okay?”
She grinned and locked up her lips with her fingers as she followed the big man to Doyle’s office.
Liam sat at his massive desk like a king. When he stood to greet her, she saw he wore yet another suit cut perfectly to fit his body. He must have a personal tailor on call. The expensive black cloth seemed to caress every part of him. Underneath, he wore a checked shirt and another navy tie, one that made his blue eyes look even more fiery. The ensemble, if traded for food, could probably feed an entire homeless shelter.
But he looked good. So good, she’d swear a squadron of butterflies just launched an assault on her belly. She chalked it up to needing to pee and shifted on her feet, conscious of Wade leaving in the elevator. “Mr. Doyle.”
He moved toward her, stopping mere inches away, and offered her a slow grin. “I’ve decided we’re ready for first names. Call me Liam.”
“How fortunate that I have you deciding these things.” She took a step back. Not that it helped the crazy fluttering inside her. “I don’t really think first names are wise. You know, with me trying to discredit you and all.”
“Oh, come on, Kate. You’ve been picketing my casino for a few days now. You’re here so much I feel as if I should put you on payroll, even if you are trying to make me lose money. Don’t you think I’ve earned the right to call you by your first name?”
Avoiding his question, she looked around and noticed some coloring books and strawberry pastries on the kitchen counter. Next to them was a Dora the Explorer DVD. “Um, wow. I wouldn’t have guessed your tastes run to the girly.”
He looked at the counter-top items. “They’re not for me. I’m having visitors shortly.”
“So why am I here?”
He gestured to the couches and sat. She remained standing, hoping it would bug him, but he merely shrugged. “It’s time we got frank, Katie.”
“Please don’t call me that. I prefer Kate.”
“Of course, you do. It’s much more sensible. So it’s settled, I can call you Kate.”
Momentarily bested, she crossed her arms over her chest, noting how his gaze followed, and how her nipples hardened in response. “What do you want, Doyle?”
“To know your price.”
“What price?”
“Really? You wanna play games with me?”
“You’re one to talk about games. Besides, I’m not playing any. I just don’t understand your question.”
“Ms. Callender, everyone has a price. Now, I’ve been very patient, but I want to know what it’s going to cost me to remove you from my casino. The sooner you tell me, the sooner we can finish this.”
Did he seriously think she could be bought? “I don’t have a price. I’m not doing this so you’ll pay me off.”
“I don’t believe you. People don’t do anything unless they think there’s a payoff somewhere down the line.”
Something in his face paled. What did he mean? Granted, with his money, he’d probably met some mercenary characters. Still, it made her a little sad to see poor little rich boy act so jaded about the world. “I’m not sure how to make it clearer, Liam, but I’m not even slightly interested in your money.”
They stared at each other, and she could tell he was analyzing her as much as she did him. Once again, his gaze dipped down to her breast line and back up again. “You just called me Liam. Careful. Next thing you know you’ll be under my sheets.”
A tingle of raw sensuality worked its way up her spine. His amazing scent filled her nostrils as her mind wandered. Dammit. She had fantasized about them together in a few moments of weakness the night before. She shifted on her feet again, suddenly desperate for a toilet. He’d turned her insides into a roiling cauldron of something very bad for her peace of mind. “It just slipped out, Mr. Doyle.”
He chuckled. “Something else is going to slip out if you don’t get to a bathroom. It seems you’ve had no breaks since you got here this
She grinned and locked up her lips with her fingers as she followed the big man to Doyle’s office.
Liam sat at his massive desk like a king. When he stood to greet her, she saw he wore yet another suit cut perfectly to fit his body. He must have a personal tailor on call. The expensive black cloth seemed to caress every part of him. Underneath, he wore a checked shirt and another navy tie, one that made his blue eyes look even more fiery. The ensemble, if traded for food, could probably feed an entire homeless shelter.
But he looked good. So good, she’d swear a squadron of butterflies just launched an assault on her belly. She chalked it up to needing to pee and shifted on her feet, conscious of Wade leaving in the elevator. “Mr. Doyle.”
He moved toward her, stopping mere inches away, and offered her a slow grin. “I’ve decided we’re ready for first names. Call me Liam.”
“How fortunate that I have you deciding these things.” She took a step back. Not that it helped the crazy fluttering inside her. “I don’t really think first names are wise. You know, with me trying to discredit you and all.”
“Oh, come on, Kate. You’ve been picketing my casino for a few days now. You’re here so much I feel as if I should put you on payroll, even if you are trying to make me lose money. Don’t you think I’ve earned the right to call you by your first name?”
Avoiding his question, she looked around and noticed some coloring books and strawberry pastries on the kitchen counter. Next to them was a Dora the Explorer DVD. “Um, wow. I wouldn’t have guessed your tastes run to the girly.”
He looked at the counter-top items. “They’re not for me. I’m having visitors shortly.”
“So why am I here?”
He gestured to the couches and sat. She remained standing, hoping it would bug him, but he merely shrugged. “It’s time we got frank, Katie.”
“Please don’t call me that. I prefer Kate.”
“Of course, you do. It’s much more sensible. So it’s settled, I can call you Kate.”
Momentarily bested, she crossed her arms over her chest, noting how his gaze followed, and how her nipples hardened in response. “What do you want, Doyle?”
“To know your price.”
“What price?”
“Really? You wanna play games with me?”
“You’re one to talk about games. Besides, I’m not playing any. I just don’t understand your question.”
“Ms. Callender, everyone has a price. Now, I’ve been very patient, but I want to know what it’s going to cost me to remove you from my casino. The sooner you tell me, the sooner we can finish this.”
Did he seriously think she could be bought? “I don’t have a price. I’m not doing this so you’ll pay me off.”
“I don’t believe you. People don’t do anything unless they think there’s a payoff somewhere down the line.”
Something in his face paled. What did he mean? Granted, with his money, he’d probably met some mercenary characters. Still, it made her a little sad to see poor little rich boy act so jaded about the world. “I’m not sure how to make it clearer, Liam, but I’m not even slightly interested in your money.”
They stared at each other, and she could tell he was analyzing her as much as she did him. Once again, his gaze dipped down to her breast line and back up again. “You just called me Liam. Careful. Next thing you know you’ll be under my sheets.”
A tingle of raw sensuality worked its way up her spine. His amazing scent filled her nostrils as her mind wandered. Dammit. She had fantasized about them together in a few moments of weakness the night before. She shifted on her feet again, suddenly desperate for a toilet. He’d turned her insides into a roiling cauldron of something very bad for her peace of mind. “It just slipped out, Mr. Doyle.”
He chuckled. “Something else is going to slip out if you don’t get to a bathroom. It seems you’ve had no breaks since you got here this
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