Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
“I can handle one,” Seth said. “A small one.” It wasn’t just a matter of staying clearheaded to keep Liam safe, but he really didn’t want to risk lowering his defenses around Liam when he was looking so hurt and vulnerable.
Liam splashed some whiskey into the glass and put the bottle on the counter with a loud thud in the silence of the room. He lifted the glass to his lips and swallowed its entire contents in one long drink as Seth reached for his. The man didn’t even wince at the burn. He picked up the bottle and refilled his glass. This one he at least sipped.
Seth could understand needing a few to help process what they’d learned, or didn’t learn, at Gerald’s apartment, but he was not about to let Liam get totally smashed.
“I…I don’t know whether to feel betrayed or hurt or worried about him,” Liam said when he was halfway through his second glass.
“I think you’re allowed to feel all that and more,” Seth murmured as he sipped his drink. While not the smoothest whiskey he’d ever enjoyed, the burn was good, and it helped to ease some of his own worries for the time being. Right now, it was nice just being there for Liam.
“If he walked through my door right now, I-I think I’d punch him. I-I’d break his fucking nose!” Liam stammered. “We talked about the flower shop for years. I sold my house. Leveraged everything for this place. I always understood the risks of starting a new business, and I made my peace with it. If it failed because of marketing or poor location or poor stock management, yeah, I get it. But…this? Borrowing money from a loan shark. It never entered my imagination.”
“I don’t think it would for most people.”
“And then he leaves! He fucking leaves me holding the bag!”
“Did you ever notice him being particularly self-centered before this?”
Liam shook his head and finished his drink. When he spoke again, his voice was low and rough from the whiskey. “No. He could be a little flighty and was definitely a risk taker, but we laughed about it. Said that we balanced each other out perfectly because I had to plan everything out and hated taking risks. The business would work because we had to run all big decisions past each other.”
Except for where Gerald’s money came from.
But Seth kept that thought to himself.
Liam reached for the bottle again, but Seth beat him to it. He held it behind him and out of Liam’s reach. The taller man glared at him, but Seth was undeterred by it. “This is your last one—”
“I don’t even have a buzz,” Liam interrupted.
“This is your last one because we have to get up at what time tomorrow?”
“Four.”
Seth shuddered and narrowed his eyes on Liam. “You’re not even kidding a little bit, are you?”
Liam’s grin was downright evil. “Four a.m. That’s enough time to shower, coffee, breakfast, and yoga before getting to the shop at five.”
“Yoga?” That was not at all the kind of workout he’d expected from Liam. He’d had his hands all over the man’s spectacular body, felt the incredible muscle definition.
“Yoga keeps me limber and flexible. I prefer to do the weights and cardio in the evening after the shop is closed.”
Seth’s brain heard all of that, but it was stuck on the “limber and flexible” part like a needle skipping on a record groove. Liam’s room wasn’t more than a couple dozen steps away. They could so easily fall into that bed and thoroughly explore exactly how flexible Liam was.
Blinking, Seth looked up at Liam and glared when he took in the older man’s knowing stare. It was like he could guess exactly what was running through Seth’s brain, and that was so very bad. Yes, they both wanted each other, but Liam was also hurting after being betrayed by his friend, and Seth…Seth couldn’t offer Liam more than just hot sex. And he was pretty sure Liam needed so much more.
“Give me the booze,” Liam commanded in a low voice that sent tingles screaming along every one of Seth’s nerve endings. He’d used that same tone when holding Seth down, when fucking him through the goddamn mattress, when making Seth lose his mind out the end of his dick. Oh yeah, his body remembered that voice.
“After you move to the couch. It’s been a long day, and you’re still injured. I don’t want us both to end up sitting on the damn kitchen floor with you curled around this fucking bottle.”
Liam took a step around the counter so that it no longer separated them. He towered over Seth, and the bodyguard struggled to keep his brain from shutting down completely. His libido was demanding that they submit to this beautiful, powerful creature. Blood rushed to his dick. It was now straining against the front of his jeans like the fucker was reaching for Liam.