“So… confession time,” Audrey said, holding up her phone for Liam to see. He was relaxing on the couch, reading To Kill A Mockingbird. “Wait, what are you doing?”

“Ah,” Liam said, setting his book aside. “A few people have told me how great this book is, so I am giving it a try.”

“Oh yeah?” Audrey said, taking the overstuffed red velour chair across from the couch. “Any conclusions so far?”

“I didn’t realize that the Southern part of the States was so complicated,” he said with a shrug. “That’s all I’ve really got, so far. Only about fifty pages in.”

“Well, you surprised me,” Audrey said, unable to hold back a smile.

“What, you think the dumb footballer can’t read?” he asked, rolling his eyes. “I’m sure the rest of the world thinks that about me, but I’d hoped you knew better.”

“I do,” Audrey said, cocking her head and studying him. He really did look insanely sexy with a book in his hand. The way his tight MANCHESTER UNITED t-shirt clung to his chest didn’t hurt, either.

“So, what’s this about a confession?” he asked, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

Audrey bit her lip for a second, distracted by his disheveled sexiness. Men really had all the luck in that department, Liam especially.

Liam caught her gaze, then grinned. The knowing look in his eyes meant he realized that she was just plain checking him out, which was a little embarrassing.

Busted.

“Hmm?” she asked.

“You were confessing your sins to me,” he said, leaning back and crossing his arms. She tried not to stare at his bulging biceps, at the vibrant colors of his tattoos.

“Right. Uh, the night that Jack slept here, I got into his iPhone,” she said, forcing herself to focus. Was it just that she’d been so long without sex, or was her infatuation with Liam’s attractiveness a sign of the growing tension between them?

More importantly, was the supposed tension mutual, or just in her head?

“What do you mean, got into?” he asked, narrowing his gaze.

“I mean… he was hammered. I asked him for his password so I could set an alarm on his phone. While I was in there, I turned on the Find My Friends app… but I didn’t tell him that.”

Liam shrugged. “I don’t really know anything about phones.”

“I’m trying to tell you that I can track my brother anywhere he goes,” she said, holding up her phone again. “Like I can see him anytime his phone is turned on.”

“Okay…” Liam said. “A gross invasion of privacy, but alright. I assume you’re telling me this for a reason.”

“Well, right now he’s in College Park. Like wayyyy south of the city, almost to the airport.”

“Uh huh…” Liam said, giving her a baffled look. “Can you just cut to the chase, love?”

Audrey flushed a little at the word love, though he called lots of women that. It was a very casual phrase for Liam.

“He’s probably about to get himself in trouble,” she said. “There’s lots of abandoned warehouses and stuff down in that part of town, and I’d be willing to bet that he’s heading to a fight.”

Liam perked up. “Well, shit. Good work, Sherlock.”

“Thanks,” Audrey said with a chuckle.

“If you give me the address—” he started, then stopped at Audrey’s glare. “Right. Of course you aren’t just going to make this easy. You’re going to insist on going, and argue with me until I give in. Have I got that about right?”

“You’ve hit the nail on the head,” Audrey said.

Liam huffed a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he said, “All right, but don’t make me regret this.”

“I’ve already picked out an outfit,” Audrey said, breaking into a grin. “You know, to blend in.”

Liam stood, looking her up and down. “I hope it’s spandex. Or that sheer lace stuff, that was good.”

Audrey laughed and rolled her eyes. “You’re awful. If we get moving now, I can be ready in fifteen minutes.”

“Deal,” Liam said. He held out his hand to help her up, then pulled her to her feet. For a moment, they were mere inches apart, her hand pressed against his. “Fifteen minutes, then.”

Audrey hurried to her room. She quickly added a little extra makeup and hairspray to her daytime look, playing up her blue eyes and letting her red hair cascade around her shoulders in fiery waves.

