Page 26 of Four Weddings and a Baby Shower

Chapter Thirteen

Silver

My thoughts plagued me as I turned down the bed. I felt terrible making Liam sleep on the floor. I’d invited him to come with me to the wedding and it wasn’t his fault there was no other place to sleep in our room. I should let him share the bed with me. What was the big deal? I was a grown ass woman. And I knew Liam wouldn’t touch me unless I asked him to. In fact, after all the things I'd said to him, I'd probably have to beg him to touch me if I really wanted it.

And I wanted it. Damn it. I wanted him.

But there was no way in hell I was going to beg Liam. I could, however, invite him to share the bed. It was the noble thing to do. Though I’d been far from noble in my thoughts of Liam, I felt like I owed him at least a decent night’s sleep. He was right, after all. It was me who’d invited him to be my date to Ray’s wedding. Forcing him to sleep on the floor was just mean.

I slipped out of bed and cracked the bedroom door open. Liam had taken off his shirt and pants and was sitting on the balcony overlooking the ocean. He was barefoot in his boxers and held a glass of wine in hand while he watched the waves brush against the shore. His brows were furrowed and a shot of pain stabbed at my heart, knowing I was the one who’d put that frown on his face.

“Liam?” I whispered.

He turned and glanced at me, giving me a half smile. “Can’t sleep?” he asked.

“No,” I said, grabbing my glass from the table and pouring a fresh glass of wine. False courage, I know. But it was better than no courage.

I slipped through the sheer curtains that were blowing in the wind and sat next to him on the balcony. He raised his eyebrows at me, but otherwise didn’t move.

“I’m sorry, Liam,” I said. “I’ve behaved terrible. You don’t have to sleep on the floor. I invited you here. We can share the bed. We’re both adults, right?”

Liam shrugged. I could tell by his behavior I had wounded him.

“Liam, honestly, I’m just confused.”

Now he gave me a real smile. “I know. But I’m not your father. I'm not your grandmother or your high school boyfriend. I’m not going to leave you, Silver. Even if we never end up dating again, I’ll always be here for you. I care about you. I just want you in my life. However, you decide you want to be in my life. That’s up to you.”

I took a deep breath. That was way too much to think of right now. I just wanted to go to bed and enjoy Ray and Tyler’s wedding tomorrow. I couldn’t think about my own love life right now. That part of my life, my emotions, were always in turmoil.

I finished off my glass of wine. “Let’s not talk about all that tonight. Let’s just enjoy the wedding tomorrow and our time in Hawaii.” I got up and strolled through the open patio doors. “I just wanted to say you don’t have to sleep on the floor. We can sleep in the same bed together. It’s no big deal.”

“What? You aren’t making me swear on my mother’s grave not to deflower you?” The sarcasm revealed more hurt than anger.

“I have faith in you,” I called over my shoulder.

I went back into the bedroom and slipped under the covers. I’d done my good deed for the night. Now it was up to Liam. I didn’t have to worry if we shared the bed to sleep in. We’d be fine.

Minutes later, I was dozing off when I heard him finally come in. The mattress shifted as he slipped beneath the covers. I was in that dreamy time between sleep and wakefulness, feeling blissfully relaxed.

And that proved to be a very, very dangerous place to be sharing a bed with Liam.

~

I couldn’t sleep.

The lingering scent of Liam’s cologne assaulted me. Knowing he was only inches away from me, bare chested and beautiful, was killing me. I rolled over, trying to resist my more animal urges.

“Can’t sleep?”

The voice from the darkness was soft, sultry and oh, so tempting. The last thing I needed right now. “No,” I whispered with a sigh.

“I can’t either,” Liam admitted. I felt his body shift next to me.

I gulped in a deep breath. Oh, the things I wanted to say, to do right at that moment. Liam was tearing down the walls between us without even trying. Just his deep, low voice and the thought of his naked body next to me was shredding my resistance. “Why not?” I asked. Did I really want to know the answer to that?

“Turn around, Silver. I want to see your face. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

Slowly, I rolled over to face my enemy, my nemesis, the man who’d broke my heart. And the one who could possibly put it back together again. Liam had propped himself up on one arm. The sheets were down below to his belly button, revealing his broad, muscular chest beneath the moonlight. I think I heard a gasp escape my lips.

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