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“He wasn’t married when I was with him. And you and I weren’t together.”
“Only because you broke it off with me. I would have waited for you.”
“Did you?” she asked, sounding pissed off now.
“Why does it matter?”
She was quiet a moment and I took several cleansing breaths. I didn’t want to fight with her.
“Do you still love me?” she asked.
I didn’t think so, but I wasn’t bastard enough to say that. “It doesn’t matter if I still love you. You crossed a line there is no turning back from.”
“So that’s it?”
“Yes. I care about you, Carrie, but that’s as far as it will ever go.”
“Liam.”
“I have to go.”
I hung up. A few seconds later, Natalie walked in wearing pjs with tiny unicorns all over them. And she wasn’t tiny all over. The oversized outfit couldn’t hide the curves of her generous breasts. It was going to be a very long night.
Four
Natalie
After the best shower ever, don’t get me started on the multi-head shower jets, I walked out of the bedroom and heard Liam tell someone I still love you. I reversed course not wanting to interrupt as I puzzled over what that meant. Though I guess I could thank my lucky stars he was taken. Whatever physical and pure sexual attraction I had wouldn’t be acted on.
Switching gears, I spent another ten minutes in the bathroom and dried my hair, which I hadn’t before because I wasn’t sure if he wanted to shower before his food arrived. When I came out a second time, he wasn’t on the phone. I caught him staring out the windows as I had when I arrived.
“Everything okay?”
He shifted and his magnetic eyes landed on me. “No. Everything’s fine. I think I’ll grab a shower before the food gets here.”
I nodded and watched him walk away because he did have a truly fantastic ass. I waited a beat before inching toward the bedroom door. After hearing the water running in the bathroom, I went back into the living area and dialed Jody.
“Hey, stranger,” she answered. “I thought you were a Law and Order SVU victim at this point. Did you not receive my one hundred and one texts?”
“I texted back that I was good.”
“And anyone could say that. He could have had your phone.”
“Well, I’m fine. I had a cold shower and I’m good,” I muttered.
“I don’t blame you on the cold shower, that boy is hot. H.O.T. hot. Should I repeat myself?”
“No. I think I got it.”
“No, I don’t think you do. He’s like maroon on the AQI scale.”
I sighed. “What is the AQI?”
“Air Quality Index. And just so you know, maroon is hazardous to your health. You know like emergency conditions; I can’t breathe he’s so hot. He’s the kind of guy you forget religion for. Like he wouldn’t have had to convince me to share his hotel room.”
It was hard not to laugh when she got going. “You do realize that a lot of serial killers are considered attractive, like Ted Bundy.”
“I say it’s not a bad way to go.”
I giggled harder. “You’re not serious.”
“Okay, maybe not. But even if he wasn’t a serial killer, I’d probably die by orgasm.”
“You’ve made your point. Which is why I need you to talk me down. I’m pretty sure he has a girlfriend or maybe… a wife.”
“And?” she asked like that didn’t matter.
“You’re killing me.”
“I know. You love me. But he could have both and be ready to break up or filing for a divorce.”
“It’s for the best. Considering…”
It was her turn to sigh. “Have you decided what you are going to do about that?”
“You mean the bargain I struck with the sperm donor?” I said, jokingly referring to my father.
“Uh-huh.”
“What choice do I have?”
“I don’t know, Nat, but you have to figure it out.”
“I know.”
I didn’t want to think about my dad and the ultimatum he’d given me for the bargain we’d struck.
“So where is the hottie?” Jody asked.
“Back to that?”
“What else is there? Any other hot men you’ve met in New York.”
“How about we talk about what I’m going to do about my living situation. Do I just come back home? You’re not there.”
Jody was working an internship at the Capitol while finishing up her degree. “You can always come to D.C. You can share my studio.”
“If I’d gotten an assignment there, I would have. But New York is choice. The pay is among the highest in the country. If I leave with short notice, it’s unlikely I’ll get this opportunity again. At the same time, I can’t afford to live in a hotel. I don’t know. I should be looking for rooms to rent.”
“Okay. I guess adulting is a thing. And leaving probably won’t look good on your resume. So you should look for somewhere to rent. That doesn’t mean harmless fun isn’t allowed.”
