bait.
After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. Maybe all the talk of criminals and ghosts had scared her worse than he’d realized.
“Let me just put a little bag together with some toiletries and clothes.”
He waited in the kitchen while she gathered her things, shivering lightly as she went. The worst of the chills seemed to have passed, but he watched her carefully, just in case. Holden kept him company, sniffing his shoes with the kind of enthusiasm only a dog could muster. Liam bent to scratch him between the ears and was rewarded with a display of furious tail wagging.
The mutt wasn’t much of a guard dog. A part of Liam would’ve felt more at ease if Alicia had chosen a tougher breed. Maybe a Shepherd, or a Rottweiler. Or some sort of bulky, burly junkyard dog that’d scare the shit out of anyone who dared to so much as knock on her door.
He could see why she liked Holden, though. Small, friendly and admittedly cute, he was the quintessential lap dog.
“Come on, boy,” Alicia said when she emerged wearing a fresh change of casual clothing and carrying a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, “we’re going for a little walk.” She attached a nylon leash to his collar, then paused as if waiting for Liam to lead the way.
He did exactly that, scanning the not-so-distant tree line as they approached his house. As soon as they reached the inside, he made sure to lock the doors before he pulled out his phone. “You like ham and pineapple?” he asked.
“Pizza?”
He nodded.
“I’ve never tried it.”
“Really – you’ve never had a Hawaiian pizza? Well, let me introduce you to what you’ve been missing out on.”
She set her bag down on the counter. “Sounds good.”
He called and placed the order. After the short conversation, he slipped his phone back into his pocket. It was then that it really hit him: he had an entire evening and night alone with Alicia stretching ahead of him.
The thought sent heat tearing through him, and the sight of her standing in his home only increased it. Though he wanted nothing more than to protect her, the desire to peel her work outfit right off of her was a close second.
“What do you usually do when you get home from work?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Watch a little TV. Read. Have a snack. Anything to relax and unwind, really.”
“Well, the pizza should be here in half an hour. Want to see what’s on?” He nodded toward the living room.
“Sure.”
They retreated to the living room, where she sank down onto the couch and wrapped her arms tightly around her body. A telltale spasm in her jaw told him that she was still cold.
He reacted without thinking, leaning down to pick up his uniform shirt from the floor. “Here,” he said, and draped it over her shoulders.
“Thanks.”
She wrapped it tightly around her body and wore it like a shawl. Was it weird that Liam liked the look of it against her skin, even if she was just using it to keep warm?
As he admired her, he remembered how disgusting his shirt had been when he’d peeled it off, damp from a long day spent in the sun. When he looked closely now, he could see the dried sweat stains.
“Let me get you a blanket, or a sweatshirt or something,” he said. “That shirt of mine is disgusting. Sorry – I grabbed it without thinking.”
She looked down at his uniform shirt like she was surprised – like she couldn’t smell the sweat that had dried into the fabric. “It’s okay. I appreciate it anyway.”
“And if you want to wash up, I understand – you know where the shower is, I’m sure.”
Studying her face, he saw that a surprising amount of color had returned to her complexion.
“I might just take you up on that. Not because I think your shirt is gross, but because a hot shower sounds too good to pass up right now.”
Minutes later, she’d closed herself in the bathroom with her little overnight bag, leaving him alone in the living room with her dog – Holden, she’d
After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. Maybe all the talk of criminals and ghosts had scared her worse than he’d realized.
“Let me just put a little bag together with some toiletries and clothes.”
He waited in the kitchen while she gathered her things, shivering lightly as she went. The worst of the chills seemed to have passed, but he watched her carefully, just in case. Holden kept him company, sniffing his shoes with the kind of enthusiasm only a dog could muster. Liam bent to scratch him between the ears and was rewarded with a display of furious tail wagging.
The mutt wasn’t much of a guard dog. A part of Liam would’ve felt more at ease if Alicia had chosen a tougher breed. Maybe a Shepherd, or a Rottweiler. Or some sort of bulky, burly junkyard dog that’d scare the shit out of anyone who dared to so much as knock on her door.
He could see why she liked Holden, though. Small, friendly and admittedly cute, he was the quintessential lap dog.
“Come on, boy,” Alicia said when she emerged wearing a fresh change of casual clothing and carrying a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, “we’re going for a little walk.” She attached a nylon leash to his collar, then paused as if waiting for Liam to lead the way.
He did exactly that, scanning the not-so-distant tree line as they approached his house. As soon as they reached the inside, he made sure to lock the doors before he pulled out his phone. “You like ham and pineapple?” he asked.
“Pizza?”
He nodded.
“I’ve never tried it.”
“Really – you’ve never had a Hawaiian pizza? Well, let me introduce you to what you’ve been missing out on.”
She set her bag down on the counter. “Sounds good.”
He called and placed the order. After the short conversation, he slipped his phone back into his pocket. It was then that it really hit him: he had an entire evening and night alone with Alicia stretching ahead of him.
The thought sent heat tearing through him, and the sight of her standing in his home only increased it. Though he wanted nothing more than to protect her, the desire to peel her work outfit right off of her was a close second.
“What do you usually do when you get home from work?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Watch a little TV. Read. Have a snack. Anything to relax and unwind, really.”
“Well, the pizza should be here in half an hour. Want to see what’s on?” He nodded toward the living room.
“Sure.”
They retreated to the living room, where she sank down onto the couch and wrapped her arms tightly around her body. A telltale spasm in her jaw told him that she was still cold.
He reacted without thinking, leaning down to pick up his uniform shirt from the floor. “Here,” he said, and draped it over her shoulders.
“Thanks.”
She wrapped it tightly around her body and wore it like a shawl. Was it weird that Liam liked the look of it against her skin, even if she was just using it to keep warm?
As he admired her, he remembered how disgusting his shirt had been when he’d peeled it off, damp from a long day spent in the sun. When he looked closely now, he could see the dried sweat stains.
“Let me get you a blanket, or a sweatshirt or something,” he said. “That shirt of mine is disgusting. Sorry – I grabbed it without thinking.”
She looked down at his uniform shirt like she was surprised – like she couldn’t smell the sweat that had dried into the fabric. “It’s okay. I appreciate it anyway.”
“And if you want to wash up, I understand – you know where the shower is, I’m sure.”
Studying her face, he saw that a surprising amount of color had returned to her complexion.
“I might just take you up on that. Not because I think your shirt is gross, but because a hot shower sounds too good to pass up right now.”
Minutes later, she’d closed herself in the bathroom with her little overnight bag, leaving him alone in the living room with her dog – Holden, she’d
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