Once I’d come to that conclusion, peace with the situation had settled within me. It had also given me freedom to admit that maybe, just maybe, one of the reasons that the cheatingrumor had stung so much was that Ihadalways fancied Liora. Not that I had ever planned to do anything about it. I wasn’t one to cross lines. But since it was impossible for me to lie now, even to myself, I had to admit that I’d always been very attracted to Liora.
She was just so wildly different from anyone else that I knew. She’d been endlessly optimistic—a stark contrast to Avery who was measured and pragmatic—cheerful and bubbly, where Avery had been regimented and ruled by schedules. Sure, Liora had been chaotic, but she had also been a lot of fun to be around.
Maybe, even though nothing had ever happened between Liora and me, Avery had picked up on an undercurrent that I hadn’t even realized was there at the time. It would certainly explain her anger, as well as how quickly she latched onto the idea and gave me no room to defend myself.
Seeing her again had solidified what I’d always thought—Liora was mouthwateringly beautiful—and she’d always been a unique and vibrant person who had interested me.
I watched, now, as Liora curled into herself, her teeth digging into that sexy lower lip of hers, her eyes wide and dreamy as she got lost in whatever she was thinking about in the moment. She did that, I noticed, drifted away on some thought or another. I didn’t mind, as it gave me time to observe her beautiful face freely, and it was always fun to see her reanimate when she realized that she’d floated away from the conversation.
“What’s your sign, Torin?”
This time, it was me who had to be pulled back into the conversation. Smiling, I brought her over her glass of wine and slid into the chair across from her. Her hair was plaited back from her head, and I missed it being all messy and loose around her shoulders.
“I’m a Taurus.”
“That’s right, I remember now,” Liora murmured, a pleased expression flooding her face. “What’s your rising sign?”
The only thing rising on me was something that wasn’t polite to bring up in conversation, but I couldn’t help my body’s response to that kissable mouth of hers.
“You can’t possibly expect me to know that,” I said, laughing, and she laughed along with me.
“No, I don’t suppose you would. If you could just give me your birth date, where you were born and time?—”
“Liora. Tell me what happened today.” I nudged the glass of wine across the table at her.
“Och, right. I mean, it wasn’t a bad day necessarily. It was just a day. But abigday. A momentous day. I think. It’s hard to say. It’s just that…” She trailed off as I grinned at her. “What?”
“I’d just forgotten how fun it was to listen to you talk.”
“Fun? Most people find me exasperating.” Liora twisted a silver ring at her thumb, and I wanted to take that sad look off her face.
“I find you fascinating. And incredibly sexy.”
Surprise flooded her face followed by that soft wash of pleasure that I desperately wanted to see on her face again. In my bed, preferably.
Was I moving too fast? Maybe. It wasn’t entirely in my nature to be this resolved in moving forward with dating someone, particularly someone new. But Liora was old-new. I knew her, I liked her, and I was happy to see her again. I hadn’t been lonely per se, but her arrival felt timely.She fits this place.She was familiar, but at the same time, I still had so many layers to peel back. Either way, she was the most interesting thing that had happened to me in ages, and I had to admit, if even just to myself, I was captivated.
“Um, thank you.” Liora took a gulp of her wine, and I was happy to see she wasn’t entirely unaffected by me.
“So… your day?” I smiled when she faltered, and realized she’d been looking at my hand where I’d been absently tracing a finger up and down my pint glass. Picking it up, I took a sip, just to calm myself down and stay focused.
“Well, the good news is… I got a job! I’ll be waitressing at The Tipsy Thistle.” Liora beamed at me, but I furrowed my brow, as confusion filled me.
“But I thought you were an astrologer. Or is that not what you’re doing anymore?”
“I mean, I am. But also I’m not. I mean, I was, professionally. But that’s not…it’s just…” Liora waved a hand in the air and then went back to twisting the ring at her thumb. “I ran into some issues there. So I’m just…taking a break. For a bit. And Graham was great. He said I can help on weekends and that should be at least enough for me to make rent.”
“Wait, you’re worried about making rent?” I tapped a finger on the table. I was feeling all sorts of sensations at the moment, not the most of which was annoyance that she’d be working with Graham regularly. Not that Graham wasn’t a nice lad, it was just that most women fell head over heels for him. Secondly, I was confused. I’d named a fairly low price for rent, one which most people shouldn’t struggle making. If it was such a problem, I’d be happy to get rid of it altogether. It was just a cover, really, for me to help my mum out.
“I mean, of course, I am. I have to pay the bills somehow.”
“Liora, I don’t want to put you in a tough spot. I’m happy to cover the rent.”
“That’s ridiculous, Torin.” Liora’s mouth gaped open in shock. “You barely know me. You can’t have me just move in for free and live off you.”
“But you’re my girlfriend, right? It’s weird to make your girlfriend pay rent.”
“I’m not… it’s not. First of all, no, it’s not. Plenty of people split finances with their partners. As a feminist, I take offense that you’d think you’d need to provide for me when I can provide for myself perfectly fine, thank you very much. And secondly, I don’t need your charity.”