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“So Linc and Brooks really are sleeping on the floor in your living room tonight?”
“They’ll duke it out for the sofa I expect.” He looks around this cabin. “They could always take your room.”
“Oh God, don’t leave me with those two,” Ariel says, wrinkling her nose. “It’d be like sleeping with a pair of rutting stags.”
“I know,” Liam says, deadpan. “I’m so excited that I get to have a sleepover with them.”
Ariel takes my hand, pulling me away from Liam. She’s very lovely. Tall and slender with glossy dark hair and an accent that belongs somewhere in the mid-Atlantic. Walking down to the cabin she told me all about the apartment she’s currently living in on the 8thArondissement in Paris. It’s within walking distance of so many beautiful galleries and museums, and as she describes them I almost feel like I’m there.
“Which room do you want?” she asks, pulling me into the first bedroom. “This one’s bigger, but it’s also Eli’s. Which means whoever sleeps in here will have to put up with the sweaty jock smell.”
“Hey,” Eli protests, following us in. “I don’t smell of sweaty jock.”
Ariel blows him a kiss. He shakes his head and walks out again.
“The other bedroom is smaller,” she says. We only have to take two steps down the living area to get to it. “But it’s sweat free.”
“Sophie will take that one,” Liam says.
I look at him, surprised. He just shrugs.
“Yeah, because I don’t want you two having dirty sex in my bed, thank you very much,” Eli says.
Ariel shoots me an interested look. “You and Liam?”
I nod.
“Oh. Okay.” She gives me the sweetest of smiles. “So you’re happy with this room?”
“It works for me.”
Liam carries my bag in from where the valets left it outside, and Ariel wanders back to her room. As soon as she steps out, Liam closes the door with the sole of his shoe then walks over to me. Wordlessly, he pulls me into his arms and lets out a groan.
“I’ve never wished harder that I was an only child,” he tells me.
“Stop it, you love your brothers.”
“I do, but I’d like them all to disappear right now.” He slides his hand down my neck, his palm warm against my skin. “Leave the window open tonight. I’ll come here to be with you.”
I try not to laugh at the thought of Liam trying to get his large frame through the tiniest of windows. I’m not sure it’s physically possible.
“But Ariel…”
“Gave you this room for a reason,” he finishes for me. “She’s okay, really.”
“She seems more than okay. She’s lovely. You all grew up together?”
“Not really. Ria would come visit mom most summers. Sometimes they’d come here while we were staying with dad. You know, happy families.” He lifts a brow.
“So she’s your age?” That can’t be true. Ariel looks like she’s closer to twenty than forty.”
“Two years younger.”
“Wow. I need to find out what brand of moisturizer she uses.”
Liam laughs softly. “You’re perfect just the way you are.” And that makes me melt a little. I kiss his jaw and he closes his eyes for a moment. And then a loud clap of thunder pierces the air in the cabin, making me jump.
“Did you see any lightning?” I ask Liam, my heart picking up a pace. “I should check the maps again for your mom. I wasn’t expecting it to hit this soon.”
