Played by the Billionaire Alexia Adams

This geek is about to meet his match... Internet security guru, Liam Manning made a death-bed promise to complete his beloved brother’s manuscript. That means stepping down from running his billion-dollar empire and finding a woman to teach him about romance, regularguy style. So, falling back on his hacking skills, he infiltrates an online dating site to find a suitable love tutor. All Lorelei Torres wants is an honest man to love and raise a large, happy family with. Relocating to San Francisco after her last boyfriend turns out to be a lying snake, her mother takes action and signs her up with an online dating agency. Maybe it’s time an impartial computer chose a man for her…

PLAYED BY THE BILLIONAIRE

ALEXIA ADAMS

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Copyright © 2014 by Alexia Adams. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher. Entangled Publishing, LLC 2614 South Timberline Road Suite 109 Fort Collins, CO 80525 Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com. Edited by Alethea Spiridon Hopson & Rima Jean Cover design by Liz Pelletier ISBN978-1-62266-605-8 Manufactured in the United States of America First Edition May 2014

Table of Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Acknowledgments About the Author Betting the Billionaire

The Billionaire’s Demands The Boss and her Billionaire Seducing the Enemy One Night with a Cowboy An Unsuitable Husband The Seduction Game A Night of Misbehaving Reforming the Playboy

To my sexy IT guy and all the resultant little bots who have made sure this mother is never bored.

Chapter One “Oh man, you are so screwed.” Liam glided the Aston Martin into his reserved doublewide parking space before glancing over at his friend. He couldn’t really argue with David’s statement. It was exactly how he felt. “I have to do it. I promised Marcus.” His chest tightened at the mention of his brother. Two weeks hadn’t lessened the burning pain he’d experienced as he held Marcus’s hand and watched him slip away. All his money and he hadn’t been able to save the one person in the world who loved him unconditionally. Liam unclenched his hands from the steering wheel. “So you’re going to take a leave of absence from being CEO and Chairman of IWC Security to finish your brother’s

book? Go from king of the Internet security world to a writer?” The incredulity in David’s voice couldn’t have been greater if Liam had said he was going into space next week. “It’s the only thing he’s ever asked me to do. I promised I’d finish it within three months and I can’t do that if I’m running the company. He has a publisher ready to look at it, but it has to be on his desk by the end of September. Marcus said it was his best, his life’s work—his legacy. He wants to be remembered for his writing, not his rare heart condition.” Liam flung open his door and stepped from the low-slung sports car. “I still don’t understand why you have to write the rest. Can’t you hire someone to do it? What about Marcus’s wife? Why can’t Crescy write it?” They climbed the concrete stairs to the main level of IWC Security corporate headquarters. Instead of taking the door to the lobby to go up to the offices, Liam exited left, onto the street. “I promised Marcus I would write the rest personally. It was important to him that someone who loved him saw it through. Crescy is devastated and has gone back to Saint Lucia. Besides, she’s only been part of his life for four years. I had thirty-two years to get to know how his mind

worked. I’ve got an editor lined up to fix my bad grammar, and I’ve read all of Marcus’s writing books. I’ve written stuff before, you know.” “You write security programs in a variety of languages, English not being one of them. Are you going to write the novel in Perl?” Liam ignored his friend. Writing the book was the least worrying part in this whole stupid situation. It was the romance aspect that had him waking in a panic every night since he’d made the promise to his brother. “By the way, where are we going?” David was breathless. He had to jog to keep up with Liam’s long strides. Liam slowed, seeing his friend start to sweat despite the chill in the air. It might have been July in San Francisco, but that didn’t mean it was warm. “To do some research,” he said. “What kind of research?” Liam stopped and punched the pedestrian cross button. A young man, wearing a black hoodie with his pants halfway down his backside and a cigarette dangling from hi s mouth, took a step sideways out of Liam’s path. A sardonic smile crept over Liam’s face at the punk’s movement. Why couldn’t he have been this size in high

school? Growing nearly a foot and developing muscles after he finished school hadn’t made up for all the years Marcus had had to play protective big brother. That’s why he had to do this now. Marcus had always been his champion, the only person to understand and love him. He’d do anything for his older brother. Liam’s chest squeezed again and he sucked in a huge lungful of air, hoping to relieve the pressure. The shrill chirping of the crossing signal, indicating it was safe to walk, broke through Liam’s misery. “Marcus was writing a mystery novel with romantic elements. The hero is an everyday guy who gets caught up in some intrigue. Along the way he meets a girl and falls in love. The mystery bit I can write with no problem. Marcus outlined his plot on that one. The romance element is another thing. I’m not exactly out on dates every night. And evidently for the emotion of a scene to come across I have to be familiar with it. So I need a girlfriend.” Liam spat out the last word as though it were poison. “Why don’t you call up one of the women you’ve gone out with before?” “Trust me, I thought of that. According to Marcus, it has to be a real relationship. Not one based on my wealth. All my previous girlfriends hung around for the expensive dinners,

exotic holidays, and nice jewelry.” “What about that Latvian girl, what was her name? Svetlana? You dumped her as soon as the words ‘I love you’ came out of her mouth.” “It was Iliana and she was a model from Lithuania.” Liam heaved a sigh. “Once a woman says she loves you she expects marriage and babies. I don’t do marriage and babies. It was better to end it with an appropriately expensive present than for anyone to waste any more time on the relationship. For the story, the hero is an everyday guy. So I have to pretend to be a regular guy and get a regular girlfriend. No flashy dates, no trips on the private jet to the Caribbean, regular guy stuff. None of the women I’ve dated before would go for that.” “And how do you expect to get a girlfriend who doesn’t know who you are? One Google search and she’ll spot you in twenty seconds.” “That’s why I’m going to shave off my beard, get a makeover, and use my middle name. Even if she searches she’s unlikely to think William Manning rich guy is the same person as Liam Mackenzie, regular guy. I’ve set up a couple social media profiles as regular guy Liam, and some mysterious virus has temporarily eaten any photos of William Manning on the Internet. There’s a limited life span

on the virus so they’ll restore in a couple of weeks’ time, save me having to go back in and fix them later.” He pushed open the door to a small coffee shop. There were ten people waiting in the order line. Signaling to the barista behind the espresso machine, Liam bypassed the long line and picked up the two coffees she placed on the counter. He smiled at the woman, whose cheeks turned pink, before leading David over to a small table in the corner. “Hold on. Did you just say you were going to shave? Has anyone ever seen you without your beard and mustache?” “No, and that’s exactly the point. No one will recognize me, and I can play the regular guy until I finish this stupid book and get back to my real life.” He ran a hand over his beard, a bit longer than usual as he hadn’t trimmed it since Marcus went into hospital for the final time. He’d never shaved since sprouting his first whisker at the age of sixteen. “What are we doing here? Are you researching what normal people do in the morning?” David took a gulp of his coffee. A flicker of surprise crossed his face as the rich flavor passed over his tongue. “God, this is so much better than the crap I normally drink.” “That’s because it’s hot and freshly made. By the time

you remember you ordered a coffee it’s cold with scum on the top. Not that I’m complaining, you’re the best programmer I’ve got. I appreciate your single-minded dedication to your work. To answer your original question, I’m here to see a woman.” “What? You’re going to pluck a woman out of the lineup here?” David scanned the row of people waiting to order. “Of course not. I’ve made arrangements.” Liam sat back in his chair. He tried out the deep breathing technique Marcus had used to cope with pain. If it had been anyone other than his brother who’d come up with this idea, he’d have shot him down in an instant. Liam had spent the last ten years avoiding love and relationships. The two times he’d let himself feel something for a woman had ended in absolute betrayal. He was smart enough to know his limitations. He wasn’t love material. Iliana might have said she loved him, but what she really meant was she loved his money and was willing to put up with the rest of him for the sake of a cushy life. The fact that she’d hooked up with another rich guy within a month of their breakup proved it. Forcing a smile to hide his discomfort, he glanced at his oldest friend. “Spill, Liam. That’s the look you get when you’re about to crack a competitor’s system.”

“I did some research last night.” Liam waved his hand in a vague gesture. “In other words, you hacked.” “Shush, not so loud. You’ll freak people out.” “Chill, man, people think hackers are pimply teenagers who live in their mothers’ basements. You’re wearing a suit. No one would ever believe you know more tricks to bypass security systems than anyone else on earth.” “I don’t know more than anyone else on earth, just the vast majority. Anyway, I went onto a dating site and found a woman. She’s going to be my fake girlfriend. According to her bank statement, she comes here for coffee every morning. I want to make sure she’s appropriate. The photo on her profile seemed too good to be true.” Despite his best effort to remain calm, his heartbeat accelerated. “Does she know about this?” “Of course not. The emotion has to be genuine, on her part at least. So I can’t tell her.” “What if she falls in love with you?” “Unlikely—I’m not all that lovable. And even if she does, she’s falling in love with a regular guy, not me. After I finish the novel, I’ll let her down gently with a nice piece of jewelry or a trip to Antigua.” “And if you fall in love with her?” David sat back in his

chair as though making sure he was out of range of Liam’s fist. “Not going to happen, man. Not going to happen.” A bus stopped out in front of the café; the passengers got off. The majority trudged down the street toward their day jobs, looking bored already. Two walked into the coffee shop—an older man in a stained raincoat and a young woman in a dark-gray fitted pantsuit. The drab color didn’t hide her curvaceous hips or full breasts. Light-brown hair, more golden in places, was pulled back into a long, thick ponytail. Her face was very pretty with full, pink lips, glasscutting cheekbones, and light-green eyes. She had the sort of face that lingered in the memory long after she left. Liam took a long swig of his coffee, hoping to drown the niggling sensation of pending doom in his stomach. “There she is.” David swiveled and nearly fell off his chair. “Her photo didn’t lie. I’ll say it again, my friend. You are so screwed.”

… Lorelei counted the number of people in front of her and then glanced at her watch. If everyone ordered promptly she’d still make it to work on time. It was the ditherers who

threw the day off. How could people spend ten minutes in the lineup and then not know what they wanted to order when they got to the counter? She didn’t even need to tell the cashier what she wanted; it was the same every day. Even though she’d only been in San Francisco for a little less than a month, she’d been coming to this coffee shop each workday. It gave her a sense of family, seeing the same faces each morning, which she missed having moved so far from home. Maybe that was her problem. She was too predictable, ordering the same thing every day, never spicing it up or trying something new. Like her taste in men—predictable. Each and every one had turned out to be a liar and a loser. Today she should try something different. She stared at the menu behind the counter, wishing genuine love were printed on the chalkboard. She’d order that in a heartbeat. As if on cue, her cell phone vibrated in her bag. She eventually found it under an empty package of cinnamon gum. Groaning as she saw her mother’s number on the screen, she pressed answer anyway. If she didn’t speak with her now she’d keep calling until she did. “Good morning, Mama.” “Morning? It’s almost noon here, aren’t you at work already?”

“No, it’s only quarter to nine. Remember, I’m three hours behind you now.” She was sure her mother ignored the time difference on purpose, just to show she could still interfere in her daughter’s life whenever she wanted. “It’s Wednesday. At least it’s Wednesday here. Do you have a date for the weekend yet?” Lorelei clenched her jaw and mentally counted to ten. When that didn’t calm her she counted backward, in Spanish. Her mother had lived in America for the past thirty years, but when it came to her daughter, she was 100 percent old-school Mexican. In her mother’s eyes, Lorelei’s main purpose in life was to marry and provide grandchildren. A responsibility she was reminded of almost daily. “I think I’ve been disconnected? Hello? Lorelei?” “I’m still here. Yes, it’s Wednesday. I’m the other side of the country, not the globe. As for a date, I haven’t got one yet, but the week is still young.” “Haven’t you met anyone?” “Mama, I’ve been in San Fran for twenty-eight days. I haven’t had time to meet many people.” She was three customers away from the counter. With any luck she’d legitimately be able to hang up in approximately two minutes. Seemed as though she’d have to have the usual,

because there was no way she was going to stand at the front of the line and read the menu from there. “Well, I thought you might be having trouble so I’ve signed you up on one of those Internet dating sites. I’ve emailed you the details. There are some very nice men on there. I wrote down their names and sent that to you as well.” “You did what?” Several heads turned in her direction as her voice rose three octaves and ten decibel levels. “Bernice Anderson came to visit last night and said her daughter had trouble finding a husband as well. But after she signed up online she was married within three months.” The triumph in her mother’s voice was unmistakable. Lorelei shook her head. Bernice Anderson’s daughter, with her unibrow and fondness for doughnuts, would never be the poster child for any dating site. One more person stood between Lorelei and her coffee order. Please be quick, please be quick. “I’m not desperate.” “Querida, you’re also not getting any younger. Thirty is only a couple years away, and you know what they say about women over thirty. They are statistically more likely to get murdered than married.” The man in front of her was debating the merits of a

decaf mocha over a soy latte with the cashier. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve got to go. It’s my turn to order.” “Promise me you’ll go online and check out the men.” “I promise. Bye, Mama. Te quiero .” Lorelei pressed end call before her mother threatened to come and visit and find a man for her personally. She’d promised to look. Didn’t mean she had to go out with any of them. While waiting for the barista to prepare her vanilla latte, she glanced around the café. Three regulars she spotted right away and returned their nods of recognition. A huge, hairy guy in his early thirties filled the corner of the café. Their eyes met and she blinked at the intensity of his dark gaze. The other man at the table with him was of similar age but smaller, and trying to hide a bald spot with a combover of light-blond hair. Lorelei peeked at her watch; she had eight minutes to make it to her office. Fortunately, for her at least, her need to flee Buffalo had coincided with an Event Director vacancy in the San Francisco office of the Happy Day charity. If she hadn’t been one of the top event planners for the charity, she was sure she’d have been fired rather than transferred after her last relationship blackened her name. Thankfully, the scandal seemed to have remained back east and she could continue to help raise money for sick

children to enjoy a dream day. Now if only the weather would warm up, she could begin to enjoy her new start in California. Picking up her drink with a smile for the barista, she settled the straps of her handbag on her shoulder and strode toward the door. The ditherer, who had been in the lineup in front of her, turned and walked straight into her. Lorelei’s coffee fell to the floor with a sickening splat. “Oh sorry, miss.” He stared at the growing brown puddle, stepping back before it soiled his suede shoes. He slid toward the door, as though trying to distance himself from the disaster. Lorelei counted backward from one hundred in Spanish. Great, now she’d have to either line up again and be late for work or settle for the crappy coffee at the office. The guy with the beard and intense eyes from the corner table appeared at her elbow. He reached behind her and grabbed another cup, complete with lid, off the counter. When Lorelei turned to her, the friendly barista gave her a thumbs-up. “I made an extra, by accident,” she said. “Enjoy your day,” the tall man said as he handed her the coffee. His voice was deep and silky, and she forced her gaze from the liquid chocolate eyes that smiled into hers. Giving herself a mental shake, she glanced at her watch

again. Damn, now she was late. She stepped around the spilled coffee as a mopwielding man arrived on the scene. “Thank you,” she called over her shoulder. The man who had knocked her drink from her hand stood in the doorway as if trying to decide which way to go. Maybe her mother had the right idea. At least with Internet dating she could hopefully filter out some of the weirdoes.

… Liam stood at the front of the packed conference room, knowing there were just as many people listening via conference call. All eyes were focused on him, the only sound a faint static from the telephone line. He rarely called all his staff together, as most programmers hated meetings as much as he did. But it was vital that rumors be kept to a minimum and the only way to do that was to make sure everyone had the same information and from an accurate source. “I want to reassure you all that I am still in full control of the company. When I founded IWC Security, it was just David and me. Now we have over three hundred

employees in six countries. I built this company. And it will be an encryption-free day on the Darknet before I let someone else take over. However, for the next two months I wi ll be working on an important project away from the office. When it’s done, I’ll be back. In the meantime, I’m delegating the day-to-day management of the company to the Chief Operating Officer, Cal Johnson. David Winston, as Director of Technical Operations, will remain your go-to guy for programming issues. Are there any questions?” “Does this means we won’t be getting emails from you at four in the morning telling us to fix a vulnerability only you could have found? Can I finally sleep through the night?” someone at the back of the room joked. “I wouldn’t count on it. I’ll still be hands-on with client systems.” His reply was met with a few groans and some nervous laughter. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his staff, but the core technical work was likely the only thing to keep him sane in the next couple of weeks. He answered a few more questions about general office management, then called the meeting to a close. As the staff filed out, David sauntered over to him. “Let’s get down to the important questions. Am I going to have to eat my sister’s cooking?” David made a gagging motion and clutched his stomach.

Liam had eaten a dinner Helen had prepared once. It wasn’t something he’d willingly do a second time. “I’m giving up the commute to the office and the endless meetings, not my personal chef.” He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of meetings, I’ve got two more before I’m done for the day. I’ll see you at home.” He strode from the room and back toward his corner office.

… Three hours later, Liam unlocked the door to his apartment and hung his raincoat on the stand. Kicking off his wet shoes, he grabbed a handful of peanut M&M’s from the bowl on the entryway table before heading into the kitchen. David was already perched on a barstool, chatting with Jason, the cook. David poured a measure of whiskey from the bottle next to him and slid the tumbler toward Liam. “How’d the Board take your announcement?” Liam took a swig of the whiskey, letting the warmth ease his tension. “Not well. That’s one thing I won’t miss. Meetings are hell.” The Board had quizzed him endlessly on the nature of the “special project” he would be working on. Until he reminded them he held the majority of the

company shares and he was informing them of his temporary leave, not asking their permission. Their concerns were valid. They probably worried he was dealing with a medical issue that could potentially impact the profit margin. He could only imagine their reaction if he told them he was taking a break to write his brother’s book. He leaned against the counter and watched Jason stir a white sauce. The aroma of the cooking was heavenly. He’d existed mostly on takeout or microwave dinners until he’d stopped one day to talk to Jason, who was living on the street outside his building. Liam had invited the young homeless man for a burger and discovered he’d trained in culinary arts. Unfortunately, Jason had turned to drugs to cope with the long hours and exhausting work in the kitchen of one of the city’s top hotels. Within six months he’d lost his job, his apartment, and his self-respect. Liam had paid for Jason to go into a private rehab clinic on the promise he’d then work as his personal chef. David and his sister often came over, and the four of them ate gourmet meals in the comfort of his home. Although David and his sister Helen had their own apartment across the hall, they spent more time at Liam’s place than their own. Especially now with Marcus gone, Liam was happy he didn’t have to spend too much time in

an empty apartment. “How long till we eat, Jason?” Liam slung back the last of his whiskey and put the glass on the counter with a clunk. “About twenty minutes. Will Helen be joining us?” Jason’s voice softened on David’s sister’s name and Liam shot him a look. Was his chef falling for his best friend’s sister? Maybe he could observe their romance and save himself the effort. As soon as the thought crossed his mind he heard Marcus’s voice saying the experience had to be personal. “Not tonight. She’s working late,” David said. “Hey, I wanted to ask if you arranged that whole ‘knocking the drink out of your future girlfriend’s hand’?” “You should know by now I don’t leave things to chance. I wanted to see her up close. So I called ahead and when I preordered our coffees I told the barista to make a second one for the woman I indicated. Hundred bucks goes a long way at a coffee shop. My secretary got her brother to play the bumbling fool.” “Sweet.” “As it’s just us men for dinner, I need some advice on how to be a regular guy. First, though, I’m going to take a shower.” Liam tossed back another handful of M&M’s and headed for his bedroom.

“Regular guys don’t drive Aston Martins or Maseratis,” David said as Liam stepped out of the kitchen. He whirled around. “Shit. I hadn’t thought of that. What should I drive?” “A Ford. Or Toyota Corolla.” An evil laugh followed David’s words. “Or if you’re an environmentally conscious regular guy, then drive a Prius,” Jason said. “Now you’re being cruel,” Liam said with a shudder. “Welcome to your new hell.” David’s words rang in his ears as Liam stomped off to his bedroom.

Chapter Two Lorelei rubbed her hands over her eyes and tried to focus on the event plan. It was so much easier in Buffalo where she knew everyone with money—what they liked and disliked, and how much cash they could expect to part with at a gala fundraiser. Here, every selection was a gamble and the success or failure of the evening rested on research, gossip, and blind luck. Lorelei’s office door creaked open and her assistant appeared. Mandy had two steaming cups of coffee in one hand and four huge files clutched to her chest. Lorelei hurried around the desk to relieve Mandy of the burden. Her vivacious assistant had also become her first friend in San Francisco. It was impossible to resist Mandy’s charm and outgoing personality. They had a lot in common,

both having Mexican mothers and American fathers. But in contrast to Lorelei, Mandy wore bright, vivid clothes. And her red lipstick left a crimson stain on her coffee cup, making it easy to distinguish from Lorelei’s. “How’s it going?” Mandy gestured at the plan. “Not bad. I’ve decided on the decorations, menu, and entertainment. I’m just waiting for the list of attendees from the Fundraising Department. I wish we knew how much we could expect to make out of this dinner. Why hasn’t the charity hosted one of these here before?” “Dustin prefers to concentrate fundraising efforts at the family level. We do a lot of smaller events, a booth at local sporting activities, that sort of thing. This would be too much work for him.” Organizing an elaborate dinner took a lot of effort, but fortunately it was something Lorelei was good at. She’d put on two themed dinners a year in Buffalo and they’d become society’s must-attend events. Of course there she’d had half a year to prepare, not a measly six weeks. And back east she knew exactly how much people could be expected to donate. With no past galas to base an estimate on, it was anyone’s guess how much they could hope to make here. If she wasn’t careful, she could spend way too much and wind up losing money.

A new email notification flashed up on Lorelei’s computer. As it was from Dustin, the Director of Fundraising, she opened it. “So far there are about one hundred who’ve RSVP’d that they’re coming,” she informed Mandy. “Dustin’s going to give me the official list of names a couple of days before the dinner. It would be so much easier if he told us who was coming instead of who’s declined. Evidently, IWC Security sent a donation but isn’t going to send anyone. While it’s great to get the money, it’s better to get a butt in a chair. Then they participate in the silent auctions and generally give more once they’ve seen the work we do. Who heads up that company? Maybe if I contacted them personally we could get someone to come?” She held back a sigh. Dustin had been a pain in ass since she’d started. And he definitely hadn’t been happy when the charity’s Chairman had called telling them to hold a gala dinner within six weeks of her arrival. Dustin had insisted on sending out the invitations and controlling the guest list, but refused to discuss with her any other arrangements, saying it was her job to plan the event, his job to get people to show up. Mandy pulled up the IWC Security website on Lorelei’s laptop. “Some guy named William Manning is the CEO and

Chairman. Must be a real uggo—there’s not even a photo of him on his own company website.” She surfed a couple more sites. “This gossip site says he was seen with a model named Iliana a year ago, but again there’s no picture,” Mandy said. “An uggo who dates supermodels? He must have a huge —” “—bank account,” they both said at once before dissolving into fits of laughter. Two minutes later Lorelei wiped her eyes; the good laugh had helped ease some of the tension. “As they’ve already sent a donation I guess we’ll leave it for this time. Dustin would probably flip his lid if I went behind his back. We’ll just have to work with what we’ve got.” “I think he’s intimidated by you. He’s not very good at his job. Rumor has it he’s somehow related to the Chairman and that’s the only reason he’s still here. When he heard Head Office was appointing an Event Director he lost it. He started spreading rumors about you even before you arrived.” Mandy flushed a little and Lorelei could tell she wanted to ask if the story was true. “What kind of rumors?” Lorelei held her breath. “Oh, something about you getting the job here because you had to leave Buffalo. Evidently you were caught

sleeping with some other woman’s husband and the charity was afraid your reputation would damage their image.” Lorelei’s stomach sank to her knees. The whole office knew. No wonder the staff had looked at her strangely. She knew the Fundraising Department hadn’t been pleased at her appointment, considering her job part of their remit. But to be labeled a home-wrecker as well… “Having spent the last four weeks working with you,” Mandy said, “I have to say, you don’t seem the type to have an affair with a married man.” “I’m not. I had no idea Barry was married. I thought we were on our way to wedded bliss. We’d dated for almost a year and I never once suspected. In hindsight I can see the signs—we only went out on weekdays and only to small restaurants nowhere near where either of us worked. He only gave me his cell number and we always went back to my place—he said his apartment was too far away. He was such a charmer, he made everything sound believable.” She’d always been too trusting, always thinking the best of people. That, plus her crushing need to be loved, had blinded her to Barry’s real situation. “How’d you find out?” “My mom sprained her ankle one Saturday night and I took her to the ER. Barry was sitting there with his wife and

three-year-old boy who’d shoved a marble up his nose.” “The dog!” “Well, that wasn’t what I called him. And after my little tirade, his wife added a few more names I’d never even thought of, and my mother would have slapped me silly if I’d said them in public.” “How’d the big cheese find out?” “Barry’s wife made a complaint to the charity, threatened to go public if they didn’t do something about me. It wasn’t really grounds for dismissal but the Chairman felt it would be better if I stepped out of the limelight as he called it, for a period of time.” “So you got shipped out here.” “Yeah. I had no idea about the dynamics of the office here. Dustin is sure not happy to see me.” “No, but the rest of us are. It’s time things got a shake-up around here. And I for one will be ecstatic if I don’t have to attend another Little League baseball game. Fancy dinners are much more my scene. Hey, can I expense my shoes and dresses?” “Unfortunately, we don’t have our own budget yet and have to get all expenses approved by Fundraising. I’ve already had a run-in with Dustin about the cost of the flowers. Can you believe he actually asked if we could use

plastic ones? And what’s with not giving us the guest list until two days before the event?” Mandy’s laugh rang through the office. “I think he’s paranoid. He guards his contact list like it’s a state secret. Only he and his secretary have access to it. I was more than happy to leave his department. I like working with you —coming to work is fun again.” “Same here. You’ve made the transition from Buffalo so much easier. Speaking of transitions, any news on your fiancé’s visa?” “No, nothing yet. It’s been almost a year.” Mandy twirled the small diamond ring on her left hand. “I never got a chance to ask, how’d you two meet?” “I’d broken up with my last dog boyfriend and decided to treat myself to a holiday in Italy. I’ve always wanted to go there. So I sold my car and off I went for two weeks. I met Antonio on my first night in Rome and we’ve been in love ever since.” “Don’t you worry he’s just after a green card?” “No. We’re in love. I can tell.” Díos mío, was that how I sounded when I was dating Barry? She’d been a complete idiot to trust him, so desperate to be in a relationship that she’d been a blind fool. It was a good thing she was better at her job than

choosing men. Although… “Do you think I’ve been set up to fail?” Lorelei asked the question that had been bugging her since she’d taken the call from the charity’s Chairman instructing her to hold a gala fundraising dinner. “I don’t know. We’ve never raised a million dollars in six months before, never mind one night. Another rumor I heard is that Head Office is looking to consolidate and the San Fran branch might be disbanded with everything run out of L.A.” The sinking feeling in Lorelei’s stomach doubled. If this event flopped, she’d be taking the blame. And now she not only had her job on the line, but the entire staff’s. “Well, then we’re going to make this an epic night. All of San Francisco will hear about it and be begging to come to our next one,” she said with more confidence than she felt. Two hours later, Mandy tapped the table with her crimson fingernails. “I think this is going to be spectacular. Now if Dustin can fill the place, the guests will be so amazed the money will leap out of their wallets. Shall we go get a drink to celebrate?” “I can’t tonight. I have a date.” “Wow, you go, girl. Not even in the city a month and you’ve already met someone.”

“We haven’t really met. My mom, who is the Supreme Ruler of Interfering Mothers, signed me up with an Internet dating site. There was actually one guy who seemed a bit interesting. He’s an architect who’s traveled the world and now wants to share his life and love of travel with the right woman.” “Is that your dream? To travel the world?” “Actually, my dreams are bit more home-based. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve wanted a big family. I had ten dolls I used to call my babies. I took those dolls everywhere. It was quite a sight.” “You can’t want ten children! That’s barbaric.” “I’d settle for four or five now. Of course, my mother keeps reminding me I’ve left things rather late.” “Do you have lots of brothers and sisters?” “No, it was only me and my mom. My dad…well…he wasn’t around. I do have tons of cousins—one of my aunts had eight kids. I was so jealous. They were always laughing and yelling. It was so quiet at my house. I wanted brothers and sisters to play and fight with.” “Well, there are ways these days to do that without a man.” “No, I want the whole deal—loving husband, lots of noisy children. If that makes me a Neanderthal then I’ll be the one

hanging out with the dodos.” She stared at her desk to avoid the pity she was sure was written on her friend’s face. In this age when women were striving for equality in the corporate world she felt like a sellout wanting to be a stayat-home mom caring for her husband and children. “So where are you meeting your Internet date?” Mandy’s voice broke through her reverie. “At that bar you told me about on Montgomery Street.” Lorelei took another sip of now-cold coffee, hoping to drown the butterflies dancing around in her stomach. She was always nervous before going on a first date. Usually, though, she’d at least met the man in person or he’d been recommended by a friend. “Want me to come along as protection?” “No, I’ll be all right. The place will be crowded on a Friday night. If I think he’s dangerous I’ll ask for help.” “It’s the ones who seem normal who kill you in the shower,” Mandy said. “Gee, thanks.” At least if she were dead she wouldn’t have to preside over a disastrous charity event that was sure to not only get her fired, but cost the entire San Francisco office staff their jobs. No pressure.

…

“Yo, Liam! You home?” David’s voice called out from the front of the house.

