"What are youdoinghere, Liam?"
Liamtook a step forward. "Apologizing." Skye's heart began to race even faster, but he
stomped down on the hope trying to surge up. "You don't have to apologize. I understand. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
"No."
Skye frowned. "No?"
Liam shook his head, moving closer again. Skye
could smellhimnow, and it made his head spin with the dizzying need to go to him, to bury his face in Liam's neck and be held. Oh God, he missed Liam holding him. But Skye didn't move, didn't evenblink.
"You don't understand. But I want you to. Can...please, myown, canI come in?"
Skye's knees threatened to buckle. My own. Except he wasn't, not anymore, maybe never had been. His eyes burned and it took hima second to squash the overwhelmingemotion. "No."
Hurt flashed across Liam's face, and Skye's heart wrenched, while at the same time it infuriated him. How dare Liam be hurt? He was the one who'd walked awaywithout lookingback.
He's here, though. That's looking back, isn't it?
Stupid, needy heart. No more risks for you, he thought.
"Allright. I deserve that."
Skye set the grocery bags on the trunk of his car with a thunk, eyes narrowing. "You deserve more than that, the way you just walked out--more than once, I might add."
Liamwinced a little, then nodded. "I know. I asked youto trust me and thenbroke that trust. I know."
"Why are you here? I don't think I need any more lessons, Liam." Did he want to restart their arrangement? Skye quailed inwardly at the idea. He couldn't do it now, not anymore. He couldn't go back to pretending not to love Liam and know it was just business for the other man.
Liamgave hima small smile, nothing like the broad, genuine, infectious smiles Skye had grown to crave from him. "I don't know, maybe you do. Maybe I do, too. Want to be myteacher, Skye?"
Skye let out a rough laugh, devoid of humor. "Oh sure, I'll teach you how to be needy and naïve and stupid. How to fall in love with men you can't have...how about that?"
Liamshook his head. "I alreadyknow how to do all that, Skye. I was an idiot when I walked--no, ran
-awayfromyou. Allthe times I did. I'ma needybastard right now, standing here praying you'll give me another chance. And as for the last..." Liam let out a shaky laughofhis own. "I've beenthere for a while now."
Skye felt like allthe oxygen had been sucked out of his lungs as he tried to process what Liam was saying. He... Well, no, he couldn't mean what Skye thought, and Skye's mind whirled, tryingto find another plausible explanation. Finally, after several silent, breathless moments, Skye met Liam's eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Liam's smile grew a little, and he took yet another step, now close enough to touch if either of themdared to reachout and do so. Neither did.
"I'm talking about forgiving me for hurting you, Skye. I'm talking about me making amends somehow. I'm talking about falling head over ass in love with you whenit was maybe the dumbest idea I ever had."
Oh God. He was serious. Skye swallowed hard. "What about...you said it was impossible. That you didn't want to be withme and still..."
"Escort. And I still don't want that. Not because it's some unspeakable secret or because I'm ashamed. I learned a few things, Skye, and one of them is you've ruined me for other men."He smiled and then did reach out to touchhim.
The contact of Liam's hand curled at his waist, tinglingthroughSkye.
"All I can think about is you. All I want is you." He tugged Skye closer, and Skye's heart raced even faster.
Oh my.
"Sayyouforgive me, Skye. Sayyou're stillmine."
It was déjà vu. Skye shivered and looked up at him, trembling at the hope and desire and, yeah, love in Liam's hazel-greeneyes. "You've said that before."
Liam's face fell. "I know."
"You said I shouldn't just forgive. You said if a guy ever stood me up again, and if I decided he was worth a second chance, I should make sure he makes it up to me in a big way for being such a jerk." Skye's eyes stung with unshed tears and he shoved Liam's shoulder. "God damn it, Liam, you were such a jerk. I said I loved you and you just...threw it back in my face." He refused to cry; that was so fuckingchildish.
"I know. Tell me how to make it up to you. Tell me what you want, what you need, and I swear to God, Skye, it's yours."
Skye shook his head, glaring at the buttons on Liam's shirt, unable to meet his eyes. "I don't want that. I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to
do."Liam didn't say anything for a minute, then brushed
a kiss to the top of his head. "I should tell you somethingelse."
Oh God. Skye closed his eyes. "What?"
"I'mgoingto be livingonthe boat for a while."
He frowned, glancingup finally. "What?"
Liamsmiled. This time it was a realsmile, not shaky or half-assed. This one reached his beautiful eyes. "I meant it when I said you'd ruined me for other men, Skye. I had to find another job."
Skye's jaw dropped and he forgot all about being terrified. "What? Liam, no, I don't want you to feel like youhave to do that. I'mnot ashamed, and youshouldn't be either."
Liam shook his head. "I'm not, but I started escorting because it made sense. It doesn't make sense anymore. You make sense. You with me makes sense. I want different things than I did three years ago...than I did three weeks ago.
"I spoke to a friend of mine who I do
