Page 42 of Landing Liam

That one makes me laugh outright. “Maggie,” I say, my voice dropping just a fraction, “if you think I can stop flirting with you, you might be giving me too much credit.”

Her eyes narrow, and I swear, even when she’s glaring at me, she’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.

“Fine,” she huffs. “Then I’ll ignore it. Completely.”

I push off the doorframe and swipe the key card, the lock beeping softly as I hold the door open for her. “You do what you’ve gotta do, Maggie,” I say, stepping aside so she can walk in first. “But for the record, I’m not great at following rules.”

She gives me a pointed look as she brushes past, her shoulder barely grazing mine. “We’ll see about that, Thompson.”

I chuckle under my breath, watching as she surveys the room, her head held high despite the tension between us. If this is how she wants to play it, I’m all in.

This is going to be fun.

"Can I ask you a question?" I say, breaking the silence as Maggie drops her coat onto the plush, king-sized bed.

She pauses, smoothing the fabric out of habit, before exhaling. "Sure."

"Why didn’t you fight me harder?" I lean against the dresser, hands shoved deep into the pockets of my jeans, trying to read her expression.

She turns to face me, her brows furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I begin to explain, "you didn’t protest as much as I thought you would. You could’ve refused the room. Told me to go to hell. Something."

Maggie crosses her arms over her chest, a defensive gesture, but there’s something vulnerable about the way her shoulders lift. Her eyes search mine for a beat before she answers much quieter than I expect. "I don’t know, Liam. Maybe… maybe being with you, stuck in a room in the middle of a blizzard, isn’t the worst thing in the world."

Her honesty catches me off guard, and for a moment, I just stare at her, stunned. The way the soft lighting reflects in her eyes makes my chest tighten, and I realize just how much I’ve wanted to hear her say something like that.

"Well," I say, trying to keep the mood light even as my pulse kicks up a notch, "that’s probably the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me."

She lets out a soft laugh, the kind that makes her nose crinkle just slightly, and I swear it’s the best sound I’ve ever heard. "Don’t get used to it. It’s the blizzard talking."

"Sure it is," I reply, my smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth.

She rolls her eyes, turning toward the window, her arms still wrapped tightly around herself. Snow is coming down hard, a swirling curtain of white against the glass.

"Do you think it’ll let up by morning?" she asks, wistful.

"Maybe," I say, watching her. But I’m not thinking about the snow. All I can think about is how she’s here, in this room, with me. And how I’m somehow going to convince her that being stuck with me is exactly where she’s supposed to be.

“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Maggie says with a yawn, rubbing her arms. “I’m freezing.”

“I’ll see if they can send something warm up for you to sleep in,” I reply, already reaching for the room phone.

She stops mid-step and chuckles, the sound laced with disbelief. “Okay, Thompson.”

“What?” I ask, grinning as she zips past me toward the bathroom. “I’m being a gentleman here.”

Maggie pauses at the bathroom door, her hand resting on the handle. She glances over her shoulder, her lips tugged into a sly smile. “Was this your plan all along? To get me undressed?”

I lean against the edge of the desk, crossing my arms, and lift an eyebrow. “I’m not going to lie to you, Cooper. The thought of you naked has crossed my mind a time or two.”

Her laugh is sudden, bright, and genuine. “You’re unbelievable.”

“You asked,” I shoot back, enjoying the flush that creeps up her neck.

“Right.” Maggie bites her lip, pretending to consider something. “But tell me, Liam, is this how you usually get women out of their clothes? Blizzards and fancy lodges?”

I feign offense, placing a hand over my heart. “Are you suggesting I orchestrated a snowstorm just to get you in this room with me?”