Then she opened a garment bag and pulled out something very special indeed. A skintight two-piece look, with a white tube top and a white mini-skirt, both adorned with delicate gold studs. She’d seen a pop star wearing this in photos, an after-Grammys look, and asked Liam’s stylist to find something similar.

To her shock, the stylist got Audrey the exact same outfit… and it actually fit, to boot. Glancing in the mirror, she slipped on a pair of gold Louboutins and grinned at herself.

Maybe it was the new job, maybe it was flirting with Liam. Whatever it was about her life these days, she felt good. Really, really good. Euphoric, except when she was fighting with Liam.

And even then… well, she kind of liked arguing with him.

Shrugging at her reflection, she walked out to find Liam pacing in the foyer. He wore dark jeans and a short-sleeved navy plaid button up, and he looked hot as hell.

“Are you wearing glasses?” she asked with a giggle.

“They’re fake. It’s part of my disguise,” he said, cocking a brow. “I’m trying to look like a sexy professor or something.”

“Mission accomplished,” she said, before she could stop herself.

Liam threw his head back and howled with laughter for a long moment while Audrey just stood there blushing. After a moment, he sobered a little.

“And you, dressed up like a Beverly Hills girl,” he said. “I guess we’re playing opposites tonight.”

“Hey, I can pull this off,” Audrey said, her lips pulling into a pout. She wasn’t about to let Liam’s teasing ruin her newfound sense of fun and freedom.

“Audrey,” Liam said, taking her wrist and pulling her close. He ran a fingertip up her arm; the touch was innocent, but it still made her shiver. “You more than pull this off, okay? You look fucking incredible.”

She relaxed and smiled at him. “Thanks.”

Liam turned her around and gave her a little push toward the door. “To be honest, I think you look good in that god-awful bathrobe of yours, so…”

Audrey bit her lip to keep from grinning. “Hey, that bathrobe is amazing. Don’t knock it till you’ve lounged in it, truly. So comfy.”

The ride to the south side of the city went fast, with Liam and Audrey chatting and laughing. Truly, Audrey couldn’t remember them ever having a comfortable conversation, much less a pleasant car ride together.

It made her happier than it should. Yeah, Liam was a complete player and he’d probably charmed a thousand girls just this way. But maybe they could at least be friends… if Audrey could keep her feelings simple and carefree, she thought there was a strong foundation for something good to come.

And yeah, maybe a tiny part of her knew that she was already past that point, but at the moment she just wanted to feel free and happy.

Liam didn’t give a shit what anyone thought, he just effortlessly succeeded in all facets of his life… he made it look so easy, Audrey couldn’t help but want to try it on for size.

Tonight she was just going to be cool for once. Assuming her brother wasn’t getting murdered, of course.

Her mouth turned down at that thought. There were lots of reasons why Audrey had never been wild and carefree, but Jack was among the biggest of them.

“Ah, I think we’ve found it,” Liam said, pulling her from her thoughts.

He cruised down a darkened street, pointing out a warehouse a block down. The building was the only thing on the block with lights on, plus there were dozens of cars parked on each street near it.

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” she said.

“Leave everything but your ID card in the car,” Liam said. “Under the seat is even better.”

“Where would I put anything else in this outfit?” Audrey joked, and Liam snorted.

They both got out of the car, and Liam held out a hand to her. She took it with a grin.

“Are we playing pretend again tonight?” she asked. “A girl and her guardian?”

Liam slid her a sly look. “We’re playing whatever you want, sweetheart.”

Audrey scoffed and rolled her eyes, but inside it gave her a little thrill.

All right, maybe she had a little crush on him. Who wouldn’t working this closely together with someone who looked like Liam?

It was all good, clean fun as long as she didn’t let it go too far, right?

Right?

As they approached the single banged-up metal entry door, Audrey turned her attention to the other people who were walking up. Lots of scantily-clad girls and well-dressed, hip men. Everyone seemed to be wearing really bright colors, and some of the girls even wore fun dress-up wigs.

“Should we have worn neon?” Audrey asked Liam.

