Page 27 of Landing Liam

“I’ve never marketed anything in my life.”

She gives me an exaggerated eye roll. “You market yourself every single day, Liam. You’re a walking billboard.”

“Sleep deprivation makes you dramatic,” I tease, smirking over the rim of my cup.

“Maybe,” she admits with a laugh, her shoulders sagging. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to push.”

“No, it’s fine.” I wave her off, genuinely meaning it. “I know how passionate you are about the tech biz.”

“I do love working with Brady,” she says, her face softening at the mention of her husband. “We’ve gotten to do so many wonderful things together. The charity we started is growing so fast, I might have to hire a nanny.”

“You?” I feign shock, pressing a hand to my chest. “No way!”

“I know,” she groans, shaking her head. “I swore I’d never, but here we are. Desperate times and all that.”

Her laugh is infectious, and for a moment, the heaviness lifts. Sitting here with Izzy, sipping coffee, and trading jabs feels so normal, so grounding. But in the back of my mind, Maggie’s lingering smile and fiery wit continue to pull me in, no matter how hard I try to focus on anything else.

“So,” Izzy sucks in a sharp breath, her eyes sparkling with mischief, “you’ve become the topic of a very lively text thread with the family.”

“Oh?” I arch an eyebrow, intrigued but cautious.

She leans forward, her grin widening. “Are you going to tell me about the woman you’ve met?”

I shake my head, leaning back in my chair. “Nope.”

“What?” She gawks at me like I’ve just admitted to hating snow. “You always tell me about your conquests.” She pauses, her eyes narrowing before they widen with sudden realization. “Oh my God. She’s not a conquest, is she? She’s more than that. Have you finally met your match?”

I scratch the back of my neck, feeling an uncharacteristic flush creep up my skin. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

Izzy reaches across the table and places her hand on my forehead with all the seriousness of a concerned doctor. “No fever. You’re clearly not hallucinating.”

I swat her hand away with a laugh. “I’m taking her out for drinks tonight.”

Her nose scrunches in surprise. “She agreed to drinks?”

“Well,” I purse my lips, hesitating, “not exactly.”

“Spill,” she demands, folding her arms like she’s not leaving until I do.

I sigh, knowing there’s no escaping her. “She lost something, and I happened to find it. So, let’s just say… I sort of, maybe conned her into a drink.”

Izzy stares at me for a beat before shaking her head. “You’re horrible.”

“I know what I want,” I correct her with a smug shrug.

“You’ve never liked the word ‘no,’” she replies, her tone filled with mock pity. “Poor girl.”

“She won’t feel that way once I get her clothes off,” I say with a cocky smirk, but even as the words leave my mouth, they feel hollow. That’s not really what I want from Maggie. Not just that.

Izzy tilts her head, studying me like she’s trying to read the thoughts I don’t want to say out loud. “You’re in trouble,” she finally says, her voice softening just a little.

I don’t respond, but I don’t need to. She’s right, and we both know it.

“I should probably head out,” I say, glancing at the time on my phone.

Izzy nods, a warm smile spreading across her face. “You’re going to do great today. I can just feel it.”

Standing, I walk over to her side of the table, lean down, and press a kiss to the top of her head. My hand squeezes her shoulder lightly, grounding myself in her unwavering belief in me. “I hope you’re right.”