Page 14 of Look My Way (Bloody Desires #1)

Zavier

Once my supplies are dropped off at the site I’ll be working at tomorrow, I rush home to shower and place an order for pick-up at a restaurant not far from me as I’m sliding on fresh clothes.

He wanted to say no at the ice cream shop. His eyes rounded, mouth pressed tight, and he was trying really hard to find what he thought were the right words, but what he needed rushed out instead.

“Okay.”

His eyes were less heavy after he said it.

There was this weight lifted off his shoulders as he gave in to me and to himself.

He has no idea how perfect he is with his body so responsive every time I rest my hand on him to guide him somewhere.

Does he know he follows me without hesitancy?

Not Daniel, but me. Trust is being created between us so quickly, while it has yet to form between him and the man he’s known a lot longer.

Slipping into my car, I unbutton the top of my shirt and shake loose the collar.

Fuck it’s hot, and my AC isn’t working fast enough.

Turning the vents toward me, I check the time on my phone and answer some emails from potential clients before leaving for Tony’s Bistro.

My order is ready and quickly handed to me as soon as I step into the restaurant.

The cashier, who is always overly flirty, recognizes me as soon as I walk in the door.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey yourself. Got something for me?” I say cheekily, swiping my card.

The interaction between us means nothing to me.

It’s my way of being nice to someone I can tell could use it after seeing the bullshit she puts up with in this place.

It’s nothing against her, though. It has more to do with her not being a cute little auburn-haired writer with thick-framed glasses.

“Always.” She winks, handing me a receipt to sign. I use the pen I always carry in my front pocket and then snatch the food off the counter.

“Until next time.”

“I’ll be waiting.” She rubs her red-stained lips together and I lift my head, forcing a smile as I turn to walk back to my car.

I look at my phone again as I sit in my car, looking up the jurisdiction Daniel works for.

It doesn’t take long for me to dig up, but at this point in my life nothing does.

I’ve got my ways of finding more than what’s put out publicly, something I became good at when I got paid with a computer after mowing my first lawn as a teen.

Zooming in on his picture, my eye twitches at how familiar his features are.

I know him from somewhere and just didn’t realize it before.

Not much else matters to me when my carino is around.

My mind, eyes, and everything in between belong to Liam.

Whenever he needs me, I’ll be right here to sweep in and satisfy him.

Because I want to keep him smiling and glowing like he was when he had ice cream dripping down his chin.

I say Daniel’s full name out loud, over and over, but nothing’s clicking in my head.

Did he change it? There isn’t as much on this guy as I thought there would be, so I’m guessing he used to go by something else.

If I did in fact know him once upon a time, it’ll eventually come to me.

I’ll keep an eye on him until it does. That is of course when I’m not busy with Liam.

Starting my car, I pull onto the road and drive to an address I know by heart.

My hands automatically know when to turn the wheel, and electricity zips through me the closer I get to my destination.

Liam is outside watering his plants, not looking up once as I pull into his driveway. It isn’t until I’m out of the car that I spot the headphones in his ears. His eyes lift to me when I’m only inches away, his glasses being shoved up by his shaking fingers.

Wiping his hands on the front of his jeans, he straightens his stance and steps away from the watering can.

“Did I come too early?”

His head tilts and I chuckle, removing a bud from his ear. His gaze bounces from my hand to my face, and his expression softens as I slip the ear bud into his half-extended palm. “Sorry. Thought you’d hear me better this way.”

“Yeah . . . I left my phone inside on the entryway table, so I couldn’t turn it off, and I can’t seem to figure out these new headphones my sister sent me.”

“You two pretty close?”

One shoulder lifts, his smile quickly fading. “We used to be. Things have been off between me and my whole family lately. Daniel said they suggested he pay for round-the-clock nurses and pretty much keep me a prisoner.”

Is he sure it’s not his loving, perfect fiancé who wants that? I make a note to look into Liam’s family later. He clearly misses having them in his life based on how he mentions them with so much sadness in his tone.

“I’m sorry,” I say, squeezing his wrist softly, and he swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Do you at least get to see them? Do they ever visit you?”

His expression hardens and he shakes his head slowly. “No. They don’t want to be around me much anymore. They don’t see me as more than my MS.”

