“It doesn’t matter anymore. And I’d dial back on the attitude.” I throw his earlier words at him.
He laughs. Not a derisive snort. Not a teasing chuckle. He really laughs.
The sound comes from somewhere deep inside him, and it’s so unexpected and spontaneous, I almost start laughing myself.
“You have your moment.” I attempt to sound strict, but my lips are twitching. It’s some sort of delayed reaction to the tension from earlier in Corm’s office. “I have a presentation to prepare.”
I walk away, but Liam follows me. “Let me help you. You only have fifteenminutes left.”
My instinct is to snap at him. My body’s instinct is to lean in. “Fuck off,” I say, but there is no bite to it.
“You need my help.”
Jesus, the man will be the death of me. As infuriating as it is, though, I need his help.
“I said fuck off.” I guess I’m fighting him on principle. Jesus.
“No can do. Today’s lesson is accepting help with a simple thank you.”
“Keep dreaming.”
“I’ve been doing too much of that lately.”
His words fall between us like molten lava and a bucket of ice all at once. I turn so fast, my head spins, and I stumble.
Liam steadies me, his hands hot even through my leather jacket. “Jesus, did you have breakfast?”
“No,” I admit, heat rising in my cheeks. “I didn’t have time.”
“Let me fetch you something. You start on your presentation.”
“I’m okay. Don’t worry.”
“Shut up, Thunder. You keep dressing up your independence as stubbornness. That’s not a good look. You can be independent while accepting help. Accepting help isn’t a sign of weakness.”
I bristle, because he might be right. I bristle harder because he knows he’s right. I swallow.
I want to believe him. Life would be so much easier, but I can’t let my guard down.
He leans down and whispers in my ear, “Be a good girl, and go to work while I get you something to eat.”
Good girl.
The words somehow roll from my ear directly to my core. Heat punches low in my belly so fast, I grip the wall.
It takes me a moment to recover. “Okay, Stone, make yourself useful,” I grumble.
And for the second time today, he laughs.
I lean against the wall, grinning. I catch myself and straighten my expression.
Four more weeks, and I can relax.
Either I’ll become a partner, and Liam leaves. Or I won’t get the twenty-percent, and he’ll stay.
I’m not sure which one is a win anymore.
Chapter 14
