‘It’s an interesting way to make a living. Doing the purely decorative.’
‘It’s nice to make things beautiful for people. Life shouldn’t just be functional,’ she declared, knowing he was deliberately provoking her and responding regardless. ‘Anyway, it’s no less meaningless than sailing from point A to point B as fast as possible. You’re hardly securing world peace with that career.’ She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with an affected gesture. ‘At least what I do makes a difference to a few people—it makes them smile.
‘I make people smile too, you know,’ he said slyly. ‘I make people cheer. And scream.’
She bet he made many women scream. ‘Is that why you do it?’ She couldn’t resist a little provoking either—asking him in terribly polite tones, ‘You need the adulation?’
His resulting chuckle made her smile inside. ‘I just like to win.’
He hadn’t won with her. He still wouldn’t.
She looked at him. ‘Not everyone can win all of the time. Not even you.’
‘That’s not going to stop me trying.’
No. Hadn’t he made a play for her even when he knew she was with someone else—someone who was supposed to be his best friend?
But once more her conscience niggled because he could argue he hadn’t made a play. He’d not said or done anything out of line once he knew who she was. Then again the man was so devastating he hadn’t needed to do or say. He’d only needed to look. And when he had finally spoken? In front of everyone? She sighed. He was the one who’d got away.
‘This the street you meant?’
Despite his determined effort to fly well under the speed limit for the entire journey, they were indeed finally in her neighbourhood.
‘Yes.’ She directed him to her apartment and he pulled up outside.
Her heart thundered. Her silly hands were actually sweating as she unclipped her seat belt. She was going to say goodbye to him again. For ever. Good, right?
He turned in his seat and faced her. She should get out of the car. She should open the door and walk away. But she couldn’t; somehow she needed to see him—see his eyes. See if that look was there.
And he knew it. He took off his sunglasses, meeting her eyes. His were serious, but there was that glint of laughter and of something else.
Determination. Desire. Challenge.
She recognised them all. But she couldn’t let this happen. Even if she was dying of curiosity inside. She’d resisted him once, she could again, right? She had a new man-free plan and she was sticking to it.
‘Victoria—’
‘No.’ She pre-empted him. She was not inviting him in. She was not touching him. She was not letting him—
He smiled. Reaching out, he touched her burning cheek with just the tips of his fingers.
She clamped her jaw together.
‘Even now you want to resist it?’ he murmured.
‘You can’t just pick up with five years in between when we last saw each other.’ Did she have to sound so breathy?
‘Why not?’
‘Because…’ So much had gone down between then and now.
‘I’m single.’ He glanced at her hands in her lap. ‘You’re no longer attached.’
‘And you’re pleased about that,’ she said tartly.
He clamped his hand over hers, a quick frown pulling his brows. ‘Of course I’m not. Believe it or not I wanted you to be happy. I wanted you both to be happy.’
She swallowed, conscious of the strength of his hand pushing on hers. The heat of it. ‘We were,’ she said hoarsely, but honestly. ‘For a while.’
‘I’m sorry it didn’t work out. But it not working out was nothing to do with me.’
‘I never said it was.’ And she wouldn’t. But the edges of her heart shrivelled because, while Oliver had been the one who’d cheated, she’d been the one who’d withheld part of herself. She’d not been honest with him. Or herself. Or anyone.
Liam leaned closer. ‘Don’t make me pay the price of him hurting you.’
‘I’m sorry?’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘What is it you want to do?’
‘What I’ve always wanted to do.’ His shoulders lifted. ‘From the second I first saw you in nothing but a towel and steam. At least I’m honest enough to admit it.’
She felt the steam now as heat surged through her body.
‘This thing between us?’ He shook his head. ‘Still the same, even after all this time. You can’t deny it.’
Of course she’d deny it. Self-preservation was a basic instinct. ‘I can.’ Because she knew all that was important to know about Liam, yet he knew nothing of what was important about her. Like the fact she wasn’t about to let herself get distracted. ‘You don’t know me now, Liam. You don’t know what I want.’
‘So you’re going to take the easy option and avoid it? You’re good at that.’
She shook her head. ‘You thought you were so clever. That you saw it all. But you saw nothing of what was really going on with me. You didn’t know me.’
‘I knew enough,’ he argued. ‘I still do.’
‘And what do you think you know? That I was sexually attracted to you?’ She kept her head high despite another flare of heat in her cheeks. ‘You intrigued me then, yes, I admit it. But I’m not interested now.’
‘Then prove it.’ His gaze locked on hers. ‘Come closer without blushing.’
‘Oh, please.’ She covered up with a laugh. ‘I don’t need to prove anything to you.’
‘What about to yourself?’ he challenged right back, his expression wicked and tempting. ‘Isn’t that part of what you’re doing now? Isn’t your move to Paris all about proving things to yourself?’
‘You still think you’re so smart.’
‘No, but I know when I’m right.’ He brushed that strand of hair behind her ear for her. ‘You’re out here on your own. Proving you can do it. You can handle it.’
‘And I can,’ she whispered.
He smiled. ‘Yet you won’t even try to handle me.’
‘You do not have to see me to my door.’
‘Yes,
