My One And Only (Very Irresistible Bachelors 5)

“There’s only one reason a guy plays the friendship card with a woman who’s asked him out. He wants to get you in his bed.”

“You’re trying to tell me who I can be friends with?”

I wasn’t quite sure why I was lashing out at him when he was completely right. Perhaps precisely because he was right. He hadn’t even met Kevin, yet he guessed his intentions when I’d been completely blind.

Liam came closer until there were only a few inches between us.

“No, I’m telling you that I don’t want to share.”

I put my hands on my hips. “What exactly do you think, that I have you both on speed dial and call each of you for quickies? What is wrong with everyone today? What did I do for people to treat me like crap?”

My face was blazing hot. My eyes were burning.

His expression changed from cold to concerned in a fraction of a second.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” he asked, reaching out with both hands.

“Just what I said. I must be doing something very wrong. You come in with all these accusations—”

“Tess, baby. I wasn’t accusing you of anything. I just...I’m crazy jealous when it comes to you. I can’t help myself. Just the thought of anyone wanting you makes me sick. Maybe I’m wrong about the guy—”

“You’re not. That was what he was here for.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Apparently, he thought I was going to jump in bed with him if he snapped his fingers. Got pissed at me that I didn’t. I told him never to show his face around me again. I can’t believe I didn’t see through him. How could I be so stupid?”

Liam closed the distance, touching my waist with one hand, my face with the other.

“Tess, you’re not stupid. You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

I smiled a little, soothed by his touch. “Are you trying to charm me so I’ll say yes to whatever you have in mind?”

“I mean it. Most people I know just assume the worst of everyone before they even meet them. You don’t. I think that’s refreshing. The downside is that you’re going to give idiots the benefit of the doubt, but now you have me. I’ll be happy to get them out of your way.”

“Want to be my personal bodyguard?”

“Fuck yes.”

“Does that mean you’re going to want to vet all my friends? I have strong opinions about that.”

“Only friends you’ve asked on dates.”

“Well, problem solved. I didn’t ask anyone recently, and right now, I only plan on asking out a certain sexy-as-hell investor who also wants to moonlight as my own personal knight.”

He feathered his thumb up and down my temple, skimming his lips over my forehead. “I’m sorry about my outburst. I just thought about you with another guy and I saw red.”

I leaned into his touch, soaking up all that alpha thing he had going on. I loved it.

“You’re quite possessive,” I teased.

“With you, I can’t be any other way. I want all of you all the time.”

He kissed my temple before moving down my cheek. And right there in his arms, I realized that I always held a bit of myself back when I’d been dating. I didn’t know if it was because of my parents’ divorce or because my intuition had been on point with those other men. But with Liam, I also wanted all of him, all the time.

My heart was beating fast. I wrapped my arms around him too, burying my face in his neck. I took exactly two breaths before he burst out laughing.

“You’re ticklish there?”