Page 190 of Between Secrets and Obsession

“Have you been drinking?” I giggle.

“Have you?” Liam grins wide. “You taste like champagne. And you look fucking gorgeous. Damn, how’d I get so lucky?” He wraps my hands around his waist and pulls me in closer.

“That’s a very good question, and now you just might getluckylater. Keep the tux on when we get back to the cabin so I can rip it off with my teeth.”

“It’s a rental, so no ripping.” He chuckles. “What’d you tell your parents?”

“What you told me to tell them a few weeks ago. That I’d be fucking my boyfriend all weekend and staying with him.”

He stills and his mouth falls open. “You did not.”

I shrug and pretend to walk away, but he gently loops his arm around my waist and stops me.

“Mads, I haven’t seen your dad yet. He’ll strangle me with his bare hands, send me to hell, and then I won’t be able to be Mason’s best man.”

Grinning, I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his scruffy jaw. “I told them I was staying with one of Sophie’s friends this weekend. Which technically, you are, so I didn’t lie.”

“And they didn’t ask you which one?” He furrows his brows as if he doesn’t believe it’s this easy to get away with this.

“No. They know not to press me because I’ll tell them to mind their own business and stay out of mine. Plus, my sisters have done so many worse things, at this point, they wouldn’t be shocked by anything. I’ve basically got a Get Out of Jail Free card from the sister who got pregnant before she was married and the other who lived with her boyfriend before marriage. So I pretty much can do no evil.”

“You’re terrible,” he quips.

“Because you made me that way,” I tease.

Shaking his head, he chuckles. “Oh hell no. You were like this from the moment I met you. I did zero corruption. In fact,youcorrupted me.”

“Mm-hmm.” I smirk. “You sure about that?”

He lifts his hand and shows an inch with his fingers. “Okay, I might be slightly guilty.”

“Liam,” I hear my father say from behind.

Liam’s eyes widen and squares his shoulders. “Mr. Corrigan, hello.” He holds out his hand, then shakes my father’s. “How are you, sir?”

“Fantastic.” Dad lets go of him, then gives me a hug. “Madelyn, darling. You look beautiful,” he chokes out. “My girls are so grown and it makes me feel old.”

“Old? You don’t look a day over forty, Daddy,” I say.

“Thanks, sweetie.” He grins. “Must be all those essential oils your mother makes me use.”

We’re interrupted by Lennon and Hunter, so Liam and I excuse ourselves.

“Do they know we’re dating?” Liam finally asks as he leads me down a private hallway that has a window with the perfect view of the lake.

I bite my lip and shake my head. “I haven’t broken the news to them yet. After the whole wife announcement at Lennon’s house this past summer, and all the things my mother said about how in love you two looked, it seemed awkward to bring up. Plus, they know we all live together. Sophie already mentioned that. Funny enough though, they think Sophie and I share a room, like we’re kids again.”

There’s something in Liam’s expression that I can’t quite place, and it seems as if I hurt his feelings. I don’t want my parents to judge him based on his past because Liam is the love of my life. I want them to accept him as easily as they accepted Hunter or Mason.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just don’t know how I should act if they’re clueless.” He releases a breath and forces a smile.

“Fine, I’ll tell them right now if that’s what you want. I think we should wait, you know, so they can’t corner you and ask you a million questions.”

Grabbing my hand, Liam pulls me back. “No, that’s not what I want. I understand timing is everything. But I don’t care what they or anyone says, you’re mine.”

“I’m always yours, baby,” I tell him, stealing a kiss.