Malibu by Moonlight Read online

  "I'm not jealous," I said. "I don't even date customers, and even if I would, it wouldn't be you because you don't even live here, and… uuuhhhh. Never mind. You've got me all embarrassed now."

  I was blushing so hard that I put the back of my hand up to my cheeks to cool them off.

  "I'm coming to pick you up," Liam said confidently, leaving no room for argument. "I'll be there in thirty minutes."

  "Is your whole family coming with you?" I asked.

  "Probably, but you'll be fine. You'll like them. It'll be fun; I promise."

  Chapter 8

  I hung up the phone with Liam and went back into the workroom. Anthony and Benjamin both looked at me when I came in, but I just gave them a little smile and sat at my station.

  I had about twenty minutes of work to finish up on the coat I was stitching, but it only took me half that time because I was so full of nervous energy. My hands were trembling as I imagined a whole fleet of motorcycles coming down the Drive to pick me up. It was honestly hard for me to believe that I had agreed to go with him, and I went back and forth several times about calling him to say never mind.

  Liam said he would be there to pick me up in thirty minutes, but I went to the storefront to watch for him because I didn't want Drew or Colton to have to come to the back to get me once he arrived. Colton was another employee who had come in at 1pm for the afternoon shift and had also noticed my jeans, so I didn't want to give him or Drew the satisfaction of putting the pieces together before I had the chance to hop on the back of that motorcycle and make a run for it.

  I did some straightening near the windows in an effort to keep an eye out for the spectacle that would soon be coming down the road. I looked up when a sound of an engine and some movement near the window caught my eye. I saw one single, solitary motorcycle with a gorgeous hunk of a man sitting on it. I was transfixed as I watched Liam Kennedy take off his helmet, run his hand through his hair, and step off the motorcycle. He was smooth and polished and he moved like someone who had done the maneuver thousand times.

  The motorcycle itself was smaller than I imagined. I pictured him driving up on this big, huge, bulky thing with those side compartments, but the machine he rode up on was sleek and vintage looking with a round headlight and straight handlebars. I took a deep, hitching breath, finding it difficult to control my nerves.

  Liam was wearing light colored, distressed fitted jeans and a navy long sleeve, three-button T-shirt. He had the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and I couldn’t help but notice how fashionable he looked. I knew it was an outfit they had sent to him from the store next-door, and he looked like a male model wearing it.

  I was standing there staring at Liam when he caught sight of me. He didn't expect to see me, and his face lit up with a smile and he nudged his chin at me in greeting. He had on sunglasses, but he took them off as he made his way to the door. I had been so distracted by his appearance that it took me a second to remember that I wanted to meet him at the door. I walked in that direction as quickly as my feet would carry me.

  Colton gave me a curious glance as I passed him, but he didn't say anything. I was only a few feet from the door when Liam opened it and stepped inside. In my imaginings, his whole family was with him and I would see them coming a mile away and meet them out on the sidewalk. What happened in the real-life scenario, however, was different. Liam snuck up on me, and now there he was, standing in my store.

  "Hi," I said.

  He smiled. His curved mouth lifted at the corners, causing my breath to come in short shallow increments.

  "I like your clothes," I said.

  Stupid, stupid, that was the dumbest thing I could have possibly said.

  He smiled and looked down at his own shirt. "I do too," he said. "My luggage finally made it in yesterday, but I think I like the stuff you guys sent even better than my own stuff. You'll have to tell me who did that shopping so I can get them to ship stuff to Memphis."

  "I'm glad your luggage made it," I said.

  He nodded. "My cousin finally did, too. Wes. He was supposed to be here for the wedding, but his flight was delayed. He lives in London. I told him you used to live there, too."

  My stomach tied in knots when he said he told his cousin about me. The fact that he had been talking to his family about me stirred up all kinds of emotion. It was impossible to even pinpoint what the emotions were—expectation, fear, joy, dread.

