Melting Point

by Pierce, Nicolette

  She’d call him after the tour.

  Van stormed into the office. “Where’s Piper? She’s not answering her phone.”

  “Didn’t she tell you?” Morgan asked, confused. It was rare that Piper didn’t share everything with Van, but over the last couple of months the two weren’t exactly seeing eye to eye.

  “Tell me what?”

  “She’s flying to Germany.”

  “Germany?” Van asked as if he’d never heard of the country before.

  “She was accepted as an apprentice at a metal shop there. You should check out their website. They have the most amazing artists there.”

  “When is she leaving?”

  Morgan glanced at the clock. “Her flight left over an hour ago.”

  Van leaned heavily against the door.

  “Are you okay?” Morgan asked.

  Van shook his head and laughed. But it sounded sad.

  “You aren’t okay.” She stood to walk around her desk. “Why don’t you sit down?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Van said and turned to leave. “I’ll call Piper later when her plane lands.”

  “Oh.” Morgan frowned. “But she doesn’t have her phone with her.”

  “Why not?”

  “She doesn’t have international coverage.” At his stormy expression, Morgan added, “But she said she was going to get a phone once she settles in.”

  “How long will she be gone?”

  “At least a year, perhaps longer if they like her work and ask her to stay.”

  “A year? She didn’t tell me.”

  “You kept yelling at her.”

  “I —”

  Morgan raised a brow.

  Van scrubbed his hand over his face. “When she calls, tell her . . .”

  “Tell her?” Morgan prompted.

  Van shook his head. “Never mind.”

  Morgan watched as he walked away and disappeared through the shop door. Was it possible?

  “What are you staring at?” Greer asked.

  “I think Van just figured out he’s in love with Piper.”

  “It’s about time,” Greer muttered. “Too bad his timing sucks.”

  “Promise me you’ll stay out of it.”

  “Are you kidding me? Why would I involve myself in their bizarre relationship? I have enough on my plate as it is.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes, I do.” She sniffed and walked away.

  Morgan shut the door to her office and spent the next hour working. It was much safer behind the door than in front where Greer was. She was clearly up to something.

  Chapter 28

  When Bethany knocked on the open office door, Liam was ready for the tour. He had cleaned up as best he could and used the spare suit he kept at the office.

  “They’re here,” she said, her face flush.

  Liam hadn’t noticed much in the last few days, perhaps weeks, but his assistant looked disheveled. Was he working her too hard? If so, he’d have to offer her a raise to keep her in good spirits. He didn’t have the time or energy to train a replacement if she decided to leave.

  “Good,” Liam said, heading out the door. “I want to get this over with as quickly as possible. Are they waiting in the lobby?”

  “Yes, both of them are there.”

  “Both?” Liam stopped. “Our tours have a minimum of ten people. How did we only book two?”

  “You’d have to ask Trace, but I was told they’re VIPs.”

  Trace? One of these days Liam was going to throttle him. “Where’s Trace?”

  A hint of a smile appeared. “I don’t know, but when I left him he was very tired.”

  “He is the laziest person I know.”

  Bethany’s smile grew. “I’d say quite the opposite.”

  “What?” Liam asked as Bethany sauntered away.

  Sauntered? Had Bethany ever sauntered before? Would this day ever make sense? Would life?

  Liam sighed and stepped into the elevator and pressed the lobby button. When the doors opened at the ground floor, he was taken by surprise. Morgan stood near a historical iron mural, her eyes casting gently over it. Greer fidgeted next to her.

  Were they here for the tour? He looked around the lobby. No one else was around except for the receptionist. Morgan didn’t know he owned Cast Again, so why was she here? When she caught sight of him, her expression shifted to shock, and immediately Liam knew she wasn’t here for him. If there had been anything left to his heart, her reaction would have finished it.

  Since he couldn’t very well turn his back on the Brennan girls without looking like a complete jerk, he walked over and greeted them.

  “What are you doing here?” Morgan asked him.

  “I own Cast Again,” he answered, trying not to be affected by her voice. There was something strong about it, yet it had an underlying smooth tone. Denim and honey, like her eyes and hair.

  When she shot a daggered glance at Greer, the puzzle pieces began to fit. Greer and Trace had organized this. At the moment, he wasn’t sure if that earned Trace a point or if he still deserved a throttling.

  “Oh,” Greer exclaimed, looking at her phone. “It seems I’m needed at the shelter. I’ll just —”

  Greer ran out the door.

  “I can’t believe she did that,” Morgan said, crossing her arms.

  Liam didn’t know what to say. He had so much to tell her but her crossed arms and furrowed brow told him to keep his mouth shut.

  “I’m sorry about this,” Morgan said. “She tricked us.”

  “I take it you don’t want a tour.” What was he saying? Of course she didn’t want a silly tour. Certainly not after the awkwardness.

  “It’s not that. The tour would’ve been fine. It’s just —”

  Him. He was the problem. “I understand,” he said, turning away. “Have a good day.”

  “Liam, stop.” Morgan touched his arm. “I was just surprised.”

