Page 22 of Look My Way (Bloody Desires #1)

Zavier

Liam smiles, his arm knocking against mine as he points at a vendor selling honey. He buys two jars and then drags me to a table with various jams.

“Mmm, apricot.” He licks his lips, the innocent act doing things to me I’ll soon have problems hiding if he doesn’t stop.

“Someone sounds hungry,” I say, lifting a jar of apple butter, and Liam wanders down to the blackberry jam, gathering three jars.

I laugh, handing the woman standing on the other side of the table money, motioning to what he has in his hands. “Yeah, definitely hungry. I think I saw someone selling sandwiches not far from here.”

“Oooh, snow cones,” he says, setting his jars down and taking off to where a guy is shoveling shaved ice into a cup.

He doesn’t get many opportunities to enjoy himself like this, does he?

He’s acting the way a dog who’s been let off the leash at a park would after being trapped in the house all day.

So carefree, excitedly browsing all the different flavors, Liam stops in front of a pink bottle. His smile shakes and he suddenly looks unsure, opening his mouth before closing it again

“What can I get you?” the man holding a scooper asks.

Liam’s arms go behind his back and I give him an encouraging nod when he looks at me. That’s all it takes for my precious boy to continue asking for what he wants. Does he feel like he can’t?

“I’ll take a bubblegum one, please,” he says with so much confidence. This isn’t a feeling he experiences often, and I hate that for him. And I also hate whoever has taken that away from him, making him insecure in his decision making.

“Yeah, that one right there.” He bounces like a kid in a candy store, smacking his lips together as the man quickly fills his order.

Shaking my head, I smile and throw everything in a bag before rushing after him. When I finally catch up, he’s reaching out for a pink snow cone, licking those luscious lips again. He’s going to drive me crazy. He pays and his eyes lock on the sweet treat, pink tongue snaking out to get a taste.

I have to keep mine from doing the same.

Not in reference to the snow cone, but something much more appetizing that I look forward to feasting on whenever he’s ready to beg me to.

Daniel has no idea how lucky he is. This could have been him here and he wouldn’t be as limited as I am.

For a man who can grab and hold him in any way he wants, he sure does take it for granted.

“You said something about sandwiches a bit ago?” He peers up at me, licking at his snow cone again.

“Yeah,” I say pointedly. “You want to finish eating your dessert first before we grab some?”

“Nah.” He licks and slurps. “We can go now. I’ll be done with this soon with how good it is.”

It’s like a lightning bolt is shooting right through me as my eyes home in on him. The sounds are so filthy they go straight to my aching cock. I didn’t think I could possibly want him any more than I already did and here he goes proving me wrong.

“After you.” I nudge him forward and he goes happily, feet so light on the grass as he beats me to our third table for the day. Looking over my choices, I end up with a turkey bacon club, while he unsurprisingly chooses one with tuna salad. My nose turns up.

“You and your stinky canned fish.”

His laughter is like music to my ears. How lucky am I to have the opportunity to hear it all day too. I’m going to take full advantage, even if it means buying him all the jam, tuna, and snow cones in the world.

“It’s delicious. You need to give it another chance.”

I give him a disgruntled look. “If I never have to eat another tuna sandwich again, it’ll be too soon.

” There’s only one way I might consider giving them another try, but I don’t tell him about the perverted visual running through my mind.

He could easily get me to try anything if it was served on him.

“You’re just being a tuna fish hater now. How about you leave me alone about what I eat, and I won’t give you shit for wearing socks with slides.”

I laugh, spreading my feet apart. “I couldn’t find any shoes that weren’t covered in mud, and my feet get cold.”

“That’s why you don’t work in your regular shoes.”

“Sometimes I forget I have them on or do a last-minute job on my day off, and I don’t have time to go home to change them.”

“Keep work boots in your truck, then.” Him and all his bright ideas. I’m a hot mess of a man, and I’m set in my ways, but who knows how much more I could change for him.

“Okay, how is it that you’re the one offering me advice now?”

“I give others better advice than I give myself.” He smirks, wrapping that pretty mouth around his sandwich.

As though on instinct, my fingers reach over to swipe away the pieces of bread sticking to the corner of his mouth that his tongue misses.

He goes on to sink his teeth into his food again, with what I just did not fazing him.

He’s getting used to me taking care of him and accepting it easily. Good.

We walk around for what feels like hours, the sun soaking into my skin and creating sweat beneath my clothes.

Liam grabs my hand when he wants me to turn in a different direction, only letting go to look at handmade bracelets, tea, and soap.

His nose is shoved against a purple bar in the shape of a flower. “It smells so good.”

Leaning my head forward, I take a quick whiff. “It does.” I could get used to smelling all the pretty scents on him too.

Setting it down, he reaches for a bar infused with lavender, and it’s obvious we have a winner when he can’t set it down, even when checking out bath bombs further down the table.

“I need to stop shopping like I have all the money in the world,” he says with a laugh, fumbling with a bottle of bubble bath.

