another. Be Honest with Yourself: A Guide to Awareness. Dr. Dina Sanders claimed the most dangerous flaw a person could possess was self-delusion. And if Ellie didn’t acknowledge that Liam was the sexiest hunk of man she’d ever met, then she was the queen of self-denial.
“All right, he’s sexy. That face is just too pretty for words and he’s got gorgeous eyes and a smile that could make a girl melt. And his body is to die for. I’ll admit that. When he moves, I just want to watch him and think about him naked. He’s a fine specimen of a man.” Ellie stopped, then reconsidered what she’d said. A giggle slipped from her lips and she tossed the book back onto the coffee table.
“Don’t look for the answers in a book,” she murmured. “Look in your heart.” That’s what psychologist Jane Fleming had said in her book, Listen to Your Heart. Though at the time Ellie had thought it was a bit of a paradox, considering that advice came from a book. Still, it was good advice.
“I’ll just follow my heart,” she said. “But I’ll make sure I listen to my brain, as well.”
A raucous buzz broke the silence in the apartment and Ellie jumped, pressing her hand to her chest. Beneath her fingers she could feel her heart racing. Inhaling a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. “No pressure, this is just a friendly dinner.” So why had she spent nearly two hours on her hair and makeup? “A very friendly dinner.”
She pressed the security buzzer, then opened her door and waited for him to climb the two flights up to her apartment. When he rounded the landing, she noticed that he was carrying a lamp. At that moment he saw her and their eyes met, and for a second Ellie couldn’t breathe. Why did he seem to get more handsome each time she saw him?
“Hi,” she murmured. “You brought a lamp.”
“This is for you,” Liam said.
She stepped aside to let him walk into the apartment, then softly closed the door behind him, taking just a moment to stare at his backside. “Thank you. But you didn’t have to.”
“I know guys usually bring flowers or candy. But I figured after you broke your lamp on my head, I owed you one.”
Ellie grinned and reached for it. “Thanks. I’ll just go put it in water.”
That brought a smile to Liam’s lips. “I’ll just go plug it in.” He fished a light bulb out of the pocket of his leather jacket. “I thought about getting you a lamp with a brass base, but I figured if you ever decided to hit me again, I didn’t want to end up in the hospital.”
“How is your head?”
“I had a small lump, but it’s going down.”
She felt a warm blush creep up her cheeks. “I really do apologize.”
He glanced over at her. “Hey, there’s no need. You did what you had to do.”
Ellie pointed to the far wall. “There’s a plug behind the sofa.”
Liam set the lamp on the table, then shrugged out of his jacket, revealing a finely pressed shirt that accented his wide shoulders and narrow waist. Ellie quickly hurried across the room and took his jacket from him. “I’ll just throw this in my bedroom.” Right after she said it, Ellie realized that he might misunderstand. “Not that I expect us to end up in the—it’s just that I don’t have a coat closet in this apartment. These old places are—”
“You can put my coat on your bed,” Liam said. “I’m sure it won’t get any ideas.”
Ellie stifled a groan, then hurried to her bedroom. She sat on the edge of her bed, clutching his coat to her chest. “Be cool,” she murmured. “Just be cool.” She lifted his jacket to her face and buried her nose in the silky lining. “God, he smells good.” She tossed the jacket aside, then raced back into the living room.
By the time she got there, Liam had the new lamp working. In all honesty, it was a much nicer lamp than the one she’d broken over his head. “It looks great,” Ellie said. She twisted her fingers together in front of her, suddenly forgetting
“All right, he’s sexy. That face is just too pretty for words and he’s got gorgeous eyes and a smile that could make a girl melt. And his body is to die for. I’ll admit that. When he moves, I just want to watch him and think about him naked. He’s a fine specimen of a man.” Ellie stopped, then reconsidered what she’d said. A giggle slipped from her lips and she tossed the book back onto the coffee table.
“Don’t look for the answers in a book,” she murmured. “Look in your heart.” That’s what psychologist Jane Fleming had said in her book, Listen to Your Heart. Though at the time Ellie had thought it was a bit of a paradox, considering that advice came from a book. Still, it was good advice.
“I’ll just follow my heart,” she said. “But I’ll make sure I listen to my brain, as well.”
A raucous buzz broke the silence in the apartment and Ellie jumped, pressing her hand to her chest. Beneath her fingers she could feel her heart racing. Inhaling a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. “No pressure, this is just a friendly dinner.” So why had she spent nearly two hours on her hair and makeup? “A very friendly dinner.”
She pressed the security buzzer, then opened her door and waited for him to climb the two flights up to her apartment. When he rounded the landing, she noticed that he was carrying a lamp. At that moment he saw her and their eyes met, and for a second Ellie couldn’t breathe. Why did he seem to get more handsome each time she saw him?
“Hi,” she murmured. “You brought a lamp.”
“This is for you,” Liam said.
She stepped aside to let him walk into the apartment, then softly closed the door behind him, taking just a moment to stare at his backside. “Thank you. But you didn’t have to.”
“I know guys usually bring flowers or candy. But I figured after you broke your lamp on my head, I owed you one.”
Ellie grinned and reached for it. “Thanks. I’ll just go put it in water.”
That brought a smile to Liam’s lips. “I’ll just go plug it in.” He fished a light bulb out of the pocket of his leather jacket. “I thought about getting you a lamp with a brass base, but I figured if you ever decided to hit me again, I didn’t want to end up in the hospital.”
“How is your head?”
“I had a small lump, but it’s going down.”
She felt a warm blush creep up her cheeks. “I really do apologize.”
He glanced over at her. “Hey, there’s no need. You did what you had to do.”
Ellie pointed to the far wall. “There’s a plug behind the sofa.”
Liam set the lamp on the table, then shrugged out of his jacket, revealing a finely pressed shirt that accented his wide shoulders and narrow waist. Ellie quickly hurried across the room and took his jacket from him. “I’ll just throw this in my bedroom.” Right after she said it, Ellie realized that he might misunderstand. “Not that I expect us to end up in the—it’s just that I don’t have a coat closet in this apartment. These old places are—”
“You can put my coat on your bed,” Liam said. “I’m sure it won’t get any ideas.”
Ellie stifled a groan, then hurried to her bedroom. She sat on the edge of her bed, clutching his coat to her chest. “Be cool,” she murmured. “Just be cool.” She lifted his jacket to her face and buried her nose in the silky lining. “God, he smells good.” She tossed the jacket aside, then raced back into the living room.
By the time she got there, Liam had the new lamp working. In all honesty, it was a much nicer lamp than the one she’d broken over his head. “It looks great,” Ellie said. She twisted her fingers together in front of her, suddenly forgetting
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