Page 23 of False Confidence

Liam smiled, and she ignored the way her stomach fluttered in response.

“No TV?” she asked, taking a seat beside him on the couch and almost groaning with the way her body sank into it.

He nodded toward a summer landscape in a gold frame that was hung on the wall in front of the couch. “That’s the TV. But I don’t really watch it—I just switch the art up when I want a change.”

Jazz sighed, shaking her head at him.

“What?” he asked.

“That should’ve sounded fucking pretentious, but it just works when you say it. Fucking Michaelsons.”

“For someone so eager to become one, you sure complain about us Michaelsons a lot.”

“No family should be so perfect. I can’t even blame the Michaelson DNA since your moms are perfect too. And Maggie. I bet if you actually tried to marry me, the Ghost of Michaelsons Past would show up the night before and warn you against ruining the family name.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Wow. The Ghost of Michaelsons Past sounds like a judgmental cunt.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to call your ancestors cunts,” she said and Liam just laughed. Her stomach did the weird fluttery thing again, and she looked away. “You have a lot of books.” It wasn’t a subtle subject change, but Liam didn’t seem to notice.

“This isn’t even all of them. There’s another bookcase in the bedroom. You know how much I read.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never seen you read an actual book. You’re always reading on your Kindle.”

“I prefer reading on my Kindle so I can change the font, but when I finish a book, I usually end up buying a paperback too. Like a trophy. Besides, a lot of romance covers aren’t reading-in-public friendly.”

The golden light shining through the floor to ceiling windows illuminated Liam like an angel. A blushing angel. From his cheeks to the tips of his ears, he was bright red.

Jazz grinned. “Liam Michaelson, are you embarrassed of the fact you read steamy books?”

“No,” he spluttered. “I just don’t need to be out there scandalizing the people of Seattle.”

“Hmm. I suppose not. You can scandalize me instead. Maybe I’ll make you read me a bedtime story.”

Liam perked up. “Does that mean you’re staying over tonight?”

Jazz rarely stayed over after sober hook ups. If she could drive home, she did. She slept like the dead, and even she was sensible enough not to be so vulnerable around people she didn’t know. But she knew Liam, she was safe with him, and this wasn’t exactly a one-time thing. It was a whole ass arrangement she’d been avoiding thinking about because she still couldn’t quite wrap her head around Liam wanting to do this. “Do you want me to stay?”

He nodded. “I do. Sex can be intense at the best of times.” Intense wasn’t Jazz’s experience: frustrating and disappointing were more like it. But that’s why she was here, wasn’t it? She had no doubts Liam would just end up frustrated and disappointed too, but he couldn’t say she hadn’t warned him.

“I would prefer to keep you close so I can check on you and make sure you’re okay,” Liam finished.

It was hard to argue when he sounded so genuine. “Okay, sure.”

“I won’t force you to cuddle or anything. Although I do like cuddling. You can stay in the guest room while you’re here, and I can crash on the couch at your place, if that makes you more comfortable. I just need to know you’re okay.”

Aftercare was the cornerstone of healthy sex, and it wasn’t entirely foreign to Jazz. It was better with women, she’d learned over the years. Rarely had a man spent time making sure she was okay after sex—hell, most of the time they didn’t reciprocate when Jazz asked if they were okay. Even those who liked to cuddle usually did so in silence before falling asleep and leaving her to navigate her way out of whatever messy apartment she’d found herself in.

Of course Liam wasn’t like that. They’d both been wasted the first time they’d been together, and he’d still taken the time to make sure she was okay, to rub her back and tuck her in close to him. And despite her lack of orgasm, she’d liked it.

“Cuddling is good with me. At least I know you don’t snore,” she pointed out.

Liam laughed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, but you do.”

“Oh, I know. But you already invited me to cuddle, so that’s your problem now.”

“I don’t mind. You’re a pretty cute snorer.”

“Excellent, I’ll add that to my resume. Should we set some rules for this… arrangement?” Maggie and Cal had ground rules when they started sleeping together, but Jazz didn’t think Liam would want to hear about that. Not that what Liam and Jazz were doing was anything like Maggie and Cal. Those two had been inevitable from the first kiss, and Jazz would be surprised if this thing between her and Liam lasted a week.

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