Chapter 5
The throbbing in Izzy’s head dragged her out of sleep, the dull gain making her squint even before her eyes fully opened. It took her a moment to realize the noise in the background was her alarm clock. Her phone was ringing–insistently, vibrating somewhere near her head. Groaning, she fumbled for it on the nightstand, her fingers shaky and uncoordinated,
As soon as her hand wrapped around the device, her eyes flew open. This wasn’t her room.
The unfamiliar surroundings hit her like a ton of bricks, and before she could even process the headache, the memories of the night before flooded her mind. Her eyes widened in disbelie, as she clutched the blanket tighter around her body, pulling it up to her chest. She’s she’s fucking nakedll
The phone stopped ringing.
–
She glanced around, her heart hammering. The room was too sleek, too modern–definitely not hers, Her gaze flicked to the door, then the dresser, and finally the large windows that let in the muted light of morning. And then it hit her.
Liam.
She felt a surge of panic. She hadn’t planned for any of this to happen. Not last night. Not ever. The events from the night before played back in her head like a bad dream she couldn’t wake up from. Her challenge to him. The tension. And then…..
the rest.
Her phone buzzed again, pulling her out of her spiral. She looked down at the screen and froze when she saw the game.
Calen.
Her stomach churned. She stared at the name blinking on her phone. But before she could make a decision, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
-you
“You should probably answer that.”
Her head snapped toward the sound, and there he was. Liam stood by the bathroom door, freshly showered, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Droplets of water still clung to his skin. His hair was damp, slicked back from his face. He leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, a smug smile plastered across his face.
Izzy’s heart skipped. Why the hell was she ogling him? Her face turned hot. “You shouldn’t walk around with wet hair,” she said as she turned her head away. She heard him chuckle in response.
Izzy’s phone stopped ringing again.
“Thanks for your concern, but instead of pretending you’re not just checking me out, you might want to answer your phone. He’s not going to stop calling.” he said.
She met his gaze and immediately hated the smug smile still plastered on his face. Seeing this, he chuckled softly, clearly amused by her frustration. The sound sent another wave of irritation through her, but before she could snap at him, her phone started buzzing again.
With a huff, she yanked the blanket off the bed, carelessly wrapping it around her body. She shot a quick glance at Liam, who was still lounging by the door, clearly enjoying the situation far too much. Ignoring him, she hurried the far side of the room and pressed the phone to her ear.
“Hey,” she said, trying her best to keep her voice steady. The last thing she needed was for Calen to hear any hint of the chaos she was currently in
“Hi Babe,” Calen’s voice came through, sounding rushed. “Where are you? I thought you’d be back by now.”
She immediately thought of any excuse, anything that she could come up with. Quickly glancing at the clock on her phone.
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Chapter 5
she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I just got to the airport,” she lied, her fingers tightening around the phone. “Landled a few minutes ago. Where are you? I thought you- a ghed escaped her lips. “Please don’t tell me there’s another meeting?”
There was a brief pause on the other end. “I can’t pick you up,” Calen said. “There’s an emergency meeting–my father called it last minute.”
Meeting? Izzy snorted inwardly. Calen had promised to take hero the airport, but honestly, she was relieved he came up with another excuse. The last thing she wanted was to see his face “That’s fine,” she said, trying to sound casual, though she knew she wasn’t pulling it off. “I’ll see you when I get back.”
Calen’s voice softened slightly. “I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
Izzy swallowed hard, her heart sinking at his words. “It’s fine,” she muttered. “I’ll be home soon.”
“Right, I was just about to ask about the Downtown project? How was it? Were you able to read the documents? Do you think we can make a bid?”
Of course. The man called her because he needed something. “” Izzy looked at Liam who was still staring at her. “I haven’t had the chance. I was a little busy this time.”
“Right. Take care of yourself. Right, how about having dinner with me later!We can celebrate our anniversary in your favorite restaurant. I can-
“Unfortunately, I- I am having a really bad headache. Jetlag
Right. Then I’ll see you next time.”
With that, she quickly ended the call, lowering the phone from her car and letting out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. Her shoulders slumped.
But before she could even process what had just happened, she felt a presence behind her. She turned, her breath hitching in her throat when she realized how close Liam was–so close that the warmth of his body radiated toward her, making her, already erratic heartbeat pound even harder.
She froze, her pulse thudding in her ears. Liam’s gaze locked onto hers, a faint smirk still tugging at the corner of his lips.
“So,” he said, his voice low. “Aren’t you going to say something after last night?”
Izzy’s face flamed with embarrassment. She clenched the blanket tighter around her, avoiding his piercing gaze. “I–uh,” she stammered, suddenly remembering the events that had unfolded last night. The one vivid detail standing out: she’d puked all over him after her weird proposal.
She could only blame alcohol. She’s a bad drunk and both of them knew it.
Her face flushed as she lowered her head. “I didn’t mean to you know,” she mumbled. “Throw up on your suit.”
Liam’smirked. She could feel his eyes bore into her, a challenge glinting in them as he leaned closer. “Say it again,“he ordered. “I can’t hear you.”
Izzy raised her head, meeting his eyes as she silently grit her teeth. Then she forced the words out with more defiance than apology this time. “I said I’m sorry for puking on your suit and your carpet,” she muttered. “I’ll buy you a new one.”
A single eyebrow–lifted as Liam regarded her, clearly amused. “Apology accepted,” he said with a smirk, his hand still holding her chin. “But only if you hurry.”
Izzy blinked, confused. “Hurry for what?”
Liam released her, taking a step back, his smirk widening. “We’re late,” he said casually, as if it were the most obvious thing
SEND GIFT
13:10 Wed, Jan 1 G
Chapter 3
in the world.
“Late for what?” she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.
He glanced at his watch, his expression almost 100 relaxed. “For our wedding.
Izzy blinked again, her mind stalling as she processed his words Her heart skipped a heat, and her mouth fell open. “What?”
Liam’s grin only deepened, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he looked back at her. “You heard me. Now hurry up,
the
car’s waiting.
