Page 23 of Liam
He touched a hand to her waist, then lowered his mouth to hover over her cheek. “Then I’ll wear white every damn day.”
Softly, he kissed her cheek, feeling the warmth of her flesh beneath his lips. Every part of him wanted to tug her close, see if she tasted as good as she looked and felt. But fuck, it was too soon for that. Especially when she was so reluctant to the idea of a date.
Plus, he had a feeling that one taste of this woman wouldn’t be enough.
“Ready to go?” he asked in a voice that was too gruff.
She wet her lips. “Yes. I’ll just get my purse and jacket.”
As she disappeared into the bedroom, he stepped inside, checking out the living and kitchen area to the right. The space was small but well designed, giving it the feeling of being bigger.
Memories of his time here the other day came back to him. Of sitting on the couch with her and talking about nothing all afternoon. Hearing her laugh. Watching her smile. The smallest things about this woman seemed to make him giddy.
“You said your friend owns the place?” he asked, calling to her.
“Yep,” she shouted from the other room. “She bought it about six months ago. She was going to open a Pilates and yoga studio but then got offered a position at a Bali retreat and couldn’t turn it down.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“Oh, I was super jealous. Especially because I’ve barely been anywhere in my life.” She returned to the living room with a smile. “Ready.”
He placed a hand on the small of her back as they stepped outside.
“So,” she started, “where are you taking me?”
“There are two parts to this—” The word date was on the tip of his tongue, almost slipping out into the air. He just stopped it. “Two parts to tonight. The first involves a short drive.”
“Mysterious. I like it.”
He helped her into the car, then moved around to the other side.
“What did you do today?” she asked as they drove.
His jaw tightened with frustration. “I was at the office. Our FBI liaison is trying to get us access to the laptops from the white van at the shooting so Callum can analyze them, but that hasn’t gone well so far. We’re not sure why there’s a holdup. He normally has access to just about anything.”
It was pissing Liam off. Steve had been less than forthcoming about why he was having trouble gaining access. He knew Callum was damn good with technology. If there was information on those computers that could tell them more about the people involved and their objective, he’d be able to find it.
“I’m sorry.”
He forced the strain from his face as he looked at her. “Steve will get us what we need eventually. He always does.”
When he reached the first stop of their non-date that he was totally considering a date, he pulled into a parking spot on the street.
Nylah leaned forward, her brows drawing together. “The Cradle Mountain Museum?”
“It’s small, but there’s a bit of history for you to explore here.”
Her attention shot to him, her voice quiet. “You remembered.”
“Of course.” The woman wanted to learn the history of a new town. This was where she’d find it. He felt like everything she’d said in the few days he’d known her was ingrained in his head.
He led her toward the door, not surprised to see Ned, the manager, waiting for them.
Ned dipped his head. “Evening. Welcome to the museum. I hope you both have a great night.” He handed Liam the key before smiling and pushing through the door.
Nylah watched him go before turning toward Liam. “Who was that?”
“He runs the museum. They’re actually closed, but Ned’s a friend. We’ve helped him out with a couple of security issues, so tonight he’s doing me a favor.”