I have got to take his keys away before he barges in at an inopportune time. He’d given David a set of keys in case of emergency, but his friend had become so accustomed to coming over, he now let himself in and out any time of day or night. “Yeah, I’m home. Be right out,” he said from the bedroom. Liam glanced once more in the full-length mirror. The face that stared back was alien. Were these the features his mother hated? According to rumor, he was the spitting image of the father whose name he didn’t even know. As a child, seeing his face every day had reminded his mother of her stupidity in throwing away her marriage to Marcus’s father for an ill-fated affair with a man who loved only himself. When he’d been little, he’d gotten through the pain of being hated by his own mother by imagining he’d been kidnapped as a baby and was being raised by a wicked stepmom. Every time they’d gone to the grocery store he’d scour the milk cartons to see if any of the missing children looked like him.

When the first whisker had appeared he’d never shaved it off in the vain hope his mother would realize he was not his father. But by then her indifference had been insurmountable, no matter what he did to try to please her. Now, however, it meant there would be no chance of anyone recognizing the new Liam as the reclusive billionaire with a penchant for Eastern European supermodels. Grabbing his leather jacket from the bed, he wandered out to the main room. He could hear David rummaging around in the kitchen. “Jason has the night off and I’m going out,” Liam said. David stared forlornly at the empty stove. “Are there any leftovers from last night?” David opened the fridge door and stuck his head inside. “Probably.” Liam leaned against the doorframe. David eventually emerged from the fridge with two large plastic containers in his hand. As he turned and caught sight of Liam, his mouth flopped open and he dropped the food on the floor. A chicken drumstick rolled to a stop against Liam’s foot. “What the hell?” “That bad?” Liam glanced down at his clothes. He usually wore either a custom-made suit or jeans and a T-

shirt. The salesclerk at the mall insisted that chinos and a button-down shirt with the leather jacket had regular guy written all over them. David stepped over the mess on the floor and scrutinized Liam up close before retreating. “I can see now why you grew the beard. You’re broken.” “Excuse me?” Liam ran a hand over his now-bare chin and cheeks. The smooth skin felt weird under his fingers. “You’ve got a dent in your chin and a hole in your left cheek as well, definite defects. When this is over you’d better grow the facial hair back as soon as possible.” “Thanks.” “Damn, man, you’re wearing makeup.” “I’ve got a bit of color on because the newly shaved areas are whiter than the rest of my face. I don’t want to look like I’ve just changed my whole appearance,” Liam said. “But you have.” David’s stare was becoming uncomfortable. “Yes, but I don’t want to look like I have. She might think I’ve recently been released from prison or something.” “Or the mental hospital. This is a completely asinine idea.” “You think I don’t know that? But I promised Marcus and I

have to give it a shot. As my friend, you should support me.” “My mom always told me if all my friends were going to jump off a bridge I shouldn’t join them. Except that one time when I cracked the bank’s security system and the cops showed up at the door. Then she was actively encouraging it.” “I’m not jumping from any bridge. I’m hijacking a date, that’s all.” “Right. Now this is the bit of the plan that confuses me.” Liam perched on a stool while David rummaged under the sink for something to clean the floor. “I went back into the dating site. Lorelei has arranged a date with some architect for tonight at a wine bar in the Financial District. He’s not going to show up. I am.” “How did you arrange that? You haven’t had him kidnapped, have you?” David asked. “What kind of person do you think I am? I simply sent him a message from Lorelei’s account saying she had to work late and she’d contact him next week to rearrange. Then I deleted her profile and reimbursed the subscription fees.” “Why did you choose this girl again? Aside from the fact that she’s gorgeous?” “Because she’s new to the area. Apparently she has no relatives here so I won’t have to get involved with her

family.” Liam popped a handful of M&M’s in his mouth. “Sweet. What about the guy whose place you’re taking?” “He’s a loser. Already been married three times and his divorce isn’t even final from his last wife. I’m saving Lorelei from him.” “If thinking that makes you feel better.” “It doesn’t, okay? Just drop it. I promised Marcus I’d finish his book and I’m going to do it, no matter the cost.” “The cost to you? Or others?” Liam stood abruptly, knocking the stool over backward. Before he could pick it up the door opened again.

Who now? “How many people have keys to my place? I’ve got half a million bucks worth of computer equipment here.” “It’s probably Helen. I made her a copy.” “You gave your sister a key? I’m gonna change the locks,” Liam grumbled. “Hi guys, I made some cookies. Thought I’d share,” Helen said as she walked into the kitchen. She wore brightpink oven mitts and carried a metal tray with black blobs welded onto the surface. When her eyes flickered to Liam she dropped the tray, which clattered to the floor. Two of the black blobs managed to free themselves and shattered into a million fragments.

“You’re the second person to drop something when they’ve seen me. Is it really that bad?” “No, no, it’s good, it’s very, very good,” Helen said, breathless. She bent down to sweep up the crumbs on the floor with her hand, her eyes never leaving Liam’s face. “You’re making more of a mess, Helen,” David said, a note of exasperation in his voice. He picked up the tray and tossed it into the sink, then crossed to the closet across the room and retrieved the broom. Still Helen stared at Liam. “So, I need some advice on how to approach Lorelei,” Liam said. “Tell her she’s too beautiful to sit alone,” David said as he emptied the dustpan into the garbage. Liam grimaced. No wonder David hadn’t had a date in all the years he’d known him. “I don’t think you need to say anything,” Helen said. Her gaze dropped to the floor. “Excuse me, I think I left the oven on.” She raced from the room, both Liam and David staring after her. “Women are crazy. Are you sure you want to get involved with one?” David said as the door slammed behind Helen. He picked up the jacket from the stool next to him and shrugged into it. “I’m not getting involved. Not really,

anyway. Make sure you lock up and put the alarm on when you’ve finished trashing my kitchen. And leave a note telling Jason you made the mess. I’m not taking the rap for it.” With another handful of M&M’s for good luck, Liam strode out the door. Time to put the first act in motion.

Chapter Three Lorelei sat next to the window at the trendy wine bar. The chair opposite her was empty, for now. She’d arrived five minutes late, hoping Richard, her Internet date, would already be there waiting. She didn’t want to appear eager. Apparently, neither did he, and twenty minutes later she still sat alone. Picking up her phone from the table she checked again for a message. He had her email address but not her cell number. It had seemed too stupid to give a man she’d never met her phone number. At least with the email account she could block his messages if he annoyed her. Pity she hadn’t thought to get his. She was rusty at this blind date thing. She stared out the window. People were emptying from office buildings as though getting their first taste of freedom

after doing twenty years. A group of three junior execs in cheap suits pointed across the street to the bar as though discussing whether to go there first or home to their wives and girlfriends. How much longer should she give him? Ten minutes? He’d said his office was in Oakland, but he had a meeting in San Fran today. Perhaps his meeting was running late. It didn’t bode well for her fundraising dinner if she couldn’t even get an Internet date to show. Her phone vibrated on the table with an incoming text.

Where are you? Tried your home number. Her mother’s number appeared on the call display. I’m on a date, Lorelei texted back.

Then why are you writing me back? That’s rude. He’s in the washroom. Has he been in there long? Maybe he has a problem. When he gets back ask him if he eats enough fiber. And this was why she didn’t let her dates meet her mother.

He’s back. Got to go. She didn’t like lying to her mother, but if she knew her date hadn’t shown the inquisition would start. “Can I get you another ginger ale?” A server stood next to her table, staring pointedly at Lorelei’s empty glass.

“Oh, um, I’ll wait another couple of minutes,” she said. She’d ordered the soda rather than a glass of wine because she’d wanted her wits about her when Richard arrived. The waitress motioned toward the bar and Lorelei looked around at the former near-empty space, which had become crowded over the past half hour. Patrons hovered around the bar and all the other tables were occupied. “I will need you to order soon. We have other guests wanting a table.” Lorelei picked her phone off the table and grabbed her bag from the floor. Before she could stand a deep male voice spoke. “I’ll have a glass of merlot, 2008 Decoy if you have it. And for the lady?” “The same,” Lorelei said. Her eyes followed the darkblue-clad legs up past a trim waist and massive chest, to a face that would haunt her dreams for nights. When he smiled, a dimple formed in his left cheek. An Internet date who looked better than his profile picture. But he had brown eyes. Richard the architect was supposed to have blue eyes. This epitome of masculinity wasn’t her date. “I’m waiting for someone,” Lorelei said as the tall man sat down. She hoped he didn’t hear the disappointment in

her voice. “Not a problem. When he shows up I’ll disappear into the night. Besides, if he sees me sitting here maybe next time he’ll be on time.” “I guess it’ll be all right.” She wasn’t sure how she could get him to move even if she did object. “I’m Liam Mackenzie.” He held out a hand. “Lorelei Torres.” She put her hand out and shook his. He held it for a moment longer than absolutely necessary, but not so long as to be creepy. The waitress arrived with the drinks and a lingering smile for her companion. Lorelei took a sip; the wine was smooth and full-bodied, and probably not a cheap vintage. Still, if she only had the one glass she wouldn’t blow her whole entertainment budget. “So, who are you waiting for? Your husband? Boyfriend?” Lorelei glanced at her watch. Richard was forty minutes late and hadn’t let her know. He was done. “Doesn’t matter. What about you? Are you waiting for someone, or trolling?” Liam laughed. “I was supposed to meet a client, but he canceled last-minute. I saw you sitting all alone and decided my night didn’t have to be a complete waste.” “Well, I don’t sleep with men I’ve just met. So if you want

to move on to easier pickings I’m sure you can have your choice of women here tonight.” She tamped down the rising disappointment. After the way Barry treated her, it was difficult to believe a man was interested in more than her body. Liam laughed again. “I’m not here for a hookup, but thanks for the vote of confidence. I thought maybe you wouldn’t want to walk out of here alone, having sat at the table by yourself for the past thirty minutes.” “You’ve been watching me?” “No more than I’ve been watching everyone else. My brother is, was, a writer. He was fascinated by people. When we would hang out in public he used to make up stories about the people around us. I guess I’ve fallen into the habit of doing the same.” “Tell me a story.” It seemed a good way to get him to stay at her table a little longer, if only to forget for a moment she’d been stood up. And nothing to do with the fact he was drool-worthy gorgeous. He smiled before scanning the room. “See the couple standing over at the end of the bar?” Lorelei wrenched her gaze from him and spotted a couple at the far end. The man was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that looked two sizes too small. Next to him a

wo ma n had on a red dress that barely covered her backside while she teetered on four-inch black stilettos. “Yeah, I see them.” “His name is Jett, because his parents thought they were cool. And she’s Beatrice, because her parents weren’t. They met at a club last weekend. Under the influence, they each thought the other was amazing. And they’ve been telling their friends all week about finding the perfect guy/girl. But now, in the light of day, they’re not too sure. They have nothing in common and she thinks he’s a douche for checking out all the other women here and he thinks she’s boring because she doesn’t like motorbikes.” “That’s not very romantic,” she said. However, as she watched, the woman put her empty glass on the bar, whispered something in the man’s direction, then wobbled her way to the far end of the room, bumping into a woman and nearly spilling her drink. Lorelei glanced back to the bar and the man had already sidled up to a group of women who appeared to be celebrating a birthday. “Your turn,” Liam said. “My turn?” Lorelei turned back to her companion and a frisson of excitement shot through her when his dark eyes met hers. “Choose a couple or group and tell me a story.”

At least it would stop her from staring at him. “Okay.” Lorelei gazed around the room. A woman in a black dress stood next to a man wearing a suit. He had his arm around her shoulder and they seemed engrossed in each other. “The couple over there.” She nodded her head toward the two happy drinkers. “The woman in the dress that was too-great-a-bargainto-pass-up-even-though -it’s-uncomfortable and the guy trying to compensate for his lack of height by wearing pinstripes?” “Ah, yeah. They’re a married couple who work nearby. They’ve met up for a drink before going to dinner, then home,” Lorelei said. “They’re thinking about starting a family but worried over the cost and who will give up work to look after the baby.” “I can already tell you’re a good person, because you want people happy,” he said. “So, what’s my story?” Lorelei took a sip of her wine. With Liam’s full gaze on her she put her hand on her chest, fingering the silver necklace her mother had given her on her twenty-first birthday. She pressed the points of the star into her fingers to stay grounded. It would be so easy to lose herself in his eyes, forget what she wanted in life, and take whatever crumb he was offering so she wasn’t alone.

“I can’t figure you out—that’s why I came over. You’re far too beautiful to be sitting here alone.” He grimaced at the corny line but carried on. “And any guy who stands you up must be an idiot. What I can’t work out is why you would date an idiot.” “It was a first date. I didn’t realize he was an idiot. I’m new to San Francisco.” “Well, then on behalf of the men of San Francisco, let me welcome you to our city. I’d like to take your date’s place and have dinner with you.” He leaned across the table, cutting the distance between them. She caught a whiff of his cologne and it tingled her nostrils, making her want to inhale deeply. “I don’t think—” “Please, I hate eating alone. All that’s waiting for me at home is an empty apartment and a frozen meal. What do you say?” His deep-brown eyes gazed into hers. She was mesmerized by their chocolaty depths with no desire to escape. Another set of brown eyes flickered into her memory only to evaporate in a surge of heat as he smiled and the dimple in his cheek appeared. She’d always been a sucker for dimples. “I guess dinner would be okay.” After all, she’d planned on going on a date. Did it matter which guy she ate with?

“Great, I booked a table at Domenico’s to take my client. If we hurry we can still make the reservation. Are you done here?” Liam signaled to the waitress and pulled out his wallet. “I can pay for my drink.” Lorelei reached for her bag under the table. “No need, I’ll expense it. I work for a mega-rich company. They can afford a drink and a meal.” He handed a couple of bills to the waitress and waved the change away. “Aren’t you supposed to be dining with a client?” “Do you own a computer?” “Yes.” She wondered at the non sequitur question. “Well, I’m in the computer industry. If you own a computer then you are, in effect, a client as well.” “Don’t you think that’s stretching it a bit?” She stood next to him. He put an arm out inviting her to lead the way through the crowd, taking up a protective stance behind her. “Not for you,” he murmured so softly she wasn’t positive that was what he said.

Chapter Four The cool night air cleared the slight wine buzz that had fogged Lorelei’s brain. It did nothing to the buzz of attraction, which drew her to the man next to her. She hadn’t even felt that way when she’d first met Barry; it had taken several dates before she’d felt anything for him. “Before we take another step, I have to ask, are you married?” Liam held out his left hand; his ring finger was bare, with no sign of a tan line. “Nope. No girlfriend in the background, either.” “I find that hard to believe. After all, you’re not exactly ugly.” Heat coursed through Lorelei’s face. Well, the man must own a mirror, he had to know. He smiled again and the dimple reappeared. “Thanks,

but it’s been a tough year.” “Oh, I’m sorry.” He turned and peered down the street. Obviously, he wasn’t a man who talked about his feelings. “Doesn’t matter. The restaurant is about five blocks away. Do you want to get a taxi?” “I’m all right walking if you are.” “Sure.” He seemed about to reach for her hand but shoved it into his pocket instead. “So, were you born in San Francisco?” “A little farther down the coast, but I’ve lived here for the past twenty years so I consider it home. What about you? Where are you from?” “Buffalo. I lived there until about a month ago. Then I decided it was time for a change.” “Would the question about whether or not I’m married have some bearing on your decision to move?” “Yeah.” The heat was back in her face; hopefully Liam didn’t notice. She’d come all the way to San Francisco to distance herself from the Barry debacle. Making the same mistake with the man beside her was unthinkable. Her boss had overlooked one misdemeanor in her personal life. Two blots on her reputation and she’d be out of a job with little chance of securing another in the charity field.

“Here we are,” he said as they stopped in front of an Italian restaurant. He held the door while she entered and then spoke quietly with the maître d’. The older man looked her up and down and then led them over to a booth at the far back of the restaurant, in a secluded corner. Liam held her chair while she sat. “This is the table you reserved for your dinner with a client?” She raised an eyebrow as he sat next to her. She couldn’t imagine a more romantic setting. “Of course,” he said, straight-faced. “The seclusion allows for a frank business discussion without fear that a competitor will overhear.” “Ah,” she said, not convinced at all. He smiled and she forgot what her objection was to the quiet table. Her companion was charming and the meal passed quicker than any other she’d had in recent memory. Several times her phone had vibrated in her bag against her ankle but she ignored it. By the time the server cleared the table she was full, yet she didn’t want the evening to end. “Can I tempt you with dessert?” The waiter hovered at their table. “Not for me,” Lorelei said with genuine regret.

“I’ll pass as well,” Liam said. “Please give our compliments to the chef, the meal was excellent.” “I will, sir. The check?” “Yes, please.” Lorelei reached for her bag. “Don’t even think about it. This is a business meal. I told you I’ll expense it.” Liam put his warm, strong hand on hers where it rested on the table. The innocent touch had her wanting more. She fingered her necklace again to bring herself back to reality. They were strangers, no matter how her skin tingled when he touched her. “But we didn’t even discuss computers,” she said. “Because computers are boring. You Mac or PC?” “PC.” “Then you need me. I can make sure your virus protection and firewall are up to date and there are no malware, spyware, viruses, or bots on your system.” “What would you have replied if I’d said Mac?” “The same thing.” The grin was back and a little more of Lorelei’s resistance melted. God, he was gorgeous. Lorelei was imagining what his lips would feel like on hers when she realized he was speaking again. “…tomorrow?”

“Sorry?” “I asked what you’re doing tomorrow? It’s supposed to be one of those rare sunny, warm summer days. As a native Californian it is my sworn duty to show you the sights.” “Really?” “Yup. When we get our first voter registration card we have to promise to show at least one East Coaster what living is really about. You’d be doing me a great favor, ’cause this responsibility has been hanging over me for a while now. And I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather spend the day with.” “I’d love that—helping you out, that is. It’s the least I can do to repay you for tonight.” Despite the left side of her brain telling her it was just a friendly invitation and meant nothing, the right side was sending all kinds of conflicting signals through her body, and a slow-burning heat began to smolder in her belly. He wanted to see her again. “I hoped you’d see it that way.” He waited while she gathered her bag and the jacket she’d discarded after the second glass of wine. Following her out of the restaurant, he placed a hand on her back. She knew it was simply a support as she wobbled a bit as she walked, but couldn’t help wondering what it would be

like to have Liam holding her for another reason. She shook her head. This was her whole problem. One nice guy, who hadn’t spent the entire evening talking about himself, and she was already picturing them together. What she needed was to take a step back and listen to reason and not her heart. There was a first time for everything. Standing on the street, Liam helped her into her jacket. The cool breeze off the ocean sent a shiver up her spine. Or was it another whiff of his cologne as he straightened her collar? He scanned the street, then pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll get taxis for us,” he said as he waited for the call to connect. “So, what do you want to see tomorrow?” “You’re the native. I’ll let you choose where we go.” “Sure, put all the pressure on me. There’s an Italian coffee shop on Vallejo Street just east of Columbus Avenue. Why don’t we meet there at nine o’clock?” “I know the place. What should I wear?” “Comfortable shoes. Anything else is optional.” The dimple was back. A taxi pulled up and Liam opened the door for her. “The taxi is on my company account so don’t worry about paying him. I’ll see you tomorrow, Lorelei. I’ve really enjoyed this evening.”

“I have as well, thank you.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and dug her fingernails into her palm. She wanted to kiss him. Should she kiss him? After she climbed into the taxi, she opened the window in case he wanted to bend down and kiss her. Liam handed the driver a couple of notes and instructed him to take her wherever she wanted to go. He stood back as the taxi pulled away from the curb. It probably wasn’t cool, and it definitely appeared desperate, but she watched him out the back window until the taxi turned the corner.

… A second taxi pulled up in front of the restaurant and Liam climbed in, giving the driver his address. He leaned back in the seat and let a self-satisfied grin cross his face. Tonight had gone exceptionally well. And he had a date for tomorrow. If that went anywhere near as smoothly as tonight he’d have this romance sewn up and the book finished within the month. He still couldn’t believe he was doing this. It was sheer stupidity taking a leave of absence from the company he founded to write a novel for his brother. Marcus had been the writer in the family; what did Liam know about fiction?

He wrote security programs, not romance novels. The whole thing had disaster written all over it. But he’d promised Marcus, and his brother had been the only person in his life to love him, so he had to do it. His heart wrenched again, thinking about Marcus’s last breath, his grip weakening until his hand was limp in Liam’s…the inconsolable sobbing of Marcus’s wife as the nurse pulled the sheet over her husband’s face… To stop the memories from overwhelming him, he stared at the taxi’s ceiling and remembered Lorelei’s green eyes, which crinkled at the corners when something amused her. His fingers longed to run through her hair, to scatter the pins that had welded it to the back of her head and see it tumble down her back, preferably her naked back. He gritted his teeth. No, he couldn’t go there. No sex. It was one thing to lead her on and romance her for the sake of his brother’s book—he couldn’t go as far as sex, as much as he wanted to. He’d seen a flash of vulnerability in her eyes that had nearly made him tell her right there the whole thing was a sham. But was it? So far they’d had a meal together. Tomorrow they’d do some sightseeing. It was no big deal. Except he had a sinking feeling it was about to be. What had David said? He was so screwed.

Ten minutes later the taxi pulled up in front of his building. Climbing out, he handed a twenty to the driver. Near his door he could hear the subwoofer throbbing to some action-adventure film. He turned the key, and sure enough only the bottom lock was latched. He heaved a sigh. It was like living in the frat house again. College was long behind him—as was the fool he’d made of himself there. If it weren’t for David he probably would have told Diana, his second girlfriend, all about his new security program. As it was, David had seen her being overly friendly with a rival programmer, and alerted Liam to the fact that she was another corporate spy. Twice was more than enough to learn not to trust women. Yeah, he owed David a lot, but there had to be some boundaries. “Hey man, you’re back early,” David said as he popped his head over the sofa. “Is it? It’s after ten o’clock.” Liam grabbed a handful of M&M’s and dropped into the armchair, his back to the TV. Helen straightened from where she’d been lounging on the other sofa and ran a hand over her hair. “How’d it go?” David turned the volume down on the film. “Good. I’m seeing her again tomorrow, taking her on a tour of San Francisco. Any ideas on what we can do?”

“Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, cable car, the normal tourist fare,” David said. “Sounds mind-numbingly boring,” Helen said. “What would you suggest?” Liam turned to Helen. She didn’t meet his eyes. Odd, she’d never been shy with him before. “A baseball game,” she said in a rush. “Really? I thought that would be at the top of the boring list.” “No, women love it. Three hours, at least, to talk and get to know each other. Plus, they think they’re doing something the man likes so that makes them even happier. It’s a win-win situation.” Liam shook his head. “I hate baseball.” “But it’s a regular guy thing,” David said. “I guess.” Liam wasn’t convinced. Even with Lorelei for company he wasn’t sure he could sit through the tedium. “So, did you make a move on her?” David leaned forward. “No. Don’t be an idiot.” “I’m not an idiot. A woman that hot must know how to do all kinds of wicked things to a man. I thought she’d be all over you with this new look of yours.” “Shut up.” Liam heaved himself out of his chair. “Time to

go home. I want to lock up and hit the sack.” David resembled a man who had been sucker punched. Liam had never kicked his friend out of his place before. “What’s up, bro?” “Nothing. I’m tired and I have another date tomorrow so I need sleep.” “Two dates in twenty-four hours. Must be good.” “Yeah. Good night, Helen.” Helen gave him a watery smile, like she might burst into tears at any minute. What was going on with her now? What had he done to upset her? After his guests left he locked the door and set the alarm. Despite what he’d said to David, he was too restless to sleep. So he poured a glass of whiskey and wandered into his home office. As the array of monitors came to life he relaxed, back in his world now. He did a test penetration into a new client’s system. It took twenty minutes, but he was able to access their core data and financial information. Flagging the weakness, he sent a message to his team working on the project. Usually, he experienced a sense of triumph at circumnavigating a system’s security protocols; this time he just felt hollow. He had a knack for finding weaknesses, a knack that had made him a millionaire by the time he was

twenty-three and a billionaire at twenty-eight. All his money hadn’t been able to save Marcus, so it was useless as far as he was concerned. Closing his eyes, the image of Lorelei’s face was there again, taunting him. Her full lips slightly open, inviting his kiss, her green eyes clear and bright, laughing at something he said. Long, silky brown hair framed her flawless face. He clenched his jaw. He thrust his chair back and returned to the living room. A photo of Marcus holding his first published book stood on the mantel. Liam picked it up and stared into his brother’s face. This is for you, brother. I hope you knew what you

were asking.

… Lorelei stared at the cracked plaster ceiling above her bed. If she didn’t have a death grip on her grandmother’s handquilted bedspread to anchor her to reality, she’d float up to the overhead light. She’d flopped there after arriving home from her disaster-turned-dream date. She couldn’t believe the evening had turned out so well. She flipped over and grabbed her laptop from her bag by the bed. She opened it and waited for it to boot up. This

time, she was determined to be sensible, not let herself be used just so she wasn’t alone. A friend had once suggested that because she had no relationship with her father, she sought approval from other men. She’d dismissed the accusation at the time, but after the disaster with Barry she had done a lot of thinking. Barry had always made the decisions about where they’d go, what they’d do. At first she’d told herself she liked that he was decisive and manly. Now, she realized he was selfish and conniving. If she wanted a man to respect her, she had to respect herself first. The familiar sound of Skype loading told her she’d connected to the Internet. She searched the name Liam Mackenzie only to find a couple sparse social media profiles, a few photos of someone riding a dirt bike with a helmet on, which she assumed was him, and a couple of papers he’d written on security programming. Under “employment status” it said contractor for IWC Security. Maybe if she got a chance she could ask him about William Manning, the CEO. There was no indication of a girlfriend, a wife, or any known criminal activity. She searched Mrs. Liam Mackenzie just to be sure, but nothing came up. Liam had a job and a sense of humor, and he’d treated her like a perfect gentleman. Her mom would love him.

Lorelei groaned. For Díos’s sake, she was a twentyeight-year-old woman, not some flighty teenager. Still, her heart raced when she thought of seeing Liam again tomorrow. She needed someone to talk sense into her. Her three close friends from Buffalo were all on vacation. She was supposed to have gone with them, but it was yet another thing Barry had screwed up. When she’d been offered the lifeline of the job here in San Francisco it hadn’t seemed the time to ask if it could wait until she got back from vacation. Rolling off her bed, she found her cell phone and sent a text to Mandy to see if she was still awake. Within a minute her friend replied. Rather than have a conversation via smiley faces, she called her number. “How’d it go with the globe-trotting architect? Are you going to have beautiful babies together?” “He didn’t show,” Lorelei said. She’d forgotten about Richard. “Dog. I’m sorry, sweetie. There’ll be another guy. Maybe a trip to Europe will help.” “No need. I met someone else.” She couldn’t help the triumph in her voice. “You picked up some guy in the bar?” “Technically, he picked me up.”

“Is he there now?” Mandy whispered as if afraid to be heard by Lorelei’s date. “No, of course not. What kind of girl do you think I am?” Actually, since Mandy knew about Barry, she probably thought Lorelei was easy. She wouldn’t be, not this time. Then an image of Liam with a mischievous smile on his face flitted through her mind and her knees went weak. “Well, I was hoping one of us might see some action this weekend. So, who is he?” “His name’s Liam.” Lorelei caught herself twirling a lock of hair around her finger. Díos, next thing she’d be writing Mrs. Lorelei Mackenzie in her math book. “And?” “And he works for IWC Security. So I may ask him about William Manning, see if I can get some info on him to use for future reference.” “Forget work. What’s Liam like?” “He’s gorgeous, and kind and considerate and not married. Definitely not married,” Lorelei said. “Sounds too good to be true.” “Yeah, he does, doesn’t he?” Maybe her luck had changed. There was the eternal optimist again. “Well, I’m glad to hear you had a good time. See you Monday.”

“Then I can tell you about our date tomorrow,” Lorelei said. “What? You’re seeing him again tomorrow?” “Yup, he’s taking me on a tour of San Francisco.” “You go, girl.” “Do you think I’m being a bit rash?” So much for getting some sense knocked into her. Mandy was no help. Lorelei climbed off the bed and paced the floor from the bedroom to the kitchen. Ten steps. Pacing wasn’t going to ease her restlessness. A two-mile jog wouldn’t ease her restlessness. “You’re asking the woman who agreed to marry a man she’d only known for two weeks. I don’t think I’m the one to lecture you on taking things slow.” “So you don’t think I’m being overhasty or appear too eager?” “How do you feel?” Lorelei heaved a sigh. “Like I’m walking on clouds.” “Well, be careful, sweetie. It’s a long fall from the clouds. And to be safe, insist on using public transit and only to places with lots of people. And call me when you get back.” “Okay. ’Night, Mandy.” Lorelei hung up and resumed staring at the ceiling. If she closed her eyes she could still see Liam’s face, the dimple

that appeared in his left cheek when he smiled and the way his brown eyes melted when he gazed at her. Damn, this wasn’t helping. She’d just give in to the fantasy. Tonight she was going to dream of a tall, dark, handsome stranger who wined and dined her, then disappeared into the night. Tomorrow, she’d find out more about him and if she could trust him. Díos, she hoped she could trust him.

