“Okay, Ace is fed and watered, your laundry is done, and I made you a grilled cheese and some tomato soup. Sit up and eat,” Amy directs, walking into my room with a tray. I wiggle myself into a halfway sitting position, and she places it over my legs.

She flops down on my bed, causing my soup to spill over the edge of the bowl. “Now, spill it.”

I pick up my spoon and stir the soup. “Spill what?” I don’t make eye contact. I know if I do, she’ll be able to read me as easy as any book.

Her eyebrows skyrocket and eyes go wide. “Everything! What happened to you at the ranch? What exactly was going on when I walked in here a little while ago with you and that sexy billionaire?”

A puff of air leaves my mouth. “I got knocked in the head by a horse. It’s not as bad as it sounds. I was already falling backward because when it went up on its back legs, it scared me. I jumped and fell backward. Its hooves clipped me coming down. Liam found me.”

“And?”

I roll my eyes. “And he stripped me down, cleaned me up, and bandaged all my cuts. I stayed there last night.” Finally, I chance looking at her.

“Did you two?” She wags her eyebrows at me with a big grin.

“No way. My head is still pounding. We ended up talking most of the night though. When I woke up, he was holding my hand.” A smile spreads across my face.

“It looked like you two were about to rip each other’s clothes off when I walked in here.”

“Yeah, you have awesome timing,” I joke, ripping off a piece of my grilled cheese.

“Didn’t you say he had a girlfriend who is a supermodel or something?”

I shrug. “That’s what Tyler told me, but who knows if it’s true. Liam hasn’t mentioned her.”

“You think Tyler made it up, so you’d pick him instead of Liam?” She cocks her head to the side while studying me.

“Who knows? All I know is that he isn’t too happy with me right now.” I eat a spoonful of my soup. “I never wanted to hurt him. I told him from the beginning I wasn’t looking for a relationship. It’s not like I’ve been leading him on.”

“You’ve kind of, though.”

I jerk my head in her direction. “How? Friends. That’s what we are.”

“I told you that he was using that friendship card as a way to get to you. He’s been hoping it would turn into more.”

“Well, it’s not my fault. I never led him believe I wanted more. If he’s hurt, it’s his own fault for not listening to me.” With each word, my voice gets higher and higher.

“Okay, jeez. Concussions make you cranky. How about we just watch a movie?” She rolls over and grabs the remote off my bedside table.

I spend the rest of the day in bed, but I think Amy got more sleep than I did. I can’t stop thinking about Liam and that almost-kiss. I close my eyes and imagine how it would have gone. His soft lips touching mine, my tongue sliding against his, our hands feeling their way around one another’s bodies. It makes me clench every muscle to keep the tingles of anticipation away.

I drift in and out of sleep for most of the night. When six a.m. rolls around, I get up and take a long, hot shower. When I step out, Amy is standing in the hall, arms crossed over her chest and tapping her foot, giving me a nasty look.

“I feel better,” I tell her, forcing a wide smile on my face and stepping past her to enter my room.

“What if you passed out in there? You could have drowned,” she bitches, following me.

I step into my walk-in closet for some privacy to get dressed. “I’m fine, Amy. Don’t be such a worrywart.” I tug on a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt.

When I step back out, she’s standing at the center of the floor with her hand on her hip. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m just tired of being cooped up. I figured I’d run by the clinic, check messages and emails. Pay some bills, maybe run by the store and get some groceries.”

She points at her chest. “Let me get a shower, and I’ll drive you. I’m not leaving you alone.”

I roll my eyes and scoff. “Fine. Hurry up.”

I sit down at my vanity to blow-dry my hair and to change the bandage on my forehead. The cut isn’t big, but there is a small bruise starting to form around it. The butterfly stitches hold it closed nicely, and I pray that there isn’t too big of a scare left when it heals.

Amy and I spend the day running around. She helps me put away my groceries, then leaves to go home. For the first time in two days, I’m finally alone.

I order a pizza and cuddle up on the couch with Ace to watch some tv until my pizza arrives. At the knock on the door, I push myself up to open the door, expecting to find the pizza man, but to my surprise, it’s Liam.

“Oh, hey.” I feel my smile widen on its own.

“You’re looking better.” His blue eyes start at my feet and slowly travel up my body. When his eyes meet mine, they darken.

“I feel better. Would you like to come in? I was just waiting on my pizza.” I step back to give him room to walk in.

“You’re alone?” he asks, looking around the kitchen and into the living room.

“Yeah, Amy just left. She’s been here since yesterday.” Someone knocks on the door and I open the door to find my pizza.

