“Alright, Thing One and Thing Two. Let’s go see Grandpa,” Liam said, sweeping up Brendan’s backpack to his other shoulder.
“I’ll help you get them in their car seats,” Parker grumbled as he followed them out the door.
After wrestling both boys into the old Ramcharger, Parker finally turned to Liam. “Is there anything I need to know? Anything stupid you’ve decided is a good idea? You know I don’t like being blindsided.”
“No,” Liam said. He put on his most innocent grin. “Everything’s good. We should go, Dad’s expecting us.”
Hopping into the driver’s side, Liam pulled out of the alley. He tried his best to ignore his brother. Parker watched him go with a scowl.
Everything really was good. As long as no one, like Parker or Max, found out, then there was nothing to worry about. In a week and a half, it would all be a distant memory anyway.
* * *
Chiara stood staring at her desk. It had been several days, and she still hadn’t heard anything from maintenance about fixing it. Maybe it was the school’s way of punishing her. Or maybe they just had more to do than fix her desk.
It at least was functional since she had scoured the building for every old textbook she could find. Currently, she had one end propped up on a stack of books. As long as she didn’t get too excited, it worked reasonably well.
“Hi,” she heard from behind her. She had come to know that deep voice well. It was the same one that made her skin tingle and her toes curl. Turning, she found Liam standing in the doorway with an electric drill in his hand. An electric drill?
“I thought I would fix your desk,” he said, holding up a bag that she assumed was full of screws.
“Do you know anything about fixing desks?”
“I’ve been known to be pretty good with wood,” he answered with a smirk. “I’ve also been told I’m pretty good at screwing it. No, wait. That didn’t come out right.” Chiara couldn’t help but laugh.
Liam was, without a doubt, the only man she knew that had no problem saying something completely ridiculous just to get a laugh. It was part of the reason she was hopelessly falling for him, something she had sworn she wouldn’t do. But try telling her heart that.
“Well, then, let’s see what you can do with your hands and this wood,” Chiara said, giving him a quick kiss.
“Umm, I do like to work with my hands. Not sure about that play on words either, though.” Leaning down, he captured her lips again, somehow deepening the kiss, even though his hands were still holding on to the drill and screws.
“Seriously, do we need to get a bucket of water?”
He looked up and grinned at the two girls standing in the doorway from last time. Chiara could feel her cheeks heat briefly from being caught again but quickly recovered.
“Sorry, Miss Scaletti. I just had a quick question about our roommate agreement, if you have a minute.”
“Of course, come in, girls.”
“I’ll just go find something else to do until you’re finished,” Liam offered before being waved off by one of the girls.
“It’s not anything you can’t hear. We’re just having roommate problems still. Carry on with whatever you were doing,” she waved vaguely at his drill. Liam shrugged and then dropped to his knees next to the desk.
Chiara couldn’t help but take an extra moment to stare at him. He was just so gorgeous with his sleeves rolled up. It showcased his strong forearms. Forearms that easily held her to him. When one of the girls cleared her throat, Chiara spun around to face them.
She helped iron out the roommate agreement with the girls while keeping one eye on Liam. It was impossible not to watch his muscles ripple under his shirt as he wrestled with her desk.
After half an hour, he finally had two sturdy enough looking legs attached. Showing the girls out of her office, she turned from the door just in time to see a slightly sweaty Liam rise to his feet.
“It’s not pretty, but it should hold up,” he said, studying his work.
“I disagree, it’s so very pretty,” she said, never taking her eyes off him.
She watched his face slowly transition from surprise to his panty-dropping grin to lust filled. Stalking over, he pinned her against the wall. He swept her into a toe-curling kiss. Surely, standing against the wall flush against Liam wouldn’t break anything, right? Too soon, he pulled back, leaving them both panting.
“I’m working with you tonight, and I think I arranged it so Parker and Astrid will be gone,” he said, pulling her back in so he could run his lips up her neck and suck her earlobe into his mouth. “I think you should stay the night.”
How could she resist him when he did that thing with his tongue on her neck?
