4
Liam
—
Astrid.
It satisfied Liam to know her name, but it pleased him even more to see her again.
She wasn’t dressed in unassuming sweats anymore. Her dark hair hung around her shoulders, and her smooth, brown skin was on full display in her blue top, bleached shorts, and black boots.
The room wasn’t large, so he was forced to stand close to her. She smelled amazing, like flowers or fruit wrapped up in something spicy. Every time he inhaled, it tested his willpower not to pull her up against him and press his face against her skin.
He worried about his own smell in comparison. He’d been doing a few push ups and had taken off his shirt in preparation of a quick shower before she showed up. He supposed it wasn’t awful since she wasn’t running around screaming and fanning the air while pinching her nose.
He eyed his HCD in her hands as she read, but his gaze fell to the tops of her full breasts, then travelled all the way down her long, gorgeous legs. Those legs would definitely feel great wrapped around him while her pretty little mouth screamed his—
“I want to go home,” she said, shoving his HCD toward him. She met his gaze with a frown and Liam guiltily wondered if she’d caught him ogling her. “Please turn this carrier around.”
“I can’t do that,” he said, shaking his head as he plucked the HCD from her offered hand. “I have a time-sensitive job to complete, and Gamazan City is two hours back.”
“But I need to get back to my apartment to see if my ARC glasses are there.”
“We’re about an hour and a half away from my destination,” Liam said, compelled to ease her worry. “What I have to do won’t take long. As soon as it’s done, I’ll take you home.”
She eyed the floor in contemplation before meeting his gaze with a nod.
“OK.” She exhaled deeply.
Liam pretended not to notice the rise and fall of her chest when she did that. What the hell was wrong with him? He wasn’t some horny teenager. He usually had more self-control than this.
“Where are you going?” Astrid asked when he turned toward the diminutive bathroom.
“Need a shower.”
Preferably a cold one to shock him back to his senses.
When he was done with his shower, Liam shaved his beard. As he removed the hair from his face, he told himself he was doing it because he missed seeing his jawline, and not for superficial reasons like looking his best for the pretty girl close by.
A towel around his waist, he returned to the room to find Astrid still seated on his bed. She shot to her feet, but not before she ran her gaze over him with interest.
“You shaved your beard,” she said, her voice higher and softer.
“It itched,” Liam said, rubbing his jaw. A half-truth, really. Not like he’d ever tell her the whole one.
She still didn’t leave the room. Her gaze was fixed on him as if she was seeing him for the first time. Much as he liked her appreciation, he needed to dress. He didn’t have any qualms about being in the buff in front of others. Especially not in front of a beautiful woman. Since she wasn’t leaving, then maybe she didn’t mind seeing him naked either.
“What are you doing?” she squawked and Liam paused in the unwrapping of his towel.
Liam smiled. “I figured you were sticking around for a show, so I was about to give one to you.”
“You figured wrong.” She headed for the door that led out into the short hallway to the cockpit. Liam’s gaze fell to her shorts and the way they were molded to her perfect round behind. She spun to glare at him. “I don’t even know how you’re still standing with that huge head of yours.”
“Astrid, wait,” he said, as she unlatched the door and pushed it open.
She glared at him. “What?”
“Despite my huge head, I’m still standing because I’ve got something huge below to balance it all out.” He smirked as he unhooked the towel’s edge. “Wanna see?”
Her eyes wide, she made a choked sound before storming out, slamming the door shut on his laughter.
Well, there went his second chance at a good impression. Ah, but it was worth it. Besides, he had a few more hours with her to change her mind about him. Her sudden appearance had bothered him at first, but he was quickly warming up to sharing his journey with her.
Dressed, Liam left the room. Only two seats existed on small rapid air delivery crafts like his, and they were in the cockpit. Astrid occupied the passenger seat. Her arms folded across her chest, she glowered out the viewport at the stretch of blue sky and the puffy white clouds far below them.
“Let me guess,” he said as he slid into the pilot’s seat and resumed manual control of the carrier, “you’ve written me off as a jerk, and you’ve promised yourself you’re never going to speak to me again, right?”
“Exactly.”
Liam threw her a grin. “A shame you just broke that promise, then.”
Astrid growled. Maybe he was foolish or asking for a death wish or both, but he persisted in poking the tiger.
“When we were kids, my sister was pretty good at the silent treatment game,” he said. “But I was better at getting her to talk. Wanna know how?”
Silence.
“I’d tickle her until she laughed and begged me to stop.”
If a glare could kill, Liam knew he’d be gutted and burnt alive from the one Astrid gave him.
“Touch me and you die.”
“You’re not very good at this silent treatment game, Astrid,” Liam teased. “I think you should quit and start talking to me again.”
She pursed her lips. “I refuse to waste my breath on an arrogant asshole.”
“Ouch. That’s not nice. I’m not arrogant.”
She gave a tiny snort. “That’s the part of the sentence that offends you the most?”
“I don’t mind being an asshole.”
“You should. Most people don’t like them. I definitely don’t.”
“All right, then I’ll be a perfect gentleman just for you.”