Page 13 of All That She Needs

"Can you help with that?" I replied, then remembered the one thing Dennis always complained about and added, "Please?"

Dennis swirled around in his trademark dramatic fashion. "Okay, but you'll introduce me to him, right?"

"Sure," I said, unable to hide my amusement as Dennis skipped happily out of my office.

As I sat there waiting, my thoughts spiraled into a whirlwind of doubt. Was this really okay, what I was doing with Liam? It was just a meal, after all, nothing more than a simple lunch with a friend. But still, the question gnawed at me—would this be seen as crossing a line? Could this be considered cheating?

I couldn't shake the feeling that I was allowing this because of what happened last night. Once again, Aiden had disappointed me. We had such a wonderful evening together the previous night, and for a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to believe that I had my Aiden back, the man I fell in love with. But that brief joy was shattered so quickly. It was like he lifted me up to the heavens, only to let me crash back down to earth. He came home so late, and by morning, he was a different person. He was cheerful, almost too cheerful, doting on me with every smile, every gentle kiss. It felt so unsettling, like he was trying too hard. Or maybe trying to hide something.

I didn't think I could ever shake this constant feeling of doubt about him.

I was terrified—terrified that this was temporary, that he would soon retreat into his distant shell, and then he would be unable to take it anymore and pursue her again. The fear consumed me, the thought of him slipping away again, and I wondered if, this time, he would be gone for good.

Sighing dejectedly, ignoring the painful pinch in my chest, I stared at the door. I expected Liam to step in right away, but it was a while before he finally walked into my office, holding a container in each of his hands. One was smaller than the other. The bigger one was steaming hot, and I worried for a moment that it would burn his hand.

Dennis trailing behind him, balancing sets of plates with cutlery on top of it and two bottles of water in his hands. "He insisted on heating it himself," Dennis explained before I could even ask. Then he rolled his eyes. "Said he needed to check first what kind of microwave we have."

I ignored Dennis, while I smiled broadly at Liam. "You have Thermador," Liam said casually. "So, it's fine. Hello, boss lady." He placed both containers on the conference tablewhere I'd been waiting, took the plates from a stunned Dennis, then began distributing them and scooping the casserole onto the plates with the effortless grace of someone accustomed to preparing dinners.

"Have you both introduced yourselves?" I asked, only remembering it when I noticed Dennis giving me a rather complex signal with his hands behind Liam's back. I was too transfixed seeing Liam move around and how today he looked so damn good, wearing a white hoodie and black denim pants.

Liam turned around, and Dennis quickly dropped his hand, smiling and batting his eyelashes. "Hey, I'm Liam," he said, but instead of shaking Dennis's hand, Liam placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. I could've sworn Dennis practically melted into a puddle on the floor. "Thanks for your help," Liam added warmly.

Seeing Dennis gaping like a fish out of water, I jumped in. "This is Dennis, my assistant," I said, trying to rescue him from his star-struck daze. I wasn't sure he could even speak at that moment.

Liam gave him a nod, and continued preparing our lunch, which turned out he also brought dessert. "I made this as well," he said. "It went missing this morning, because that piece of shit Keith stole it. It's his favorite. Luckily, I found it before he had the chance to eat it." He took a seat to my right while I settled into my usual spot at the head of the table. "It's Tiramisu. The authentic Italian version. My Nana's recipe."

"You made all this yourself?" I asked, as Dennis let out a soft, impressed "oooooh" under his breath while his eyelashes fluttered.

"Yes," Liam replied with a proud grin. "I told you I like to cook."

It was then that I remembered Dennis wasn't supposed to be here. "Dennis?" I gave him a pointed stare.

"Yes?" he spluttered, looking at me blankly for a few seconds, before his expression shifted to apprehension. With a dramatic huff, he sprinted towards the door, checking out Liam one more time before he shut it behind him.

Liam's phone dinged, and he pulled it out of his back pocket, checked the message, and chuckled. He then turned the screen towards me, showing a text from someone named Keith that read:Did you just take MY tiramisu?!

"If he's obsessed with it, it must be very good." I said, eyeing the tiramisu.

"It's good, I promise," he said softly, giving me that panty-melting smile that sent heat to my cheeks. "And it's all for you."

I shouldn't be blushing by those simple words, but I did. I had to duck my head and study my plate intently so that he wouldn't see.

But I believed he saw it anyway, judging by how he was grinning from ear to ear.

We began eating, and I must admit, Liam was an excellent cook. Very good. I devoured the meal in record time as if I had been fasting for days. When I was about to grab a second serving, I heard him chuckle. My hand froze in the air, and I looked at him. "Can I?"

"Of course," he laughed. "I'm just amused. Where did you put all that food? You ate as much as me, and I'm twice your size."

"It's been a while since I ate something this delicious and creamy," I said, taking a bite. "I usually stick to salad or grilledchicken, or something healthy. And yes, I'm one of those people who could eat my weight in food and not gain a pound."

"Do you exercise?" Liam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I run," I replied. "Sometimes."

"What doessometimesmean?"

"Like once a week?" His skeptical look made me sigh. "Okay, maybe twice or three times a month. That's why I watch what I eat. I figure if I'm too lazy to exercise, I might as well eat healthy."

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