Chapter Sixteen

Isla stepped out of the shower and dried off. Pulling on cozy pajama pants and a tank top, she kept her hair twisted up in a clip. Despite the heat of the shower, it’d done nothing to wash away the day. What an absolute nightmare.

She’d been so worried about her father and brother undermining her—sabotaging her—she hadn’t considered her ability to do it herself. The barrage of questions looped through her mind.

Moving out to the kitchen, she thought about calling down and ordering some food. Between running out of the press conference, catching a cab to the apartment only to be met by her dad and Ian, she hadn’t eaten.

Biting her lip, she considered her options and was picking up her phone from the counter when a knock sounded. She glanced at the screen and saw Liam had called and texted several times. She’d been avoiding everyone. But not him. She just hadn’t felt together enough to reply yet. He had every reason to be angry with her, but he couldn’t be madder than she was at herself.

Pulling the door open, prepared to greet James, who’d taken pity on her when she’d shown up at the bar, her eyes widened at the sight of Liam. Without thinking, she launched herself at him, and he caught her in his arms. Wrapped tightly against him, she let him step into the apartment, kick the door shut behind him, and continue to just hold her as she buried her nose in his neck.

Tears filled her eyes, and all he idiotic moments of the day replayed like a horrible gag reel in her head.

“It’s okay, Red. It’s going to be okay,” he soothed, his lips at her ear.

She sniffled and pulled back, glad her tears didn’t fall. “Why did you knock? You own the place.”

He laughed, cupped her cheeks, and stared into her eyes. Just his look, his touch, settled all the pieces inside her that were running around like toddlers high on sugar. Everything just…slowed. She breathed in and out, loving the scent of his cologne and him.

“It makes me happy that you came here. That you felt like you could come here, but sweetheart, why didn’t you come to me?” Liam stepped back, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on one of the hooks beside the door.

He nudged her toward the couch and, to her disappointment, sat across from her when she craved the closeness. At least one of them could think logically.

“You know I couldn’t do that. I was supposed to stand there and be professional. I said I could hold my own, and I ended up looking like an idiot. I needed time to think. It was so embarrassing, and I wasn’t sure if you’d be mad. I panicked and went to Josiah’s apartment first. My dad and Ian were there. My father had papers drawn up—he wants the team and is willing to cut me a deal. I couldn’t handle talking to him, so I just got back in the taxi, and this was the only place that came to mind. It’s just…it’s all so much, and I felt so stupid.”

She lowered her head, wanting to curl into him and rest it on his chest, but she refused to wimp out. She met his gaze again.

Liam’s fingers linked together, and he dropped them between open knees as he looked at her with furrowed brows. “Why would I be mad?”

She rolled her eyes. “Uh…hmm,” she said, her tone edging toward sarcasm. Holding up her fingers, she ticked off the reasons. “One, I made it seem like we have a personal relationship. I may not know a lot about sports, but I know a guy is likely to get razzed about dating the owner of a team. The new owner who made it clear how little she knows. You’re like, this paragon of baseball. And I…I called it a cup. Two, I embarrassed you and myself and the team on national television. Three, they now all see me as one of your groupies more than the owner. Four, you have a very commendable reputation built around making smart choices and staying out of the tabloids. If this isn’t tabloid fodder, I don’t know what is. And lastly…you believed I could pull it off, and I blew it up instead.”

Liam shifted on the couch, his body moving nearer making her ache with want. She knew they couldn’t go anywhere. But God, she wanted him. His closeness, his tenderness, and his strength.

Angling his body, he reached out a hand, setting it beside her hip on the couch but stopping short of touching her. “You didn’t embarrass me. At all. You could absolutely never be a groupie, so don’t say that. And you did pull it off, Isla. You handled yourself, and yeah, a few things went sideways, but you walked out with your head high, and I’m damn proud of you. I wish I’d stayed and been there for you afterward.”

That he’d even thought of that made her want to sink in to him and push everything else away. She started to put her head down on his shoulder, but he stopped her. One hand came to her jaw, and he moved his thumb over her bottom lip. Like tripping a live wire, her skin buzzed to life.

He dropped it suddenly, like he hadn’t meant to touch her.

