Page 113 of Not That Complicated

I pulled a face. “Consummated?”

He raised a brow.

“After,” I grumbled. “Consummated ourlove. Again, hah. The love part was very one-sided. He likes me fine, but I—”

I felt my pupils shrink in horror as I locked eyes with Liam.

The first time I’d admitted that I was in love with Adam—to myself, let alone anyone else—and it was to his cousin.

“I didn’t say that,” I shot out.

“What, Ray? You didn’t confess that you love Adam?”

I pointed at him. “You are evil.”

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You’re denying that you love him, then?”

I dropped my gaze and fumed at the floor. “You can’t prove anything.”

‘I don’t need to prove anything.”

“Good. You can’t.”

“You’re denying him. You’re denying that you love him.”

He made it a statement. Flat.

I agreed, but my voice quavered up at the end. “Yes?”

“You don’t love him, in fact.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, you do love him? Or yes, you don’t? Make up your mind, Mr Underwood.”

“I dooo...n’t.”

“You dooon’t?”

“You heard me.”

“Let’s recap. You don’t, in fact, love Adam. You used him. You like him, he’s a fun hook-up, you like him taking care of you and that’s all there is to it. Am I right?”

I opened and shut my mouth. “No!” I forced out, indignant. Used him? “Usedhim? How dare you!”

“You’d hardly be the first man to do it.”

“I didn’t! I didn’t do it!” I clutched the edge of the kitchen table. “I’m innocent!”

He barrelled on, “Adam’s a good-looking young man. He—” Liam broke off when I made a rude noise. “You disagree?”

“Yes. Hell, yes. He’s not good-looking, are you an idiot? He’s beautiful. He’s the most beautiful person I’ve met in real life!”

“We’re related. I don’t see him quite like that.”

“You have eyes, haven’t you?”

“I do, in fact, have eyes. Yes.”

---