Page 65 of Holiday Home 3
“A few,” the beautiful brunette agreed. “The distance, for one.”
Liam nodded. “I was planning to drive back on more weekends than not. But…”
“But it’ll be hard for you to visit me,” Tess finished. “Here, at least. Given how often your parents are away, it’ll certainly seem odd if you’re driving hours every weekend just to sleep alone in your home during the semester.”
Unfortunately, Liam had no recourse but to nod a second time.
“However, visiting your girlfriend on the weekends would attract far less attention from our neighbors,” Tess followed up.
“Anna?”
“Unless you have another woman in mind,” Tess said, smiling. “And well, while it may be challenging for you to show up on my doorstep during the semester, we’ll still have opportunities to meet elsewhere. I’ve started… scoping out a few locations I think could work for our… rendezvouses.”
“Rendezvouses,” Liam repeated, rather liking the way the word sounded rolling off his tongue. He liked it almost as much as when she’d said it.
And he utterly adored what it meant. Things weren’t going to end between them come January. No, instead, Tess was making plans for the months ahead.
“That’s right,” Tess whispered, blushing slightly. “There’ll be some simple places, like movie theaters and restaurants, but we could also meet up in other moresecludedplaces.”
Her breath was warm as she leaned in, the hopeful and excited look in her eyes practically hypnotizing him. He swallowed dryly and nodded.
“There’s spring break and some other holidays too,” he croaked, heart punishing his ribs as it rampaged joyously.
“Yes, there is,” Tess whispered, staring at his lips in much the same way as Anna had earlier. “I’m excited for the first time we can go jogging together. I hope you’ll have built up the stamina for it.”
“I will,” Liam swore, guiding his lips toward hers.
Tess smiled as their mouths drifted just centimeters apart. “Good. Very, very… good.”
As the gap between their lips began to vanish entirely, an unwelcome chirp interrupted them from forgetting all about watching a movie. If not for its continuing call, he would have had her on his lap within minutes. Then, it would have been only a matter of time before they discarded their clothes and participated in another act that movies typically didn’t show. The lust rippling through him was volcanic, and the delay forced upon him was nearly catastrophic.
Tess’s gaze hurried toward the sound emanating from her coffee table. A phone call had sent her phone into a shuddering fit, and a familiar image—quite the beautiful image, just ill-timed in its appearance—and name appeared on its screen.
“Victoria,” Tess sighed, reaching for her phone. Yet, as her fingertips met the glossy edge of her smartphone, her eyes spread wide.
“Shit.Victoria.”
“What is it?” Liam asked, absorbing a morsel of the panic flowing off her body.
“It’s Thursday, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“It’sourmovie night,” she said, finally scooping up her phone. “Victoria and mine, I mean.”
“Oh.”
He didn’t have time to say anything else. After pausingtheirmovie, Tess accepted Victoria’s call with a tap of her finger and brought her phone to her ear.
“Hi, Victoria,” she said, smiling through the pain.
Because she’d put her phone against the ear furthest away from him, Liam couldn’t hear more than a mumble of what Victoria said. However, he knew he might not share it with her for much longer, which was a crying shame.
“No, I hadn’t decided what we’re going to watch today. If I’m being honest, I’d forgotten it was my week to choose.”
Throwing the blanket off her lap, Tess picked up the remote as she stood. AsThe Princess Brideblinked off, Liam commiserated with the movie. Its climax wasn’t the only one that had been canceled.
“Yes, I’m looking now,” Tess said, opening her Netflix app and beginning to scroll through its options so there wouldn’t be any need for deliberation once Victoria arrived.