Heath had given Bianca a few days to cool off. During those few days he'd thought about how best to get at Murphy, but unfortunately hadn't come up with any brilliant schemes. Though if he was honest, he hadn't tried very hard. His focus at the moment was on getting Bianca back on side. He found her outside the Surf Club.

"Bianca, can we talk?" Heath asked politely, to gauge Bianca's mood.

"I don't know Heath, can we?" she answered sarcastically. Ok, she was still cranky.

"I'm sorry Bianca, I shouldn't have snapped at you the other night, it wasn't your fault. I just had some stuff going on, you know, brother stuff." She should buy that, there was always some drama going on in the lives of the Braxton's. Her hard expression softened a little when she heard his explanation. "Let me make it up to you," Heath ventured, "go to dinner with me again, I promise it won't be like last time." She took a moment to consider before consenting.

"Ok Heath," she said more than a little warily, "but this is it. You mess this up and we're done."

"I can live with that," Heath answered. Finally things were going his way.

xxx

Perfect, Heath and Bianca had just walked into the restaurant together. Liam had been plotting his revenge for days and his opportunity was here. Liam felt no guilt at all, Heath had asked for this, it was a dumb move on his part to bring Bianca back here. Once Heath and Bianca were settled Liam picked up the bottle of wine he'd selected. Liam made his way over to their table and placed an empty glass in front of each of them.

"Are you happy with the selection?" Liam asked, holding the bottle up for Bianca to read the label. Heath opened his mouth to protest but Bianca spoke before he could.

"This is expensive wine," Bianca stated, obviously impressed.

"It is," Liam agreed, he was gonna have to pay for it but this would be worth it. "Heath wanted you to have the best, to say sorry for the other night." Liam poured them each a glass.

"Oh Heath," she said fondly, assuming Liam was referring to Heath's outburst. Heath rolled with it the smug bastard, taking the credit and lapping up the adoring attention from Bianca, making Liam's next move all the sweeter.

"He shouldn't have gone home with that other girl after you left."

"Oh my God Heath! I can't believe you!" Bianca said in an initial burst of outrage, but then she calmed as realisation dawned on her. "It was that woman in the blue dress wasn't it? That's why you kept looking towards the bar all night."

"No! Bianca I-" Heath began but she cut him off.

"You're disgusting, don't ever speak to me again," she declared before storming out. It took Heath several moments to recover, several moments in which Liam had time to visualise Heath punching him out, but Heath didn't.

"Well played prick," Heath commented, as he stood and snatched the expensive wine from Liam's hand.

"Hey!" Liam protested.

"It's the least you can do," Heath said before picking up his glass and stalking off to his favourite booth in the corner.

xxx

The restaurant was empty, it was probably after closing time, but Heath hadn't finished sulking yet, so he stayed put. And he wasn't just sulking he was pondering too. Heath had surprised himself as much as he'd surprised Murphy judging by the look on the other man's face, when he hadn't come up swinging. Bianca walking out tonight felt like an inevitability maybe that's why he hadn't gotten angry. Heath raised the glass to his lips and took a sip. As far as wine went, this one wasn't bad. Bianca said it was expensive, he'd have to make sure Murphy paid Brax for it. Over the past few days Heath had been struggling to come to terms with his lack of genuine interest in Bianca. Maybe it was simply the fact that if Murphy didn't want her there was no fun in winning her, she was pretty high maintenance after all.

"Look Heath, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Murphy said, coming to a halt beside the table and looking down at Heath. God he was infuriating, just looking at him made Heath's blood boil.

"Get lost Murphy," Heath told the idiot, he didn't wanna hear some stupid apology.

xxx

"No, I don't think I will," Liam shot back, cranky that his apology had been thrown back in his face. Liam slid into the booth beside Heath, sure it was the best way to annoy Heath more.

"What the hell are you doing?" Heath asked, the alcohol in his system making him only slightly louder than usual. He was nowhere near the slurring mess he'd been the night he got stuck into the whiskey. Suddenly this situation felt very familiar and Liam would be damned if he was gonna get stuck babysitting Heath again, besides he'd paid for that outrageously priced wine, he may as well enjoy it. Heath poured himself another glass and Liam snatched it up and drank it before Heath could. The glass was slightly warmer where Heath's mouth had been.

xxx

"Hey jackass! That was mine!" Heath said indignantly as he watched the red liquid disappear between Murphy's lips. Murphy pulled the empty glass away from his mouth and sat it on the table, but Heath was only faintly aware of that. His eyes were glued to Murphy's mouth and the dark stain the wine had left on his lips. He had a sudden urge to taste them.

"What?" Murphy said, but there was no anger in his voice just a slight quiver of uncertainty. At the sound of his voice Heath's eyes flicked up to meet the other man's blue ones, and seeing nothing there that told him to stop, Heath closed the gap between them and slammed their mouths together.

xxx

Liam had been so angry, so ready for a fight but then Heath had looked at him like that and suddenly he was being kissed. Heath Braxton was kissing him and even though Liam was set alight by it, he still couldn't let Heath win. Liam returned the kiss, more than that, he tried to seize control of it, their battle for dominance carrying over into this arena too. Liam's heart hammered in his chest and he felt that warm knot building in his belly as they each battled to gain the upper hand. Liam wanted Heath to suffer, wanted him to know who the better man was, he wanted to let Heath have this and then take it away. But Heath held his own and somewhere amongst it all Liam got lost and knew only that he wanted more... Liam's hand found Heath's face, just for a moment, just long enough to think how strange, and strangely right, it was to feel the stubble on Heath's cheek, before Heath wrenched away, leaving Liam with a cold and wretched feeling of loss.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Heath demanded, still breathy from their kiss.

"Me?" Liam said, Heath's abrupt turn to hostility taking him by surprise and putting him on the defence, "you started it."

"Yeah...well I...," Heath floundered, "well you kissed back." Heath said as though that was a far worse crime than him instigating the kiss in the first place. Not that Liam thought any of it was criminal.

"I-," Liam began, not sure what he was going to say but he didn't have a chance to say anything because Heath cut him off.

"Get outta my way," Heath demanded, shoving Liam out of the booth and taking off. Liam watched Heath go, all but running out the door, and he wondered where he'd left his keys, it was his turn to lock up tonight.