The tiny apartment felt suddenly close, the air thick with unspoken tension. Liam glared at Maya, her arms crossed, her jaw set. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture more frantic than casual. He’d been trying to convince her all week, but she was digging her heels in about getting a cat. The thought of a fluffy creature batting at sunbeams and purring against his leg sent a tremor through him. He imagined stroking soft fur, the warmth radiating through his fingers. He swallowed hard. "Come on, Maya. What's not to like?" His voice was rougher than he intended.
She rolled her eyes, but her gaze lingered on him a beat too long. Her lips were slightly parted, and her cheeks flushed. "We've been over this, Liam. It's too much responsibility." The way the light caught in her dark hair made him want to touch it, to feel the silkiness between his fingers. He took a step closer, the distance between them shrinking.
He shifted his weight, a pressure building in his lower stomach. He knew she felt it too. The silence hung heavy, broken only by the rapid thrum of his own heartbeat. His gaze dropped to her mouth, the curve of her lips a silent invitation. He felt a sudden, urgent need to forget all about the cat, to focus solely on the woman in front of him.