Chapter Five Lorelei stepped into the coffee shop at precisely nine the next morning. Liam was already there, with a mug of coffee on the table in front of him. As she approached, he stood and her eyes ran the length of him. He was tall, maybe six foot four at least. Today he was wearing a pair of snug jeans that showed off his muscular thighs, and didn’t sag in the back. Díos help her if he bent over. His baby-blue shirt emphasized his brown hair and dark eyes, which at the moment were checking her out. A smile of greeting curved his lips and the dimple made a brief appearance. Morning stubble covered his cheeks and chin, hiding the cleft she knew was there. He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the too-combed style he’d been sporting. She had a sudden vision of what Liam

would look like first thing in the morning, lying on the pillow next to hers. Heat flooded through her body at the thought. “You are beautiful.” The words seemed to come out of his mouth unbidden and she saw him bite down on his bottom lip. Was that a flush she detected on his cheeks? Her legs went a bit wobbly at the thought that maybe he was as attracted to her as she was to him. She repeated her new decision-making mantra—cabeza, corazón, cuerpo: head first, heart second, body definitely last. “Thank you.” She didn’t add that she’d been up since six trying on various outfits. Finally settling on a pair of jeans, fitted enough to reveal her shape without cutting off her circulation, and a cotton peasant top with blue flowers embroidered around the neckline. She hoped it said casual elegance and not I couldn’t be bothered. “Do you want a coffee before we head off?” He stared at her mouth this time. Was he thinking about a kiss? Her lips tingled and she ran her tongue over them. His eyes widened in response. She cleared her throat before she could answer. “No, I’m good. I had one at home.” No way was she going to risk coffee breath if Liam decided to take action on his thoughts. “My car is around the corner—”

“I thought we’d take public transit. That way we get the real local experience.” “Public transit?” Liam regarded her like she’d suggested they crawl on their knees around the city. “Yes, then we don’t have to worry about parking,” she added, hoping that would seal the deal. “But, my car…” “Public transit or I don’t go.” She crossed her arms and waited for him to adjust to the change in plan. “You drive a hard bargain, lady. I’m going to have to brush up on my negotiation skills.” Lorelei smiled. At least he wasn’t having everything his way. She was determined, this time, to maintain her backbone. With previous boyfriends she’d given in on everything from where they ate to what she wore, just to keep them happy—to keep them from leaving. “Great. Let’s get you a one-day passport so we don’t have to find correct change all the time.” Liam grumbled something she couldn’t understand. After a minute he shrugged off his sulk and started to tease her. “You’re not one of those environmentalists, are you, who think cars are evil and everyone should ride bikes and wear hemp and bamboo clothes?” “No, of course not. I had a car in Buffalo. It’s just

everything is so convenient here I haven’t felt the need to get another one. And…” She put her hand on his shoulder and stood on tiptoe to get near his ear. “I have at least twenty pairs of leather boots,” she whispered. Liam stopped walking and turned to face her. “Twenty pairs of leather boots? You decadent woman! Dare I hope at least one pair is thigh-high that you wear with a leather outfit?” Laughter danced in his eyes and a mischievous grin split his face. “You may never know,” Lorelei said with a smile to match his. Did he have any idea how gorgeous he was? She hadn’t once caught him checking out his reflection in the shop windows they passed. Why did she keep comparing Liam to past boyfriends? He shook his head as if to get his mind off the image of Lorelei in all leather. “I hope you realize that by making me take the bus you’ve completely destroyed my upper hand. I haven’t been on public transit in years. I have no idea where to go.” “Then you’re in for a treat,” Lorelei said. Liam appeared skeptical. “Come on, you’re a people watcher. Public transit is a veritable cornucopia of human diversity.” “Hmm, we’ll see.” He still didn’t seem convinced about the merits of her plan. “Anyway, while we’re in the area we

might as well go up Coit Tower, unless you’ve been already?” When she shook her head he continued. “And I suppose you’re going to make me walk up the stairs.” “Of course. Unless you don’t think you can make it?” “Oh, I think I can make it.” The look he shot her from under hooded lids said he had the stamina for all kinds of activities. He certainly appeared fit enough. After ten minutes Lorelei started to slow. By fifteen minutes she was gasping for breath, while he could have been taking a gentle stroll along the beach. “All right, hotshot. So you’re fit,” she gasped out as the finally made it to the top of the hill. “Please tell me there’s an elevator inside and we don’t have to climb more stairs.” “There is. You can catch your breath while we check out the murals.” They wandered around the base of the tower and examined the artwork. More than once Lorelei caught Liam’s eyes on her and not the paintings. When she saw the depiction of a family of immigrants by the river, she grabbed Liam’s hand to show him. Realizing the silliness of holding hands with a man she’d only met the day before, she tried to withdraw but Liam tightened his fingers. So by the time they joined the dozen other people waiting for the elevator, they were hand in hand.

When they stood on the observation platform, Lorelei had to pull free of Liam’s grasp to find her camera in her bag. She missed the physical contact and when he put his arm around her shoulder instead, she leaned into him. His warmth, his strength, felt so good she forgot what she was looking for, until she spotted her camera under her EpiPen case. “The view is spectacular,” she said after snapping a dozen shots through the various windows. “I agree.” Liam’s voice was soft and low, and Lorelei glanced up to find that he was staring at her and not the skyline. Warmth invaded her body that had nothing to do with the sunshine beating down on them. “Would you like me to take a photo of you and your husband?” Liam stiffened at the word husband. Lorelei turned her head to find a woman with a small child standing next to them. She’d almost forgotten there were other people around. “Thanks, that’d be nice,” Liam said, gently taking the camera from her hand and passing it to the woman. “Smile, sweetheart,” he said as the woman lined up the shot. “There. Lovely picture,” the lady said as she handed the camera back. “You make a beautiful couple. You’ll have

gorgeous babies.” Lorelei glanced up at Liam at the woman’s pronouncement. A shadow crossed his eyes before he blinked. “Thank you.” His voice sounded strained, colder. Or was it her imagination? He cleared his throat and looked over her shoulder, not meeting her eyes. “If you’ve got enough photos we can head down the Greenwich Street stairs. I think a cold drink and a snack are called for. We’ve worked off the calories on the climb up.” “Sounds great.” Lorelei said. It was far too soon in their acquaintance to discuss marriage and babies, no matter how often the thought had flitted through her brain during the morning. Díos mío, she was more like her mother than she wanted to think. She only hoped she could make it through the day without dropping onto one knee and proposing.

… They sat at a small metal table on the sidewalk. He gave up trying not to touch her legs with his. He’d given up trying to stop himself from touching her since she’d slipped her hand in his at the tower. They’d descended the stairs hand in hand, and when she’d stopped to take photos his arm had

naturally gone around her shoulders or her waist. Nope, no touching was no longer an option. Best he could hope for now was to keep to his clothes-on rule. Except the image of Lorelei in leather with thigh-high boots kept creeping into his mind every time he stopped reciting “get a grip” in binary. “So, where to next, Mr. Tour Guide?” Lorelei sipped a glass of iced tea; her face was slightly flushed from the decent from Telegraph Hill. Still, nothing like it’d be after they made love. Damn, 0100011101… “Liam?” She put her hand on his on the table. He coughed, pretending he’d choked on his muffin and not been caught up in an illicit fantasy. “Well, if I had my car I’d suggest we drive over to Golden Gate Park…” She dug around in her cavernous handbag and pulled out a ratty map. “Golden Gate Park, hmm, we can take the number 10 bus from Sansome and Broadway, get off at Sutter Street and then catch the number 71 at Market and Second.” “You’re kidding me, right?” Liam swigged his pomegranate juice, wishing it were something stronger. “My car’s five blocks from here.” “Where’s your sense of adventure?” Still imagining you in those boots. “It died at the age of

sixteen when I got my driver’s license.” “Niño!” Lorelei stuck her tongue out at him and he had to grip the juice bottle with all his strength to stop himself from pulling her into a kiss. When was the last time a woman had teased him like this? When was the last time a woman hadn’t let him have his own way? There were perks to being rich, but now he was realizing there were pitfalls as well. No woman he’d been with had stood up to him the way Lorelei did. And he liked it. “All right. As you insist on dragging me around by bus we’d better get a move on. It’s going to take all day at this rate.” “Hey, you promised me a full day’s sightseeing. Got someplace else you’re supposed to be?” “Nope. Just wanted to give you the full tour. If I don’t do it right, then the state gets after me and I have to do it all over again.” “Don’t worry, I won’t be making any complaints.” Her eyes did that quick rove over his body thing they’d done in the coffee shop this morning. Her tongue peeked out of her mouth and licked her upper lip. He shot to his feet. If she did that one more time he’d drag her to his car and take her back to his place for a sightseeing adventure of an entirely different variety.

An hour and a half later, Liam pulled gently on the oars as they sat in a boat on Stow Lake. Lorelei trailed her fingers in the water, a blissful expression on her face. “This is absolutely gorgeous. I never knew a place like this existed in the city.” “To be honest, I’ve never been here before, either. I read about it last night and thought it sounded interesting.” “Are you sure you’re okay rowing? I don’t mind walking around.” “The view’s better from the water,” he said, distracted. Actually, rowing kept his hands busy and less likely to roam all over her sexy body. He gave himself a mental shake. This was only a game to get into the spirit of Marcus’s character. At least he’d managed to get half a chapter written last night when the hero and heroine first met. It was complete crap and read like a five-year-old had written it, but the words were down. Liam had to give it to his brother. It was slightly easier to write how the main character felt at seeing the heroine, having experienced the same feelings himself a few hours earlier. Today’s adventure had given him further fodder for the growing romance between the characters. “So, what exactly do you do with computers?” Lorelei looked as though she was trying to keep a grip on reality as

well. “I work for a company that specializes in security. We analyze our clients’ systems for vulnerabilities and then suggest changes or sometimes even create programs to prevent hacks and breaches.” “Sounds interesting. How do you check for vulnerabilities?” “We try hacking into their system. The longer it takes, the better their security.” “Have you ever hacked into a system of someone who wasn’t your client?” “I plead the fifth on that one,” he said quickly. She hesitated for a moment then asked, “What company do you work for?” “IWC Security.” A bead of sweat tricked down his brow and he wiped it with his sleeve. He hadn’t been prepared for an interrogation. Although this is probably what most people talked about at the start of a relationship. Relationship. Even the word sent a shiver through him. “You said last night they were mega-rich. Have you been with them long?” “A while now. I work from home at the moment.” “Do you know William Manning, the CEO?” Had she found him out? He darted a look at her face but

it was serene, innocent. His stomach fell to the bottom of the boat and the trickle of perspiration turned into a torrent. He dropped the oars and splashed a bit of cold water on his arms, giving him time to answer. “I’ve met him. He’s very private, doesn’t get out much. I’ve heard people say that when you look into his eyes you can see lines of code scrolling across.” Lorelei laughed and the tension in his shoulders relaxed a fraction. He needed to turn this conversation away from him. “What about you, what do you do?” “Hmm?” Lorelei seemed lost in thought. “Oh, I’m an Event Director for the Happy Day charity. We arrange days out for children undergoing treatment for long-term illnesses. I organize some of the fundraising events.” “Sounds like satisfying work. Do you enjoy it?” “Yes. It can be difficult to come up with new ideas to keep the events fresh, but when I see the smiles on the kids’ faces after they’ve had their dreams come true then all the effort pays off.” A frown creased her brow. But before he could ask what was worrying her, she shrugged her shoulders. “Anyway, it’s not what I really wanted to do in life. I just kind of fell into the job and discovered I had a knack for it.”

“What do you want to do?” She fiddled with her necklace, not meeting his eyes. “You’ll laugh if I tell you.” “Now I’m intrigued. I promise not to laugh.” She looked him full in the face, her gorgeous green eyes wary yet resolute. “I want to be a mom, a wife, and a mom. Ideally, I’d like to stay at home and care for my family, cook, keep the house and garden, that sort of thing. I know, though, in this day and age most wives have to earn money as well.” A chill swept through him at the thought of marriage and babies. He should stop this charade right now. This was not the woman for him. His chest tightened at the longing on Lorelei’s face and the wistful way she spoke. It had been bad enough when the woman at Coit Tower assumed they were married and said they’d make beautiful babies. To see the same desire written all over her had him wanting to jump out of the boat and swim for shore. He had to clear his throat before he could draw in the air to answer, and judging by her face, he needed to answer. “I don’t think that’s funny. I think it’s great. Most women want a career at the expense of family life. It’s refreshing to find someone who wants to put her family first.” From the expression of relief that flooded over her face he knew he’d

made the right reply. Oddly enough, he hadn’t had to think long before he spoke. “Was your mom the stay-at-home kind, or did she work?” Lorelei’s innocent question unleashed a torrent of painful memories. “She worked.” He hadn’t meant to speak so sharply. Lorelei’s smile faded. He plastered a grin on his face and pointed at the shore. “There’s Huntington Falls—you should get a picture.” After Lorelei snapped a couple of photos, Liam headed back to shore. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Let’s get a bite to eat at the Japanese Tea Garden.” He’d been about to suggest Spruce, one of the priciest restaurants in the area and one he’d frequented before with some dates. That probably wasn’t in keeping with a casual date for a regular guy. There must be a hot dog stand somewhere nearby. Lorelei was quiet and Liam wished he hadn’t been so abrupt when she’d asked about his mother. She had no idea of the loathing that churned in his stomach when he thought of the woman who had given birth to him. He took Lorelei’s hand in his and led her along the treelined path to the garden. “So, why did you choose to move to San Francisco? Was it your job? Seems a big move if

it’s not something you plan on doing long-term.” “I wanted to leave Buffalo and this job became vacant at the same time. It was a win-win.” “Well, Buffalo’s loss is San Francisco’s gain.” Oh man, that sounded so trite. Where was the comfortable companionship of earlier in the day? He’d ruined it by snapping at her. He’d have to make up for it with their next destination. “So what human cargo containers do we take to get to Alcatraz?” They sat at a park bench eating hot dogs. Thank God she wasn’t a vegetarian; he hadn’t paid any attention to what she’d ordered last night at the restaurant. He turned and noticed the color leave her face. Now what had he done?

… “I don’t want to go to Alcatraz. I have no desire to see the inside of a jail.” She stared across the park, not meeting his gaze. There had been a chill between them since she’d mentioned his mother. Now the talk of a prison visit put her on edge. “Okay, it was only a suggestion. I thought it was a compulsory stop for a sightseeing day,” he said. “Where do

you want to go?” “I want to ride a cable car.” “That we can do.” He stood and put a hand out to help her up. Quickly she wiped her fingers on a napkin and then took his hand. He didn’t let go as she stood. He stared at her face until heat infused her body again. “You have a spot of mustard on the corner of your mouth. I’m trying very hard not to kiss it off,” he whispered. “Oh, uh, thanks.” She wiped the napkin across her mouth before she realized his suggestion for mustard removal was the better option to go with. “So, cable car. What level of public transit hell do I have to go through to get to that?” Liam lightened his question with another one of his devastating smiles. “If you liked the bus you’re going to love the metro. Come on.” She grabbed his hand and they walked toward the Muni station. Twenty minutes later, Liam turned to her. “Have you got a mirror in that big bag of yours?” “Yeah, why?” Lorelei opened her handbag and rummaged around. “I think I must have something on my face you haven’t told me about. People keep staring at me and then whispering.”

She had noticed the odd behavior, too. But considering how handsome Liam was she’d figured regular transit users weren’t used to seeing such a gorgeous man on their system. No wonder he hadn’t taken the Muni before. “There’s nothing on your face. Maybe they can sense a transit virgin coming of age.” Liam had just taken a swallow of water from his bottle and nearly sprayed the couple across from him at her statement. “If you told me earlier there was to be a loss of virginity on this date I would have worn newer underwear,” he whispered in her ear after he caught his breath. The thought of Liam in his underwear caused a fresh surge of heat to flood through her body. Any minute now the lady across the aisle would ask if she was running a fever. “This is our stop.” She stood, nearly falling as the train lurched to a halt in the station. Liam’s strong arms came around her and the wobbly sensation in her legs had nothing to do with a near accident. “Careful,” he said. “I don’t want to have to take you to hospital and explain how you got injured while I lost my virginity.” “It’s almost worth getting hurt to hear you tell the nurse.” “Come on, let’s get on this damn cable car. After that, we

can wander around Chinatown for a while, then find a nice restaurant to eat at. I’ve had enough of being ogled by transit riders for one day.” “Of course, Liam. I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable.” “Lady, I haven’t been comfortable since you said the word ‘bus’ first thing this morning,” he grumbled. They waited for the cable car with a horde of tourists. Three elderly ladies had on T-shirts that proclaimed their heart was lost somewhere in San Francisco. When the tram arrived they all piled in and sat on the long wooden benches. Liam had his arm around Lorelei and she leaned back into his chest. Over the course of the day they had progressed from holding hands to full-on body contact. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the older ladies nudge the one sitting next to Liam. The nudged woman shook her head, yet her companions seemed insistent on something, urging her to “go ahead.” Eventually she touched Liam on his arm. “Excuse me, has anyone ever told you that you look remarkably like Michael Donnelly?” “No, can’t say anyone has. Who’s he?” Liam smiled at the lady. “He was an actor on The Holbys, a soap opera that was

on in the early 80s.” Liam stiffened next to her the second the TV show was mentioned. He sat upright and the arm around her shoulders dropped. “Sorry, I don’t know him. If you’ll excuse us, this is our stop.” Liam stood, he grabbed her hand, and they jumped from the cable car as it came to a halt at an intersection. “Liam, what’s wrong?” Lorelei searched his face. It was tight; his eyes scrunched up as he pulled out his cell phone and typed away. He stared blankly at the phone for a moment until Lorelei pulled his hand down to see what he was glaring at. On the screen was a picture of a man who looked just like Liam. At the top of the photo was the caption, “Michael Donnelly, actor.” “Shit,” he said. “So that’s the bastard’s name.”

Chapter Six “Wow, he does look a lot like you. Are you related somehow?” Lorelei’s soft voice brought him back from the edge of the abyss. “I think he’s my father.” “You don’t know who your father is?” She turned her beautiful face up to his, her eyes gentle with concern. “No.” One word, a mountain of pain. “But my mother was a makeup artist on The Holbys before I was born, so it adds up.” She reached up and put her small hand on his cheek. “I don’t know my father, either. I mean, I know who he is, and I have vague memories of him being around when I was little. He left when I was five years old.” Her touch was causing all kinds of things to melt within

him—especially the ice wall behind which he hid everything from his past. “Did your parents divorce?” She dropped her hand and turned away. He should let it go, yet he couldn’t. Reaching for her hand, he stopped her before she stepped away. When she looked up, he put his other hand on her face as she had done to him. Her skin was so soft. A shimmer of tears and possibly shame glistened in her expressive eyes. “Tell me,” he said. Even as the words came out of his mouth he regretted them. He wasn’t supposed to be delving into her secrets. They were only supposed to have a superficial romance to help him write the book. “The stupid thing is, my mom is still married to him. She still loves him.” “Where is he, then?” Liam was aware they were standing on the street corner, people walking past, giving them sidelong glances of curiosity. Two days ago this would have been one of his worst nightmares. Today, for some reason, it didn’t matter. What mattered was helping Lorelei deal with the emotional baggage she carried around in her heart. Lorelei took a deep breath and the words tumbled out. “He’s in prison. He robbed a bank and shot and killed a guard. He’s serving twenty-five years. My mom went back

to using her maiden name, Torres. She changed mine as well so the kids at school wouldn’t put two and two together that I was the daughter of a criminal.” And there was the reason she hadn’t wanted to go to Alcatraz. “I’m sorry, Lorelei. Sorry you had to grow up without a father to protect you. Sorry you’ve had to live with the worry that others would judge you by what he’d done.” “Thank you.” She pasted on a watery smile. “I can’t believe I told you all that, and we’ve only known each other less than twenty-four hours. I went out with Barry for a year and never told him.” Liam dropped his hand from her face before the urge to kiss her became too great. He couldn’t believe it had been less than a day since they’d met. He was already so comfortable with her. “Who’s Barry?” Even saying the other man’s name made an odd sensation occur in his chest region. Why should he care? Maybe it was someone she could go back to after they broke up. Lorelei started to walk down the street and Liam followed, still holding her hand. When he thought she wasn’t going to answer his question, she said softly, “He was my boyfriend. I thought we were going to get married.” “Why didn’t you?”

“’Cause he was already married.” “Ouch.” “Yeah. I was stupid.” Liam stopped walking and waited until she gazed up at him. “You weren’t stupid. You were trusting. He’s the jerk. He knew he was married, it was his mistake.” “Thanks. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the prevailing opinion when it all came out into the light. I was called a homewrecker by more than one person and nearly lost my job.” Liam clamped his jaw together so he didn’t say something he regretted. He wanted to pound someone for treating Lorelei so badly. “Do you know any men who aren’t jerks?” “I know you.” Liam’s heart stalled. How long before he joined the jerk list? She’d already had one man lie to her. He should tell her. Tell her now. Except looking into her gorgeous green eyes, the words wouldn’t form. He couldn’t say good-bye. Not yet. “You know, we’ve been sightseeing all day and you haven’t bought one souvenir yet. We’re letting down the local economy, and the state will be on my back again. Let’s see what we can find in Chinatown.” Lorelei accepted the change in conversation willingly. It

had probably been getting too heavy for her as well. “Sightseeing and shopping. This day just keeps getting better.” They wandered through the stores, taking turns picking out the tackiest tourist offerings. “Come on, every house needs a Golden Gate Bridge snow globe,” Liam said, shaking the cheap plastic ornament to see the “snow” fly all over the picture of the orange bridge. “Do you have one?” Lorelei cocked her head to one side. “Of course, on the table next to my bed. It’s the first and last thing I see every day.” “Liar.” Lorelei laughed—a full-bodied, loud laugh that he felt deep within himself. She wandered over to a rack of silk oriental-style dresses. Pulling a red one with a dragon embroidered on the fabric, she held it up against her. “What do you think?” “I think you’d look beautiful in it. Then again I think you’d look beautiful in that green and pink shapeless bag thing you showed me earlier as well. What did you call it, a muumuu?” “You’re no help, then. Do you mind waiting while I try it on?”

“Can I help?” “No.” “Oh, all right. Although I think it’s the least you could do considering this amazing sightseeing tour I’ve given you.” “Go back to shaking your snow globes, mister. I’ll be less than ten minutes.” Liam watched her retreat to the back of the store, admiring the rear view as much as the front. He glanced at his watch and was shocked to find it was already six thirty. Where had the day gone? When he’d embarked on this charade he’d thought the dates would be worse than a never-ending meeting. Instead, he’s spent an enjoyable day with a delightful woman, and it had cost him less than a bottle of good wine. Amazing. He glanced up to see Lorelei striding toward him, the dress slung over her arm. “How’d it fit?” “Good. I’m going to get it. I have no idea where I’ll wear a red dress with a dragon emblazoned on the front. At least it will remind me of the best day I’ve spent in San Francisco.” “You’ll be surprised at some of the dress codes in this city.” He reached for the dress but Lorelei wouldn’t release it. “No way, I’m buying it. You’ve paid for everything else

today. If I don’t pay I’m not getting it.” She looked like she might stomp her foot if he didn’t give in. “All right,” he said. “I’m buying you a snow globe, though.” He picked the biggest, ugliest one on the shelf and headed toward the cashier. After paying for their purchases, they stood on the narrow, bustling sidewalk. “So,” they both began at once. “Go ahead,” Lorelei encouraged. “So…um, where do you want to go for dinner?” “Oh, I thought you’d want to part here. You’ve given me your entire day. We don’t really have to go for dinner. Besides, I’ve been in these clothes all day. I’d like to change first.” “Is that a yes to dinner if you can change?” “I guess so.” “Great. One condition, though.” “Oh?” She raised an eyebrow. “No more public transit. I’ll pick you up at your place and we drive to and from the restaurant.” She laughed and stuck her tongue out at him. “Okay. You can drive your car.”

…

Lorelei started flinging off her clothes before her apartment door had fully finished closing. Her house phone rang as she stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around her, she dashed for the bedroom extension. It was probably Liam with some excuse as to why they couldn’t meet. “Yes, hello?” She tried to put the right amount of breezy nonchalance into her voice so when he canceled their dinner she could pass it off as nothing important. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling your cell and house phone all day!” “Hola, Mama. I’ve been out on a date. Well, a sightseeing tour. It was with a man, though, so I think it counts as a date.” “With the same man you were with last night?” “Yes.” “See, I knew that online dating thing would work.” Lorelei considered telling her mother the online date had been a bust and she’d met Liam on her own. That would lead to even more questions. Questions she wasn’t ready to answer just yet. “Yes, Mama. You’re right. In fact, I have to go now. We’re meeting for dinner.” “Dinner again? Sounds serious.”

“It’s too early to be serious,” Lorelei said as much for her own benefit as her mother’s. “When can I come out and meet him?” “Madre, don’t you dare!” “All right, all right. But call me tomorrow or I’ll be on the next plane out.” “Good-bye, Mama. Te quiero.” Glancing at the clock, she discovered she had only twenty minutes left before Liam arrived. She flung her towel on the floor and rummaged through the clothes on the bed, finally settling on a pair of black pants and a sparkly black top. It was casual enough if they went to a pub and fancy enough for a decent restaurant. As she thought back on the wonderful day she’d spent with him, a sense of doubt invaded her happiness. How come he wasn’t already with someone? He was perfect boyfriend material. She put her doubts aside as she touched up her makeup, grabbed a light jacket and her handbag, and raced down the stairs. Sure enough, Liam pulled up in an old gray car. The badge on the front proudly declared it a Ford. “You know, all day long I’ve been wondering about what kind of car you were so attached to. This wasn’t it,” she said as she buckled her seat belt.

“That’s what you’ve been thinking about all day?” He turned those amazing brown eyes on her and heat invaded her cheeks. Okay, so imagining kissing him and running he r fingers through his hair was what she’d really been wondering about, but the car thing was an easier topic to discuss. “Yup. You seem to love your car so much. Having seen it, though, I think you must be delusional.” Which would account for why he seems to like me. “Well, this isn’t my car. My car, which I do love, is in the, uh, garage. I borrowed this from a friend.” “A friend lent you this?” The car didn’t look like it would make it to the end of the block. “He’s not a good friend,” Liam added with a chuckle. “So, where are we going? I didn’t know what to wear. I hope this is okay.” He took his eyes off the road long enough to give her a thorough inspection. “You’re beautiful, as always. A friend recommended a new restaurant called Khara.” “I hope it wasn’t the same friend who lent you the car.” “No. It was a friend with taste. He said the sunset and the view of the bridge are spectacular. He’s a friend of the owner and has reserved us a prime spot on the balcony.”

… Liam drove around for ten minutes before he found a spot to park, a block away from the restaurant. Really he should leave the car in the middle of the road and let the city tow it away. He had no idea where David had found the hunk of junk, but he’d obviously bought it to annoy Liam. God, he missed the Aston. He’d have to visit it tomorrow, run his hands over the sleek black lines, hear the engine growl… “There it is, across the road,” Liam said as he spotted the elegantly scripted restaurant sign. The place seemed okay. Jason had recommended it as it was run by a fellow graduate of his culinary class, and he’d helped out in the kitchen when they were short-staffed. Liam grabbed Lorelei’s hand and, after checking to make sure there were no cars coming, was about to step into the road. “Wait, we can’t jaywalk,” Lorelei said. She planted her feet on the sidewalk and wouldn’t move. “There’s a pedestrian crossing just up the street. We can cross there.” “Are you kidding me?” Liam was astounded that she objected to jaywalking. There was no traffic coming; it was safe to go. He would never put her life in jeopardy. “Liam, laws are laws. You can’t simply decide which

ones are convenient, and follow those. First it’s jaywalking, what’s next? Armed robbery?” He opened his mouth to argue that there was no correlation between the two, but seeing the adamant flash in her eyes and her set jaw, he relented. Two minutes to walk up the road and back again for her peace of mind was worth it. She obviously had an issue with criminal activity on any scale based on her father’s actions. He sure hoped she never found out about some of his extracurricular activities, past and present. The restaurant was charming, the serving staff attentive yet discreet, and the food as good as Jason described. A Californian take on Middle Eastern–inspired dishes, it was innovative and delicious at the same time. He was pleased when Lorelei ordered a full meal, even trying some of the items he’d ordered. Used to models and their picky eating, it was refreshing to find a real woman who could appreciate food. She stirred a cube of sugar into her Turkish coffee, seeming distracted by something. “Liam? Can I ask a personal question? You don’t have to answer,” she added quickly. “I guess that depends on the question.” He put his cup down. His stomach knotted as he waited to hear what was

on her mind. Personal questions were a minefield. It had been a fun day; he’d rather it didn’t end with an explosion. “Now that you have a good idea of who your father is, are you going to contact him?” She stared at her cup, raising her eyes to his at the last word. Any other woman and he’d have given her a sharp answer to mind her own business. “No. He’s never shown any interest in me. Why should I contact him now? I don’t need him.” “Maybe he never knew of your existence.” “Oh, he knows about me all right. When my mother told him she was pregnant he offered to pay for an abortion. She kept me in the hopes he’d change his mind and marry her, but he didn’t. And after I was born she sued him for paternity and got an out-of-court settlement, provided she sign a confidentiality agreement never divulging his name, even to me. That’s all I know, courtesy of my grandmother, who said my mother should have taken the first offer.” “But—” “It’s not open to discussion, Lorelei. I appreciate your concern, but I’ve survived without a father so far. I think I can get by the next fifty years without one as well.” Should he ask whether she was going to see her father once he was released from prison? If her mother was still in

love with the guy, chances were he’d be back in her life anyway. “Okay, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.” She returned to stirring her coffee. “You haven’t offended. It’s…well…it’s taken a lot of time to distance myself from my past. I don’t want to open that door and let it all flood back in and swamp me again.” “Well, I hope one day you can let the gates open slowly so you don’t have it all so dammed up behind walls of reserve.” She put a hand out and covered his on the table. Her touch, so gentle and comforting, was the most genuine emotion he’d experienced in as long as he could remember. The now-familiar tightness in his chest increased as his heartbeat went into double time. He wanted to pull his hand away but couldn’t. It felt too good. For the first time he thought of forgetting his promise to Marcus and getting out while he still could. He paid for dinner and then drove Lorelei back to her apartment. She was quiet beside him, her fingers fiddling with her handbag, and his brain was too busy trying to convince his body that he should say good night and never see her again, that he couldn’t think of anything to say. Lorelei deserved more than him. She deserved an honest, trustworthy man who would marry her and give her

lots of babies. Not some bastard who was wasting her time just to get some romantic experience for a book he didn’t even want to write. “Thanks for today. I had a great time,” she said as he pulled up in front of her apartment. “Would you like to come up for a coffee or something?” “I think we both know it’s too soon and I don’t trust myself. But I would like to see you again. Can I call you?” “Of course.” She dug in her bag and pulled out her business card. She handed it to him and he held her gaze as he kissed each of her fingers. A soft glow infused her face and he had to force himself to stop there. Lorelei was pure temptation. And he was becoming addicted.