“Got me,” Liam shrugged. “It’s certainly not normal for a fight. In fact, everyone here is pretty out of character for this sort of thing.”

“Right…” Audrey said.

They lined up behind half a dozen other people at the door. Everyone stood for a few moments, waiting. Then the door swung open, persistent dance music throbbing out into the night. Audrey could see the faint flash of lights inside.

“This doesn’t seem like an illegal pit fight,” she whispered to Liam.

Liam shook his head, but she could see him trying to figure it out, too. He was starting to get a little tense, his playfulness from moments before now vanished.

The line moved slowly but steadily, and in a few minutes it swung open to admit them into a small, dark space, separated from whatever was going inside.

A naked lightbulb hung from the ceiling. The music pounded hard enough to shake the thin walls of the booth they were standing in. Two guys greeted them, a big bouncer and a skinny hipster kid.

“IDs,” the bouncer demanded.

Audrey and Liam handed them over. The bouncer checked them over, taking his time.

“Fifty bucks each, all you can drink,” the kid said. “Plus party favors.”

Liam arched a brow, then shrugged and pulled out his wallet. As soon as he handed over the cash, the kid looked Audrey up and down with a little smirk.

“You’re gonna have a great time, honey,” he said. “Now stick out your tongue.”

He held up a couple of small pills between his thumb and forefinger. Audrey scowled.

“I’m not taking that!” she protested, glancing at Liam.

“You already paid,” the kid said, rolling his eyes. “No pills, no entrance. No refunds either.”

She looked at Liam, who shrugged. Was she really going to do this?

Fun and wild, right? she reminded herself.

She stuck out her tongue, closing her eyes, and let the kid drop the pills onto her tongue. After she swallowed, it was everything she could do to keep from asking what the hell she’d just taken.

She watched Liam take his pills, then the kid pulled back a curtain to let them into what appeared to be a massive party. They stood at the top of a staircase, giving them a view down into the writhing mass of bodies below.

“Holy shit,” Audrey said as they stepped inside. “Liam, we’re at a damn rave.”

The whole place was dark, with smoke machines going and colorful lights flashing. It was like something out of a movie, with tons of bright colors and bare skin on display.

At one end of the warehouse, a sexy lady DJ stood on a platform, bobbing her head as she spun records. All the other walls had makeshift bars set up, with people waiting in line for drinks. Every other inch of space was filled with people dancing, kissing, and drinking.

“This just got interesting,” Liam said. “At least we’re probably not saving your brother tonight, hm?”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” Audrey said.

She started down the stairs. Liam surprised her by catching her and taking her hand once more. He laced their fingers together tightly as he took the lead, pushing into the crowd.

Liam headed all the way across the room to the least crowded bar, getting them each a drink and a bottle of water.

“Water?” she asked. Audrey had to rise up on her tiptoes and shout close to Liam’s ear just to make herself heard over the music.

“Yeah. I assume we just took X,” Liam said, his lips close to her ear. “Drink to loosen us up before it kicks in, water to keep us hydrated. We need to drink water all night from here out.”

“I don’t love the fact that you know all of this,” Audrey said, but she accepted her vodka with cranberry juice and the water.

“There,” Liam said, pointing to the warehouse entrance.

Audrey turned and squinted through the flashing lights to see Jack walking up the stairs to the exit, leading a girl in a pink wig by the hand.

“Well… he’s not dying, is he?” she said.

“What’s that?” Liam asked.

“Should we go get him?” she asked, louder this time.

Liam shrugged. “Don’t see why we would. He’s not making any decisions that we haven’t also made tonight.”

Audrey glanced at him with a frown, then sighed.

“You’re right.”

“I am!” Liam said. “Now polish that drink off and let’s go have some fucking fun for once. You’re not on babysitting duty anymore.”

Audrey laughed and drained her drink, leaving the cup on the bar. Liam did the same, then took her hand and pulled her into the thick of the dance floor. The music was fast and energetic, and Audrey and Liam both just grinned and bounced around for a few songs.