I find that hard to believe somehow. This is a family who seems to care so much.

His sister knows him well enough to give him all the right gifts and send them through the mail requiring zero communication from his end.

“That’s a shame. I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t told me. I mean, we all have struggles.”

“I think when I first got diagnosed, my onset fatigue was an inconvenience for them. Daniel said they told him it was probably better if he kept me home from the last Christmas party my parents had. That it would be easier for me to rest here whenever I felt weak or worn down, so we didn’t go.”

Daniel said this, huh? I’m noticing a pattern with this man. “Have you tried talking to them yourself?” I pry some more.

“No . . . I mean, I’ve tried to call once or twice but it went to voicemail. My mom keeps changing her number, and in her last text my sister told me I needed to stop putting her through so much stress and heartbreak.”

My brows push together. “Maybe a case of miscommunication. They seem to be okay with talking to your boyfriend. I’d maybe try paying them a surprise visit. Are they far away?”

“Two hours. Daniel says it’s too far for me to drive myself, and he hasn’t had much time off to take me.”

“Daniel sure does like to assume he knows more about what you can handle than you do. Is driving hard for you usually?”

“Sometimes I get tired quickly or get blurred vision from bad headaches, but not all the time. I try not to test my limits to find out.”

This man uses everything he can to keep Liam in place, doesn’t he?

I’ve felt something off about him since the first day we met, but as I hear more about his and Liam’s relationship, I’m eager to give him a taste of his own medicine.

To use his fears and insecurities against him.

“I’ll go with you,” I offer. “That is if you ever really want to go.”

“You would?” His eyes light up. “But aren’t you busy? It would probably be a whole day of driving.”

“I’m okay with that and also with taking over when you need me to. Owning my business allows me to make my own schedule. Let me know when and I’ll make the time.”

“Okay.”

There’s that word. It’s something he needs to do of his own accord, because he wants to, and not because he sees my offers as orders but as opportunities he has a choice in. “Alright. Should we go inside before this food gets too cold?”

His gaze lands on my arm tucked around a brown paper bag, and he laughs awkwardly. “Oh, right. We’re supposed to be having dinner, aren’t we? Sorry. I didn’t mean to dump all my depressing crap on you.”

“You didn’t. I asked and you told me. Feel free to vent whenever you need to. Like I said, call for anything—to tell me the birds are chirping too loudly in the window or that Daniel’s going to be home late again and you don’t want to be alone for dinner.”

His lips quirk into a smile. “You sure you want to keep reminding me of that option, because I might really take you up on it and you could end up regretting the offer.”

“Please do, and I wouldn’t have offered it if I’d ever thought I’d regret it.”

His stomach grumbles and I laugh, grabbing his hand. “Come on, carino. Let’s get some food in that belly of yours. All the walking and gardening’s had you work up an appetite.”

“I do feel like I could eat a whole grocery store right now.” His fingers squeeze around mine as he leads us to the kitchen table. He doesn’t let go of my hand until he needs to open his container, his face stiffening. “Sorry. I didn’t realize I was holding on to you for so long. I—”

I step forward, grabbing his hand again to caress it between my palms and kiss the tips of his fingers. “It’s okay. My hand is here whenever you need it and so is everything else of mine.”

His lips rub together, turning inward. Breaths stuttering, he traces his fingers around my mouth the way I did his with the napkin earlier. “We shouldn’t . . . I shouldn’t . . .”

“Why? Because someone else tells you not to? What do you want to do? What does in here tell you?” I guide our hands to his chest.

His lips part, eyes roaming over me. “All the wrong things.”

“What makes them wrong?” I tug at his shirt collar with my fingers, dragging the tips of my nails over his soft skin.

“I think you should go. Thanks for dinner but I . . . we can’t hang out anymore.”

“Is that really what you want?”

He sucks in a breath, gripping my fingers so tightly I squirm. “No.”

“I’ll tell you what . . .” My face dips closer to his. “If you really want me to leave, I will, but you have to say it. Tell me out loud that you want me to go—not that I should but that it’s what you want—and I’ll walk right out that door and recommend you another carpenter.”

His lips twitch and he eyes our joined hands again. “The utensils are in the drawer on the right side of my sink if we need them.”