AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I need to find my tongue. Regain control of the situation.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be,” I say calmly, before realizing—too late, of course—that this sentence kind of makes it sound like what I want is Liam. “I mean, um, I came because it was nice that Luke invited me. That’s all!”
Legs twirls into the kitchen, flouncing her skirt as she goes. “Is dinner ready? I’m so hungry, I might die.”
“That’s awfully hungry,” I respond with a smile, grateful that she’s caused a distraction from whatever… that was. “We better feed you, quick!”
Mindy surveys the mountain of reheated food, then looks at me. “You okay eating on the couch in the living room? We turn into uncivilized animals when Lana Mae’s away.”
“My lap is my plate of choice, always.”
She laughs. “We’re gonna get along just fine, you and me.”
“Just pinky promise not to tell Mommy. That’s the rule.” Allegra extends her little finger to me solemnly.
“Done,” I promise, wrapping my pinky around hers.
We carry the takeout boxes, plates and cutlery to the living room and line them up on the coffee table.
“Let’s dig in,” Luke says as he piles garlic bread on his plate. I take a plate too, and serve myself a scoop of the caprese salad, which features some particularly ruby-red, plump tomatoes and the freshest-looking basil ever.
“Smells good.” The deep, unmistakable voice comes from behind me.
I look back so fast, I almost give myself whiplash. As I register Liam on the stairs, I also try not to pay any attention to Luke’s smirk at my actions.
Liam comes downstairs, his powerful stride as businesslike as ever. But his hair is shower damp, he’s barefoot, and he’s wearing casual sweatpants and a black tee that shows off his sleeves of tattoos.
Holy cannoli.
“I’m starving,” he continues, pushing his damp hair back as he surveys the trays of meat, pasta, veggies and salads. The whole thing looks and smells heavenly, but the real feast is the sight of Liam like this.
It’s everything I can do to drag my eyes away from him. I don’t know why, but I somehow expected him to come downstairs in a suit.
But of course he wouldn’t. It’s Friday night; he’s here with his family.
Once again, I have an uneasy feeling that I’m intruding. A voyeur getting a glimpse of something I shouldn’t.
Despite Mindy’s obvious shipping, I need to write off all the events of this evening as par for the course. Like it’s a normal, everyday occurrence that I see my boss shirtless, find him very attractive, then have dinner with him and his family.
Because even though my fresh start in Atlanta hasn’t exactly gone according to plan—in more ways than one—-this family is my work lifeline. So no matter what, all of my interactions with themmustbe all business.
I look to where Liam’s sitting, now painstakingly making a plate for Legs and looking like he’s carefully calculating how much protein, carbs and veggies her fifty-pound body needs.
No, my stomach isn’t doing a weird clenchy thing that it has no business doing…
I’m so screwed.
20
LIAM
“Beer league softball.”
I frown at the papers spread across my desk, then look up at Luke and Vanessa. “Doesn’t sound like a real thing.”
HR meetings first thing on a Monday morning are not my favorite way to start the week, but here we are. If Wiseman wants to see a fun team environment, then we’re going to give him a fun team environment.
And we’re going to do that without any of this softball nonsense.
