Fix Them Up, page 24
‘You can’t – he’s dead.’ I laughed meekly. ‘Daddy issues.’
Liam’s lips flattened. ‘I want you to listen to me. Really listen, okay? You deserve this and more. You are worthy. You’re a bright, shining light to everyone around you. Brian and Sandra adore you. Lydia too. Abi worships the ground you walk on. And I know you don’t see it. But I do. So let me do what I can to prove it to you.’ His hand clasped the back of my neck and pressed our foreheads together. ‘I told you yesterday. Don’t think about what is coming. Just be here with me.’
‘Okay.’
‘Okay.’
‘Let’s go.’ Liam smiled and pulled me into the first gallery.
Chapter Thirty-Three
We stepped out of the art gallery two hours later. The sun decided to stick around, warm on my face. The square in front of the art gallery was basking in the warm sunlight that peeked through the trees.
The tour with Olivia was incredible. We had the whole gallery to ourselves as we walked through each section, Olivia explaining the collection and some of her favourite pieces. The art gallery was beautiful – all parquet floors and glass skylights. They had a huge Lowry and Pre-Raphaelite collection. Liam’s face split into a grin as we walked into a gallery full of women with flaming red hair. He snapped a photo of me looking, my curly red hair matching the painting. I watched him smile at his screen and set it as his lock screen.
‘That bloke would have loved you, Red,’ Liam whispered as Olivia ushered us into the next gallery.
‘Hey,’ I said, pulling Liam towards me on the steps of the gallery. ‘Thank you. I loved it. I can’t wait to go back. There was so much I didn’t see, even in two hours.’
Olivia had mentioned a huge textile collection, and I was itching for some design inspiration. If I did enrol in that interior design course, I wanted to do my dissertation on those fabrics.
‘It was worth it. To see you like that.’ Liam smiled. ‘You looked so happy.’
I grinned. ‘What’s next, tour guide?’
Liam grabbed my hand and led me across the square, which had trams running through it.
‘Well, you said you liked London for the art galleries,’ Liam mimicked, ticking a list. ‘Next, food.’
My stomach rumbled at the mention, and Liam threw me a grin. We walked past a huge dome building.
‘That’s the library, and behind it is the Town Hall. That’s where we have the lights turned on at Christmas. It’s packed, and we usually get a major A-list celebrity to turn them on.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Big Brother contestant from 2005?’
Liam barked a laugh, then gave me a serious look. ‘That’s their career highlight, Red. It’s Abi’s favourite day. That and Pride in August. It takes over the whole city. It’s a lot of fun.’
‘Oh my god. Do you dress up?’
Liam shrugged. ‘Abigail might get the glitter out, yeah.’
I laughed, imagining Liam sitting at the kitchen table, Abigail covering Liam’s face in glitter.
‘I’d love to see that.’
‘Maybe you will.’
Our eyes met, and I could see the hope glimmering in his – the hope that I’d be here long enough for milestones written in Sharpie onto a shared calendar.
We passed a grand hotel called The Midland, and Liam nodded. ‘That’s where Posh and Becks had their first date.’
My mouth fell open. ‘Oh my god. Royalty.’
Liam laughed. ‘Yep.’
We stopped in front of The Vine & Olive, a restaurant with sash windows and a stripy green canopy. It had a couple of iron tables outside, which I imagined were for when the sun shone briefly and a crisp white wine was on the cards.
‘This is lovely,’ I said.
‘We used to come here a lot as kids. It was Mum’s favourite. Best Italian in the city,’ Liam said. ‘I know the owner, Frank. He tends to be quieter at lunch.’
Liam nodded and opened the door, the bell ringing as we walked through.
‘Liam!’ a man bellowed.
The man was in his sixties, with dark hair and greys at his temples. He approached us, wearing a white shirt, black trousers, and a red apron emblazoned with the restaurant logo.
He clapped his hand on Liam’s shoulder, and I swear I saw Liam wince a little.
‘Frank,’ Liam said in an indulgent tone.
‘Your table is free.’ Frank grinned, and his eyes widened when he spotted me.
‘Liam, who is this? Ciao. I’m Frank.’ He held his hand to me, and I couldn’t help but grin. ‘Lovely to meet you.’ His bizarre blended Italian-Mancunian accent came out.
