He shows another layer

"So how did you get started with the roofing company?" Emma asked.

Liam took a sip of his beer. "I started out doing the actual roofing. But I wanted to run the whole operation, not just swing a hammer. So I enrolled in a business degree. I worked the sites all day and studied all night. It took a few years of running on zero sleep, but it paid off. Now I manage the crews and handle the contracts."

Emma stared at him, genuinely impressed. The sheer drive it took to do that was massive. He wasn't just a guy who got lucky; he had built his success through pure grit and intelligence.

She thought about Tom, hr talked often about quitting his job and going freelance, but had not followed through. Liam had taken control of his life and built a successful business from scratch. His ambition and work ethic were incredibly sexy, a man who actually had his shit together.

Liam pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen. "Let me show you what else I have been working on."

He turned the phone toward her. On the screen were photos of a house. It was a massive renovation project, but the finished rooms looked incredible.

"I've been renovating this place," Liam said, swiping to the next photo, showing a huge, modern kitchen with dark cabinets and a massive island. "It's going to be my place once it's done. Doing most of the interior work myself."

Emma looked at the pictures. He was building a home. He had the skills to build it and the money to buy it. The image of him creating a beautiful life for himself hit her hard.

It was the ultimate provider energy. Just looking at the photos of the life he was building made her mind race. It was incredibly sexy to see a man who could actually provide and build a future. The contrast with Tom made her feel deep unsettling thoughts.