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She had to realize income wasn’t a part of the bid, only her chosen charity received anything—unless the man she ended up with gave her a bonus afterward. He frowned. Shit. Had he been right in thinking she’d actually hoped the sheikh might win her, hence the shaky hand she’d pressed to her mouth when Liam had won her instead?
At the time he’d believed it’d been the hefty amount he’d bid, but maybe she’d been genuinely upset he’d won and Korian had lost?
Sheikh Korian really was beyond generous. If he’d given Fiona an amazing tip just for a drink and a smile, Liam could only imagine what a whole night with the man might bequeath. Ignoring his tightening chest, he asked, “What charity?”
“Horse Rescue Australia.”
He raised a brow. “So the cowgirl costume wasn’t just fantasy, you really are a horse girl?”
“Yes, I guess I am.”
The burritos came out then, and she waited for the young waiter to leave before she shrugged and said, “I’ve spent half my life around horses. What I wore on stage made me feel more comfortable than what I would have in a bikini or underwear.” She held his stare. “Enough about me though, it’s your turn.”
She bit into her burrito while he began a spiel about himself, or at least, the business side of things. After all, it was becoming pretty clear that was all she cared about. She wasn’t here hoping for a future relationship with someone affluent, she just wanted a piece of their wealth.
“Most of my work centers on the Black Pearl Nightclub and function rooms, along with the Garden Café restaurant. But I’ve also recently invested in a handful of other businesses that have paid me dividends.”
She swallowed, her eyes going wide. “So you really could part with a quarter-million without getting heartburn over it?”
He picked up his burrito, caution now flooding through him. He’d imagined she wasn’t corrupted by greed like so many other women he knew. It wasn’t great to realize he’d been wrong, and that she’d probably not be sitting here with him at all if he collected garbage bins. “I guess so,” he said gruffly.
Chapter Five
Something had changed, though she couldn’t put her finger on what that was exactly. She only knew Liam was different somehow, a little more distant, perhaps?
She put down her half-eaten burrito. It was delicious but she was no longer hungry. She did, however, enjoy one more margarita before they pushed back their chairs and headed out to Liam’s sports car.
A full moon had slipped free from the concealment of some clouds and it shone down on them brighter than any of the streetlights, lighting Liam’s already blond hair as he opened her door.
She nodded thanks, then took her seat, turning to him seconds later as he took the driver’s seat to ask, “Where now?”
“Well, that was date one. Date two is coming right up.”
It only took another ten minutes before he turned into the parking lot that looked down onto a beach, a salty tang filling her nostrils as waves broke rhythmically against the shore, moonlight reflected in the water.
He parked the car and killed the engine, his voice husky when he asked, “Fancy a walk on the beach?”
