Page 70 of The Red-Hot Stakes

One corner of his mouth tipped up. “Gina, I can’t tell you how much it meant today, having you come with me. Then, watching you play with us, with my nephews. You’re so beautiful.” He stepped closer, eliminating the distance between us, and cupped my cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” I took a deep breath, then dropped my gaze. “I’m glad I went, but I was a bit blindsided by how shocked everyone was that you brought me. You should have told me, Liam.” I met his stare. “You should have told me what a big deal it was to be bringing me home.”

It was his turn to look away. “I know, but I was afraid you wouldn’t come.” His raw, vulnerable side was showing again.

“That should have been my choice.” When he nodded, chagrined, I reached out to touch his chin. “I would have chosen you, you know.”

His gaze searched mine, and relief trickled in, replacing any doubt. “Yeah?”

I nodded, unable to speak around the depth of emotion welling up in me. I touched my forehead to his. The love I felt for this man was all encompassing, so great I could hardly bear it. And he understood. He grabbed my hand, leading me to the bedroom, where our bodies said everything our mouths couldn’t.

Neither of us had any commitments first thing the next day, so we slept in, enjoying a lazy morning in bed. After making love, we got up, because I needed my cup of coffee. We cuddled together on the couch, sipping from our steaming mugs.

“What else do you have going on today?” he asked.

I racked my brain and sighed a happy sigh. “Nothing.” I grinned, loving the sound of that word. “Why? Did you have something in mind?”

“Besides more of this?” He nuzzled my neck, making me squirm with the ticklish stubble on my sensitive skin. “I thought we could pay Derek and Avery a visit. Bring down the rest of your things…make your move here official.” The last few words came out in hesitant bits.

Heady warmth blossomed in my chest along with the feeling that I belonged, that I was wanted. I could hardly wrap my head around it as I snuggled into his embrace. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”

We spent the rest of the morning trekking between our apartments. Liam cleared out half the closet in his room for me, and I got all choked up seeing our things side by side. I didn’t remember feeling like this with Josh. He’d pressured me to move in, saying it was the next step, and so I had. But with Liam, I wanted it. I wanted every second of it.

And that scared the hell out of me if I thought about it too hard. Because I worried that sooner or later the pretty rug we were standing on would get yanked out from under us.

It always did. It was just how my luck worked.

Chapter Eighteen

I had lunch at Eat at Joe’s with Liam before work both Thursday and Friday. It was fun to see Sally again. At work, the new manager and I were planning our first new event for the following Wednesday, a trivia night. She was a big help since she was a huge trivia buff herself. We brainstormed, working out a food menu, points system and advertising.

Saturday, Liam and I rode to work together in his truck. It had drizzled all morning, the pavement still slick with the remnants of rain. It was the kind of day I just wanted to curl up in front of a cozy fire and watch a musical, but instead I had to work.

At least, Liam and I had the same shift. We were opening together and had planned to get there early for prep. When we pulled into the empty parking lot, the little shed behind the building was open, one of its doors leaning crazily to one side, and I mentioned it to Liam.

He sighed. “I’ll go check it out.”

“I’m coming, too.”

He started to get out of the car, then groaned. I frowned, waiting for him to explain, and he gestured to his shiny black dress shoes. “Not exactly made for tromping around in.” He grinned like he had a plan. “Which is why I have my truck shoes.”

What does that even mean? I watched him hop out of the truck and into the back seat where he rummaged around, looking under seats. A frown appeared, deepening when he seemed to come up empty handed. He shut the door, grumbling, then his face appeared in the back window before it disappeared as he lifted the lid of the cargo box.

A moment later, he slid back into the driver’s seat, looking puzzled and defeated.

“No luck?”

He shook his head.

“Um, what exactly are truck shoes?”

His mouth twitched. “I usually keep a pair of rattier shoes in here just for occasions like this. As a business owner, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go walk around a property in my nice shoes. I got sick of it, so I came up with a solution.”

“Smart.” I pursed my lips, wondering what was next. “Any idea what happened to them?”

He lifted a shoulder. “I mean, they were getting pretty ratty so I probably just tossed them.”

I couldn’t fathom getting rid of a pair of shoes and not remembering, but Liam had the money to replace something like that more easily than I could. “Nothing else is missing?” It seemed prudent to ask after the incident with his Porsche.

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