Chapter Seven “You’re going out, again?” David had his arms crossed and looked like a petulant child denied a favorite toy. “Didn’t know I had to clear it with you first,” Liam said. “Besides, it’s been a week since I last saw Lorelei.” “Yeah, but you were away on business all week so we haven’t had a chance to hang out. I thought Cal was running the company while you wrote your book.” “Something came up Cal couldn’t handle. I’d love to discuss it with you, but it’s classified. And thanks for your concern on the book. I got four chapters written while I was away.” What he’d written was garbage, but every time he’d thought of quitting, Marcus’s face would haunt him and he’d type some more. “You only got back this morning. I thought we’d go see

the new James Bond film tonight. Remember what they say, man, bros before—” “Don’t even finish that sentence.” Liam shook his head. “What are you, a jealous girlfriend? Why don’t you go out and get yourself a woman? Then you won’t have to hang around here all the time.” “Yeah, like I can just pick up a woman at a bar. I’m not you.” “Feel free to get off my sofa and use some of the gym equipment in the next room. The number for my personal trainer is on the corkboard in there. I’m sure he can help you.” “Whatever,” David said. “So this is your third date. Got protection with you?” “What?” Liam paused in putting on his jacket. “Third date, it’s when a guy gets laid, everyone knows that. You packing?” “For your information I usually get laid on the first date. This thing with Lorelei is different. It’s research. I have no plans to sleep with her.” Liam caught a glimpse of himself in the hall mirror and turned away. Even after a week he still wasn’t used to his new appearance. At least his skin tone had evened out and he didn’t need to either go unshaven or wear the dreaded

makeup. And now that he knew how closely he resembled his alleged father, he wasn’t too enamored with the face that stared back at him. He wondered what other traits of his father’s he’d inherited. Despite telling Lorelei he wanted nothing to do with his dad, he’d found himself doing a little investigating. If the gossip magazines were anything to go by, his mother wasn’t the only one to have fallen for Michael Donnelly’s charms. There was a string of broken hearts that could circle the globe. His alleged father was a class-A bastard and Liam had no intention of contacting him. “You’re not going to sleep with her? Why the hell not?” Liam had forgotten David was still in the room. “Because she’s a nice girl and I don’t want to screw her up. She’s already going to be pissed when and if she finds out what I’m up to. I don’t want to damage her.” God, he hoped he could stick to his no-sex rule. Every night the past week when he’d gone to bed he’d imagined Lorelei there next him. He grabbed a handful of peanut M&M’s and headed out the door.

…

Lorelei stared at the clock on her mantel, watching the second hand tick off the minutes until Liam showed up. It had been a long week without seeing him. When he’d called on Sunday morning to say he had to go out of town on business, she’d been deflated, sure she’d never hear from him again. On the plus side of the week, a major donation had come in and the fundraising gala now had a fifty-fifty chance of succeeding. Dustin was claiming all the credit for it, but even he seemed mystified as to its source. There was still a lot to do, but she was feeling more confident. Now she could put work worries behind her and concentrate on Liam. The door buzzer blared through the minuscule space, making her jump even though she was expecting it. She wiped damp palms down her skirt and cleared her throat, twice, before pressing the intercom button. “Hello?” “Hi, it’s Liam,” he said unnecessarily. His deep, silky voice had played over and over in her head all week. She was sure she’d recognize it years from now. Hearing him again released a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. “Come on up. I’m in apartment twenty-nine on the second floor. Turn left out of the elevator.” She pressed the open

door button and waited. Lorelei so wanted to open the door and stick her head out and watch him exit the elevator, but forced herself to stay inside. Checking her makeup again in the mirror by the door, she pursed her lips and air-kissed her reflection. Mandy had convinced her to buy a more dramatic shade of lipstick, and she was amazed at how luscious it made her lips appear. Lips she hoped would soon tempt Liam. She jumped again when he knocked on the door. “Head, heart, then body,” she repeated under her breath. Taking two deep breaths to try to calm her thudding heart, she opened the door. He stood in the hallway, a leather jacket hooked on one finger and flung over his shoulder. A cream button-down shirt and dark-brown pants completed his outfit. His eyes raked her up and down and she was sure he could see her heart pounding in her chest. “Hi.” The word came out as a squeak. “You look good enough to eat,” he said. His voice was husky, as though he too was battling a raging inferno inside him. Lorelei stepped back to allow him to enter, and as soon as the door closed behind him she leaned forward and put her hands on his chest. He dropped his jacket on the floor and put his arms around her. Without waiting for him to

decide whether he was going to kiss her or not, she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. The hands at her waist tightened and he pulled her closer. She slid her hands up his chest and around the back of his head, threading her fingers through his thick hair. She dragged in a deep breath before she passed out from the myriad sensations that were bombarding her brain. His spicy aftershave tingled her nostrils, sending shivers coursing through her body. A simple kiss had never affected her so deeply. When his tongue slipped into her mouth she thought she’d faint from the heat it was generating inside her. One of his hands slid lower, cupping her bottom. He pulled her up and into him and she could feel his arousal press against her. She tried to drag in another breath, but her throat was thick. Wrenching her mouth from his, she tried again to get a breath. Her chest tightened and she couldn’t fill her lungs. Liam’s lips were trailing kisses down her neck and shoulder, leaving a path of tingling flesh. She tried to swallow to ease the constriction in her throat—it wouldn’t go away. Her tongue began to swell and black spots swam before her eyes. Either Liam was one hell of a kisser or she was having an anaphylactic reaction. She struggled in his

arms and he pulled back. His chest was heaving in time with hers, but at least he seemed able to breathe. “Can’t breathe,” she managed to gasp out. Panic surged within her. She pulled out of his arms and stumbled to the kitchen. “Lorelei, what’s happening? What’s wrong?” Liam’s voice sounded far away. The black dots were converging and she could feel herself begin to lose consciousness. She struggled to take another breath. The rasping sound from her chest terrified her. “EpiPen, bag.” She slumped to the floor so when she did pass out she wouldn’t have so far to fall. As if from a long distance, she could hear Liam dump out the bag she’d left on the counter. He rushed back to her side with her EpiPen in hand. “Where? Where do I inject it?” She touched her outer thigh and felt the stab of the needle piercing her skin. “Stay with me, sweetheart. Stay with me.” The medicine flooded through her body, and her first tentative breath was quickly followed by several more, each becoming easier. Liam left her side for a second before returning with his phone clutched to his ear. She could hear him giving her address and imploring someone to hurry.

“The ambulance will be here in a minute. What do you need? How can I help?” He reached for her hand and took her pulse, seeming slightly relieved it was beating strongly. “I’m okay now,” she said as she tried to sit up. “No. Stay there.” He pressed her back onto the floor but kept hold of her hand, rubbing the back of it with his other one. The fog was beginning to lift from her brain. This wasn’t how she’d imagined the evening going. In any scenario where they ended up on the floor of her kitchen, there were far fewer clothes involved.

… Liam strode through the doors of the emergency department and searched for Lorelei or the paramedics who had brought her there. The medicinal hospital smell assailed his nostrils. His throat ached as he thought of all the times he’d been there to visit Marcus. Being back in the hospital where his brother spent his last days made his stomach clench, and a burning inferno invaded his gut. He set aside thoughts of Marcus and focused on the reason for his current visit. Years of suppressing his emotions came to his aid, and he approached the nurse’s

desk. The harried health care worker did a double take as he loomed above her. “I’m looking for Lorelei Torres. She was just brought in by ambulance.” The nurse checked her board. “The doctor is with her now. Take a seat, and I’ll ask him to speak with you as soon as he’s done.” She gestured toward a seating area swamped with people in varying states of distress. He wanted to demand to see Lorelei immediately, to assure himself she was okay, but the glare the nurse gave him withered the words on his tongue. It would be better to let the doctors do their work; his job was to comfort and support Lorelei. As he stood next to a vending machine, he thought back to the dramatic turn of the evening’s events. He was overwhelmed by his reaction when Lorelei opened her apartment door. She looked so beautiful, and the radiant smile on her face had made him feel as though he’d come home. He’d never been so exhilarated to see someone, and so at peace with himself. Then she’d put her hands on his chest and her lips on his, and all his arguments about not letting the relationship get physical evaporated in an instant. Her soft lips and sweet taste had done more than elicit a physical response; a wall of restraint had begun to

crumble as well. It terrified and thrilled him at the same time. “Are you here for Lorelei Torres?” Liam cast his eyes up to see a young med student standing in front of him. “Yes, can I see her now?” He followed the white-coatclad man into a curtained area behind the nurse’s desk. Lorelei was sitting up in the bed, an oxygen mask on her face. His chest constricted and his breathing became shallow, as if he were now struggling to get air. He moved to her side and took her small hand in his. She was so tiny, so fragile. “How is she?” Liam asked the med student, who was reviewing her chart. “She’s doing better. We’ve run some tests and are waiting on the results. She’s comfortable and her blood oxygen level is at normal. We’ll keep her here for observation for a while, then she can go home unless the test results come back with some surprise. She seems to have experienced a severe allergic reaction. Miss Torres has indicated she’s allergic to peanuts but says she hasn’t consumed any. It may be worthwhile if she were tested for other potential allergens.” “I ate some peanuts about half an hour before we met.

Then we kissed,” Liam said. “That would do it,” the doctor said. “I didn’t know…” Lorelei pulled the mask away from her face. “It’s not your fault. I didn’t tell you. I had a reaction once when I was very young, three or four years old, I don’t remember it. Having the EpiPen is more of a habit. I don’t even take it with me half the time. I’m sorry I’ve ruined our evening.” “That doesn’t matter. All that’s important is you’re okay.” “Well, you may want to reconsider eating peanuts if you will be having close contact with Miss Torres in the future,” the doctor said. He wrote a note in the chart and hung it back on the end of the bed. “I’ll be back when the test results come in,” he said before pulling aside the curtain and leaving. “Really, Liam. It’s not your fault. Stop looking so worried. I’m fine,” Lorelei said as he sat on the edge of her bed, holding her hand. “Liam? I thought I heard your voice.” Another doctor appeared through a gap in the curtain. “What brings you back?” Liam stood at the doctor’s entrance. “Dr. Tanner. How are you? I’m here with a friend, Lorelei.” Turning to her he said, “Dr. Tanner treated my brother, Marcus, numerous

times.” “I wanted to thank you personally—” “No need, Doctor. No need. Are you working the ER?” The last thing Liam needed tonight was for Lorelei to discover his wealth. Because he was pretty certain regular guys didn’t buy heart-lung machines for hospitals. “No, but one of my patients was recently brought in by ambulance.” The doctor’s eyes flickered between the two of them. “Well, it’s good to see you. I’ll let you get on.” The doctor closed the curtain again and Liam turned back to Lorelei, although he couldn’t force his eyes to meet hers. Guilt burned at the back of his throat. “I remember you mentioning your brother when we first met, said he was a writer. Is he okay now?” Lorelei asked, her hand reaching for his. Liam swallowed before responding. “Marcus died last month. He had a heart defect and although he was on the heart donor list for years he had such a rare blood type no heart became available before he died.” She squeezed his hand in silent support. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Were you close with your brother?” “He was everything to me. I’d have given him my heart if I was a compatible match.” He closed his eyes and Marcus’s pleading face

appeared before him. “Finish my book, please. It has to be you, only you.” Liam hadn’t been able to deny the entreaty and his botched attempt to fulfill his brother’s last request had led him here. Back where he’d started. When he dared peek at Lorelei’s face, silent tears were coursing down her cheeks. Was living up to the promise he’d made to his brother worth hurting this woman further? If he had to choose between Marcus and Lorelei, he wasn’t sure which way he’d go.

Chapter Eight Lorelei clutched Liam’s jacket to her chest as she pressed the doorbell. He’d been so concerned about her after her episode he’d forgotten to take it home. In the pocket was a receipt for a laptop. The recipient was IWC Security, but according to a Google map search, the delivery address was for a converted warehouse and not the head office. As Liam said he worked from home she’d taken a gamble that it was his place. For all she knew she could be calling on a client. She wasn’t quite sure how she would explain her presence if that was the case, but hopefully something would come to mind. And if it was Liam’s place, at the very least she’d know if he was married or not. Every time she thought she was getting to know him, he’d shift the conversation away from

himself. What could be worse than a wife and kid? She had to know. So, with eyes closed, she pressed the doorbell. Despite the loud pealing of the bell, all she got in response was the faint babble of a radio or television set. She was about to walk away when she heard a woman’s voice call out Liam’s name. A red haze stopped rational brain function and she pressed the bell again, holding it down for maximum annoyance. Light footsteps ran to the door and it was wrenched open. “All right, already. Keep your shirt on!” a petite blond woman said. Lorelei was about to thrust Liam’s jacket in her face and turn on her heel when the woman exclaimed, “Oh, you must be Lorelei. Come in.” Confused, Lorelei stepped into the apartment after the woman. What wife would welcome her husband’s new girlfriend into their apartment? “Liam, your woman’s here!” the blonde yelled. Unsure whether she should follow the woman back to the sofa where she’d retreated, or stay where she was, Lorelei surveyed her surroundings. The apartment was a loft style, the floor all polished hardwood. Off to the right, the door to the kitchen was open and she could see top-of-the-range

appliances. Several pots were bubbling away on the stove and a heavenly smell permeated the air. The warm, woodfilled apartment was not the place she’d imagined Liam lived in. She’d figured him for a chrome-and-leather kind of guy. This place was airy, yet had an atmosphere of cozy comfort. Opposite the door where she stood was a huge flatscreen TV mounted on the wall surrounded by three plush, overstuffed sofas arranged in a U-shape. Over to the left, next to a wall of windows, was another seating area with a round table between two high-backed chairs. Liam appeared from around the corner on the far left of the sofas, followed by a much smaller man who seemed vaguely familiar. “Lorelei, how are you?” He rushed over to her side but didn’t kiss her. After the last kiss he was probably as nervous as she was. Besides, they had an audience. “I’m fine. Thanks for the flowers and for calling. You should have let Mandy wake me up.” “I didn’t want to disturb you, just make sure you were okay.” He stared into her eyes. His hand shook slightly as his thumb brushed across her lips before he dropped it to his side again. “You forgot your jacket at my place.” Now that she was

face-to-face with him again, her knees started to quiver. She shouldn’t have come. If he’d wanted to see her, he would have called. Someone coughed and he whirled around as though he’d forgotten they were being watched. Who were all these people? He’d said all he had to go home to was an empty house and a frozen dinner. Maybe he was having a party. She quelled a sense of disappointment he hadn’t invited her. He cleared his throat. “Oh, thanks. Come on in, we were just about to eat. Join us?” “It looks like you’re having a party. I didn’t mean to intrude.” She backed toward the door. “Ha! If I was having a party I wouldn’t invite any of these people,” Liam said with a laugh. He reached for her hand and gently pulled her into the room. “Let me introduce you to Helen and her brother, David. They live in the apartment across the hall, but as they are here more than there I think I should be charging them rent. David and I work together.” He gestured at the man who had retreated to the kitchen. “That’s Jason. He’s a chef, so he gets volunteered to cook when we’re all together. It’s a long story.” “Oh, pleased to meet you,” was all she could think to say. At least he wasn’t married.

Lorelei glanced up at Liam, who shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He threw his jacket toward the hat rack, not bothering to pick it up when it fell short. “I was going to call you again, but this work assignment got out of control and I lost track of time.” “I didn’t mean to interrupt. If you have work to do, go ahead,” she said. “David can finish it. Come, sit down.” He motioned to the smaller man, who retreated toward the back of the apartment. Lorelei sank into the comfy sofa. Liam sat next to her, although not close enough so they were touching. He was wearing a pair of well-worn jeans and an old, faded navyblue T-shirt, and socks. He was casual, comfortable, and so sexy Lorelei had to dig her fingernails into her palms to stop herself from reaching out to run her fingers through his tousled hair. His friends obviously knew about their relationship, whatever it was, but she wasn’t sure how he would feel about public displays of affection. Helen continued to stare at her and Lorelei had to fight the urge to run her tongue over her teeth in case she had something stuck in them. The smile the other woman gave her never reached her eyes. She switched her gaze to Liam and was surprised at the intensity on his face.

Meeting his obviously tight-knit circle of friends, she was very aware of how little she knew about this man—and how much she was coming to care for him. “How did you find my home?” Liam sounded nonchalant, yet there was steel hidden beneath his words. “There was a receipt in one of the pockets. I’m sorry, Liam. I should have called first. But after Barry…” “I understand. You needed to make sure I wasn’t married.” He smiled and the much-loved dimple reappeared. “Really, if you need to finish your project, I don’t mind. Helen and I can talk.” Lorelei sent a smile toward the other woman that wasn’t returned. “If you’re sure? It will only take a couple more minutes. Then we can all have dinner and watch a movie. It’s Helen’s night to choose again so it will undoubtedly be a romance.” “I’ve gone with a classic this time, Casablanca,” Helen said. “Oh, that’s one of my favorites,” Lorelei said. “Sounds as though you have a lot in common. Make yourself at home. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Liam kissed her hand before almost running toward the back room. “What are they doing back there?” Lorelei turned to Helen, who had also watched Liam’s retreat, a look of

longing on her face. “I don’t know. Probably cracking into some pizza joint’s computer system to send a hundred pepperoni pizzas to a college dorm.” Helen ran a hand over her hair. Lorelei froze. Did Liam engage in illegal activity on the side? He had deflected her question as to whether he hacked into non-client systems when they were at Stow Lake. It would be so typical of her to go from an adulterous boyfriend to a criminal one. She stared at Helen to see if she was joking, but there was no smile on her face. Still, IWC Security was a prestigious company. Would they hire people who hadn’t passed a rigorous background check? Maybe she should consider requiring that before she agreed to go out with someone. Helen cleared her throat and Lorelei realized she’d been staring. Self-consciously, Helen ran her hand again over her stringy blond hair, which seemed to want to fly away. With a good haircut it could be rather attractive. She had nice blue eyes, but were hidden under bushy eyebrows and thickrimmed glasses. In a blind rage when she’d first opened the door, Lorelei hadn’t noticed her figure. However, with the baggy gray sweatshirt and formless brown sweatpants she wore, it was probably a moot point. “Is that the kind of thing they do often?” Lorelei struggled

to keep her tone bright and breezy. Her job was already on shaky ground; another bad boyfriend and she’d be out of work. “I really wouldn’t know. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get something.” Helen raced across the room and out another door, which shut behind her with a definite thud.

… “What the hell’s she doing here?” David asked. “Shush, she’ll hear you. Her last boyfriend hid the fact that he was married. She obviously wanted to make sure I wasn’t.” Liam tried to concentrate on the monitor, but he kept waiting for Lorelei to storm in and demand to know who he was and what he was doing. His stomach felt like he’d swallowed a bag of rocks. “Ha, a wife would be the least of your worries.” “Just behave yourself. Play along with the regular guy thing and no one gets hurt, especially you.” “No one gets hurt?” David picked up the dating site profile photo of Lorelei that Liam had on his desk and put it against his own face. “Come on, man. I need your support on this. Just play along, please.” Liam grabbed the photo and the

background information he’d printed out and shoved it into a folder. “I’m going back out there before Helen tells her something she shouldn’t.” Liam stormed out of the computer room, leaving his friend to finish the penetration test. Lorelei’s invading his sanctuary was not part of the plan. She’d found a way into enough of his life, and heart, finding out about his father and Marcus. Having her here, where he had no defenses, was too risky. He returned to the front of the apartment to find Lorelei alone, flipping through a copy of Wired. His heart rate accelerated and his mouth went dry. She was so beautiful; for a moment his legs went weak. “Where did Helen go?” “She said she forgot something and left,” Lorelei said. She flashed a quick smile and flipped a few more pages in the magazine without looking at it. “You have a beautiful home.” “Thank you. I haven’t read that issue yet. Anything interesting?” She tossed the magazine back on the coffee table and lounged against the sofa cushions. Liam couldn’t deny she belonged right there. If the others would go home they could retry the kiss they’d started at her place.

“It says hemlines and going up next spring.” “Ah, that must be the Wired, Fashion Edition. Glad to hear about the hemlines, though. I appreciate a great pair of legs.” His gaze roved over her body. He could imagine her legs around his waist, urging him on. The lower half of his body clenched at the image. “I was reading about programming. I wanted to know what you do. It’s amazing. Can you really read all those languages?” “Most of them. However, they’re not very good for communicating between people.” He couldn’t help staring at her mouth; her lips fascinated him. Her cheeks turned pink as he continued to stare. “I shouldn’t have come unannounced. I’m sorry, my insecurities got the better of me.” She fiddled with her silver necklace, no longer meeting his eyes. He stepped around the table and took her hands in his, waiting until she gazed up at him. “You’re welcome here anytime. It’s just that I’m working. I’ve got a big project, otherwise I’d have invited you over. I wasn’t sure how long it would take and didn’t want to end up ignoring you. But I’m so glad you came. You’re safe here, by the way. I got rid of anything with peanuts in it and have banned them from the apartment.”

“I’ll go. We can meet for dinner when you’re not so busy.” She made a move to stand. “Lorelei, this is the best surprise I’ve had in weeks. You’re here now—please don’t go. Join my friends and me for dinner. Then I’ll finish the work on my laptop while the movie is on and after it’s done I’ll drive you home.” “If you’re sure…” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She smelled of flowers and sunshine, and he had to resist turning her face so he could ravage her mouth. As it was, the tiny, intimate gesture lit a flame in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he should tell her to go, come back when he was more in control. “I’m sure.” Her cheeks had turned pink when he pulled back and only a noise at the other end of the room prevented him from trying to deepen her blush. Jason had set a steaming casserole dish on the table and called out that the meal was ready. Liam escorted her to the table as Helen slipped back into the apartment. “Jason’s an excellent chef. He used to work at a top-end hotel. He’s experimenting with Mexican tonight.” “Wonderful, it will be like eating at home. My mother is Mexican and it’s pretty much all she cooks.” “Hear that, Jason? You’ve got an expert in the house.”

“My cooking speaks for itself,” Jason called back. Liam led her to the seat next to his. As he sat, his leg brushed against hers, setting off another avalanche of desire. Her eyes widened and her tongue peeked out from between her luscious lips. Ten minutes ago he’d been starving. Now all he wanted was to carry her from the room and feast on her voluptuous body. Except this relationship wasn’t about sex; it was about finishing Marcus’s damn book. His stomach rolled but he forced a smile onto his face and dug into the food on his plate. The meal started quietly. David seemed nervous about blurting out the wrong thing. Helen seemed annoyed there was another woman there, and Jason seemed overly concerned about Lorelei’s opinion on his dishes, asking several times if they were authentic enough. When Lorelei told them an amusing incident about her first trip to Mexico, it broke the ice, and after that his friends warmed to her. She teased David about his quirky habit of smelling each forkful of food and handed out easy compliments to Jason, who then begged to know if she had any secret recipes she was willing to divulge. By the time dessert was on the table it was as though she ate dinner with them every night. The ease with which she fit into his life sent a chill

through him. He couldn’t get comfortable, because once she found out about his deception it would be all over. Honest women like Lorelei didn’t stay with frauds like him. A burning sensation in his chest made eating the last few bites of dinner impossible. “Can I help with the dishes?” she asked Jason as David and Helen finished eating and headed to the sofas. “No, it’s okay. I’ve got them,” Jason said. “Nonsense, it will take half the time with two of us. Then you can watch the whole movie next to Helen.” Amazed at the rapport Lorelei had managed to develop with the normally reserved chef in so short a time, Liam grabbed a couple of dirty dishes and followed them into the kitchen. “Thanks, Lorelei.” Jason grinned at her and the megawatt smile she gave him set Liam’s teeth on edge. Liam put the dishes down on the counter with more force than he intended. The clatter caused Lorelei and Jason to jump. Was his chef flirting with his…his what? He clenched his jaw before he could say something he regretted. “Don’t worry, Liam. Jason and I can get the dishes. Why don’t you go back to your computer and we’ll call you when we’re ready to watch the film?” He lingered a moment longer, watching Lorelei and

Jason work together in the kitchen like an old married couple. The flame of jealousy was as intense as it was unwanted. He didn’t have time for this.

… Liam stopped his car in front of her apartment building and shut off the engine. He wasn’t driving the old Ford anymore; this was a newer model Toyota. It was almost one o’clock in the morning and the street was deserted. One movie had turned into three, and the group had laughed and joked until Helen had fallen asleep on the sofa, her head on Jason’s shoulder. “What happened to the other car?” She broke the silence that loomed between them. Liam seemed deep in thought, as though weighing the pros and cons of his next action. “It died, and as it had a ‘do not resuscitate’ bumper sticker, I let it go. At least with this one I can be fairly sure I’ll get to my destination.” “It’s still not quite you, though, is it?” Maybe Liam was one of those men who weren’t all that into cars. “What kind of car do you see me in?” Liam raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know. Something sporty, a Mustang maybe?”

“Hmm, never really considered myself a Mustang man, but for you I’d try anything.” The dimple was back. God, she loved that dimple. “I’d rather you were true to yourself. I’ve had enough lying in my past relationships to last me a lifetime,” she said. The dimple disappeared. “I have to go back to Washington this week, but I should be back by Friday night. Can we get together then?” She tried to hide her disappointment at another whole week without him. “The fundraising gala I’ve been organizing is Friday night. It’s my first foray into the San Francisco charity world. I’m a bit nervous. Would you… would you like to attend? You don’t have to donate, but it would be nice to see at least one friendly face who isn’t paid to be there.” Liam hesitated. “If you’ll be working, I don’t want to distract you. We can meet up on Saturday.” “No, really. I’d love it if you would come. Everything is all set up. The Chairman of the charity is flying in from New York and will be doing all the speeches. I’m kind of on probation. If this doesn’t go well, if we don’t hit our target donations, I may be out of a job.” She thrust the thought aside. She didn’t want to think of her work issues now. Not when Liam was inches from her, looking like he might kiss

her any minute. Her body tingled all over, anticipating his touch. He gazed into her eyes, still undecided. “Okay, I’ll come, but only to be with you. Galas aren’t really my thing.” “It’ll be fun, I promise. Oh, it’s a black-tie event, so you’ll need to rent a tuxedo. Is that okay?” Actually, the thought of seeing Liam in formal attire would keep her going all week. He had the height and build to really make the suit sexy. He’d be like James Bond without the license to kill. He shifted in the seat, resting his left arm on the top of the steering wheel. “I think that’ll be okay.” He smiled again and her heart fluttered. He was so handsome. What was he doing with her and why wasn’t he already taken? For the moment, however, she was going to revel in the knowledge he wasn’t married and for some reason was interested in spending time with her. “Would you like to come up?” He peered into her eyes again. “I would love to, but I have an early flight in the morning. It’s better if I say good night here. What time do you want me to pick you up on Friday?” “Actually, I have to be there early to supervise the setup. Can I meet you at the Four Seasons at seven thirty?”

“Sure.” Liam reached out and put a hand on her cheek; his dark eyes searched hers in the dim light. He ran his thumb down her nose until it rested on her lips, pulling her bottom lip slightly away from the other. Popping her tongue out, she tasted his finger, eliciting a sharp inhalation from him. His forefinger replaced his thumb and ran back and forth over her bottom lip. “I haven’t had peanuts in a week. Do you think it’s safe if I kiss you goodnight?” “I’m willing to risk it. I’ve got a new EpiPen in my bag if I stop breathing again.” “Noted,” he said, his lips a millimeter away from hers. His touch was gentle at first, but as she opened her mouth and responded, the hand on her cheek shifted to the back of her head, his fingers making short work of her carefully created updo. Liam slanted her head to get a better angle. He tasted faintly of the whiskey he’d had a few hours ago, and his spicy aftershave was even better close up. It must be a crime the man could look, taste, and smell so good. While he ravaged her mouth, her own hands went exploring. One was wound into the silken strands of his hair. The other was roaming over the contours of his back and shoulders. His right hand, which had been resting on her waist, found its way under her top and ran over her back, leaving

sparks of sensation along her skin. With one deft maneuver he undid the clasp of her bra. His thumb ran along the side of her body until it reached the underside of her breast. A low moan filled the air, and she realized it was coming from her. He released her lips, trailing a series of kisses across her cheek. She drew in a deep breath, just to make sure she could. It did nothing to relieve the haze of desire that engulfed her body. At least if she was going to pass out this time, it would be from passion and not asphyxiation. When Liam’s thumb ran over the peak of her breast, her back arched, encouraging his exploration. His other hand left her hair, which was now falling down her back, and joined his first one under her shirt. He teased her breasts, feathering touches over the taut peaks, circling them before rolling her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. His mouth came back to cover hers, ravaging and demanding her surrender. Little did he know she had no intention of fighting this attraction. He released her lips, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Liam’s breathing was heavy, his heartbeat easily felt through his shirt. His hands moved from her breasts back down to her waist, pulling her shirt back down. Her nipples, still highly sensitized, protested the loss of his touch.

