Page 17 of Trouble

It felt like a donkey kick to thegut.

I sank back down onto the bed, my previous panic completely drained by the nauseating realization that I didn’t want this to be the last time I saw LiamSteel.

This was supposed to be a one-night thing. Men like Liam didn’t do anything more than that—I’d known that when I kissed him in the pub, when he took me up against Mrs. Peterson’s front door, and when I fell asleep in his arms from sheer exhaustion several hourslater.

But the thought of never seeing him again wasunbearable.

“Liam?” My voice wasn’t much more than a hoarsewhisper.

“Mm?”

I glanced at him again and bit my lip to steel myself. He looked so completely relaxed, like nothing in this world could ever shake his good mood or quiet confidence, and I wished with everything I was that I could have just a little of his easy strength right aboutnow.

“I… I know this was supposed to be… that this is a one-time sorta deal, but I…” I drew in a deep breath. “Do you think, maybe, we could do thisagain?”

“I assume you don’t mean right now?” There was a hint of amusement in his voice, but also a gentleness that hadn’t been therebefore.

“I… I really need to see you again.” I could have swallowed my own tongue.Notthe kind of thing to say to a player likeLiam.

He was quiet for a moment. Then he moved in the bed behind me before one of his large hands engulfed mine completely. I noticed a small scar on his thumb as he stroked it across the back of my hand, then blushed when an image of that same thumb brushing over my nipple last night flashed before my mind’seye.

“I’d like to see you again,Audrey.”

The hesitation in his voice hinted that there was more to thatsentence

“But?” I asked, staring unblinkingly at the scar on his thumb. My stomach felt like a tight, painfulknot.

He was silent for a few seconds. Then he grabbed my chin with his free hand and made me look up to meet his eyes. They had their usual gleam of mischief, completely free of any hesitation now. “But nothing. I’d be pretty fucking stupid to say no to more time in your bed,love.”

The tightness in my stomach uncoiled, relief flooding my entire body as he dipped his lips to mine in a kiss that had my heart skipping a beat. I knew he’d considered something before he said yes to seeing me again, but I was too relieved to linger on what it mightbe.

So long as I knew this wouldn’t be the last time I got to feel his light envelop me, I didn’t care what had made himhesitate.

8

Liam

“Are youlimping?”

I ignored my twin’s amused expression and let my eyes glide over the other people lounging in our shared living room. Our brother Blaine sat with his arm around his redheaded wife on the sofa in front of the TV, and on the floor over by the floor-to-ceiling window, their toddler was busy playing on a squareblanket.

“Blaine, Mira,” I greeted our guests as I walked from the hallway—doing my best not to limp—and threw myself on the sofa next to them. I couldn’t quite suppress the small groan when my worn body impacted withleather.

“It looks like you had a good night,” Louis continued, eying me up with a small measure of interest. “Maybe I should give the girl a go afterall?”

It wasn’t an unusual comment, not for us. We’d shared more girls than I could count over the years, our identical appearance leaving the lass none the wiser. Whatwasunusual, however, was the flare of anger deep in my gut at my twin’s casual suggestion. I pressed a hand to my stomach and frowned. Where the hell didthatcome from? We shared everything—women were no exception, so why did the thought of my brother bedding an unsuspecting Audrey make everything inside me feel hot andpainful?

“Louis!Don’t tell me you two still trick women like that.” The disapproving hiss came from Mira, but despite her sharp tone, her face displayed exasperation rather than outrage. “You’re too old to act like hornyteenagers.”

Louis’ face cracked in a wide grin. “Nah, love, we’ll never be too old for that. We can’t all settle into domestic obedience like our poor brotherhere.”

Blaine scoffed at the dig. “I think it’d do you some good. I can’t wait until some bird finally shows up on your doorstep with a ginger kid or two—that should settle you rightdown.”

Louis and I shared a look and gave a synchronized shudder of horror. We’d made a pact long ago to never, ever get ourselves into a situation where pregnancy might be a possible outcome. As much as we both hated the idea of commitment, of some girl coming between us, neither of us would be able to abandon a kid we’d fathered. The natural solution had been a pact to always johnny up when we shagged alass.

Except, for the first time in my entire life, I’d almost forgotten the second I’d felt Audrey’s soft body againstmine.

“If you’re angling for a playmate for Aidan, I’m almost positive Marcus will have his girl knocked up by now,” Louis said. “You heard anything fromhim?”

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