“I told you to stay in the bedroom,” he growled.
“That’s not nice, Liam,” Vienna said, rolling her eyes in a way that made my blood boil. I didn’t like the way she acted so comfortable with him, the way she acted like she knew him so well, like they were in on some big private joke I knew nothing about. “Hi,” she said, smiling at me. “I’m Vienna.”
“Emery.”
Her voice was friendly, but she didn’t make any move to get up or to hold her hand out to me, almost like she hadn’t deemed me important enough. “Emery,” she said. “That’s unique. I heard you’re going to be coming to California for the party.”
“Yes.”
“That should be fun.” She smiled again and looked at Liam, and then her eyes moved back to me. Her face was impassive, but everything she said was a thinly veiled insult. Calling my name unique instead of pretty, telling me I would have fun in California, as if that was all I would ever be when it came to Liam, something fun.
As her gaze met mine, and she took in the fact that I was wearing Liam’s t-shirt and that we’d probably been in bed together, I saw something flash over her face. Ownership.
Whatever Liam’s relationship was when it came to her, she felt possessive.
“Vienna was just leaving,” Liam said pointedly, but I wondered if he’d have sent her away if I hadn’t show up.
“Yes, well,” she said, standing up. She picked up a pair of sunglasses and slid them over her head. “Think about what I said. And I’ll see you tomorrow. It was lovely to meet you, Emery.”
And then she was gone in a haze of expensive perfume and sophistication.
We heard the door of the jet shut, and then Liam turned to me.
“I told you to stay in the bedroom.”
“Why? So you could be alone with her?”
He shook his head and went to move past me into the bedroom, but I reached out and grabbed his forearm, feeling his bicep clench under my touch. “What was that about?” I asked softly.
“Jealous isn’t a good look.”
“Really?” I laughed. “Because I remember you freaking out when someone left a damn instagram comment on one of my pics, much less showing up here in the middle of the night for a secret meeting.”
“That was different. That asshole was hitting on you.”
“Yeah, well, it sounded pretty cozy in here, too.”
“You were spying.”
“You were hiding.”
A vein in his temple throbbed. “Go to bed, Emery. I’ll be there in a minute.” He turned and grabbed his glass of scotch, drained it and then brought the bottle back to the bar.
“No,” I said. “No, not until you tell me what was going on, what she came here to talk to you about.”
“It’s not your concern.”
“It is my concern, Liam, it was obviously important if she felt like she had to come here in the middle of the –“
“Dammit, Emery.” He slammed his glass down on the bar and turned to me. “When I say something’s not your concern, then it’s not your fucking concern.”
“Wow,” I said. “Okay, fine. So that’s how it’s going to be, huh?” I turned and fled from the room. I had that same sinking feeling I always had whenever I allowed myself to think that maybe things were changing between us. Like no matter what I did it was pointless, like I was fighting a losing battle. As soon as we took a step forward, it was two, three, five steps back.
“Where are you going?” he demanded, and I heard his heavy footfalls behind me.
“Away from you.” My phone was on the nightstand and I picked it up, threw it in my bag. As far as I knew, my flight to New York hadn’t been cancelled, and I hadn’t told Maddie that I wouldn’t be there, I realized now. Maybe some part of me had been expecting this, had known this might happen.
“No,” Liam growled from behind me. “You’re not leaving.”
“The hell I’m not.”
He picked me up and tossed me onto the bed.
“Liam!” I struggled to get up, but he grabbed my wrists and held me down. “Let go of me! I’m not your prisoner anymore.”
“You’re mine until I say you’re not,” he growled. His eyes flashed with dominance and possession, and I couldn’t believe this was the same man who’d touched me so tenderly just moments ago. He seemed crazed now, feral.
He ripped my t-shirt off, leaving me naked, then reached into a drawer by the nightstand and grabbed what looked like stretchy rope.
I got up and tried to scramble for the door, but he pushed me back down on the bed.