Another moan joined the belabored breathing, this one the sound of disappointment rather than encouragement. “See why I can’t come up?” he whispered into her ear. “No.” She was dimly aware they were still sitting in his car in front of her apartment. The windows were all fogged up. Any minute, a police officer could come by and knock on the window, demanding to know what was going on inside. And she, for once, didn’t care. All she wanted was for Liam’s assault on her body to continue. He chuckled. “Temptress. I’ve got to be on a plane in five hours, and that is not nearly long enough to do justice to your incredible body. And I hate leaving things half done. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of guy.” She moaned again. What had come over her? She sounded like a bad actress in a porn film. “All right, but you’d better get some sleep while you’re away, ’cause you won’t be getting any when you get back,” she said. Heat invaded her face. Díos mío, where had that line come from? He’d think she was a complete tramp, sleeping with married men and propositioning others in cars outside her apartment. Before she could stammer out some kind of retraction, Liam responded by kissing her again until she was breathless. “I’ll hold you to that,” he murmured when he finally sat

back in his seat. “Oh, and can I make one request for next Friday?” “What’s that?” Reaching around, she refastened her bra. She took Liam’s retreat back to his seat as an indicator tonight’s lovefest had come to an end. “Wear your hair down. It’s so beautiful and it’ll remind me of where we left off tonight.” He reached out and ran a hand over her tousled hair. “All right.” She’d already been planning an elaborate hairstyle, but the desire in Liam’s eyes overrode that idea. Personally, she wouldn’t need any reminders; she’d be replaying the entire scene over and over until she saw him again. “Until Friday, then.” He picked up her hand and kissed each of her knuckles, staring into her eyes as he did so. This was going to be the longest week in history.

Chapter Nine Lorelei surveyed the room, pleased at its appearance. Tall crystal vases containing white roses graced each table. She’d also decided on white tablecloths and napkins. A group of children had decorated each place card, adding a splash of color. Against the walls, tables had been set up with thank-you notes from the children who’d recently had Happy Day experiences, with some background information and photos, showing the work the charity did. A black-clad pianist was playing softly on the grand piano on a raised dais in the center of the room. At such short notice she hadn’t arranged a full theme dinner. Instead she’d aimed for understated elegance. And given the reaction from the staff and early guests to arrive, she’d achieved it. She glanced at her watch. There was just enough time

before the official start for her to run upstairs to one of the rooms that had been reserved for the night and change. One of the benefits of being an organizer was that she could stay overnight if she so desired. And based on the way she and Liam had departed, an overnight in one of San Francisco’s best hotels was definitely in the cards. He’d called three times during the week, after ten her time, which was 1:00 a.m. in Washington, so she knew he was working hard. He had sounded exhausted and she really wouldn’t blame him if he canceled coming this evening. With that thought, she checked her cell phone for a message of regret, but so far nothing. She slipped on the black evening gown she’d agonized over for days. Was it too revealing for a charity function? Although fairly modest at the front, showing only a hint of cleavage, it plunged to a deep vee at the back, making wearing a bra impossible. If that wasn’t enough, there was a thigh-high slit on one side, which as long as she stood still no one would notice. However, if she took too large of a step, the top of her stockings showed. Not that she was likely to take large steps in the four-inch heels, which evidently were required to show the dress off to the max. Mandy had picked out the dress, and after Lorelei tried it on her friend had insisted she buy it. She should have stuck

with the dress she’d originally intended to wear, before she’d invited Liam. That one had been fade-into-thecurtains boring and would have rendered her virtually invisible among a room full of San Francisco’s elite. However, she’d wanted to wear something to wow Liam. Once she’d told Mandy he was coming, her friend had whisked her off to an exclusive boutique that specialized in dresses by student designers. It had also cost her two weeks’ salary; she hoped she kept her job to pay for it. Her phone buzzed and Lorelei swallowed. A lead ball took up residence in her stomach as she was sure it was Liam calling to say he was too tired to make it. Well, they could probably have a nice quiet lunch tomorrow, or maybe she’d invite him over for dinner at her place. “Lorelei Torres,” she said, not recognizing the number on the caller display. “Miss Torres, one of the guests is asking to be moved to a different table. Perhaps you could suggest an alternative placement?” The hotel event manager’s voice held a hint of exasperation. “I’ll be right down,” Lorelei said. And so it began. An hour later, with a huge fake smile plastered on her face, she surveyed the room again. She’d moved three couples and adjusted four other tables where people had

canceled, according to Dustin’s secretary. She had a sneaky suspicion the Director of Fundraising had invented the names and then had his minion tell her they weren’t coming at the last minute, just to screw with her plans. Even with the large anonymous donation, ticket sales had only been so-so. They needed to clear a quarter million from the silent auction or on-site donations to make their target. The lead ball in her stomach started to roll around. Snagging a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, Lorelei waved at Mandy across the room. Trust Mandy to show up in a crimson-red gown. At least she no longer felt out of place. She’d intercepted a few admiring glances from men, and a few envious stares from women, but so far no one had insisted she go home and change. Mandy glided across the floor and air-kissed both of Lorelei’s cheeks. “Lookin’ good, girl,” was Mandy’s summation of Lorelei’s appearance. “Likewise,” she said. “Madre. De. Díos.” Mandy’s dire pronouncement had Lorelei perusing the room for the latest disruption. If one more person wanted to change tables so they’d be sitting with someone more famous, so help her, Lorelei would catapult them into the Yerba Buena Gardens.

“What now?” “Over by the door.” Mandy’s gaze was transfixed on the entrance. “I was so worried about you that night you had the peanut allergy thing and your boyfriend asked me to stay with you, I didn’t get a good look at him.” Lorelei swiveled and scanned the entryway, uttering her own expletive as her eyes locked on Liam. He made James Bond look like a homeless beggar. Liam’s tuxedo fit his form as though it had been molded to him. Taller than most men in attendance, he surveyed the room like he owned it. As she stared, he caught her gaze; the lazy smile that creased his face accelerated her heartbeat to a dangerous level. “Watch your back, my friend. Every woman here tonight will risk the death penalty and kill you to have a chance at one night with him,” Mandy said. “Except you.” Lorelei kept her eyes on Liam as he approached. He sauntered across the room and she was held motionless. “I don’t know. I’m having a terrible time remembering my fiancé’s name right now,” Mandy whispered as Liam approached. “Good evening, Mandy. You look very nice,” Liam said as he reached them.

“Thank you,” her friend muttered before disappearing. “Lorelei, you are stunning.” The heat in Liam’s gaze could have melted the dress right off her. He leaned down and pressed a warm kiss on her cheek before whispering i n her ear, “Thank you for wearing your hair down.” The tingle of his breath raced from her ear canal straight to her toes, which curled in her killer heels. It rebounded and settled in the pit of her stomach, sparking a warm glow that infused her body. “It keeps my back warm,” she said, doing a spin to show him her otherwise naked back. “Can we leave yet?” His normally deep voice had dropped another octave. All the stress of preparing the event, all the annoyances of dealing with people’s petty requests and complaints, suddenly meant nothing. She was here with Liam and she wanted the world to know they were together. “Not yet. However, I do have a room upstairs,” she said. “Keep the key handy.” His sultry voice had her wondering if she could fake a headache and leave now. “Lorelei, who’s this, then?” Two of her colleagues stood to Liam’s right, like hungry piranhas ready to swarm should he take one step toward the water. “This is my…um…this is Liam. Liam, this is Susan and

Victoria. They work for the charity in the Dream Logistics department. They organize the Happy Day for the sick children, according to what the child wants and is able to do.” Liam shook hands with them both, but aside from being socially polite showed no interest in their provocative displays. “Oh, there’s Mr. Holborn. I want to introduce Liam. If you’ll excuse us, ladies?” Lorelei took Liam’s hand and pulled him away from the two salivating women and toward a fictional guest. The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Her squished pinkie toes stopped hurting and Liam’s arm around her waist, or his hand skimming her naked back, set off a cascade of sensation that numbed all the other niggles. People who had earlier been complaining to her now came up to offer their congratulations on a well-planned event. Liam was attentive and supportive, his arm around her when they were speaking with others, listening exclusively to her when alone. Other women tried to catch his eye, or interrupt them, and although polite and friendly he never gave a hint of wanting to be with anyone else. By the time dessert was served, Lorelei admitted to herself that for good or bad she was falling heart over reason in

love with him.

… Liam shifted in his seat. The evening was interminable and if he had to smile at one more inane comment or lame joke he might explode. The only thing that made the whole affair bearable was Lorelei. She’d done an amazing job organizing the event and he was pleased to see her efforts and talent were being acknowledged. But more important, thank God, no one had recognized him, yet. A few titans of industry he knew were there, but without his longer hair, beard, and mustache they hadn’t connected him to IWC Security. Besides, no one who knew him would expect him to attend a charity event for sick children. Send a donation maybe, but actually go? It was outside his comfort zone, or at least it had been until he met Lorelei. A waiter put a plate of cake in front of him and refilled his coffee cup. He didn’t want to eat anymore; he just wanted to get out of there and explore the tantalizing glimpses of skin exposed by Lorelei’s dress. Reaching under the table, he ran a finger up her thigh, allowing it to go an inch beyond the slit. Encountering the lacy top of a stocking, he sucked in a breath. Damn. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair,

wishing the boring Chairman would shut up and let them get out of here. “How long do you have to stay?” he whispered in Lorelei’s ear, taking the time to inhale her evocative scent. “Until eleven. That’s when the event is scheduled to wrap up. After that any stragglers are on their own. You can leave any time…” “I’m not leaving here without you. Every man in this room tonight wants to take you home. No way I’m going to give one of them the opportunity.” She smiled at him and he caught his breath. Somewhere in the past two weeks things had shifted in his life. Time with Lorelei was no longer just about finishing his brother’s book. The novel was three or four chapters from completion. Then he’d have to transition from regular guy Liam to himself. He only hoped Lorelei would be able to make the shift with him. He couldn’t risk telling her now and altering their relationship. If she left him he’d never finish the book, and he’d promised Marcus. Finally, the speeches were over and the waiters began clearing the last of the dishes. Lorelei’s phone vibrated on the table. She picked it up and leaned toward him and whispered, “Excuse me. I need to take this.” He watched her walk away, noting the number of male

heads that followed her progress from the room. With the phone clutched to her ear she seemed oblivious to the stares that accompanied her departure. How could a woman be so beautiful and so unaware of it at the same time? He was still contemplating Lorelei’s lack of narcissism when a round man in an ill-fitting tuxedo occupied her chair. Liam turned to greet the newcomer, but his smile died on his lips. Sitting in Lorelei’s chair was Gerald Burkow, CEO of Frampton Tech. “William Manning, not used to seeing you at these things. The evening just got interesting. My wife forces me to come. She likes to get all dressed up, and attending a charity event gives her the warm fuzzies. What are you doing here?” His mouth went dry and he had to take a swallow of water before he could answer. “I’m here with the charity’s Event Director. It’s good to see you, Gerald. How about I get my secretary to call yours to arrange a lunch? Now’s not really the time to talk business.” Gerald’s face fell. “I guess not. It’s good to see you. I heard about your brother. You have my sympathy.” “Thanks. If you’ll excuse me, Lorelei is back and I want to make sure there’s no problem.”

Liam made a quick exit and strode toward his date, hoping she hadn’t witnessed the discussion. “Everything okay?” “Yeah, the band that’s supposed to play for the dancing is running late. They say their van broke down. I have a feeling it may be band-speak for ‘we’re trying to sober up the drummer.’ They should be here in half an hour. I’ve asked the pianist to play again and hopefully everyone will want to freshen up or get another drink in the interim and no one will notice the lull in activities.” “It’ll be fine,” Liam said. Sure enough, the majority of ladies headed for the washrooms and the gentlemen toward the bar. Liam itched to leave, but putting his arm around Lorelei, he headed toward the open doors to the terrace. Before they were halfway across the room his phone vibrated in his pocket. “Sweetheart, my phone has been buzzing for the past half hour. Can you excuse me for a moment while I check my messages? I have to make sure the project I’ve been working on hasn’t fallen apart.” “Don’t worry. I want to check the silent auction to see if we’re anywhere close to our fundraising target. Go, make your calls. I’ll meet you by the dance floor in a few minutes.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek before

veering off to a table across the room. Liam watched her for a moment, enjoying the sway of her hips as she walked away. Another couple of hours and her hips would be moving in a different direction. His rule about no sex be damned; he was only a man, he couldn’t stop the inevitable. He pulled out his phone and listened to his voicemails. Several of those he’d met earlier in the evening waved at him or nodded as he passed. They were the kind of people who had bullied him in school, beautiful people who acknowledged only those who shared the same social standing. He made his way out to the far end of the terrace and dialed the number of the last caller. Ten minutes later, Liam ran a weary hand over his eyes. Was it only nine thirty? He contemplated asking Lorelei for her key, going upstairs, and having a quick nap before she finished for the evening. Things had gone askew again in Washington, but he’d dispatched David to deal with it. His friend was always asking about the type of work he did for the government; maybe if he realized how boring it was, he wouldn’t be envious anymore.

…

Lorelei wiggled her shoulders, hoping to relieve some of the tension. What she needed was a good massage, and she knew exactly whose hands she wanted on her. She closed her eyes for a moment and fantasized about unbuttoning those little black studs on Liam’s shirtfront. Spreading the fabric wide and letting her hands rove over his muscles. She’d seen him flex in a T-shirt, she knew they were there, and it was time she got her hands on them. “Lorelei.” She opened her eyes. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a tall, dark, handsome Liam who stood before her but rather the short, portly figure of Dustin, the Director of Fundraising. “Dustin, I didn’t see you earlier. Have you just arrived?” “No, I’ve been here all along, watching you try to steal my job. Seems other women’s husbands aren’t the only thing you like to take.” A red haze appeared before her eyes. If she wanted her event to be talked about, slamming Dustin’s face repeatedly into the ice sculpture would be one way to do it. But with the Chairman watching it probably wasn’t the wisest career move. She put a lid on her temper and straightened to her full height, dwarfing the Director of Fundraising. “I have no

interest in your job. My only ambition is to raise money so these poor children can enjoy a day away from the hospital.” Dustin’s raised voice had caused a few people to stop their own conversations and listen. “Then how the hell do you explain William Manning?”

William Manning? Had Liam told his boss about the event and he’d shown up? Why hadn’t he introduced her? She searched the crowd for an uggo with computer code scrolling across his eyes. She’d spent hours memorizing faces and names and didn’t see anyone she didn’t recognize. “William Manning?” “The man sat next to you. I’ve been trying to get him to donate for years. But I guess I don’t have the right equipment.” Dustin leered suggestively at her breasts and it was all she could do not to flatten him on the spot. Dustin might be more incompetent than she thought. He’d probably heard that Liam worked for IWC Security and assumed he was the big boss. Liam certainly looked the part in his tux. “I think you must be mistaken. I sat next to Liam Mackenzie. He’s my date. I paid for his ticket myself.” “Does he work in the Internet security field?” “Well, yes.” A shadow of doubt clouded her vision and she swayed in her four-inch heels. The words “too good to

be true” flitted through her mind. “Have you been seeing him long?” “A couple of weeks.” She sucked in a deep breath, but it didn’t lessen the crushing sensation in her chest. “Well, somehow you’ve managed to snag one of America’s most reclusive billionaires.” “What?” The air in her lungs whooshed out. Dustin pulled out his phone, accessed a file, and showed Lorelei a photo of Liam with a full beard and longer hair, but Liam nonetheless. Below the picture was the caption, “William Mackenzie Manning, Chairman and CEO, IWC Security Ltd.” She stared at the photo for what seemed an eternity, trying to prove the face on the screen wasn’t Liam’s. There was no denying the eyes. The same liquid chocolate that melted her core whenever he glanced at her looked back at her from the screen. Grabbing the phone out of Dustin’s hand, she scrolled down to read the blurb below. The words billionaire and genius leaped out at her. Her stomach sank through to her knees. She glanced up to see Liam approaching. “Don’t think this means you can take my job. I’ll talk to him about corporate sponsorship.” Dustin’s voice sounded a long way away. She struggled to take a breath to ensure she wasn’t having another anaphylactic reaction. It wasn’t a

peanut allergy restricting her airway, but her heart exploding. He’d lied to her. Played her like an idiota. “You want to talk to him about sponsorship? Then now’s your chance,” Lorelei said. She spun on her heel and headed in the opposite direction.

… As Liam reentered the ballroom, he spotted Lorelei standing by the dance floor. Next to her, showing her his phone, was a short, round guy with a sneer on his face. Whatever they were discussing was obviously distressing her and Liam quickened his pace. When he was ten feet away her eyes met his, and he knew the game was up. His heart plummeted to the floor and his stomach did a flip-flop motion sure to bring his dinner up. He’d had this feeling before. The first time was when he was thirteen and the doorbell rang and two men in black suits and mirrored sunglasses stood at his door. The second time, when the doctor had told him there was no more hope for Marcus and all they could do was make him comfortable until he passed. And now, watching Lorelei flee the room. “Mr. Manning, we are so excited you were able to join us

this evening. It has been our pleasure to have you here.” The man who had upset Lorelei stepped in front of him. One thing Liam hadn’t missed pretending to be a regular guy was people fawning over him hoping to get something. “I’m here with Miss Torres, as her date.” He tried to keep an eye on Lorelei to see where she went. “Yes, Miss Torres, she’s been a wonderful addition to our team. However, I was hoping to meet with you to discuss—” “Call my head of PR, Cynthia Dale. She’s in charge of the company’s charitable donations. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Lorelei had slipped through the patio doors and he intended to go after her. At least a dozen couples were on the veranda, enjoying the warm night air. Gerald Burkow and his wife waved at Liam as he passed, but he ignored them. There was a figure at the far end of the terrace, all alone. As he approached he saw her stiffen, as though she knew who was behind her. “Lorelei…” he said. He saw her shoulders tense, and a sharp stab of pain sliced through his chest. He’d hurt her. Should he just walk away before he caused more pain? She turned toward him, her face a mask of fury and agony. “Do you have any idea how I feel? The estúpido

Director of Fundraising had to tell me who I was dating?” A flicker of hope came to life inside him. If it was only a case of embarrassment— “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. If you’ll let me explain.” “Explain? Explain? What is there to explain? You had your fun playing regular guy with the dim-witted charity worker. Go back to being a billionaire genius now and leave me alone.” “No.” He put his hand out to touch her cheek and brush away the tear that lingered on her cheekbone. She flinched and he dropped his hand as though scalded. His mind searched for words, not his strong point; he had to make her understand. “No? What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” She was becoming hysterical, the tears flowing freely now. An audience was gathering but he didn’t care. Lorelei was the only one who mattered. “It means that now that I’ve found you, I’m not letting you go. I can’t. Please, Lorelei, hear me out.” The anguish in his tone must have found a way through a chink in her anger because her glare faltered. The pain was still there, though, and it cut through him to know he’d hurt her. “If you’re going to give me some sob story about being a misunderstood billionaire, then save it. I don’t have the

time. I need to see if the band has shown up.” She made a move to pass him, and he put his hand out to touch her arm. She stopped and glowered at him, brushing her cheeks with the back of her hand. “When Marcus died it made me examine my life. I realized how shallow and superficial my past relationships had been. Then I met you. I didn’t want my money or position to come between us. And, as pathetic as it may seem, I needed to know that you liked me for me and not my money or what it could do for your career. I was going to tell you, but we were having so much fun just being us. I knew things would change once you knew.” “Is that what you think? That if I knew you were rich I’d hit you up for a donation?” She took a deep breath and he braced himself for whatever she may say next. “I told you I hated lies in a relationship. You should have told me yourself and not waited till a maldito Fundraising Director accused me of poaching his prospect.” He latched onto her last statement. “See what I mean about people always wanting things from me? You’re different, Lorelei—all you’ve ever done is give. You’re so special. Please, please give me another chance. Let me show you how wonderful we could be together.” He reached his hand up to cradle her cheek and this time she didn’t

move away. “You told me you’d met William Manning. You lied to me. You made a fool of me.” “I never meant to hurt you. I’m sorry. And I certainly never meant to make a fool of you. When I looked in the mirror, I realized I don’t like William Manning much. He’s selfabsorbed and just thinks about computers all the time. Then I met you and I wanted it to be different. When I’m Liam Mackenzie, when I’m with you, the world is a better place. I’m a better man. You make me a better person. Please don’t stop now. I need you.” She searched his eyes and he hoped she saw his sincerity. Every word he’d said had been true. “It’s not there,” she said, her voice breaking. He froze, every muscle clenched. He couldn’t do it without her. And at the moment he wasn’t entirely sure what it was—finishing his brother’s book, or breathing. “What’s not there?” “The lines of code scrolling across your eyes.” He released the breath he’d been holding. “That’s because of you as well. What do you say, Lorelei?” “You did ride the bus to be with me,” she said through her tears. A faint smile played about her lips at the memory of his discomfort.

“I’ve never ridden the bus for any other woman. And once you’ve been in my Aston Martin, you’ll realize how much of a sacrifice I was willing to make to be with you.” A shadow of fear passed over her eyes and she switched her attention to the ground. “I’m not from your world, Liam. I may dress up and rub elbows with the rich, but when I go home I eat pizza straight out of the box and cut coupons to save seventy-five cents on cookies.” “You’ve already been part of my world for two weeks. You had dinner with David, Helen, and Jason. They are my world. You…are becoming my world.” “This is a huge thing, Liam. It’s going to take me time to adjust.” “Adjust to what? I’m still the same person I was an hour ago. I haven’t changed.” Putting his other arm around her waist, he pulled her against him. He took her lips in a gentle kiss, but when she melted into him, passion ignited, incinerating reason. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he registered the multitude of people watching. It didn’t seem to matter—he was with Lorelei and her taste and scent were driving him wild. He must be more tired than he thought because he was on the edge of losing his mind. Someone in the crowd coughed and he realized things were getting a little out of

control for a public display of affection. Burying his face in her hair, he whispered, “And this explosive chemistry hasn’t changed between us either. Please, Lorelei, give us a chance.” She took two breaths before raising her head. She pushed away from him and stood with her arms crossed over her stomach. “I need some time to think, to make sure this relationship is right for me. And I can’t do that with you around. I would appreciate it if you would leave and I’ll call you in a couple days.” His heart fibrillated for a minute before racing. If he told her about the book now she’d definitely end things and he couldn’t risk that. Not until he’d finished the story. Not until he had worked out how he was going to cope without her. Not until he’d regained his sanity. He searched her face, then turned on his heel and walked away, feeling like he’d just been shot in the chest.

Chapter Ten Lorelei pulled her borrowed dressing gown around her and stared at the ceiling. She�� d just called Liam and told him she’d have dinner with him on Sunday night. She needed to make sure this was right for her because she was pretty sure she wouldn’t recover if she let herself fall further in love with him and he ditched her after a couple months. But it was so hard when he was so tempting. Her decision mantra head, heart, body was turning into body, body, body. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Mandy stood with her hands on her hips, her belligerent stance at odds with her tear-ravaged face. The bombshell of Liam’s true identity had coincided with Mandy receiving a text from her fiancé asking for his ring back. Both women had left as soon as

the clock struck eleven and raced back to Mandy’s apartment to soothe their heartache with ice cream and tequila. Not a great combination the following morning. “No, but…” Lorelei stared at the phone still in her hand. She could call him back and say they could meet for a quick lunch, but that would probably turn into a quick trip back to her place or his. And then next thing she knew they would be arguing over who was going to get out of bed to make breakfast. “He lied to you. He deserves a day in the doghouse.” Lorelei suppressed a sigh. “Yeah, but he had his reasons. Did you see all the people who tried to talk to him after word got out who he really is? I even heard one woman ask if he could attend her fundraiser next week for some charity she’s involved in.” At least her own job was rock-solid as long as she was with Liam. No way would the Chairman fire her when there was a possibility IWC Security would become a corporate sponsor. But neither would she stay with him just to keep her job. That would be despicable. No, if she had a future with Liam it had to be because they were in love. “He assumed you would be like the rest. He should have told you sooner, and himself,” Mandy said. She blew her nose loudly and went in search of a fresh box of tissues.

Lorelei stared at her phone once more before putting it back on her friend’s coffee table. She’d thought she’d awaken this morning in Liam’s arms. Instead, she’d spent the night at Mandy’s place, listening to her friend bewail the loss of her one true love. Lorelei’s stomach dropped. Would she be singing the same sorry tune a couple of weeks from now? Even if she could get past his deception, Liam was way beyond her league. Perhaps she should cut her losses and save herself more pain. Her phone buzzed with an incoming text. Her heart raced at the thought it could be Liam, not willing to wait until tomorrow. After all, he was probably used to getting what he wanted right away.

How did your party go? Are you with him? Darn, it was her mom. How was she going to explain the change in circumstances to her? It’d be best to wait until she was sure where she stood with Liam. If she told her she was involved with a billionaire, her mother would probably start shopping for mansions.

Party went well. Am with my friend Mandy. Will call you later and explain. She hoped that would hold her off, except a minute later her phone buzzed again.

Have you broken up with him? I checked credit card bill

and the dating site refunded my money. Do you want me to sign you up again? She texted the word “no” back to her mother and her fingers shook as she put the phone down once more. A cold chill swept down her spine. That was odd. She hadn’t checked the site again after meeting Liam. In fact, she’d forgotten all about the architect guy she was supposed to meet. He’d probably sent her some message about why he’d missed their date. A flicker of suspicion entered her mind that Liam was responsible. He was, after all, an extremely adept hacker by all accounts. Though she was pretty sure she hadn’t mentioned any Internet dating site when they’d met. She shrugged off the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. Just because he’d hidden his wealth and not told her his full name didn’t mean he’d lied about everything. And he said he had reasons… “Mandy? Can I use your computer?” “Claro. It’s on the desk.” Her friend appeared a moment later, a box of tissues clutched under her arm, the pockets of her dressing gown bulging with used Kleenex. Lorelei drummed her fingers on the desk while she waited for the laptop to boot up. If Dustin had been able to

get a photo of Liam, or rather William, to load then clearly they’d missed something when they’d looked. A half hour later Mandy stood behind her, peering over her shoulder at the computer screen. “We definitely know he’s not an uggo. Although what’s with all the facial hair? What about the bank account?” “Oh, it’s huge all right. There’s a magazine article from four years ago when he made his first billion. The rest is mostly about papers he’s written or conferences where he’s been a guest speaker. On the gossip sites there’s only the one supermodel mention, that they know of anyway. He told me last night that when his brother died he looked at his life. Maybe he decided that shaving was going to be the start of a new him.” The Internet search had unsettled her. She knew less about Liam now than when she’d started. There was no hint of the warm, funny man who had sat next to her on the bus, whispering incredulous suggestions about the lives of their fellow passengers. “What does your gut tell you?” Mandy sat on the arm of the sofa and stared into Lorelei’s eyes so there was no hiding. “I wish I knew. At the moment I just want to be with him. I guess I’ll take it one day at a time and try to get to know the

real man this time.” “Or maybe you already know him. The rest is window dressing.” Mandy shrugged. “Díos mío, I hope so.” “But obviously my man senses are off or I wouldn’t have gotten engaged to a dog.” “Wanna burn more pictures of him?” “No. He’s not worth the paper. Hey, do you have the

number for that architect guy you were going to meet?” And Mandy was back.

… Lorelei jumped a foot in the air when the door buzzer blared out Liam’s arrival. She couldn’t believe she was having this reaction to seeing him again. After wiping damp palms on a tea towel, she checked to make sure she hadn’t dripped anything down her dress. With a shaky hand, she pressed the entry button. She glanced around the kitchen with a satisfied nod. The enchiladas she’d spent all day preparing were under the broiler, crisping the cheese. A large salad sat on the counter, and a bottle of red wine waited, breathing, next to

two large glasses. Her best dishes, the ones her mother bought her on her eighteenth birthday, to start her collection for when she got married, were on standby. Everything was perfect. Pasting on a smile, she waited to hear his long strides come down her hallway.

Wait for him to knock, wait for him to knock. She counted to three, then flung open the door. Who was she kidding? She’d never had patience when she wanted something. And she wanted Liam—badly. Two nights with little sleep hadn’t helped matters. She’d lain awake thinking of him, replaying every conversation, every touch. He’d deceived her about his name but never really lied to her. He’d never said he wasn’t rich. She’d assumed, based on his car and clothes. And she couldn’t deny that despite everything, she liked him more than was possibly healthy at this stage, probably more than was healthy at any stage. She’d regret it for the rest of her life if she walked away now. She had to see if they could have a future together. Díos, she hoped they could because she couldn’t imagine any other man competing with Liam.

Okay, so you couldn’t wait to see him. Wait to kiss him. Remember last time!

When he caught sight of her standing at her door a smile creased his lips and the dimple reappeared. Screw waiting —what had that ever gotten her? She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as he approached. Flattening herself against the wall, she took a deep breath as he crossed the threshold. He smelled of warm spice, and heat radiated up from her lower abdomen. After he closed the door, he leaned against it, watching her, his eyes roaming up and down the red dress she’d bought during their sightseeing day. Opening her mouth, nothing came out. Damn, why was this so hard? “Good evening, Miss Torres. My name is William Mackenzie Manning, but I prefer to be called Liam by my friends. I am the Chairman and CEO of IWC Security. I have a net worth of approximately two point eight billion dollars. I own three houses, one in San Francisco, which you have visited, one in the Russian River Valley attached to a small vineyard, and another in Antigua. I mainly drive a black Aston Martin Vanquish, but I also have a couple of other cars.” He took a step closer. “And recently I’ve met a woman who interests me more than anyone. So I would appreciate the chance to get to know her better.” Another step brought him toe to toe with her. Intensity

exuded from his body; the scent of his aftershave drifted over her. Only by locking her knees did she stop herself from leaning into him. “Is there anything else you’d like to know about me?” he whispered. She had to clear her throat twice before she could speak. “Have you eaten any peanuts lately?” “Not in weeks.” His face was deadpan. “Then I have one last question.” Liam raised an eyebrow. “Yes?” “How long before you kiss me?” He reached out and pulled the clip out of her hair, letting it tumble down before his hand slipped to her cheek, cradling it gently. As though in slow motion, his head descended, his lips parting as they approached hers. She sucked in a huge breath. “I think that can be arranged very soon,” he whispered against her lips. The kiss was slow and languid; every time she tried to increase the pace, he’d pull back slightly. His hands moved to her shoulders and stayed there, rather than threading through her hair or wandering down her back. Lorelei put her hands on his chest, feeling his heartbeat increase beneath her palm. He kissed her as though he had all the time in the world.

