“Well, we don’t call it a carnival. It’s a funfair to us English folk. But is it okay, bringing you here?” Liam stares down at me. “I know it’s not something on your list, but—”
“It’s great.” I beam. “I love carnivals or funfairs or whatever they’re called!”
Well, I don’t like the rides—at all. I don’t mind the small rides—okay, the kiddie rides, which I can’t get away with riding because I don’t have a kid. But I just love playing the games in the booths along with the popcorn and cotton candy and candy apples. I have a sweet tooth, if you didn’t guess.
I love it all, the atmosphere and fun to be had, and I am so ready to have this kind of fun.
Not that the tour of London wasn’t fun. It was amazing, seeing all the sights and sharing the picnic that Liam had made for us. I swear, if he ever decides to give up being a businessman, he’ll make someone a great house husband one day. But the day was tainted with a little sadness for me. I couldn’t help but think about my mother growing up here, especially when we drove around Knightsbridge.
And thinking about my mother leads to thinking about the rest of my family…and it hurts.
But I’m not here to hurt or dwell. I’ll be seeing my family really soon.
Now is the time for me to live in the little life that I have left.
And I want to do that living with Liam.
Grabbing ahold of his hand, I start speed-walking us into the carnival.
“I take it, this was a good call to come here then.” Liam chuckles.
“It was a great call.” I slow down, so we’re walking side by side.
Liam drops my hand and puts his arm over my shoulder, pulling me close to his side.
“What do you want to do first?” Liam asks as we start walking down the path lined with booths selling trinkets and food.
“You choose,” I tell him.
A smile crosses his face. “Do you like rides?”
I grimace. “No,” I respond immediately because I really dislike rides.
Being strapped in while you go at crazy speeds and up to stupid heights or get thrown around? No, thanks.
Then, I stop myself. Like, literally, I stop walking.
Liam stops, too, and moves to stand in front of me. “You okay?” he asks, a touch of concern furrowing his brow.
“Yeah.” I nod. “Just…I hate rides. Well, maybe not hate, but I definitely dislike them a significant amount.”
“That was very specific.”
“I’m a specific kinda girl.” I flash my eyes at him.
“Okay, Miss Specific, how about we just hit up the stalls and eat food, and then I can kick your arse at games?”
I pause again, caught in my thoughts.
“You there?” Liam waves a hand in front of my face.
“I’m thinking,” I tell him.
“Do I need to sit down for this? Is it going to take a while?”
“No. But then again, five minutes is a long time for an old man like you, so maybe you should sit.” I smirk.
He shakes his head at me. “I might just sit down, so I can put you over my knee and spank your arse for being smart.”
“So, I get spanked for being smart? Sounds like a win-win to me.” I widen my grin.
He chuckles. “See? That’s why I like you, Boston.”
“’Cause I let you spank me?”
Stepping closer, he pushes his fingers into my hair. “That, and”—he brushes his lips over mine—“because that smart mouth of yours gets my dick hard at the most inappropriate moments.”
His lips touch mine again, and I feel his erection press into my hip.
“Do you need to stand here for a moment while he goes down?” I flick a look south, my lips pushing up.
“Yeah.” He chuckles. “Tell me where we were before spankings and my erection?”
“I was thinking.”
“Oh, yeah. How’s that working out for you?”
“Quite well.” I meet his smiling eyes. “I think I should go on the rides because I dislike them.”
“Did you drink alcohol before you came out today?”
“Funny.” I stick my tongue out at him. “No, it’s on my list. I have to do something that scares me.”
“If I remember rightly, it said, do something that terrifies you to the point of pissing your pants.”
“Do you remember everything? Like literally everything?”
“Only the things that matter.”
“My list matters to you?”
“It matters to you.”
Oh. Wow. Breath is knocked from my lungs.
“So, which ride scares the shit out of you?” Liam is talking again, back to normal, while I’m still gasping for air.
“Roller coaster,” I say without hesitation. “They always look rickety and unsafe, and they take you up to stupid heights and then drop you back down at stupid speeds.”
“Roller coaster, it is then.” Liam grabs my hand and starts walking, dragging me behind him.
“Now?” I squeak.
He looks back at me but keeps walking. “Yep. If you don’t ride the roller coaster now, you won’t ever do it.”
True.
“But…what about your erection?” Okay, I said that quite loud, and it earns me a few looks.
Liam bellows out a laugh. “Down for now. Although keeping talking like that, and he’ll make another appearance.”
“Okay, well, what about food? Shouldn’t we eat first?” I’m totally stalling.