"Well, at any rate, I'm glad we're allied with you and not Brodie. He doesn't seem the loyal type," she said with a yawn. "You want the first shower? I'll wait until Dean gets back and we can share ours."
A shower sounded incredible. I pulled myself up from the bed and grabbed my backpack. "I promise not to use all the hot water."
"Good." She waved me away, yawning and laying back on her bed.
By the time the guys got back with pizza, I had showered and changed into new clothes, and was combing out my wet hair. We tore into the pizza, divvying it up four ways. I only ate two of my slices, being the smallest of the group, and nudged my extra slice over to Liam. He was a tall guy and would probably need the fuel.
He took it with a wink at me, and then devoured it.
Dean patted his stomach and glanced at the bathroom. "Shower free?"
"All yours," I told him, uncapping my bottle of water and taking another drink.
"Wait for me," Abby said, getting to her feet. "I thought we'd share."
"Just like old times," Dean said with a grin, and smacked Abby on the butt as she sauntered past him. They disappeared into the bathroom and I was left alone with Liam.
I glanced over at him as he wiped his hands with the napkin, and then looked over at me.
"So," he said, then paused.
"So," I said back.
He seemed more at ease now that it was just the two of us, and now that I wasn't glowering at him every moment. Instead, he simply studied my face, as if considering me. After a moment, he stuck his hand out. "I think we got off on the wrong foot on this race. Hi, I'm Liam."
I laughed and took his hand. "Hi, I'm Katy."
"And what brings you on The World Races, Katy?"
"Well," I said, crossing my legs and getting comfortable on the bed. "I actually didn't want to be on the show. I got talked into it because Brodie needed a partner. And I want the money to invest in my business."
"Business?" He looked impressed. "What kind of business?"
"I have a custom cakes and cupcakes business," I said proudly. "Katy's Short Cakes."
He nodded, as if it somehow fit me, and then he crossed his legs on the bed until he was sitting, facing me. "So you're a baker?"
"I am." It felt weirdly intimate to be facing each other on the bed like this. It was…direct. And personal. There was no hiding or averting eyes with this. We were one on one, face to face.
"And the pigtails? Are you a children’s baker or something?" There was a hint of a smile on his mouth.
I groaned and ruffled a hand through my loose, wet blonde hair. "The pigtails were decided by casting, not by me. I think they picked it because I'm short."
"And because you're cute," he agreed. "It makes you look perky."
For some reason, I blushed at that. So he thought I was cute? Or just perky? Perky didn't necessarily mean attractive. Squirrels were perky. "So, what about you?"
"What about me?" His dark eyes studied my face.
"What made you come on The World Races?"
His mouth twisted a bit. "The label."
I frowned at him. "The label?"
"Yeah. Tesla wanted to go on the show. Thought it'd be a good opportunity since our next record drops in the fall, when this airs. We had a large lead time." He shrugged. "The label wanted one of the band members to go with her. I was picked."
"So you and Tesla aren't," I gestured with my hand. "You know."
His eyes widened. "Oh, god no. She's just a bandmate. You know, the whole Finding Threnody thing." And he looked at me like I should know exactly what he was talking about.
I winced. "Is it bad if this is the part that I say that I've never heard of you?"
He stared.
"I listen to country music," I said lamely. "Sorry. I'm sure your band is good."
He continued to stare.
"I'll buy your CD when I get home," I told him. "I promise."
He shook his head a little, as if to clear it, then laughed. "So you really don't know who we are?"
"Well," I told him. I thought for a moment, trying to determine the best way to say it without hurting his feelings, and then gave up. "Not a clue. Brodie's a fan, though."
Liam chuckled and shook his head. "Well, that explains why you weren't very friendly to me."
"Are a lot of girls friendly to you because you're in a rock band?"
"Yes," he said simply.
I snorted. "They might be until you push them down reaching for their football."
He scowled. "It was an accident."
"How do I know that?" I asked innocently, putting a teasing lilt in my voice. "Maybe you thought it was a mosh pit."
That slow, almost reluctant smile spread across his lean face again. "Now I know you're f**king with me."
"Just a little."
He laughed. "I suppose I deserved that."
I studied him as he smiled. I'd initially thought Liam tall, grungy, and a little scary. The piercings were new territory for me, as were the tattoos. He even had them on his neck. But the smile he extended my way was genuine, and for a moment, he looked like any other guy my age that just happened to be covered in black tattoos, multiple facial piercings, and was the lead guitarist in a supposedly big deal rock band.
"So…" he rubbed his chin. "I suppose there's a special irony in this considering that neither you nor I wanted to be on the race."
"We could always sabotage the next leg of the race and win ourselves an extended stay in Acapulco," I told him, keeping my voice innocent.
"Is that what you want to do?"
I considered it. I really, really did. But we were still in the race, and we were doing rather well, if I admitted it to myself. And Liam wasn't a bad partner, as long as we didn't run into any more mukluk or eating challenges on the race. "Part of me wants to bail out on the race, but a bigger part of me wants to see how far we can go."
He nodded. "Me too." That dark, intense gaze focused on me again. "So why did you kiss me at the Blarney Stone?"
Oh. Wow, okay, that was super direct. I thought about my answer for a moment, then shrugged. "I wanted to?"