Billionaires Dollar Series

“Congratulations.” The word feels uncomfortable coming out of my mouth.

“Never had any real doubts,” he adds, drawing a range of guffaws and ah, Jason from our co-workers.

But then his gaze moves from me to something behind me. A second later and a strong arm settles around my waist, the scent of sandalwood and shaving cream washing over me.

“Sorry I’m late,” Liam drawls, his voice cocked only for me. Something presses against my hair-his lips? “I got caught up with work.”

“Did everything go all right?”

“It did,” he says, like we both know what I’m referring to. “They caved.”

“They always do,” I tease.

His voice sounds like crushed velvet. “You would know.”

The implication in his words is heavy, but it’s his tone that make my cheeks heat. I’m saved from answering when Alma nods to Liam from across the table. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Likewise,” he says smoothly. My skin feels electric from the touch of his hand on my lower back. The dark suit he’s in makes the rest of us look shabby in comparison. I don’t look at Jason directly, but I can feel his gaze like a force field.

Liam presses another kiss to my head. “I’ll get us something to drink.”

“My usual?”

“I’m on it,” he says. I bite my lip to keep from chuckling. He has no idea what my usual is.

Jason’s narrowed eyes lock onto mine. I give him a bland smile.

How does that feel?

Liam returns a minute later and hands me a glass of white wine. He raises an eyebrow, the question clear. Good choice?

“Perfect,” I say.

The others have questions for him-most notably about when we’d met-and Liam handles it like he’s born to be an actor. He slides into a booth with me at his side, bracing a suit-clad arm on the table. “I’ve known Maddie a long time,” he tells Enrique. “Long before she knew how to cook.”

“I’ve always known how to cook,” I protest.

He drapes an arm around my shoulders. “You didn’t when you set off the fire alarm trying to make us cinnamon rolls. The fire truck came.”

I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling as the others laugh. “Only because you told me they were your favorite.”

“And I was very touched by the effort,” he says, tugging me closer. “Now come on, guys. Are your after-work parties usually this tame?”

Enrique and Ryan trip over themselves to assure him that no, they most certainly aren’t, and before long Liam has ordered a tray of shots for the entire table. If he didn’t have the others’ attention yet, he has it now.

There’s nothing that’ll win over wait staff like free alcohol after a dinner service from hell.

Liam pushes my hair back, bending so his mouth is by my ear. “This is going well so far,” he murmurs. “Your ex is staring daggers at me.”

“I hope you wore your armor,” I murmur back. “Because he might strike soon.”

Liam’s chuckle is all-masculine. “He’s welcome to try.”

And try he does. I watch as he brushes off Sally’s attempts at getting him to play darts, advancing to our booth. He slides into the spot Enrique just left.

Jason’s smile isn’t friendly. “This must be a new thing?”

“It’s pretty new,” I confirm. “But considering we knew each other for years beforehand…”

“It’s been seamless,” Liam says. He reaches for his beer and Jason’s eyes snag on the watch at his wrist. They narrow.

“What do you work with, if I might ask?”

“Investment banking,” Liam responds. His voice is smooth like the polished rocks of a river-like he’s doing Jason a favor by responding.

“A banker,” Jason repeats. “I have to give it to you, I never thought Maddie would go for someone in that profession.”

Liam’s voice is cutting. “Perhaps she just hadn’t met the right one.”

And perhaps she doesn’t like being spoken about like she’s not here, I think. “We can’t all be cooks.” I reach for the leftover shots on the table and push one to Jason, another to Liam, and raise my own. “To new relationships.”

“To new relationships,” Liam echoes.

Jason’s fingers are clenched tight around his shot.

“Aren’t you going to toast?” I ask sweetly. “After all, aren’t you and Sally a new relationship?”

Jason shakes his head once, but it’s not a no. It’s an I can’t fucking believe this.

“To new relationships,” he mutters. We all toss back our shots.

The mood at the table is arctic.

Jason opens his mouth with narrowed eyes, but the look I give him stops him in his tracks. Whatever you’re about to say, I tell him with my eyes, I don’t want to hear it.

“Darts?” I ask Liam.

The small, crooked smile he gives me is filled with so much intimate heat that my stomach knots. “I might let you win this time,” he says, raising an eyebrow.

Christ, it’s been a long time since a man looked at me like that-like I’m all he wants.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

I slide a hand up his strong arm. “I like it best when we both win.”

A flash of wickedness in Liam’s eyes. “At the same time, preferably.”

The blush on my cheeks isn’t faked. Neither of us spares Jason another look as we head to the dartboard, but I can feel his stare along the back of my neck.

Liam chuckles as he hands me the darts. “That,” he says, “was incredibly fun.”