Fix Them Up, page 18
‘See you later, Kat!’ she shouted and ran off to her gaggle of friends waiting by the school gate.
‘She’s cute,’ I said, turning to Liam.
‘She can be.’ His lips upturned. Proud. That was a proud dad face.
‘You don’t have to come, if you don’t want to,’ Liam said a few moments later. ‘To Abi’s match. Don’t let her twist your arm.’
‘I’d like to,’ I said. Even if it scared the shit out of me and it felt like we were teetering near ‘girlfriend–boyfriend’ territory already. The line that I had set in the sand. ‘If that’s okay with you and Yasmin. I don’t want to overstep –’
Liam glanced at me. ‘If you want to be there, you’re coming.’
‘Yes, boss,’ I said, adding a flirty edge to my tone.
‘Kat,’ Liam warned.
‘What?’ I laughed.
‘It’s been three days. Don’t push me.’
My cheeks burned.
Three days since Liam and I had made our agreement. Three days of missed opportunities. On Monday, Liam had set out earlier than me, flying off in his van to fix some crisis at the Joneses’ extension. On Tuesday, Sandra took me for lunch and then to watch Ray, the high-maintenance jazz performer, at the club. Sandra and I silently elbowed each other, our shoulders shaking with laughter, as Ray’s toupee flipped up as he stormed off in anger at someone talking too loudly during his set.
Then, last night, Liam helped Abigail with her homework and cooked dinner. I wanted to give them some space together, so I read my book in the annexe. Later in the evening, I got a knock at my door – Liam delivering a hot, lingering kiss and a foil-covered meal.
So we certainly hadn’t had time to fully… explore our new agreement. And the tension was painful. It was like I was aware of every breath he took and the moments he was watching me from the corner of his eye, his gaze dragging across my legs or my breasts. I noticed how easily he lifted shopping bags out of the car, his muscles flexing. I smirked when I saw his eyes lingering on my mouth as I finished my breakfast and at his warning glare when I took a bit longer licking the spoon.
Liam’s van came to a stop. I heard the creak of the brake handle. The click of our seatbelts.
Our lips met, and I gasped at the contact. Liam’s hands were back in my hair. It was hard and fast. Liam’s tongue stroking mine. Memories of Liam’s head between my legs resurfaced, as they had every moment since.
Then, he was gone.
‘Sorry,’ Liam said, his forehead against mine. ‘I’ve wanted to do that for three days.’
‘You should have texted me.’
Liam winced. ‘Abigail –’
‘Yeah, it’s weird,’ I admitted.
‘She’s back at Yas’s tonight.’ He winced. ‘I don’t want it to come across like I want her out –’
‘I didn’t think that, Liam.’
‘She is my priority. Always.’ Liam’s eyes flicked to me, serious. ‘I just want to say that upfront. She will always be my priority.’
My throat thickened. God, that was such a lovely thing to say. I knew the bar was on the floor when it came to fathers. They just picked their kids up, and it had everyone swooning. But it didn’t mean it wasn’t lovely to hear from Liam’s mouth. His expression was serious, like he was ready to jump into action for Abigail, no matter what. I knew from experience how lucky Abigail was to have a dad like that. I’d been without one.
‘I know, Liam. I wouldn’t expect anything less.’
He nodded. ‘Come on.’ Liam smirked. ‘I need to get through a day without thinking of that mouth.’ I snorted, and Liam’s eyebrows shot up. ‘I’m not joking. I’ve got a serious case of blue balls.’
‘Such a baby.’ I shook my head. I leaned across the console, grabbing a fistful of his soft hair. ‘If you get through today, maybe I’ll come around tonight and –’
‘Careful how you finish that sentence,’ Liam said, his eyes burning.
I leaned closer and whispered, ‘I’ll get on my knees and use my mouth.’
Liam closed his eyes and groaned; the noise shot straight to my core.
Liam shook his head, and a grin overtook him. ‘You don’t know what you just started.’
*
With the first fix on the electrics and plumbing completed, with my cute new antique bronze switches hanging off the walls, Liam enlisted Danny, a plasterer. Danny was in his mid-thirties, with a stocky build, a moustache, and a mullet. His strange blend of New Zealand and Mancunian accents made me want to smile. As Danny set up his radio, Liam got a call to pick up the bathroom materials, leaving me twiddling my thumbs. I paced from room to room, energy humming around my brain and legs.
