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I shook my head. I couldn't afford to think like that. This was a job, a consulting job——or rather an acting job I had to nail. My whole company depended on me.
I’d trolled the internet for information on Liam Quigley and hadn’t come up with much. He was a smoking hot bachelor billionaire, a stepbrother to William Covington, the CEO of Covington Industries, and had a different woman on his arm every time he was seen out, according to the tabloid articles I’d found. Otherwise, the man kept a low online profile. No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, nothing——an online hermit of sorts.
And surprisingly for someone of his rank in the Boston business establishment, he hadn't granted any interviews I could find. The company bio on him was equally brief.
I pulled open the heavy oak door to Holmby's and was greeted with a rush of cool, dry air. As my eyes acclimated, it struck me as a perfect place for our conversation: dark, secluded, and quiet. The walls were dark mahogany, with booths and chairs upholstered in maroon leather. A wooden bar along one side sported a brass footrail. It looked like a scene out of a 1930s mystery.
Liam waved from a booth in the far back corner, his smile widening as I approached. “So good to see you again, Amy,” he said as he stood.
“You too, Liam.” I extended my hand to him.
He surprised me with a quick hug and a kiss on the lips. It was short and sweet, but a definite boyfriend-style kiss with my breasts pressed lightly to his chest.
“Sunshine, what kind of girlfriend are you that you shake your boyfriend's hand? If you act like that, it'll be over before we even get started.”
I laughed. “I hadn't expected to be in character yet. Jitters, I guess.” I set my purse down and slid into the booth, my insides warm from the contact with him.
He took his seat after me. “You're going to have to be in character all the time we're together, Amy.”
I nodded. “Of course. It won't happen again.”
He reached across the table to place his hand on mine. The touch sent sparks shooting up my arm. “No worries, and you look lovely this evening.”
I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I was reacting like we were naked again, and we had just started talking.
“Let your hair down. It’s so beautiful; it’s a shame to keep it up.”
“But——”
“Please” was all he said.
And that was all it took to convince me. I pulled the pins out and shook my hair free, wishing I’d packed a brush today.
“That’s better,” he said.
The waiter came by, breaking the awkwardness of the situation with a breadbasket and waters for us.
“So how was your day, honey?” I asked.
He smiled. “Oh, just the usual, Sunshine. I had one boring meeting after another, with a few pleasurable interludes where I was allowed the time to think of you and look forward to this evening.”
The heat of a blush rose in my cheeks. “Stop it,” I complained. This man could charm my clothes off any day of the week. “If we’ve been seeing each other for a while, you're not going to be so gushy sweet all the time.”
His eyes held me hostage. “Well, it’s the truth.”
The words didn't do anything to cool down my blush.
“How about you?” he asked with a wicked grin.
“It was just a humdrum day.” I cracked a smile. “I didn’t think of you once,” I lied. I had thought about this evening a dozen times. “Oh, and we got a ten-million-dollar wire transfer today. The same as any other day.”
“Sounds pretty good. Is Samantha going to be okay with this…arrangement?” he asked.
I nodded. “She’s protective is all.”
The waiter arrived once again, and Liam sent him away with an order for a bottle of sauvignon blanc and the garlic shrimp appetizer.
We each spent a minute studying the menu. I decided on the swordfish, and Liam chose the Kona-coffee-crusted New York strip steak. Armed with our answers for the waiter’s next intrusion, Liam leaned forward.
