“I said I’d take you out to lunch,” he reminded her.
“It’s not really necessary,” Natalie said quickly. She checked her watch. “I probably should go home and change and get into work, after taking the morning off.”
Liam turned and faced her. She couldn’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses, but she sensed him studying her.
“Why do you let them do it?” he asked softly.
“What do you mean?”
He gave a subtle sideways nod in the direction of two men who were walking toward the restaurant entrance. The men’s conversation broke off and they observed Liam and Natalie with interest before they disappeared into the Captain and Crew.
“People. Strangers. You let their curiosity, or their rudeness, or whatever the hell the case may be, dictate your actions,” Liam said.
For a few seconds, she just stared up at him. He’d said it so evenly that it took a moment for his meaning—and her embarrassment—to soak into her consciousness. Her cheeks flamed.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she whispered.
“I think I do. You avoid crowded places. You don’t like to have people look at you, so you steer clear of places like Jake’s or the Captain and Crew. I wish you wouldn’t let it get to you, Natalie.”
“You have no right to judge me,” she bit out. “You’re the last person on earth who has the right to judge me.”
She spun around, intent on departure. She gasped when Liam reached out, quick as a snake at the strike, and grasped her hand, halting her.
“I’m sorry,” he said rapidly when she opened her mouth to tell him off. She paused when she saw the look of genuine regret on his face. “I really am. You’re right. It has to be something you’re comfortable with—not something I wish for.”
Tears burned her eyelids. Something I wish for. She was so confused, she couldn’t manage to get out the question scalding the back of her tongue.
Why should he care one way or another how I feel in a public place?
He stepped closer. Her emotional turmoil only mounted when he cradled her jaw, his fingers caressing her cheek softly. She hadn’t known him that long, but already she’d grown accustomed to this particular tender, prizing gesture. He used his other hand to remove her glasses and then he leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers.
“I just wish you could see yourself like I see you. You’re beautiful, and not despite this.” Her lungs ached in her chest, but she still couldn’t draw breath as he gently traced her scar. He pressed a kiss at the corner of her eyelid, like a period at the end of a poignant sentence. “Because of it, Natalie. In part, at least. It’s one of the many things that make you unique…and yes, beautiful.”
A depthless font of uncertainty welled up in her chest at that moment. Several teardrops spilled from her eyes, spattering on Liam’s skin.
“Let me go,” she said, her throat too tight for anything but a whispered plea.
His fingers loosened reluctantly around her glasses when she tugged on them. Slipping them on, she turned and hurried down the street.
Natalie wasn’t necessarily surprised when she saw Liam standing at her door later that evening, but she was extremely glad. She knew she’d behaved like a child earlier. She’d been regretting her insecurities so much that it’d been hard for her to concentrate at work, and she’d left early.
“Hi,” she greeted Liam as she opened the screen door.
“I came to beg forgiveness, but I realize it might be a challenge for you,” he told her wryly, his mouth quirked in a small half grin. “Do you think if I gave you a license to call me a tactless idiot as many times as you wanted all evening and made you dinner to boot, you could eventually get there?”
“You don’t have to make me dinner.” She studied her welcome mat like it held the mysteries of the universe. She shifted on her bare feet. “I’m the one who should say I was sorry. I overreacted.”
A heavy silence followed her apology. Surely it would be a mistake to allow herself to spend time with him…to allow herself to fall for him. She couldn’t begin to count the number of reasons why it would never work, the least of which was his vast experience with dating compared to her novice status. She would just end up making a fool of herself and getting hurt. Then, there was the fact that his association with her was causing major waves with his mother. He’d probably end up resenting her for creating so much drama in his personal life—
Liam gently pushed a stray curl off her forehead, interrupting her flow of catastrophic thinking. Since he stood a step below her on the stoop, her eyes were level with his mouth. His thumb skimmed over her cheek, and then across her lower lip.
“So what about dinner at my place? It’d be a great evening for a swim, too,” he murmured distractedly, his gaze following the trail of his fingertip.
Natalie just stared for a few seconds, temporarily overwhelmed by his sudden nearness and stroking finger. He must have misunderstood the reason for her hesitation, because he added quickly, “I had a conversation with Jack Andreason earlier.”
“The bartender?” Natalie asked breathlessly.
“Yeah. I’ll tell you about it. Is it okay if I step into the AC while you get your suit? It’s sweltering out here.”