I'm Not Charlotte Lucas(55)

His smile made me giggle, and then he smiled harder, leaning in. “Want to know what I think?”

I nodded, because speaking wasn’t really an option right now.

“I think you don’t really know how incredible you actually are. I also think this idea of just being friends is horrible.”

I tried to swallow, but my mouth went as dry as the Sahara, and I just watched him lean closer instead. The man was hot. His dark-blue eyes trained on me, unrelenting. I pushed myself back against the counter to give us both some breathing space, my knuckles clutching the edge of Vera’s marble top. But there was nowhere to go, and Liam didn’t really seem to mind.

His jaw looked shaded, like he hadn’t shaved in a few days. I fought the desire to run my finger along his stubble and forced my gaze to hold his.

“Did you want lasagna?” Wow, did I have to sound so breathy? His smirk proved that he noticed.

“I wouldn’t mind sharing dinner, but I think you’re trying to change the subject. I just told you I don’t want to be friends, Charlie.”

“That’s not very nice.” His proximity was making me lightheaded. He’d flirted before, but he’d never really been so close to me. With Liam this close, my brain wasn’t working properly.

His mouth came closer. I could lean forward and make contact if I had the guts.

“You know what I mean,” he said, shaking his head slightly.

“I don’t think I do.” I wasn’t lying. Did he mean that he wanted to be friends with benefits or that he wanted to be more? I really hoped it was the latter of the two, but I couldn’t say that. I needed him to tell me, to be blatant. It was hard enough to believe that he was boxing me against the counter, his body heat warming me immensely and his arm still leaning against mine. Yep, I hadn’t moved a muscle.

“I won’t touch you without your consent, Charlie,” he said quietly, but his voice was full of meaning.

“Liar,” I whispered. “You’re touching me right now.”

His arm flexed, and his navy-blue eyes drew closer still. He knew exactly what I had referred to.

“Fine. I won’t kiss you without your consent, Charlie.” His gaze dropped to my lips. “No matter how badly I want to.”

What. Was. Happening? This was an alternate universe with a Darcy-level-of-hotness guy asking if he could kiss me. My mind started to tell me that it wouldn’t matter if he was just after some benefits. I would gladly participate.

But then stupid Charlotte Lucas popped into my head, all forlorn and lonely in her cottage with her loser husband.

I needed to value myself enough to take men seriously and to demand that they do the same for me.

“What do you say?” Liam’s rich, deep voice washed a fresh wave of chills over my skin, and I shivered.

I needed to act fast, or I would throw all my willpower out the window and let the man kiss me now.

“Vera,” I said. Yes, I really did just say the one word.

Liam leaned back the slightest bit, chuckling. He must have known I was struggling to breathe. He was so close, his words so warm they floated about me like a caress. But mentioning the man’s grandma broke the spell nonetheless. “She’s upstairs. I figured we could make a plate and take it up on a tray. She can’t leave her bed for the week. The doc is worried she’ll fall again.”

“Sounds like a reasonable plan.” And entirely possible if Liam would step away from me.

“Charlie?”

“Yeah?”

He leaned closer, so much that our breath was likely mingling between us. One small puff and I would feel it, I was certain.

“I’m really glad you came over tonight. I kind of missed you.”

“Kind of?” I laughed, leaning back. Here was my escape: humor. Turning, I broke his hand away from the counter and pulled a plate from the cupboard, my heart pounding against my breastbone like it wanted to escape my chest. I busied myself with compiling Vera’s dinner onto a plate, and Liam leaned close behind me, the scent of something expensive and masculine wafting toward me.

There was chemistry between us. The clear, pounding heat seemed to pulse, clawing at me. I wanted to toss aside the white Wedgwood plate and kiss Liam, but that would be both idiotic and awkward. And it would make Vera come looking for us, I was sure—despite her broken leg.

“I’m going to take this up.” I lifted the plate to prove my plan but couldn’t meet Liam’s eye. He would know about my un-friendzone thoughts right away if he caught my gaze.

As I climbed the stairs, the tension fell away from me one step at a time, and I could breathe again by the time I reached the landing, stepping out of the cloud of Liam’s hotness.

I’d promised myself I would take a minute to breathe before attempting a relationship with Liam, but it was a total lie and an odd sort of protection. I never thought we’d reach the point where I would be forced to make a decision. But that? That was clearly Liam coming on to me.

I wasn’t used to this. Hot guys didn’t go for me. They went for Beth. Sure, I got Andy, but that was a mixture of luck and stupidity. I never would’ve dated the guy if I knew what a selfish pig he was ahead of time.

But Liam? He was different. Everything about him was unique and foreign. This was like stepping off the plane in Mexico and realizing everyone around me was speaking to me but nothing made sense.