Page 28 of Knot Really Engaged
Max steps forward, a grin stretching from ear to ear. “Congratulations, Sis. I’m so happy to learn that my best friend will become my brother,” he says, pulling me into a warm hug.
A part of me wants to say, thank you, Judas for the backstabbing. Instead I ask, “Why is everyone here?” My voice muffled against his chest. I pull back, my brows furrowed in confusion.
Max gives me an apologetic shrug. “Liam sent me a text that you’d be arriving here first. Mom saw it.” He grimaces. “Sorry.”
Suddenly, everyone surges forward, surrounding us in a sea of hugs and well-wishes. I feel like I’m drowning in a whirlpool of questions and congratulations, my head spinning as I try to keep up with the barrage of inquiries.
“Okay, spill it. How did you two lovebirds actually get together?” Aunt Carol demands. She leans in close, her perfume overwhelming my senses.
Liam shoots me a sideways glance, his hand finding mine and giving it a reassuring squeeze. It’s as if he’s saying, “We’re ready for this, calm down.”
But in truth, I’m not. Yet, I squeeze back anyway because that’s what fake fiancées do, right? Pretend to be ready for anything. I plaster a smileon my face, hoping it looks genuine enough to fool everyone.
“Well, it all started with a chance encounter at the airport,” I begin, my voice shaking slightly despite my efforts to sound confident. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the performance that could make or break everything. Liam’s warm palm presses against the small of my back.
The corner of Liam’s mouth quirks up in amusement, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He’s enjoying this, I realize, and I can’t help but feel a flicker of irritation. How can he be so calm when my nerves are frayed to the breaking point?
“The airport?” Someone asks in a disappointed tone, their voice carrying over the murmurs from the crowd. I tense, my heart jumping into my throat as I realize we’ve already let them down with the lackluster start to our love story.
“Well, that’s not sexy,” someone else adds. “What’s next? At least I hope there’s a bathroom mishap.” I realize it’s cousin Tim, his voice drips sarcasm.
Asshole.
They want a sexy story? Has anyone had a sexy meet-cute?
I can feel the heat of embarrassment creeping up my neck, and I have to resist the urge to hide my face in my hands. My stomach churns with anxiety,and I wonder if we’ve already blown our chance at convincing them.
I glance at Liam, my eyes pleading for help. His hand drifts lower, thumb grazing my hip in a way that sends delicious tremors through me. Is he playing along or genuinely flirting? My heart stutters at the thought, and I have to bite back a gasp.
“Well, I have to admit, it’s not the most romantic setting. It was definitely not Paris. But sometimes the most extraordinary connections bloom in the most ordinary of places. So, yeah. It was at the coffee shop in the San Diego International Airport . . .” Liam picks up the story, his voice smooth and confident. “Audrey spilled her latte all over my shoe. I would’ve been mad, except she looked so horrified, and right after, I immediately recognized her. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He winks at me, and I can feel my cheeks heating up. My skin tingles where his thumb continues to stroke my hip, and I have to remind myself to breathe.
“Our eyes met and . . . Well, it was like the whole world fell away. Have you ever experienced a connection so intense, so cosmic, that it defies explanation?” I pause, letting the suspense build before dropping my voice to an affected whisper. “That’s what happened between us.”
Mouth curved in a smirk, Liam picks up thethread. “She had this adorable furrow between her brows as she glared up at me. She was part embarrassed, part furious. I couldn’t resist needling her a bit.” His fingers splay possessively over my waist, making me shiver.
The heat of his touch sears through the thin fabric of my shirt, and I have to bite back a gasp. “I asked if she always bulldozed her way through crowded spaces without a care in the world. ‘You haven’t changed much, Little McCallister.’”He grins. “Though I had noticed that she had. Aud had transformed into a gorgeous woman and I was dying to invite her for coffee or spend time with me forever—and yes, I get the irony of wanting to have coffee after the incident.”
“He did,” I confirm, nodding my head. A smile tugs at my lips as if I remember the playful glint in his eyes that day. “But then he smiled, as if he had seen the sun finally come out after a dark, stormy night.” I lean into him, my body molding to his side as if it belongs there.
“I mean, how couldn’t I? Didn’t matter that she’d just doused me in overpriced airport coffee. She’s so gorgeous, and even more so when she gets mortified. Plus, I realized she wasn’t just my best friend’s kid sister anymore. Nope. She was now Audrey McCallister—the woman that made my heart beat erratically in the best way possible.” Hereaches out, tucking a stray curl behind my ear. His fingers linger on my cheek, and I have to suppress a shiver. The tenderness in his gaze makes my heart skip a beat, and for a moment, I almost believe the words he’s saying. “Yep. Even after she covered me in coffee, she was the most stunning woman I’d ever seen.”
The reverence in his words make my knees weak. God, he’s good at this—too good, really. I have to remind myself that he’s merely an excellent actor selling our ruse. Doesn’t make the burning awareness between us any less intoxicating, though.
Holding his stare, I pick up the narrative once more, my voice slightly breathless. “Indeed, I was mortified. But Liam was so charming, so kind. He insisted on buying me a new latte, and we ended up sitting down while we waited for our respective flights.”
“As we tried to catch up, we realized we were heading to London—on the same flight.” He smirks. There’s a mixture of amusement and something deeper in those blue eyes. It’s so intense that I’m having trouble holding his gaze. “It was like a sign. The perfect moment to spend time with this gorgeous woman.” His gaze rakes over me, and I feel a blush heating my cheeks.
A ripple of intrigued murmurs passes through our captive audience. I can feel the weight of theirstares, studying our every move, looking for any hint of deception. Liam’s thumb strokes over my knuckles, the simple gesture igniting tingles up my arm and yet, calms me. I lean into him, breathing in his woodsy cologne.
Nothing stops him. He’s taking his role of doting fiancé too seriously. “I used my miles so we could both sit in first class. I had ten hours with her, and I didn’t want to miss a single moment.” His arm tightens around my waist, pulling me closer, and I have to remind myself to breathe.
“I had plans. A presentation to create and things to do, though, I was trying to play hard to get.” My voice teasing. I tilt my head, looking up at him through my lashes, a coy smile playing on my lips.
The corner of Liam’s mouth quirks up in amusement. I can’t help but be drawn into the playful banter between us, even though it’s all an act for our audience. My heart races, the thrill of the game making my blood sing.
“She mentioned that, but I really wanted to get to know the adult her. I planned to use those ten hours. If possible we’d have three or four dates by the time we landed in London.” He winks, his grin turning devilish. I have to resist the urge to fan myself.
“It was okay at best,” I try to joke, my voiceslightly breathless. “Right as we took our seats, he invited me to dinner—though it was part of the deal, first class and all that.”
