Page 71 of Sugarlips
I chuckled. “Did you call him Finny? You know he hates that.”
“I call him Finny when he’s acting like a bratty kid.”
I arched my brow, sneaking a quick glance at Liam. “Then what should I callyouright now?”
“I amnotbeing petulant!”
I’d never seen Liam like this…and I kind of loved it. Most days, he was so damn unflappable. It was kind of nice to know he wasn’t impervious to stress and meltdowns like the rest of us. I grabbed the nutmeg, sprinkling some on top of the grounds before hitting the start button.
There was a soft laugh from beside me—the first of the morning—and I slid a glance toward him to catch the moment.
Liam leaned against my sink, arms folded, his cocky smirk aimed directly at me like a torpedo, ready to take me down. And it did. “Told you you’d grow to like nutmeg in your coffee.”
I swiveled to face him, planting a hand on my hip. “You sound pretty cocky for a guy covered in buttercream.”
“Buttercream or not… you’re using nutmeg in your coffee.”
“I’m using nutmeg in my coffee because there’s a ranting, frosting-slathered lunatic here and that’s howhetakes it.” It wasn’t exactly the truth. I’d been brewing my coffee with nutmeg for at least a week now… if for no other reason than it makes my house smell like Liam. Andyes, I was starting to like the taste. But hell if I was going to admit that to him. Not now, not ever.
“Tell you what,” I said. “Go use my shower and change. I have some of Dan’s old t-shirts up there and I’ll cook us some breakfast. I’ll even do that thing… with the eggs inside the toast for you.”
“Birds in a nest!” he said, eyes wide. “How did you know those were my favorite growing up?”
“You have a picture of you on your birthday as a kid… and that’s what you’re eating.” For all of a second, his green eyes flashed with admiration and a hint of something I couldn’t quite read.
I jerked my finger up, pointing in his face. “Butyou have to promise me that after breakfast, you’re not going to rush back over to Beefcakes for the rest of the day!”
Liam rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
“I mean it.” I held out my pinky to him. “Promise me.”
“Ah, yes. The infallible contract that is the pinky promise.” Despite his objections he hooked his pinky into mine. “Fine. I won’t go back today. But then you’re also taking me to dinner tonight. Because I cannotsit around all day and all night with nothing to do.”
I arched a brow in his direction. “We’ve seen each other constantly for months. It’s our first day off in God knows how long and you want to spend it withme?”
“Yeah,” he said, voice soft. “I do.”
My stomach jumped.Damn him. “Fine. Dinner tonight. Just go shower. You’re getting buttercream all over my kitchen.”
He launched up the stairs and within a few minutes, I heard the shower running. The patter of water and pipes was quickly drowned out by the sizzle of bacon and eggs in my frying pan.
My body sang, coming alive at the thought of him up in my bathroom. Naked. Soap and suds gliding over those tanned muscles.
Once the eggs were cooked, I moved the cast iron skillet to the oven to keep the food warm and filled two mugs with coffee.I’m just going to leave it outside of the bathroom for him. That’s all.I lifted both mugs into my hands and glided down the hallway.
A loud knock at the door jerked me from my thoughts as I got halfway down the hall.Nowwho the hell was here? My parents knew that this was my one day off, and there was no way my dad or mom would bother me. And Tanja wasn’t ever up before nine, unless she had an audition.
I changed direction and padded my way over to the front door, coffee cups still in hand as I pulled the curtain back with my elbow.
A gasp strangled in my throat, and as I jerked myself away from the window, a bit of piping hot coffee sloshed over the side of the mug, burning my thumb.
I hissed, not sure which was worse—the burning pain of my thumb or of seeing Dan standing on my doorstep, wearing that stupid brown suit I had picked out for him last year at Brooks Brothers.
Could I hide? What were the chances he saw me?
“Chloe, open up. I know you’re in there.”
Dammit.With a deep breath, I balanced the two cups of coffee in one hand, and opened the door, twisting my mouth into some semblance of a smile.
