Wicked Heart (Starcrossed #3)(13)

That makes me laugh. “I have a feeling your ego is just fine.”

“Maybe. But a little extra stroking never hurts.”

A shiver of anticipation runs through me. Okay, this isn’t good. As a rule, I never sleep with guys on a first date, but Liam is quickly chipping away at my resolve. The trouble is, I have no doubt that having sex with him would lead to a whole mess of emotional stuff I’m not prepared to deal with right now.

When I glance over at him, he’s staring at me with a deep frown. I can’t figure out if he’s concerned or confused.

“You okay?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Not sure. I have this overwhelming urge to spend more time with you tonight, but I don’t want to come across as needy or desperate.”

“Hmmm. Dilemma. What are you going to do?”

He reaches into his pocket. “Invite you to come to King Lear with me? Thanks to my ex, who’d prefer to bang a guy in a thousand-dollar suit than attend the theater, I have an extra ticket. It’d be a shame for it to go to waste.”

He puts the tickets on the table and I study them. “Oh, wow. The Lowbridge Shakespeare Company? My mom has taken my brother and me to their productions since we were kids. I think that’s why Ethan and I both chose the careers we did.”

“Oh? You guys work in theater?”

“Yeah. We’ve both applied to The Grove in Westchester.”

Liam looks impressed. “Wow. Good school. So you’re an actress? I should have known. A woman as gorgeous as you, it makes sense you’d be on the stage.”

With talk like that, my blush isn’t disappearing anytime soon. “Actually, I prefer backstage. I’m a stage manager.”

Liam’s expression intensifies. “Okay. Not sure why I find that so much sexier than being an actress, but I do. Weird.”

This boy has a silver tongue, that’s for sure. I wonder what it would taste like.

“What about you?” I ask. “You’re not an actor, are you?”

Liam smiles. “Wow. Don’t like actors, huh?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because it looks like you might laser me to death with your eyeballs if I say yes. Care to explain?”

“Not really. It’s a long story.” My aversion to actors is strong, but I didn’t realize I was so transparent. “I just don’t date actors, that’s all.”

He looks at me for a few seconds, then says, “Well, this isn’t strictly a date, is it? So it doesn’t matter what I am. However, if you come to the theater with me . . . well, that’s a whole other story.”

I look down at the tickets. They’re fantastic seats, and I really do want to see this production.

Liam notices my hesitation. “To steal a phrase from Josh, I’d love for you to come.” He gives me another one of those looks that makes me melt. “Take that any way you like, as long as you say yes.”

The sexual innuendo is much more effective coming from him. “Okay. Can I at least give you some money? They’re expensive seats.”

“No way,” he says. “But you can pay for the pizza. Deal?”

“You pay hundreds of dollars for tickets, and I pay twenty bucks for pizza? Hardly seems fair.”

“Three hundred dollars for the pleasure of your company, beautiful Elissa? Seems like a bargain, if you ask me.”

Jesus. His smoothness is killing me.

As a rule, smugness turns me off, but not tonight. There’s a sincerity to his flirting that presses all my buttons.

An hour later, when we all exit the restaurant, laughing like fools, I’m even more conflicted. I never thought I’d meet someone who could match the special dynamic Josh and I share, but Liam does. Easily.

“Okay, guys,” Josh says as he glances down the street. “I have a hot date with the girl who’s playing Elphaba in Wicked, and if I’m lucky, I’ll have green face paint in strange and unusual places before midnight.” Liam holds out his hand, and Josh shakes it. “Nice to meet you, Liam. Hope we’ll be seeing you again. Please keep in mind that, even though you could crush my head with your bare hands, I’m going to have to ask you to treat Elissa with respect, or face the consequences.”

“What consequences?”

“Me running into your fist with my head, multiple times. But, be warned. I have a thick skull. Your knuckles will never be the same.”

Liam gives him a smile. “Noted. I promise to behave.”

“Elissa, I’ll call you tomorrow.” Josh hugs me and whispers in my ear, “Be good. And if you can’t be good, be safe. I snuck a condom into your bag in case you decide to break your golden rule. Don’t be afraid to use it.”

I squeeze him. “You’re the best. And the worst.”

After kissing me on the cheek, Josh disappears into the evening crowd, and just like that, my security blanket is gone. Being alone with Liam ramps up the tension between us even more.

We stare at each other for a few seconds before Liam clears his throat. “So, I hear King Lear’s a bit of an asshole. We probably shouldn’t keep him waiting.” He offers me his arm. “Shall we?”

It’s so old-fashioned and gallant, I laugh. “I guess we shall.” As soon as I link my hand into the crook of his elbow, he sucks in a quick breath. “Are you okay?”