Page 26 of Pressure Point

Focus dude, focus…

"Dresses first?” he offered.

A smile took over her face as she nodded, closing the door behind her. Glancing to his left, he found a chair and dragged it closer to the dressing room she was in, easing down into it. He figured this was a marathon, not a sprint, so he best get comfortable.

“What do you think?” she asked, suddenly appearing in front of him. The heavily sequined strapless dress came to about midthigh and was too big for her slight frame, judging not only by the gaping bust line but by the way she held her arms tightly against the bodice to keep it from slipping.

“You look uncomfortable,” he said, trying to find the nicest way possible to tell her that she looked ridiculous.

“It’s a little big,” she commented, squirming to keep it in place. “But I could have it taken in. It’s sexy, right?”

“What’s next in line?” he asked. He didn’t have a good way to answer her question and had learned over the years that honesty was not the best policy when shopping with women.

“How diplomatic of you,” she giggled, turning back into the dressing room. The door shut softly behind her, and Liam watched the dress hit the ground at her feet in the gap under the door. “I take it this is not your first shopping rodeo.”

“Nope.”

“Tell me about her?”

“Who?”

“Your ex,” Avery said, sticking just her head out of the door. “I feel like I’ve rambled on about myself, but you, sir, are kinda like a vault. Which is nice because I know that nothing I tell you will go anywhere, but it does make getting info out of you kinda tough.”

“There’s not much to tell.”

“You spent eight years with her, there’s got to be something.” She disappeared back into the dressing room, and Liam let out a sigh. Orla was not what he wanted to talk about right now—or ever—but if it helped put Avery at ease, then he would do whatever it took.

“Her name is Orla. And she was literally the girl next door. We were friends growing up, and then one night when we were sixteen she kissed me and told me she wanted me to be her boyfriend. And that was that,” he told her, trying to keep it simple. His gut still clenched thinking about her and everything that had changed after they’d broken up.

“That’s so sweet!” she said, sticking her head out again. “Can I ask why you broke up? Was it because you were coming to the Rising?”

“No, we broke up before that. We just kinda grew apart, I guess. She was my best friend, supported me through the academy and with the first team in Dundalk. Came to every game wearing my kit, even though she knew I was just the backup and wouldn’t be playing. One night, about a year ago, we were at a party to celebrate the engagement of one of my teammates, and I started to realize that I didn’t feel the same about Orla as O’Reilly did about his fiancée. Maybe an hour after I figured that out, she asked if we could go somewhere to talk. She told me that she just ‘wasn’t feeling it’ anymore—that she loved me, but that she wasn’t in love with me. I agreed, thinking she’d put into words what I was feeling. We decided to break up.”

“I’m so sorry. Even though it was mutual, it must have been tough.”

Sure, it was mutual…ish.

Liam shrugged. Tough didn’t even begin to describe it. But how did he say that without having to go into the whole big drama? It was one thing for Avery to think that they’d mutually broken up, but it was another for her to realize just what had happened after. How what it had really been was him coming in second all over again.

“She’s with someone new, and she’s happy. So I’m happy for her,” he said, hoping to leave it at that. Happy for her, right. At least that's what he was telling himself. He was getting there. Slowly. “Come out of there. Let me see.”

Avery hung her head slightly, stepping out of the dressing room. She looked beautiful in a lavender V-neck dress that went to just above her knees. The A-line shape fit her torso nicely, the chiffon skirt flaring out just a little. The cap sleeves that sat softly on her shoulders were almost hidden by her hair that was still hanging loosely, curled slightly at the end.

Looking up at him, Avery once again bit her bottom lip, and Liam felt his dick twitch. Each new nibble made him harder and harder, and if he wasn’t careful, it would be perfectly obvious to the whole world exactly what was running through his mind. He needed to find a way to get her to stop that habit of hers. Didn’t matter how cute it was, he was goner if she kept it up.

“Does it look okay?”

“It…it looks great,” he stumbled, unable to take his eyes off of her.

“I’m just not sure I have the boobs for it.”

Liam’s gaze immediately flew to her chest, trying not to stare. Her small breasts were completely hidden by the material of the dress, but it was clear by the cut that the intention was for a little bit of cleavage to be showing.

“Not to sound like a pervert, but I think your boobs look just fine,” he said, making a general gesture in their direction. Avery let out a giggle that Liam felt course through his entire body, making him want to scoop her up, just to get her to make that noise again. “Are you comfortable in it?”

“I like it. I think it goes in the maybe pile.”

“The maybe pile it is then.”