She thrust aside her inclination to rush the moment. If Liam just wanted her body, surely he would be pushing home his advantage. Instead, he was taking the time to make her feel special, make her feel…treasured. And she loved him a little bit more for it. At last he pulled back a fraction. His lips returned to hers several times for small sips. “I know it’s getting hot in here, but I think something might be burning.” She sniffed. Sure enough there was a trace of smoke in the air. “The enchiladas!” she wailed. She raced into the kitchen and pulled the smoking dish from the oven. While she stared at the blackened mess, wondering what to do next, the quiet was pierced by the shrieking of the smoke detector. “Quick, open the window,” she said to Liam, who was leaning against the doorframe. He hurried to do her bidding while she grabbed the tea towel from the counter and waved it frantically, trying to dissipate the smoke. When silence was finally restored to the apartment, she flung the towel on the floor and slumped into a chair at the small table that passed for her dining room. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I thought we’d go out for dinner. I

want to take you someplace worthy of your beauty.” Liam rubbed his hand along her shoulders before running it down the length of her hair. “I wanted to eat here, to cook for you. I don’t want to go out and have everyone compare me to your other girlfriends.” She kept staring at the table, not wanting to see his eyes. “No one will compare you, no one who matters. And even if they did you’d come up tops. I don’t think you realize how beautiful you are, inside and out.” He sat in the opposite chair and put his hand over hers on the table. “Look at me, Lorelei.” She raised tear-filled eyes to him. Her plans for tonight had gone up in smoke, literally. She’d wanted to stay here, where she was comfortable, to spend some time with Liam, without wondering who was waiting in the wings ready to take her place. There must be a line of women a mile long wanting to go out with him. “I don’t want to go out. I’m not dressed.” “Are you kidding me? This is how you dress for eating at home?” “Of course.” She pushed a smile past the tears. “Well, I’m rather fond of charcoal. I’m happy to eat what you’ve cooked.” Liam stood and walked purposefully

toward the kitchen. “No, Liam. It’s inedible.” Lorelei followed him. He couldn’t honestly mean to eat the ruined dinner. Ignoring her, he grabbed a plate off the counter. After a brief search he found a spatula, and shattering the top layer of burned cheese he pried a portion from the dish. “Can I serve you some?” His face was polite, his eyebrows raised, as though he were inquiring about her mother’s health. “Please, don’t eat that.” Too late; he’d found a fork and already popped a morsel in his mouth. Horrified, she couldn’t avert her eyes. He chewed for some time before pronouncing, “Tastes just like my mother’s cooking.” The dimple appeared and her heart melted. He put the plate down on the counter and strode over to where she stood paralyzed by the doorway. “Really, you didn’t have to eat it.” “You spent hours working on that dish. I wasn’t going to ignore your efforts because I distracted you at the crucial moment. What do you say we get a pizza delivered and relax on the sofa until it arrives?” “You read my mind.” She raised her face to his, surprised at the understanding and compassion in his

eyes. “Yes, I did read your mind. But don’t you think we should wait until after the pizza arrives to do that?”

Chapter Eleven “And he went home after you ate the pizza? You were at your place, feet from your bed, and he went home?” Mandy stared at her as though she’d said she’d been abducted by aliens and taken to another planet. “I know. I couldn’t believe it either. Then he reminded me I told him I didn’t sleep with men I’d just met, and as this was our first date now that I knew his secret, he wasn’t going to push me for a physical relationship.” Lorelei couldn’t quite believe Liam had left after dinner. She’d lain awake for hours wondering what was wrong with her, why he’d gone home rather than stay with her. And that old devil self-doubt had wondered if he’d gone off to see some other woman. “Girl, the man is gorgeous and rich and he ate your

burned dinner. You’ve got to jump his bones before the Vatican considers him for sainthood.” Mandy put down her sandwich and took a long drink of her soda. “And take my advice. Don’t wait years once you’ve got his ring on your finger. Forget the white wedding, go to Vegas. Get him attached to you in a way only a judge can pull you apart.” “I don’t think we’re talking marriage yet.” They may not be talking about it, but she was already thinking it. She’d written Mrs. Lorelei Manning in the steam from the shower on the mirror this morning. “When are you seeing him again?” “Tomorrow. He’s asked me to take the day off work. We’re going to the Russian River Valley. He’s got a house there.” “He’s got a house in Russian River? Will you adopt me once you’re married?” “Sure, I’ve always wanted a sister.” “Oh, by the way, have you seen the final figures from the gala? One point two five million. Dustin is claiming it’s all his doing but I suspect most of that came from your date. At least the office is safe from closure for now.” Lorelei tried to paste a smile on her face. It was a hollow feeling knowing the only reason the night had been a success was because she’d somehow managed to pick up

a billionaire in a bar. The famous line from Casablanca flitted through her head—of all the bars… It seemed blind luck was better than her talent. Her phone buzzed on the table. She snatched it up, hoping it was Liam. He hadn’t called since they’d parted after another long kiss on Sunday evening, but then he said he would be busy trying to clear his schedule to take her out on Wednesday. Her heart plummeted when it was her mother’s number and not Liam’s on the caller display. “Hola, Mama.” “Lorelei, I know you have a boyfriend now. However that doesn’t mean you can forget all about your poor madre.” “I haven’t forgotten you, Mama. I’ve been busy at work.” She turned away from Mandy, who was making kissing faces. “Well, listen. I’ve downloaded Skype on my computer and got a camera and everything. So next time your boyfriend comes around I want to see his face. I can’t believe my little girl is dating someone I’ve never even met. It’s not right.” Lorelei groaned. “You never met Barry until we’d been dating for six months,” she said. “Sí, and look how that turned out. If I can’t see him on the computer, then I’m going to come out and meet him.”

“Okay, okay. Next time he comes over I’ll Skype you.” “All right, querida. See you soon,” her mother said before hanging up. Lorelei put her head in her hand. She wondered if she should ask Liam to hack into her mother’s computer and permanently disable it.

… Liam pulled up in front of Lorelei’s apartment building and was surprised to see her standing on the sidewalk, waiting for him. Her eyes widened as he came around and opened the car door for her. “Everything okay?” he inquired after giving her a brief kiss in greeting. He’d rather hoped to have a more intimate, lengthy encounter in the confines of her apartment. His need for this woman was out of control. “Yeah, it’s just I promised my mom that next time you came to my place we’d video-call her. By meeting you outside, technically you haven’t come up, and therefore I won’t be lying when she asks why I didn’t Skype her today.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He almost laughed at her sheepish expression—she had the worst poker face, ever.

Liam was torn. Lorelei had spoken often of her mother, with a mixture of love and exasperation, and he was curious to see the woman who inspired such devotion from her daughter. If their relationship were conventional, he really should meet her, even if only via webcam. However, their relationship wasn’t ordinary. And he’d chosen Lorelei specifically because she was new to town and he wouldn’t have to do the whole meet the family thing. “Maybe another time,” he murmured. He started the engine and the car roared to life. Lorelei ran her hand over the butter-soft leather seat, a look of awe in her eyes as she surveyed the interior. “You know, we could always take the bus,” he teased as he pulled away from the curb. She snuggled into the seat, making a soft purring sound. “Oh, I think we’ll go your way today. We did my thing last time.” “Excellent. Sit back, relax, and let me wow you.” “You could have done that on my sofa,” she said. Immediately her face went red and she turned away. She was such a mix, confident one minute, shy the next. She was like a baby bird, afraid to trust her wings. “Patience, sweetheart. Good things come to those who wait,” he said.

Pretending to concentrate on the traffic, he sneaked peeks at his companion as she stared out the window. He’d only just managed to leave on Sunday night before ravishing her. It had actually hurt to walk out the building, seeing the disappointment on her face. Still, it was for the best. Today, however, he wasn’t sure he had the strength. It was sheer stupidity, taking her to his place in Russian River. Of all his homes, it was the most him. He’d sat with the architect for hours, making sure each room matched his vision—personally picked out each piece of furniture and painting. If any one place on the earth told the story of Liam Manning, it was that house. As they left San Francisco behind, he relaxed. It was a warm, sunny day. He was with a beautiful woman, who, as far as he could tell, had no agenda and he was going to one of his favorite places, driving his favorite car. He glanced over at Lorelei. Her eyes were closed, contentment on her face. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. His breath caught in his throat and he turned his attention back to the road before she could see his longing. How the hell had he let himself become so entangled with this woman? “It’s so different here from the East Coast, but I expected the trees to be taller. I’ve read about the giant Californian redwoods and this is Old Redwood Highway.”

Liam looked over at her and smiled. “There are a few still standing. One day I’ll take you to see the trees at Redwood National Park.” He swallowed and stared straight ahead. What was he doing promising her future dates? By the end of next week, at the latest, the manuscript would be done. Then they could go their separate ways. He’d have to remember to arrange a trip for her and Mandy to go to his house in Antigua in a few weeks when they were finished. It hurt to breathe when he thought of breaking up with Lorelei. Maybe they didn’t have to break up. She’d weathered the revelation about his wealth rather well. And she was unlike any other woman he’d dated. Perhaps Lorelei wouldn’t find him unlovable. The thought lightened his heart. Did he dare give love another chance? He glanced at her again and his heart rate accelerated when she smiled. Then he remembered he hadn’t told her about Marcus’s book and hacking into the dating site. Should he delete the book, pretend it never happened? Go back on his promise to his brother? Could he keep the secret from her about their first meeting? No, she deserved the truth—even if she left him after learning it. “How often do you get out to your place here?” He cleared his throat, hoping it sounded normal and didn’t show the emotional turmoil of his recent thoughts.

“Not often enough. I usually spend the long weekends here, if I’m not working or away. And every six months or so my secretary forces me to take a week off and I either come out here or go to Antigua, depending on the weather.” “Your secretary forces you to go on holiday? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” “Probably. But she is such a valuable assistant. When she’s had enough of my demanding ways then she threatens to quit if I don’t take some time off so she can catch up.” Lorelei’s hand twirled a lock of her hair and her teeth nibbled on her lower lip. What had he said to unnerve her? “Has your secretary been with you a long time then?” Her voice was quiet, as though she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to hear the answer. Could she be jealous? “About five years. I dread the day when she tells me she wants to retire.” Gretchen was an incredible assistant, but the thought of being physically attracted to the domineering matron made him laugh. Lorelei relaxed when she worked out that his secretary was a much older woman. Her gorgeous lips curved in a smile. He thought about pulling over and kissing her, but that wouldn’t get them to Russian River. Twenty minutes later, they pulled through the iron gates

of his home. He stopped on the driveway when the house came into view, wanting to watch Lorelei’s reaction when she first saw it. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth formed an O before she whispered, “Díos mío, that is the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen.” Liam couldn’t help the elation that filled him or the grin that spread across his face. He hadn’t realized how much he’d worried about her reaction. What did it matter whether she liked it or not? It wasn’t as if she was going to be living in it. Closing his eyes for a second, he imagined driving up the tree-lined lane, except instead of stopping halfway he’d race to the door only to have it flung open as soon as he shut off the engine. Lorelei would stand in the doorway, a welcoming smile on her lips, and he’d feel at home, at last. He shook his head. Such imaginings weren’t helping him keep focused. “Glad you like it,” he said after a minute. He couldn’t think about the future until he told her about the book.

… Lorelei stood in the hallway and surveyed the room. Liam was about ten feet away, watching her reaction. He must

think her a complete hick, in awe at her first rich person’s house. Except it wasn’t like any rich person’s house she’d seen on TV. It wasn’t gold and marble, ostentatious or elaborate. The dark wood floor, cream and russet rugs, elegant artwork, and thick, luxurious pile carpets probably cost a fortune, but they didn’t shout “look at me.” The whole place was warm, comfortable, and incredibly beautiful. She was trying so hard not to picture herself living here, a bruise was forming where she kept pinching her arm. She wondered who had helped him decorate—some other woman who had imagined herself here? That took her back to reality with a bump. How many other women had Liam brought here? “It’s so beautiful, Liam. Your decorator really knew how to make a place gorgeous and comfortable at the same time.” “Thank you. I decorated it myself. I wanted the home I never had…” Before she could ask about his childhood, he straightened abruptly and walked toward the door. “Where are you going?” “Jason packed us a lunch. Make yourself at home, wander around. I’ll go get it.” Without another word he left the house. Leaving the entrance hallway, she poked her head into a living room. A

wall of windows looked out onto a vista of rows of tended vines to a shimmering blue lake and rolling distant hills. The view was breathtaking. A soft thud alerted her to the front door closing. Lorelei returned to the entrance hall but it was empty. She wandered into a few more rooms. A huge home office took up one whole side of the house. The rich mahogany furniture was surrounded by overflowing bookshelves. Running her finger along the spines of a range of books, she read the authors names—Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov. Never would she have thought Liam would be into Russian literature; maybe it was set decoration. The next room she found was the kitchen. Expecting stainless steel appliances and black granite countertops she was taken aback to find a room her abuela would be happy to cook in. Pale-cream colored cupboards and wooden countertops were set off by a soft blue paint scheme. Mismatched wooden chairs surrounded a round off-white table. A large blue bowl full of fresh fruit sat in the center. If Liam rarely visited why was there fresh fruit on the table? Of course, he could have a live-in housekeeper. It didn’t solve the mystery of where Liam was now. She abandoned the heart of the home and wandered up the stairs. What if he was lying naked on the bed, waiting

for her? Okay, she may have veered into the realm of fantasy again. After peeking into three very nice bedrooms, she finally found the master suite. A huge four-poster bed dominated the room. And a large fireplace competed for attention with the same amazing view the sitting room had. French doors led out onto a deck with wicker furniture arranged for a private morning coffee to watch the sun rise over the mountains. That was provided a person could be persuaded to get out of bed in the first place. Running her fingers over the silk bedspread, she was lost in a fantasy, imagining retreating to this room at the end of the day, after putting the children to sleep in the other bedrooms she’d seen. Liam would shut the door, walk over to her, and kiss her until they fell onto the bed, discarding clothes as they went. She closed her eyes, thinking about running her hands over his torso, feeling his quivering muscles under her fingertips. “I thought I’d find you here. But don’t you think we should eat lunch first? I have a feeling I might need stamina.” Liam’s deep voice, with a hint of laughter behind the words, interrupted her musings. Her cheeks grew hot and she was sure he could read her mind, knowing what she’d been thinking about. “Your house surprised me. I didn’t take you for a reader

of Russian classics.” “They’re Marcus’s books. What do you think of the rest of the place?” “I love it.” Did he flinch at her use of the L-word? “It’s spectacular. I didn’t think you’d be a four-poster bed man.” “Oh, what did you think I’d sleep in?” He took a step toward her. She backed against one of the posts and he put his hand above her head, hemming her in. Her heart rate tripled and she took a calming breath. All that did was fill her head with his scent. “I don’t know, a plain platform bed?” “That would have been my first choice. Marcus insisted this bed was better. More romantic, I think his words were.” Lorelei nodded. Her throat was too tight for speech. How many women had enjoyed the romance? She was beginning to feel awkward in the room where so many other women had stood before. “So, was he right?” Liam put his hand on her cheek, gently raising her face. “What?” “Was Marcus right about it being more romantic?” “Why ask me?” Surely more sophisticated women had given their opinion. “Because you’re the first woman to see it, aside from the

cleaner.” She searched his eyes. “Really?” “Really.” He lowered his head and kissed her so gently she thought she’d imagined it. “Now, let’s have lunch. You’ll have plenty of time to explore this room later.” “Promise?” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips. He groaned. “Promise.”

Chapter Twelve A soft breeze blew up the hill from the vineyard, cooling the terrace. A faint scent of lavender floated on the air from two large pots at the top of the concrete stairs leading down to the lawn. Liam poured a glass of wine for Lorelei as she filled her plate with the delicacies Jason had packed for their lunch. Popping an olive into her mouth, she studied her companion. She wasn’t sure why Liam was so reticent about making love to her. He seemed to desire her; the look in his eyes when he’d found her in his bedroom spoke of a deep passion. Yet she could tell he was holding back. Could he still think she wanted time to get to know him? Enough already. For once all three—head, heart, and body —were in agreement. She wanted Liam.

He sliced a loaf of bread with sure, precise movements. Maybe he was too programmed to follow a set course of events? Well, she was going to take a leaf out of his book and see if she could find a weakness in his firewall. First step, disrobe a little. She pulled off the sweater that had been the modest touch to her dress, yet another one of Mandy’s selections. It had a halter neck, tying up at her nape, with a deep vee at the front. Plucking the clip from the back of her head, she shook her hair until it tumbled around her shoulders. With both hands she lifted the hair off her neck and gave it another shake before letting it fall again. Liam’s hand tightened on the knife, his knuckles showing white. That had attracted his attention. When Liam sat across from her, she leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs and pulled the skirt of her dress up higher on her thigh. Picking up her glass, she swirled the red liquid in the glass as she’d seen wine connoisseurs do on television. She took a sip and let the wine slide over her tongue. It was smooth and full of flavor, but she could never taste the things usually written on the back of the bottle— blackberries and peaches and such. The bottle on the table had no label so she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be tasting. It was kind of liberating that way, allowing her taste buds to discover the

flavors. Of course, her senses were too tied up with the handsome man next to her to spend a lot of time analyzing the wine. Twisting in her seat, her skirt slid up another couple of inches. She caught Liam staring at her legs before she waved toward the rows of grapevines a hundred feet from the house. “Is this wine from here?” He cleared his throat. “Yes. Do you like it?” “It’s fabulous. Do you produce many bottles?” “We don’t sell commercially. I give some away to friends and business acquaintances, and enjoy the rest myself. It’s a hobby, really. I have a full-time vintner who cares for the vineyard. We can tour the vines after lunch if you want.” “Hmmm,” she answered noncommittally. If Liam was still thinking of any other tour than his bedroom she had better ramp up her seduction attempts. She ran a finger down the V-neck of her dress and up the other side. Liam’s eyes followed her movement and she saw his jaw clench in response. When his eyes met hers they were full of hot desire. “You’re playing with fire,” he murmured. “I hope so,” she said. Liam picked up a piece of the fresh bread and loaded it with a selection of cheeses and cold meats from the tray.

He took a huge bite as though trying to hurry lunch along. Lorelei rolled up a piece of ham and popped it into her mouth. She wasn’t really hungry. As he watched she took a pickle, then slid it into her mouth slowly, savoring the sharp vinegar taste after the tart wine. A couple pieces of cheese followed. Putting her plate on the table, she leaned back and sipped her wine, waiting for Liam to finish. “I thought I saw a swimming pool from the upper deck,” she said as silence loomed between them. “Yes, there’s a pool and hot tub on the other side of the house. I wanted the view from the terrace to be of the vines and hills. I didn’t realize it was going to be so warm today or I would have told you to bring your swimsuit.” “As we’re the only ones here, I don’t mind skinnydipping.” Heat invaded her face. Okay, so skinny-dipping was way beyond her comfort level, but she’d laid her cards on the table; time for Liam to call her bluff. He laughed, sat back, and took a sip of his wine. “So that’s how the day is going to go. I thought you might enjoy a tour of the valley, to visit some of the famous wineries, maybe have a quiet dinner in one of the local restaurants. There’s a very nice French bistro over in the next town.” Lorelei plucked a strawberry off the table, rolling the fruit

on her tongue before taking a bite. So far she was a complete failure on the seduction front. “If that’s what you want…” She stared at the view, wondering what her next move should be. The scraping of metal chair legs on the concrete terrace made her turn back to Liam. He was standing now, putting a cover on the food. “What I want is to make love to you all afternoon until you’re too exhausted to stand. To explore every inch of your delectable body until I’m about to explode. However, I don’t want you to mistake what this means, Lorelei. I can’t make you any promises about the future. If you can’t accept that, then let’s either wander around the vineyard or tour the valley. I don’t want you to wake up with regrets tomorrow.” His bluntness was as refreshing as it was disturbing. Every other man she’d slept with had wooed her and filled her head with promises of love and tomorrow. Lorelei swallowed. She’d come to consider her future so wound up with his, to discover he didn’t see things the same stung. Liam offered her nothing but an afternoon of pure delight. If she was smart she’d opt for the tour, but she couldn’t deny herself the opportunity to taste his loving. Her body overruled head and heart on this one. “I won’t, Liam. I promise.”

Before the last word was out of her mouth, he pulled her hard against him. Threading his hand into her hair, he tilted her head to receive his descending lips. His other kisses had been gentle, soft, tentative almost. This was a noholds-barred assault on her senses. His tongue did battle with hers. The hand at her waist slid around and cupped her breast, his thumb teasing her nipple into a tight bud. Abruptly, his lips released hers and he was trailing fiery kisses down her neck, lingering for a moment on her collarbone. His tongue traced the prominent bone till it reached the central U shape. He kissed her there until her knees buckled. She’d never realized how sensitive a spot it was. He traced his way along the rest of her clavicle until he reached the strap of her dress. From there he trailed kisses up her neck, nibbled on her earlobe. “The rest of my explorations require more privacy,” he whispered. She nodded weakly, wondering if her mind would work well enough to put one foot in front of the other. Before she could take a step, however, Liam swung her into his arms, carrying her with little effort. He strode through the French doors and into the entranceway. As he placed his foot on the first stair, a rustle at the front door caused him to pause. He whirled around

as the door opened. Lorelei raised her head from his chest to see a tall blond woman enter the house. Every muscle in her body stiffened. The woman dropped the bag of groceries she had in her arm, sending a couple avocados wobbling across the floor. “Michael?” Her eyes were huge and her mouth remained open. “Amy, what are you doing here?” Liam’s deep voice rumbled against Lorelei’s ear. He didn’t seem pleased to see the unexpected visitor. He set her down gently, standing between her and the newly arrived addition to their party. “Oh God, it’s you, William. For a second I thought you were your rat bastard father.”

… What the hell is she doing here? “Are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Amy recovered her composure enough to rake Lorelei with her malicious eyes. He did his best to shield Lorelei from his mother’s spiteful gaze. “No. I expect you to turn around and walk out the door.”

Lorelei stood on the step behind him. She put her hands on his shoulders and he could sense her peeking around him, undoubtedly curious to see his mother. “William! I didn’t raise you to be so rude.” You barely raised me at all. However, he didn’t want Lorelei to think he was ashamed of her. He reached around. When she stood beside him, he put his arm around her shoulder, holding her against his side. If Amy wanted to meet Lorelei, then his mother would have to take the first step forward. She waited a moment by the door before walking over to them. “Lorelei, this is my mother, Amy Manning. Amy, this is my…girlfriend, Lorelei Torres.” “Pleased to meet you,” they both said in unison. Introductions over, Liam returned to his original question. “What are you doing here?” She had the sense to contemplate the floor as she answered. “I’m living here.” “What?” Liam held his temper as best he could, for Lorelei’s sake. Clenching his teeth, he forced the hand not around Lorelei to remain relaxed. The little bit of lunch he’d eaten rolled in his stomach. He hated that seeing his mother made him feel small and unlovable again. How

could she still have this power over him? The warmth Lorelei had brought to his life dissipated under his mother’s icy glare. “Well, Marcus was living here…toward the end. And after…well, you don’t come here anymore. I thought, why should I bother paying rent when this place is sitting empty?” “It’s still trespassing. You’re here without my consent. I’ll give you to the end of the week to find someplace new and move out.” He’d tolerated his mother for Marcus’s sake. There was no reason to do so any longer. “I’m your mother,” Amy said, a hitch in her voice. “Are you reminding me, or yourself?” “Liam.” Lorelei put her hand on his arm and waited for him to turn his attention to her. Her expression was one of concern, although he couldn’t tell if it was for him or Amy. “Why don’t we have a coffee, sit down and talk,” she said. Blackness behind his eyes threatened to overcome him. Whether it was rage or despair, he didn’t want to analyze the emotion. He had to get away from Amy before she sucked any more joy from his life. He had to go. Now. “I have nothing to say to her. If you want to chat I’ll be waiting in the study when you’re done.” He turned to move into the other room when his mother’s near hysterical voice

stopped him. “You are just like your father! A self-centered, lying bastard.” A sneer covered her face, turning the once beautiful mask ugly. Liam’s hands balled into fists. He wasn’t going to be insulted in his own home. “Get your bag, Lorelei. I’ll meet you in the car.” He strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.

… “He’ll break your heart, you know. He doesn’t have one,” Amy said. Lorelei reached for her bag, which she’d left on the table near the door. She turned to the other woman. From a distance she’d been beautiful—perfect makeup, flawless skin. Up close, however, Lorelei could see that bitterness had eaten away at her inner beauty until all that remained was an empty, envy-riddled shell. “I disagree. I think Liam has a huge heart, just waiting for the right person to love,” she said. She turned and put her hand on the door handle. “Love, ha. The only love he’s interested in is the one that results in bastards like him. Just like Liam’s doing to you,

his father seduced me, promised me the world. All he gave me was a brat who destroyed my marriage.” Lorelei’s blood began to simmer. There was no warmth or maternal feelings in the other woman. “Seems to me you destroyed your own marriage. And his father did give you one incredible gift—Liam.” “You don’t know my son.” “No, I think it’s you who doesn’t know him. Liam hasn’t seduced me and he’s made no promises he won’t keep. So far all he’s asked for is my time, and he’s given me much more than that. He’s a brilliant, caring man who puts others before himself.” “Would a caring man throw his own mother out?” “How can he throw you out when you’ve never let him in? This is Liam’s house. I believe he gets to decide who lives here. You’ve missed out on something wonderful, your son. I only hope for your sake it isn’t too late.” Lorelei opened the door and slipped through it before Amy could respond. Judging by the thud that hit the door about Lorelei’s head level, her parting words hadn’t been well received. The Aston Martin pulled out of the garage and when Liam stopped near the door she got in. His face was still a mask of fury; she could see the muscle in his jaw clenching

and unclenching. He pulled away from the house with a squeal of the powerful car’s tires. When they neared the gates, Lorelei put her hand on Liam’s arm. “Can you stop the car for a moment?” “Did you forget something?” He braked and was about to shift into reverse. “No.” When he turned to her she put her hand up to his face, running her thumb over his upper cheek to relieve some of the tension there. She undid her belt and hoisted herself up as far as she could in the bucket seats, pulling his head down toward hers. Touching her lips to his, she kissed him with a compassion that surprised even her. A soft sigh escaped his lips. “I didn’t want that ugly scene to be what you remembered of our trip here,” she whispered. He kissed her again, echoing her gentleness. The allconsuming passion of earlier in the day was replaced by a tenderness that swelled her heart to epic proportions. When he pulled back Lorelei almost cried at the loss of contact. “Thank you,” he whispered. He waited while she refastened her seat belt before driving off. The muscle in his cheek no longer throbbed, but his knuckles still showed white on the steering wheel. She had the feeling if she wasn’t sitting next to him, he’d be

back in San Francisco in a third of the time it took them to get there. “So, what should we do with the rest of the day? You mentioned a winery tour and a nice restaurant earlier.” Liam glanced at her and gave her a ghost of a smile. “Do you mind if we leave the tour for another time? Why don’t we take the coastal road back and then get something to eat in San Francisco?” “Sure, sounds nice.” The drive back to the Bay Area, while featuring stunning coastal scenery, was conducted in near silence. Liam answered politely when she asked a question, yet she could tell his mind was elsewhere. Was he thinking about what his mother said about his father? Was he curious to meet him now? Lorelei didn’t dare ask. What would she do? Wasn’t she really in a similar situation? Her dad was getting out of prison in a couple years. Was she going to meet him when he got out? Before she’d met Liam it was a question she’d asked herself on a daily basis. Since Liam, it had seemed to matter less and less. The traffic grew thicker when they got closer to the city, and they crawled along the highway. With nothing to look at except other bored commuters, she turned to gaze at the

man next to her. “Do you want to talk about today?” “No.” “It may help…” He heaved a huge sigh. “Lorelei, I’ve dealt with that woman all my life. She cares only for herself. If she thinks I’m selfish then I probably inherited that from her. I’ll have my lawyer get her out of the house, and when I’m sure she’s left we can go back. Marcus was the one thing we had in common. Now that he’s gone, I don’t want to see her ever again.” His tone was firm, adamant, and the glare he shot her as she opened her mouth again withered the words on her tongue. They crept on for another couple of miles. “What are you going to tell your children when they want to know their grandmother?” She couldn’t let it go, she couldn’t. It wasn’t right to have family and completely cut them out of your life. With a sudden flash she knew she would see her father when he was free. She didn’t have the courage to face him in prison, but in the comfort of her mother’s home, she’d like to get to know the man whose DNA she shared. “I’m not going to have children so it’s a moot argument.” With her epiphany about her father, Lorelei had almost forgotten the point she’d been trying to make with Liam. The fact that he didn’t want children hit her so hard she

forgot all about his mother and their cantankerous relationship. “You don’t want children? Why not? You’d make a great father.” “I had a rotten childhood. My mother was only the tip of the iceberg. No way I’d put another human being through that. No kids.” The muscle in his jaw was back to throbbing and the hands that had relaxed on the wheel clenched again. She opened her mouth to protest that his children wouldn’t share the same childhood; they would have a father to love and protect them. It didn’t seem to matter.

