“I couldn’t take my eyes off you, let alone check myself out. But we can go for round two and give me some equal attention. What do you think?” He tugs me in for a kiss. We stand in an empty hall next to his suite, no onlookers present for our display of affection. Or lust.
Does affection imply loving feelings Liam lacks for me?
“You two can’t keep to your respectable room? I want to hear about your sex life almost as much as I want to hear about the latest stock market updates.” Jax’s voice reverberates off the walls.
I break apart from Liam, putting a good foot of distance between us.
Liam winks at me. “Is that a challenge? I can make the Dow sound sexy as fuck too.”
“You’ve stooped to new lows. The pit called us down, so let’s get a move on, mate.”
“Duty calls.” Liam brushes his lips against my temple before we go down the stairs toward the garage.
“You’re hanging with my fam. Hope you can handle them because they tend to be a lively bunch.” Liam’s eyes shine, looking lighter than ever at the mention of his family.
“What’s the worst that can happen?” I fight down the nerves clawing at my chest. His parents are kind, but it doesn’t mean I’m not scared to spend a couple hours alone with them.
“Besides the fact that they’ll become as obsessed with you as I am? I’m guessing by the 30th lap, they’ll offer you a home and a car if you move to Germany.”
“I’d say yes to a BMW convertible.”
Liam covers my mouth. “We don’t speak of that company here. McCoy or bust.”
I shrug once he drops his hand. “Guess Germany’s not in my cards then.”
He laughs as he drags me toward his waiting family. With a quick goodbye, the crew shuffles him and his car toward the track.
“So, Sophie, we’ve heard so much about you. We didn’t have a chance to chat much at Liam’s birthday party with him hogging you.” His mother, a strikingly beautiful woman with hair rivaling gold, tilts her head at me.
“He tends to monopolize my time.” Isn’t that the truth. Liam prefers to spend his free time with me or in me.
“We see. He sends us pictures of his new friend. We loved the one of you two in Paris.” Her smile fails to warm the chill running through my blood.
Stupid F-word. I hate myself for labeling us because it looks like Liam describes our relationship the same with his family. Seeing as I came up with the stupid plan, I don’t have a right to be sad. Instead, I take whatever he gives me, willing to live in the moment and suffer the consequences later.
Look at me living life on the edge.
“Yup. We get along well.” I’m so awkward.
Liam’s dad walks over to us, leaving his grandkids painting on the floor. I’d totally trade spots with them. “Funny, I was friends with his mother before we dated.”
I see what Liam meant. These two play matchmakers better than the producers on Bachelor in Paradise.
“How nice. What happened?” Call me curious to find out how they got out of the friend-zone. Not for my own personal research, per se.
“His father pulled his head out of his ass after I went on a date with another man. He showed up at the restaurant, drenched after standing in the rain watching us. Best date crasher ever.” Liam’s mom smiles at her husband.
Looks like I’m out of luck, seeing as I already went on multiple dates with John. Liam’s head still remains very much implanted where the sun doesn’t shine.
“She went on a date with a total douche from a neighboring small town. He sat and sipped his wine like an idiot while I professed my love, not once fighting for her. Further proof he wasn’t worthy.” Liam’s dad grins at me.
I cover my mouth to suppress my laugh. “And then what happened?”
Liam’s mom shares a smile that reaches her gray eyes. “We ran off into the rain and never looked back. We got married a year later and had Lukas ten months after. The rest is history.”
“Wow, quite the story.” I wish I could generate more words but watching them smile at each other hurts my heart as much as my head. A dull throb makes its way through my body. Stupid me for choosing someone with a history of collecting hearts like trophies.
“But less about our story. Tell us about you. What are you going to do in a few months when the season ends?” His mom gives me her full attention.
Besides eating my weight in ice cream after your son shatters my heart? “I’m finishing up my degree, so I’ll probably continue my classes.”