Audrey couldn’t stop smiling. Dancing felt good. Like really, really good.

Everything was a little fuzzy, like a soft-focus photo. Hazy but pretty.

“Oh god,” she cried, wrapping her arms around Liam’s neck to shout into his ear. “I think I’m high!”

She could feel the rumble of Liam’s laugh in his chest.

“Good,” he growled into her ear. “You look happy.”

“I think I am!” she said.

The music slowed, turned low and seductive. Audrey faltered for a moment, her body pressing against Liam’s. She gazed up at him, watching his eyes blaze emerald with hunger.

“Touching you feels so good,” she murmured, though Liam couldn’t hear her.

She raised up on her tiptoes again, pressing her lips to his.

The second they touched, it felt like a burst of pure electricity flowed into her body, zinging through her veins and making her heart thump wildly.

“Holy shit,” she whispered, breaking the kiss at looking at Liam again.

He bit his lip, flexing his body into hers so that she could feel his cock hardening against her belly. That lip bite made heat well low in her body.

Nothing in the damn world could have stopped her from kissing him again, locking lips and exploring him with her tongue. Their bodies rocked to the rhythm of the music, breath growing quick.

God, he felt so good. The tightness of his hard muscles under her hands, his big body pressed against hers, sheltering her. His hands were hot as he skimmed her ribs, cupped her ass.

When he boldly ran two knuckles over the front of her skirt, touched the inside of her thigh, she thought she might die right then and there. She turned in his arms, hips swaying as she danced with him.

Liam brushed her hair away from her neck, leaning down to explore her sensitive skin with his lips.

Okay, I take it back. Now I’m going to die, she thought.

“I want you,” she said.

“What’s that, Ginger?” he purred in her ear.

“I want you!” she shouted, feeling wilder than ever.

All she could think about was taking her clothes off, and Liam’s too. She was dying to touch him, explore him. Mount and ride him like a prize stallion.

To her surprise, Liam actually took half a step back. They were still touching, but she whirled and arched a brow at him.

“What?” she said.

“I want you to drink some water, love,” he said, pressing his water bottle into her hand.

“Well, I want things too,” she said, sipping the water. She could hear herself, hear that her speech was rushed and sloppy. She didn’t care, though.

“Yeah?” Liam asked, leading her off the dance floor.

“Yeah. I think we should go home,” she said.

Liam looked at her, then gave a slow nod. “You’re right.”

Audrey knew a moment of panic. Liam was going to take her home. Holy crap. This was a big deal, right?

He didn’t seem too worried about it. He pulled out his phone and fiddled with it for a moment.

“Come on, love. I’ve got us an Uber home, all right?” he said.

Audrey finished the water as they headed up the stairs. Stepping out into the cool quiet outside the club was truly like a breath of fresh air.

“Ohhh, it feels good out here,” she said.

“I think that’s us,” he said, pointing to a dark sedan that pulled up.

They climbed into the back seat and settled in. Liam moved all the way over, but Audrey was feeling bold so she snuggled right up to his side. She leaned her head against his chest, and he put his arm around her shoulders.

The big sigh she released prompted a rumble of laughter from him.

“You all right, Ginger?” he asked.

“Very, very all right,” she said.

She closed her eyes, feeling warm ripples of sensation all over her body. Liam must be feeling it too, but he didn’t mention anything or act any differently than he usually did. Audrey let herself relax.

It occurred to her that this was the first time she’d felt calm and unworried in a long, long time. And yeah, maybe some of that was the drugs. But…

It was Liam, too. She felt safe with him.

She trusted him, which made exactly zero sense.

“Nice to know,” he grunted.

“What?” she said, opening her eyes.

“You’re talking out loud to yourself, sweetheart. Reasoning out why you trust a scoundrel like me, apparently,” he said.

“Ohhhh….” she said. “Uh… sorry.”

Liam just grinned and looked out the window. “We’re nearly home.”

