“It’s an acting job, Chloe. You’re in Hollywood, live a little.” He grins.
“I can’t act,” I snort.
“We’re all actors in one way or another,” he insists.
I can’t argue there. I’d be pretending if I said I didn’t want the money. My mind can’t even wrap around ten million dollars. Office rental problems would be a distant memory. I would actually be able to afford to buy a house in Los Angeles, a distant dream for most residents.
The arrangement is risky for me, but only if we are ousted. He said he will see to Olivia’s silence. I can feel my primitive brain taking the wheel again, rationalizing why this is okay.
But I need to know he is serious about my terms. The suggestion that my services are worth millions to him makes me bolder.
I narrow my eyes. “Tell me what happened with your ex.”
His expression crumbles. He recoils, stepping away and I am no longer cornered between him and the moving box. He looks like I stuck a sharp thorn in his paw.
He’s silent and I can practically see the thoughts racing through his mind. The vulnerability in his eyes almost makes me regret catching him off guard like this, but I need him to show me he can uphold his end of the deal.
He leans up against the armchair again and looks away from me, out the window. The sun is dipping into the ocean and the sky is a blazing red.
Liam takes a deep breath and turns back to me. “I didn’t mean to her what she meant to me,” he says matter-of-factly. “She had been sleeping around on me and I never knew. I was completely blind to it.” He shakes his head, pressing his lips together. “It gutted me because I thought I knew her, but I didn’t.” He searches my eyes as if seeking the remedy for his grief.
Though his words are steady, I can feel the pain in his gaze and my heart aches for him. I want to take away his hurt—pluck out the thorn—but I also recognize that this is progress. And I’m so proud of him for it.
He lets out a breath and looks down, slumping against the armchair. I am drawn to him and cross the space between us.
Cautiously, I place my hand on his forearm. “Liam, I’m sorry that happened to you,” I say softly.
He glances up at me. “Yeah. Fuck,” he says, as he stands up straight, trying to shake off the emotion that I forced him to confront and my hand falls away from him. I understand now why he has closed himself off. He was blindsided and hurt. He doesn’t want that kind of agony again.
He’s only inches away. He gazes down at me and my stomach clenches. The intimacy I felt on the sidewalk is suddenly here again, only more palpable.
“Did I pass your test?” he asks, studying me.
I swallow, knowing what I’m about to do.
I smile. “You did. I’ll do it, Liam.”
“Really?” His eyes light up with excitement.
“Yes, I’ll be your ‘girlfriend,’” I agree.
Liam suddenly scoops me into a hug. I am pressed against his strong torso. “Thank you,” he breathes into my hair, and I can feel his relief. He doesn’t let me go.
I don’t push away. I allow myself to enjoy the feeling of his body on mine for a moment as I notice his hand on my lower back.
But I’m also aware that I shouldn’t blur boundaries even more if I can help it. “So, what now?” I finally ask, breaking the silence.
He lowers his lips to my ear. “I’m going to take you to a Hollywood movie premiere.”
Then he pulls away, breaking our charged embrace, to see my reaction. My mouth parts, disbelieving that any of this is real. He gives me a boyish grin.
It’s just business, I remind myself. But objectively, he is a total heartthrob.
CHAPTER SEVEN
LIAM
As our limo pulls up to the Chinese Theater, Chloe’s eyes are wide, taking in the sea of people.