Lingering pain carved up his chest. He felt weak and unsteady. A child’s fear pummeled him. Buried deep in his mind was the horror of being rejected by his mother. She was supposed to love him and care for him. Instead, she’d demonstrated no remorse when she’d abandoned her sons to pursue her real estate career.
And it was this defining fact that had caused him to never fully invest himself in romantic relationships. He couldn’t bear the idea of giving his heart to a woman only to have her choose something else over him. Deep down, what he craved was lasting love.
His heart had led him to Hadley. And given the timing of his dream, his subconscious was worried that he’d made a huge mistake.
Hadley was in the nursery folding a freshly laundered basket of Maggie’s clothes when Liam appeared. He’d been subdued and circumspect around her the last couple days, and she suspected she’d done too good a job convincing him that what had happened between them in Vail had been a singular event never to be repeated.
But that wasn’t at all what she wanted. She was pretty sure she’d fallen in love with him during those four days. And that left her in a quandary.
“I know it’s short notice,” he said. “But will you be my date for the grand reopening of Royal Memorial’s west wing tomorrow night?”
The word date caused a spike in Hadley’s heartbeat. She told herself to stop being stupid.
“Sure. What time should I have Maggie ready?”
“Not Maggie.” His green eyes pierced her facade of professionalism. “You. It’s a cocktail party complete with adult beverages, finger food and fancy duds.” He kept his voice light, but his expression was stony.
“Of course I’ll go with you.” She matched his tone, kept her glee hidden. “I’ve heard wonderful things about the new wing. You and the other members of the Texas Cattleman’s Club were instrumental in raising the funds that enabled the restoration to move forward, weren’t you?”
“We felt it was important for the community to get the hospital back to one hundred percent as soon as possible.” He took her hand, threaded his fingers through hers. “How about I pick you up at seven?”
Her brain short-circuited at the way he was staring at their joined hands. As if the simple contact was at once comforting and a puzzle he couldn’t figure out.
“Sure.” Before she recognized what she planned to do, Hadley stepped into Liam’s space and lifted onto her toes to plant a kiss on his lips.
All day long she’d been thinking about how much she wanted to be in his arms. Not to feel the stirring passion of his lovemaking, but the heart-wrenching bliss of their connection, which consisted of both sexual and spiritual components. The blend was different from anything she’d ever known, and she’d begun to neglect her defenses.
Liam brought their clasped hands to his chest and slid his free hand beneath her hair to cup her head. He explored her lips with tantalizing pressure, giving her the merest taste of passion. Although she’d initiated the kiss, she was happy to let him set the pace.
When at last his lips lifted from hers, they were both breathing unsteadily.
“I’ve been thinking about kissing you all day,” he murmured, lips trailing over her ear, making her shudder. “I can’t concentrate anymore. The entire ranch staff thinks I’ve lost my mind.”
His words excited a flurry of goose bumps. “It’s that way for me, too. I forgot to put a diaper back on Maggie before I put her back in her Onesie this morning. And then I made her bottle and put it into the cupboard instead of the container of formula.”
“Will you stay at the ranch tomorrow night after the party?”
She wanted to very much, but would this interfere with her determination not to get emotionally involved? “If you wish.”
“I very much wish.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do.”
Nine
Liam wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through the grand opening, when all he could think about was what he had to look forward to afterward. He pulled his truck into a visitor space at Hadley’s apartment building and stepped out. For tonight’s event he’d exchanged denim and plaid in favor of a custom-tailored charcoal suit.
Anticipation zipped along his nerve endings as he pushed the button in the entry vestibule that would let Hadley know he’d arrived. Her voice sounded distorted as she told him to come up. Her apartment was on the second floor. He stepped into the elevator, feeling the give of the cables as it adjusted to his weight. The building had obviously seen a lot of tenants, because it showed wear and tear in the carpets, layers of paint and light fixtures.