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With the press of a button, the middle door of the four-car garage rises, and he pulls inside.
Oh, my God. Is this actually his house?
The garage has the faint smell of gasoline, but it's quickly overwhelmed by the saltwater breeze that blows in.
“A mansion on the ocean? Is your last name Heyworth?” That billionaire family actually lives in Connecticut, I think, but they have ties to Massachusetts.
“No, it’s Callahan. This way.” Liam leads me through a large entryway with a bleached wood floor.
The stunning kitchen has ivory cabinets that reach the crown molding. He gestures for me to sit at the stone-topped kitchen island, which must be six-feet long.
Rather than sitting down immediately, I walk past the island to the row of large windows. It's dark outside, but there are strings of lights illuminating a massive stone patio, pool, and hot tub, all of which lead to the edge of the bay.
“Is this your house, Liam? Not house-sitting for anyone?”
“It is mine. That’s a killer view in the morning. If we're awake at dawn, remind me to watch the sunrise with you." He spoons food into bowls and sets them on the island.
He's gorgeous. He rescued me from a creep.Andhe's wealthy enough to own an ocean-front mansion? What is happening?
I stand next to the island, staring absently at the black-and-gold honeycomb pattern on the fancy bowl.
"You all right?" he asks.
"When we met, I didn't realize..." My voice trails off and I shrug. "Your counter island is as big as my kitchen.”
"At the end of the day, this is still just a house. Sit down, Liv. The food won't taste good cold.”
After I sit in a smooth chair, I take a bite. The lobster is so tender it melts in my mouth, and there’s a tang to the rich cheeses. I never expected a mac and cheese to be more decadent than the truffle macaroni and cheese I had once, but this is.
My gaze scans the room, pausing at a column that rests on a white pillar that matches the cabinets. “This house would make an incredible boutique hotel.”
"Is that a hint that the place is too big for a bachelor?”
I freeze, considering for the first time that he might be married. This definitely doesn't have a bachelor pad feel, especially when the bachelor has a Celtic cross tattoo on his hand that seems to extend beyond the wrist. I’m curious about the rest of it.
“Are you—or were you married to someone very wealthy?” I ask.
That makes him smile between bites. “No.”
The cryptic smile makes me wonder if he’s got something against commitment. Now that I've seen his house, I'm sure he intends for me to be a one-night stand. “Well, it’s beautiful.”
“Indeed.” He finishes off his mac and cheese and sets the dish near the sink.
The casual way he picked me up tells me plenty about the way he operates. But that’s fine actually. I need to concentrate on school. He's really handsome, and I'm lonely. In the past, any time I saw him, I had a hard time taking my eyes off him. Being here feels fated.
Strange though, that the thought of this being a one-off makes me sad. He's the first person I've really connected with in a long time.
Liam opens the fridge and takes out a can of ginger ale. He pours the can into two glasses. Carrying them out, he says over his shoulder, “Come on.”
I follow him, drinking in all the details. The expansive corridor leads to a sweeping ivory staircase with elaborate plasterwork reaching up to the cornice. If I’d been alone, I would’ve taken a picture of the intricate metal work of the rail.
Upstairs, not a single detail of Liam's bedroom is overlooked. The ceiling is a swirl of stars, glimmering in their own galaxy. The hand-carved rustic wood canopy bed is a mix of gray and tan. The simple dove gray silk duvet is a great choice for such an ornate King bed.
"The interior designer got carried away," he says with an eye-roll at the bed.
“Do you think so? It’s right for the house, for sure.”
The air is rich with the scents of cedar, a hint of leather and a clean musk that's distinctly Liam.
