Guarding His Heart Page 7

  Liam walked along the hall below, heading for the kitchen without looking up, and before she could change her mind, Georgie took a deep breath and walked slowly down the stairs. When she reached the kitchen door he was at the sink filling the coffeepot and she stood in the doorway, watching him for a moment. Faded denim jeans hugged his legs and—God help her—he was shirtless again. Didn’t the man feel the cold? His shoulders were smooth and tanned, and broader than she’d noticed before. Her mouth dried as she let her eyes wander freely up the length of his muscled back. His hair was pulled loosely into a piece of leather at the nape of his neck, and a few loose tendrils brushed his shoulders.

  “Ah…” Just as she went to speak, he turned, so she stepped into the kitchen.

  “Hello.” He held the kettle up and tilted his head to the side. Oh man, he hadn’t shaved again and the angles and planes of his face were as sexy as the baby blues looking at her. “Coffee?”

  It was as though she’d only just been talking to him and there hadn’t been four days of being in the same house without a word spoken between them.

  “I’m fine, thanks.”

  “Cold drink?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I just need a bit of help upstairs. It will only take a minute.”

  “I’ll make you a deal. Keep me company while I have my coffee and then I’ll come and help you.” As he waited for her to answer, his blue eyes assessed her and Georgie held her breath.

  “I haven’t seen a soul or spoken to anyone since Thelma and Mitzi left the other day.” Liam gave a rueful laugh. “Privacy is a bit overrated.”

  She smiled at the woebegone face he put on before she slid a chair out from the table. “Okay. I could do with a break. If you’re sure you want company?” Usually she was confident in the company of others, but there was something about him that made her nervous. It wasn’t because he was ridiculously good-looking. Maybe it was because she now knew he was a celebrity author. “Anyway, I wanted to apologize to you for the other day.” Georgie ignored the fluttery feeling in her stomach and casually rested her elbows on the table, at odds with the words rushing from her lips.

  “The other day?” Liam’s brow wrinkled as he wandered over to the table with his coffee.

  “Thelma and Mitzi turning up uninvited.”

  “But they were looking for the pink thing.” Liam’s face broke into a wide grin and Georgie’s legs went to jelly, even though they were tucked beneath her on the wooden chair.

  No, no, no.

  She folded her arms in front of her on the old table and nodded mutely as his bare chest filled her gaze. She had known what a full-blown smile directed at her would do to her composure.

  Pull yourself together.

  “They were adorable. And the stories they told me”—Georgie rolled her eyes as the grin stayed on his face—“kicked off a spark for a new book and I’ve been writing ever since they left.”

  Georgie swallowed and tried to ignore the warmth filling her as he leaned close. This was an entirely different Liam from the one she’d been dealing with.

  “I wasn’t sure you were okay about them.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll have a cold drink, after all.” Anything to take her attention away from the bare chest that filled her vision.

  “Are you all right?” Liam reached out and put his hand on her arm and more heat surged into her cheeks. God, she’d be as red as a fire engine soon.

  “Yes,” she said slowly.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t help you unload the truck the other day.” His fingers stayed on her arm as he looked at her.

  “Oh, no, I didn’t expect you to. Troy, the driver from the store, carried most of it up for me while I was working.” She moved away a little and Liam lifted his hand from her arm.

  “I was worried that you were angry with me because Thelma and Mitzi had turned up unannounced,” she said.

  “Even if I had been upset by getting interrupted, it wouldn’t have been your fault. You didn’t invite them.” Liam narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and she felt like a butterfly pinned to a board. “And besides, they are a delightful pair.”

  Georgie slipped the tip of her tongue out and licked her dry lips, immediately regretting it as his gaze dropped to her mouth.

  “Someone’s done a real number on you, haven’t they?”

  “What?” The word came out as a squeak.

  Liam ran a hand through his hair and tucked the loose bits behind his ear. “When you’re not blushing, you’re apologizing, and I noticed the other day when the old dears were here, you were trying to make everything right.”

