Page 21 of On the Line

“Exactly,” she says, and stands up. “Also, for the record, I was never actually going to invite Aaron’s coworker.”

I stare at her. “You’ve been threatening me with that blind date for weeks.”

“I was motivating you.”

“To do what?”

“Anything at all.” She heads for the door. “And Liam’s way hotter than Aaron’s coworker.”

“No kidding. You described him as having a good personality.”

She leaves laughing. I try to finish packing and mostly fold the same shirt three times. When I finally zip the suitcase and carry it downstairs, Liam is out on the deck.

He turns around when I step outside, and my chest pinches. Three days ago he was a stranger at a bar. Now the idea of saying goodbye to him actually hurts, and I’m pretty sure that isn’t normal.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey.”

I walk over, and his hands settle on my hips like that’s where they belong. I rest mine on his chest.

“Packed?” he asks.

“Mostly. I’ll probably head out in an hour.”

He nods. I study his face.

“You really want me to come back next weekend? It wasn’t a heat-of-the-moment thing?”

“Of course, I want you to come back.”

“What if I’m annoying?”

“You are. I like you anyway.” He grins that impish grin that drives me crazy.

I shove him, and he catches me and pulls me right back in.

I blink up at him. “What if we spend a whole normal weekend together and figure out this was just a vacation fling after all.”

“Then we’ll know,” he says.

He makes it sound so simple. Maybe it is, and I’m the one trying to make it complicated because simple feels a little suspicious.

“And if it’s real. Really real? Then what?” I ask.

His arms tighten around me. “Then we’ll live happily ever after.” He smiles, but then it fades. “I mean it, Delaney. I want to give this a chance.”

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

He lets out a long breath, like he’s been waiting all day to hear it. I go up on my toes and kiss him, and he pulls me in close. When we come apart, I leave my forehead against his.

I smile. “Next weekend then.”

“Next weekend.”

“And Liam?”

“Yeah?”