Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #1)(35)

Can I help you?”

“We need to have you look up our account information,” Liam states.

Scott shoves his glasses up his nose and indicates a counter in the back of the store. We follow him there and Liam does not remove his hand from my back. We stop at the counter and Scott walks behind it, pulling a keyboard closer to him. “What can I help you with?”

Liam sets the phone on the counter. “Can you confirm the name on the account and who has access?”

Scott’s face pinches. “Only if I’m talking to the person who owns the account, and surely they would know this information already.”

“Not if a good friend set the account up for them,” Liam corrects.

“Then I need the ID of whoever is on the account,” Scott replies. He obviously takes his job seriously and I have to respect the guy, considering how I value my privacy.

Liam glances at me. “He’ll need your ID.”

I’d seen this coming, but as I open my purse a sliver of unease ripples down my spine as a thought hits me. Is this Liam’s way of seeing my driver’s license? I remove my driver’s license that reads Amy Bensen and it hits me that it is a Colorado license. Liam is a smart man. This is going to make him ask questions.

I slide the card forward face down and hold my breath in hopes that Scott is discreet. He lifts it and sets it on a keyboard beneath the counter, out of sight, and I let out a breath. He keys in my information. “What phone number do you have a question about, Ms. Bensen?”

The way he says it, like I have another one on file, is curious. I barely stop myself from asking. “I don’t have it memorized.”

“303-222-1018,” Liam supplies by memory.

“You remembered it that quickly?”

“I’m a numbers guy.”

The mental image of all those numbers trailing from his belly button down to some delicious destination I’ve yet to explore and never will thickens my throat. “Yes. I suppose you are.”

“Got it,” Scott informs us. “What do you need to know, Ms. Bensen?”

“She needs to know if anyone else is on the account,” Liam answers.

Scott looks at me for confirmation and I’m not sure where Liam is going with this but I’d like to get there with him sooner than later. “Is there?”

“Nope,” Scott answers. “Just you.”

“And the bills go to her directly?” Liam asks.

Scott glances at me. “You can speak freely. Please tell him whatever he wants to know.”

“The account is paid for a year in advance. Statements do go to you directly, Ms. Bensen, and any extra charges would therefore be payable by you.”

“Does the account have a password of any type?” Liam asks.

Scott punches a key on his computer. “No password set up.”

Liam opens the box and takes the phone out. “Throw that away.”

“What about the paperwork?” Scott asks.

“That’s why we have the internet.” Liam’s attention shifts to me but he speaks to Scott.

“Walk her through setting it up.”

Scott starts speaking, but I tune him out, focused solely on Liam. His eyes hold mine and I feel the connection between us. He never intended to return the phone. This was never about things getting too complicated. He held onto my hand to hold onto me. I should have seen that, but let my state of mind and inexperience with a man like Liam make me a little crazy.

He steps closer to me, sweeping a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing my skin and sending a shiver down my spine. “You need the phone,” he says softly. “Set up the password. You can change it at any time.” He glances at Scott. “And she can change her number if she needs to as well, correct?”

“Yes,” Scott agrees. “If there is a reason she needs to change it she just needs to call in and provide account validation.”

Liam leans down, his hand settling possessively on my waist, branding me. I want to be branded by this man. “If you ever really want to get rid of me,” he whispers, “you can always change your number.”

If I ever really want to get rid of him. He didn’t believe my lie. I didn’t either.

***

A few minutes later, I’ve tucked my cell phone into my pocket and let Liam hold the door for me to exit the store. Pausing, I wait for him to join me, instinctively scanning the still-busy sidewalk illuminated by a combination of moonlight and street lanterns.

“How about that dinner?” Liam asks, stepping beside me, and just that easily I’ve forgotten my surroundings and there is only him.

“Earlier,” I start, “back at the hotel. Liam, when I said what I said. I…”

Still need to say goodbye, but I can’t seem to get the words out.

He steps closer to me, sliding his hand to my face. “If you tell me you don’t want to be with me. I will listen. I won’t like it, but I’ll listen. I need you to know that. But when you say you ‘can’t’ be with me, like some obstacle out of your control is stopping you from seeing me, I’m not going to listen.”

I am stunned and happy and confused and freaked out all at once. It is as if he has reached inside my head and ticked off every possible thing I could need him to say but it also means he sees too much. And yet…not enough. I have never wanted to bare my soul to anyone and I do now to a man I barely know.