  He leaned back in the chair and sipped his coffee. Georgie stood and crossed to the sink and threw a glance over her shoulder as she filled a glass with water from the tap.

  “So what makes you the expert?” He’d hit way too close to the bone, and she swallowed hard. “Do you write psychology books, too?”

  “No, I’m a writer. I observe people and I’ve become pretty good at figuring out what makes them tick.”

  Georgie drained her glass and put it in the sink. “Well, what makes me tick is the job that’s waiting upstairs and the time clock that’s ticking away.” The sudden hurt that lodged in her chest took her breath away. She knew what was wrong with her. She didn’t have to have some too-good-looking, pseudo-psychoanalyst writer look at her with his sexy eyes and put it into words. “My time goes on your bill and the sooner I get this job finished, the better.”

  His was still looking at her intently and she shifted from one booted foot to the other, uncomfortable beneath his stare.

  “For both you…and me,” she added.

  “Look, I’m sorry if I overstepped the mark. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

  “You’ve got me wrong, Liam. I’ve been trying to stay out of your way to preserve your precious privacy.” Georgie waved a dismissive hand. She could act with the best of them. “And yes, I do have fair skin and I can’t help it if I blush a lot. It’s my complexion…nothing to do with my feelings.”

  She strode to the door and casually flicked her ponytail with her fingers. “Matches the hair.”

  Her legs were shaking as she walked up the stairs. Just when she was enjoying the work and getting her head together, he had to remind her of how she always tried to smooth the way for everybody.

  Okay, so I used to try to make everyone happy, but that’s the old Georgie.

  Get this job finished and then she’d be out of here. She’d take off into the big wide world and worry about no one but herself. The new, confident, look-after-herself Georgie would face life head-on and enjoy every minute of it.

  I will.

  She picked up the hammer and began knocking down the only wall left intact. A few minutes belting at the plaster had a soothing effect and she put the hammer down and wiped the perspiration from her brow. A light breeze was blowing in from the sea and she walked across to the window and let the cool air play on her damp skin.

  When Sienna arrived tonight, she was going to unload on her. If she talked the whole Brent thing out, maybe she’d get over it quicker. That’s what sisters were for. Though now they weren’t real sisters—she’d never get used to that—they were still sisters in spirit. God, here she was on a trade job, building bookshelves for a man—okay a really, really good-looking man—and she was turning it into an emotion-fest.

  Georgie knew she was overreacting. And the feelings brought to the surface by overthinking the guys who’d dumped her had made her more vulnerable to yet another good-looking man. And now the usual sequence of events was starting all over again.

  Fall for a man.

  He leaves.

  Broken heart.

  Move on.

  Okay, maybe she was exaggerating. They hadn’t all dumped her. She’d broken a few of the relationships off herself. But with Brent, she just hadn’t seen the end coming.

  A good dose of Sienna reality was just what she needed to jolt some sense in
to her. She picked up the hammer again but before she could start swinging it a light tap at the door alerted her to Liam’s arrival.

  “Still need a hand or did my big mouth make you mad enough to give you superhero powers?” He looked at her sheepishly as he pushed the door wide open.

  Georgie ignored his attempt at humor and pointed to the corner, where the piece of wood was propped against the wall. “That’s the one I need help to lift.”

  Liam walked over to the wall and she indicated the supports up near the ceiling. “I’ll need to get up on the ladder to get one end up there, if you can just take the weight at the other end?”

  Much to her relief, he’d put a T-shirt on before he’d come up, and he hefted the piece of wood up to his chest while she dragged the small stepladder across the room. “I’m not used to working by myself. I’m sorry I had to—”

  She cut herself off as he looked at her. Climbing the first two rungs of the ladder brought her just above the top of his head and she looked down at him. “Okay.” She put her hands up. “No more apologies. Cross my heart.”

  She climbed up another rung and reached down for the lumber. “Ready?”

  Liam lifted it up to her and Georgie gripped the wood firmly before she positioned it into the support in the corner.