  "Where is your family?" I asked, looking out the window.

  "They wanted to go for a drive down in Palos Verdes. By the time we make it down there, and it's all said and done, it'll probably take two or three hours. I told them I didn't know how much time you had. They said if you want to go, they'll wait at Redondo Beach, and we can meet them there. Otherwise, you and I can just do our own thing."

  "So, are they waiting to hear from us?"

  "Yeah, but no pressure. I told them you had a lot of work to do, and like I said, if we decide to head that way, it might take a few hours to get back."

  I was wearing a small gold watch and I glanced down at the time. I stared at the face of it, but I wasn't really even taking in what time it was. I hesitated to agree too quickly, but the fact of the matter was that I already knew I wanted to go with them. I honestly didn't care how long it took me to get back. Sure, I had a lot of stuff to do, but it was my store, and if I wanted to take a few hours of my day to ride on the motorcycle, I could do it.

  "I wouldn't mind going down to Palos Verdes," I said. "I've never done that drive, and I figured when you said you wanted to do something scenic you weren't talking about just taking me up the street and back."

  He glanced around the store and smiled at me. "You mean I can have you for a few hours?" he asked.

  I shrugged as I took a step closer to him. "I got a ton of work done yesterday."

  Liam looked me over as I approached him. He shook his head almost imperceptibly. I could tell he was thinking something.

  "What?" I asked.

  "I don't know. I'm just happy you're coming. You must be the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth." He spoke quietly, but I still glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one had heard him.

  "They can't hear me," he said. "And why do you have so many men working here?"

  "Because this is a man's business," I said speaking quietly. "Most men wonder why there's a woman working here."

  "How many employees do you have?"

  "Twelve counting me, so eleven I guess. I'm looking at adding a few more before the end of the year. Three of us are women, though, and that's quite a lot compared to the shops in London or Hong Kong."

  "Mister Slick over there seems pretty curious about what you're up to."

  Liam didn't look directly at Colton, but I knew that's who he was referring to because Colton had long hair on top that he always wore slicked back with hair product.

  I smiled. "They're just not used to me talking to someone like this… I mean, I talk to customers and everything, but they're not quite used to seeing me be, uh, this familiar, I guess. Plus, they're already thrown off by me wearing jeans."

  "Are those jeans?" Liam asked, glancing at my legs and tilting his head as if trying to see if my pants were actually denim or not.

  I couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Yes," I said.

  "Well, they're amazing. You're amazing. You're seriously breathtaking, Taylor. That jacket's the same color as your eyes and it's making me feel like I'm hypnotized or something. You are a mesmerizing woman to look at."

  It was funny to me that he said that because I thought he was mesmerizing. His wide, curved mouth and amber colored eyes just begged to be stared at. I had to check myself to keep from gawking at him.

  "Do you need to call your family?" I asked.

  "Yes, I do actually. I'll text my dad and tell him to wait for us. They're on the road, so he won't answer back. You and I can just head in that direction, and he'll text me back telling me where to meet them."

  "That soun
ds good," I said. "I wasn't sure how long we would be, so I'm going to run into the back and talk to Anthony about closing up."

  He smiled. "Great. I'll meet you outside."

  Liam and I went in opposite directions—he headed out the front door while I turned and made my way toward the back room. Colton was so curious that he followed me.

  "I'm taking off," I said.

  "I thought you already did," Anthony said, looking up from his work.

  "I haven't left yet. I didn't know how long I'd be gone, but I just talked to Liam, and I don't think I'll make it back before we close. I might not even come back tonight at all. I might just come back to get my car."

  "Okay, we'll make sure everything is closed up," Anthony said. I knew he wanted more details, but he didn't ask.

  I gave him a nod. "Thank you. I'm almost done with that Miller order if you don't mind checking the buttons for me."

  "Not at all," Anthony said.

  I turned and headed out of the workroom. Colton was standing there, and it was obvious that he, too, wanted to ask thousand questions about what was going on, but he held his tongue.

