Page 58 of The Arrangement
I opened my mouth to say that I was, but he stopped me before I could speak.
“You know what? Never mind. You already said it. It’s happening.” He threw the car into reverse, backed out of the spot, and zoomed out of the parking lot with a brief squeal of tires that had me laughing. Rome’s enthusiasm was everything.
20
ROME ASHBRIDGE
Liam was in my home.
This was a big moment. Enormous. Monumental.
When I’d started this stupid arrangement, it had been with the idea that Liam would never step foot inside my home. I would torment him, get even for years of pain and confusion, write a check to the museum, and walk away from him forever. By not letting him into my sanctuary, I wouldn’t allow the old anguish and dark shadows to seep into my safe place.
At least, that was the bullshit I’d told myself.
Just because Liam wasn’t physically in my home didn’t mean that I hadn’t dragged all my Liam-shaped baggage through my house, dumping it in every room with all my fears, worries, and ancient anger.
But things were changing. He wasn’t my enemy any longer. Liam Rose was my friend, possibly more.
We could do this. I could do this.
Maybe. It wasn’t like I’d fucked up every relationship I’d ever been in because I was too much for anyone to want to tolerate. Yeah, it was going to be fine. Just fiiiinnnne.
Walking into my penthouse apartment was like taking a step back in time. I’d been meticulous about adhering to an artdeco vibe in every room. Everything was sleek lines and elegant curves.
“Oh, wow…” Liam breathed as he walked inside. “This is…”
“Too much? Over-the-top?”
“Very you,” Liam answered, putting me out of my misery. Sort of. The man smirked at me as if he knew he hadn’t helped. “What I mean is that you’ve always been the type to go all in on something when it interested you. Why did you pick art deco?”
“The building itself had a lot of original art deco features, and I wanted to embrace it. Try to get a feel for the building, how it might have looked a hundred years ago.”
We wandered through the living room, dining room, my office, and library with Liam oooing and ahhing all the different things, warming my heart with his appreciation.
“Would you like something to drink?” I inquired as we turned toward the kitchen.
“Yes, please.”
I grinned at him. “An adult beverage, I take it.”
“Beer. Give me beer. Or whiskey. Yes, alcohol, please.”
Before taking another step, I took Liam’s hand and threaded our fingers together. I pulled him into me so our chests bumped. Nervous energy vibrated from him, and his features were tense. Leaning in, I brushed my lips against his. A small, tender kiss he returned instantly, but I pulled away the moment he tried to deepen it. I returned several times, only tiny pecks.
“Breathe,” I whispered. “Nothing is going to happen that you don’t want.”
“What if what I think I want makes me nervous?” he asked with a little laugh.
“We will go slow. You always have the option to change your mind. Or we do nothing at all.” I drew away and shrugged. “I’ve got two spare bedrooms. You can crash in one of them. We can spend the night talking or watching a movie.”
“No, I want to. I want…” His voice trailed off as if he couldn’t put into words what he desired. He lifted his eyes, and his smile softened. “I want you.”
Oh, no.
No. No. No. No. No.
That wasn’t fair. He wasn’t allowed to whip out cool, swoon-worthy lines like that and expect me to stay strong. I was still human. A horny, stupid human.