  “Keep a hold on your end, please. I just need to move the ladder over a bit more.” She climbed down and because Liam was holding the wood in place, she had to duck beneath his arm to pull the small ladder across to reach the other support. She ignored the jolt as his arm brushed against her shoulder and she quickly climbed back up the stepladder and reached out for the wood. Her hands grasped the end and she slotted it into place.

  Georgie leaned back to survey the wall, conscious of Liam’s proximity. She forgot she was on the top step of the small ladder and stepped into midair. She let out a gasp as her arms flailed for a second. With a nimble turn, she twisted and jumped onto the floor, her heavy boots just missing Liam’s bare feet. Unfortunately for Georgie, she teetered forward as she landed, coming up hard against his chest. His arms went around her and her head banged against his shoulder.

  “Oomph.” Closing her eyes, she stood there for a moment catching her breath. Finally, she lifted her head and looked up at him. “Sorry,” she whispered.

  “Are you okay?” Liam’s voice was husky, and a shiver spiraled down her spine. Georgie stiffened in his arms so that he wouldn’t feel the effect he was having on her body. She had turned to mush, not to mention that her resolve to remain unaffected by him had gone flying out the window. Her heart was thudding and as she looked up at him, she could see a pulse flickering in his cheek.

  Why is he looking at me like that? His eyes were fixed on hers, and he had the strangest expression on his face. Georgie tried to pull back, but he tightened his hold around her. Chest to chest and thigh to thigh, she felt the tremble that rippled through him. She stopped pulling away as another exquisite shiver ran down her back.

  “Do you mind if I just hold you?” His words were soft and his voice ragged, as though he’d been the one exerting himself. “It’s been a long time since I’ve held anyone this close.”

  Georgie looked back at him and when she saw her own need reflected in his eyes, her arms lifted, almost of their own accord. She stood on her toes, reached around his neck, linking her fingers beneath his long hair, and lifted her face to rest against his cheek.

  His face was cool against her heated skin. Liam’s lips gently slid across her cheek in a soft kiss that was full of yearning. He paused before his lips reached hers. It was like coming home; different from any other kiss she’d ever experienced before. After a moment, he moved his head back a little before he rested his cheek against hers again. His lashes brushed her skin as soft as a butterfly and the rasp of his unshaven chin rubbed against her cheek. They stood locked together, no words, no movement, and Georgie reveled in the comfort of his closeness.

  Finally, Liam pulled away and she frowned as the cool air replaced the warmth of his skin against hers. She looked up and he was staring into the distance above her head, and she looked down knowing she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say.

  She put her hand up before he could speak. “That was very sweet but it was a mistake and we both know it.”

  He lowered his head and stared at her for a moment before shoving his hands in his pockets.

  “Yeah, it was. I’m sorry.”

  Georgie’s phone trilled in her pocket as Liam turned on his heel and left her alone.

  Chapter Eight

  “Would it be okay with you if Jack drops me off on the way to San Francisco?” Sienna launched straight into her conversation as Georgie tried to compose herself. She gripped the phone tightly against her ear and tried to concentrate on what Sienna was saying.

  “Yes…that’s fine…no problem. Are you still coming tonight?” She lifted her hand and touched her cheek, trying to hold on to the feeling of Liam’s lips on her skin.

  “Yes, we’re about to leave Carmel now. We realized it was crazy for me to go all the way to San Francisco and come back down to Half Moon Bay, so Jack’s going to leave the car at the airport. Are you at home now?”

  “No.” Loose tendrils of Georgie’s hair had come adrift from her ponytail. She lifted her hand from her cheek to push it back from her face and was surprised to see her fingers trembling. What had passed between her and Liam in those few minutes had rocked her to the core. When he had stepped back from her and let her go, it was like being cast adrift. It was a feeling she had never experienced before. She was aware of her heart thudding, and she drew in a deep breath trying to stop the lightness in her chest. “But I’m almost done here. I’ll head home soon.”

  “Can’t wait to see you.”

