Page 11 of So Bad It Must Be Good

She shook that word and the very nearly flirtatious way he’d said it away, taking another gulp of her drink to remind herself of the point. “Tomorrow night, then,” she decided resolutely.

“I can’t teach you in a night how to carve things out of wood. It takes time to learn the tools, to figure it all out.”

“I have nothing but time.”

He opened his mouth as if to argue with her, but then he simply closed it.

“Please,” she offered, flashing him her most winsome smile.

“You really think this is the answer to whatever is wrong, don’t you?”

“No, but I think it’s a start.” She needed a start. A foundation. She needed to do. Maybe in the doing she could change or grow. Maybe she wouldn’t, but at least it would be acting in some way.

“All right. I’ll . . . see what I can teach you.”

She made a squeak and impulsively leaned forward and gave him a quick hug. She realized midsqueeze that hugging was not a normal response. That he smelled like wood and beer and maybe soap.

That something inside her chest shifted, eased, sighed.

Clearly the booze was working its way through her. She pulled back abruptly and awkwardly waved to the bartender. “Two menus, please,” she called before turning a completely forced smile on Liam. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

She noticed Liam looked a little deer-in-the-headlights, but she chose to ignore it. Because he was going to teach her how to work wood. Literal wood. Not figurative . . .

“And one more drink, please,” she said to the bartender as he handed them menus. She was definitely going to need more to drink.

* * *

Liam was pretty certain one of the circles of hell was gorgeous, off-limits women drunkenly plastering themselves all over a guy.

Because it was hell having Kayla Gallagher lean against him, soft and warm, smelling like flowers or sunshine or some shit. He tried to maneuver her around the groups of people without touching too much of her, but she kept stumbling and he’d have to wind his arm around her waist and then she’d lean.

Shit, hell, and damn.

“You have to let me . . .” She trailed off as she bumped into some couple and Liam tightened his grasp on her, apologizing to the people through gritted teeth.

Her hair kept brushing against his neck, and her hands kept trailing across his chest and abdomen like . . .

Well, he couldn’t afford to think too much about what it was like. He had to get the very drunk woman home, and hope like hell she forgot everything about this night and his promise to teach her some woodworking.

What the hell had he been thinking agreeing to that? Dark blue eyes, sweet smile, and for once feeling like he had something to offer Kayla Gallagher.

Damn.

“Oh, it’s nice out here,” Kayla said, breathing right against his neck as they step-stumbled out of the crowded bar.

“It’s freezing,” he muttered, having to tighten his grip around her waist again as they maneuvered down the sidewalk.

She only laughed, the sound of it mixing with all the other Friday night revelers.

“Oh!” Kayla stopped abruptly, causing him to stumble to a stop and endure some not so pleasant words from other people walking down the sidewalk. “I have to pay you.”

“Pay me?” He nudged her into walking again, trying to think about anything other than the soft give of her body.

“For the drinks. I spent a lot of money on drinks. You weren’t even supposed to be my date.”

“Yeah, I’m aware.”

“See? I have to pay you.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her dress, except she kept trying to. She missed with one hand, all but grazed his crotch with the second, and this was just definitely hell on earth.

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