Jaz grinned, trying to hide the sudden discomfort that touched her spine.
“What is it?” Liam asked.
She should have known better than to think he wouldn’t notice. Liam always noticed. But how was she to explain how nerve-racking it felt for Kyan’s little sister to be taking charge of a crew of former special forces operatives? What exactly was going to happen the first time she gave an instruction they didn’t like? Jaz sighed, the look in Liam’s eye saying he wouldn’t take evasion for an answer.
“I barely come up to your shoulder,” she said.
“I noticed.”
“I mean,” Jaz said, “that in addition to the Rescue’s crew roster being a special forces who-is-who directory, everyone is going to tower over me.”
“You want a stool?”
“Ugh!” Jaz threw up her hands. “What I’m saying is that I’m not sure the guys will be all that excited to take orders from me.”
“No one needs to be excited. They just need to do it.”
“Easy for you to say. You just assume that if you’re in charge, everybody’s going to listen and do what you say.”
“Well, pretty much, yes.” Liam perched a muscled hip on the seat of Jaz’s new quad and beckoned her toward him, until she stood between his splayed knees, the scent of his clean aftershave filling her lungs. “You’re an expert in ordering people around, Sprite. I have a standing weekly dinner with Patti as proof.”
Jaz chuckled. All right, the part about Liam’s mother was true. But with Lisa unexpectedly checked into a rehab facility in Denton Valley—thanks to some kind of backroom deal between her and Aiden—and Patti deciding to stay in the area permanently, it wasn’t actually all that difficult to arrange. Plus, Jaz liked Liam’s mother, and the feeling was mutual. The sailors and soldiers Trident Rescue employed? They were different animals.
Placing his hands on either side of Jaz’s face, Liam lifted her gaze to meet his and ran his thumbs along her cheekbones. His shoulders were spread, his eyes intense and focused. So much so that it made heat prickle all over Jaz’s skin.
Despite their time together, Liam’s ability to take control with a single look—a single touch—still made Jaz melt with surprise. And pleasure.
“I’ve seen you work, Sprite.” Liam’s firm touch made her pay attention to every word. “I’ve watched you craft routes for world-class climbers. Seen you conquer gravity and the mountain. More importantly, I watched you handle yourself in a crisis. I’ve no doubt of your capability. No doubt that you’re the right person for this. And once the men see, neither will they.”
He grinned, releasing some tension from the air between them. “Though might I suggest you begin your acquaintance by taking the group on one of your training runs, with maybe a climb or two to set the tone?”
A chuckle escaped Jaz’s chest, taking some of her anxiety with it. Liam believed in her. More than she believed in herself.
“I wouldn’t put you in charge if I didn’t think you were the right person for the job,” he said seriously. “The best person for the job. Got it?”
She nodded.
“Speaking of you being in charge…” He gave her a hard look. “I would consider it a personal favor if you restrained yourself from maneuvering any more Trident employees to show up at black-tie charity events wearing running shorts.”
Jaz bit her lip to contain a giggle.
Bringing her closer still, Liam covered her mouth with his, sending a blazing heat shooting all the way through her. Her toes tingled. Her back. Her sex. As the tight rod of his erection pushed against her through his zippered jeans, all Jaz could suddenly think of was the moisture now saturating her panties. The way her channel clenched in need that could be sated right here. Right now. On the hood of her brand-new Jeep. Or maybe bent over the seat of the ATV.
She pulled away, panting for breath. “You did that on purpose.”
“Mmm.” He nuzzled the side of her neck, his breath warm against her skin. “True. But I needed to get a bit of a tactical advantage before this next part.” Reaching into his back pocket, Liam pulled out a small velvet box that was designed in the shape of a stone. Flipping it open, he held it toward her with both hands. “I love you, Jaz Keasley. And I want you in my life forever. Would you marry me?”
44
Liam
Liam’s heart pounded as Jaz looked at the ring, his entire body poised for her answer. He wanted her so badly. Body and soul and everything in between. The woman standing before him wasn’t just a delicious force of nature in and of herself, she made him a better man. A better human. And there was nothing—nothing—on earth that he wanted more than to see Jaz happy.
Which was why the sudden tightness of her shoulders, the way she shifted her weight from foot to foot in a tell of discomfort, made his throat close.
He stepped back, giving her space. Cursing himself for pushing too hard too fast. Moving back into his apartment a couple of weeks earlier turned out to be a smoother transition than either had expected. Maybe because it was their second time around, or because they both hoped she was coming to stay. But everything about her being there, from the warmth of her in his bed to the annoyance of finding her climbing shoes discarded on the couch, felt perfect. Felt like home. At least to him.
“It’s all right,” Liam said, quickly closing the box. “I’m sorry, I—”
“Wait.” Jaz put her hands over his, her face tight. “I didn’t say no.”
“But you didn’t say yes,” Liam said gently, his body nearly trembling to keep hold of the emotion as he put the ring away. “I don’t want to pressure you into this. Into anything.”
Jaz dropped her head, letting out a humorless chuckle. “But that’s a problem too, isn’t it?”
Liam blinked, confusion flooding his blood. Whatever Jaz meant by that, he needed to know. To understand. “Explain.”
Jaz flushed the color of her new toys, her arms wrapping around her shoulders. For all her openness and excitement during intimacy, she was ironically uncomfortable talking about sex. It was a trait Liam usually found amusing, but not today. Not when he needed to know what gaping chasm he’d somehow missed.
“Tell me.” Liam scrubbed his face, his throat tight. “Please. Just tell me.”
“You need a partner you can pressure, don’t you?” Jaz said finally, not meeting his eyes. “One you can…um…hurt for your pleasure. I know you’ve held yourself back and…and I think you would eventually come to resent me for not being able to give you that.”
Of all the things Jaz could have said, this one smacked Liam upside the head with surprise. The notion was somewhere between absurd and dangerous. “Where did you get that load of horseshit?”
“From someone who has experience with you.” Jaz looked up, her chin rising. That was another thing Liam loved about this woman. She didn’t back away from a challenge. “And no, I’m not telling you who. Suffice to say that I know that for all our bedroom fun, you’ve been holding yourself back.”