And they were, moments later. Liam helped her out of the car and into the house. She stumbled near the front door, and he scooped her up. Threw her over his shoulder, like she weighed nothing, and carried her inside.

“All right, love, let’s get you into that ugly bathrobe,” he said.

“What?” she said. “No way. I want some wine.”

“Mmm… I think you’re all set on that for the night, Ginger.”

“Put me down,” she insisted. He walked into her bedroom and set her on the bed.

“Where’s your night clothes?” he asked.

“Don’t need ‘em!” she said. “How come you’re all serious now, Mister ‘Flirts With Every Woman’?”

Liam turned to her with a frown. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Audrey jumped up and grabbed him, using her body weight to pull him down onto her bed.

“Audrey—” he said with a groan.

“Shut up and kiss me,” she said, pressing her lips to his.

He was rigid for a second, then surrendered with a soft growl. That simple sound, the feel of his body against hers… Audrey was on fire for him.

She managed to roll him over and straddle him, rising up to pull her top off. She saw the flare of desire in Liam’s eyes when her breasts bounced free. She grabbed one of his hands and brought it up to cup her breast, hard.

“Touch me, Liam,” she breathed. “I’m dying for you to touch me.”

“Fuck, Ginger,” he said, rolling her over easily. He looked her up and down, trailing his lips from her earlobe to her collarbone. “You have the most incredible body, love. I think about you constantly.”

When his lips found her nipple, his teeth grazing the sensitive peak, Audrey arched her back. Heat filled every inch of her body. She wanted Liam so badly that it was almost painful.

“More,” she begged. “I need more.”

She yanked up her skirt, then shoved it down her hips, leaving her in nothing but a pair of skimpy lace panties. “Take off your clothes, Liam. Please.”

He tried to pull back, but Audrey grabbed his hand again, drawing it down her ribs and belly, until his fingertips brushed the front of her panties.

“Fuck,” he said. “You’re so wet for me, love.”

“Please, Liam,” she said, giving up all sense of shame. She was too hungry for that. “Make me feel good. I want you, I want everything.”

She pulled him down for another kiss, and he groaned against her lips. He gentled the kiss, slowed everything down, and Audrey made a frustrated sound.

“You don’t want me now?” she said, pulling back. “You’ve been teasing me since the day I met you. You sleep with everyone, Liam. What’s wrong with me?”

Liam blew out a breath. “I don’t sleep with everyone, first off. That’s… mostly untrue. Or at least, it’s not true anymore.”

“Fine. You have high standards now, and I’m just not good enough?” Audrey asked, her face growing warm. She had no idea where this anger was coming from, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

“Audrey,” he said, catching her wrists when she moved to shove at him. “Just wait for a second, love.”

“So you can tell me I’m not pretty enough? No thanks.”

“Bloody hell, woman! Let me fucking talk!” he gritted out, his Cockney accent bursting free.

Audrey pressed her lips together and lifted a shoulder, but didn’t meet his gaze.

“Audrey. Look at me,” he demanded.

When she lifted her gaze, arching her brows, he pressed a hard kiss to her lips. Then another, then another, demanding and hungry.

“I want you, love. More than fucking anything,” he swore.

“So have me,” she said, kissing him again.

“I… I can’t. You’re just… you’re hard up for it right now because of the drugs, love.”

“So?” she asked, giving her head a defiant shake.

“So? I’m a lot of things love, but I’m not a complete bastard. I can’t fuck you when you don’t even know what’s up and what’s down,” he said. “It’s… I wouldn’t do that to you, ever.”

Audrey actually felt her heart flutter at his words.

“You… I…” she said, at a loss for words.

“If it were another night, if we’d just been at the pub, I’d already be in you. You’d be calling my bloody name, I promise you that,” Liam said, releasing her wrists and cupping her jaw.

He kissed her, long and slow, and Audrey nearly cried at the tenderness of his touch. The kiss heated, and Liam shaped her breast, running the pad of his thumb over her nipple.