Liam looked down at me, smiling. ‘This is Kat.’
‘Liam, you’ve never brought a girlfriend here.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Must be serious.’
‘Frank,’ Liam warned.
His eyes widened, feigning innocence. ‘What else am I meant to think?’
His arm grazed my shoulder as he angled me towards a table in the window.
‘Come on,’ Liam murmured into my ear. ‘If we don’t sit down, he’ll keep embarrassing me.’
Frank winked as he brought us some menus, and I could feel myself going a bit red.
‘Sorry about him,’ Liam said, his eyes twinkling. ‘I only come here with Dad and Abigail. It’s a bit of a shock for Frank.’
‘How long has he had the restaurant?’
‘Frank has run this place for… god, it’s got to be twenty years now. He’s one of the reasons I love to cook so much. He used to give me cooking lessons early on Sundays before they opened. I learnt how to use a knife and make Italian sauces with Frank.’
‘So he is to thank for the amazing pasta.’
Liam smiled. ‘Yes.’
‘He said you’ve never brought a girl here.’ My curiosity piqued. ‘Did you not bring Yasmin?’
Liam shook his head, glancing down at the menu. ‘It wasn’t her vibe. And we were always too busy to come into town. We just stayed local.’
I studied the menu.
Liam cleared his throat. ‘The strozzapreti is good. If you are struggling to pick.’
Strozzapreti with broccolini and anchovy butter. My mouth watered. Everything on the menu looked amazing.
I glanced up. ‘Do you want to pick us something to share? You probably know all the best dishes.’
Liam hesitated. ‘Are you sure? I don’t want to be that guy.’
‘What guy?’
‘The guy who says what you’ll have. “She’ll have the salad.” That arsehole in the films.’
My lips twitched. ‘Are you going to order me a salad, Liam?’
He wrinkled his nose. ‘Fuck, no.’
I laughed. ‘I didn’t think so. But the Caprese salad does look good, actually. Maybe as a side, though.’
Liam nodded. ‘It’s really good, to be fair.’
I nodded, acting solemn. ‘Okay. I permit you to order that side salad, Liam.’
Liam ordered the strozzapreti broccolini, which was salty and light. To balance the saltiness, he ordered the hearty ragu and finished with a side of garlic bread and Caprese salad. The dishes arrived in traditional Italian bowls, which Liam said Frank sourced from Italy. We shared them in the middle of the table.
‘What do you think?’ Liam scratched his arm.
‘It’s amazing. Why do you look so stressed?’
Liam frowned. ‘This is one of my favourite restaurants. I didn’t realise how nerve-racking it would be to bring someone new here.’
I grinned. ‘High stakes, huh?’
I took a bite of the ragu and moaned. ‘Fucking hell. What does he put in this?’
‘Red,’ Liam said, an octave lower. ‘Don’t make noises like that in public. Or we’ll be paying the bill and going home.’
I looked up to find Liam staring at my lips. I blushed and pressed my legs together. He wasn’t joking, I could tell. He would pay the bill, whisk us out of here, and take me home. He’d probably undress me slowly. Kissing his way up my body like he had done this morning, and we’d finally—
‘Red,’ Liam warned. ‘Your pupils are like saucers. Pack it in. I want to wine and dine you.’
‘Not sixty-nine me?’ I grinned.
Liam shook his head until a tall shadow came over our table, and we glanced up to find Liam’s brother looking down at us.
‘This is cosy.’ Ren grinned. ‘Really, Liam. I didn’t take you for such a romantic. Shall I get some roses, and you can put one in your mouth?’
‘Ren –’ Liam rubbed a hand over his face.
‘Oh!’ Ren clasped his chest. ‘I’ll get Frank to bring out some spaghetti. You can do the bit from Lady and the Tramp.’
I laughed as Liam said, ‘Remind me why I asked you to come back.’
Ren pulled a chair over, turned it around, and sat, and I could see Liam’s blood pressure rising, the veins in his neck pulsing. Ren really pushed his buttons.
‘Because I’m the best barman in this fine city? Because you miss me?’ He made his eyes go soft and round, and he pouted. ‘Because you love your wittle bwother?’
