at him and their faces were suddenly only inches apart.
Liam quickly straightened up. “Basement,” he told her. “Believe me, you don’t want to live in a basement apartment.”
Marisala shrugged. “I’ve lived in far worse.” She turned again to face him and he jumped back, away from her, over to the other side of the kitchen. The puppy jumped too, startled.
“Is there a problem with the way I smell?” she asked, lifting one eyebrow. “Should I take a shower?”
Liam shot an exasperated glance at her. “I’m just…” He took a deep breath and started over as he began putting away the groceries she’d bought. “I just think it would be smarter if we kept our distance. From each other. You know.”
Marisala nodded. At least he was being honest. At least he wasn’t trying to pretend that they both didn’t know he was jumpy as hell because she was around. Because of that kiss. “Maybe we should talk about what happened today.”
“There’s nothing to say.” Liam folded the paper bag and slid it between the refrigerator and the wall. That done, he started to pace. Marisala was beginning to wonder if he ever stood still.
“I disagree.”
He pressed the bridge of his nose with his fingers as if he had a headache. “It’s late. Maybe we should just go to bed.”
“Well, that’s an interesting solution. Your room or mine?”
Liam spun to face her. “Mara!”
“I was making a joke. You’ve got to…what’s that expression you always used to use on me?
Lighten up
.”
He sat down at the table, but even then he didn’t stop moving. He touched the pepper mill and salt-shaker. He rearranged the napkins in the napkin holder. “Maybe we
should
talk.”
“Okay.” She sat down across from him and folded her hands demurely in front of her. “I’ll go first. I liked the way you kissed me.”
He closed his eyes. “God, how did I know you weren’t going to make this easy for me?”
“There’s nothing easy or hard about this,” she countered. “You kissed me. I kissed you. Either you liked it or you didn’t.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t.”
At first his words stung, but then she realized she could still see the fiery remnants of that same burning passion in his eyes.
So she lifted her chin and laughed. “You are
such
a liar. You liked it as much as I did. Maybe even more.”
Liam ran his hands down his face. “Okay, yeah. You’re right. I liked it, but I
didn’t
like it. As much as it made me feel good, it made me feel bad too.” He sighed noisily, briefly closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he stared down at the kitchen floor. “I don’t think of you as a woman, Mara. To me, you’ll always be a child. A little girl. A sister. Someone to protect, not take advantage of. Not someone to kiss.” He gazed across the table then, looking her squarely in the eye. “I love you dearly, kid, but not
that
way.”
He didn’t think of her as a woman. Marisala had been prepared to argue with Liam all night if necessary, but she couldn’t think of a single thing to say to counter
that
.
“And I’m sorry if I led you to believe—”
She interrupted him, suddenly wanting nothing more than to have this conversation over with. “No. You didn’t. I mean, I didn’t. Believe
any
thing, really, I mean…” She took a deep breath and even managed to smile. “I guess I just thought it would be really special. You know, you and me.”
The look in his eyes was unreadable as he nodded. “We’ve already got something really special.”
Marisala nodded, pushing her chair out from the table. The puppy looked up at her expectantly, and she bent to scoop her up. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She tucked the extra sheets of newspaper under her arm.
“Oh, yeah, that reminds me.” He stood up too. “I’ve got some things to take care of downtown in the morning. Why don’t you sleep in, and we can check out some of these apartments after lunch?”
It was amazing. He was
Liam quickly straightened up. “Basement,” he told her. “Believe me, you don’t want to live in a basement apartment.”
Marisala shrugged. “I’ve lived in far worse.” She turned again to face him and he jumped back, away from her, over to the other side of the kitchen. The puppy jumped too, startled.
“Is there a problem with the way I smell?” she asked, lifting one eyebrow. “Should I take a shower?”
Liam shot an exasperated glance at her. “I’m just…” He took a deep breath and started over as he began putting away the groceries she’d bought. “I just think it would be smarter if we kept our distance. From each other. You know.”
Marisala nodded. At least he was being honest. At least he wasn’t trying to pretend that they both didn’t know he was jumpy as hell because she was around. Because of that kiss. “Maybe we should talk about what happened today.”
“There’s nothing to say.” Liam folded the paper bag and slid it between the refrigerator and the wall. That done, he started to pace. Marisala was beginning to wonder if he ever stood still.
“I disagree.”
He pressed the bridge of his nose with his fingers as if he had a headache. “It’s late. Maybe we should just go to bed.”
“Well, that’s an interesting solution. Your room or mine?”
Liam spun to face her. “Mara!”
“I was making a joke. You’ve got to…what’s that expression you always used to use on me?
Lighten up
.”
He sat down at the table, but even then he didn’t stop moving. He touched the pepper mill and salt-shaker. He rearranged the napkins in the napkin holder. “Maybe we
should
talk.”
“Okay.” She sat down across from him and folded her hands demurely in front of her. “I’ll go first. I liked the way you kissed me.”
He closed his eyes. “God, how did I know you weren’t going to make this easy for me?”
“There’s nothing easy or hard about this,” she countered. “You kissed me. I kissed you. Either you liked it or you didn’t.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t.”
At first his words stung, but then she realized she could still see the fiery remnants of that same burning passion in his eyes.
So she lifted her chin and laughed. “You are
such
a liar. You liked it as much as I did. Maybe even more.”
Liam ran his hands down his face. “Okay, yeah. You’re right. I liked it, but I
didn’t
like it. As much as it made me feel good, it made me feel bad too.” He sighed noisily, briefly closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he stared down at the kitchen floor. “I don’t think of you as a woman, Mara. To me, you’ll always be a child. A little girl. A sister. Someone to protect, not take advantage of. Not someone to kiss.” He gazed across the table then, looking her squarely in the eye. “I love you dearly, kid, but not
that
way.”
He didn’t think of her as a woman. Marisala had been prepared to argue with Liam all night if necessary, but she couldn’t think of a single thing to say to counter
that
.
“And I’m sorry if I led you to believe—”
She interrupted him, suddenly wanting nothing more than to have this conversation over with. “No. You didn’t. I mean, I didn’t. Believe
any
thing, really, I mean…” She took a deep breath and even managed to smile. “I guess I just thought it would be really special. You know, you and me.”
The look in his eyes was unreadable as he nodded. “We’ve already got something really special.”
Marisala nodded, pushing her chair out from the table. The puppy looked up at her expectantly, and she bent to scoop her up. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She tucked the extra sheets of newspaper under her arm.
“Oh, yeah, that reminds me.” He stood up too. “I’ve got some things to take care of downtown in the morning. Why don’t you sleep in, and we can check out some of these apartments after lunch?”
It was amazing. He was
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