  “I can see that.”

  “I was actually going to call you and apologize.”

  He frowned. “For what?”

  “Everything.” She let her hand drop to her side. “I handled things badly with you, and I’m sorry.”

  Liam wasn’t sure how to respond. He’d accept any apology she gave, but was that all that she wanted? A quick apology and good-bye?

  “Is there some place we can talk?” she asked. “Perhaps you are too busy. We can do it some other time if you are.”

  “I’m not too busy. I’d offer my office, but it’s being redecorated.” She was never, ever to see his office in its current state. It was like a mirror to his soul and she’d run away screaming.

  “Oh, okay. Perhaps later, then.” Morgan hurried to the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I think it’s better if we do this another time.”

  “Unless you and Greer drove separately, you might have a hard time getting home.”

  Morgan looked out the glass door and swore under her breath. “She really thought of everything, didn’t she?”

  Liam tried not to feel sorry for Morgan, but he was having a hard time. She was beyond her comfort zone with no escape.

  “I’ll give you a ride home.”

  “You shouldn’t have to, but I’d really appreciate it. Can you drop me off at the office instead?”

  “I could,” he said. But he had no intention of doing so. She was the one who had brought up speaking in private. It was better to get it over with.

  * * *

  As Liam drove, Morgan tried to fill the time with idle chitchat about the weather and work. She informed him about Piper’s new adventure and that Grandpa was settling into minimum-security prison with hardly a hiccup. She spoke about everything except what needed to be said. It wasn’t until they were only a few blocks away that she noticed he’d taken her to her house instead of the office.

  “You were supposed to drop me off at the office,” she said.

  “I will, once we talk.”r />
  “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”

  He pulled into the driveway and parked next to her car. Greer had thought of everything, including transferring her car back home.

  “Why? You seemed really chatty just a moment ago.” Liam turned off the car and slid out. “Coming?”

  Morgan silently groaned but opened the door. It was better this way. She’d been stalling for weeks, and it wasn’t fair to him. As it was, he looked as if he’d lost a few pounds, and it didn’t agree with him. She wasn’t vain enough to think it was because of her, but she’d lost sleep over him, so it was a possible conclusion.

  Morgan unlocked the door and let Liam inside. She tossed down her purse and headed straight for the kitchen. There was still an unopened bottle of wine left over from her sisters’ dinner, which seemed like an eternity ago.

  Liam didn’t say anything; he just watched with patient eyes.

  “Have a seat,” she said. “I’ll bring wine.”

  “Are you sure you want to drink?” he asked. “You didn’t do so well last time.”

  “You don’t have to remind me.” She poured two glasses and handed him one. “But I think I need it this time.”

  He took a sip, looking at her over the rim. “Why?”

  “Because I screwed up everything, and I’m sorry.”

  He took her hand and led the way to the couch. When they were both seated, he said, “And I’m sorry for pushing.”

  “You didn’t.” She took a gulp of the wine, feeling the astringent liquid burn across her tongue. “When you said —” Morgan stopped. She couldn’t very well say the words right now. Not when he probably hated her for not repeating them.

  “I love you,” he finished.

  Morgan nearly choked. “Um, yes, when you said that, I was shocked. I was going to let you know how I felt, but then I was afraid.”

  “Afraid of what?”

  “I truly believe there’ll be backlash from Grandpa’s stunt.”

  “Has there been any?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I’ve recently learned that Russians have great memories and can hold grudges for a long time. Plus, Grandpa told me to let him know if anything happens and he’ll handle it.”

  Liam raised a brow. “Still fighting the vory v zakone from inside prison?”

  “He said that’s where it all happens.”

  “You know you can call me for help too.”

  “Can I?” she questioned. “I know I was hard on you, but it was only because I thought they’d blame me for everything and target the ones I love. I couldn’t do much about Greer and Piper since they are family and everyone knows it, but I thought I could at least protect you.”

  “Did you just say you love me?”

  Morgan tried to remember what she’d said. But it didn’t matter. The truth was that she did love him. “But I’m still afraid something will happen.”

  “You love me?”

  “Yes, I love you.”

  He leaned over and kissed her. “I love you too, angel.”

  Her ears buzzed as the words floated through her head. Was this really happening? “But what about —”

  Liam kissed her again. “Walter said he’d handle it. Let him.” Setting both of the glasses on the coffee table, he took her hands and kissed each palm. “We can talk about Walter and his misadventures later. Can we talk about us now?”

  “Sure,” she agreed, even though she’d rather be kissing than talking.

  The last time she drank wine, they had made it all the way to the bedroom, although nothing happened. She had despised him at the time. Funny how the situation had changed. But there was still hope. She picked up her glass and took another sip.

  He smiled at her. “You wouldn’t happen to be nervous, would you?”

  “I’m never nervous,” she lied.

  “I couldn’t help but notice you keep looking in the direction of your bedroom.”

  Was she so obvious? “I just remembered what happened the last time I drank wine.”

  “You mean when you ate all the pie and passed out in bed?”

