Kate Hoffmann - Liam

She pressed the security buzzer, then opened her door and waited for him to climb the two flights up to her apartment. When he rounded the landing, she noticed that he was carrying a lamp. At that moment he saw her and their eyes met, and for a second Ellie couldn’t breathe. Why did he seem to get more handsome each time she saw him?

“Hi,” she murmured. “You brought a lamp.”

“This is for you,” Liam said.

She stepped aside to let him walk into the apartment, then softly closed the door behind him, taking just a moment to stare at his backside. “Thank you. But you didn’t have to.”

“I know guys usually bring flowers or candy. But I figured after you broke your lamp on my head, I owed you one.”

Ellie grinned and reached for it. “Thanks. I’ll just go put it in water.”

That brought a smile to Liam’s lips. “I’ll just go plug it in.” He fished a light bulb out of the pocket of his leather jacket. “I thought about getting you a lamp with a brass base, but I figured if you ever decided to hit me again, I didn’t want to end up in the hospital.”

“How is your head?”

“I had a small lump, but it’s going down.”

She felt a warm blush creep up her cheeks. “I really do apologize.”

He glanced over at her. “Hey, there’s no need. You did what you had to do.”

Ellie pointed to the far wall. “There’s a plug behind the sofa.”

Liam set the lamp on the table, then shrugged out of his jacket, revealing a finely pressed shirt that accented his wide shoulders and narrow waist. Ellie quickly hurried across the room and took his jacket from him. “I’ll just throw this in my bedroom.” Right after she said it, Ellie realized that he might misunderstand. “Not that I expect us to end up in 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 off when I was three or four. I never knew my father. My grandparents raised me and they died while I was in college. So it’s just me.”

“Sounds like you had a pretty tough childhood,” Liam commented.

“No, it was really wonderful. My grandmother was a librarian in this little town in upstate New York. And when I wasn’t in school, I hung out at the library with her. I just loved books-I still do. I mean, there’s an answer to every question in a book somewhere. You just have to find the right book.” She paused, realizing how silly and naive her words sounded.

“What do you do for a living?” Liam asked.

She grabbed up a handful of dried pasta and dropped it into the water, then stirred it with a plastic spoon. “Nothing right now. I’m looking for a new job. I just moved to Boston from Manhattan.”

“And what did you do there?”

“I worked in a bank. I’m an accountant.”

“Why Boston?”

“I had to get away from New York. I just couldn’t work there anymore.”

“Why is that?”

Ellie really didn’t want to get into a conversation about all her man troubles, especially with a man she was trying so hard to impress. “I really don’t want to talk about that. It’s in the past. I’m starting a new life here.” She paused, searching for another topic. “I didn’t think you wanted to accept my dinner invitation. I thought maybe I was being too bold.”

“I don’t mind that.”

“Some men do. That’s always been a bit of a problem with me. I’ve never really been myself around the men I date-not that I’m dating you. I guess I feel as if I can talk to you. You saved my life.”