Page 41 of The Focal Point

The realization forced a blush up my ears and down my neck. But I felt my joy grow, too. Here was a man who admired my talent and the pleasure I received from it. He wasn’t threatened by it and didn’t feel the need to bring me down because of it.

And Liam was certainly a man.

Today was the first day I had seen him out of his casual wear—he’d told me he had a meeting with some big investors, so he had switched out his pullover and jeans for a suit that was so perfectly cut it had to have been bespoke. It did everything to accentuate the width and breadth of his swimmer’s chest and shoulders and narrower waist.

I’d always appreciated a man in a good suit, and seeing Liam like this did things to me that were better left to imagine by myself. At home. Alone.

Clearing my throat, I turned so he wouldn’t see how red my cheeks were. “Well, good thing for you, I love a challenge, and this house will be a challenge”—I threw him a playful glance over my shoulder—“if you’re up for it.”

I swear I saw Liam’s nostrils flare, and he swallowed before he replied, his voice hoarse. “Always.”

We left soon after, the notes I had taken in my hand.

“I know it’s last minute, but do you want to grab something to eat?” Hands in his pockets as we walked back to his car, Liam glanced down at me.

“I would love to say my social schedule is too full, but we both know that’s a total lie.” I giggled, looking up to see Liam’s lips stretching in a smile again. “So, yes, I would love to go to dinner.”

But I wished I had answered differently when we pulled up at the restaurant. I knew for a fact that this particular one was booked out for months if you could get a reservation at all. Liam didn’t look at all daunted, however, as he handed his keys to the valet and pulled me up from the low car.

“I’m not dressed for this at all—” I started, glancing at the well-heeled people milling around on the sidewalk, hoping for a last-minute table thanks to a canceled reservation.

“You’re fine,” Liam reassured me breezily.

I didn’t quite agree as I looked down at my work attire, a button-down and pencil skirt. But Liam’s tone had been so entirely assured, as though he had no doubt I would fit in perfectly, I let it go. I wasn’t here to impress anyone anyway but to spend time with Liam.

“You look beautiful.”

My shoe caught on a raised corner of concrete, and I stumbled, my mind on his words instead of where I should be looking. Liam caught me before I could tumble, his hands strong around my waist.

“You okay?” he asked, his expression concerned, but I saw faint amusement in the way his eyes crinkled at the corners.

“I’m fine,” I murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as he let me go. But it was only to take my hand to lead me inside. The butterflies in my stomach were doing summersaults, my heart pounding so hard I was afraid he could hear it.

“I can’t believe you got a reservation here,” I whispered as the hostess sat us at a table, as though I were afraid my amazement would irritate the chef, and he would kick us out. “Did you make one for tonight, just in case?”

“No.” Liam’s eyes crinkled again. “The owner is an old friend, and I called in a favor. I thought you might enjoy coming here.”

“I never imagined coming here,” I corrected him, then caught the first half of the statement and eyed Liam suspiciously. “What kind of favor?”

“I have to do his IT whenever his computers go down.” Liam winced. My laughter in response was more out of surprise than amusement, though the promise had its own kind of humor to it.

Dinner was the most incredible meal I had ever had, artful and delicious at the same time. But even better was the conversation with Liam. We talked about everything and nothing, sometimes laughing, sometimes growing serious, but never running out of things to say. And growing closer the entire time until my hand ended up in his as it lay across the table.

The feeling of his hand around mine, our skin touching, was electric—it sizzled through me, stronger as the night went on until I could barely sit still. It only worsened when he started drawing slow circles on the back with his thumb.

When the meal was over and the last of our wine finished, I was disappointed to have to leave. I didn’t want the evening to end.

Liam was on the phone when I returned from using the restroom. He hung up just as I reached the table.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, eying the line that had formed between his eyes.

“That was the administrator of the hospital. He says the system is down.”

I could see the information troubled Liam, but I couldn’t understand why. Despite his promise to the chef, he didn’t run an IT company.

“Do you mind if we stop by before I drop you off at home?”

Still confused, I also wasn’t about to deny any chance to keep this evening going. But one question lingered as I hurried to keep up with his long strides as we passed through the sliding hospital doors. “I thought you hated hospitals.”