With the two of them gone and Samuel milk drunk on my lap, I reclined against the headboard. I blew out my breath and closed my eyes. I welcomed the silence. Today had been a whirlwind ever since I’d woken up next to Liam on the couch. And I really hadn’t had time to process any of it.
Truth was, I didn’t want to dissect it now. I just wanted to lie here in silence and allow my body to sink into the mattress. I wanted to go back to yesterday, before Katie came back into Liam’s life. Before his daughter’s happiness was on the line.
Back when I thought, with foolish hope, that, maybe, something could happen between Liam and me.
I sighed. I was a fool. Why had I let myself fall for my boss?
I could feel Samuel lose the suction on his bottle and his entire body go limp, so I straightened and slid him off my lap and onto the bed. Then I slipped off the mattress, taking care not to jostle him as I moved.
The siren call of a hot shower was hard to ignore, so I padded over to the bathroom and flipped on the water. I closed the bedroom door before stripping out of my clothes and heading into the bathroom.
I could feel my stress leave my body as I stood under the hot water. The shampoo and conditioner must have had essential oils, because the scent had a calming effect on my body and my mind.
My cheeks were warm from the heat and my head felt hazy, so I turned off the water and grabbed a ridiculously fluffy towel hanging from the bar next to the shower. Once I was dried off, I wrapped it around my head before grabbing the towel that had been next to it and wrapping it around my body.
Wanting to check on Samuel, I padded out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Samuel was fast asleep on the bed, so I returned to the bathroom to do my makeup.
I did my best to get dressed without waking him. I went with a white button-down shirt and a black floor-length skirt with a slit that ended mid-thigh. It wasn’t quite the punk rock style I’d seen a lot of assistants go with, but it was edgy enough that I wouldn’t stand out.
My hair was damp, and I wanted it to air dry, so I slipped into the living room to wait. Just as I quietly shut the bedroom door behind me, I glanced over my shoulder and paused. Liam was sitting on the couch. He had his right ankle resting on his left knee, and his left arm was slung across the back of the couch. His gaze was focused on the window in front of him.
I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. He looked so deep in thought, and I didn’t want to interrupt him. But I also didn’t want to go back into the bedroom and risk waking up Samuel.
Maybe I could just hang out on the outskirts of the room and Liam wouldn’t notice. As I moved to step behind the couch, Liam looked over at me.
I stood there, frozen, not sure what to do. Liam shifted his weight so he was sitting straighter.
“Hey,” he said. His familiar cocky smile greeted me. “Feel better?”
For some reason, I felt vulnerable standing there, staring at him, so I folded my arms across my chest. “Yes,” I whispered.
He studied me before he stood. “Little man asleep?” He faced me with his hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans.
I nodded.
He stared at me. His eyebrows were knit together as if he were trying to process something. I didn’t want to know what he was thinking.
Needing something to do, I glanced around. “Katie find a room?” I asked as I brought my gaze back to him.
He blew out his breath and nodded. “Yeah. We were able to get her something.” His gaze dropped to the ground before he brought it back up. “Listen, I had no idea?—”
“That’s good. I’m glad she’s settled.”
Liam closed his lips. The last thing I wanted to hear was an apology. He had every right to have his ex appear. He had every right to spend the day with her. To have her sleep in his hotel room.
I was his assistant. An apology would give me hope, and the last thing I needed to do was confuse myself with hope.
“Is she joining us tonight?” I smoothed down the front of my skirt as a way to remind him of the gala he was expected to attend.
He paused and then shrugged. “I’m guessing so. I didn’t invite her, but I’m sure she wants to go.” He studied me as if he were assessing my reaction.
I forced a smile and nodded, not wanting to give away how I truly felt about his ex coming back into his life. “Good.” I paused. “I think that’s great.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You do?”
I nodded—a little too vigorously, so I forced myself to slow down. “Absolutely. If there’s a chance for you and Katie to fix things for your family…” My voice hushed as my emotions coated my throat. “For Ana…” Tears brimmed my eyes as I thought about Samuel. I would sacrifice my own happiness for that little boy, so how could I fault Liam for doing the same for his daughter?
Liam’s jaw muscles flexed at the mention of Ana’s name. He was staring at me now, silence surrounding us. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just stared back at him. I needed him to know that I understood what he was doing. Whatever had happened between us was in the past. His future was Ana. His future was Katie.
