Page 32 of Knot Really Engaged
I roll my eyes. “Sorry, Mom.”
Max leans back in his chair, his hands held up in an acquiescence. “Far be it from me to keep the lovebirds from their beauty sleep,” he quips
I roll my eyes, biting back the retort that dances on the tip of my tongue. Instead, I turn my attention to Audrey, as I stand up. “Come on, babe,” I murmur, my lips brushing against her ear. “Let’s get you to bed.”
We say our goodbyes, exchanging hugs and kisses with our family members. I can feel the weight of their stares, the unspoken questions lingering in the air. But I keep my head high, my smile fixed firmly in place, even as my heart races with the fear of being discovered.
We finally reach the car, and I help Audrey into the passenger seat, my hands lingering on her waist a moment longer than necessary. She looks up at me, her eyes heavy with something. Something that makes my breath catch in my throat.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, her voice soft and sleepy. “For everything—including getting me out of there alive.”
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly tight withemotion. “Anytime,” I manage to say, my voice rough and low.
As I slide into the driver’s seat, I can’t help but glance over at Audrey, her head already lolling against the window. She looks so peaceful, so beautiful, that it makes my heart ache with longing.
It’s just too fucking hard to remember that this is just an act, a game of pretend that we’re playing for the sake of our families. And as much as I might wish otherwise, I know that Audrey doesn’t share the same lust as I do or wants me the way I do her.
Though, while I drive I wonder what would happen if we decide to cross that line. If the next time we touch is with intention—and without any clothes.
Chapter Sixteen
Audrey
“I hatethat I’m lying to them,” I say as we enter the suite. I kick off my shoes, the relief of being free from their confines short-lived as the weight of my words settle heavily on my shoulders.
As I head to the bedroom to change into a pair of lounging shorts and a comfortableshirt I hear him say, “I’m sorry,” he apologizes, his voice soft and sincere.
Once I’m outside the room, he takes a step closer, his hand reaching out as if to touch me, but he hesitates, letting it fall back to his side. “Do you want us to stop?”
I shake my head vehemently. “Oh no. Can you imagine how bad everyone will judge me if they learned I lied about our engagement or about Ben?” I look away briefly, unable to hold his stare.
I don’t know if it’s the way he seems to look at me, like he wants to discover all my secrets or the pity because I’m in a pretty bad spot. The shame burns hot on my cheeks, and I can feel the tightness in my throat as I try to swallow back the bitterness.
He leans over, cupping my chin, turning my head to face him. His touch is gentle, his fingers calloused but warm against my skin. “I know. Are you blaming yourself for that? For Ben?” His eyes search mine, the intensity of his gaze making my breath catch in my throat.
I shake my head, my lips pressing into a tight line. “No, but it still makes me feel like shit and angry. How stupid was I that I fell for his lies?” The words taste acrid on my tongue, the anger and humiliation coursing through my veins like a slow-burning fire.
“Some people are pretty good liars,” he says, histhumb grazing my cheek in a comforting gesture. The tenderness of his touch makes my heart ache, and I have to resist the urge to lean into his palm.
“Like you and our love story?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. The words hang heavy in the air between us, the weight of their implication making my chest tighten.
Liam opens his mouth and then closes it, his brows knitting together as he struggles to find the right words. “There’s that,” he finally says, his voice rough with emotion. “But I have to confess that while I was telling them how we reconnected, not all of it was a fabricated lie.”
I swallow hard, my heart racing in my chest. “Well, if you recall, I didn’t spill coffee on you,” I clarify because I don’t want to know what was true and what wasn’t. The whole fantasy might shatter, and right now, I need it for a little longer.
I need the fantasy of a guy wanting me the way he described. The longing for that kind of love, that kind of devotion, is like a physical ache in my chest, and I can feel the regret and anger warring within me, threatening to consume me whole.
Liam’s expression softens, his eyes filled with a tenderness that makes my knees weak. “Audrey,” he murmurs, his voice low and soothing. “You deserve so much better than what Ben did to you. Youdeserve someone who will love you and cherish you the way you should be.”
His words soothe the ragged edges of my wounded pride, the gentle cadence of his voice wrapping around me like a warm embrace. And for a moment, I allow myself to believe him. To believe that maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance for me to find that kind of love. It’s like a fragile flicker of light.
He tucks my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my skin, tracing the curve of my jaw and down my neck. I shiver, my breath hitching in my throat as a delicious tingle spreads through my body. His touch is electric, igniting a fire deep within me that I thought had been extinguished long ago.
“Why were you with Ben, Audrey?” he suddenly asks. “And I get that some app matched you and you thought he was great, but there has to be more that made you stay with him for that long.”
“Why are we talking about me?”
Liam is insistent, his hand cupping my cheek and gently turning my face back toward him. He leans in, his breath ghosting over my skin as he presses a featherlight kiss against my cheek. “I want to learn everything about you,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.
