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“I could tell you the same thing.”
“I’m making a mental list, Liam, just so you know.”
“I’ll check all your boxes, sunshine. Count on it. Don’t I get a nickname too?”
She pursed her lips, putting on a show of thinking about it. “I like the way Liam sounds. And I think I’ll like it even more if you can make me scream it.”
I buried my face in her neck, licking up the delicate column of her throat. “You’re a bad girl, aren’t you?” I whispered into her ear before nipping at the lobe.
She froze in my arms. “So they say...”
“Oh god, oh shit. Holly, sweetheart, I’m so sorry.” I tried to meet her eyes, but they were glued somewhere in the vicinity of my chest. “To be clear, I don’t know whattheysay, and I don’t want to know. I was flirting, poorly, obviously, since you’ve referred to your reputation before and I should have remembered that. I think you’re sexy as hell, hilarious, and more beautiful than any woman I’ve ever seen in my life. I didn’t mean anything by—”
Sighing, she put a delicate fingertip to my lips. “I know you didn’t and I’m sorry about how I reacted. I just, um... shit. I need to get over it.” She flopped back and ran a hand into her hair. “I need to forget about it. Who cares what people I don’t even like think about me? Right? I ruined the mood, didn’t I?”
“Not at all.” I took her hand and kissed the back of it before cradling her face in my palms. “What do we have if we’re not honest with each other?”
Blinking rapidly, she smiled. “I don’t know. I’ve never had anything like this before.”
I smiled in response before continuing. “I haven’t either, but I know what I want to have, and that’s everything I’ve found so far with you.”
“I want it too. So much, you have no idea.”
“Then come here.” I pulled her head to my chest and wrapped her up in my arms. I needed to hold her, to be close. She needed comfort and so did I.
“What are we doing?” she murmured.
I shrugged. “Acting like responsible adults who know what they’re not ready for?”
“I think you’re onto something.” Her arms tightened around me. “Are we communicating effectively?”
I barked out a laugh. “We sure as hell are. I think we’re setting healthy boundaries too.”
We held each other quietly, settling into each other’s arms as we let the pressure of the moment fade away.
“Want to watchThe Return of the Kingand do first base stuff in my new living room upstairs?” she finally said, breaking the companiable silence we’d sunken into. “I have a purple couch and a huge TV.”
“I would love that.”
She sat up and I smirked as her eyes snapped to the television I’d installed this morning above her fireplace. “Hey.” She giggled and turned to face me. “Did you put that there?”
“Yeah, and I admit I may have had ulterior motives with this couch-fireplace-TV combo.”
“Would you look at that? Suddenly I have two TV’s and a friend with possibilities. You’re a freaking sweetheart. Thank you, Liam.” She cupped my chin in her palm and smacked a quick kiss to my lips. “And you also have a standing invitation. Movie night at Holly’s haunted house. Plan on it.”
“I’ll bring the popcorn.”
She beamed at me. “I’m learning to cook meatloaf and snickerdoodles. I’ll make dinner.”
“My favorites.” I tried to find more words. But they were gone, lost in this perfect night. Sometime in between her throwing the door open and right now, something had shifted between us. If words had any real meaning in this world, hers had the power to fill me up where I hadn’t even realized I was empty.
So we cuddled under one of my grandmother’s knitted blankets I had placed on the back of the couch and watched the movie. Occasionally we would kiss or hug each other tighter, and it was all we needed. Later on we’d need more, but for now, this was perfect.
Chapter13
Holly
At dawn, Liam had tucked me into my brand-new bed and kissed me goodbye. He told me to sleep for a few hours while he went home to shower and get ready to come back here for work. Lucky me that I would have him around all day.