I laughed, a deep belly laugh. This couldn’t be more entertaining.
‘Eejit.’ Liam shook his head, but his lips were twitching. He frowned when he clocked Frank’s uniform. ‘Are you working here?’ Liam’s face dropped. ‘Ren – you promised you’d work on the restaurant with me. No distractions.’
Ren rolled his eyes. ‘I’m not jumping ship. Frank needed some help, so I said I would come and do a few shifts.’ Ren picked at his nails. ‘I figured it would help if I got back into the swing of things. I have spent a year out of the industry.’
Liam relaxed at his words as Ren bristled. I saw something familiar in Ren – someone sick of being underestimated. I made a mental note to point this out to Liam when we were alone. He needed to ease up on his brother.
Liam gave a nod. ‘Good idea.’
Ren leaned forward and stole an olive from Liam’s plate.
‘So, Kat,’ Ren said, chewing. ‘We didn’t have a chance to catch up the other night when I –’ He searched for the word.
‘You turned up out of the blue after a year away in the depths of the Amazon?’
Ren pointed at Liam. ‘Exactly. What’s your deal, then? Dad said you’re from London.’
‘I’m from Reading. I live in London.’
Ren waved a hand. ‘Same, same.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Would you like it if I said you were Liverpudlian?’
Ren’s and Liam’s faces morphed into matching grimaces.
‘Are you moving up here?’ Ren asked. ‘Because we’ll be busy for the next few months. We’re hitting the ground running with the restaurant. I went by the other day, and it looks like shit. We have a lot of work to put in –’
‘Ren,’ Liam said, his eyebrows pinched. ‘She knows. I’ve told her.’
Ren didn’t look convinced. He pointed his finger. ‘You might have spoken about it. But have you two thought this through? It’s not like you could do long distance, Liam. Even if you didn’t have the restaurant, you have Abi.’
Liam opened his mouth, but Ren lifted his palms. ‘I just want to know I didn’t fly all the way home to finally open this restaurant for you to go saunter off down south.’
‘I’m moving up,’ I announced.
You could hear a pin drop. Liam’s wide eyes met mine. Ren’s eyebrows rose.
‘And I’m designing the restaurant for you for free. So be nice to me, you little shit.’
Ren gave me a slow smile, then a quick nod.
‘Okay. That shut me up.’ Ren rose and tucked the chair back.
‘Hang on,’ I said. ‘This doesn’t feel fair. You come over here, interrogate me, then walk off. Don’t I get to hear any embarrassing stories about Liam?’
Ren’s eyes glittered, and he gave a smile. ‘What do you want to know, Kat?’
‘Ren –’
‘Do you want to hear about how he wet the bed till he was seven?’
My mouth fell open as Liam jumped out of his seat. Ren was grinning like the Cheshire cat. ‘Or how he couldn’t get a girl to go with him to prom, so he took our cousin –’
Liam hauled his brother halfway across the restaurant while Ren laughed manically. ‘Wait, wait. Liam – wait. I need to take your drinks orders.’ Ren held up his hands in surrender. ‘Come on, I’m not going to say anything else.’
‘Dickhead,’ Liam muttered as he reluctantly let Ren go and returned to his seat.
‘Katherine’ – he turned to me – ‘what is your favourite cocktail, and can I make you one?’
‘Oh—’
‘I presume you drink?’ Ren’s eyes shifted to Liam. ‘Unlike this one, who couldn’t be trusted.’
I scanned my brain for my favourite cocktail. I wasn’t sure I had one. I preferred beer, really. I racked my brain to come up with something, anything.
‘Has Frank got Guinness on?’ Liam asked; he glanced over to the bar.
‘Yes.’ Ren said.
‘She’ll have a pint.’
Ren’s eyebrows scrunched together. ‘Are you sure—’
‘Are you sure, Red?’ Liam glanced at me.
I grimaced. ‘Yeah. I mean, I’m not really a huge fan of cocktails. Willa used to order me her favourite – French 75 – when we went to the bar by our office.’
Ren grinned. ‘A Guinness with a side of French 75. Genius.’
Before I could protest, Ren had dipped behind the bar, pulling down the Guinness tap.
‘Were you telling the truth’ – Liam’s voice was thick – ‘or were you just trying to get him off our backs?’
