The mighty Quinns: Liam - By Kate Hoffmann Page 0,20
the—it’s just that I don’t have a coat closet in this apartment. These old places are—”
“You can put my coat on your bed,” Liam said. “I’m sure it won’t get any ideas.”
Ellie stifled a groan, then hurried to her bedroom. She sat on the edge of her bed, clutching his coat to her chest. “Be cool,” she murmured. “Just be cool.” She lifted his jacket to her face and buried her nose in the silky lining. “God, he smells good.” She tossed the jacket aside, then raced back into the living room.
By the time she got there, Liam had the new lamp working. In all honesty, it was a much nicer lamp than the one she’d broken over his head. “It looks great,” Ellie said. She twisted her fingers together in front of her, suddenly forgetting what came next. “Drinks!” she said. “Would you like something to drink? I have wine and beer and orange juice. Diet cola and club soda and—”
“Beer would be great,” Liam said.
“Good. Why don’t you just sit down and I’ll get it?” When Ellie reached the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and stuck her face inside, grateful for the cool air that counteracted the warm blush on her cheeks. She found a bottle of beer and then rummaged through a drawer for a bottle opener.
“Something smells good.”
His voice in the kitchen doorway caught her off guard just as she was opening the beer and she jumped. The beer bottle skidded sideways, then spun around twice before rolling off the edge of the counter. Luckily, it hit the small rug in front of the sink. Rather than shattering, it just spewed foam all over her shoes.
In a few long strides he was at her side. He bent and grabbed the beer bottle, then rose just as she leaned over to wipe up the mess with a dish towel. Her chin hit his head, causing her to bite her tongue and Ellie cried out in pain.
Liam took the towel from her, ran a corner under cold water, then handed it back to her. “Here, press this on your tongue.”
She did as she was told, now completely mortified by her behavior. He must think she was some kind of loon! “’Anks,” Ellie said.
“I guess you haven’t really recovered from the other night,” Liam commented.
She frowned. “’Aht? ’Ay ’ould ’oo ’ay ’at?”
“Why would I say that? Because you’re just a little skittish. I figured you might still be shaken up over everything that happened. Either that, or I make you nervous. Do I make you nervous?”
Ellie took the towel out of her mouth and shook her head. “No.” It was a lie. Just about the biggest lie she’d ever told in her life. “I—I’m just not used to having guests. You’re the first person I’ve met in Boston and I just wanted to make things nice.”
“You don’t have to try so hard,” Liam said, reaching out to take the towel from her hand. He wove his fingers through hers, lifted her hand up to his mouth and gave it a soft kiss. “Just relax.”
Ellie stared at the spot where his lips had touched, her breath slowly leaving her lungs. So much for platonic intentions, she mused. Maybe if she tipped the refrigerator on top of herself, he’d kiss her on the mouth.
“Is there another beer in the fridge?” Liam asked.
“Yes,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “I’ll get it.”
“I’ll get it,” Liam said.
Ellie decided to busy herself at the stove, checking the pasta sauce that was warming on one burner, then salting the water that had come to a boil on the other. “I hope you like pasta.”
“I’ll eat pretty much anything, especially if it’s home cooked. Sean and I eat a lot of take-out and frozen pizza. And we eat at my dad’s pub whenever we’re working there. I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal.”
“Is Sean your roommate?” Ellie asked, anxious to keep the conversation rolling.
Liam took a sip of his beer. “My roommate and brother. We have a place over in Southie, near where we grew up. My dad owns a pub and my brothers and I work there whenever we can.”
“You have more than one brother?”
He nodded. “Conor, Dylan, Brendan, Brian, Sean and me. And we have a sister, Keely.”
“You’re the youngest?”
“Of the boys. Keely’s the youngest of all. Where is your family?”
Ellie sighed. “I don’t have any family, except for my mother. But I don’t know where she is. She took