by Trisha Grace
It felt ridiculous to be wearing a shirt and jeans at home. He’d never bothered to wear any of the clothes Cassian’s mother sent him. Kelly always hung them all up in his closet, but he never wore any of them. Never even bothered to touch them.
He’d hesitated for a couple more minutes before getting frustrated with his indecision. He strode out of his study and over to Helena’s room before he could change his mind.
Now he wished he had changed his mind.
“I feel like a slob,” Helena finally said as she looked down at the oversized sweatshirt over her leggings.
“I could change.”
“Don’t. I like it. You look great.”
“I think you look great too.”
“Sure.” She rolled her eyes.
He stepped forward. “I think you look beautiful.”
Helena swallowed hard and turned her face away as her cheeks turned pink.
Liam grinned at that. She looked so adorable when she blushed. “Ready for the grand tour?”
She nodded.
They walked around to each of the rooms on the second floor, and Helena cataloged the broken furniture on her phone, complete with photo evidence. Liam leaned against the doorjamb and held his phone’s flashlight steady while she did that.
They had just come out of the third room when she saw Kelly bringing up his breakfast.
“You should go eat.”
“Then who’s going to hold the light for you?” he asked. He’d had no idea that the lights in the rooms didn’t work. He hadn’t been in there for a long time, and he was glad he had a reason to stay with her.
“I think I’ve done enough work for Bobby for a moment.”
“You’re not a very hard worker.”
“Can’t wait to get rid of me?”
“I meant you work too hard,” Liam said, and she laughed softly.
“How did you lock me in that first day?” she asked as they headed up the stairs. “Do all the doors lock from the outside?”
He winced. “I’m sorry about that day, but no. You don’t have to worry about that. It’s only that room. There’s a deadbolt on the outside to lock the door.”
“Why?”
“That was my old room.” He drew a breath through his nose. “My mother would lock me inside so she didn’t have to see me.” Even his silhouette in the darkness was enough to irk her. “Don’t apologize,” he said when Helena opened her mouth.
“I don’t know what else to say.” She looked over at him. “And I’m not apologizing for them.”
“I know.” He knew she felt bad about what he had been through, but he didn’t want her to feel that way.
When they got to the top of the stairs, Kelly came out of the study and headed past them without a word.
Liam didn’t want Helena to go to her room, so he blurted the question he’d been wanting to ask. “Do you want to have breakfast with me? I have a coffee table in there.” He’d grumbled when his half-brothers brought the couch and coffee table in, but he was glad he hadn’t thrown them out.
“Oh.” She pursed and released her lips.
“It’s okay if you’d prefer to—”
“I haven’t spoken to Kelly.”
“I know.”
Her brows puckered.
“There are cameras watching the front door. I get alerts when they sense movement.”
“You mean Bobby’s cameras?”
He shook his head.
“You have your own cameras?”
“How do you think George knows when to shoot?”
She grinned. “That makes sense.” She tipped her head to the side. “You know I haven’t spoken to Kelly, and you didn’t talk to her.”
“You asked me not to.” He frowned. “Should I have?”
“No.” She laughed softly. “No, you shouldn’t. Thank you for respecting my choice.”
“May I ask why? Her food isn’t that bad.” At least he didn’t think it was. Then again, he’d never been fussy about food.
She licked her lips.
“You’d rather not tell me.” He nodded once when she hesitated. “I don’t see you ordering breakfast, though. Don’t you eat breakfast?”
“It’s too early to get anything delivered.”
Liam put his hand on the doorknob. “I wouldn’t mind sharing mine.”
She sucked in a breath.
Liam didn’t want to force her into anything, but he really wanted to spend more time with her. He opened the door. “Ladies first.”
Helena pursed her lips and entered. She didn’t look all that happy about stepping in, but she hadn’t said no.
Which was good enough for him.
“Sit.” He pointed to the couch, then strode over and grabbed the tray of food. “We can share.”
On the tray was a container of yogurt with blueberries and granola crumbles, a sandwich, and a cup of coffee. He put the tray down on the coffee table. “Take what you want.”
Helena stared at the food and rubbed her hands down her leggings.
Liam frowned as he watched her. She seemed to have some real issues with food. “You’re not worried about losing weight, are you? Because you look perfect the way you are.”
She cracked a smile. “No. It isn’t that.”
He recalled the fight they had about her dinner on the first night. “Are you worried I’d poison your food?”
Liam couldn’t help feeling disappointed at her lack of trust in him. But he picked up the sandwich and took a bite, then replaced it on the plate.
“I’m sorry.” Her tongue ran over her lips again. “I don’t mean to offend you.” She picked up the spoon for the yogurt. “I’m just nervous about eating food that I didn’t see prepared, which is why I usually cook my own meals.” She held the spoon and stared at the yogurt, then drew a deep breath as if she was bracing herself for a fight. “But I trust you.”
