CHAPTER 113: UNAPOLOGETICALLY DIRECT

"Three cars are waiting for us. I forgot to cancel the one for Oliver. What should we do with it?" Liam asked Nick as the plane’s wheels kissed the tarmac.

"Have it take Ella home. I’ll drive Georgia and Katie," Nick replied without looking up from unbuckling his belt.

"I’ll have all three drivers ride that back then," Liam said casually, his eyes flicking toward Ella. "I’ll take Ella home myself."

The words made every head turn.

"Y-You’ll drive me home?" Ella asked in disbelief.

Nick and Georgia exchanged a knowing glance, twin smirks tugging at their lips.

"Yeah. Unless you’re not comfortable," Liam said, his tone smooth but calculated. "If you’d rather, one of the drivers can take you. No pressure."

Ella caught the trap instantly. An absolutely no-escape offer designed to make her feel guilty if she declined.

"I was just thinking you might be too tired," she said, her voice calm but edged with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "But if you insist, I don’t mind."

Her lips curved in a mockingly sweet smile, one Georgia didn’t miss. ’Right back at you, Liam. Taste your own medicine.’

"I do insist," Liam said, his gaze lingering on her a heartbeat too long before he stood to leave.

Nick followed, leaving Georgia alone with her best friend long enough to pounce.

"Alright, gorgeous, spill it," Georgia teased, wiggling her brows. "What’s going on with you two?"

Ella rolled her eyes, but the shy smile betrayed her. "Nothing. He’s just being... nice. And if there was something, you’d be the first to know."

She leaned in slightly and narrowed her gaze at Georgia. "Speaking of which, you still owe me your story. We haven’t talked about what happened between you and Nick on the island. I’ll let you rest today, but tomorrow..." her lips quirked, "I’m getting every detail."

Georgia chuckled, but the faint heat in her cheeks didn’t go unnoticed.

Georgia took Katie’s small hand, her smile soft. "Come on, sweetie. I’m sure you miss your room."

"I do," Katie admitted, her little voice sweet yet wistful. "But I love staying with Nanna Wendy’s family too. I have playmates there... at home, there’s no one to play with." Her pout made Georgia’s heart squeeze.

Ella heard it and would not let the opportunity slip by to tease her best friend. She leaned in with a teasing glint in her eyes. "You want playmates? You should ask your Aunt Georgia and Uncle Nick for one... maybe two."

Wendy laughed warmly, but Georgia gasped. "Ella!" she protested, a blush already creeping up her cheeks.

"I agree with her, dear," Wendy chimed in, her voice carrying that no-nonsense affection only she could pull off. "You’re not getting any younger. And that goes for both of you," she added with a pointed look at Georgia and Ella.

"I heard my name," Nick’s deep voice slid into the moment as he stepped forward, extending a steady hand toward Katie. "The stairs are steep. I should carry her down."

"You should," Ella said without missing a beat. "And she wants a playmate. I told her to ask you and Georgia for one... or two."

Nick’s mouth curved into a slow, knowing smirk as his gaze locked with Georgia’s. "Sure. I could make it three... maybe more, if that’s what Katie wants."

"Stop, you two!" Georgia’s voice wavered, her blush deepening as her pulse quickened. "Let’s just go home."

"Right," Ella said, her grin wicked. "You should... and fulfill Katie’s wish."

Wendy chuckled, Nick’s low laugh rumbling in agreement, and for a fleeting second, Georgia wondered if the heat in her cheeks would ever fade. They stepped off the plane together, but both Georgia and Nick’s minds were already filled with images that only the two of them could do.

As planned, Ella made her way toward Liam, who was leaning casually against a sleek white SUV, speaking with the three drivers. His commanding presence was impossible to miss—broad shoulders relaxed, yet there was an unmistakable edge in the way he carried himself.

The moment he spotted her, Liam dismissed the drivers with a curt nod, his gaze never leaving her.

"Let’s go?" His tone was casual, but there was something in his eyes, something unreadable, that made Ella’s pulse skip. She simply nodded.

She reached for the handle, but before her fingers could touch the metal, Liam’s hand intercepted, opening the door for her. The gesture, unexpected from someone like him, made her falter.

For a split second, she just stared, caught off guard by the faint brush of his arm as he stepped aside. "T-Thank you," she murmured before sliding in, trying to steady herself.

He settled into the driver’s seat beside her, his scent, fresh, dark, and disarming, filling the enclosed space. Without preamble, he handed her his phone. "Type in your address."

She complied, fingers tapping into the GPS before returning it to him.

"What’s your number?" His question came low and direct, like an order.

Ella blinked, unsure if she’d heard him right. "My... number?"

"Yes." A flicker of impatience crossed his face before he added, "Vicky wouldn’t give it to me. She said I should ask you myself."

"Oh... okay." Her voice was softer than she intended as she rattled off the digits. His lips quirked... not quite a smile... as he started the engine.

The SUV rolled forward, and Ella looked out the window, but she could feel him there, solid, magnetic, every heartbeat pulling her attention back to him.

When they pulled up to Ella’s house, she noticed the way Liam’s eyes swept over every detail...

Her garden, the fence, even the ivy climbing up her porch railing. His gaze was sharp, assessing, but there was also a glint of curiosity there that made her chest tighten.

"D-Do you want to come in for some tea?" she asked, her voice a little tentative. "I make my own from my garden. I could even pack some for you to take home."

He didn’t hesitate. A single nod, and he was already out of the car in one fluid movement.

’Wow... that was fast,’ she thought, watching as he strode around to her side. Before she could even reach for the handle, he opened the door for her.

"Are you always a gentleman?" she teased, arching a brow.

He smirked. "No. Only when I want to be." Then, without missing a beat, he gestured toward the back of her property. "What’s that behind your house?"

"My greenhouse. Part of my business," she replied, stepping toward her front door with keys in hand.

"Show it to me," he said—not quite a request, more like a quiet command.

She turned to him, half amused, half baffled. "You... want to see my plants?" For a man who ran a sprawling logistics empire, his sudden interest in her small nursery was unexpected, almost surreal.

Liam nodded. "Yup!"

"Come in first," she said, unlocking the door. "I’ll make the tea, then I’ll give you a tour."

After pouring water and setting the timer of the electric airpot, she motioned for him to follow. He moved through her home like he belonged there, as she led him out back towards the greenhouse.

To her surprise, Liam listened intently, asking questions as though every plant and pot genuinely fascinated him.

"You live here alone?" he asked casually, but his eyes held hers.

"Yes," she said, brushing her fingers along a stem. "I moved out after buying this place. I asked my parents to move in, but their home is closer to my siblings’ school, so it’s more convenient for them there."

"I see..." His gaze lingered, unreadable. Then, with the same calmness someone might use to comment on the weather, he asked, "Are you dating anyone? Or do you have a boyfriend?"

Her mind stalled. "Uhm... no. Neither. Why?" she responded with a frown.

"Because I’m interested in you."

As smooth as that...

"And I want to take you out. If you’re not seeing anyone, I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Seven p.m. Wear a dress. We’ll have dinner somewhere... nice."

It was so swift, so unapologetically direct, that Ella froze. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She could only stare at him with her jaw dropped almost to the ground.

’Oh. My. God...’ was the only thing in her mind.

*******

Thank you for the Golden Tickets! XOXO

Carlenem

KATHLEEN_COLL