… Liam glanced over at Lorelei as silence once again consumed the car. She stared out the window and he thought he spotted the shimmer of a tear on her cheek. All right, maybe he shouldn’t have been so curt about not wanting children. Lorelei would make a fabulous mom. She’d sew Halloween costumes and bake cookies and read bedtime stories to her children. They’d be so loved they probably wouldn’t ever want to leave home. Liam tried to imagine for a second what his life might have been if

he’d had a mother like that. He shook his head. Since when had he started living in fantasyland? Seeing his mother again had reminded him of who and what he was—an unlovable bastard. He shot another glance at the woman next to him as he slowed and shifted into second gear. Tell her now. Tell her it was over. They obviously wanted different things in life. This was the perfect exit strategy. Catching sight of the sign for the Golden Gate Bridge, he changed lanes. He should exit their relationship as well. He had enough to complete the novel now. He’d experienced the rush of getting to know someone, known warmth and companionship. He’d… loved. Slamming on the brakes, he just missed the car in front, which had come to a halt. Lorelei stared at him, concerned. Damn it, he loved her. When the hell had that happened? When she’d laughed at his discomfort on the Muni? When she’d kissed him and then gone into anaphylactic shock? When he’d walked into the ballroom at the Four Seasons and she’d looked so sexy he’d wanted to blind every other man in the room so they didn’t look at her? Didn’t matter. It had happened and it was his worst nightmare. He’d rather move back in with his mother than admit to anyone he’d broken the number one Liam Manning rule—don’t fall in

love. “If you want to take me home we can do dinner another night,” she said. Had she read his mind? Did the horror of his realization that he loved her show on his face? “I mean, I know seeing your mother has upset you. If you want to call it a day, take me home.” Seeing his mother again now seemed the least of his problems. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a poor date. It’s…well… I haven’t seen her since Marcus’s funeral. I thought she’d moved to Arizona.” “I understand, Liam. Seeing her probably brought back all the bad memories of your brother’s passing.” “Yeah.” He gave himself a mental kick up the ass. Is this how he wanted to end it, with him being petulant and her trying to console him? Thinking he’d broken it off because she wasn’t loving enough to comfort him? He glanced over again. Her hands were folded in her lap, one hand rubbing the back of the other rhythmically. No, this wasn’t how he was going to leave her. “This traffic is a nightmare. Let’s get off the highway and grab a bite to eat. I probably just haven’t eaten enough today.” He gave her his best smile and was rewarded with

a lightening of her whole demeanor. Her shoulders straightened and her head rose a notch. She reached over and rubbed the back of his hand on the stick shift. If she was going to start touching him in the car they’d have to take the bus next time. The fact that he’d consider getting on the bus again with her showed how bad he had it. He was so screwed.

Chapter Thirteen Liam slammed the door to his apartment and headed straight to the liquor cabinet. He poured himself two fingers of whiskey and tossed them back in one. The amber liquid burned down his throat, hopefully incinerating the L-word he could feel lodged in his chest. Dinner had been a disaster. Lorelei had tried too hard, and he hadn’t tried hard enough. When he’d dropped her at her apartment, he could sense her relief when he declined her invitation to come up. After pouring himself another drink he wandered back toward the computer room. The hum of the servers usually soothed him, taking away his tension. He was back in his world, only now something was missing. He checked his emails. David had sent a message asking if Liam wanted to perform the first penetration test

on a new client. Usually it was his favorite job; it kept his skills up and allowed him to test his mettle against competitors’ firewalls. It was like proving himself each and every time. He replied to David, telling him to do it. Picking up the photo on his desk of him and Marcus, he stared at his brother’s face. Did he really know what he’d asked when he made Liam promise to finish his novel? Marcus had loved him all his life—there was no way he’d deliberately put him through this hell if he’d known. It was Liam’s fault. He never should have picked Lorelei. He should have stuck true to form and chosen some egotistical, coldhearted model too interested in her own career to even think about worming her way into his heart. It was too late now, though. He put down the picture and opened the writing program. He poured out all his frustration and malaise into the book, putting the characters through the same torment he himself was experiencing. His fingers flew and before he knew it two hours had passed and he’d written an entire chapter. One more to go, the resolution, and happy ever after, because Marcus had insisted it had to have a happy ever after ending. The ending his brother had so cruelly been denied. At least Marcus had had four happy years with Crescy. The problem was Liam couldn’t work out how he was

going to give the fictional couple happiness when his own situation was so bleak. He leaned back in the chair, staring at the blinking cursor that taunted him with his inability to write his way out of the mess of his own life. There was no hope, no future for him and Lorelei. Even if all the deceit and treachery could be forgiven, she wanted children, tons of them by the sound of it. And to be honest, he couldn’t imagine her without them. To see himself as a father, however, was too much for his programming to compute. Lorelei had probably worked that out herself as well. Which was why they had parted so distantly tonight. So, the big question was, should he see her again or just let the flame burn out? He had a trip to China he needed to make; he’d been putting it off but he could go as early as next week. That would give them the distance needed to cool off. Of course, he’d mentally promised Lorelei a trip to Antigua. She and Mandy could go there while he was in China and by the time both returned to San Francisco they’d be ready to get on with the rest of their lives, their separate lives. Lorelei didn’t need to know about the book or his cracking the dating site. The writing was so dreadful it would never be published anyway. Marcus had completely overestimated Liam’s ability to write a book based on a

few fake dates, although the emotion had been real. Too real. Liam stretched and wandered into the sitting room. He stared out the floor-to-ceiling window at the lights of the Bay Area. His gut wrenched in knots and his chest hurt when he tried to take a deep breath. Was this how it was going to be whenever he thought of Lorelei? He shook his head. Get back to work. Delving into cyberspace had always been a panacea for him growing up. It had to work now. He would retreat back to his world where emotions were displayed with colons, brackets, and other seldom used punctuation. Before he was halfway back to the computer, there was a tentative knock on his door. He hesitated for a minute, glancing at the clock. It was almost midnight. David was still in DC, although he was scheduled to come back tomorrow. Was it Helen with a problem? He really didn’t want to sit around chatting with her. She always gazed at him like the sun shone out of his ass. But if his best friend’s sister needed something, he’d better help. With a weary sigh he opened the door, expecting to see the stringy blond hair of his next-door neighbor. Instead, Lorelei stood there, her brown hair tumbling around her shoulders. She was wearing a trench coat, black stockings,

and high heels, and by the way she was clutching the lapels together he guessed not a heck of a lot more. His pulse rate soared and all his reasoning of the last hour about ending things with her now fled out the open door. “Lorelei.” His breath seemed to catch on her name and he cleared his throat, ready to ask what she wanted. “Can I come in?” She peered past him, probably wondering if he had a house full like last time she’d come unannounced. “Yes, sorry. I wasn’t expecting you.” His brain seemed to be shutting down. Any second now and the blue screen of death would appear in his eyes. He stepped aside and she strode past. A whiff of her sultry scent wafted over him, further confusing his alreadymuddled mind. She stopped when she came to one of the sofas, and perching her bottom on the back, raised her eyes to his. “So, I was wondering, earlier today, when you were carrying me up to your room, did you want to make love to me or were you just getting some exercise?” She let go of her lapels and leaned back on the sofa, her arms either side of her body. Her coat gapped in the middle and from where he stood frozen by the door, he caught sight of a trace of black lace.

“It was definitely the first thing you said.” Belatedly he closed the door and walked halfway into the room. Mesmerized, his eyes focused on Lorelei’s shaking hands as they undid the belt around her waist. “I thought as much. And then I thought, your mother has screwed up enough of your life. I wasn’t going to let her ruin mine. So, as she interrupted us this afternoon, I thought I’d simply restart the afternoon in another location. Excuse me for a minute.” She sauntered toward the side door to the communal hallway, passing close to him but not touching. Pulling out a card from her bag, she opened the door a fraction before slipping something on the outside handle before locking it again. Turning, she leaned against the door and let her jacket slip off her shoulders to pool by her feet. Liam’s eyes were sending rapid-fire signals to his brain, which was sending back error messages. Lorelei stood against the door, wearing a black lace teddy, stockings, and high heels. And that was it. Except, of course, for the hesitant smile she was trying hard to maintain. “Please tell me you didn’t come here by bus wearing that?” “No, I took a taxi. Thankfully the driver was about ninetyfive, he could barely see the steering wheel, and wasn’t

paying any attention to me.” She took a step toward him. “Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted this afternoon?”

… Lorelei’s heart pounded so hard she thought she might black out. Two steps closer and she could feel the heat radiating off his body; the musky smell of his aftershave tickled her nostrils. If he didn’t stop staring and take her in his arms soon, she’d die of embarrassment. This whole stupid seduction thing had been Mandy’s idea. When she’d called her friend after Liam dropped her off, Mandy asked what she wanted. If she knew what she wanted and didn’t go and do something about it, then she deserved to sit at home alone moping. So Lorelei put on her most provocative lingerie and called a cab before her common sense kicked in. Licking her lips, she tried to think what her next move should be, when Liam closed the distance between them in one lunge. He pulled her against him, one large hand splayed against her spine, the other in her hair, dragging her mouth up to meet his. If she’d wondered on the way over whether he wanted her or not, that first kiss obliterated

any lingering doubt. Liam ravaged her mouth, his tongue dueling with hers. When she thought she might explode from the overload of sensations, he released her lips and kissed his way over to her ear. Beneath her hand on his chest, his heart thudded. His breathing was rapid and she could feel his arousal against her stomach. “What did you put on the door?” His breath was hot against her ear. A shiver raced through her, or maybe it was an electric shock because she sure as heck wasn’t cold. “What?” Her befuddled brain couldn’t comprehend the question. “You put something on the outside of the door. What was it?” With his lips he traced a flaming path down her neck to her collarbone and back up to nibble on her earlobe again. “Oh, it was a Do Not Disturb sign. You told me David and Helen treat this like their second home. I didn’t want us to be interrupted again. I stole it from the Four Seasons.” He leaned back so he could observe her eyes. “Oh, really? Has the good girl who won’t jaywalk been lured over to the dark side?” She dropped her head and stared at his chest, but he put a finger under her chin and raised it so she was looking at him again. “No, I went back the next day and offered to pay for it.”

Liam laughed. He kissed her again until her legs melted and it was only his arm on her back holding her up. “We should talk first. I need to tell you something,” he whispered into her ear. He pulled back and stared into her eyes. His own burned with passion, his pupils nearly dilated. “Mañana. We can talk tomorrow. Tonight I want to make love with you.” He hesitated a second, then he scooped her in his arms once again and strode toward the back of the apartment. He flung open the door and set her down gently next to the bed. Bending over, he pressed a button on the wall. The fireplace across the room whooshed to life, bathing the room in a golden glow. When he straightened, she reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. Her fingers felt fat and she had to bite her lip to concentrate on the task at hand. Would he mind if she ripped it off him? He seemed impatient for her touch on his skin and lifted the shirt over his head. She drank in the sight of his muscled chest a minute before running her fingers through the mat of hair between his pecs. The muscles leaped under her touch and she slid her hands down his clenched abs until they rested on his belt. Her eyes flew to his, yet he stood impassive, waiting for

her. Heat flooded her face. She’d never been so brazen. Liam seemed content to let her set the pace. It took several tries, and his hands steadying hers, before she got the belt undone. Glancing again at his face, he gave her a lopsided grin, the dimple in his cheek winking at her. After releasing the button on his fly, she slowly slid the zipper down, his erection straining against the metal. With his pants loosened she suddenly lost her nerve and dropped her hands to her side. “Come now, sweetheart. You’re doing such a wonderful job, you can’t give up now. Let’s continue your education on the dark side.” “I…” He put his hands on her face and kissed her until her desires overcame her inhibitions. When he released her lips, his voice was husky. “You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever kissed. Now take my clothes off and let me show you how much I want you.” “I’m not the sexiest woman you’ve kissed.” “You are. Sexy and beautiful and kind and funny. I could go on but my lips would rather be exploring you than talking at the moment. ” It was probably a line, but she’d rather have his lips on

her as well. Finally, he stood before her, stark naked, and she could honestly say he was magnificent—broad shoulders, just the right amount of well-defined muscles, leading down to a trim waist and lower. Forget firemen or Chippendales; there should be a sexy IT guy calendar. When he kissed her again, she could feel the restraint. He was holding back. “Now it’s your turn,” he said as he lay back on the bed. “What?” “Take your clothes off.” The sensual gleam in his eyes as they roved over her sent sparks skidding along her skin. Lorelei put her hands on her hips. The seduction routine had been her idea, but she thought he’d run with it once she started. He’d obviously had a drink; she could taste the whiskey whenever they kissed. Yet he wasn’t drunk. “Why do I have to do all the work?” “Because this is your idea. Trust me, I think it’s a fabulous idea. But the way my company works, if you make a suggestion you’d better back it up with action.” He put his hands behind his head and smiled at her. Was he just going to lie there, naked, and expect her to strip for him? She glanced down at her clothes. Well, there wasn’t a lot to remove, even with her shoes still on. This had better be worth it.

Leaning forward, she unhooked one of the clips on her stockings. Passion flared in Liam’s eyes, emboldening her. She slid a strap off one shoulder then turned her back, releasing the other clip on her stocking. Putting her foot up on his bedside table, she rolled the stocking down her leg, inch by inch. Without glancing at him she could hear his breathing increase. She slipped the stocking off her foot, then put her shoe back on. With a sway of her hips, she removed the other stocking. She folded them carefully and laid them on the chair by the bed. She peeked at Liam. He lay there, as though he was watching a mildly interesting baseball game. However, she could see the muscle throb in his jaw and the rest of his body ready for action. Lorelei swallowed. Reaching behind her, she undid one of the hooks holding her bodice together. She sauntered over to the window while releasing another hook. She slid one curtain closed and released another hook. With an exaggerated swing of her hips she glided over to the other curtain. She hid behind it while she removed her panties, unable to think of a sexy way to do that. Peeking around the curtain, she threw them at Liam, who caught them, examined the delicate lace, and then tossed them toward her stockings. With the curtains closed, she advanced on Liam,

undoing hooks as she went. With only one hook left she knelt on the bed. His whole body was taut, his gaze riveted on her chest, and she waited until he stared into her eyes. When their gazes locked she undid the last hook, slid the straps off her arms, and threw the bodice toward the fireplace. She was as naked as him now, except for her shoes. “Bad enough for you?” She barely recognized her own voice it was so thick with desire. “Oh, yeah.” He reached a hand out and she put hers into it. “Thank you,” he said, his voice husky. Tugging gently, she landed against him, skin on skin. The roughness of his hairy chest on her sensitized breasts made her gasp. This could be over very quickly. She took a deep breath as he rolled over and loomed above her. “For what?” “For making my fantasy come true.” She smiled up at him. Here she was lying naked under the sexiest man she’d ever met. The man she was pretty sure she was in love with, and she’d just performed her first striptease and he hadn’t fallen asleep. She reached up a hand and put it onto his cheek. “That was it? That was the sum of your fantasies? I think we need to work on your imagination a little more.”

He laughed and then kissed her until she couldn’t remember her own name.

… Liam rolled over onto something pointy. He reached around and pulled a high-heeled shoe from his back. Lorelei’s footwear had lasted for half an hour before finally falling off. It had been the best night of his life, bar none. Adding emotion did amazing things for the physical aspects of the relationship. Making love was way better than having sex. It would never be the same again. On that cheery thought, he eased his arm out from under Lorelei’s head. She groaned at the loss of contact but snuggled into the pillow. Kissing her on the cheek, he tucked the blankets around her. He planned on being back beside her before she woke fully. Three times wasn’t enough. After putting on his robe, he padded barefoot out of the room. On autopilot, he headed for the computer room. When he wiggled the mouse, the screen lit up with his brother’s manuscript still open. The blinking bar that had last night taunted him with his unhappiness now lured him to write the happy ever after for his fictional couple. The sense

o f triumph he experienced when he typed “The End” was similar to being told an external hacker hadn’t been able to penetrate a client’s newly secured system. No wonder Marcus had enjoyed writing so much. His cell phone rang in the front room and he hurried to answer it so the noise didn’t wake Lorelei. Dawn was breaking and the rosy, early-morning light began to flood the apartment. His spirits rose with the approach of a new day—a day starting with Lorelei naked in his bed. David’s voice on the phone broke through the fog of happiness, bringing him back to reality. After dealing with a couple of issues, he left a message for his secretary saying he would be out of contact until late afternoon. Shutting off his phone, he put it on the mantel before returning to the bedroom.

Chapter Fourteen Lorelei woke with a heavy weight across her legs, and her eyes flew open, taking in the unfamiliar room. Her heart thudded in her chest and slowly she turned her head. Liam’s gorgeous face shared her pillow, his long lashes fanned against his cheeks, morning stubble darkened his jaw. Relaxing, she stretched, extricating her limbs from his. He mumbled something but rolled over, still asleep. He must have gotten up sometime during the night because his clothes, which had been abandoned on the floor by the bed, had been picked up. Sliding out of the bed, she headed for the bathroom. She was going to have a few aches in places she wasn’t used to aching. Liam was a skilled and gentle lover and had taught her a few things about her own body—like how much pleasure she could

take. And from his responses to her touch, she hadn’t disappointed either. All in all, it was an excellent start to the day. She washed the smudged makeup off her face and, using her finger and Liam’s toothpaste, scrubbed at her teeth. She stood naked in front of the mirror and saw the big problem with her plan. Wearing only a sexy teddy, stockings, and stilettos under a trench coat hadn’t left her with many wardrobe options for the next day. Right now she needed something to wear to cook breakfast. She wanted to make up for the burned enchilada dinner and prove she knew her way around the kitchen. Lorelei didn’t have a lot of talents, but she could cook. Unless, of course, she was distracted by a gorgeous man. Stepping into Liam’s closet, she found his discarded shirt from the previous night. She slipped it on and rolled up the sleeves until they came to her elbows. The shirt reached down to her knees, providing adequate coverage for cooking bacon. When she reentered the bedroom, her gaze flew to the bed. Liam lay on his stomach, stretched across almost the whole bed. She was tempted to crawl back in with him, but she had a mission. They said the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. She doubted Liam could be bought

so cheaply. At this stage, though, it was worth a try. It was also something few of his other girlfriends had probably done. With that mission in mind, she headed toward the kitchen. Thankfully, it was laid out exactly as she would have done it, and she found everything she needed quickly. Tiptoeing back to the bedroom, she checked on her man. He was still fast asleep, so she figured she had at least half an hour before she needed to start cooking. In the meantime, she should call her mother. She hadn’t spoken to her yesterday in her rush to go out with Liam, and she certainly hadn’t called her last night. They’d never gone more than two days without talking, and her panic-prone parent had probably called the FBI by now to report her missing. Her handbag was still beside the front door and after a few minutes’ rummaging she found her cell. She pressed the on button to no avail. Damn, she’d forgotten to charge it. Tossing her phone back in her bag she searched for Liam’s home phone. There was no handset in either the living room or kitchen, and thinking back she hadn’t seen one in the bedroom either. Then again, she hadn’t been concentrating on the decor. After a fruitless ten-minute search she came to the conclusion Liam didn’t have a

landline. She found his cell phone, but it was turned off. When she powered it up, the screen was locked and she didn’t want to wake Liam to ask him the password. She could always wait for Liam to wake up to call her mother, but she figured she’d have a lot of better things to be doing with him around than speaking with her mom. Email. She’d send her mother an email, then she wouldn’t have to actually speak with her in person. No FBI, no interrogation on where she was—double win. Although she hadn’t seen Liam’s office or computer room, she had a fair idea of its location as both he and David had disappeared down the other corridor often enough when she was here last. She hoped the equipment wasn’t too complicated and she could open a browser and access her email account without destroying half of California’s Internet service. First, she needed caffeine, so she made herself a cup of coffee in the kitchen with Liam’s high-tech coffeemaker. If she had it at her place it would be on the table like a prized sculpture. She hadn’t even been aware they made coffeemakers so beautiful. Liam lived in a different world. Could she fit in? He’d made her no promises about the future but she couldn’t help feeling they had one—together. With the heavenly aroma of fresh coffee in hand, she

wandered back along the mysterious hallway. A distinct hum was coming from one room. She cracked the door a fraction and was instantly hit with a blast of cold air. The hum increased to a low roar and she stuck her head around to see a server room that would rival a giant corporation’s. Three air conditioners were working full-blast and the oversize computers were set up on metal shelves. Wires flowed in a tangle of what were to her knots, but to Liam were probably a well-organized pathway. If she needed any further evidence he was a consummate professional, then that was it. She shut the door and wandered down to the next one. It opened onto a large room with a huge oak desk, piled with papers. A corkboard at least twelve feet long took up one wall. Pinned to it were schematics and articles ripped from magazines. Barely a square inch of cork was left uncovered. At the far end of the room was a pool table. It looked as though a game had been interrupted mid-play as the stick things sat on the edges and the balls were scattered on the table. Another coffeemaker sat on a counter at the end of the room, next to a bar sink with a mini-fridge underneath. Whereas for most people the kitchen was the heart of the home, this was definitely where Liam did his living. The

curtains were closed and she resisted the urge to open them and flood the room with natural light. This was his space, and if it wasn’t for her mission to stop her mother from sending out the troops, she had no right to be there. She sat on the comfortable leather chair and pulled out the sliding drawer at the front of the desk to find the keyboard. She wiggled the mouse, hoping at least one of the six monitors on the top of the desk would come to life. Three of the monitors lit up and she scanned the screens. The first was a black screen with lines of what she figured was computer code because none of it seemed to be in English. The second monitor displayed a spreadsheet with Liam’s company’s quarterly financial report, according to the header. The third screen displayed a document in what appeared to be a word processing program. A column on the left had chapter headings, the central space had lines of text, and over to the right was a series of boxes with various details about the chapter and scene. Below the document she recognized the symbols to access the Internet. Now if only she could figure out how to open one of those programs on that screen. As she wiggled the mouse, the cursor moved over the text so at least she was on the right monitor. Before she could click on the Internet button, her name on the screen

caught her eye. Curiosity and respect for his privacy battled within her. While it was Liam’s work and she had no right to read it, it seemed to be about her. What could he be writing about her? She read the paragraph that contained her name. Then she read the next one and the one after that. Liam seemed to be writing about her interaction with someone named Todd. It made no sense. She clicked on the folder that said “Chapter Twelve” and read from the beginning. The name Lorelei disappeared but a character named Lisa burned a dish of enchiladas. The hero, Todd, still tasted the ruined meal. A chill swept through her and she took a sip of her coffee. It fell through her stomach and burned into her abdomen. Still she read on. The couple took a trip to Russian River, but instead of a picnic lunch they ate at a small winery and discussed some type of mystery they were involved in. Why was Liam writing a book? Maybe it was the last book Marcus wrote and he was proofreading it? But how could Marcus have known about the burned meal she had prepared? She clicked back to an earlier chapter and started reading from there, hoping it would make sense. The two characters, Lisa and Todd, seemed to be involved in some kind of amateur sleuthing while falling in love. Some of their

dates bore a striking resemblance to things she and Liam had done. When the couple had an argument in the car on the way back from Russian River, Lorelei’s blood ran cold. The hero didn’t want children and the heroine did. It seemed the relationship was over just as they’d solved the mystery. Her coffee was now lukewarm, and rather than get a new cup from the coffeemaker at the other end of the room, she read on. The heroine, Lisa, although her name switched intermittently with Lorelei, had shown up at the hero’s apartment wearing a teddy and a trench coat. She then announced to the hero she’d rather have him than a hundred children before doing a striptease for him. The words began to blur and Lorelei blinked rapidly. She felt violated, like someone had taken her private diary and opened it for everyone to read. Even their lovemaking was immortalized in the written word. Her stomach rolled and she reached for her coffee, hoping to melt the lump that seemed lodged in her throat. Why would Liam do this? She thought his brother had been the writer. Was it yet another of his disguises? The cup, which she had set down on a wobbly pile of paper, overturned, spilling the last of the brown liquid over the desk. She moved some of the files before the

advancing coffee tsunami could reach them, while she searched frantically for something to mop up the liquid. Lorelei raced across the room, where a roll of paper towels sat on the counter. Grabbing a handful, she hurried back to the desk. Desperate to mop up the coffee before it spread, she knocked over the precarious stack of papers, scattering the contents across the floor. After she’d cleaned the spilled coffee, she bent to retrieve the papers. She froze, her hand hovering over a photo of herself. The picture her mother had uploaded to the dating site. Her hand shook as she picked up the remaining pages. Her profile, as well as a transcript of the chat she’d had with Richard the architect, had been printed out. A few of her personal details were highlighted with a yellow marker. A black haze clouded her mind and she struggled to drag in each breath. Was she having another anaphylactic reaction? Her EpiPen was in her bag near the front door, b ut she couldn’t make her legs understand the need to walk. They were glued to the floor as she stared at her face in the photo, which began to blur. Splashes fell on the picture. It wasn’t until strong hands pulled the paper out of her grasp that she became aware of Liam standing before her. Guilt was written all over his face. “You self-centered, lying bastard.” The words were out of

her mouth before she realized she’d repeated his mother’s vindictive summation of his character.

… Liam swallowed at Lorelei’s words. He couldn’t deny them. How to make her understand? He glanced over at the monitors. Marcus’s book was clearly displayed, and not at the point where he’d left it. And judging by the horrified expression on Lorelei’s face, she’d read that, as well as finding his file on her. Why the hell hadn’t he destroyed it? He’d printed it out on a whim and had been unwilling to lose her photo. Now that sentimentality had come back to bite him in the ass. Except it was his heart taking the punishment. His chest ached and it was difficult to breathe. “Lorelei, let me explain�� ” “Explain what? Explain how you hacked into the dating website, read my profile, decided I was the perfect candidate to play the role in your little book here.” She gestured wildly at the computer monitor. “And then dated me to provide fodder for your limited imagination? I see it all worked out for you very well. Glad I was able to live up to your expectations. Or, what was it you wrote, ‘made him realize how shallow his previous sexual encounters had

been’? Well, lucky for you. I’m glad you’ve written ‘The End’ because it saves me from having to say it!” Her eyes, which last night had been lit with love, now were blazing anger…hatred…pain. He deserved her anger and hatred; however, he’d do anything to ease the pain. “Sweetheart, it’s not like that, not anymore.” “Not anymore because you’ve finished the book? Go on, Liam, deny it. Let’s hear your explanation. Start at the beginning. Did you hack into the dating site and read my profile?” “Yes, but—” “Did you, or did you not, hijack my date with Richard?” “Yes, but—” “What did you do? You didn’t hurt him, did you?” Is that what she thought him capable of? Yet hadn’t he hurt her? His heart burned and he looked down, sure he was on fire somewhere. “No, of course not.” “No to what, hijacking the date or hurting Richard?” Her hands were on her hips and her whole body language said stay away. If he could only touch her, he was sure the words would come and he could explain. “Yes, I hijacked your date. No, I didn’t hurt Richard. I sent him a message from your profile saying you had to work late and

would reschedule, and then I deleted your account and refunded the money to your mother.” That didn’t sound too bad… “How very noble of you. So everyone wins. I get a moment in your life, my mother gets her money back, and you get a real woman to play dolly with her life. What about Richard? What about the dating site?” Even in her outrage her sense of justice stood out. “Richard is a jerk. He’s already been married three times and his divorce from wife number three hasn’t even been finalized and he’s already trolling for number four. He had no right being on that site.” “You investigated him? What kind of psychopath investigates the competition?” All the blood drained from his face at the word “psychopath.” “It was all public knowledge. You just have to know where to look.” If she was this outraged about his investigation of Richard, he sure as hell hoped she didn’t find out all he knew about her background. Her imprisoned father hadn’t been news to him, although he thought he’d played the surprise well. “And I suppose hacking into the dating site was for their benefit as well?” “It’s cracking, not hacking, when you’re unauthorized.

And yes, I did help them. Their firewall was so inept it took me all of thirty seconds to access their administrative back end. And another two minutes to get into their allegedly secure financial database. Do you know the type of damage a real cracker could have done? I had one of my salespeople contact them and offer a substantial discount on our normal price to beef up their security.” “Díos mío, you must be vying for sainthood. So is this your usual MO? Crack a site, find a woman, date her, write a book, ditch her, move on to the next one? Or do you wait for them to find out about the book so they break up with you? Then you can play the victim. You like that, don’t you. Poor little boy, never loved by his mother, so you take it out on other women! You disgust me, Liam Manning.” She threw a damp paper towel at him. It didn’t even manage the distance between them, falling harmlessly at his feet. He wished she would hit him, pummel her fists into his chest. It wasn’t even near enough to what he deserved but at least it would show she still cared enough to want to hurt him. “Lorelei—” “Don’t you dare!” she said as he reached out a hand. She strode past him, careful to keep distance between them.

When she reached the doorway she turned back toward him. “Maybe you should go meet your father. Evidently you have more in common with him than you think.” She slammed the door behind her and a minute later he heard the front door slam as well. The sound broke through the ice that held him immobile and he raced from the room. Her bag was gone. Wrenching open the front door, she was nowhere to be seen. He couldn’t let her stand on the street wearing only his shirt, not even shoes, and make her way home. He raced out into the communal hallway and pounded on David’s door across the hall, praying Helen hadn’t left for work yet. She must have been standing nearby, as the door opened quickly. Her eyes almost popped out of her head to see him standing in the hallway in his underpants. “Helen, go find Lorelei, she’s outside somewhere. Bring her back to your place, give her what she needs, and drive her to her apartment. You got David’s car keys?” She nodded and without asking any questions, she headed down the hall. Liam turned back to his own apartment door and saw the Do Not Disturb sign. Too late for that; his whole life was now disturbed. He slipped back into his apartment and then watched through the peephole until Helen returned with a distraught Lorelei.

The woman who was the best thing to ever happen to him was sobbing uncontrollably, holding her arms around herself as though she’d been kicked and punched in the gut. Helen had her arm around Lorelei’s shoulders, trying her best to soothe. He pushed away from the door and headed to the shower.

