Page 145 of The Match Faker

I couldn’t wait to show him the photo when he came to meet me.

Once I’d done the last few fear-busting exercises and collected the certificate showing that I’d successfully completed the one-day course, I headed outside.

Liam was already there waiting, flashing my favourite smile.

‘Hey, you.’ He kissed me softly on the lips, looping his arms around my back.

‘Mmm, hello to you too,’ I said into his mouth. There was no way I was ready to pull away from him yet.

‘How’d it go?’

‘Good! I even held a tarantula!’

‘No way!’

‘Yep!’

‘I’m so proud of you!’

‘Thanks! What time do you need to be at the community centre?’

‘Not for a few hours. So I was thinking we could go home first and have an early dinner. I cooked chicken cacciatore.’

‘My favourite! I think the first time you made that, you must’ve put something in it to make me fall in love with you,’ I laughed as I remembered the first night I stayed at Liam’s place and was bowled over with his cooking.

‘Damn. The secret’s out,’ he chuckled as we made our way to the Tube station.

Yep. Liam didn’t mind taking the Tube if we had a quick journey to make. Sometimes it was easier. And if he was recognised, he happily posed for a selfie.

It didn’t take long for us to get home. Right now we were renting a house in Notting Hill. When Liam decided to move back to London after filming wrapped in LA, I thought he’d just find somewhere to stay on his own. But the first night I came round to visit, he handed me a key and asked if I’d like to move in.

I didn’t even need a second to think about it. After all the time we’d spent apart, the idea of waking up in Liam’s arms every morning and snuggling up with him every night sounded like heaven.

Living with Liam was even better than I could’ve hoped. Unlimited hugs, lazy Sunday afternoons together, game nights, chatting about our days over a glass of wine and dinner. And I didn’t know how it was possible, but the sex just got better and better.

‘Want some garlic bread?’ Liam opened the fridge.

‘You having some?’

‘Yep.’ Liam grinned. ‘And now I don’t have any more underwear shoots, I can have ice cream for dessert too.’

‘Ice cream is always a good idea.’

‘Damn right! I got tutti-frutti and cookies ’n’ cream for us to share.’

‘Perfect!’

Liam had decided he wouldn’t be taking off his clothes anymore. Well, unless it was to get naked with me, of course. There’d be no more underwear shoots or gratuitous nudity on screen. He wanted to be known for more than his body.

Looked like he was going to get his wish too. When his agent announced she had to stop work to go and care for her sick grandmother who lived in the country, Liam remembered Trudy’s offer to represent him and asked if the offer still stood.

Of course, Trudy bit his hand off and had already secured him a leading role in a top theatre production in London. Rehearsals started next month and he was so excited.

Speaking of plays, Liam had also started mentoring some of the cast from the drama club at the community centre. Although doing the performance of Beauty and the Beast had raised a good amount of money, that alone wouldn’t have been enough to save the place, so Liam had donated his own money to cover the cost of keeping it open and doing some renovations. Tonight we were going along to watch their latest production and see how the new, updated centre looked in the flesh.

That wasn’t the only development in Liam’s career. Next week we’d be going to Paris to meet Nate’s brother-in-law, Nico, to discuss him backing Liam’s TV series. If Liam got the go-ahead, he’d be able to work with Nico’s people to find the right team to bring his screenplay to life. I was so excited and had my fingers and toes firmly crossed for him.

My career and the agency were going from strength to strength too. I’d set up a beautiful office space at home in a room that overlooked the garden. It might not have views of Tower Bridge, but the lush trees and pretty plants were all the gorgeous scenery I needed.

---