Page 17 of Under His Control

I shouldn’t have been stuck with this issue. He came to the engagement party. He saw. And he left. Right? Romeo and Tessa had countless guests over that night, and none of them lingered and stayed as a guest overnight in my uncle’s mansion.

But he had. Each time I stopped by the big house where Romeo and Tessa were staying while they dealt with more intense renovations at their house, I spotted Liam walking by. Or bumping into him in the kitchen. Or as he headed upstairs to the guest rooms.

He lingered. He hadn’t left yet, clearly. And each time we encountered each other, it was the same act of acting ignorant and dodging each other.

We’d freeze upon seeing each other, then a race would commence, one of seeing who could mask their surprise and annoyance the soonest.

Liam and I weren’t acknowledging each other. We didn’t speak a word of hello. Nothing. Not a single greeting.

I didn’t knowwhatto say. He seemed ready to pretend he’d never even met me.

Which was fine. I didn’t need to talk to him, and I saw no point in reaching out to him and asking why he was still here. Maybe he and Tessa still wanted to catch up. They were old friends and all. Many guests visited for more than a few days. My uncle even opened up guest rooms for soldiers and members of the family who needed an alternative place to stay. It was that big of a mansion.

Just not big enough for me to forget Liam was there. Somewhere.

“But why is he still here?” I asked Nina one afternoon, a week after the engagement party. We were supposed to be browsing online for more decorations for her baby shower, but she was more interested in searching through baby name lists.

“Liam?” Nina glanced up and shrugged. “Seeing as he just got out of the military, he’s catching up.”

I furrowed my brow. The military? I wasn’t surprised. He had that sort of demeanor and aura. A man of combat. A man of a well-honed body tailored for endurance. That attitude and stiff cockiness. They all suited him, but I was slightly curious about this new fact I could obsess over.

“He was discharged?”

“Recently,” Nina answered, not looking up from the baby name lists yet. “I think he was wounded in combat and there is something that would prohibit him from active duty. Or full active duty?” She waved her hand, dismissing it. “I don’t remember all that jargon. My dad used to mention duty levels and such, and it always seemed so complex and confusing.”

Liam didn’t seem wounded or injured. I hadn’t seen all of him that night. Actually, I saw next to nothing since we hadn’t taken the time to remove our clothes—except my panties.

I slid my tongue along the seam of my closed lips, schooling myself to resist the blush that threatened to bloom.

My panties. Which I left on the damn floor in the closet… Unless he took them.

“Are you all right?” Nina frowned at me, and I flinched.

“Hmm? Yeah. I’m fine.”

Not fine. So, so far from fine.Because every time I thought about what that rugged man said and did to me, what I begged for him to do with me…

“You look warm.” Nina narrowed her eyes.

“Nah. It’s just the humidity in here.” While the pool was closed outside, the smaller indoor one in the solarium was just as nice. Neither of us wanted to get back in, preferring to lounge under the windows while our bathing suits dried.

“Oh.” Nina didn’t push it. If she saw me actually blushing, I’d never hear the end of it. I was too well-known to hide all my emotions.

“Anyway, he’s just left the military.” Nina sighed, closing her eyes and settling into the reclined chair.

“But how long is he going to stayhere?” I asked.

The sooner he left, the easier it would be to forget about him. That had to hold true. Because the longer he was around, he was nothing but a forbidden fruit I couldn’t want. Close enough to reach, but so far from what I should desire.

“I don’t know,” Nina said, frustrated. “It’s not like he’s in the way. He keeps to himself, and?—”

“Who’s not in the way?” Tessa asked as she entered the solarium, joining us. She looked between me and Nina as she took off her cover up, clearly planning to get into the pool.

“Liam.” Nina rolled her eyes. “Miss Uncongeniality over here is asking why he’s still visiting.”

Tessa huffed. “Leave him be.”

Uh, way too late for that piece of advice.He’d told me himself to leave him alone, and that was just a way of throwing fuel onto the fire of wanting him.

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