Bennett (On the Line 2)

I shook my head. “My eight-months-pregnant girlfriend is not sleeping on the couch.”

“I meant you, douchebag.”

“Yeah, I’m not sleeping on the couch either.”

Liam narrowed his eyes in a glare. “Really? You fucker. I finally get to a place where I can ignore that you’re with my little sister and you’re going to bang her in the next bedroom tonight?”

“You better wear earplugs. She’s a screamer.”

With a hand on my chest, he shoved me until my back hit the refrigerator. “You want some? Don’t—”

“Relax.” I pushed his arm away. “You’re too easy. Charlotte’s not exactly up for banging these days. Have you seen her lately?”

“You know I haven’t. She’s always with you if we’re home.”

“So this is good, then. You guys can hang out. We’ll cook dinner.”

His jaw tightened with tension and he looked away.

“Liam, seriously. She’s on her feet a lot at work and she’s exhausted by evening. Can you cut the tension while she’s here?”

He nodded reluctantly. “I’ll try.”

I started unpacking the groceries. Liam lingered in the kitchen, leaning against the counter. He was either brooding or wanting to talk about something, I knew him well enough to know that. I also knew not to ask him what was up because he’d just make a comment and leave.

After a couple minutes, he finally spoke up. “So everything’s good then . . . with the baby? Charlotte’s not under too much stress, is she?”

“No, she’s good. I wish she wouldn’t work right up until she goes into labor, but she’s planning to so she can take a longer maternity leave. And everything’s good with the baby.”

He gave a skeptical hum. “Figure I’ll need to be a big part of my nephew’s life. You know, be a good male role model for him. Somebody’s got to.”

“Right.” I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my tone, but it crept in.

“Boy needs to learn how to treat women,” he continued. “How to respect them.”

It was all I could do not to laugh. Liam Holloway was a manwhore. At least he had been before Keri. But I wasn’t letting him get to me since Charlotte would be here any minute, and I refused to fight with him in front of her.

“You still seeing Keri?” I asked him.

“Yep.”

A minute of silence passed before I gave up on a conversation with him. I’d just started chopping vegetables for a salad to go with the pork chops and potatoes I was making when Charlotte knocked on the front door once and then came in.

“Oh . . . hey,” she said to Liam. “You’re here.”

“Hey, sis.” He crossed the living room and gave her a hug. “How’s my nephew doing?”

She grinned. “Big, as you can see.”

“He’s gonna be a hockey player like his uncle.”

I ignored the jab and winked at Charlotte as she walked into the kitchen.

“Hi, babe,” I said, bending to kiss her.

“Hey.”

Liam huffed his disgust. “Does Mom know you’re shacking up with this loser?”