  "Thanks," I said as I passed him.

  "Sure," he said. "Have fun."

  I smiled as I left the room.

  Liam was already sitting on the bike by the time I made my way outside. He gave me a helmet and explained the basics of being a motorcycle passenger. I held onto him, and for the first twenty minutes of our drive, I felt like I was in a dream. The wind was whipping against my face and I felt totally exposed to the elements and to the glances from people who were sitting in cars or standing on sidewalks. I was completely flustered for the first little while and had no opportunity to take in or appreciate the fact that my arms were wrapped around Liam Kennedy's torso.

  I had touched him before. I knew his exact measurements, and I knew, from an artist's perspective, the shapes and curves of his body. It was another thing, however, to have my arms wrapped around him on a continual basis.

  We were somewhere near Inglewood when I gained awareness of this. Somehow, my mindset shifted. Somehow, I went from being worried about making sure I was a good passenger to being aware that my arms and legs were touching Liam's body. It was far easier when I was thinking about being a respectable passenger, and I wished like crazy that I could go back to that.

  Now that my body had become aware of Liam's presence next to me, I started to notice the curves and the feel of his muscles, and I felt breathless and overwhelmed. I took deep, calming breaths as we drove, reminding myself that he was just a guy, and this was just a ride, and none of this would ever amount to anything.

  I had been working relentlessly for the past decade to build my brand, and there was no way I could let myself become distracted with some little fling with Courtney's cousin-in-law.

  I had countless conflicting thoughts as we drove. Some of the time, I was able to calm my mind and appreciate the drive for what it was, but mostly, my thoughts ran wild, turning back to Liam and the sensations he caused in my body.

  I had never been so overwhelmed by a man before, and I honestly didn't know whether it was just because I was in a vulnerable place emotionally or if Liam Kennedy was destined to affect me this way.

  He pulled to the side of the road as we approached Redondo Beach, and he got off the motorcycle helping me off as well. He looked at his phone for a second before pressing the numbers to make a call. He held the phone to his ear and spoke with whoever was on the other end about a meeting place. They must have given him an address because he hung up his phone and proceeded to search a map.

  "They're just five minutes up the road," he said smiling at me. "They stopped at an ice cream shop."

  I smiled, but it must've been laced with nerves because he reached out to take my hand.

  "Everyone is super nice," he said. "You'll like them I promise." He only touched my hand as a reassuring gesture, so I think it surprised him when I held him back.

  "I got this," I said, trying to pump myself up while still holding onto him.

  He grinned and used the open door of physical contact to pull me into a reassuring embrace. His big arms wrapped around me gently, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief as I hugged him back. His touch was innocent and only meant to boost my confidence, but it caused undeniable urges inside me.

  "You've totally got this," he said. "You're gonna love it."

  Chapter 9

  I had no idea where we were headed and was surprised when Liam pulled into a strip mall. The ice cream shop was called Craigers, and I had never seen or heard of it before. There was a long row of motorcycles parked out front, and I got extremely nervous again, wondering why in the world I had gotten myself into such a situation when I could have stayed at my comfy workstation sewing coats and trousers.

  Liam must have been able to sense my hesitation as I got off the bike and handed him my helmet because he smiled and said, "It's all good, I promise." He said it quietly because there was a group of people sitting outside on the benches that lined the front of the store.

  He turned and smiled at the people who were sitting there. "I thought you guys were eating ice cream," he said.

  "We already ate," one guy said with a smile. He stood and reached out to shake my hand as I approached.

  "I'm Owen," he said. "And this is my girlfriend, Darcy." There was a girl next to him, and she stood to greet me as well.

  "Owen is Daniel's brother," Liam explained. "And this is Daniel's other brother, Wes, and their sister, Ivy."

  Everyone stood and shook my hand. They were a nice looking family, and I remembered noticing most of them at the wedding a couple of days earlier.