I bit my lip.
God, I hated having nothing to do.
I poked my head around to see Danny drilling the plasterboard into the walls.
An idea hit: a cartoon lightbulb above my head.
‘Danny,’ I said, my voice going sing-song.
Danny raised an eyebrow when I asked him. But, like most people being asked about their skills, he enjoyed teaching me and gained enthusiasm with each question I threw at him. He taught me how to fix the plasterboard, mix the plaster mixture with a power stir and then apply a thin coat of plaster over the joints. As we chatted away, I learnt that Danny moved from New Zealand five years ago and had lived all over the UK. He settled in Manchester because he liked the city and had supported Manchester United from afar since he was a kid.
He raised his bushy eyebrows. ‘Liam mentioned you were from the Big Smoke. Are you liking it here?’
‘Yes,’ I said, and I realised I was telling the truth. ‘Even if it’s a bit mad here.’
‘It’s barmy.’ Danny grinned. ‘But I wouldn’t live anywhere else.’ He arched an eyebrow at me. ‘London is mad expensive.’
I nodded. ‘It is.’
‘And everyone is fucking rude.’
‘Liam said the same thing.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘It’s not that bad. People are busy – not rude.’
‘Trust me; this town is full of busy people – mainly busybodies. But we still have time to say hello and ask how you are.’ Danny shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t be able to do it.’
‘Live in London?’ I asked, a bit incredulous.
‘I lived in a small town back home. I never liked cities. I get why people do, but even going into Manchester stresses me out. I only go to do my Christmas shopping.’
‘On Christmas Eve?’
‘Yep.’ Danny grinned.
As I began to mix the plaster, I thought about Danny’s and Liam’s aversion to London. I didn’t get it. But then, I hadn’t known any different growing up. It was natural to move to London. Could I even imagine myself living somewhere else? I tried to picture myself in this house – living here in this town. I could maybe go freelance, but I was so sure I would fuck it up. But then, a slower pace of life sounded lovely. I could do exactly what I wanted to do. No more shitty meetings with clients I hated. No more packed Tubes. No more roommates and their crusty Super Noodles on the kitchen worktop.
It took an hour to complete one wall in the front room. Danny was laughing at my shoddy attempt when I smelt cedar and rain. Liam. I turned my head enough to see him from my periphery. He was leaning on the doorway, his hands crossed over his chest.
Danny’s hands moved to mine, guiding me. ‘Just go to the edge.’
I laughed as I tried and failed to push the mixture to the corners of the wall. I couldn’t quite angle my wrists in the right way. I stepped back, assessing my efforts. The white mush was patchy and uneven. It looked more like one of those hipster bars in Camden with exposed plaster and Edison bulbs. Fine for a dive bar. Not entirely the vibe for a house someone was going to buy.
‘Oh my god, this is terrible.’
‘You’re a natural,’ Danny replied, humour in his voice.
I attempted to make it better, spreading the remainder of the plaster, trying to keep it all even. Once I was done, I turned around to look at Danny.
‘What do you think? Any better?’
Danny grinned. ‘I’ve seen worse.’
I snorted. ‘Thanks.’
I turned to ask Liam and paused. He was looking at Danny with an intense, watchful expression. His eyes weren’t moving from him. A light blush on his cheeks. His gaze shifted to me and darkened with something else. Desire. He was… god. Liam’s eyes were dark and stormy.
Jealousy.
Liam was jealous.
I glanced at Danny. His eyes were shifting between Liam and me as fast as lightning, and a new realisation dawned on his face. His smile turned feral.
‘Alright, boss?’ Danny said, humour at the edge of his voice. ‘I was just teaching Kat some tricks of the trade. She’s a natural.’
Danny bumped my shoulder.
‘I don’t remember paying you to flirt, Danny.’
God, it was immature to find it sexy. I needed to grow up. I was a feminist, for fuck’s sake. I didn’t need some alpha dickhead getting all possessive. But damn. The murderous look on Liam’s face sent a thrill up my spine. I’d never had anyone jealous because of me, so sue me. It was a novel experience, the way Liam’s eyes tracked Danny’s shoulder touching mine.