“And finally,” he said, his voice lower, his face moving nearer. “As much as we’re both trying to deny it, we do have a personal relationship. It was an honest mistake, Isla. You can’t beat yourself up over it.”

Right. Nor could she do anything about the fact that Liam was awakening a part of her soul she didn’t even know existed.

“I wish…” She bit her lip.

“What? What do you wish?”

Her eyes burned with tears, and her heartbeat echoed in her ears. “I wish things were different.”

She lowered her head and tried to squelch the feelings overriding whatever common sense she had left. Liam’s hand came to her chin, tipping it up. The look in his eyes mirrored everything she felt, and she wondered what kind of cruel twist of fate made her feel like she’d found the perfect man in the one she couldn’t have.

Her heart thumped quicker against her rib cage when his breath grew shallow. “Liam. We can’t.”

He closed his eyes, and she took the moment to study his features, the slightly crooked tilt of his nose, the strong jaw, the thick, dark brows. Another time. Another place. If she believed in soul mates…

Don’t finish that thought. How could it hurt so much when they’d never even been together?

When his eyes fluttered open, she knew he’d reminded himself of all of their reasons. “It’s hard to be around you and not touch you. It’s impossible to not want to kiss you.”

She nodded, and he dropped his hands. She felt the loss of them, and it piled onto the sadness she already felt.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, still watching her.

“Me too. You have no idea how much.”

His grin made her belly jump. “I think I might have some idea.”

Isla gave him the smile she knew he’d been hoping for. He adjusted himself on the couch and leaned back. “Can I do anything? The slipup in the conference will go away. Try not to fixate on it. Ethan will make sure they have other sound bites.”

Isla nodded and tried to mirror his relaxed pose. “He’s been great. So has Josiah and his daughter, Jennifer. And of course, I’m hoping to bring Addie here.”

He reached out, then pulled his hand back, curled it into a fist on his lap. “I hate the thought of you being alone.”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she tried to give him a sardonic smile. “I probably won’t get much alone time over the next little while.”

Liam leaned in, and her breath hitched. “I’ve never wanted to be the person anyone turned to. Not in this way. But I want to be that for you.”

Isla wished she were one of those people who could see how things fit and moved together several steps in advance. But all she knew how to do in this moment was survive from one minute to the next. “I feel like the more time we spend together like this, the more I’ll need that to be the case.”

Her eyes moved down to watch his chest rise and lower slowly. “I should go.”

Looking up, she met his gaze and felt the tiny knot of sadness in her heart getting bigger and more tangled. “You should. But I’m glad you came. I won’t make it a habit of showing up here.”

Standing, he stared down at her a moment. “You’re welcome to if you need somewhere to be. And though it’s probably not a great idea for us to be out and about together, if you need anything at all, even just someone to vent to, text me. Day or night.”

Isla stood, and their bodies brushed together. She couldn’t help herself; she moved in and took the hug she needed. His arms came around her immediately, and he pressed his lips to her hair.

“I’m here, even if it has to be by phone, Red. You aren’t alone. Whether Addison shows up or not, you have more than just her in your corner.”

Tilting her head up, she stared into his dark eyes. “Thank you.”

The moment suspended and, because she might not get another opportunity, she went up on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his in a sweet, intoxicating kiss that made her ache but would keep her warm when she revisited the memory.

She walked him to the door, and when he said good night, she closed it behind him and wondered how it was possible to miss something she’d never had. She’d never had a grandfather in her life, and yet it hurt that he was gone. She’d never know what it would be like to wake up in Liam’s bed and be the only woman he wanted. And the loss of that would stick with her. Tears burned her eyes as she walked back to the couch.

It was an hour earlier in Colorado, so Isla didn’t feel guilty placing the call. She’d offered Addie a serious pay bump and just about anything else she wanted to join her in Nashville. What she hadn’t done, yet, was say the three words that would have her friend there without question. Because she hadn’t wanted to be selfish or pushy. Now, it was say them or turn to Liam, because she could do this alone, but she really didn’t want to.

“Hey,” Addie said, picking up after the third ring.

“Hey.” Isla’s voice cracked.

“You okay?”

Taking a deep breath, Isla told her friend the truth. “I need you.”

There was a barely there pause before Addie said what Isla had known she would. “I’m on my way.”