  "Liam said you used to live in London," Wes said when it was our turn to greet each other.

  "I did," I said with a smile. "Are you the one who lives there now?"

  "I am," Wes said.

  "He's going to the university," Ivy said. She made the statement in a thick but terrible British accent that made us all laugh.

  "How long did you live there?" Wes asked.

  "Six years."

  Wes smiled and nodded. "Did you go for school?"

  I shook my head. "Just work," I said.

  "Liam said you worked on Savile Row."

  "I did."

  "Fancy," Wes said, lifting his eyebrows.

  I smiled. "Super fancy," I agreed.

  "You should see her shop," Liam said.

  Jesse was in the process of coming out of the ice cream shop along with a whole group of other people, and he heard Liam make this statement. He could see us through the windows so he was already smiling at me before they even opened the door.

  "Whose shop?" Jesse asked, "Taylor's?"

  "Yes sir," Liam said.

  "Oh, man, is it nice!" Jesse said.

  One of the young women in the group came up behind Liam and hugged him by the waist, latching onto his side. "Close your eyes," she said, hanging onto him like a monkey.

  "I'm scared," Liam said.

  "Just do it," she said.

  Liam closed his eyes somewhat reluctantly.

  I watched as the young woman reached into a box that one of the other women was holding and pulled out what looked like a small piece of fudge. She winked at me as she held it in her hand, poised to feed to Liam.

  "Now open your mouth," she said.

  "I don't want any ice cream," Liam said, cringing a little.

  "It's not," someone else said, causing Liam to trust the first person and open his mouth. She popped the bite into his mouth, and he opened his eyes as he began to chew. "That's good. What is that? Fudge?"

  "Yep," the girl said proudly.

  "They have like a million different kinds in there," Ivy said.

  "Maybe twenty," one of the older women corrected.

  Liam looked around the group as if scavenging for another bite, and one of the women held out a box. He reached in, grabbing a larger piece than the one he had before and popped it into his mouth.<
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  "This is my mom and dad," he said around a mouth full of fudge as he pointed at one of the middle-aged couples. "You want a piece?" he added, focusing on me.

  I instantly shook my head.

  "I'm Shelby," said the girl who had been hanging on Liam.

  I could have guessed as much because her extreme familiarity made it obvious that she was his sister.

  "My grandparents," Liam continued, pointing at the older couple who were standing on the side. "Michael and Ivy."

  "I'm a big fan of your music, Mrs. Bishop," I said, smiling at his grandmother.

  Liam glanced at me like he was surprised I said that. I hadn't even told him I knew his grandmother was a singer, much less that I had listened to her music some over the years.

  "Thank you so much, sweetie," Ivy said, stepping forward to hug me. Apparently, these women were huggers because, right when she was finished, the woman Liam had indicated was his mother stepped forward and did the same thing.

  "I'm Jane," she said. "Thank you so much for taking care of Liam and Jesse for the wedding. Those suits were really nice."

  "It was my pleasure," I said. "Is Jesse your brother?" I asked, trying to put everything together.

  "Twins," Jane said with a smile. "I know I look a lot younger but…" she trailed off, teasing her brother who made a face and pinched her. "Did you want to get anything before we go?" Jane asked.

  Liam glanced at me with an expression that said he didn't want anything but he was happy to go inside if I did. I shook my head. I was way too nervous to even think about eating. Seeing that neither Liam nor I cared to go inside, the family began making their way toward the parked motorcycles.

  There were eight motorcycles in total—three of them were single passenger and five were double. I was with Liam, Darcy was with Owen, Jane was with Gray, Ivy was with Michael, and Rose was with Jesse. I couldn't help but notice that Liam's sister, Shelby, and the young Ivy were both riding on their own bike, which I thought was really cool and tough of them. Wes had his own bike too, but I wasn't quite as impressed by that since I saw guys riding motorcycles all the time.