Page 18 of Mysterious

“I mean it when I say no one has ever taken care of me like you, Liam. I mean, my security.”

My tiny slip makes his eyes get slightly wider for a second, and I think maybe he’s going to make a move. I stare into his blue eyes that never fail to amaze me with how gorgeous they are, but he doesn’t budge.

“I’ll find out what happened with your mother and make sure it doesn’t happen again tomorrow night. I plan on telling her when we head to New Orleans that Michael isn’t welcome to come along.”

The mention of my former head of security makes me feel nothing but shame. I hang my head to avoid Liam’s gaze, hating how I used to rely on Michael for so much when he cared nothing about my safety or happiness.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice full of the concern that I love hearing in him. “I need to tell your mother she can’t pull that kind of thing again, Mia. She put you in danger, and I can’t have that.”

I look up at him and shake my head. “It’s not that. Feel free to tell my mother whatever you need to. I’m just so embarrassed that I believed Michael cared about me or keeping me safe.”

Liam’s expression hardens, and his eyes narrow to almost angry slits. “How serious were you two?” he asks.

“We weren’t. Did he claim we did something together? Because we didn’t. We weren’t like that. I thought he cared for me at least as a friend, but you saw the proof of how wrong I was about that when you went to his apartment looking for me.”

He shakes his head as his expression softens. “He didn’t say anything to me. We weren’t exactly on speaking terms tonight.”

“Then why do you think we were together?”

Liam doesn’t answer, and suddenly I wonder if he believes I sleep with all of my bodyguards. I need him to know that isn’t true at all. In fact, I’ve never slept with any of them.

Oh, God! I see it in his eyes. That’s what he thinks!

“You think I just sleep with every guy who guards me?”

“No. I thought you slept with him, though. The way you were acting when you went to see him that day seemed like how someone would act if they were serious with someone.”

I shake my head faster and faster as how Liam’s acted all makes sense to me now. “No, Liam I’ve never slept with Michael or any of my bodyguards. That’s not how it is. Is that why you’ve been so strange with me every time I show you I care for you?”

He abruptly stands up from the bed and shakes his head. I stare up at him in confusion and think to myself that we’re like a couple of deranged bobblehead dolls.

“Why did you get up?”

“I should go,” he says flatly, like all the emotion has left him suddenly.

“Why? What did I say wrong? I told you that Michael and I were never together. I’ve never been with anyone guarding me. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Worry now seems etched into his beautiful features as he continues to shake his head like nothing I’m saying makes him happy. “It’s not that, Mia.”

I jump to my feet, needing to stop him if he moves to leave. “Then what is it? Because the way you’re acting doesn’t make any sense. You stand there in the doorway to my bathroom staring at me naked in the tub, but then you get weird when my robe comes open. You bring up Michael, and then when I tell you he was never anyone romantic to me, you grow cold, but I could have sworn you were upset at the thought that he and I were together. Why are you acting like this? I don’t understand.”

Still, he doesn’t answer me. “I should go.”

I grab his hand, feeling instantly better when I touch him. Even his fingers possess strength I don’t think I could ever even dream of having. They’re long and heavy in my palm, but I cling to them when he takes a step toward the door.

“Please don’t go. Tell me what I did wrong, Liam. I’ve tried to show you I’m not that brat you thought I was or the diva you accused me of being. I thought I was doing everything right to make you see that I care about you, and I thought you cared about me. Was I wrong?”

He won’t look at me now, turning away as he lets out a heavy sigh. “No, you weren’t wrong. I’ve noticed it all. I see I misjudged you at first. I get why all those people come to see you. It’s not just that you’re an incredible singer. The person you were on stage tonight is the person I’ve seen so many times here at the house.”

“Then why do you want to leave and why won’t you face me if I’m so wonderful?”

I don’t care that I sound desperate. I’m not, but I know he probably thinks I am. What I am is a woman who cares who wants to know if he cares about me in return.

Maybe I am desperate. All I know is I’ve never felt anything like I do when Liam’s around me.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he turns around. In his eyes, I see all that emotion I had hoped he felt for me coloring those beautiful blue eyes of his. But his mouth is turned down in a frown that makes me think those emotions aren’t the ones I had hoped to find in him.

“This can’t happen. I’m to blame, so I take full responsibility for this. I shouldn’t have stood in your doorway for so long watching you in the tub. I’m sorry about that.”

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