Page 63 of Falling For Liam
“You look beautiful, Liv,” Kate says when I walk into their living room a little later. I’m wearing a simple magenta wrap dress and I pulled my hair into a messy fishtail once I discovered I had no way of straightening it.
I glance over to Liam just as he turns his head. His eyes start at mine but they soon drop to take in the little bit of cleavage I’m showing, and then down to my legs. I watch his eyes almost bug out of his head when he sees what I have on my feet. Our favourite shoes. I know it’s mean to tease him, especially now we have to spend the night apart, but I can’t help a little laugh falling from my lips at the look on his face.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he whispers when he comes over and kisses me on the cheek. “You look beautiful, too beautiful to share you with others.” The dark promise in his eyes has my insides clenching with lust. He looks gorgeous with his messy hair still damp around the edges, the scruff on his face, and the white shirt and dark jeans that fit him like a second skin. I could think of much better things to be doing than going out with his family right now, that’s for sure.
Liam’s brother’s house is only a short drive from his parents’, so we’re welcomed inside in no time. I never would have guessed that Liam and Dean are brothers if his parents didn’t tell me, because they are opposites in every way. Where Liam’s dark, quiet and brooding, Dean is fair, brash and loud. He’s not unlike BJ, and it makes me wonder if that’s what drew Liam to his boisterous best friend all those years ago.
“Come in, come in,” Dean says, making a show of waving his family inside—that is, until his eyes land on me. “Whoa, wait a goddamn minute,” he announces, much to his mum’s annoyance. “Liam, have you been holding out on me, bro? Who is this beauty?”
Glancing at Liam, who’s a little ahead of me, I don’t miss the slight redness to his cheeks. “Dean, this is Liv, my girlfriend. Liv, this is Dean, my highly irritating and obnoxious big brother.”
“Now, now,” Dean complains, but I don’t hear most of his argument because my reaction to Liam calling me his girlfriend distracts me. My heart races and butterflies flutter in my belly. I hadn’t really thought about what we were, but hearing that word fall from his lips makes me realise how badly I actually needed the reassurance. I know he told me he loved me last night, and that means more, but knowing I’m someone to him, not just a friend, kind of blows me away.
“Well, Liv, come on in,mi casa es su casa.”
Liam allows me to pass him to make my way into the house, but Dean intercepts him, placing his hand on my lower back and leaning in. “I think you’re with the wrong brother, darlin’. When you’re ready to upgrade, you let me know.”
Liam growls behind us before Dean is forcefully shoved away from me.
“Hey, that’s no way to treat your brother,” Dean sulks. His bottom lip sticks out and his eyes lower, I can’t help but think he looks like a sad puppy.
“And that’s no way to talk to my girl.” There are those tingles again.
“Sorry, I didn’t realise you were in love and shit,” Dean says, his hands up in surrender while Kate once again chastises him for his language.
“Yeah, we’re in love and shit, so back the fuck off, bro,” Liam spits, getting in Dean’s face.
“Sorry…I’m sorry,” he stutters, looking to their parents for support, but both Phil and Kate just roll their eyes at him and walk farther into the house.
“It smells good, son, but please tell me you haven’t cooked,” Phil says from the kitchen, making Liam laugh and the tension between him and Dean to dissipate.
“Oh yeah, I cooked totally from scratch.”
“Oh Christ,” Liam mutters next to me, confirming my suspicion that Dean can’t cook like Liam and his dad can. It makes me wonder why we’re here and not in a restaurant.
“All by myself, I opened the webpage, chose the dishes and picked up the phone to order. I even answered the door and paid when some guy came to deliver it.”
Everyone seems to breathe a sigh of relief at his announcement before Dean pulls the takeaway bags from the oven and Kate starts faffing around getting plates.
Turns out he’s ordered enough Indian food to feed half the street. The table is full, and my stomach grumbles as we all start to fill our plates.
I’m just about to have my first mouthful when there’s a loud bang from the front door and the sound of heels clicks against the wooden floor.
“Where’s the birthday boy?” a female voice sings. “I’ve got a special present for you.”
Everyone around the table stops moving. Shit, I’m pretty sure Dean and his parents stop breathing. The next few seconds happen so fast that I almost think I’m dreaming. A stunning blonde strolls into the room, her eyes immediately land on Dean and she opens the coat she’s wearing and flashes everyone in the room with her fire engine red, lace baby doll. “Happy birthday, big boy,” she announces, but it’s not until Phil drops his fork that she realises the birthday boy has company. “Oh fuck!”
“Everyone this is Frankie. Frankie, this is…everyone.”
Her smile doesn’t falter as she looks at each of us and says hello. I’m seriously envious of her confidence, because if I made an entrance like that, I’d want the ground to swallow me up.
“You didn’t say you were coming,” Dean says, his voice a little tight.
“It was meant to be a surprise. Telling you would have kind of ruined it, don’t you think?”
Liam’s shoulders shake as he tries to hold his amusement in, but the moment his eyes meet mine he can’t hold it anymore and barks out a laugh. “And you lot thought me having a girlfriend was the shock of the day.”
“Would you like some dinner, love?” Kate asks politely, although she still looks a little shell-shocked.
