Collateral Damage Read Online Free Page B

with her fingertips. To imagine the feel of his skin against hers and his weight atop her someday soon. She gripped the bottle of water and drank half of it to ease the sudden dryness in her throat, nodding in response to something he’d just said.
    Liam set his own water down, took off his shades and leaned back a little on the bench seat. “How’re your sister and parents doing?”
    The question startled her. This was a touchy, almost taboo subject for them and she was surprised he’d asked. “Fine. Same old same old.”
    He nodded, his expression even. “You gonna tell them about me?”
    “What about you?”
    He gave her a long, pointed look. “That I came to see you, for starters.”
    Best if she didn’t, to avoid stirring up that hornet’s nest, because they’d know what it signified. “If it comes up,” she said easily, trying to make light of it. She’d been so careful to keep her growing feelings for him a secret from Charity and her parents.
    Liam watched her for a long moment, those keen eyes studying her, male hunger glowing in their depths. “They’re gonna find out about us sooner or later.”
    Charity would freak if she knew they were together. Her parents, too.
    Honor hid a wince but quickly focused on the heart of the matter. “Us,” she repeated, wanting to be clear on what that meant exactly. She held her breath as she awaited his answer.
    “Yeah, us ,” he said, leaning forward to rest his thick forearms on the scarred wooden surface of the table. He lowered his voice to an intimate murmur. “Unless I’ve been reading you completely wrong for the past five months and you don’t want there to be an us.”
    She couldn’t deny it so she shook her head. She wanted him more than anything, even with the impending shit-storm their being together would cause in her family. “I’ll tell them.” Eventually, if things really did progress from here. “But how’s this going to work, anyway?” She glanced around to make sure no one was listening and immediately felt stupid because Liam would never talk about this with an audience. “I mean, you and me? We’ll both be over here for months yet.”
    His expression softened, his lips twitching in a little smile. “Where there’s a will there’s a way, sweet pea.”
    The endearment made her heart flutter and sent a rush of warmth through her. She adored this man and she wanted him all to herself. As in exclusive, every other woman on the planet off limits to him. If she was being honest, someday she wanted a ring, a home, the vows and a family with him. He couldn’t know all that though, because she’d never told him. Did he have any idea how hard she’d been falling for him this whole time?
    She glanced away. “It’s gonna be hard.” Especially if he had different ideas about where their relationship was headed.
    “Yeah,” he acknowledged. “You’re worth it though.”
    At that she looked back up at him, got lost in his eyes as he gazed across the table at her. Liam smiled and picked up his water, his throat working as he swallowed the rest of it. Then he stood, still watching her. “Guess I’d better let you get back to work.”
    Oh, work. Right.
    Honor scrambled to her feet and adjusted her cap before rounding the end of the table and following beside him back up the boardwalk. What she wouldn’t give to be able to reach out and link their hands together right now.
    She walked slowly, hating for her time with him to end. There was so much left unsaid, so many things to be nailed down between them and she was afraid to ask, afraid that what she wanted was too much to demand of him.
    “When will I see you again?” she asked finally. They e-mailed each other all the time and talked over the phone when they could but even then they had to be careful with what they said. Man, Honor would have given an entire year’s salary to be alone with him in total privacy for a few minutes right now.
    “I’ll come down whenever I can.