Liam didn’t understand why she was so nervous, but he hated seeing her that way. Gently, he took the spoon from her. He took a mouthful of yogurt and put the spoon back on the tray. “I’ll go get another spoon and a knife to cut the sandwich.”
“No. It’s okay.” She picked up the spoon and took some of the yogurt. “I don’t mind. You can get a fresh spoon for yourself if you mind.”
“You’re nervous about your food being poisoned? Because it clearly isn’t a bacteria thing.”
She nodded slowly. “Kind of.”
“May I ask why?”
She pursed her lips. “I had a bad experience.”
It seemed that was about all she wanted to say. Liam nodded. “You’re free to use the kitchen if you want.”
“Really?” She grinned. “I’d like that. Thanks.”
“Helena, whatever you need, just ask.”
“Thanks, Liam. I really appreciate that.” She held the yogurt toward him. “Do you still want this? I can get another spoon for you if you want.”
“I don’t mind.” He took the spoon and yogurt from her.
“What do you like to eat? I can cook for you too.”
“You’d cook for me?”
“I’m already going to cook for myself, so why not?”
“I’d like that.”
“Any special requests?”
He shook his head. “I’ll eat anything you cook.” Even if it was poisoned. No one had ever cooked for him. No one that wasn’t hired to cook for him, that was.
“I bake too. Do you like brownies? I make really good brownies.”
He grinned. “I’m not fussy about food.” He’d always eaten whatever Kelly put on his plate.
She took her phone. “I’ll order the groceries.”
“I can send George or Kelly out for them.”
She waved it off. “Why send them out for it when we can get food delivered to us?”
Chapter 9
Liam had the longest breakfast he’d ever had in his life, but it was still too short for his liking. He chatted with Helena about her work. She complaine
d about how GS Inc. took over and booted her and her friend, about how masochistic the environment was. She showed him some of her past illustrations for children’s books, and he showed her how virtual desktops worked.
Eventually, the food and coffee they shared ran out.
Helena retreated back to her room to do some work.
After a couple of minutes, Liam got up and headed out of his study. He walked out the back door of the mansion and did something he had never once done in the twenty years he had been here—he went over to George and Kelly’s cottage.
Shock was evident on Kelly’s face when she opened the door. “Master Black, what are you doing here?” She dropped her gaze after her initial shock faded.
“Helena will be using the kitchen to prepare her meals from now on.”
Kelly’s eyes narrowed, and she jerked her head up. “I asked if she wanted something to eat. She—”
“And I’m telling you right now that she’ll be cooking. She ordered groceries. They should be coming in a couple of hours. Put them in the fridge.”
“Yes, Master Black.” She looked down at the floor.
“You don’t have to make lunch for me today. Helena will be cooking.”
Kelly’s brows flicked up, but her gaze remained locked on the floor. “Yes, Master Black.”
Liam turned to leave, when Kelly suddenly called out to him again.
“Master Black!” She clasped her hands in front of her.
“What is it?”
“I know it’s probably not my place to say this,” Kelly continued, “but I thought I should remind you that Miss Helena is only here because Master Eolenfeld made her stay.”
That might have been how it started, but it wasn’t true anymore. Bobby had asked her to leave, but Helena had refused. Liam had told her to go, and she hadn’t.
“She’s only here for her brother.”
Liam turned again.
“Don’t get distracted and forget the real reason she’s staying,” Kelly continued. “She needs the two and a half million for her brother.”
Liam stopped.
“You can’t trust her, Master Black. Miss Helena isn’t staying because of you.”
“She is now.”
“Do you really believe that?”
Liam ran his hand through his hair. Helena was cataloging the things in the mansion.
He pushed that thought from his mind. Things started out that way, but it had changed. He was sure.
She isn’t staying because of you.
“It’s clear she and Master Eolenfeld aren’t just friends,” Kelly said. “Surely you can see that.”
Bobby Eolenfeld had made clear his interest in Helena, but she had insisted they weren’t a couple.
“The furniture I ordered for her will be coming in tomorrow. Have George set it up in the room next to mine.”
“On the third floor?”
“Yes.”
Kelly’s chest rose slowly. “I will let George know.”
“When Helena’s in the kitchen, I want you to stay out of it.”
“But what about your meals?”
“I can wait.”
“She can’t share?”
“I don’t want you anywhere near her. Not with that attitude.” He thought he heard George chuckling, but Liam didn’t turn to check. He stalked away from Kelly. He’d had a great start to his day, and he wasn’t going to let her ruin it.
Helena knocked on Liam’s door, then popped her head in. “I’m going to make lunch now. What time will Kelly start cooking? Should I let her know I’ll be in the kitchen?”
He got up. “I’ve already told her.”
“Then where are you going?”
“With you to the kitchen.”
“Why?”
He shrugged a shoulder.
“Oh, no.” Helena’s brows puckered. “Was Kelly upset about me using the kitchen?” She licked her lips. “I don’t have to cook. I can order takeout.”
“I thought you didn’t feel comfortable eating food you haven’t seen the person prepare.”
