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“More even than your renovations?” he teased.
“Now that’s pushing it,” she said with a laugh. “Painting this house was the only thing stopping me from thinking about you all the damn time.”
He reared his head back. “You painted the whole exterior?”
“I did.” She shrugged. “I knew I had to start on something major that wouldn’t entirely break my budget. So I decided the exterior walls were as good a place to start as anywhere.”
“Korian didn’t hire a team of painters for you?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, her stomach tightening a little as the truth slowly dawned. “Why would Korian do that?”
“You had a business plan with him.”
“The same plan that had him mixing his business with pleasure?”
“I imagined so,” he conceded. “Was I wrong?”
She pushed at his shoulders, all but forcing him to disconnect before she rolled to her side of the bed and sat with her back to him. She looked at her floor, seeing every little bit of shabby threadbare carpet. “Did you really believe I’d fuck you while I was fucking someone else?”
She flinched as he reached out and touched her lower back. “I didn’t have much time to think about anything once I arrived and saw you in the bath,” he said gently. “Least of all Korian.”
She understood now why Liam’s eyes had flashed with envy and resentment when she said she was protected against pregnancy. He’d thought she’d been screwing the sheikh. She exhaled raggedly. Perhaps she would have thought the same thing too if she’d been in his shoes.
“I didn’t accept either one of his offers,” she said quietly. “I couldn’t, not knowing that he’d own a piece of my soul if I did.”
“You did the right thing.” He drew her around to face him. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. I thought I’d lost you to him. I came here prepared to fight dirty if needed so I could win you back from him.”
She looked up at him, his blond hair shining like a halo. Her heart melted. “What are you trying to say?”
He reached out and drew her closer. His eyes held hers. “What I’m trying to say wildflower is that I can’t stop thinking about you.” His stare softened. “I love you.”
“You do?” she asked, her pulse thudding in her ears while adrenaline and hopeless need poured through her. For a second doubt and mistrust reared it’s ugly head, but she pushed it back. Her dad had been right all along. Just because her mother had left, it didn’t mean a good, decent man would abandon her. And Liam was a good man through and through.
“I love you too,” she said huskily. She touched the shell at her throat. “I don’t know how we’ll make this work, but I want to be with you.”
He cupped her face and pressed his lips against hers. “I promise you we will make it work. It’s not even an hour’s drive to here.”
“You’ll come here every night?”
“Just try and keep me away.” He grinned. “And it just so happens I love renovating. We’ll do it together...if you’ll have me.”
She laughed then. “Just try and keep away from me! You’re stuck here with me now. Except for those days and nights I hang out with you at your penthouse.”
“You’d do that?”
“A few days a week at your place would be a lovely break.”
“It’s the perfect solution,” he agreed huskily. Then he leaned forward and covered her mouth with his, and any residual fears and worries faded to nothing as she leaned into him and accepted him with everything she had.
