal communication thing.” He winks at Harmony over my shoulder.
“It’s true. I’m more of a doer,” I manage.
A little snort shoots through his nostrils, and he coughs into his hand to cover it up. I flash a look that says “smooth,” and he raises a brow to say “same” back.
“Actions are great, but I’m a fan of fostering solid communication in my relationships,” Harmony butts in, gathering near Liam’s side. “It’s the oxygen every couple needs for survival. I always say that if you want to breathe easily, you need to have positive open airways at all times.” She finishes with an exaggerated inhale and an upward salute highlighting her chest.
I blink, officially uncomfortable for her.
“Harmony’s making an excellent point, dearest.”Yeah, I’m sure she’s making two, actually.Liam flashes a toothy, devastating grin. An outsider might think it’s charming, but there’s a faint twitch where he’s holding back a chuckle that tells me the whole thing’s laced with mockery.
“One I will surely take into advisement in the future, sunshine. Promise,” I force out.
“Never put off for the future what you can do today, silly.” Harmony leans over to boop my nose again and lets her chest brush Liam’s arm. “If he’s not sure you want a relationship with him, you should water his garden with positive thoughts and affirmations. I always make sure my gardens are thriving oases, or else why be in a relationship? Right, Liam?”
“Icoulduse a little watering,” Liam says with a phony hopeful look directed at me, waiting expectantly. As if to say, and this is the time you run.
Harmony’s banking on that reaction too. She knows me too well. When vulnerability is part of the equation, I recede. It’s why she’s chosen to pull these specific affirmations out of her perfectly toned ass.
But Liam’s challenging stare nettles me enough to force the opposite reaction than what’s expected of me.
Stepping in between his legs, I play with the button on his shirt, biting back the cutting remark dancing on the tip of my tongue. I clear my throat and slide my gaze to his, letting the instinct to lean lead for once.“I’m so sorry, I just thought it was perfectly obvious how much I adore you,” I end, batting my eyelashes for good measure.
“I’m sure I’ve just been getting your signals mixed.” Liam smiles back. “You know I’ve never read your subtleties well, Peaches. But truthfully, I have felt a little fragile about our relationship lately. If you cared to, I don’t know, maybe you could elaborate on the adoring part and help a guy out.” He unleashes a set of puppy dog eyes on me like he’s some lovesick man whodesperatelyneeds to know he’s not on the raw end of unrequited love. The look of need hanging in his eyes tugs on something deep inside me, begging me to give him some kind of satisfaction.
Nope. Don’t like that.
My jaw tightens a fraction, but I keep the smile plastered on my face. “Of course, if you’re so insecure about it. I’d be happy to reassure you of my affections.”