My eyes met his and softened. Why was I putting him through this? He was holding so much of himself back, holding half of his heart back. I could see it in his eyes.
‘I’m staying, Liam.’ My eyes stung.
Liam exhaled hard. ‘You’re not pulling my leg?’
I laughed. ‘No.’
Liam launched out of his seat, grasped my neck and pressed his lips against mine. He poured everything into that kiss – relief, happiness and hope. Vaguely, I could hear Ren, Frank, and the kitchen staff whooping and hollering behind us.
Liam pulled back and pressed his forehead against mine. ‘I would have followed you anywhere if I could. But I can’t. So this is my chance to ask you properly. Stay. But stay because you love it here. Stay because you want to. But most importantly, stay because I love you.’ I took a sharp intake of breath. ‘You don’t have to say it back. Just tell me you’re staying again.’
‘I’m staying, Liam.’
Chapter Thirty-Four
We ran across the square, ducking under the canopy of the library. Our dash across had only felt like two seconds, but we were completely soaked. My hair had begun to frizz up already. I laughed at how ridiculous we looked. Rain covered my face and dress. Liam’s face was covered too, rain running down his cheeks, his hair flattening on his forehead. He tried to push it back, but it was no use.
The rain hit harder, pelting on the pavements.
‘Does it always rain this bad?’ I shouted. It was a downpour – April showers.
‘You’ll have to get used to it.’ He grinned and pulled me closer. ‘Are you cold?’
I smiled back. His smile was infectious. ‘No, I’m fine.’
Liam opened his coat. ‘You’re cold. You look cold.’
‘Okay.’ I smiled as Liam pulled me into his chest, his head resting on the top of mine.
I looked up at him, seeing raindrops on his dark eyelashes.
‘What’s next, boss?’
‘Don’t call me that,’ he rumbled.
‘What’s wrong with boss?’ I asked, grinning. I knew exactly what was wrong with calling him boss.
‘I’d stop now, or you’ll find out,’ he said as he pulled me closer. I could feel how much it had affected him. It had affected him big time.
He leaned into my hair. ‘You smell so good. It used to drive me mad when we were working on the house. I could smell your perfume in whatever room you’d been meddling in.’
‘I didn’t meddle!’
‘Hmmm. Sure.’ He smelt my neck, planting a kiss there. We were basically mounting each other in the middle of a city. I looked around. St Peter’s Square was quiet. It looked like everyone else had the same idea – duck under something to keep dry until the worst of the rain was over.
We stood there for a moment, sharing warmth. I leaned up, meeting Liam’s dark eyes.
‘Can you take me home?’ I didn’t want to be in a city teeming with people. I wanted to go back to Everly Heath. I wanted Liam’s eyes on me and nothing else.
Liam gave me a smirk. ‘Sure, Red.’
*
We stumbled through the front door, kissing, and Liam had me up against it in seconds, my legs wrapped around his hips. My green dress had ridden up, leaving my thighs exposed. I could feel the draught from the door as Liam slammed it close with a hard push. He pressed himself against me, and we moaned. Liam trailed kisses everywhere, my neck, my collarbone, my lips, while he ground against me; that coil of pleasure wound tighter with each movement. I pulled on his hair. I wanted to make sure he knew how this was ending.
I wasn’t being teased anymore. I didn’t care about taking it slowly. I needed him. Now.
‘Upstairs,’ I panted. ‘Now.’
I was going to have him tonight if it killed me. Liam let me go, and I slipped down him. I looked up to see a hungry expression in his eyes.
‘Liam. Let’s go. I swear to god, if I’m not in your bed in the next five minutes, I’m going to die.’
Liam laughed. ‘Yes, boss.’
He pulled me into a fireman’s carry, making me squeal in surprise.
‘Liam, this isn’t what I meant.’ I held on tighter as he took us up his stairs. I couldn’t believe he could climb a flight of stairs with me in his arms. I was not exactly light.
‘You should be more specific, then,’ he said as he gave a gentle bite to my neck.
‘Just concentrate on where you are going. I swear – if you drop me!’
‘I won’t drop you,’ he said, walking down a long hallway to a bedroom at the end. He kicked open the door and dropped me onto his bed, shifting across me to flip on the lamp beside his bed.
