Chapter 4
After the dinner, Liam was visibly drunk.
He slumped in the back seat, tugged at his tie, his gaze hazy.
I helped him home, and as soon as we walked in, he pressed me up against the wall in the foyer.
"Isabel," he murmured my name, his hot breath washing over my neck.
He nuzzled into the hollow of my neck like an oversized puppy, snuggling up to me again and again.
"Liam, you're drunk. Let me go," I protested, shoving at his chest.
Beneath my hands, his muscles were rock hard, his heart pounding wildly.
"I'm not drunk," he insisted, lifting his head, his eyes blazing. "I kept thinking that if the car crash never happened, would we already be married?"
I felt a wave of unease and couldn't meet his eyes.
"W-we'll be married soon," I replied awkwardly.
Suddenly, he swept me up into his arms and strode toward the bedroom.
"No, I can't wait any longer," he said, his voice low and urgent.
My heart skipped a beat. "Liam, what are you doing? You haven't even gotten your memories back yet."
He tossed me onto the soft bed and leaned over me.
With one hand, he unbuttoned his shirt, showing off his chiseled chest.
His eight-pack abs were perfectly sculpted, and that Adonis belt vanished beneath his pants.
I couldn't help but stare, practically drooling.
"Isabel, I think I remembered something," he murmured.
I was startled. "What did you remember?" I asked.
He curled his lips into a wicked grin. "I remembered how you used to beg me to go faster when we were in bed."
I was stunned.
Liam was just making stuff up. Like I'd ever say something like that.
Before I could protest, his kisses rained down on me, possessive and punishing.
He had me melting under his touch, and when I thought we were about to go all the way tonight, he suddenly stopped.
He crushed me in his arms, his ragged breaths hot against my ear.
"No, we're not officially married yet," he said, his voice husky with restraint. "I want to make sure you get the wedding you deserve."
He let go of me and rushed off to the bathroom for a cold shower.
Lying on the bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling, my mind wandering.
Liam, were you really amnesiac, or were you playing me for a fool?
*****
The next few days, I was on edge, constantly on guard.
Even though Liam didn't actually go all the way that night, he was getting clingier and flirtier by the day.
He was constantly sneaking up behind me to wrap his arms around me, or stealing kisses while I was cooking.
I felt like his tenderness was going to be the death of me, the "liar" in this relationship.
One day, Casey asked me to go shopping with her.
Before I left, Liam came out of the study.
He was wearing a set of gray loungewear, looking more gentle and approachable than usual, but that possessive spark in his eyes was still impossible to hide.
"Where are you going?" he asked, coming over and gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"I'm going shopping with Casey," I replied honestly.
Liam frowned slightly. "Is it a guy or a girl?"
I rolled my eyes. "A girl. She's my best friend. You've met her before."
Liam finally let out a breath, then pulled out his black unlimited card and handed it to me.
"Go wild. The PIN's your birthday," he said.
I took the card, and the familiar guilt twisted in my gut again.
Wait, the PIN was my birthday?
How did I never realize he used my birthday as his PIN?
Did he always have feelings for me?
Pushing all those crazy thoughts aside, I headed to the mall to meet up with Casey.
The moment Casey saw me, she grabbed my arm and dragged me straight into a lingerie store.
"Isabel, check out this set! It's black lace. Liam will totally lose his mind over it," she said, holding up a barely-there piece.
I stared at those barely-there pieces, my face flushing bright red.
"No way. It's way too wild," I protested.
"Come on, you're his 'girlfriend' now. Gotta spice things up a little," Casey teased with a mischievous grin. "Besides, didn't you say he's been super sweet lately? Why not see if he's really got amnesia or just faking it?"
Casey totally talked me into it.
Liam had been acting super strange lately.
He claimed he had lost his memory, but from the way he acted and those looks he gave me, there was no way he had completely forgotten everything.
I bought the sexy lingerie set, and while I was at it, picked up a few super revealing nightgowns too.
When I got home from shopping, Liam had already made dinner.
He was sitting at the table, waiting for me to get home. He'd also made my favorite barbecue ribs for me.
"You're back?" he said, getting up and taking the shopping bags from me.
I awkwardly reached for the bags, feeling guilty. "Seriously, I've got it."
But he was way too quick, already peeking inside.
Liam froze.
He pulled out the black lace lingerie, his gaze went dark and impossible to read.