“How’s this?” he asked, handing her a short tumbler as he took a seat next to her on the couch.

She took a sip and nodded. “Mmm, perfect. I haven’t had a gin and tonic in a while. They’re my dad’s specialty and you make a pretty mean one.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should.”

She took another sip of her drink as she nodded to the guitar that was resting against the chair next to the sofa. “So you play, too, Mr. Music Lover?”

He’d apparently forgotten to put it away before she’d come over. A good portion of his afternoon had been spent working on a song that he couldn’t get out of his head.

The interesting part? Not only was it a ballad, it was a love song. Two things that he’d never written successfully before. Sure he had lust down pat. He’d written more than a few on that subject. But this song, well, it wasn’t about that.

It was completely and entirely different. Which wasn’t a bad thing at all.

The reason for his current stint in Nashville was finishing up his newest record. His label wanted one more song.

“Something they haven’t seen from you before,” his manager Gary Kirkland had told him about a thousand times.

And there it was, his sudden spark of inspiration wrapped up in a beautiful woman. But what could he say? The woman in question was very inspiring.

At least he’d had the sense of mind to close his notebook that was sitting on the coffee table. One look at the first verse would leave no doubt as to whom his newest song was about. If he ended up recording it she’d know it was about her. She’d have to.

“I dabble.” Apparently she wasn’t the only one still keeping things a secret. For whatever reason, he found that he wasn’t quite ready for her to know what he did for a living.

“You dabble?” she repeated. “And dabbling involves writing your own songs?”

His eyebrows rose in question.

“I saw that notebook in the truck.” She pointed to the coffee table. “And it’s filled with something that looks remarkably like songs.”

“Can’t get anything by you, can I?” He shook his head.

“Would you play something for me?”

“Sure.” He nodded as he leaned forward, setting his glass on the table before reaching for his guitar. He was coming to the very real conclusion that he’d do just about anything she asked.

He’d had half a dozen songs make it to the airwaves, and they were regularly played to where people who were fans of country knew of at least one. He wondered if Harper knew them. If she’d ever had her radio up loud, the windows down as she sang along.

Yeah he’d always hoped his songs were something to strike a chord with people, but there was something absolutely remarkable about the idea of his words coming across her lips. He wanted so desperately for his songs to mean something to her.

For the first time in a long time, he was nervous as he settled his guitar on his lap and placed his fingers over the correct strings. He took a deep breath before he strummed the first chord, humming to himself before he started with the chorus.

“A day, a week, a month, a year. It would never be enough. I want forever, honey. Forever with you.”

His head came up and he focused on her face. Her mouth had fallen open slightly and her eyes had gone wide.

“A million simple things that aren’t so simple at all. Your hand in mine. The taste of your tongue. Your head on my chest. You stealing my heart.”

A heart that was currently pounding out of his chest. This was ridiculous.

“A day, a week, a month, a year. It would never be enough. I want forever, honey. Forever with you.”

He sang the chorus one last time, discovering a new chord that he hadn’t known seconds before and knowing that he’d hit the nail on the head.

Harper’s eyes hadn’t left his, and when he finished she just sat there for a second in stunned silence before she spoke. “You wrote that?” The question was little more than a whisper on her breath.

“Yeah. It isn’t finished yet though,” he said as he set the guitar off to the side.

“That was…” She shook her head. “I don’t even know. Amazing doesn’t seem adequate.”

The look in her eyes and the awe in her voice were humbling…and Liam wasn’t humbled all that often. Not that he was a particularly arrogant man, but he did take pride in his passion.

“Thank you.”

Her breath came out in a huff as she shook her head again. “Apparently I’m not the only one full of surprises.”

“Apparently not.” He grabbed his gin and tonic from the coffee table before he leaned back on the sofa, moving closer to Harper in the process.

“That didn’t sound like dabbling. Why do I get the impression you’ve done that before?”

“Because I have. So now that I’ve shared that, it’s your turn.” He reached forward and fingered a piece of her hair, rubbing the silky strand between his thumb and forefinger. “Can I ask you a question or are you still sticking with this nothing personal thing?”

“Depends on the question.”

“Why are you in Nashville?”

She shook her head as she took another sip of her drink. “Nope. Not that question.”

“You enjoy doing this whole mysterious hot girl thing?”

“I wasn’t aware that was a thing.”

“Oh really? I’m not all that sure I believe you.”

Her head tilted to the side as her cheek brushed against his fingers. “You should believe I haven’t lied to you.”

“Okay, so if you won’t tell me that, tell me something else. Something no one else knows.”

“I’m intimidated by what your voice does to me.”

And now he was the one who was left speechless for just a moment. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t really know.” She reached up and lightly traced his lips with her index and middle finger, first the top, then the bottom.

Holy. Hell. He felt that simple touch everywhere, which was beyond complicated. But really, when was he going to learn? Nothing with her was simple.

“You speak and somehow make things easier.” She continued as she ran her fingers around his lips one more time.

“Things?”

“Yes. Things.” She nodded as she leaned into him, her mouth landing on his.

He brought his hand to the back of her head, his fingers spearing into her hair as he held her to him, devouring her mouth. Every taste of her was like heaven. The words to that song were so damn true. He’d never get enough of her. Not ever.

Yeah, he was a goner. Done for.

Harper was the first to pull back, and both of them were breathing hard. She tilted her glass to her mouth, finishing her drink. She stood up and nodded to the glass in his hand. “You should finish that, too. You’re going to need both hands in a second.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Liam followed her lead and drained the rest of his gin and tonic. She held out her hand for the glass, and when he handed it to her she turned and set both down on the coffee table.

And then she was facing him again, hiking up the bottom of her dress. He saw a flash of emerald green lace before she was crawling up onto his lap, straddling him. She braced her hands on his shoulders as she settled her lush ass on his thighs. And then she was shifting closer, pressing against his cock that was quickly making its way to full mast.

Her hands went to his chest where she slid them out, pushing his unbuttoned flannel shirt from his arms. He leaned forward, helping her remove the shirt from his body. The second his hands were free they went to her hips, sliding over the bunched-up fabric as he made his way down to her bare skin. He rested his head on the back of the sofa and looked up at her.

Her head was slightly turned and his eyes landed on the cluster of freckles just under her left ear. He had the sudden urge to lick them. Get them under his tongue. They probably tasted like honey, too, just like the rest of her.