Chapter 24

Olivia

At the sound of a knock on my office door, I called out for whomever it was to come in. Tim Maxwell stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Tim was one of our best physical therapists and rehab coaches. We had plenty of PT’s on staff with incredible skill, yet Tim’s way of approaching clients took his care to the next level. He wasn’t intimidated by pro athletes and had absolutely no problem standing up to them if they tried to push their recovery too fast. He was also one of the nicest guys I knew and a friend. I wouldn’t usually feel the slightest bit of anxiety about seeing him, yet I knew it was likely Dr. Adams had pulled him aside to inform him he couldn’t consult with me about Liam.

“Hey Tim. How’s it going?” I asked, striving to keep my anxiety from bubbling up too much.

He sat down across from my desk and eyed me for a long moment, which served only to spin the anxiety faster inside. “So, I understand I’m not to consult with you if any complications arise with Liam Reed’s recovery.”

I adjusted my glasses and nodded. My relief at talking to Dr. Adams didn’t keep me from beating myself up for even being in this mess to begin with. I’d promised myself I’d find a way to end whatever it was I was doing with Liam, and instead I’d spent another night with him. I swatted those thoughts away and focused on the moment. Marshaling, my composure, I met Tim’s gaze. “That’s right.”

A slow smile spread across Tim’s face. “I never thought you’d be the one in this situation. How’d Dr. Adams handle it when you talked with her?”

“As well as could be expected. I’m just praying whatever the clinic board does isn’t too awful,” I said with a sigh.

Tim’s smile faded. “They’ll do something, but you won’t lose your position here. You’re too valuable, and you did the right thing by going to Dr. Adams.” He paused, his gaze considering. “You surprised me, but it didn’t surprise me a bit the man in question happened to be Liam. That man can hardly keep his eyes off of you. I must admit I warned him off. Liam’s a nice guy, but I’d hate to see you get hurt. I don’t think he’d mean to hurt you, but he’s one of Britain’s favorite heartthrobs and on his way to that here in Seattle. Don’t suppose you’d tell me if this is serious?”

Tim’s comments struck right at the heart of my insecurities and my fears about how far and fast I’d fallen for Liam. I closed my eyes and took a breath before meeting his gaze again. His warm brown eyes eased my anxiety slightly. “I don’t know what to think. You’re as surprised as me that I’m in this situation. Liam…well, he’s a bit difficult to resist…”

“And he really likes you if the way he looks at you means anything,” Tim interjected.

I flushed and continued. “I don’t know what to think. It’s not like we have much in common, but when I’m with him, I don’t think about the fact he’s an international soccer star with half the women in the world drooling over him. I have no idea what I’m doing or where this is going.” I swallowed and fought back a rush of emotion, remembering the other night when I’d fallen apart in the shower. Liam hadn’t hesitated and wrapped me in his strong, solid embrace, nothing other than the feel of being held by him helping to ease the confusion and fear tumbling through me. Falling asleep with him curled around me was the best thing. Ever. Well, that and waking up with him. Better yet, having him inside me with the wild gallop of longing finally sated and an intimacy so intense binding us together, I could hardly stand to think of it.

Tim looked over at me, his eyes conveying warmth and understanding. “Oh hon, I think you might be in love,” he said softly.

My breath caught and I almost cried, shaking my head vehemently. “No, no, I can’t be. This is just lust and I’m not used to it. It’ll pass. Aside from all that, I need to clean up the mess I’ve made by even getting involved with him. It won’t do for me to keep this going.”

Tim arched a brow and eyed me for a long moment. “Okay, two things. First, I like Liam. He’s a good guy. It’s obvious his family means a lot to him, which is a good thing. He doesn’t talk about it much, but I can tell his mother’s death has been hard on him. In no way am I saying that’s good, just that it tells you something about his character. Maybe you should stop worrying about how you’re different. Second, you’ve already cleaned up the mess. You told Dr. Adams. She’s completely removed you from any possibility of being involved in follow up consultations. Sure, you have to deal with the board thing, but you have to do that anyway. Don’t shut yourself off from something just because you have an easy out.”

Tim’s pointed words struck at me. I didn’t like to think I was looking for excuses, but perhaps I was. It didn’t change the reality that I felt I was in way over my head. “No matter what, I don’t even know what Liam wants, and to say our lives are worlds apart is a bit of an understatement. I do surgery, and he plays ball. I mind my own business, and he gets reported on in gossip news.”

Tim shrugged. “Don’t even go there in your head. Focus on what’s happening, instead of all the reasons you’re different. Look around you. Most people that are together aren’t together because they’re so alike. Right now, Liam is into you. Trust me, I see the way he looks at you. You’re obviously way into him, or you wouldn’t even be talking to me about this. I might’ve been surprised, but I’m happy to see you focus on something other than work.” His pager beeped. Tim stood and gave me a hard look. “Do me a favor and don’t let your head get in the way.”

At that, he strode out of the office. I spun in my chair and stared out the windows. The sky was partially clear this morning. Puget Sound glittered under shafts of sun falling through the clouds. I’d felt a sense of relief coming to work this week, finally free of the burden of worrying about hiding what was happening with Liam. Yet, I couldn’t shake the disquiet over my feelings for Liam. With a shake of my head, I batted the thoughts away.

A few hours later I was still at work when my phone vibrated with a text from Daisy. I’ll kill him for you.

Completely puzzled, I texted back. What?

Online Seattle Observer.

I clicked out of our records system and online, quickly looking up the Seattle Observer. Right there on the main page was a photo of Liam seated on a bench outside of the Seattle Stars stadium. It wasn’t just a photo of Liam, but of a woman practically in his lap. If she wasn’t actually a model, she should’ve been. She was willowy with glossy blonde hair. She was leaning forward, her cleavage displayed perfectly for his view. I felt sick—sick with a flash of jealousy and sick to find myself questioning him. I hated it, but I couldn’t help myself from clicking on the photo that led to a brief article that offered me nothing except more anxiety and the clear understanding I was most definitely in over my head.

Liam Reed, one of Britain’s favorite footballers, with Millie Morton, the one and only woman believed to come close to stealing his heart. Ms. Morton remains a favorite on the runway and will be on hand for the Seattle Stars exhibition match in a few months. She made a surprise appearance in Seattle a bit sooner than expected. While the match is for show only, Mr. Reed is expected to be back in play by then. We’re all looking forward to the potential fireworks. Meanwhile, there have been no further sightings of the mystery woman seen with Mr. Reed here in Seattle.

Everything I’d just said to Tim came slamming to the fore. My life was so very different from Liam’s. I needed to get my mind back onto my career, not be wondering what I might mean to Liam, while he was flirting with a woman who’d apparently seen fit to fly to Seattle to visit him. This photo was representative of every reason why I needed to take my heart out of this game with Liam. I sat right where I was, unmoving for several long minutes, before texting Daisy again. No need to kill him. A wake up call for me.

I set my phone down and swallowed against the tightness in my throat and the tears pressing hot at the back of my eyes. After a few shaky breaths, I nodded to myself. This was the best thing. I needed something to push me to stop being so foolish.