Liam’s lips flattened. ‘I want you to listen to me. Really listen, okay? You deserve this and more. You are worthy. You’re a bright, shining light to everyone around you. Brian and Sandra adore you. Lydia too. Abi worships the ground you walk on. And I know you don’t see it. But I do. So let me do what I can to prove it to you.’ His hand clasped the back of my neck and pressed our foreheads together. ‘I told you yesterday. Don’t think about what is coming. Just be here with me.’
‘Okay.’
‘Okay.’
‘Let’s go.’ Liam smiled and pulled me into the first gallery.
Chapter Thirty-Three
We stepped out of the art gallery two hours later. The sun decided to stick around, warm on my face. The square in front of the art gallery was basking in the warm sunlight that peeked through the trees.
The tour with Olivia was incredible. We had the whole gallery to ourselves as we walked through each section, Olivia explaining the collection and some of her favourite pieces. The art gallery was beautiful – all parquet floors and glass skylights. They had a huge Lowry and Pre-Raphaelite collection. Liam’s face split into a grin as we walked into a gallery full of women with flaming red hair. He snapped a photo of me looking, my curly red hair matching the painting. I watched him smile at his screen and set it as his lock screen.
‘That bloke would have loved you, Red,’ Liam whispered as Olivia ushered us into the next gallery.
‘Hey,’ I said, pulling Liam towards me on the steps of the gallery. ‘Thank you. I loved it. I can’t wait to go back. There was so much I didn’t see, even in two hours.’
Olivia had mentioned a huge textile collection, and I was itching for some design inspiration. If I did enrol in that interior design course, I wanted to do my dissertation on those fabrics.
‘It was worth it. To see you like that.’ Liam smiled. ‘You looked so happy.’
I grinned. ‘What’s next, tour guide?’
Liam grabbed my hand and led me across the square, which had trams running through it.
‘Well, you said you liked London for the art galleries,’ Liam mimicked, ticking a list. ‘Next, food.’
My stomach rumbled at the mention, and Liam threw me a grin. We walked past a huge dome building.
‘That’s the library, and behind it is the Town Hall. That’s where we have the lights turned on at Christmas. It’s packed, and we usually get a major A-list celebrity to turn them on.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Big Brother contestant from 2005?’
Liam barked a laugh, then gave me a serious look. ‘That’s their career highlight, Red. It’s Abi’s favourite day. That and Pride in August. It takes over the whole city. It’s a lot of fun.’
‘Oh my god. Do you dress up?’
Liam shrugged. ‘Abigail might get the glitter out, yeah.’
I laughed, imagining Liam sitting at the kitchen table, Abigail covering Liam’s face in glitter.
‘I’d love to see that.’
‘Maybe you will.’
Our eyes met, and I could see the hope glimmering in his – the hope that I’d be here long enough for milestones written in Sharpie onto a shared calendar.
We passed a grand hotel called The Midland, and Liam nodded. ‘That’s where Posh and Becks had their first date.’
My mouth fell open. ‘Oh my god. Royalty.’
Liam laughed. ‘Yep.’
We stopped in front of The Vine & Olive, a restaurant with sash windows and a stripy green canopy. It had a couple of iron tables outside, which I imagined were for when the sun shone briefly and a crisp white wine was on the cards.
‘This is lovely,’ I said.
‘We used to come here a lot as kids. It was Mum’s favourite. Best Italian in the city,’ Liam said. ‘I know the owner, Frank. He tends to be quieter at lunch.’
Liam nodded and opened the door, the bell ringing as we walked through.
‘Liam!’ a man bellowed.
The man was in his sixties, with dark hair and greys at his temples. He approached us, wearing a white shirt, black trousers, and a red apron emblazoned with the restaurant logo.
He clapped his hand on Liam’s shoulder, and I swear I saw Liam wince a little.
‘Frank,’ Liam said in an indulgent tone.
‘Your table is free.’ Frank grinned, and his eyes widened when he spotted me.
‘Liam, who is this? Ciao. I’m Frank.’ He held his hand to me, and I couldn’t help but grin. ‘Lovely to meet you.’ His bizarre blended Italian-Mancunian accent came out.
