Crazy but amazing.
Well, I wanted to live before I died. Do those things on my list.
Tonight is the start of that.
I feel the rumble of it coming before it hits. I should have expected it. All that traveling, it was inevitable.
The pain strikes me hard. I clutch my head in my hands, crying out. I have to bite my lip to stop from being too noisy. I don’t want Liam to hear.
It feels like my head is splitting open.
Then, the nausea hits.
I make it to the toilet just in time before I throw up the contents of my stomach.
Arm on the edge of the toilet, I rest my head against it, praying for the pain to pass soon.
Please stop. Please stop.
But this is the price I have to pay for all I’ve done. The price I pay to be able to die.
As soon as I feel able to stand, I get up and get my pain pills from my bag. I shake two out and swallow them down with water from the faucet.
I’m sweaty, and I have vomit breath. Great.
I grab my travel toothbrush and toothpaste, and I scrub my teeth clean.
Then, I decide to take a quick shower. Tying my hair back into a ponytail, so not to get it wet, I turn the shower on and wash my body, using the shower gel in there.
Having the shower makes me feel a lot better.
I grab a towel from the rack and dry off. I get out the clothes that I packed in my carry-on—clean panties, bra, leggings and tank top—and dress in them. Not exactly seductive clothing, but it’s slightly better than the yoga pants and T-shirt I was wearing.
I decide to leave my hair in a ponytail. I put my dirty clothes away in my bag, hang it on my shoulder and let myself out of the bathroom, heading back to Liam in the living room.
He’s not there, but my suitcase is. It’s sitting by the front door.
“Liam?” I call out.
“I’m in the kitchen.”
Having no clue where the kitchen is, I head in the direction of where I heard his voice coming from.
I easily find the kitchen. It’s really nice with glossy black cupboards and work surfaces.
Liam is in there, his back to me, standing at the stove, wearing a T-shirt and running pants. His hair looks damp. He must’ve had a shower, too.
“I took a shower,” I tell him. “I was feeling gross after the flight. Hope that was okay.”
He smiles at me from over his shoulder. “No problem at all. I thought you might be hungry, so I made food—chicken stir-fry. You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”
He cooked.
“No.” I smile. I’m not actually hungry after the headache and vomiting, but he went to the trouble, and I don’t want to seem rude.
“Take a seat.” He gestures to the breakfast bar.
I walk over and sit up on one of the stools. I watch while Liam dishes the stir-fry into two bowls. He brings them over, putting one in front of me. Then, he gets two forks from a drawer and hands one to me.
“This looks really good,” I tell him. And it does. Smells good, too. My stomach rumbles in appreciation, which surprises me, as I normally struggle to eat after I’ve had an episode.
“Do you want something to drink?” Liam asks me.
“Water would be great.”
He goes over to the refrigerator and gets two bottles of water. Taking the seat beside me, he hands me one of the bottles.
“Thanks.” I unscrew the cap and have a drink. I put the water down and start in on my stir-fry. “This is really good,” I tell him around my first mouthful.
“I’m glad you like it.” He smiles over at me.
“You like to cook?”
“I do.” He nods. “I just don’t get a lot of time to do it.”
“You should make more time. You’re really good.”
“Wish I could, but work takes precedence. I find it hard to delegate. So, cooking, like everything else, goes by the wayside.”
“But you make time to pick up strange women on airplanes and bring them back to your place?” I raise my brow, smiling.
“Oh, I always find time to do that, especially when those strange women are as hot as you.” The heated tone in his voice leaves me squirming in my seat.
We finish up our food, and I help Liam clean up.
I’m just loading up the last dish into the dishwasher when I feel him come up behind me, his hands taking ahold of my hips.
My heart pauses and then jumps, and my pulse starts to race.
I turn and look at him over my shoulder. Our eyes connect, the air suddenly becoming very thick between us.
I straighten up.
Liam moves me around to face him. His hand lifts to my ponytail. He tugs the tie out and runs his fingers through my hair.
“Are we done with the small talk and pleasantries?” he asks, low.
I swipe my tongue over my lower lip, loving the way his eyes flare at the movement. “Yeah, we’re done.”
“Good because I want you in my bed. Now.”
He grabs my ass and lifts me off the floor, and my legs wrap around his waist. He captures my mouth in a hot kiss as he starts to walk through his apartment. He carries me into his darkened bedroom and deposits me onto his extremely large bed.