  “No, I meant when you fed me pie while I was half dressed.”

  “I like your version much better.”

  She smiled. “Too bad there’s no strawberry pie. It’s my favorite, after all.”

  “Perhaps we can come up with a new favorite.”

  Morgan couldn’t believe her ears. Were they really talking about this? Was this really going to happen? She hadn’t had sex in . . . way too long, and she really, really desperately wanted to with Liam.

  She could have made the argument that they were moving too fast, but her whole life had been about moving slowly, calculating risks. Here was a beautiful man sitting in front of her who loved her and she loved him. Yes, it was fast, but perfectly so. She would not screw this up again by pushing him away. This time, she would hold on.

  “If you look at your bedroom one more time, I’m going to pick you up and take you there,” he warned.

  “Was I looking at it again?”

  “Every ten seconds.”

  She smiled and deliberately glanced in that direction. His mouth opened in astonishment, but was quickly masked by making good on his threat.

  Picking her up off the couch, he carried her to her bed and lay down next to her, his body pressed to her side. His hands moved along her, and she thought she had her first taste of heaven. Kissing him, she untucked his button-down shirt, pulling up the hem so she could touch his skin. She was rewarded when he helped her by tossing off his shirt. She had seen him shirtless before, even touched him. But this was different, this time she knew she didn’t have to stop.

  Her fingers grazed along his back as he kissed her, their lips and tongues exploring. He playfully nipped her lip and rolled over, taking her with him. She stared at him from above and couldn’t escape from his gaze. His hands moved up her side, removing her shirt in the process.

  “You’re beautiful, angel.” He trailed the edge of her bra with his fingers and down the center of her stomach to the button on her jeans.

  Morgan suddenly froze. She was wearing her ugly work underwear.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked. “If this is going too fast, I can stop.”

  “It’s not that,” she said. “It’s definitely not that.”

  “Then what?”

  “Would you excuse me for a moment?” Morgan had to change. It wasn’t as if she was embarrassed by her dowdy underwear. Well, maybe a little. But she definitely didn’t want them to leave a bad first impression.

  She scooted off the bed and hurried to her dresser.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Nothing.”

  He came up behind her and stopped her frantic search. “What are you looking for? If it’s condoms, you don’t have to worry. Trace filled my pockets with them.”

  “He did what?”

  “Long story involving a desk, a tour, a spare suit, and lined pockets. I thought it was odd until I saw you in my lobby. He’s not very subtle.”

  “Oh.” Morgan shook her head, trying to refocus. “No, it’s . . .”

  Liam raised a brow.

  Oh, for the love of God. She’d just have to come out and say it. She took a steadying breath and blurted, “I’m wearing my work underwear. They aren’t very flattering. I didn’t want you to see them. Not right now.”

  Liam looked confused for a moment and then laughed. “I’ve already seen them.”

  “When?”

  “You were wearing them as mittens on the airplane.”

  “Oh! You weren’t supposed to see that.”

  He closed the drawer and led her back to bed. “I don’t care what you wear, angel, as long as I can take it off.”

  Morgan chuckled and pushed him into bed. “Then you might want to hurry because I’m coming for yours next.”

  He dragged her down next to him. “I can’t wait.”

  Chapter 29

  Morgan snuggled next
to Liam, listening to the sound of his sleeping breath. It was soothing, something she could get used to very quickly. And if she had more time, she’d lie in bed all morning. But there were some things she needed to take care of at the office.

  The night before had made her realize two things. One, she loved Liam; his kisses, his body, his laughter, his smile, his eyes, the way he made love to her . . . she could go on, but she had a busy day ahead. And two, she loved Liam and she wanted him to be a part of her life. Right now, that life consisted of work and being yelled at for working too much.

  If she had learned anything over the past couple of months, it was that life was way too short and came with no guarantees. It was precious. She wanted more from it.

  Before her father’s death and the subsequent office takeover, she was happy. Now that there were no more secrets left to keep, it was no longer necessary to be the workaholic she’d turned into. It’d be hard letting go at first, but she overcame so much, what were a few reassigned tasks?

  Morgan slid out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she left for the office, ready for a fresh start.

  * * *

  Liam turned over, expecting to find a warm, heavenly body next to him. Instead, he found cold sheets.

  “Morgan?” He glanced around the room. The house was quiet. He shuffled out of bed and looked in the living room and kitchen. Did she leave?

  He groaned, knowing exactly where she was. It was Saturday and she went trotting off to work, leaving her forgotten bed partner behind. He scrubbed the sleep from his eyes and headed to the bathroom. A shower was what he needed.

  As the water beat down on him, he tried to think from her perspective. She did have a business to run, and she was a workaholic. He loved that she worked for what she wanted and didn’t rely on anyone else, although sometimes it was a nuisance. And after one night in bed and a few shared feelings, it wasn’t right for him to ask her to give up work and spend the day with him.

  But she could have left a note or given him a kiss good-bye. Waking up to an empty house was like he’d had a horrid one-night stand.