Danny didn’t flinch or cower. He was grinning. He must be so used to dealing with Liam’s moods that it made him invincible. Or reckless.
Danny shrugged. ‘You know me. I can’t resist chatting up a pretty girl.’
‘She’s a woman, not a girl. And I do know you,’ Liam seethed. ‘Get back to work.’ Liam angled his head. ‘Kat, a word?’
Liam turned on his heel and stalked from the room, and I couldn’t help but stare at his arse in those utility trousers. I should be angry at him for being petty and territorial, but with an arse like that, I couldn’t stay angry forever.
Danny gave me a look. ‘I wonder what’s got into him today?’
‘I’ll go check on him,’ I said, shuffling from the room, leaving Danny to finish the wall.
‘Mhm,’ Danny said, returning to fix the wall.
I went into the hallway in search of Liam. A hand pulled me through into the next room, the dining room, and back against a solid chest. The sun came through the window, illuminating the dust and naked floorboards under our feet. Liam’s hands were around my waist, holding me to him, my back to his chest. I held back a shiver at his breath at my ear.
‘Would you say yes?’ Liam’s voice rumbled. ‘If he asked you out? Because he wants to. I can tell.’
I gave a breathy laugh. ‘Why does it matter?’
‘Are you trying to make me jealous?’ Liam said, voice low.
I smirked. ‘That’s all it took –’
‘I want to spank you so bad right now,’ Liam said into my ear, eliciting a shiver through me. I never thought I was into… that. But when Liam said it with a teasing edge to his voice, I was in.
‘Would you say yes?’ Liam asked. ‘Tell me.’
‘No.’
‘Why?’
‘Because of you.’
‘Good girl.’ Liam whipped me around and pressed me against the door. We moved together, our lips meeting, a clash of tongues and teeth. His weight pressed down on me, pushing me harder into the door. Liam’s hands roamed all over me. Then, he pulled back and gave me an earnest look. This was real Liam. No resting bitch face. No schooled emotions.
He was unguarded and genuine.
‘You were laughing with him.’ Liam tucked a strand of my hair behind my ears. ‘Those easy laughs that you make me earn.’ He leaned forward, planted a kiss on my neck, and followed it with a nip at my collarbone. He pressed himself against me, and I could feel him, hard, against my thigh.
‘Liam.’
‘You know what he can’t get you to do?’
‘What?’ I panted.
‘He can’t make you moan, Red.’ Liam’s lips captured mine again.
It was like a battle of who could turn on who. He turned me to press me against the wall, and I palmed him, making him grunt. I smiled as he nipped at my neck and whispered my name. Liam’s leg went between mine, putting pressure where I desperately wanted it, and I was struck by how ready I was. It would usually take me half an hour of foreplay – at least – to be this turned on, especially when I was so easily distracted, my brain running off on tangents. But Liam had a way of focusing me on my body, how it moved for him, and how it reacted to him.
‘We can’t here,’ I panted, Liam’s lips trailing down my neck. ‘Danny will hear.’
‘You’ll have to be quiet, then,’ Liam said, pressing his thigh into me, drawing a moan from my lips. I moved against him, desperate. I would be embarrassed later about the noises I was making.
‘Yeah, that’s it. Ride my leg.’ He whispered the last part in my ear, making my head roll back.
I was panting, and the delicious friction of Liam’s thigh between my legs scrambled my thoughts. Something about Danny being a wall away, about this being so… public. It wound me up tighter. I was close.
Liam moved his leg, and I moaned. Liam’s grin widened.
‘Good girl,’ Liam said, slipping his hands between my legs. He touched me, and I jolted at the touch. I was so sensitive.
‘So wet.’
Liam touched me in circles, and I moaned louder, even as I tried to hold it back. A large, calloused hand came over my mouth, trapping the sound. The movement shoved me over the edge. I saw stars and constellations. The whole fucking cosmos.
Liam murmured, ‘Good girl’ and ‘Fucking yes’.
My heart rate began to slow. Liam held me closer, his hands trailing over my back in soothing patterns.
A clang of a tool hitting the wooden floorboards echoed. Reality hit about where we were and who was in the room next to us. Danny.
