her nerves already frayed to breaking point, withstood his critical gaze as best she could, knowing that the tears were still dangerously close. The last thing she wanted was to cry in front of Liam. He had no right to be here, let alone—let alone—
‘He must be really something,’ Liam finally said.
She swallowed hard. ‘He?’
‘The man you rushed off to see this morning,’ he bit out contemptuously. ‘The man you’ve apparently spent the day with.’ His gaze sharpened on the paleness of her face and he took several steps towards her. ‘The man who’s made you cry…’ he added slowly, the evidence of her recent tears obviously unmistakable now that he was standing only a couple of feet away from her. ‘Laura what on earth—?’
‘Ah, the coffee.’ She turned gratefully as the door opened and Amy entered carrying the coffee tray, with a plate of sandwiches beside the single cup; obviously her housekeeper did not intend Liam to have the mistaken impression he was in the least welcome here! ‘Thank you, Amy.’ Laura smiled with gratitude, sitting down to pour the rich brew into the cup, biting gratefully into one of the chicken sandwiches as she did so.
She had been drinking coffee from a vending machine all day, had had absolutely nothing to eat, so Amy’s coffee and sandwiches tasted like nectar to her. They also, thankfully, helped to eliminate her tearfulness. Having even slightly battered defences when around Liam was not a good idea!
‘Now.’ Laura sat back after eating the sandwich and drinking half a cup of coffee. ‘You were saying?’ She eyed Liam challengingly.
He gave an inclination of his head. ‘I was about to ask you why you bother with a man who can reduce you to this state?’ His eyes swept over her tear-stained dishevelled appearance.
She looked back at him unflinchingly, refreshed, her self-confidence back in place. ‘That’s easy to explain, Liam.’ She smiled as she thought of her beloved son. ‘I love him.’
A nerve pulsed in the hard column of his throat, the blue gaze suddenly icy. ‘You thought you loved me once,’ he reminded her harshly.
Her smile widened. ‘As I’ve already told you—’
‘That was before you learnt to tell the gold from the dross,’ Liam finished grimly.
Her brows rose mockingly. ‘My, my, you do have a good memory,’ she drawled, picking up another sandwich and biting into it hungrily.
‘Where you’re concerned, yes!’ he barked.
Laura shook her head ruefully. ‘I somehow find that difficult to believe, Liam. In fact, until our encounter in the hotel a couple of days ago, I doubt you had even given me a thought for the last eight years!’
His mouth tightened at her deliberate taunt. ‘You—’
‘How did you conclude your meeting with Perry this morning?’ she interrupted in a brisk businesslike tone; she didn’t want to know whether or not Liam had ever thought of her in those eight intervening years!
His lips twisted. ‘You mean, is he my editor or not?’ Liam paused. ‘Not,’ he replied tightly at her confirming nod.
Laura gave a heavy sigh. ‘I’m sorry about that,’ she said with genuine regret; Josie’s World was a wonderful book. ‘But I’m sure you will have no problem finding yourself another publisher.’
‘Not so fast, Laura,’ Liam cut in. ‘I don’t want another publisher.’
‘You aren’t still determined to have me as your editor?’ she demanded, no longer relaxed in her chair as she sat forward tensely.
“‘Determined” isn’t quite the word I would use,’ he replied. ‘It’s more a case of who I feel I can work with. The relationship between an author and an editor is a very delicate one. It requires—’
‘I know what it requires, Liam,’ she put in. ‘And we simply do not have that sort of relationship.’
‘We could have.’
‘No,’ she bit out decisively, ‘We could not. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, Liam?’ She gave a hurried glance at her wristwatch. ‘I have to go out again.’ She had told Bobby she would only be an hour or so, and it was approaching that time already.
Liam’s eyes narrowed to icy slits. ‘To see the same man?’
Bobby, she knew, would absolutely love that description!
‘To see the same man,’ she confirmed, standing up. She probably just had enough time left to freshen up and change, collect their nightclothes, before driving herself back to the hospital.
Liam’s hand reaching out to grasp her arm took her totally by surprise. ‘Didn’t you learn your lesson with me?’ he rasped.
The more Laura tried to twist her arm out of his grasp, the tighter his hold became. She was breathing hard with agitation when she finally looked up at him. ‘Which lesson would that be, Liam?’ she challenged, head thrown back as she looked at him contemptuously. ‘How to tell the bastards from the good guys?’
Blue eyes seemed to catch fire as he glared down at her, the fierceness of that gaze finally settling on her slightly parted lips. ‘You’ll never know how hard I tried to be a good guy with you, Laura,’ he muttered.
Her mouth turned down scornfully. ‘You didn’t try hard enough! Now, let me go!’ Once again she tired to wrench her arm out of his grasp.
‘I let you go once before, and lived to regret it,’ he murmured grimly, shaking his head. ‘If you think I’m going to do it now, when there’s nothing and no one standing between us, then you’re out of your mind!’
Laura stopped struggling to stare up at him, hardly breathing, very aware of the close proximity of their two bodies, suddenly feeling incredibly hot.
He was so close now she could see every pore of his skin, the dark shadow of stubble on his chin that indicated he was in need of his second shave of the day, the grim lines beside his mouth and eyes, those eyes so deeply blue it was impossible to see where the iris ended and the pupil began.
She felt the wanton weakness of her body as Liam slowly, determinedly, began to draw her up against him, those firmly sculptured lips almost touching hers now, their breath intermingled.
‘No!’ She pulled back so sharply she took Liam completely by surprise, releasing herself from his grasp but knowing she would have bruises on her wrist later because of her abrupt action.
Bruises? They were nothing compared to the other damage Liam could wreak in her life if he got too close!
Because Liam was wrong when he said no one stood between them. Bobby stood between them. And he always would.
But she acknowledged it wasn’t only Bobby that had prevented her from giving in to that momentary weakness she had felt towards Liam. Her own pride wouldn’t allow him to see that he could still affect her in this way!
Her eyes sparkled with anger as she glared across at him. ‘I would like you to leave, Liam,’ she bit out tautly. ‘Now!’ she added viciously, as he would
