He stood there, his gaze trailing slowly from head to toe. His face gave nothing away, but something fierce flickered behind his eyes.
“I wasn’t nning on interrupting,” he said finally, “but I couldn’t ignore the live performance.”
I cleared my throat, my face flushed. “I was just…cooking.”
“Right. Is that what we’re calling it now?”
He stepped further into the kitchen, still watching me.
I turned back to the stove like nothing happened, even though my heart was doing somersaults.
“Do you always put on a show in the kitchen, or am I just lucky? he asked, his tone low and teasing
“Only when the lyrics demand it,” I muttered.
“Then remind me to add more Cardi B to your work ylist.”
I didn’t have to look to know he was smirking.
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And for some reason, that made it worse. I risked a quick nce in his direction.
Liam was clearly amused.
He didn’t even try to hide his amusement. It was infuriating.
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His mouth twitched like he was fighting back a grin, and his eyes sparkled in that rare, dangerous way.
I seriously considered crawling into the oven just to escape the moment.
“Why are you back so early?” I asked, turning away from the stove, trying to salvage whatever dignity I had left.
“Am I not allowed toe back to my own house?”
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Point taken.
He moved closer to the kitchen ind, ced his phone on the counter with quiet precision, and then said casually, “Have you checked the news?”
I frowned. “No. Why?”
“There’s a sh flood warning across most of the city. Highways are shut down, streets are a mess. It’s expected to worsen by evening.”
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“What?” I grabbed my phone and scanned the notifications I’d ignored all day. Sure enough, emergency alerts, road closures, sh flood watches, and warnings urging residents to stay indoors unless you had a death wish.
Great.
Just what I needed.
I looked out the window and realized the sky had darkened. Rainshed the ss like angry hands. Thunder rolled in the distance.
“So,” I said, blinking. “You’re telling me I’m stuck here?”
Liam leaned against the counter, still way too calm. “Unless you want to risk driving into a river, yeah.”
I swallowed hard.
Three days.
I remembered Sophia casually saying yesterday she was flying to France for a quick shopping trip. “I’ll be back in a few days,” she chirped. I hadn’t thought much of it then.
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But now?
I was going to be alone.
With Liam ck.
In this massive mansion.
No escape and a whole lot of unresolved chemistry.
God, help me.
“I suggest you finish cooking,” Liam added, checking his watch. “We’re officially in lockdown.”
And with that, he disappeared down the hallway.
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I stood there for a beat, bundled in nerves and doom, my wooden spoon halfway out of the
pan.
I am not surviving this..
He came back twenty minutester, just as the silence started to settle.
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And for a second, my brain just…stopped working.
No tailored suit. No tie. No sleek leather shoes.
Liam ck in casual wear should be a crime.
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Gray sweatpants. A fitted ck T–shirt. Hair slightly tousled like he’d run a hand through it. He looked infuriatingly human. Rxed, effortless, and somehow ten times more attractive.
I nced at him.
Okay, maybe it was a little more than a nce
Fine, I stared.
Do you me me? The man is a walking god. Like some rare breed of perfection with a
passport.
He raised a brow, clearly enjoying himself.
“Trying to burn the food, or just distracted by the view?”
My cheeks burned. “I was just surprised to see you without a suit. I could’ve sworn it was the only thing in your wardrobe.”
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“Right,” he replied, smirking. “From the way you were ogling me, it’s obvious you wouldn’t mind seeing less of the suits.”
<i>” </i>
“Inted ego,” I murmured. “Should’ve seen thating.”
I turned back to the stove, gripping the spoon like it was thest weapon in a war.
He opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and was halfway to leaving again when he halted mid–step and turned back.
He sat on the ind, calm as ever.
Great. What now?
Why was he even here? Didn’t this massive house have other rooms he could haunt?
He didn’t say anything. Just scrolled through his phone, rxed, like this was perfectly
normal.
Ugh, he looked so good doing absolutely nothing.
Silence wrapped around the room, dense and suffocating.
I stirred the sauce with slightly more force than necessary.
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Finally, he spoke. “I’ll show you the room you’ll be staying in. When you’re done.”
I blinked. “Okay.”
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He didn’t move. Just stayed there, thumb tapping the screen, until I finished preparing the
meal.
Then he led me upstairs.
The room he showed me was stunning.
Not in that cold, intimidating way like the rest of the house. This room was warm. Cozy. Inviting, even. Soft beige walls with gold ents, a king–sized bed with a tufted headboard, thick velvet curtains, a fluffy rug, and a firece. There was even a small reading nook near the window.
“This is Sophia’s favorite guest room,” he said, hands in his pockets. “She re–decorated it recently.<i>” </i>
“It’s beautiful,” I murmured, taking it all in.
“You can wear some of Sophia’s clothes while you’re here. She won’t mind. She clearly likes you.”
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
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He hesitated, then smirked. “I considered offering you mine. But after what you did in that dress earlier…”
He raised a brow. “I don’t want you twerking in my sweatshirt. That image might haunt me….in the best way.”
I growled, “Am I ever going to hear the end of this?”
“I can’t guarantee that,” he said, turning to leave. “Get yourselffortable, Emily.”
And just like that, he walked off,pletely unfazed. I just stood there, stunned, with nothing
but my racing thoughts forpany.
Wait. Did Liam ck just flirt with me?
What was happening?
This was going to be the longest three days of my life,
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