Page 64 of Liam
Chapter Nineteen
ALERIA
Istep into the Valeur Tech lobby, inhaling deeply. My fingers brush over the phone in my pocket, where Liam’s message still glows: “Everything’s set up on the fifteenth floor. Your team can start today.” After days of waiting while he arranged the ASTRA project’s temporary relocation, I’m finally back to work.
The lobby bustles with its usual morning energy, but there’s an undercurrent of excitement. My LumiVera colleagues cluster in small groups, their voices low as they discuss the move to Valeur Tech. I adjust the strap of my bag, feeling a mix of gratitude and nervous anticipation. Moving an entire research project in five days couldn’t have been easy, even for a Valeur.
My eyes drift to the elevators, remembering Liam’s promise to give me a tour of the new labs. But will he even show up? He’s been so busy these past few daysthat our only connection was relegated to brief phone calls about equipment transfers and security protocols. Part of me wonders if he’s avoiding me, if the reality of our night together has sunk in.
I shake off the thought, scanning the crowd. That’s when I spot him, standing by the elevator banks, his presence commanding as always in his perfectly tailored suit. Our eyes lock across the lobby, and the days of separation vanish. The warmth of his voice over the phone pales compared to the heat in his gaze.
My heart races, a mixture of excitement and anxiety. I haven’t seen our new lab space yet. I haven’t seen him in days. And now, both are just a few steps away.
I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. Time to act like a professional. I can do this. I can absolutely walk across this lobby without making a fool of myself in front of my entire research team.
Probably.
I lift my chin, forcing my legs into a casual stride past the elevators. One foot in front of the other, like I haven’t replayed that night’s events on a constant loop since I left his penthouse. My gaze fixates on a point beyond Liam’s shoulder, determined not to make eye contact.
My right foot catches on...nothing.
The world tilts sideways. My arms windmill as gravity takes hold. I hit the polished floor with a less-than-graceful thud, my bag flying open on impact.
Pens skitter across the marble in every direction. My notebook slides to a stop at the feet of a startled intern. A tampon rolls to a halt in front of the security desk. The entire lobby falls silent, all eyes fixed on the human disaster sprawled in their midst.
So much for playing it cool.
I lunge for the nearest pen, my fingers closing around it as another hand reaches for the same target. A jolt of electricity shoots up my arm as our hands collide. I look up, my eyes meeting Liam’s amused gaze.
“Causing chaos already, Dr. James?” he murmurs, his voice low enough for only me to hear. “I didn’t realize our night together would lead to such...explosive results.”
Heat floods my cheeks. “I was just showing the unpredictable nature of quantum fluctuations in everyday life,” I retort, snatching up a stray notebook.
Liam’s eyebrow quirks. “Is that what we’re calling it now? Here I thought it was just good old-fashioned clumsiness.”
“Careful, Mr. Valeur,” I whisper, leaning in. “We wouldn’t want you to cause a singularity in the middle of the lobby with that inflated ego of yours.”
He chuckles, handing me the last escaped pen. “I think you mean a black hole, Dr. James. A singularity is a point where?—”
“I know what a singularity is,” I cut him off, fighting a smile. “I was being metaphorical.”
“Ah, of course,” Liam nods. “Because nothing says ‘secret office romance’ like astrophysics metaphors at eight AM.”
I open my mouth to retort but realize we’re still crouched on the lobby floor, surrounded by curious onlookers. “Right. Well. Thank you for your help, Mr. Valeur. I should...go. Science waits for no one.”
As I stand, clutching my reassembled bag, Liam’s eyes twinkle with mischief. “Indeed, it doesn’t, Dr. James.Although I do hope you’ll be more careful in the new lab. We wouldn’t want any uncontrolled reactions.”
I bite my lip to keep from laughing and hurry toward the elevators.
The elevator doors slide open with a soft ding. I step inside, Liam behind me, the crowd forcing us to the back. The space is tight, bodies pressing in, the air thick with the scent of too many people too close together.
Liam shifts with the next lurch of the elevator, his chest grazing my back. Heat radiates from him, his breath steady.
His hand slides beneath the hem of my skirt, fingers bold as they trail up the inside of my thigh. My pulse quickens, the elevator suffocating. I grip my bag strap. What is he doing?
Another stop. People enter, pushing us even closer.
Liam’s voice remains steady, casual. “Morning, David,” he says with a nod.
