He stared. His body hardened noticeably next to her and she thought she might have convinced him that she wasn’t going to break like glass when he sighed deeply and rolled off her.
Natalie scowled at the absence of his heat. She’d grown quite used to it in the past hour.
“You’re pretty convincing, you know that?” he asked gruffly as he grabbed his cotton pants.
“Then why are you getting dressed?”
“Because I was damn well near letting myself believe you, that’s why,” he mumbled.
“Liam.”
He pulled up his pants as he stood. He made an impatient gesture when he heard her scolding tone.
“I may not have much experience with…being with someone without much experience,” he said, “but I do know one thing—only a jerk would overdo it in these circumstances.”
“But—”
“Stop testing my better nature,” he said teasingly, but she caught the steel in his stare. “You just get dressed and come on downstairs. I’ll make you some breakfast, and then we’ll go on over to your place to pick up some stuff.”
“What sort of stuff?” Natalie asked bemusedly as she sat up in bed, a sheet clutched over her breasts.
“Whatever you need to stay here for the rest of the weekend, of course,” he said, his gaze lingering on her scantily covered breasts. “I may be cutting you some slack because of the special circumstances, but you better
believe after you’re rested and fed, you’re not leaving that bed for a few days.”
Natalie stared after him incredulously, but she was laughing by the time she heard his buoyant-sounding tread on the stairs.
Later that afternoon they lay sprawled on recliners on the sunny portion of Liam’s terrace. Natalie’s skin had dried from their swim and she was getting drowsy from the pleasant feeling of the warm sun. Liam had insisted earlier they stay in the shallows until he had the breakwater repaired, which was fine by Natalie. Not only did she not want to repeat the harrowing experience of this morning, it was much nicer to be in Liam’s solid embrace as the waves rushed around their waists. They’d kissed until Natalie was breathless and Liam was so hot, he suddenly fell comically back into the waves, dousing himself.
She felt a little guilty because she hadn’t thought once about their investigation into the crash all day.
She’d been too involved with Liam, too preoccupied with observing the way his eyes lit up whenever he heard her laugh, too aware of his every movement, word and touch.
She was falling in love, Natalie realized groggily. It was a little intimidating, not knowing where the path with Liam would end.
His hand grasped hers, as if he’d gleaned her thoughts and was telling her he was on the path with her. She opened her heavy eyelids and smiled sleepily when she saw that while his head rested on the recliner, his chin was tilted and he was watching her.
“Tomorrow is the fundraiser at the Family Center,” she murmured, surprising herself a little with her choice of topic. Perhaps her anxieties about becoming involved with Liam weren’t as far from the surface as she’d assumed.
“Yeah, but I still have you to myself for the rest of today and all night, so I’m trying not to dwell on having to share you for a while.”
She smiled. He returned her smile and caressed her wrist with his thumb. It felt sublime, lying here under a warm sun and having Liam look at her the way he was in that moment. Still…some of her insecurities leaked into her bliss.
“Do you suppose your mother will be there?” she asked slowly.
“She’ll probably stop by for a bit. She’s still not entirely comfortable with the idea of Mari opening the Family Center, but she does her best to be supportive. Besides, my mom would never miss a chance to spoil her granddaughter,” Liam said, referring to Marc and Mari’s sixteen-month-old daughter, Rylee Jean.
“Will it be uncomfortable for you? Being there with me?” Natalie asked in a hushed tone.
“I can assure you that being with you makes me extremely comfortable.”
She threw him an exasperated glance. “I was referring to you being uncomfortable after what happened between you and your mother the other day.”
“I know. I’ll deal with it. Will it be okay with you?” he asked after a moment. “Your brother will be at the fundraiser as well.”
“I can handle Eric. He’ll behave,” Natalie said quietly. “It’s just that…your mother…those things she said to you the other day…”
“You’re worried my mother won’t behave?” Liam asked with grim amusement.