Liam looked down at me, smiling. ‘This is Kat.’
‘Liam, you’ve never brought a girlfriend here.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Must be serious.’
‘Frank,’ Liam warned.
His eyes widened, feigning innocence. ‘What else am I meant to think?’
His arm grazed my shoulder as he angled me towards a table in the window.
‘Come on,’ Liam murmured into my ear. ‘If we don’t sit down, he’ll keep embarrassing me.’
Frank winked as he brought us some menus, and I could feel myself going a bit red.
‘Sorry about him,’ Liam said, his eyes twinkling. ‘I only come here with Dad and Abigail. It’s a bit of a shock for Frank.’
‘How long has he had the restaurant?’
‘Frank has run this place for… god, it’s got to be twenty years now. He’s one of the reasons I love to cook so much. He used to give me cooking lessons early on Sundays before they opened. I learnt how to use a knife and make Italian sauces with Frank.’
‘So he is to thank for the amazing pasta.’
Liam smiled. ‘Yes.’
‘He said you’ve never brought a girl here.’ My curiosity piqued. ‘Did you not bring Yasmin?’
Liam shook his head, glancing down at the menu. ‘It wasn’t her vibe. And we were always too busy to come into town. We just stayed local.’
I studied the menu.
Liam cleared his throat. ‘The strozzapreti is good. If you are struggling to pick.’
Strozzapreti with broccolini and anchovy butter. My mouth watered. Everything on the menu looked amazing.
I glanced up. ‘Do you want to pick us something to share? You probably know all the best dishes.’
Liam hesitated. ‘Are you sure? I don’t want to be that guy.’
‘What guy?’
‘The guy who says what you’ll have. “She’ll have the salad.” That arsehole in the films.’
My lips twitched. ‘Are you going to order me a salad, Liam?’
He wrinkled his nose. ‘Fuck, no.’
I laughed. ‘I didn’t think so. But the Caprese salad does look good, actually. Maybe as a side, though.’
Liam nodded. ‘It’s really good, to be fair.’
I nodded, acting solemn. ‘Okay. I permit you to order that side salad, Liam.’
Liam ordered the strozzapreti broccolini, which was salty and light. To balance the saltiness, he ordered the hearty ragu and finished with a side of garlic bread and Caprese salad. The dishes arrived in traditional Italian bowls, which Liam said Frank sourced from Italy. We shared them in the middle of the table.
‘What do you think?’ Liam scratched his arm.
‘It’s amazing. Why do you look so stressed?’
Liam frowned. ‘This is one of my favourite restaurants. I didn’t realise how nerve-racking it would be to bring someone new here.’
I grinned. ‘High stakes, huh?’
I took a bite of the ragu and moaned. ‘Fucking hell. What does he put in this?’
‘Red,’ Liam said, an octave lower. ‘Don’t make noises like that in public. Or we’ll be paying the bill and going home.’
I looked up to find Liam staring at my lips. I blushed and pressed my legs together. He wasn’t joking, I could tell. He would pay the bill, whisk us out of here, and take me home. He’d probably undress me slowly. Kissing his way up my body like he had done this morning, and we’d finally—
‘Red,’ Liam warned. ‘Your pupils are like saucers. Pack it in. I want to wine and dine you.’
‘Not sixty-nine me?’ I grinned.
Liam shook his head until a tall shadow came over our table, and we glanced up to find Liam’s brother looking down at us.
‘This is cosy.’ Ren grinned. ‘Really, Liam. I didn’t take you for such a romantic. Shall I get some roses, and you can put one in your mouth?’
‘Ren –’ Liam rubbed a hand over his face.
‘Oh!’ Ren clasped his chest. ‘I’ll get Frank to bring out some spaghetti. You can do the bit from Lady and the Tramp.’
I laughed as Liam said, ‘Remind me why I asked you to come back.’
Ren pulled a chair over, turned it around, and sat, and I could see Liam’s blood pressure rising, the veins in his neck pulsing. Ren really pushed his buttons.
‘Because I’m the best barman in this fine city? Because you miss me?’ He made his eyes go soft and round, and he pouted. ‘Because you love your wittle bwother?’
I laughed, a deep belly laugh. This couldn’t be more entertaining.