“It doesn’t really matter to me when it’s delivered.” She hooked her hand on his arm when he got closer, and Liam looked down at it.
She wasn’t sure why she did that, and she almost pulled her hand back at his reaction. Before she could, he drew his arm closer and led her out of the study.
“Are we going to walk around in the dark?” she asked. “Do I need my phone?”
“We can turn on the lights.”
She strolled along with him. “Why are all the lights in the house turned off, anyway?”
“When we first moved here, my mother kept the lights out and the curtains drawn. She complained that the lights and the sight of me give her a headache.”
Helena gritted her teeth to stop the barrage of terrible things she wanted to say about his mother.
“Since she was always either drinking or hung over,” Liam continued, “she always had a headache.”
She would have told him she was sorry. She hated that he had to go through all that, and she truly wished she could do something to change the past. But she couldn’t, and Liam didn’t like her apologizing.
So she kept her mouth shut.
Liam shrugged a shoulder. “I guess I just got used to the darkness.”
“Liam, your mother’s dead,” she said after a whole minute.
“I know.”
“You don’t have to keep living in her shadow. You can open the curtains if you want,” she continued. “If you want. If this isn’t about you not wanting to see your scar.”
They continued down the dark hallway in silence, until he paused and switched on the lights.
“It works,” she said, surprised.
“Can’t say I like seeing myself in the mirror.”
Helena stopped and looked at him—really looked at him. Her gaze roamed across his face before locking eyes with him again.
“No one can stand to look at me, not even my mother. I’m sure you’ve noticed how Kelly and George never look me straight in the eyes.” He stared back at her. “No one looks at me the way you do.” He grazed the back of his finger down her jaw while his eyes held hers captive. “Tell me the truth, Helena. Do you really not see a monster?”
Helena couldn’t answer him. Locked in his magnetic gaze, all she could think about was how much she wanted him to kiss her.
When she realized she’d stopped breathing, she drew a breath and dropped her gaze.
“Look at me,” he said. “I want you to look me in the eyes when you answer me.”
“I can’t.”
Liam’s face fell, and he nodded once.
“Not because I think you’re a monster. I don’t think you’re a monster.” She still couldn’t meet his gaze. “It’s just …”
Liam ducked his chin to look in her eyes.
She turned her face away and gathered the excess material of Liam’s sweater around her hands. “It makes me … nervous when you look at me like that.” She drew a deep breath through her nose and licked her lips.
“It’s all right, Helena. You don’t have to explain.”
“No.” She hooked her hand in the crook of his elbow. She wanted Liam to know for sure that she meant what she said. She tipped her head back and locked eyes with him. “You’re not a monster.”
He was anything but.
He didn’t have to care even if she screamed herself hoarse, but he always came to her. He didn’t have to do anything about her stalker problem, but he was doing everything he could for her.
And when he found out about her paranoia about food, he hadn’t laughed at her or demanded an explanation. Instead, he simply made sure she could do what she needed to.
“You’re not a freak show,” she continued.
Again, his intense gaze was magnetic. This time, she couldn’t help herself. She leaned forward, and Liam bent to meet her halfway.
The breath rushed out of her as their lips met, and Helena relaxe
d against him as he wrapped his strong arm around her waist. She knew fairy tales weren’t real. She didn’t expect Liam’s scar to melt away at their kiss, but something about the kiss felt so right.
It wasn’t just the kiss. It was the way she fitted him. The way she always wanted to melt when she was in his arms.
And that scared her.
She and Liam broke their kiss and opened their eyes at the same time. They stared at each other in silence, neither seeming to know what to do.
Helena stepped away, wishing she hadn’t when Liam’s arm dropped from her waist. She opened her mouth to say something, but she didn’t know what.
“Should I apologize?” he asked, his words infused with uncertainty.
She shook her head.
The corners of Liam’s lips hooked back into a smile. “So you’re not angry?”
She shook her head again and smiled. Whatever fear she’d felt instantly dissipated at the curl of Liam’s lips.
“Are you going to say something?”
“I love it when you smile.”
He laughed. “What a coincidence. I love it when you smile. I especially love it knowing that I put it there.” He extended his hand toward her.
Now that the lights were on, Helena didn’t need to hang onto Liam to walk around.
Still, she put her hand in his.
They had taken one step when he pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He looked at the message, then turned to her. “I have an odd request.”
“What?”
“I need you to stand next to me while we take a full-length photo of ourselves.”
She frowned.
“I have a surprise for you, but I need the photo to get the surprise to you.”
“A surprise?”
“Yes. I’m not going to say any more because it’s a surprise.”
She looked down at herself. “Should I go change?”
“No. No. You’re fine the way you are.” His brows drew together in uncertainty. “So, are you okay with that?”
“Sure. I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve, Mr. Black.”
“Who taught you how to cook?” Liam asked while Helena checked out the things in the kitchen cabinets. He would have asked if she was looking for something, but he didn’t know where anything was either.
