“No. Not even a little. Say it again.”
He leans down so his lips are next to my ear. “Mine.”
My knees go weak at the raw possession in his voice mixed with an undercurrent of unmasked hunger. Unfortunately for me, my libido is working in direct opposition to my stomach.
“We should order food, or I’m gonna skip straight to dessert.”
“Mmmm. I like the sound of that,” I respond, my voice a little breathy. “Let’s do that instead.”
Liam tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “Tempting, but you already skipped breakfast.”
“How the hell do you know that?”
He smiles down at me, sweeping a lock of hair away from my forehead. “When are you going to realize? When it comes to you, I notice everything.”
“Are you like… obsessed with me?”
“Yeah. It’s about time you caught up.”
I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out, and it takes me a minute to regain my composure. Even now, after all we’ve shared, he still has a way of leaving me speechless. “Let’s go out to eat. I know a great little taco place near the park.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?”
“It’s agreatidea. Besides, we have Nico. Might as well give him something to do.” I snag my purse off the kitchen island and head toward the foyer, stopping briefly to throw on a hat and sunglasses, checking myself in the mirror hanging in my entryway.
Liam’s hand finds the small of my back, and I melt into his touch as he pulls open the door for me.
“Hey, Nico. We’re heading out for some tacos. Be back later,” I say with a hint of amusement in my voice. I know better than anyone that I won’t get away with shit like that, but I like to give him hell from time to time. Keeps him on his toes.
“Nice try,” he says dryly. “I’m on your six.”
“Shocker,” I deadpan, pressing the button for the elevator.
When we arrive at the parking level, a driver pulls up to the curb in a blacked-out SUV like I’m a lead actress in a mafia movie. I’m fairly certain it’s armored. I told Abby not to bother since we drove down in Liam’s truck, but it’s just like her to go against my wishes.
I glance back at Nico, perturbed. “Seriously?”
“Get in,” he says, holding open the passenger side door.
If I weren’t already wildly obsessed with Liam, I might’ve actually looked twice at Nico. He’s a good-looking man—tall, dark, and handsome with a bit of a rough edge to him. His arms are covered in tattoos, he has longish dark wavy hair that he keeps pulled back in a bun, and his well-kept dark beard accentuates a jawline that could cut glass. He’s always impeccably dressed in black on black, with a gold chain around his neck and a chunky ring he sometimes wears on his pinky finger.
With a dramatic eye roll, I give in and slide inside the vehicle. Liam takes his place next to me, and Nico shuts the door.
I slump back against the seat with a groan.
Liam chuckles.
Rolling my head to the side, I ask, “You don’t think this is a bit much?”
He takes my hand and places it on his lap, threading his fingers through mine. “Nothing is too much when it comes to keeping you safe.”
“Damn, bro. That was a good line,” the driver says.
Nico smacks him on the back of the head. “Eyes on the road, Marco.”
Not for the first time, I wonder where Nico’s from. His accent is definitely Northern, but I can’t quite place it.
It’s a short drive to the taqueria near the park, and Liam never lets go of my hand. He helps me out of the SUV, holdingthe door open for me to walk into the counter-service restaurant. All of this chivalry makes it feel like a date.