Okay, Marcus, how the hell am I supposed to fix this mess?

Chapter Fifteen Liam raised his head as his office door clicked open. Few people had braved his temper over the past two weeks and he’d been able to work in peace. What work he’d managed to accomplish, that was. With Lorelei’s tear-ravaged face appearing before his eyes every twenty minutes it was hard to concentrate and get anything done. Since she’d stormed out of his apartment he hadn’t even done one full day’s work. What had always been his panacea had now become his poison, remembering the keystrokes that had led to his current pain. A piece of paper taped on a whiteboard pointer appeared through the crack in the doorway, soon followed by David’s head. “I come in peace. Permission to enter?” Without waiting for his reply, David strode into the office,

although he kept the door open, probably in case he needed to make a strategic retreat. Even his best friend had kept his distance since returning from DC. Liam wasn’t sure what story Helen had told her brother about rescuing a scantily clad Lorelei from the street, but based on the fact that neither of them had come over for dinner in the past week, he’d been condemned without a trial. Although he couldn’t see how a jury of his peers would reach any other conclusion. But was life without Lorelei a fitting punishment? “What do you want, David?” Liam ran a hand over his face and through his hair. Even though he could go back to the beard, he’d still kept shaving. “I brought you a present.” David advanced on the desk and deposited the huge bag of peanut M&M’s he’d been hiding behind his back. “Now that she’s gone you can eat these again.” Liam noted the judicious avoidance of Lorelei’s name. “I don’t want those.” He threw the candy across the room. It slammed into the wall with a thud before scattering the multicolored treats across the carpet. “So what do you want?” David lounged in the chair opposite the desk as he’d done a million times before. “You know what I want,” Liam ground out. David was

supposed to be his friend, so why was he rubbing his face in his misery? “I want to hear you say it out loud.” “I want Lorelei, damn it. I want her back in my life.” “Why?” Liam thrust his chair back so hard it crashed into the credenza behind his desk, sending a porcelain vase crashing to the floor. David flinched, but he didn’t move from the chair. Liam strode over to the window. He looked out on the epitome of success—corner office, panoramic view of the Bay Area, the world at his feet—and it all meant nothing. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?” “Yup.” “Why?” He spun around and glared at David. “Because you need to hear the words out loud.” He took a deep breath. “I want Lorelei back because I love her. I need her in my life for it to make sense.” Hearing the words didn’t sound as foolish as he’d thought. At least David didn’t laugh, he just nodded as though he’d known all along. “So, what are you gonna do about it?” He upped the voltage on the electrodes. Liam raked his hand through his hair again. “What can I

do? I’ve tried everything. I’ve phoned her a thousand times. She won’t speak with me. In fact, she’s changed her numbers. I’ve sent flowers to her home and office begging for forgiveness and the chance to explain. I’ve emailed her until she’s canceled her email account and put a block on her work account.” “It would take you two minutes to find out her new numbers and email address,” David said, gesturing at the computer on Liam’s desk. “If I do that she’ll know I’ve cracked into the systems. That’s what got me into this hell in the first place.” “Ah, she’s found your kryptonite. Without your cracking superpowers you’re only a man, like the rest of us.” David gave an evil laugh and rubbed his hands together. “Shut up, David.” His friend stood and stretched as though he’d had a good nap. “Seems a book got you into this mess, you need a book to get you out.” He walked toward the door. “What do you mean?” Liam said before his friend disappeared. “Writing that book for Marcus got you into this love situation. You need to write a book explaining everything to get you out.” “She won’t even speak to me. How am I supposed to get

her to read another book I write, especially after she’s read the first one?” “You’re the genius. You figure it out.” With that pronouncement, David left the room. The door shut behind him with a click that echoed in the emptiness of Liam’s life.

… “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Lorelei said as they approached the massive wooden doors. “An all-expenses paid trip to Antigua, on a private jet, staying in a luxury villa, with a personal chef, plus aesthetician and massage therapist on call? I can’t believe you needed convincing,” Mandy said. “I want nothing more to do with him.” “And you don’t have to, sweetie. According to the contract this is a string-free holiday, and he has signed saying he won’t set foot on the property for the entire time we’re on the island. Come on, relax. You deserve this after what he did. This is the least he can do to make up for it. Well, this and his corporate sponsorship, guaranteeing that the charity receives five million a year.” “But it won’t make up for it. He broke my heart, Mandy. A two-week trip to the Caribbean isn’t going to make that go

away.” “No, but hooking up with a gorgeous local might. For example, who’s the Adonis standing at the door?” Lorelei looked up to see Jason standing with a tray of cool drinks inside the now-open door. She froze; if Jason was here… “Welcome to Antigua, Lorelei. And you must be her beautiful friend Mandy. I’m Jason, the chef. If there is something specific you want to eat while you’re here, just ask. The island also offers some world-class resorts and restaurants. Your host has accounts at all of these, so should you wish to dine out then please let me know and I can make those arrangements.” “I may never leave,” Mandy whispered as she passed Lorelei. Grabbing a drink off the tray, she leveled a stunning smile at Jason as she went. “He’s not here, is he?” Lorelei asked, taking a sip of her drink. “No. He’s in China as far as I know, which is why I’m here. He didn’t need me in San Francisco,” Jason said. Lorelei relaxed. She never would have come on this holiday if Mandy hadn’t begged, and begged, and begged. She hadn’t seen Liam in six weeks, not since she stormed out of his apartment. And eventually, about three weeks

ago, it appeared he’d even given up trying to contact her. The flowers at work and home had stopped and surprisingly, he hadn’t discovered her new phone numbers or email address. When the package arrived on her desk two weeks ago she hadn’t suspected it was from Liam until she’d opened it. At her gasp, Mandy was instantly at her desk and had pulled the papers out of her hands once she saw the words “trip to Antigua.” After that it had been her friend’s relentless pleading that had finally made her agree to take up the contract. When returning the documents, though, she had made it abundantly clear that just because she was going, it didn’t mean she forgave him or ever wanted to see him again. Now, walking into his home, she wondered again at her sanity. The home was similar in style and color to the one in Russian River, except for the Caribbean touches, ceiling fans in every room, rich, dark wood furniture, and floaty white cotton curtains. She followed the sound of Mandy’s excited voice onto the terrace. Her breath left her body on a long sigh, completely unintentional. The house was set on a hill, surrounded by palm trees and flowering tropical plants. Two large bougainvillea climbed over a pergola, their white-and-pink blossoms contrasting with the perfect blue

sky. At the end of the terrace, an infinity pool seemed perched at the very edge of the hill. To the left, however, she could see a path that must lead down to a white sugar sand beach about one hundred feet below. “Right, that’s it. I’m never leaving,” Mandy declared as Lorelei came to stand by her friend. “Let’s check out the house and change into our bathing suits. I guess the major decision of the day is pool or beach?” “Hmm, choices, choices. First one out after changing gets to decide.” They walked back into the house through the concertinaed patio doors. A gentle tropical breeze blew through the house, negating the need for air-conditioning. An elderly couple waited near the entrance to the hallway. “Oh, hello,” Lorelei said, surprised to see more visitors. “Good afternoon, Miss Lorelei and Miss Mandy,” the man said. “My name is Horace and this is my wife, Celine. We keep the house and grounds for Mr. Liam. If there is anything you want or need, please let us know. If you would like to see your rooms we can show you now.” “Thank you,” Lorelei said. “If you’ll come with me, Miss Lorelei, I’ve put you in the master’s room,” Celine said.

Mandy followed after Horace, who showed her into a room at the far end of the corridor. “I don’t need to stay in the master’s room. A regular guest room is fine.” Celine led her down the hall and then up a flight of stairs, but stopped midway up the steps. “This is the room I was told to get ready for you,” she said. She carried on climbing and opened the door with a flourish, waiting for Lorelei to precede her. Lorelei gasped as she entered the room. It was so beautiful it almost made her cry. A huge four-poster bed draped with white mosquito netting stood in the center of the room. Cushions the same color as the ocean brought the outside in. As with downstairs, the windows were folded back and opened to a huge deck. She could happily spend the rest of her life in this room—except it reminded her of Liam. Coming here was such a mistake. Celine remained by the door as though awaiting her orders. “Thank you. The room is beautiful.” The older lady nodded and closed the door behind her. Lorelei wandered around the huge room, touching the petals of a vase full of flowers to make sure they were real. A paperback book lay on the bedside table. Was it the

book Liam had been reading when he was last here? Enough. She was going to enjoy her holiday, in spite of, or to spite, him. With her resolve repeating in her brain, she searched for her suitcase. The driver had said he would bring them in after he dropped them at the front door. Unable to find it in the bedroom, she headed toward the walk-in closet. Her clothes were already hung up and put away in a set of drawers. She donned her new swimsuit, the one she hadn’t bought with Liam in mind, and trotted back down the stairs to meet her friend. Mandy was already lying on a floating lounger in the pool, another pink drink in the cupholder. “I’ve decided it’s impossible to be stressed here. I mean, look at the view, it’s gorgeous. And there are enough things in the house to keep me busy for a week. Jason said there’s a cinema, library, and games room downstairs.” “Glad you’re enjoying it. Just remember this is a onetime, two-week-only escape from normality. Don’t get too used to it,” Lorelei said. Mandy sighed. “I already have. Everything is going to be a letdown after this. Acapulco has nothing on this place.” Lorelei slipped into the pool. The water was the perfect temperature, cool enough to be refreshing, but not so cold you needed to get out quickly to warm up. She swam a few

laps, hoping the exercise would release some of the pentup frustration in her body. Unable to help herself, she imagined she was visiting with Liam. Would they be upstairs now, checking out the comfort of the bed? Or taking a romantic stroll on the beach? She gritted her teeth and swam ten more laps. This was such a bad idea. There was no way she could get over Liam here, when everything reminded her of him.

… Lorelei woke with a hangover…again…as she had every day for the past week. Jason was an incredible bartender and had kept her plied with wonderful cocktails each night until she finally stumbled to bed, taking only the time to remove her dress, before crashing onto the super-king-size mattress. This morning the sun was full in the sky by the time she descended the stairs to the main floor, and she was thankful she had an excuse to wear her sunglasses in the house to hide her red-rimmed eyes. So the redness had more to do with the tears she’d shed as she woke up alone than to the overindulgence in alcohol the night before. She was the only one who knew that.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Mandy said. Her cheery friend was wearing a skimpy sundress and sat before a huge plate of eggs, bacon, and sausage. The smell alone had Lorelei wanting to run for the bathroom. She mumbled something in reply and sat at the far end of the table. Wordlessly, Jason put a tall glass with a thin red straw in front of her. Not wanting to appear ungracious, she took a sip, then another. Whatever it was, it quelled her rolling stomach and quieted the jackhammering in her head. “What do you want to do today?” she asked after Mandy pushed away her empty plate. “Jason has offered to take me to the market where he gets local produce. You look like you could use a day to unwind. Why don’t you stay here and relax? Horace says he set up a hammock down by the beach.” Lorelei pulled her glasses down her nose so she could scrutinize her friend. Was Mandy trying to wrangle some alone time with Jason? It would be nice if two people could find some happiness out of this holiday. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you later then?” Without waiting for Mandy to respond, Lorelei picked up her hat from the table and wandered out onto the terrace. On each of the tables next to the loungers sat a paperback

book, the same as on the bedside table upstairs. Several times over the past week her hand had hovered over one of the books; she was curious as to her host’s literary tastes. He’d said the books at Russian River had been his brother’s. Perhaps these were as well and had nothing to do with Liam. But as she’d finished the novel she’d brought with her, it couldn’t hurt to see why the book was so great there were multiple copies throughout the house. She couldn’t keep drowning her sorrow with nightly cocktails. Maybe what she needed was to get lost in a literary world where someone else experienced all the heartache. With a shrug she picked up one of the novels and headed toward the beach. The hammock was in the ideal position for a day’s relaxation. Strung between two palm trees, it was shaded enough so she didn’t burn in the sun, but at just the right angle to enjoy the view. Next to the hammock was a flagpole with a little note on the bottom, instructing the user to raise the flag for refreshments. No doubt about it, this was paradise. After settling into the comfortable, swinging chair, she examined the book. It was called Marooned and there was no acknowledgment of author or publisher. She flipped to the back, but there wasn’t a blurb. Odd, must be some kind

of self-published story. Opening to the first page, she read the dedication: To Lorelei, my love I don’t expect you to forgive me I would like you to understand What the? She shut the book and threw it across the sand. Of all the low-down, dirty tricks. Sure, Liam may not have come personally, but he’d written a book for her. If he thought she was going to waste her holiday, her time, trying to get over him by reading some fictional account of his actions then he had a lot to learn about women—a lot to learn about her. Not that she was going to give him the chance. She swayed in the hammock, watching the dance of the palm fronds above her head. Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep. All she saw was Liam’s face when she’d told him he was like his father. She’d seen that same expression once before, on her cousin’s son, when he’d been told his dog had been hit and killed. A look that said he would never love again.

Damn the man. All right, I’ll read your book, but I don’t have to believe it and I won’t forgive. Hopefully she’d learn enough about him to turn her off. Then she could stop longing for him. Getting out of the

hammock, she retrieved the book and dusted off the sand. She sat back down and, with a shaking hand, opened the novel. The story was told as a tribute to Marcus, as though Liam were only a secondary character in his own life. He chronicled Marcus’s refusing to go to Disneyland with his father, because Liam couldn’t come along. Of Marcus running from his school to Liam’s, to walk home with him, to prevent school bullies from beating up the scrawny younger brother. And Marcus using his birthday money to buy old computers, so Liam could create a network. Between the lines, however, Lorelei read the story of a young boy, unloved by any adult, his only friend his older brother, computers his whole world. Her heart broke for the little Liam, and she wiped away more than one tear throughout the reading. If she hadn’t met his mother, she wouldn’t have been able to believe the woman’s indifference to her son’s needs. It made Lorelei’s childhood, full of aunts, uncles, cousins, and especially a mother who loved her, seem blissful. Family had surrounded her all her life, and she’d taken their nosy interference for granted. She could barely imagine the emptiness Liam must have endured with only his brother to love him.

Unaware of how much time had passed, she was surprised when a shadow loomed over her. She glanced up to see Horace standing with a picnic basket in one hand and a thermos in the other. “Excuse me for the interruption, Miss Lorelei. As it’s almost two, we figured you might be hungry. Is there anything else I can get you?” Guilt swept through her at making the elderly man come down all those stairs to bring her food. “Please, will you eat with me? I’d like to hear how you came to work for Liam.” Horace hesitated a moment, then nodded and sat on the sand, even though Lorelei had moved up to allow him room on the hammock. “Celine and I are originally from Montserrat. When the volcano blew we had to evacuate. We lost everything—our house, farm, all gone. Our children up and moved to Europe but we couldn’t face living there with all them people and the cold weather. So we came here and squatted on this land. There was just an old derelict house at the time. We built ourselves a shack out of some of the loose materials. It wasn’t much but it kept us mostly dry in the rains. We raised some chickens and had a little garden for some vegetables.” “Wasn’t there some government assistance for you? Didn’t your children help?” Lorelei was appalled that an

elderly couple were forced to live in such conditions, in this day and age, through no fault of their own. “Europe is very expensive and our children didn’t have any extra money. And the government wanted us to live in some settlement. We’d always lived on the land, had space. We couldn’t live on top a bunch of other people. When Mr. Liam bought the property, however, we thought we was done for and we’d have to move. Instead he offered us jobs here. He built us a nice little place of our own, said we could have the garden, and the chickens, and all we had to do in return is keep an eye on the place when he wasn’t here. Make sure no one broke in or nothing. Of course, Celine does a little housekeeping, making beds and such, she can’t help it. There’s another girl who comes from the village to do all the heavy cleaning.” “Well, that’s very nice of him,” Lorelei added lamely. “Sure was. And he treats us like family when he does visit. Yup, was a blessed day when Mr. Liam bought this place. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Miss Lorelei. Celine wants me to climb up and get some coconuts for a cake she’s gonna bake.” Horace got to his feet and after tipping his hat to Lorelei, sauntered up the path. She wasn’t sure if it was safe for the old man to climb a tree, but he’d probably done it since he

was a toddler. She picked up the book again. Horace’s revelation of Liam’s generosity made it harder to stay mad at him. When she got to the part where his first girlfriend in college turned out to be a corporate spy, hired to steal the security program he was developing, she understood. When caught, the woman had laughed in his face and told him he wasn’t the kind of guy women loved. First his mother, then this girl. No wonder he’d never considered that she could fall in love with him and get hurt; no woman ever had. He ended the narrative with Marcus begging him to finish his novel and his instruction to find a woman to teach him about love, not believing it was possible someone would care enough for him to be hurt by his self-serving actions. Lorelei shut the book with a snap.

… “So, how was your day?” Mandy was sipping a cocktail on the terrace as Lorelei reached the top of the path back to the house. It was already five o’clock and Lorelei had spent the last half hour sitting in the sand, letting the soft grains run between her fingers. Her mind was whirling and she wasn’t sure what she felt

about what she’d read. If it was accurate, then Liam wasn’t half the villain she’d thought. Still, he had lied to her, deceived her and hurt her… If only she knew if the last words were true or written just for dramatic effect—I finally

knew what it was to love and be loved by a woman. Then I screwed it up. Realizing her friend was staring at her, waiting for a response, she replied, “Fine, I spent the day reading on the beach. How was the market?” “Fabulous. Jason is a great guy. Did you know he was a homeless drug addict and Liam took him off the street, sent him to rehab, and then gave him the job as his personal chef? And he’d never even met him before?” Lorelei shook her head. “No, I didn’t.” She got up. “I think I’ll have a shower before dinner.” “Oh, um…about dinner. Jason has cooked, but we were wondering if you minded if he served you and then he and I are going to pop back to town. He says there’s a great steel drum band playing one of the local parks. We’re going to eat there. You can join us if you like,” Mandy quickly added. Lorelei examined her friend. She was glowing, and not only from the sunshine. Mandy hadn’t been so happy since her fiancé dumped her. “No, it’s all right. You two go ahead.

I’ve got some thinking to do and will probably turn in early. No need to serve me anything. I can dish it up for myself if he’s already cooked.” “I told Jason you’d say that. Thanks a million, Lorelei. If we leave soon we can get good seats. Oh, I’m so happy!” Mandy sprinted toward her room to get ready, while Lorelei followed at a more sedate pace into the house. She popped her head into the kitchen and found Jason on the phone. He paused his conversation at her entrance. “I just wanted to let you know I can help myself tonight. No need for you to wait around. Enjoy your evening,” she told the chef. The smile he gave her was worth the loneliness of eating alone. She trudged up the stairs and into the master bedroom. Wandering out onto the deck, she leaned against the railing and stared at the ocean. Where was Liam now? Was he in China in some boring business meeting? It had been six weeks since she left him; had he come to terms with the loss? Would he try to contact her again when she returned to San Francisco, or was this holiday the final parting gift from him? It was probably a good thing Jason and Mandy were going out tonight. She could already tell she was going to be morose company. She showered and changed into a

summer dress before she realized it was the same one she’d worn when she’d gone to Russian River with Liam. The evening was still warm, so she left her sweater off and wandered back downstairs. Having had a late lunch, she wasn’t particularly hungry. “It’s a beautiful evening, and the sunset is going to be ’specially lovely from the beach.” Celine appeared out of nowhere, making Lorelei jump. “The path is lit back to the house.” Lorelei nodded and followed the older lady’s suggestion. She was too restless to sit; a walk on the beach at sunset might soothe her enough to be able to eat, then sleep. Tomorrow she’d figure out what to do about Liam. When she reached the beach, she discovered that a large white yacht had anchored about a hundred feet from shore. There were several other luxury villas on the hill; perhaps one of them had visitors. At the far end of the beach she saw a solitary figure standing in the surf, next to a dinghy. From the distance, she couldn’t make out if it was a man or woman. Taking her shoes off, she walked to the water’s edge, letting the warm water lap against her feet. Little crabs scurried along the sand, disappearing with each wave. The sky turned from soft blue, to pink, to red. The end of another

day. She sighed. The figure at the other end of the beach was closer now. She thought about returning to the house, but couldn’t tear herself away. Surprisingly, she wasn’t afraid; perhaps it was dwelling on all Liam had endured that made her life seem golden. The figure came nearer. He was tall, and definitely a man. She should go back; she wasn’t feeling up for even a casual chat with a friendly neighbor. Lorelei turned back toward the path when something about the figure made her pause. Somehow, he seemed familiar. When he was ten feet from her he stopped. Díos mío, it was Liam.

Chapter Sixteen Liam stopped a few feet from her, leaving her plenty of room to escape back up to the house if she wanted to avoid him. She took one step toward the stairs, but his sharp intake of breath stopped her. It was as though he was steeling himself for more pain. “Hi.” His voice was uncertain. It was the first time Lorelei could ever remember him not being sure of himself. “You promised you wouldn’t come.” “I’ll go if you tell me to leave. When I phoned Jason this afternoon, he said you’d read the book. I had to see you.” He reached out a hand toward her. She didn’t move. Her heart beat too rapidly, and her head kept replaying scenes from what she’d read that afternoon, but she had no idea where she stood in his life.

Did he just want to apologize in person for deceiving her? Was this good-bye on friendly terms? As the silence lengthened between them, Liam’s shoulders dropped. His hand returned to his side. “Liam.” Her chest ached, whether for herself or for him she wasn’t sure. “Yes?” A flare of hope lit his eyes. “I’m sorry you’ve had a miserable life, but that doesn’t excuse your lies.” He took a step backward and his strong jaw dropped to his chest. His voice was so low she had to strain to hear his next words. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Lorelei. What I did was wrong, but I honestly never thought it would get so real. I thought we’d have a few dates, a few laughs, we’d like each other but not be compatible, and we’d go our separate ways. Like most couples who date.” “Well, I guess your prediction came true…” He raised his head and stared into her eyes. “No, it’s not like that. You showed me a whole different world. I can’t go back to the old one now. I need you in my life, Lorelei. Ask David. I haven’t even been able to work because I’m thinking of you, missing you. Is there any way I can convince you to give me another chance?” “Even if I could get past the lies, the deceptions, it

doesn’t change who we are.” “Do you love me?” He took a step nearer and she could see his eyes trying to read her expression in the moonlight. “Don’t be cruel, Liam.” She hugged herself, trying to keep her heart from leaping out of her chest to lie bleeding at his feet. He took another step closer and she could smell his spicy cologne. Involuntarily she inhaled deeply, her head swimming with his scent. “Please, please, Lorelei. I need to hear you say the words.” His hand reached out and his thumb brushed a tear off her cheek she hadn’t even been aware was there. “Why?” “Because I’m a coward.” She raised her eyes to his and saw such pain she blinked. “Te quiero. I love you, Liam Manning.” The relief that swept through him was visible—he seemed two inches taller and he took a deep breath. “Pero, but it doesn’t change anything.” The breath left his body with an audible whoosh. “It changes everything. I love you, Lorelei, so much it’s going to take the rest of my life to show you.” Her heart swelled at his words until reason took rein.

“No, it doesn’t. You’re still a genius billionaire with a loose idea of the law, and I’m a charity worker who won’t even jaywalk.” “Do you think I’ll risk a second in prison if it means being away from you? You have my solemn promise that as long as you’re in my life, I won’t commit a single crime. I’ll never gamble with happiness, yours or mine, again.” His hand that was on her cheek threaded through her hair and he pulled her closer. She put both hands on his chest, holding him off. “Even if I could trust you, it doesn’t change the biggest difference between us. I want children, lots of children. You don’t. It’s such a fundamental issue we’ll never be able to get over it. Really, Liam, it’s better if we end it here. I forgive you, but let’s both move on before we waste any more time on this relationship.” “No.” “No? I don’t think this is just your decision.” “No. I won’t move on. I love you, Lorelei Torres. More than I thought I could love another human being, even Marcus. I can’t face a future without you. The thought of children scares the shit out of me. But with you at my side, holding my hand, I honestly believe anything is possible.” “Really, you mean that?” Her hands crept up his chest, to

rest on his shoulders. “You’re going to be a fabulous mother. I couldn’t deny you that. You’ll have to teach me to be a loving parent.” Lorelei put her hand on his face, running her thumb over his lips. “You’ll make a great father, because you’ll know all the things not to do. You’ll be there when your child is sad. You’ll defend them when they’re put down, and most of all, you’ll love them. And that’s the most important thing, Liam. Not being afraid to love.” “I intend to show you every single day of our lives how much I love you. I guess when the babies start to arrive I’ll have to figure out how to show them as well.” “That’s all I need.” He kissed her then. He carried on kissing her until she pushed against his chest. Her breathing was heavy and she clung to him like wet seaweed. “Come up to the house. There’s a huge bed with your name on it,” she whispered, her voice husky with desire. He groaned. “I can’t.” “Why not?” “Because I signed a contract, and I promised I wouldn’t enter the property while you’re there. I know what a stickler you are for the law. I don’t want to jeopardize our fledgling

relationship by breaking my word.” She laughed. “Tell you what. I’ll draft an addendum to the contract, allowing you access to the property during my stay if you tell me twice a day you love me.” “Only twice? I can accept those terms.” He swung her into his arms and headed for the house.

… “I don’t believe it,” Liam said. He strode over to where Lorelei sat on one of the wingback chairs by the window. She had one of Marcus’s books open in her lap, and a cup of coffee cooling on the table. She glanced up as he spoke, and the love that filled her eyes made him catch his breath. They’d been back in San Francisco for three weeks now, and the warm flood of well-being that swept through him every time he looked on her gorgeous face had only increased. “What?” She put down the novel and took a sip of her coffee. “It’s a letter from Marcus. According to the cover note from his editor, Marcus wrote it before he died and asked that it be forward it to me after I’d submitted the manuscript. Evidently, the editor almost forgot about it, only finding it

when he was looking for something else.” “What did Marcus say?” Liam toyed with the long white envelope, flipping it over several times in his hand. “I haven’t opened it yet.” He stared at the sloppy handwriting, so clearly Marcus’s. It was as though his brother was reaching out one last time from beyond the grave. He sat on the chair opposite and held the letter out to Lorelei. “You read it.” She stared at his face for a moment before she took the envelope. Opening it, she scanned the contents. He watched her lips move as she tried to decipher his brother’s scrawl. A tear escaped the corner of her eye as she held out the letter. “Well, that’s a surprise,” she said. Leaning forward, she put her hand on his where it rested on the arm of his chair. “Read it to me, please.” Her soft voice, full of emotion, filled the air between them:

Liam, I bet you’re pissed with me for making you write the book when I’d already finished it. Sorry about that (well, not really), but I had to find a way to get you to step away from your computers and live in the real world for a while.

I hope you followed my instructions and

found a real woman, not one of those plastic versions you usually go for. I loved you from the moment Mom brought you home. But now it’s someone else’s turn. Let them love you, Liam. You deserve it. And be brave, love her back. You can do it! Marcus PS. Writing’s a hell of a lot harder than it seems, isn’t it? Lorelei handed him the letter to read for himself. “The bastard!” Lorelei sat back at his abrupt expletive. “I thought it was funny.” Liam stood and paced the floor between the chair and the sofa. “He set me up. He’d already finished the novel and sent it to his publisher, but pretended he hadn’t so I would have to follow his idiotic instructions and stop working to find…you. Damned if he wasn’t always the smarter one.” Lorelei stood up, pulled the letter from his hands, and tossed it onto the table with her book. She put a gentle hand on his face and caressed his cheek. Instantly his aggravation flowed away, leaving only warmth and

contentment. He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her fragrant hair. “He may have left you the instructions, but you made the choices, and pretty smart ones, if you ask me. Are you unhappy with the way it turned out?” “Nope. Things are looking pretty good from where I stand.” Liam kissed her until she went limp against him, her breathing ragged. His own pulse rate was through the roof. Even after three weeks of daily loving, he still couldn’t get enough of Lorelei. He doubted he ever would. Bending down, he lifted her into his arms and strode toward the bedroom. As he rounded the sofa, a noise halted them. David’s head popped around the door. “Again? You guys are worse than rabbits. I’m going to have to find someplace else to hang out.” With that dire pronouncement he slammed the door. “We’re going to have to get him a woman,” Lorelei said as Liam carried her into the bedroom. “And while we’re at it, a new man for Helen, seeing as Jason and Mandy are full-on in love.” “And how do you suggest we go about that? I’m banned from cracking dating sites, and fresh out of ideas.” He bounced her on the bed before pulling off his T-shirt.

Her eyes blazed with passion and he could feel the heat of her gaze on his naked torso. Amazing how she could set him on fire with just a look. “Maybe you could write another book, a hacker’s guide to love.” “Nope, my writing career is over. I’ve found something much better to do with my time.” “Oh, and what’s that?” Her question ended on a moan as he joined her on the bed and worked his hand under her shirt. “Show you every day how much I love you,” he whispered against her lips, before proceeding to do just that.

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Acknowledgments This book would not have been possible without the advice from, and support of, the wonderful editors at Entangled, especially Alethea, Rima and Tara. Thanks for talking me off the ledge, and taking the scissors from me when I was running. I would also like to acknowledge the amazing encouragement of my fellow authors, most of whom I’ve never met in person, who sent virtual chocolate and wine when I was stuck in the editing cave. Finally, my thanks go to readers, because really, if it wasn’t for you, what’s the point?

About the Author Alexia once traveled the world, meeting new people, experiencing new sights and tastes. She’s lived in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, England, and France, as well as spent time in Panama and Russia. When life demanded that she stay rooted in one place, she took to vicarious voyages through the characters she created in her romance novels. To discover other books written by Alexia or read her blog on inspirational destinations, Journey to Love, go t o http://Alexia-Adams.com or follow her on Twitter @AlexiaAdamsAuth.

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