Audrey gave a soft gasp when he moved down to kiss and nip her breast again, skimming his hands up and down her hips. He caught her panties and tugged them down.

“What are you doing?” Audrey asked with a frustrated laugh when he stripped them off.

Liam pressed a kiss to the top of her thigh. “If can’t fuck you, I’m sure as hell going to make sure you come. One of us really has to, don’t you think?”

“Liam…” she said, squirming. “I don’t really… let people…”

“Shhh,” he said. “No more talking, unless you’re going to kick me out of bed.”

Audrey bit her lip, feeling her face go hot as he feathered kisses over her hips and thighs, slowly parting her knees until she was wide open to him. She felt worried and tense, but the first brush of his warm tongue against her clit made her gasp with pleasure.

“That’s it, just relax for me, love,” Liam said.

Then he buried his face between her legs, kissing and sucking and licking her until her whole body was tense with need. She dug her fingers into his hair, rocking her hips and whispering words of encouragement.

She was so close… she just needed…

Without warning, Liam slid two thick fingers deep into her hot, tight core. He curled them, teasing a white-hot spot of pleasure inside her. He sealed his lips over her clit and sucked, swirling his tongue against her flesh, and Audrey couldn’t last another second.

She shattered with a near-scream, her body shaking and clenching. It went on and on, the sensation of falling down the deepest hole in the universe, floating free…

When she finally drifted back down to Earth, all she could do was tremble and try to catch her breath. She expected Liam to tease her, something about how she should come more often maybe.

But to her surprise, he just moved to lie beside her, kissing her again in that same tender way.

God, no wonder women lose themselves to him, she found herself thinking. He plays the caring Romeo so well.

She kissed him back, letting her hand wander down his chest until she cupped his erection. It was shockingly large in her hand, long and thick and hot even through his jeans.

He groaned softly, and she moved to unzip him, but Liam stopped her.

“Not tonight, love,” he said, kissing her. “If you do that, I will lose the moral ground and fuck you as hard as I possibly can. What would you think of me then, hm?”

His words were light and teasing, but he pulled her hand away.

“I just thought… I mean, fair’s fair right?” Audrey whispered against his lips. “I thought… maybe I could use my mouth?”

Now he moaned, closing his eyes briefly. “As much as the idea of fucking your mouth makes my bloody night, I think not. I can’t deal in half-measures. Not with you, Ginger.”

“Liam…”

“I’m serious,” he said, kissing her again. He pulled back, a dimple flashing in his cheek that was nearly her undoing. “When I fuck you, we’ll both be stone-cold sober. You won’t just be begging to come, you’ll be begging for my cock.”

Audrey’s mouth opened and then closed again.

“I—” she started. “Oh… okay?”

Liam laughed. “I will do you a personal favor and strip down to sleep in here with you tonight, as long as you think you can handle it.”

Audrey made a strangled sound. “I’m sorry?”

“I mean, you know, I just want to make sure it’s not going to blow your mind or anything if I sleep in the buff.”

“God. You really are awful,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“I’m taking that as a yes,” he said, eyes sparkling. He stood and stripped, giving Audrey a truly eye-opening look at his incredible body in the process. “Not bad, eh?”

Audrey just snorted, but he was a hell of a lot better than not bad. Just a big wall of muscle and tattoos, basically. He was pretty damned drool-worthy.

He pulled back the comforter on her bed and dragged her under when he lay down. Turning her on her side, he tucked her up against his body, his cock pressing against her ass and lower back.

“Are you spooning me?” she asked, more shocked about that than anything.

“Shh, Ginger. Just relax and go to sleep, will you?” was his only response.

Liam wrapped an arm around her, holding her tight. For a minute, it was the weirdest thing she’d ever experienced.

Then her eyes began to grow heavy. She let them drift shut, blew out the breath she’d been holding.

She had that same feeling, the one from their ride home. She felt…

Safe. Warm.

Good.

She was asleep before she knew it.