‘Eejit.’ Liam shook his head, but his lips were twitching. He frowned when he clocked Frank’s uniform. ‘Are you working here?’ Liam’s face dropped. ‘Ren – you promised you’d work on the restaurant with me. No distractions.’
Ren rolled his eyes. ‘I’m not jumping ship. Frank needed some help, so I said I would come and do a few shifts.’ Ren picked at his nails. ‘I figured it would help if I got back into the swing of things. I have spent a year out of the industry.’
Liam relaxed at his words as Ren bristled. I saw something familiar in Ren – someone sick of being underestimated. I made a mental note to point this out to Liam when we were alone. He needed to ease up on his brother.
Liam gave a nod. ‘Good idea.’
Ren leaned forward and stole an olive from Liam’s plate.
‘So, Kat,’ Ren said, chewing. ‘We didn’t have a chance to catch up the other night when I –’ He searched for the word.
‘You turned up out of the blue after a year away in the depths of the Amazon?’
Ren pointed at Liam. ‘Exactly. What’s your deal, then? Dad said you’re from London.’
‘I’m from Reading. I live in London.’
Ren waved a hand. ‘Same, same.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Would you like it if I said you were Liverpudlian?’
Ren’s and Liam’s faces morphed into matching grimaces.
‘Are you moving up here?’ Ren asked. ‘Because we’ll be busy for the next few months. We’re hitting the ground running with the restaurant. I went by the other day, and it looks like shit. We have a lot of work to put in –’
‘Ren,’ Liam said, his eyebrows pinched. ‘She knows. I’ve told her.’
Ren didn’t look convinced. He pointed his finger. ‘You might have spoken about it. But have you two thought this through? It’s not like you could do long distance, Liam. Even if you didn’t have the restaurant, you have Abi.’
Liam opened his mouth, but Ren lifted his palms. ‘I just want to know I didn’t fly all the way home to finally open this restaurant for you to go saunter off down south.’
‘I’m moving up,’ I announced.
You could hear a pin drop. Liam’s wide eyes met mine. Ren’s eyebrows rose.
‘And I’m designing the restaurant for you for free. So be nice to me, you little shit.’
Ren gave me a slow smile, then a quick nod.
‘Okay. That shut me up.’ Ren rose and tucked the chair back.
‘Hang on,’ I said. ‘This doesn’t feel fair. You come over here, interrogate me, then walk off. Don’t I get to hear any embarrassing stories about Liam?’
Ren’s eyes glittered, and he gave a smile. ‘What do you want to know, Kat?’
‘Ren –’
‘Do you want to hear about how he wet the bed till he was seven?’
My mouth fell open as Liam jumped out of his seat. Ren was grinning like the Cheshire cat. ‘Or how he couldn’t get a girl to go with him to prom, so he took our cousin –’
Liam hauled his brother halfway across the restaurant while Ren laughed manically. ‘Wait, wait. Liam – wait. I need to take your drinks orders.’ Ren held up his hands in surrender. ‘Come on, I’m not going to say anything else.’
‘Dickhead,’ Liam muttered as he reluctantly let Ren go and returned to his seat.
‘Katherine’ – he turned to me – ‘what is your favourite cocktail, and can I make you one?’
‘Oh—’
‘I presume you drink?’ Ren’s eyes shifted to Liam. ‘Unlike this one, who couldn’t be trusted.’
I scanned my brain for my favourite cocktail. I wasn’t sure I had one. I preferred beer, really. I racked my brain to come up with something, anything.
‘Has Frank got Guinness on?’ Liam asked; he glanced over to the bar.
‘Yes.’ Ren said.
‘She’ll have a pint.’
Ren’s eyebrows scrunched together. ‘Are you sure—’
‘Are you sure, Red?’ Liam glanced at me.
I grimaced. ‘Yeah. I mean, I’m not really a huge fan of cocktails. Willa used to order me her favourite – French 75 – when we went to the bar by our office.’
Ren grinned. ‘A Guinness with a side of French 75. Genius.’
Before I could protest, Ren had dipped behind the bar, pulling down the Guinness tap.
‘Were you telling the truth’ – Liam’s voice was thick – ‘or were you just trying to get him off our backs?’
