Page 26 of Liam (The Valeur Billionaires #4)

Chapter Fifteen

ALERIA

I should be exhausted—we’ve been at this for hours—but instead, there’s an electric buzz in the air, a palpable excitement that has nothing to do with our ASTRA project and everything to do with the man sitting next to me.

Which is ridiculous, of course. Liam Valeur is my investor, not some crush to moon over. Even if he looks too good for someone who’s been staring at spectroscopic data for six hours straight.

“If I look at one more tissue sample readout,” I groan, rubbing my eyes, “I’m pretty sure my brain will achieve spectral superposition and be simultaneously functioning and completely fried.”

Liam chuckles, the sound sending an annoying little shiver down my spine. “Wouldn’t that make you more efficient? You could diagnose in multiple wavelengths at once.”

I roll my eyes. “Oh sure, laugh it up, Mr. I-Can-Code-Algorithms-In-My-Sleep. Some of us mere mortals need actual rest.”

“Rest? I’m not familiar with the concept,” Liam quips, stretching in a way that makes his shirt ride up.

I absolutely do not notice the sliver of skin this reveals. Nope. Not at all.

“Besides,” he continues, oblivious to my internal struggle, “I thought you lived for this stuff. Isn’t lab work your idea of a good time?”

I snort. “Oh yes, nothing gets my spectroscope humming like sleep deprivation and eyestrain.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to crawl under the desk. Did I just make an innuendo about spectroscopes? To Liam Valeur? Kill me now.

Liam raises an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eye that does nothing to help my composure. “Your spectroscope, huh? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

My face flames. “That’s not… I didn’t mean…” I wish for a convenient wormhole to open up and swallow me.

Liam laughs, a full, rich sound that makes my traitorous heart skip a beat. “Relax, Dr. James. I’m just teasing. Although I have to say, your dedication to ASTRA is...admirable.”

The way he says “admirable” sends a jolt through me that has no business existing between us.

This is dangerous territory, Aleria. Abort mission. Retreat to the safety of professional distance.

I should turn away. I should change the subject. I should do anything but sit here, lost in Liam Valeur’s blue eyes, wondering what would happen if I just leaned in and?—

The loud beep of our spectrometer snaps us both out of whatever that was. I jump, nearly falling out of my chair in my haste to put some distance between us.

“I should check that,” I mumble, all but fleeing to the other side of the lab.

As I pretend to be engrossed in readouts, I feel Liam’s eyes on me. What just happened? And, more importantly, how am I supposed to get through the rest of this night without combusting from sheer awkwardness?

There’s something different about him tonight—his usual polished demeanor has cracked.

He looks vulnerable, revealing glimpses of the man I once knew.

The one who laughed at my terrible physics puns and brought me coffee during all-nighters.

The one who made me feel like I belonged in a world I never thought I’d fit into.

A lock of his dark hair has fallen across his forehead, just like it used to during our late-night study sessions. Back then, I’d allowed myself to brush it back, letting my fingers linger. Now, years later, I have to physically restrain myself from reaching out.

The sharp lines of his face seem softer in the dim lab light, his expression open and unguarded. It reminds me of how he used to look at me when we tackled challenging math problems together. Focused, yes, but also warm. Encouraging.

Before everything changed, before he pulled away and became the distant, polished Liam Valeur the world knows now.

What happened to that Liam? And is he still in there somewhere, behind all the polished defenses ?

The thought both thrills and terrifies me. Because if that Liam is still there, the one I once... No. I can’t go down that road again. Not after how it ended last time.

The computer screen flashes green, and my heart leaps into my throat.

We’ve done it. We’ve cracked the problem we’ve been wrestling with for weeks.

“Oh my God,” I breathe, hardly daring to believe it. “Liam, look!”

He leans in, his shoulder pressing against mine as he peers at the screen. For a moment, neither of us moves, the implications of our success sinking in.

Then, all at once, we explode into motion. I jump up, letting out a very un-scientific whoop of joy. Liam’s right there with me, his face split by a grin.

“We did it!” he exclaims, his voice husky.

Before I can process what’s happening, strong arms encircle my waist. The world tilts as Liam lifts me clean off my feet, spinning us in a dizzying circle.

For a moment, the universe narrows to just this—the solid heat of Liam’s body pressed against mine from chest to thigh, the intoxicating blend of his cologne, the vibration of his laughter rumbling through my ribcage.

