Page 84 of Devilish Ink

Coming beside him, I grabbed one of the pillows and smacked him playfully on the back of the head.

“You know I’ve never been the commitment type,” I said, struggling to sound casual, playful. The way friends sound when they’re not hiding hurtful secrets from each other. “Mason of all people should know a one-night stand kinda gal when he sees one.”

Rian caught the pillow when I went to hit him lightly once more.

“I can set you up with some guys, if you want,” he said. “Nice guys.Nice guys, Ry. Guys that will treat you right. Good, decent men. Not bad guys.”

Rian’s eyes were drilling holes through mine. I was sure that he knew every hidden corner of my heart. Could see every truth I tried to keep in the shadows.

“I don’t want that, Rian,” I said, relieved to be able to say something honest at last. “I’ve never wanted that.”

Rian pushed himself up to standing. “Maybe you should.”

I wondered if Liam could hear us, wherever he was hidden. I wondered if he could tell which parts I’d said were lies. And which weren’t.

Rian and I brought up the rest of what he’d loaded up in Mason’s car. I thanked him and the kiss he gave to my cheek was the same one he’d always given.

But a rift was opening between us. Rian could sense the rumblings underfoot even if he only had suspicions as to their cause.

I needed to tell him.

But I needed to trust I wouldn’t lose him first. And I wasn’t sure when I ever would.

IfI ever would.

After closing the door behind me, I went to sit on the edge of the kitchen island. I kicked my feet back and forth in the silence.

A minute or two later, the pantry door creaked open an inch or two. My head fell back over my shoulder to catch Liam poking his head out.

“Coast clear?” he asked.

I nodded.

Liam came to stand between my legs.

“You didn’t tell him,” he said, stroking my thighs.

“I know,” I said, not sure what else to say.

Maybe I should have told him how scared I was. Maybe, as he lifted his eyes through dark eyelashes to find mine, he already knew.

“So I’m just a one-night stand, huh?” he asked, fingers teasing my inner thighs. A smile raised playfully the corner of his lips.

I leaned back. Arched an eyebrow. “Oh, sorry, was that news to you?”

Liam pressed kisses along my collarbones before licking a hot trail up my throat. “A bad guy one-night stand.”

I stopped him before he kissed my lips. My eyes met his.

“You’re not a bad man, Liam,” I said softly.

Pain filled his eyes and he glanced away, his throat working before he spoke.

“That’s not what Rian thinks.”

“Rian’s wrong.” I laid my hand on the back of his neck and played with the ends of his hair. “He’ll come around. Because I needyou. Whatever you are. Good or bad. Right or wrong.”

I drew Liam to me and he kissed me.

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