Page 23 of Exes and Big Os

He glanced over his shoulder.

She smiled, but there wasn’t happiness behind the gesture. “Figured I’d give you a little more room.”

Liam stopped at her door. “And what if I’d like less room between us?” There was no need for more room. Every molecule in his body desired to be closer to her.

“Liam…” The tone in her voice rang not of fear, but something else. Restraint? Hope? He couldn’t quite tell.

Before he could ask, a sound slithered under her hotel room door. He reared his head back. “What the hell is that noise?”

If you had to ask him, he’d say a moose called its mate from behind her room’s door.

Her face broke into a genuine broad smile. “That’s Meg.”

“Are you serious?” Her snoring had been nothing like that on the plane.

“Yeah. I think she needs to see someone about it.”

Meg coughed in her sleep, and the noise stopped for about twenty seconds.

“You think she’s okay?” he asked, when a cat being skinned alive with a chainsaw started back up.

Callie nodded. “Probably.”

Liam lifted her hand and slipped the packet of earplugs from her grasp. “Not sure these are going to do much good.”

“I’ll fall asleep from exhaustion now.”

He wanted to ask again, but she’d already turned him down once. He wouldn’t pressure her. But he could up the ante.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his extra room keycard. “If you can’t sleep with that.” He nodded his head toward the constant commotion. “Please feel free to use the guest bedroom in my suite. I promise I’ll stay in my bedroom. I’m ready to put this hot pack on my neck and crash, too.”

Callie didn’t reach for the card.

Liam stepped closer and without touching her, he slipped the card into the pocket on her jacket. “Just in case.”

She turned quickly and opened her room’s door. “Good night. Sleep well.”

He wouldn’t push her. But he wasn’t taking the key back.

He opened his door and stepped into the room, turning to face her. “Sweet dreams, Callie.”

He closed the door, but immediately wondered if she was still on the other side.

His king-sized bed looked lonely. Stripping down to his boxer briefs, he climbed under the soft sheets, the hot pack in his hand. Liam slipped it onto the pillow and adjusted his neck onto the soft cover. The radiating warmth penetrated his skin and then deeper. Her fingers had been magic against his skin. Her touch confiscated so much of the pain and replaced it with wishes he’d rarely allowed himself to consider.

He closed his eyes, and for a moment thought he could still hear Meg through three doors, a hallway and over the storm. He chuckled. How Callie could sleep through that was beyond him.

His eyes shuttered closed as the rhythmic pounding of the rain on the patio door lulled him off to sleep.

****

The morning looked worse than the day before. They still had electricity, but he could see that being temporary. His phone didn’t ring through. He’d checked with the front desk attendant last night about getting a message couriered as the landline phones on the resort were now only for inter-resort calls due to downed lines off the property. But she’d confirmed there was no way to get a message to his brother and no idea when the chance would open. And he couldn’t contact Britt and see how she was doing. Or call Trent and ask him why the hell he’d lied to Callie. He wondered if they’d made a mistake in coming here.

But his brain took him back to last night and Callie. She was no mistake. He’d dreamed of her all night. Perhaps his dreams could come true but lies weren’t the way to start a relationship with anyone.

Liam leaned against the doorjamb watching through the sliding patio door as the wind whipped trees into unnatural shapes. Maybe if the storm slowed Miguel could make the trek to Sam and drive him to the hotel today. Then he could leave, ending their connection as they’d started, as all business. But as a large piece of patio furniture blew across the garden, wiping out plants and flowers in its swath, Liam resigned to the reality.

His brother had survived alone for all these years. He’d also put himself here alone. Being so close and yet so far from him made Liam grind his teeth. Sam’s wild streak frustrated his family, but Liam couldn’t blame Sam for wanting his own way of living. Live fast. Live hard. Live full. Liam admired his brother’s zeal and wished he had the same guts to leave the family shackles behind to make a new life, but responsibility tripped Liam’s heel and obscured his thoughts of the future.

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