Billionaires Dollar Series

I smile, biting my lip. “It was, wasn’t it?”

“All we need now is the final nail in the coffin.”

I throw my darts in rapid succession, none of them going where I want them to. “The final nail in the coffin?”

He tosses his suit jacket over his shoulder, the sleeves pushed up to reveal muscled forearms. “He’s watching us right now.”

I don’t turn around. “Oh?”

His lips curve into a smile as he raises his hand, running soft fingers down my cheek. “I intend on giving him a show.”

My heart is beating at double speed, trying to knock through my chest. “Okay,” I whisper.

Liam raises an eyebrow, lowering his head. “I trust you’re not planning on pushing me away?”

“Make it good, and I won’t.”

I catch a glimpse of his smile and then my eyes flutter closed of their own accord, anticipation humming through my body.

Liam kisses me like we’ve done it a million times before, his lips moving like they know mine intimately.

Except they don’t, and the rush of heat sweeping through me is tinted with nervous excitement. He tastes like whiskey and something else, something spicy and unfamiliar.

His fingers dig into my hips and when his tongue slips into my mouth, I actually moan, a sound somewhere between a whine and an exhale.

I don’t want him to stop.

My hands slide up his chest, hard beneath my touch. I can feel the strong, fast beat of his heart under my palms.

Liam pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. I don’t open my eyes, trying to hold on to the magic.

“You didn’t push me away,” he murmurs.

Words are beyond me. I make a small sound instead, halfway between a hmmph and a yes.

“I’ll wear it like a badge of honor.” He grips my hand with his, strong fingers around mine. “Ready to leave?”

Nodding, I turn and wave to the others with my free hand. The last thing I see before we emerge into the Seattle night is the stunned faces of my co-workers and the surprised fury on Jason’s.

“Wow,” I breathe.

“Wow?”

“Yes. Holy shit, that felt good!”

Liam’s laughter is low. “That is an even better badge of honor. Don’t stop, Maddie. Lay it on me.”

“You did so well.” I tug on his hand and we turn down toward the glittering boardwalks along Elliot Bay. The cool air feels like a balm as it hits my heated skin. “I should have enlisted a fake boyfriend ages ago!”

“Glad we’ve both come to the same realization,” Liam remarks, bumping my shoulder with his. “Do you know what else I’ve realized?”

“Tell me.” His hand around mine is warm and strong, the contact sending heat up my arm.

“Your tolerance for alcohol is shit.”

“Excuse me?”

Liam laughs, and I’m distracted by the deep, genuine sound. “You have no tolerance at all. You had one glass of wine and two shots.”

“Yes, and I’m perfectly fine.”

A streetlight appears out of nowhere and Liam tugs me out of the way, avoiding a narrow collision. “Yes,” he says, “you’re perfectly fine.”

“I am. If you were to tell me to walk on a straight line and touch my nose at the same time, I’d get an A+.”

“I don’t think those tests are graded on a curve.”

“They should be.” I look over at him. “Do you always wear suits?”

I can’t see clearly in the dark, but I think a smile is tugging at his lips. “Most days, yes.”

“Did you really come from work before you joined us here?”

But it’s a weekend, not to mention late in the evening. “Okay,” I say. “Be honest. How much do you work?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Liam snorts. “Good thing you asked me to be honest. That’s something I usually lie about.”

I roll my eyes, trying to match his long strides along the promenade. “So twenty-four-seven, then?”

“I do sleep,” he says. “I work out.”

“But when you’re not doing that…”

“I’m working, yes.”

I frown, my thoughts running back to the boy I’d known and how little I see him reflected in the man beside me. Working so hard just to make money. “I don’t see the point,” I admit.

His voice grows a tad harder. “That’s okay.”

A burst of wind sweeps across the bay and I tug my jacket tighter around myself. “A lot of people don’t understand why I spend so much time cooking,” I say, “so I suppose I can’t judge.”

“About that…” Liam’s voice deepens. “What is it between you and your ex?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” he says. “Why did you break up?”

My skin feels clammy underneath my clothes. “It’s a long story.”