Page 34 of Lost in You (The Monroes 3)

Wow. A man of many words. What did that mean? He was working on finding a place all on his own? He was working on moving to California? Alaska? Or he was working on driving her out of her ever-loving mind?

Liam stared for another moment before turning his attention back to the selection. He grabbed a roll of tape off the hook and started back toward the steps. Macy’s gut clenched in disappointment. What had she expected? He’d made it clear they were to have nothing more than a business relationship, but that wasn’t working for her and she was tired of living like this, uncomfortable in her own element.

“Are you going to ignore me the entire time you live here?” she called to his retreating back.

Liam glanced toward the ceiling before spinning around. “Are you going to make this difficult the entire time I live here?”

Oh, he had a smart mouth. Macy crossed the old checkered linoleum, keeping her eyes on his the entire time. That dark, intense stare could have anyone stopping in their tracks, but she refused to back down. This was her territory, damn it. He had come back and infiltrated her life. Not the other way around.

“I’m not the one being difficult,” she countered. “You’re the one giving mixed signals. Being standoffish, kissing me, pushing me away.”

The muscle in his jaw clenched as his eyes narrowed on her. “I’m doing this for you. Trust me, it’s not easy.”

A kernel of information she could use. “I can take care of myself, you know. If there were no consequences, what would you do?”

“Don’t ask me that,” he commanded, his lips thinning.

“Too late. Answer the question.”

Liam took the tape, placed it on a shelf beside him, and took two steps forward to come within a breath of her. Macy instantly tipped her head up to keep her eyes locked onto his. Her heart pounded in her chest as silence settled heavy around them.

“What would I do?” he repeated in that low, throaty tone that sent shivers down her spine. “I’d forget the fact that we want completely different things. I’d take what you’re offering with that look in your eyes. And I damn well wouldn’t stand by and listen as yet another man asks you out on a date.”

So, he’d heard Tanner earlier and jealousy was now rearing its ugly head. Finally, they were getting somewhere. Now probably wasn’t the time to state that she and Tanner were just good friends. That murderous look in Liam’s eye told her he wouldn’t believe her.

“Maybe you should ignore the what-ifs and do what you want,” she suggested, feeling bolder than usual. Swallowing, she added, “What we both want.”

His gaze dropped to her mouth, then back up to her eyes. “Is that why you turned down a date for tonight? You waiting on me to let my guard down with you?”

Something about that ego of his was so damn sexy. Probably because she rarely saw him show that side.

“Maybe,” she replied. In a risky move, she ran her palms up over his chest, pleased when he sucked in a breath and froze. “Maybe I’m tired of playing games, of dancing around the tension. Maybe I want to know what would happen if we pretended nothing else mattered, nothing existed but what we’re feeling.”

“But everything does exist.”

She was breaking him down. She could tell by his tone, by the way he stared at her mouth.

“For two minutes, let’s pretend it doesn’t,” she challenged. “For the next two minutes we’re going to be honest with each other. Nothing leaves this place. Deal?”

He dropped his forehead to hers. “You make a man want to forget everything except tasting you, pleasing you.”

Arousal swirled around in her stomach. She’d asked for honesty and he delivered. His lips slid back and forth across hers.

“I shouldn’t want you like this,” he muttered, as if reprimanding himself. “But I can’t focus on anything else when you’re right here.”

Macy slid her hands up around his neck and threaded her fingers through his hair. She closed her eyes, silently begging him to kiss her, to touch her. Why was he constantly pushing her away when he was so transparent about what he wanted?

“You want two minutes of honesty?” he asked, skimming those lips along her jawline. “If I thought for a second I could have you and there would be no consequences or feelings involved, I’d have you laid out on that counter before you could draw your next breath.”

The image his words construed were gloriously beautiful. Although the large windows on the front doors would provide outsiders with quite a different view of her family’s small-town hardware store and bring a whole new meaning to the name Knobs and Knockers.

Liam’s hand spanned her waist, gliding up her sides as his thumbs teased the undersides of her breasts. Macy arched into him, craving so much more than these light touches.

“You’re the only one holding us back,” she whispered.

“I am,” he agreed. “Neither one of us is in a place for this. Just . . . give me one more minute.”

She’d give him all the minutes he wanted if he’d just keep caressing her. Macy couldn’t handle his mouth being so close, teasing her so intensely. She turned her head, catching his heavy-lidded gaze before he slammed his lips onto hers. Wrapping his arms around her, he flattened his hands on her backside and pulled her body flush with his.

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