I quickly hand over the cash and turn back around to face Liam. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

His smile widens as he nods. “Sure.” In this moment, with his smile and bright eyes, he looks completely carefree. Nothing like the business man I had met, dressed in a suit. Now, he seems laid back with his dark wash jeans and blue t-shirt that fits his frame perfectly.

“Grab the six pack out of the fridge, would ya?” I head to the living room, placing the pizza box on the coffee table.

He walks in holding the six pack to his side. His navy-blue t-shirt clings to his muscular chest, and the sleeves stretch around his massive biceps. His sun kissed skin looks soft and smooth and his dark hair is perfectly in place. Just watching him walk toward me, reminds me of the things I’ve been dreaming about. I squeeze my thighs together to hold back the urges that are bubbling up.

He opens a bottle and hands it over, then opens one for himself. He holds up his bottle and clanks it against the neck of mine. “To a speedy recovery.”

“Cheers,” I whisper, breathless from the way his blue eyes seem to be searching for something in the depths of my soul.

We both take long drinks and set our bottles off to the side. He picks up the pizza box and I grab a slice. He takes one for his own before putting the box back in its place. I force my eyes to the tv, trying to keep my attention on anything but him.

“Did Tyler manage to get that tree cleaned up?”

He nods since his mouth is full.

“How’s Lucy and the other horses?”

He swallows and turns to face me. “Everything is fine, Ves. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“I know.” I take a small bite. “I just hate being cooped up, you know? I want to be out there, helping, doing my part.”

“The world won’t crumble if you take a few days to yourself, Ves. Take your time. Relax. Heal.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, still looking at the tv.

“For what?” I see him turn to face me from the corner of my eye.

I turn to face him. “For being you. For finding me and taking care of me. For checking on me.” I smile. “For everything.”

“You’re welcome.” The intensity in his blue eyes nearly melts my panties, but other than our almost kiss, he’s never tried to make a move. I don’t even know if he likes me romantically or if he was just wound up tight from removing my clothes.

I try to turn off my brain, forcing myself to watch tv and eat my pizza. After we’ve both finished, I shut off the tv and turn my whole body until it’s facing his.

“About the other day?”

“What about it?” He looks at me, but his face shows no emotion. He’s playing it cool, and I feel anything but.

“We almost kissed, Liam.” I feel stupid for stating the obvious.

He nods once. “I know.”

That’s it? I know? “Well, what does that mean?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and shaking his head. “I don’t want to complicate things.”

“I’ve imagined kissing your lips since the first time I heard your voice over the phone and getting to know you lately has only intensified that urge.” My stomach is tingling with excitement and nervousness. I can’t believe I just said that. But it almost seemed like he was chickening out or looking for a way to erase the moment we almost had.

“I…” he begins, but lets his sentence fall silent as our eyes lock.

We’re looking at one another, not moving, not saying anything but I can feel the current between us charging. Slowly, I lean in and so does he. He wets his lips and I swallow down every ounce of nervousness that’s bubbling up my throat. My eyes flutter close when his hand comes up and cups my cheek. I breathe in deeply and his scent washes over me like a breath of fresh air. Finally, our lips meet. They move softly and slowly at first, allowing the kiss to last as long as possible. But when his tongue slides into my mouth, something inside of me breaks through every wall I’ve built to hold back these feelings.

My hands wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. But even that isn’t close enough. He lets his hands fall from my face as he reaches out and picks me up, setting me down on his lap. His hands hold my hips tightly, squeezing as they begin to tour my body. Sliding up the back of my shirt while continuing to pull me as close as he can get me. I can feel him harden beneath me, and a fire engulfs my body, boiling my blood. Every place he touches tingles with excitement.

My hips seem to have a mind of their own, as they begin rocking against his hardness. His hands squeeze my hips, stilling them as he breaks the kiss.

“Ves, if you don’t stop, there will be no stopping me from fucking you right here on this couch,” he grounds out.

“That’s exactly what I want, Liam,” I whisper, moving back in for another kiss.

But he pulls away. “Ves, this is not how I want this to go.” He picks me back up and sets me on the couch while he stands and begins pacing. I feel cold and lonely without him to hold onto, not to mention embarrassed because I’ve been denied what I’ve been dreaming about for so long now.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with us, Ves, but I do know that I don’t want it like this.” He stops and narrows his eyes on me. “I want you. I do. But there are too many obstacles between us right now. And when we come together, I want it to just be you and me.” He drops down to his knees before me. “I said when, not if. It will happen. No ifs about it.”

I have no idea what he’s saying, but I don’t care. I’m lost in his passion and intensity. I can’t say anything or argue. All I do is nod my head while getting lost in those dark blue eyes, enjoying the tingles that that statement brought on.