Oh my god.
I tilted my head up to Liam. He looked down, unconcerned. Peaceful. I was anything but.
‘I can’t believe we just did that with him next door,’ I hissed. ‘Do you think he heard?’
Liam’s face split into a grin. ‘I hope he did.’
‘Liam!’ I whacked him on the chest.
Liam’s grin widened, and he ran a thumb across my lower lip. ‘You started this, Kat. Remember that.’ He pulled me back into a hug, his smell surrounding me. I wanted to stay there forever, wrapped up in post-sex bliss. It struck me then that I’d never felt this level of contentment with anyone in my entire life. I was slipping, slowly and all at once, into a life here with Liam. What had I started? And more importantly, how would it end?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kat’s To-Do List
Prep for design meeting with Liam
Collect paint samples & fabrics
Call Mum back
Do not get attached
‘Twenty-two thousand pounds?’ I choked, coughing.
My eyes shifted to the designs on the screen of EH Kitchen and Bathrooms. Liam’s hand came up and gently patted my back. The shop was brightly lit, the light bouncing off the white quartz countertops they had on display. At the desk, Andrea, the designer, thrummed her pink acrylic nails against her desk as she bit her lip. We had spent the past hour designing the new bathroom and kitchen at Liam’s favourite shop, EH Kitchen and Bathrooms.
‘It’s owned by a local couple, Andrea and Ron,’ he explained on the journey while his large hand rested on my thigh. ‘They are the only place I go for fittings ’cos I know they’ll be the best.’
I’d walked in, excited about the show bathroom on display with a huge roll-top bath. Liam was welcomed like a hero returning from war. Hugs and slaps on the back. I shrunk back a little. It was yet another place where everyone knew everyone. It was like overhearing people speak another language.
‘I know, it’s dear,’ Andrea said, glancing up from the screen, ‘the fixtures you picked are top of the range, you see.’
My eyes flicked to Liam. He rubbed his hands across his jaw. The long stubble was turning into a beard, and it annoyingly suited him more. It seemed to bring out his brown eyes. I was worried he wasn’t shaving because he seemed to spend every hour at my house these days. We’d had a burst pipe, which caused a leak in the bathroom. Then, the next week, he found rotten floorboards that needed replacing in the kitchen, too. Yet, none of it fazed him.
I’d been the one to panic. But he told me in reassuring tones and soft caresses that it was fine. He repeated that they were minor hiccups and they were still running to the timetable.
Liam frowned at me, quizzical.
What?
I shook my head.
Nothing.
God, the navy T-shirt he was wearing today made him seem so… fuckable. It made his arms look delicious. After our public rendezvous at the house, I had managed to sneak out without seeing Danny’s amused face and with my dignity intact – barely. In an act of revenge, I teased Liam on the way home, palming him while I whispered exactly what I would do to him once I got my hands on him. He turned to me, his eyes blazing. ‘Wanna put your money where your mouth is?’ His eyes flickered down to my lips. I grinned and checked my wrist. ‘I believe you are late for the Joneses.’
He swore filthily, sporting a huge erection, and pulled off the drive while I giggled my way into the house for a nap.
Since then, we hadn’t spent any time alone. Abigail had the flu, so I volunteered to stay home with her when Liam was forced to firefight problems with the Joneses’ extension. Liam had wanted to stay with her, and I could see it was eating him up. He asked if I was sure about fifty times. Once I convinced him, he made Abigail’s favourite chicken soup, and I finally shoved him out the door. Abi and I played Animal Crossing all morning. Then, I drafted the rebrand for HBC while Abi slept, her cheeks pink with fever.
When Liam returned, smelling of sweat and rain, Abigail announced she had had a great day and wanted to stay with us for the rest of the week. As much as I wanted some alone time with Liam, I couldn’t help but bask in the glory of her words. It was fucking hard to get a pre-teen to like you. They had a discerning taste, but I had passed the test. Plus, it was nice having her around. Liam was playful and light when she was around. It was like Abigail lifted his mood like no one else could – not even me. Abigail got away with murder. Liam let her paint his nails. I finally got to braid his hair, making Abigail snort Coke out of her nose at the sight.
