Not Just a Friend by Laura Jardine Read Free Book Online Page B

beneath their feet.
    But she was focused on the one place where they were joined. It was all okay when he kissed her. She dimly remembered that she had some problems, that she’d felt the need to do a shot when she walked into the bar, but that didn’t matter anymore.
    After a long time of just their lips and tongues touching, he cupped her ass and brought her toward him. Although he was wearing a lot of clothing, she could tell he was hard.
    He began to kiss her in other places. Her cheeks, which were quite cold. Her throat, the base of her neck. He didn’t go any further than that; the rest of her was bundled up. And everywhere he kissed, she was colder afterward as the wind touched her wet skin. But that was okay. Maya didn’t mind. Her eyes were closed, and it was just the two of them that mattered.
    Until she heard laughter. The sound pierced her ears, it was like a goddamn hyena. Her eyes flew open, and she tilted her head, trying to look past Liam.
    There was a young couple, intruding on their moment. Damn teenagers. Liam turned his head and muttered a curse as the kids fell against the wall, only a few feet away.
    She couldn’t go back to tasting strawberry jam and salt and beer and thinking the combination was delicious.
    But the kiss had filled her with that strange thing called hope. She could find a guy who turned her on, whose kisses made her forget everything around her, and he could be a good person, too. It might be possible, even though her dating history would suggest otherwise.
    Liam always made her feel better about things.
    She thought he would ask her to come home with him, but he didn’t. He simply walked her to the subway and gave her a peck on the cheek before he departed.
    She watched him head down the street, aching for more. Why hadn’t she suggested it? Maybe because, torturous as it was, she liked the anticipation she felt for Sunday afternoon.
    Maya had told Allison that she didn’t miss dating, but that wasn’t true. She missed how everything seemed to glow after a wonderful first date. And she was feeling that way right now.
    Oh, God. She was such a sap.
    And this was Liam . She didn’t even want to date Liam.
    But she couldn’t help liking the way he made her feel.

Chapter 6
    The staff shouted in greeting when Maya walked in. She suppressed a groan. Why had she let herself be talked into izakaya?
    Ah, yes. Because it was Allison’s birthday, and this was where Allison wanted to go.
    Maya didn’t know if it was just this particular place, or whether customers were greeted this way at all izakaya restaurants. Japanese food wasn’t her thing—especially the raw fish part—and this was the only izakaya restaurant she’d been to. She didn’t intend to change that.
    Kristy waved to her from a table on the right, and Maya walked over to join her friends and their boyfriends, Grant and Sidney. She was the only one who was alone, as usual.
    Right. She was going to try not to play the role of bitter sister/friend.
    Too bad she was so good at it.
    She sat down beside Kristy and after a couple of minutes of conversation, looked at her menu.
    “We already ordered, since you were running late,” Allison said. “We’re sharing, right? So all you have to figure out is your drink. And yes, we took your fussy eating habits into account.”
    “I’m not fussy,” Maya protested. “I just don’t like—”
    “Fish. I know.”
    “Hey, it’s not all fish I have a problem with.” The blackened catfish she’d had on her date with Tyler, for example—that had been delicious. Pity about the company. “Just when it’s served raw. I’m not the only person who doesn’t like raw fish.”
    Allison glanced around the restaurant. “You’re a young woman in Toronto. There are probably more Japanese restaurants than Japanese people in this city. Come on. Everyone likes sushi.”
    “I’m not sure I qualify as ‘young’ anymore,” Maya grumbled.
    Time for some alcohol. She picked up the