For a second, silence hung between them. Then Liam blinked, before bursting into laughter, sharp and mocking. "Married? With me?" He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head like she'd just told the best joke of the year. "Sweetheart, I don't do contracts that last longer than a night. You think I'm going to put a ring on your finger just to play savior for Daisy?"
Her face paled, but she stayed rooted, clutching her cup tighter.
Liam's laughter died down, leaving behind a smirk that was colder, heavier. He leaned across the table, close enough for her to catch the dangerous edge in his voice. "No, Aurora. Marriage is off the table. Do you want my help?" His eyes flicked down, then back up with a deliberate slowness that made her pulse stutter. "You know exactly what I want."
Heat rushed to her face, not from embarrassment, but from the suffocating corner he'd pinned her into.
