Page 86 of Liam
My smile fades, and my shoulders tense. “What about him?” I ask, trying to keep my voice neutral.
Ava stirs her drink, glancing around before her gaze lands back on me. “Liam’s protective, sometimes to a fault. But don’t let that push you away.”
“Protective?” I scoff. “More like secretive. And pushing me away seems to be his default strategy. He wouldn’t tell me anything of importance.”
Ava’s about to respond when Sloane glides up, a wicked sparkle in her eye. “Ladies, we’ve got company. Three o’clock, trying way too hard to blend in.”
I follow her gaze and spot them—Liam, his brothers, Lucas and Logan, and, as Cora identifies for my benefit, her boyfriend, Ryder—clumped together near the bar, doing a terrible job of staying inconspicuous. Liam’s got a baseball cap pulled low like a disguise, and Ryder’s arms are crossed, radiating tension as his eyes stay glued to Cora. It’s clear they’re spying on us, but it’s even clearer they don’t realize we’ve noticed.
Cora’s eyes light up. “Ladies, I propose a little wager. Let’s see who can make their man the most jealous. Loser buys brunch tomorrow.”
“You’re on,” Ava grins while Sloane nods.
I freeze. “Wait. What? I’m not?—”
Cora cuts in with a teasing nudge. “Come on, Aleria. Mess with him a little.”
Something in her tone makes me pause, a challenge I can’t resist. “Game on.”
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Cora purrs, the mischiefalready in full swing. “Let’s make them work for it, shall we?”
Sloane smirks. “Let’s give the boys a little something to stew over.”
Cora slides off her stool, her hips swaying as she makes her way to the dance floor. With slow, deliberate movements, she positions herself just far enough from the boys not to raise their suspicions that we’ve seen them yet well within Ryder’s line of sight. A random guy catches her eye, and she sidles up to him, leaning in close.
Whatever she whispers in his ear must be magical because his face lights up like he’s just hit the lottery. All the while, Cora plays it cool, maintaining just enough proximity to Ryder to fuel his jealousy. Her performance is flawless, a masterclass in the art of making someone squirm.
I take a quick peek over at Ryder. His jaw is clenched so tight it could crack. He shifts like he’s about to make a move, but Lucas is quick to grab his arm, probably whispering something like, “Chill, man.” But Ryder isn’t chilling. He’s simmering, barely holding it together as Cora flips her hair, pretending like she’s unaware of him.
“Uh-oh,” Sloane whispers, nudging me with a grin. “Ryder’s about to lose it.”
And he does. In one swift movement, Ryder snaps. He strides across the floor like a storm brewing, practically shoving aside the poor guy before Cora even blinks.
“Enough of this,” Ryder growls, grabbing Cora by the wrist and yanking her toward him. His eyes flash with frustration—and something else, something possessive. “You’ve made your point.”
Cora’s lips curl into a satisfied smirk as she presses her body against his. “Oh, have I?”
Ryder glares down at her. “Come with me. Now.”
Cora tosses her hair over her shoulder, unfazed. “If you insist.”
We watch as Ryder pulls her away, his hand on her waist, Cora looking too pleased with herself.
“Look at their faces,” Ava says with a sly smile, glancing at the guys. “They’re like deer caught in headlights.”
“This is too easy,” Sloane whispers, her smile triumphant.
Liam looks like he’s about to lose it, too. His eyes keep darting over to me, trying to play it cool but failing. His fingers drum on the bar like he’s counting down the seconds until he can pull me away from whatever fun we’re having. I exchange a glance with Ava and Sloane. We’ve got them right where we want them.
“Uh-oh, they’re onto us,” I whisper, trying to play it cool, but the butterflies in my stomach are doing cartwheels.
Sloane gives a wicked laugh, leaning closer. “Oh, we’re just getting started.”
Ava raises a brow, intrigued. “What are you thinking?”
Sloane turns to me with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Aleria, sweetie, it’s your time to shine. Mess with Liam. Take him to the edge.”
I blink. “What do you mean?”
