“Where is Lucy?”
“Digging in my garden. She instructed me to go ‘get Momma’ so you could see her handiwork.”
“You shouldn’t let her order you around.”
He laughed and kissed my neck, then spun me in his arms. “I am happy to take orders from the munchkin or her momma.”
I lifted one eyebrow in challenge. “Oh yeah? Then kiss—”
His mouth was on mine before I could finish.
I liked this order-issuing thing.
Liam carried Lucy into the house and watched as I tugged off her shoes, wiped her face and hand with a damp cloth, and tucked her in.
“You don’t want to put her nightgown on?” he asked.
I shook my head. “She needs a bath. She can have one in the morning, and I’ll make her bed up fresh. She’s got a layer of dirt everywhere.”
“She did enjoy gardening.”
I glanced over my shoulder with a grin. “Is that what you’d call it? I’d say more digging as deep for worms as she could.”
He laughed. “She did like the way they wiggled.”
I straightened and kissed her forehead. “Sleep well, my baby.” I brushed my hand over her curls then headed to Liam.
“She had such a good day.”
He pulled me close. “What about her momma? She have a good day too?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
He followed me to the living room, and we sat close together on the sofa.
“My family liked you. Very much. And they adored Lucy.”
“They were pretty amazing,” I replied. “Are they always that open?”
“Open?” he repeated.
“Well, you bring a stranger and her daughter they’ve never heard about to brunch, announce we’re together, and none of them batted an eye. Or is that something you do a lot?” I asked, partially teasing, partially serious.
He shook his head and turned to face me fully. He slid his hands along my leg, gripping my knees lightly, his thumbs stroking over the skin.
“First off, no, I have never taken anyone home. Not since university. Second, they have heard about you. From Ronan. From me. I’m close to my parents and immediate family. I’ve talked about you and Lucy this past while, not hiding anything. You’ll figure out pretty fast, I’m an open book. When I feel something, I show it. If I’m upset, I’ll tell you why. If I’m happy, I’ll share the cause.” His hands tightened on my skin. “If I care, I will tell you.”
“Were you always so, ah, expressive?”
He shook his head. “No, I was pretty uptight when I was younger. I held myself back a lot. There was a girl I liked in university. We met first year, and I was interested in her. But I was Mr. Cool and played the field. But there was something there, and finally, I got my head out of my ass and asked her out. We were great together, and I began to care about her. Really care. But I was young and stupid, and I didn’t tell her.”
“What happened?”
“She went home for winter break.” He paused, swallowing. “She died in a skiing accident.”
“Oh, Liam,” I whispered.
“She knew I liked her, but not how much. She went home to Alberta, and I never saw her again. I was gonna tell her when she got back. I even bought her a special present. I always regretted not saying the words. Not telling her how important she was to me. She died not knowing how much I cared.”
For a moment, he was silent, then he cleared his throat. “I swore I would never let that happen again. From then on, I became really open. I hugged my friends. Told my family I loved them. Started to talk about things.” He met my eyes. “I decided if I ever loved someone, I would let them know. Say the words. Prove it with actions. Make them certain they were important.”
He slid his hands up, covering mine on my lap. “You are important, Paige. I know it sounds crazy and it’s only been a short time, but I’m crazy about you. And Lucy. I don’t want to scare you, but I meant what I said earlier. I’m all in, Sweet Pea. Completely and totally all in.”
Then his mouth was on mine.
He kissed the way he did everything. With passion and feeling. He cupped my face, his callused fingers gentle on my skin as he showed me how he was feeling. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer. With a low groan, he tugged me on his lap, the kiss becoming harder. Deeper. More consuming. I had never felt like this about a man. Never wanted someone as much as I wanted him. I couldn’t get close enough. I wanted to feel his skin on mine, taste him all over.
“Stay,” I pleaded against his lips.
He didn’t respond, but stood, taking me with him. He carried me to my bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He set me on my feet, looking down at me, his breathing harsh, his eyes dark with desire. “Do you need to check on Lucy or do anything else?”