My eyes met his and softened. Why was I putting him through this? He was holding so much of himself back, holding half of his heart back. I could see it in his eyes.
‘I’m staying, Liam.’ My eyes stung.
Liam exhaled hard. ‘You’re not pulling my leg?’
I laughed. ‘No.’
Liam launched out of his seat, grasped my neck and pressed his lips against mine. He poured everything into that kiss – relief, happiness and hope. Vaguely, I could hear Ren, Frank, and the kitchen staff whooping and hollering behind us.
Liam pulled back and pressed his forehead against mine. ‘I would have followed you anywhere if I could. But I can’t. So this is my chance to ask you properly. Stay. But stay because you love it here. Stay because you want to. But most importantly, stay because I love you.’ I took a sharp intake of breath. ‘You don’t have to say it back. Just tell me you’re staying again.’
‘I’m staying, Liam.’
Chapter Thirty-Four
We ran across the square, ducking under the canopy of the library. Our dash across had only felt like two seconds, but we were completely soaked. My hair had begun to frizz up already. I laughed at how ridiculous we looked. Rain covered my face and dress. Liam’s face was covered too, rain running down his cheeks, his hair flattening on his forehead. He tried to push it back, but it was no use.
The rain hit harder, pelting on the pavements.
‘Does it always rain this bad?’ I shouted. It was a downpour – April showers.
‘You’ll have to get used to it.’ He grinned and pulled me closer. ‘Are you cold?’
I smiled back. His smile was infectious. ‘No, I’m fine.’
Liam opened his coat. ‘You’re cold. You look cold.’
‘Okay.’ I smiled as Liam pulled me into his chest, his head resting on the top of mine.
I looked up at him, seeing raindrops on his dark eyelashes.
‘What’s next, boss?’
‘Don’t call me that,’ he rumbled.
‘What’s wrong with boss?’ I asked, grinning. I knew exactly what was wrong with calling him boss.
‘I’d stop now, or you’ll find out,’ he said as he pulled me closer. I could feel how much it had affected him. It had affected him big time.
He leaned into my hair. ‘You smell so good. It used to drive me mad when we were working on the house. I could smell your perfume in whatever room you’d been meddling in.’
‘I didn’t meddle!’
‘Hmmm. Sure.’ He smelt my neck, planting a kiss there. We were basically mounting each other in the middle of a city. I looked around. St Peter’s Square was quiet. It looked like everyone else had the same idea – duck under something to keep dry until the worst of the rain was over.
We stood there for a moment, sharing warmth. I leaned up, meeting Liam’s dark eyes.
‘Can you take me home?’ I didn’t want to be in a city teeming with people. I wanted to go back to Everly Heath. I wanted Liam’s eyes on me and nothing else.
Liam gave me a smirk. ‘Sure, Red.’
*
We stumbled through the front door, kissing, and Liam had me up against it in seconds, my legs wrapped around his hips. My green dress had ridden up, leaving my thighs exposed. I could feel the draught from the door as Liam slammed it close with a hard push. He pressed himself against me, and we moaned. Liam trailed kisses everywhere, my neck, my collarbone, my lips, while he ground against me; that coil of pleasure wound tighter with each movement. I pulled on his hair. I wanted to make sure he knew how this was ending.
I wasn’t being teased anymore. I didn’t care about taking it slowly. I needed him. Now.
‘Upstairs,’ I panted. ‘Now.’
I was going to have him tonight if it killed me. Liam let me go, and I slipped down him. I looked up to see a hungry expression in his eyes.
‘Liam. Let’s go. I swear to god, if I’m not in your bed in the next five minutes, I’m going to die.’
Liam laughed. ‘Yes, boss.’
He pulled me into a fireman’s carry, making me squeal in surprise.
‘Liam, this isn’t what I meant.’ I held on tighter as he took us up his stairs. I couldn’t believe he could climb a flight of stairs with me in his arms. I was not exactly light.
‘You should be more specific, then,’ he said as he gave a gentle bite to my neck.
‘Just concentrate on where you are going. I swear – if you drop me!’
‘I won’t drop you,’ he said, walking down a long hallway to a bedroom at the end. He kicked open the door and dropped me onto his bed, shifting across me to flip on the lamp beside his bed.
