Page 34 of Impossible

“Yeah, I guess he has some co-worker and her son living with him temporarily. I mean, that doesn’t sound weird unless you know Jackson. And it doesn’t seem like it’s short term at all. The kids things are everywhere. He even has a toy shelf dedicated to him in the corner of the family room. And who would Jackson invite to stay with him that has a child that we know nothing about. I don’t know, it was strange.”

“Hmm,” I ponder over it while I chew. “Do you think there could be something going on between him and his co-worker?”

“I didn’t think Jackson would go for someone with a kid,” he says.

“Well, if the right one comes along, I suppose that wouldn’t stand in his way.”

Liam seems to consider what I just said while he looks over at Harper then back at me. “No, I guess it shouldn’t.”

We eat in silence as I contemplate what he could be thinking right now. Is he linking the parallels from Jackson’s situation to ours? What is our situation?

“So,” Liam’s voice cuts off my train of thought. “Read any good books lately?” he wags his eyebrows at me.

His playful nature cuts the tension that I have been feeling and lightens the mood, only briefly until I realize what he is talking about. I drop my fork and rest my head into my hands, covering my blush that is forming.

“Oh, come on! You had to bring that up again! I will have you know, there are more to those books than those scenes. There are real people who are going through real struggles in life.” I lean back in my chair and fold my arms across my chest as I defend myself.

“Hey,” Liam throws up his hands. “Trust me, I am not judging. I very much like what I found in your book,” he says before he winks at me. He seems awfully flirty tonight.

Harper begins to fuss at her seat. I look down at my watch and see that it's already almost seven. She starts rubbing her eyes which tells me I need to start to clean up so she can go to bed.

“I think someone needs a bottle and bed.” Liam gets up and walks over to Harper to pull her out of the high chair. “You liked that chair, didn’t you?”

“You go ahead and get her in her jammies. I will prepare her bottle,” I tell him.

When he walks over to me after changing Harper, I notice that he took off his work shirt, leaving him in a black t-shirt. His biceps are bulging out of his sleeves as he holds onto his daughter. The sight of it is making my breaths quicken and my heart start to accelerate feeling like it's going to beat out of my chest. I hand him the bottle, trying not to show any signs of my arousal. When he goes to grab the bottle, his hand meets mine. He doesn’t make any attempt to take move his hand. After what feels like eternity, he takes the bottle out of my hand.

“I’m going to go get her in bed. I would really like it if you stayed for a while,” he tells me. I feel like this statement holds a lot behind it, like he is telling me something without having to say the words. He would like me to stay after the babysitting responsibilities are over. He wants to spend one on one time with me.

I nod my head up and down. “I can do that. I will just clean these dishes.”

“You don’t have to do that. That’s not why I’m asking you to stay.”

I smile. “I know that. Go get this girl fed and asleep so she isn’t a cranky pants for her grandma tomorrow. Goodnight, sweetheart.” I lean in and give her a kiss on her cheek.

After they walk away, I make my way over to the table and collect the dirty plates to bring them to the sink. Instead of loading the dishwasher, causing more work for Liam to unload, I opt to hand wash the dishes. I'm distracted washing the last dish when Liam walks into the room, keeping quiet until I can feel his presence right behind me. I turn my head to the side to see him standing a foot behind me with his arms crossed across his chest.

“The little princess is fast asleep,” he says softly.

“I’m just about done here,” I smile before turning back to the dish. The temperature in the room feels like it has raised twenty degrees in an instant.

The proximity of his body does not help matters. He steps a bit closer until I can actually feel his hard muscles begin to slightly press against me. Not knowing what to do, I keep washing the dish that is definitely clean by now. He leans into me as he lowers his head down to the right side of my neck.

“Thanks for hanging around,” he whispers into my ear.

“Sure,” I breathe out.

“Don’t you think that plate is cleaned by now?” he says with his lips to my ear.

I drop the plate in the sink and lower my head down to my chest. When I reach for the faucet to turn the water off, I leave my hand there in fear of turning around. What will happen next? Liam reaches for the faucet as well and puts his hand on top of mine, putting the right pressure on my hand to turn the water off.

“Riley, turn around,” he tells me.

I shake my head back and forth. “I can’t,” I reply back to him.

“Riley,” he says as he moves both of his hands to my hips, where he offers a squeeze before turning me to face him.

I keep my head down, not sure why I don't have the courage to look into his eyes, but deep down knowing if I do, I will lose all control. The battle I am fighting will be lost.

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