Mr. Big(30)

Her friends laughed a bit and told her that they knew she would succeed soon, and the conversation drifted to other things. Liam waited with her at the end of the night again after Ava and Maddie left Carly’s, and they sat there together, just the two of them, finishing their drinks.

“So, have you two set another date yet?” he asked curiously, looking out of the corner of his eye at her.

She shook her head. “No, nothing yet.”

He ran his fingers over his glass thoughtfully. “Well, give it another date and see what happens. He’s not one to give up on something he wants, and if he is moving further along with you each time, that’s progress, no matter how slow the progress is in your eyes, it’s still going in the right direction. Don’t miss out on a good thing because you were impatient,” he said quietly, looking at her earnestly.

She nodded thoughtfully and looked back at him. “I think you’re right, but it’s just so hard waiting. I mean, there’s so much chemistry, and he’s so hot, and I want to win the challenge…” she drifted off again quietly.

Liam listened quietly and when she stopped he added, “…and you like him now.”

Mia looked up at him sharply and drew in a breath quickly. “No! I mean… he’s a really great guy and I… um… he’s incredible, but I don’t like him like that,” she denied adamantly.

Liam chuckled and looked sidelong at her. “You don’t? Oh… my mistake then. I was just sure that I saw some changes in you that have never been there before, but I’m just your best friend, so what do I know. You’re probably right. How could you ever like a guy like that? Rich, handsome, moral, thoughtful, romantic, intelligent… hot… I don’t know what you’d ever see in him.”

She gaped at him for a moment and then smacked his arm playfully before turning from him slightly and reaching for her wine. “Shut up,” she said with a low laugh.

Liam leaned close to her and said softly, “You know, you’ve liked worse men. This would be a step up for you, if you decided to step up like that.”

Mia sighed and shook her head. “All I’m thinking about is Italy,” she replied firmly, lifting the last of her wine to her mouth.

“Uh huh,” Liam said casually as he finished his martini and reached for her hand. He kissed the back of her fingers and stood up, pulling her chair out for her as she stood up. “Well, we’ll see how you feel after he makes love with you for the first time.”

She felt a white-hot shiver twist through her at the sound of the words Liam had spoken. Their meaning had a visceral effect on her body, and she tensed from head to toe at the idea of him making love with her. She had thought about it countless times, but it hadn’t really been said the way that Liam had spoken it, and hearing it like that made it all the more real.

If she waited, there would be a time when Alexander would make love with her, and the idea of it arrested everything in her, setting her on fire deep inside. Liam saw her react to his words, and he smiled and chuckled to himself and said nothing more as he walked her out of the restaurant.

***

Another agonizing week passed with no word from Alexander, and Mia’s frustration with him grew to new bounds. More than once she seriously considered dropping the challenge just to regain her sanity and control of her emotions and dreams. She felt like she was losing herself to Alexander, and he wasn’t even around to appreciate it.

Her thoughts and dreams became more consumed with him; fantasies and memories mixed, and she caught herself thinking about him far more than she cared to. Each time he came to her mind, she tried to push him out and think of anything else, but he returned to her mind over and over, and she wondered in aggravation if he was thinking about her half as much as she was thinking about him. It was maddening to her. She refused to contact him. She felt that if he was going to keep putting off her requests to sleep with her, he didn’t deserve calls from her. He’d have to make that move and call her first if he wanted more with her.

Just about the time she was ready to throw in the towel, her phone rang and she saw that it was him. For one vindictive moment she wanted to ignore the call and make him call back a second time, but then her desire got the better of her and she reached for it and answered it at the last moment.

“Hello?” she asked casually.

“Good morning, Mia, how are you doing?” he asked with unmistakable excitement.

The happiness in his voice brought a smug smile to her face. He had missed her. He was glad to hear from her, and it was not something that he could hide, nor was he trying to keep it from her.