My fingers tangle in the soft hair at the nape of his neck, and I feel more than hear his sharp intake of breath.

He sets me down, his hands lingering on my waist. The air between us feels charged, electric. Liam’s gaze drops to my lips, and I sway forward, drawn by some invisible force.

Then, like a bubble bursting, reality crashes back in. We both seem to realize the inappropriateness of our position at the same time. Liam releases me as if burned, taking a hurried step back. I nearly stumble at the sudden loss of his support, my legs unsteady.

We stand there, an arm’s length apart, but it might as well be miles. A thick, awkward tension has replaced the earlier excitement.

“I, uh...” Liam clears his throat, running a hand through his hair. “That was...”

“Yeah,” I agree, my cheeks burning. “Quite the breakthrough.”

We stand there for a moment, not sure what to do next. Part of me wants to suggest we call it a night, to retreat to the safety of professional distance. But a larger, louder part can’t bear the thought of this night ending.

Liam clears his throat. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Want to grab a late dinner? My treat.”

My head snaps up, surprise warring with an eager flutter in my stomach. Before I can overthink it, I blurt out, “I know just the place.”

Twenty minutes later, the neon sign of Stellar’s Diner casts a warm glow over us as we duck inside. The familiar scent of coffee and grilled onions wraps around me. We slide into a worn vinyl booth, our knees brushing underneath the table.

Liam’s eyes sweep over the diner, a wistful smile tugging at his lips. “You know,” he says, his voice soft with nostalgia, “this place reminds me of those all-nighters we used to pull back in college.”

I freeze, my menu forgotten. We don’t talk about college. About the past. It’s an unspoken rule between us, carefully maintained since he became an investor in ASTRA.

But Liam continues, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “ Remember that little burger joint near campus? The one with the wonky neon sign that always flickered on the ‘E’?”

I nod, memories flooding back unbidden. Late nights hunched over textbooks, the smell of coffee and grease in the air, Liam’s laughter at my terrible physics puns.

“God, we practically lived there during finals week.” Liam chuckles. “You always ordered?—”

“The double cheeseburger with extra pickles and no onions,” we say in unison.

Our eyes meet, and for a moment, I’m transported back. Back to when Liam was just a young man with messy hair and nerdy t-shirts, not the polished CEO he is now. Back to when I thought... Well, it doesn’t matter what I thought.

“You remembered,” I say, surprise coloring my tone.

Liam’s expression softens, something vulnerable flickering in his eyes. “I remember a lot of things, Aleria.”

Using my first name, so rare these days, sends a shiver down my spine. There’s a weight to his words, a depth of meaning I’m not sure I’m ready to explore.

As we wait for our food, Liam’s gaze turns thoughtful. “You know,” he says, “I’ve been thinking about what you told me the other day. About growing up in your parents’ auto shop.”

I nod, a mix of emotions swirling in my chest at the memory of our recent conversation.

“It got me wondering,” Liam continues, his blue eyes searching mine. “How come I never knew that about you in college? We spent so much time together, and yet...”

His words trail off, but the question hangs in the air between us. A flush creeps up my neck, part embarrassment, part something else I can’t quite name .

“I never told anyone back then,” I admit, my fingers tracing patterns on the worn Formica tabletop. “I was...ashamed, I guess.”

Liam’s brow furrows. “Ashamed? Of your parents?”

I shake my head. “No, not of them. Never of them. More of how I thought others would see me if they knew.” I take a deep breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze.

“I was surrounded by trust fund kids and legacy admissions. And there I was, only there because of scholarships and student loans. My parents are brilliant, but they never finished high school. I was terrified that if people knew, they’d think I didn’t belong. ”

Understanding dawns in Liam’s eyes, pursued by something that looks almost like regret. “I had no idea you felt that way.”

I shrug. “It’s silly, looking back on it now. But at the time, it felt so important to fit in, to prove I deserved to be there.”

Liam’s hand moves across the table, not quite touching mine, but close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from his skin. “You more than deserved to be there,” he says, his voice low and intense. “You were the brightest student in that entire school.”

“Thank you,” I murmur, not sure what else to say.

Liam’s expression softens, a mix of emotions I can’t quite decipher playing across his features. “I wish I’d known,” he says. “Back then, I mean. I wish you’d felt like you could tell me.”

“Tell you? The Valeur heir who never had to struggle a day in his life?”