  “You, too. Bye.” Georgie disconnected the call and slipped the phone back into her pocket. Now she had an excuse to leave and go home. She needed to escape from the house before she went looking for Liam to take up where they’d left off, even though she knew that was the last thing she should do

  Taking a final look, Georgie scanned the room, making sure all the electrical tools were switched off and unplugged before she closed the window. She didn’t want to start a fire in this beautiful old house. As well as needing a restoration, she was sure the wiring wasn’t up to code. The whole house needed work, and her fingers itched to be a part of bringing it back to life.

  The afternoon sun was streaming through the window, bathing the half-built shelves in the strong light reflected by the large expanse of glass in the walls. Liam would have to put some sort of window covering up before he filled the shelves, or his books would fade quickly. Maybe he’d need Mitzi’s frilly curtains, after all. The glimmer of a smile tugged at her lips, and Georgie knew she needed to lighten up. As she packed up her tools, she looked around, imagining what a beautiful room this would be once the shelves were finished and lined with books. Polished floorboards covered with a rich traditional rug, a desk sitting beneath the window… She shook her head and focused on tidying up. Not her house, and she wouldn’t be here to see it finished, anyway. Closing the door behind her, she focused on the night ahead with Sienna.

  Mutt looked at her mournfully as she pushed open the gate to Ana’s cottage. There’d been no sign of Liam when she’d let herself out of his house. Tomorrow, Sienna would be working with her, and hopefully that would put the end to any more almost-kisses from Liam. Georgie grabbed Mutt’s lead and whistled for him. A walk on the beach would clear her head.

  The walk on the firm wet sand at the edge of the small waves did do her a power of good, despite getting soaked from Mutt frolicking in the shallow water. She threw driftwood for him and he chased it and dropped it at her feet. He made the walk more enjoyable. She’d have to get herself a dog.

  Shoot. She couldn’t. Why did she keep forgetting she was going overseas? How could she forget about the around-the-world trip looming ahead of her? She had plenty of money in the bank and an amazing a
dventure planned. What was the big deal about leaving home?

  She was almost thirty, for goodness’ sake.

  Leaving for Hawaii on Christmas Eve? First stop at a luxurious beachfront house on Niu Beach, ten miles out of Honolulu. Most people would give anything to be in the position she was. Why, then, was she less than enthusiastic? Wandering upstairs, Georgie pulled off her T-shirt and turned on the taps of the deep bath in the small bathroom. Once she sat down with Sienna and a glass of wine, she’d get some excitement happening about this trip. Maybe Sienna could meet her in Machu Picchu for their birthday like they’d talked about at their last birthday dinner. She needed to cheer herself up and stop mulling over what couldn’t be changed. Whatever had happened in the past had to stay there and now she must move on.

  Life goes on, no matter what is thrown at me. She had her health, great friends and family, a job that would be there when she came back from her trip, and enough money to have a good life, if she was careful. She’d gotten over the need to have a significant other in her life.

  So why do I feel so unsettled? Liam’s face flashed into her thoughts. She’d known the man less than a week, and it was time to push this unwelcome attraction aside.

  Ana’s bathroom was filled with an array of bath oils, soaps, and salts. Georgie chose a bottle of amber and musk salts, and let the powder trickle between her fingers into the steaming water, taking a deep breath as the Oriental fragrance filled the small room. She slipped her shorts and panties off and stepped into the water, sighing as the heat warmed her chilled skin. She lay in there for half an hour, deliberately pushing Liam from her mind, despite the number of times his sexy eyes filled her thoughts.

  Ice-blue eyes that stayed with you, filled with sadness and secrets.

  We are a fine pair.

  The water cooled and she climbed out of the bath and picked up one of the fluffy pink towels from the shelf beneath the window. Ana had an eye for pretty things and this bathroom was a lovely room. When she bought her own place—when she came home from overseas—she’d do something similar in her own bathroom. Georgie hummed and grinned to herself as she wrapped the soft towel around her.