And the real reason he was about to lose it? All of this was keeping him from Harper.
If he could go back in time to last year when Isaac and Hunter had asked him to help out in writing the song, he would’ve said no if it meant he could be anywhere besides the middle of the fucking swamp in that moment.
So yeah, his patience was almost non-existent.
Maybe it was the fact that his shirt was sticking to him, the sweat trickling down his back. Or that the smothering heat was suffocating him. Or it could be that Miguel, the director of the video, had shot the scene with Kiki running her hand up Liam’s thigh while they sat on the back of a boat on the bayou three times already.
It could also quite possibly be because the guy wanted another take.
This scene was a compromise to what they’d originally wanted, which was Kiki straddling Liam’s lap as she leaned down for a kiss.
He’d flat out refused, having a pretty heated conversation with Gary that they were going to have to figure something else out. And even with the edits to the video, Liam was in no way happy.
While all he wanted to do was go take a shower and wash off the feel of her hands on his body, Kiki was enjoying every moment of it.
“Like this?” she asked, moving closer and pressing her chest against Liam’s arm. She turned her head, her voice dropping low as she looked over at Miguel, whose eyes were focused on Kiki’s legs that had been covered in baby oil.
Why that was necessary when they were both already sweating in the heat, he had no idea.
“Yeah. Just like that, sweetheart.” Miguel winked. “And roll.”
Kiki turned back to Liam, her eyes looking up at him as she batted her lashes. “You want this, baby. You want me,” she murmured. “You need to admit it to yourself.”
Liam pulled away from her, the need to distance himself too much to not listen to.
“Cut.” The exasperation in Miguel’s voice apparent. “We need to do that again.”
“I need a break.” Liam stood, not even turning back as he jumped off the boat to the shore and headed to the trailer that had been set up for him.
The second he stepped inside he was enveloped with the cool air from the air conditioner. He went to the mini-fridge in the corner and grabbed a bottle of water, downing it in seconds.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he pulled the bottle away. His eyes caught on his phone that was sitting on the table and he reached for it automatically, pressing the Home button. Harper had texted him earlier that morning and he unlocked the screen, pulling up their full conversation.
Painting my toes pink this morning while I can still bend this way.
Attached was a picture of her sitting on the bathroom sink, wearing short-striped pajama bottoms and one of his Jacksonville Stampede T-shirts that he’d left at her apartment. She was looking up at the camera, her hair thrown up in a messy bun as she blew him a kiss.
God he missed her. And the need to be with her was overwhelming. “Forever” was going to be released next week, but the promo for it had already started. He’d done more than a few interviews about it in the last couple of days.
And he wanted to tell Harper about it face to face. Which was why the delay in getting to her was killing him.
He needed to finish this video now. Get it over and done with and be on his way. He put his phone back on the table, grabbing another bottle of water before he headed outside. As he rounded the half a dozen trailers that had been grouped together he came up short when he overheard his name.
“Liam is fine, Miguel. I just want to make sure that I look good for this,” Kiki said sweetly. “This video is a big deal for me and I need you to get all of my best angles.”
“Sweetheart, I got all of your best angles. Believe me. You look good in everything that I’ve shot.”
Liam moved just enough to peek around the side and catch a glimpse of the pair. Kiki was running her hand up Miguel’s chest as she looked up into his eyes. “Just a few more takes.” She stretched up and kissed Miguel’s jaw. “I promise I will make it worth your while.”
“The label is already starting to ask questions with the delay, Kiki. I don’t think I can push this out longer.”
“You could try though, couldn’t you?”
White-hot anger flowed through him. “Are you kidding me?” Liam asked as he rounded the corner.
The pair jumped apart as they moved to look at Liam.
“You’re the reason I’m still stuck here?” He looked at Kiki, so over this woman in every capacity known to man. “You’re un-fucking-believable, you know that? I’m done here.”
He didn’t spare another word, another breath in their direction, before he turned around and walked away.
* * *
Eight nights and eight mornings—that was all it took for Harper to get completely and totally dependent on Liam being next to her when she went to bed…and him being there in the mornings.
It was strange really as she’d spent about fifty times as many nights and mornings with Brad. Yet when he left, the empty space next to her in bed wasn’t nearly as significant. Sure, she’d missed her ex when he’d left, but not like this.
Nothing like this. This was more like a gaping chasm.
She talked to Liam every day—multiple times a day actually—which was all that was getting her through it.
He’d been delayed another day at the video shoot…the video shoot where Kiki Jean Carlow was apparently going to be crawling all over him.
Liam had been completely and totally up front with her about what was going to be happening. He’d also told Harper that he wasn’t interested in the actress at all…which only helped a little bit.
Not that she didn’t trust him, because she did, but it didn’t stop the jealously that coursed through her in the slightest. She wasn’t even remotely prepared for any of it. Wasn’t aware it was possible to miss someone so much.
God she was going crazy. She knew it, too. Not only was she exhausted all of the time, but she would cry at the drop of a hat, and over ridiculous things, too. A commercial for tires made her cry the other day. Yeah, that’s right. Tires. And then when she couldn’t fit into her jeans two days ago she’d had somewhat of an emotional breakdown. Over jeans.
Though to be fair to herself, that was the first day that she noticed a drastic difference in her body. She was starting to show and she was going to need to go maternity clothes shopping very soon.
Her hips were getting wider, her boobs perilously close to spilling out of her bras, and then there was the tiny bump above her belly. She’d never really had the flattest stomach known to man, and she definitely didn’t now.
Not that she had a problem with said baby bump in the slightest…it was just that Liam wasn’t there to see it. And it made her emotional.
The only thing going for her was that the nausea was non-existent and she could eat regularly without problems…but that was pretty much about it.
He’d told her the night before that he was going to be delayed another day, which had put her into a pretty spectacular funk. And because the universe was apparently against her this week, when she got to the spa for work on Wednesday morning—the longest day of the week in her opinion—it was to find Bethelda Grimshaw in her room at Rejuvenate, waiting for a massage.
Bethelda-freaking-Grimshaw.
Yup, one of the regular clients at the spa was none other than the gossip hag of Mirabelle. As no one ever wanted the woman as a regular client, she was rotated among all of the therapists.
Apparently it was Harper’s week for the short end of the stick.
“Ahh.” Bethelda smiled, eyeing Harper over her cat-eyed glasses. “I get you this week. You look considerably better than the last time I saw you. No longer wasting away in despair over your failed relationship? Getting back up to your fighting weight I see.”