Page 175 of Power Play

“No. I haven’t had a second to sit down all day. We finally hired a second announcer, so I was giving her a tour and helping her through the HR stuff.”

Liam gestures me inside and I groan in relief when I kick off my heels. I can’t make it more than four feet before he’s shoving a pile of clothes in my arms.

“Get comfortable,” he says.

“Did you have these waiting for me?”

“Yeah. Figured you had a long day and would want to change.”

I stand on my toes and kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

“Come find me in the kitchen when you’re done.” Liam squeezes my ass. “And take your time.”

I head for the bathroom in the hall, changing out of the skirt and blouse for an oversized shirt that’s loose and soft. It’s one of Liam’s, well-loved and well-worn, and I smile at the scent of his laundry detergent hanging to the collar.

Pulling the socks on, I pad to the kitchen and find Liam standing over the stove, a dish towel draped over his shoulder.

“What are you making? Can I help?”

“Chicken parm again. You devoured it last time, and I thought I’d whip up some sauce.”

“Whip up some sauce,” I repeat, sliding next to him. “How casual of you.”

“Come on, Piper. I’m not going tobuya jar of tomato sauce. That’s fucking insanity.”

“Of course it is.” I smile when he holds out the wooden spoon. My mouth wraps around it, and I moan when I swallow down the small taste. “Holy shit. That’s better than the first time you made it.”

“I know it is. The first time I tried to get creative, but this is my mom’s recipe with a secret ingredient.”

“And how many women have you cooked this meal for?” I lean against the edge of the counter and cross my feet at the ankles. “Three dozen?”

“Just you. Only my wife gets to experience the Sullivan Sauce.”

“You know, that could have a double meaning if you think about it.”

Liam rolls up the dish towel and snaps it at me. My yelp turns to a laugh when he grabs me and holds me to his chest, easily avoiding my flailing and kicking.

“I missed you,” he says in my ear.

“I missed you too,” I say back, and I mean it.

He sets me down and dishes out a large plate of pasta. We sit next to each other at the island and talk about our days. He smiles when a drop of sauce gets stuck in the corner of my mouth. I nudge his foot with mine and wrap my ankle around his calf.

It’s exactly like what we’ve been doing for so many months, but it feelsdifferent.

There’s not a doubt in my mind he wants to be here with me, and there’s a lightness in the air. An easiness that wasn’t there before, and I like how natural it all feels. How relaxed Liam is and the way he keeps touching me, as if he’s been waiting months to have me like this.

“Your migraine prescription came.” He taps the box sitting on the island and pushes it my way. “Make sure you take it when you leave.”

“Thanks. Sorry it keeps getting delivered here. They had your address on file, so I went with it.”

“No big deal. As long as you take it.” Liam levels me with a look. “Are you taking it, Piper?”

“Yes, and I’m getting monthly massages. I haven’t had any pain in weeks.”

“Funny how having access to things can make you feel better.”

“That’s what we can privilege, buddy.” I catch a flash of orange in my periphery and I scoop Pico off the floor, scratching behind his ears. “Hola, Pico. Tuviste un buen día?”

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