“I have some extra spending money, so I can get you whatever you want to take home from this table.”

Considering what I’m saying, he shakes his head and returns the soap to its original place. His eyes don’t leave the item as he steps back. “I can’t let you do that.” His head whips back, eyes running over the bag in my hand. “You already spent enough on me as it is.”

“I don’t mind,” I say promptly, lifting the soap from the table and handing it to the lady who bags it, telling me the total.

Liam sighs, and after I pay, I hand him his new gift with my lips pressed into a smile.

“That soap was meant to be yours, carino. Go ahead and take it.”

His chest rises heavily, his eyes sparkling, and he slowly grabs it from my fingers. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Where to next?”

“I . . .” My gaze follows his to where a man is selling banana and sour dough bread. He has several pies on the table as well, along with various hand-picked berries.

“Let’s go,” I say, lifting my hand for him to take it, and he smiles, wrapping his fingers around mine.

Daniel really is an idiot. Good thing too, because I get to reap the benefits.

All it took was for me to take his stupid badge and he used it as an excuse to be away longer, doing whatever shady shit he’s up to.

Liam walks forward, his warm hand tightly gripping mine as he slowly pulls me beside him to stand in front of the bright fruit.

We don’t stop there either. Not with all the tables here with different goodies Liam can’t help but gravitate to, while bringing me with him.

It’s easier for him to go for exactly what he wants in an instant when I’m here.

We drink way too much lemonade, eat several homemade baked goods, and leave with two arms full of bags. I load them into the back seat while Liam climbs in the front, and when I ask him where he wants to go eat, without missing a beat, he says, “The diner.”

It’s become one of our special places. So has the farmer’s market, Margo’s ice cream shop, the surrounding shopping strip mall, and his back yard.

What makes the last one more special is there aren’t as many rules there.

It’s like we’re two different people, visiting a new world with no rules, Daniel, or obligations.

Only us. He’s not engaged when he comes to look for me outside his window or house at night.

He’s not trapped or lost, knowing exactly what he wants.

He’s getting exactly what he needs in a way he feels safe enough to come after.

In between eating and talking about whatever random topics are sitting at the front of Liam’s mind, he shows me glimpses of his new book. He’s really excited about this one, and has the same glow of pride he had beaming off him when he handed me the four books in his house.

“So, you’re done?”

“Yeah. Almost. I’m only missing the epilogue, but I usually send that to my editor separately.

He’s finally stopped fussing over it.” He grins his teeth, shuffling his napkin between his hands.

I might have to look into this man too, since it’s obvious he sets Liam on edge, his face falling at the first mention of him.

“You don’t like the guy I take it?”

His jaw tightens and he leans back in his chair.

“Not really. I didn’t have any opinions of him at first, but I swear lately he tries to find every opportunity he can to get me fired.

But who knows.” One of his shoulders lifts.

“It might be the push I need to go off on my own. I have my brand and readers, something none of these people can take from me.”

“That’s right.” I fold my arms in front of me on the table, leaning forward. “You don’t need any of these people. I feel they need you more at this point.”

“Yeah, I don’t know.” He shuffles in his seat, rubbing at his drooping shoulder.

After passing on dessert, we grab a to-go box for my food, and when I drop him at his house, he moves forward to hug me.

His arms embrace me, heart pounding against mine, and I rub my nose over his ear.

His breaths scatter along my neck and I move mine along the side of his face. “I’ll see you later, carino.”

“Yeah . . . okay.” His words come out broken and it takes a car to drive by for him to break away from me, eyes moving around frantically. “I better get going and get this read through over with.”

“If you need one of those people who reads for feedback, let me know.”

“You mean a beta?” His voice shifts.

“Yeah.” I smile. “A beta.”

A muscle in his neck ticks and his lips bunch together. “Yeah, sure. Text me your email address. I use docs if that works for you.”

He wants me to read his latest book. Needs me to. The desperation is heavy in his tone and eyes.

“Yeah, docs works, and I’ll send it over now.” Plucking my phone from my pocket, I type quickly on my screen and hit send.

His phone buzzes and he looks down at the screen, nodding. “Cool. I’ll uh, send it over when I feel it’s not complete crap,” he says sheepishly.

“I doubt it ever could be, and nothing is usually perfect the first time. And isn’t that what my job as a beta entails anyway?”

He chuckles nervously. “Yeah, yeah, I suppose it is. Thanks for today.”

“Sure. Don’t forget your bags.” I dig into one, taking the apple butter out.

“I won’t.” Smiling, his face inches toward mine and he freezes in front of me. Lips rubbing together, his eyes hold mine in place for what feels like forever, and then he exits the car without another word.

I wave at him, and he waves back shyly, looking back several times as he walks to his front door. Once he disappears inside, I drive off, and only minutes after arriving home, my phone alerts me with a notification.

My smile stretches across my face, and I click on the email, downloading the book so I can see what I should do next— not only to keep my carino smiling, but also to have him leaving the bed he shares with Daniel every night to be where I am instead.