Liam’s gaze roamed over the pasture. “It’s beautiful up here.”
I followed his line of sight. “It is.”
His eyes moved to something behind me. “Looks like you’ve got a protector.”
I shifted to glance over my shoulder, but before I could, Phoenix moved beside me. I patted her neck, and she scooted closer, resting her head on my shoulder. “This is Phoenix.”
Liam took a step closer. “Hey there, Phoenix.” He slowly reached out a hand.
“I wouldn’t—” My words were cut off when Phoenix gave his hand a sniff. My eyes widened. The mare usually avoided men like the plague. And if they insisted on invading her space, she’d let them know her displeasure with a nip or a swift kick.
Liam’s gaze came to my face. “Is she a bit skittish?”
A small smile tipped my lips. “She normally bites men who hold out a hand to her. You’re lucky you’ve still got fingers.”
Liam’s brow furrowed, and he slowly pulled his hand back. “Maybe I’ll just wait till we know each other a little better.”
I chuckled. “Not a bad idea.”
Liam studied my face. “So, how are you feeling?”
I could feel color rising to my cheeks. “I’m fine. I’m really sorry about the other day—”
Liam held up a hand, silently cutting me off. “You don’t have to explain, I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
I couldn’t believe that he wasn’t pressing for more information. I sure as hell would’ve wanted to know why someone freaked out and took off. It was my turn to study him. Liam knew I wasn’t ready to share my secrets with him, and he wanted me to share with him freely, not because he’d coerced me into it. “Thank you.” The words came out softly and were almost carried away on the breeze.
Liam’s expression softened. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” His shoulders seemed to relax with that knowledge. “So, tell me what you do up here.” Liam searched the wide-open space stretching around us.
“Well, I—” My words cut off as Liam’s gaze settled on my sketchbook. The wind had blown it open, and a sketch of Phoenix was facing up.
Liam moved to the book, picking it up quickly. “You did these?”
My stomach twisted. “It’s just something I do for fun. To relax.” I stepped forward, trying to grab the book from his hands.
Liam twisted out of my reach as he flipped through the pages. “Tessa, these are incredible.”
I froze. No one had ever told me my drawings were anything special. Garrett had always thought the hobby was cute but nothing worth pursuing. The churning in my stomach intensified. I snatched the sketchbook out of Liam’s hands. “They’re just for me.”
“They shouldn’t be. You should be sharing that gift with the world.”
I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was pulling my leg or trying to manipulate me in some way. Liam’s eyes seemed to dance with excitement. I hated that I questioned it. I mentally cursed Garrett for ruining my shot at something with Liam. For twisting my mind in a way that made me second-guess every male’s actions.
I pushed down the bitter taste of resentment. “Thank you.”
Liam took a step closer. “I want you to do the cover art for my next album.” He chuckled. “Well, if I evermakeanother album.”
My mouth had fallen open at the first statement, but it was the second that had me drawing closer to Liam. “You might not make another album?”
Liam ran a hand through his hair. “I have a bit of a case of writer’s block. And being past deadline isn’t exactly helping.”
He said the words carelessly, but there was something in his eyes and the way he held his body, an underlying tension. I had the sudden urge to relieve his burden the way Jensen had eased mine yesterday. I edged a little bit closer. “I’m sorry. That has to be incredibly frustrating. I don’t know much about music, but I would think it would be hard to write when there’s a lot of pressure to produce and to do it quickly.”
“It’s pretty much a disaster.” Liam looked out at the land around us. “My label is trying to force me to record music that isn’t mine.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I hadn’t realized, but I was starting to lose my voice on the last album, giving in to changes the label wanted. Letting them cut songs I believed in.” Liam turned his gaze to me, and it held me captive. “I don’t want to give them the power to dull my voice anymore.”
I knew what it was to have your voice taken from you. It was about the most intimate betrayal I could imagine. “You shouldn’t let them.” I spit out the words like bullets, surprising myself with the ferocity in my tone.
Liam’s eyes widened. “Maybe I should let you at them instead of my lawyer.”
