Chapter Six
Morgan
I walked into the conference room prepared to meet our potential new investors and came to an abrupt halt a few steps inside. Liam sat at the table with my father and stepbrother, staring right back at me with a look of clear surprise on his handsome face.
Shock rippled through me, knocking the air from my lungs.
The sight of him brought that night back to me in a rush.
The heat of his body. The intimacy that came after.
And then, waking up alone in that hotel bed, humiliation twisting in my gut when I realized he’d ghosted me at some point during the night.
Since then, I’d told myself that it didn’t matter, but that was a lie because I’d felt something real… and I’d let myself believe he had, too. It was a painful reminder that took me back to college, and to James. How I’d stupidly confused sex for something more.
Back then, the rejection had blindsided and crushed me.
I thought I’d grown up, that I was smarter now, more careful, that I’d never let myself mistake chemistry for anything more ever again.
Yet here I was, years later, realizing I’d made the same error in judgement with Liam.
Only this time it cut deeper, because after years of protecting my heart and pushing men away, claiming I wanted fireworks, I’d let my guard down.
For one reckless night, I’d allowed myself to feel something like hope.
Now I knew better. I’d been an easy lay for him, nothing more.
So, I straightened my shoulders, fixed my expression, and shored up my defenses because I was clearly going to need every ounce of composure I had to deal with the man I never thought I’d see again.
I’d known Parker and my father were meeting with potential investors today, hoping to hammer out the details of a contract, and I was late because of a call from HR that lasted longer than I’d anticipated.
I wasn’t just an employee of GalvaTech. It was my family’s company.
I owned shares in the business so this meeting was important to me as well.
Still, of all the investors in the city, of all the companies we could have partnered with, it was insane that the universe decided to throw Liam back into my life, this time on a professional level.
It was equally unfair that he looked even more gorgeous now, wearing a tailored navy-blue suit that fit his body to perfection, and those eyes, still the same deep copper color I couldn’t forget.
My father stood to greet me with a warm smile, jarring me back to the present. “Morgan, perfect timing,” he said, sounding happy, which meant the meeting had gone well. “I was just about to call you in to meet our new investors.”
I forced myself to move toward the conference table, to breathe and appear unaffected, to look anywhere but directly at Liam, even as my pulse hammered in my throat.
“Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Morgan. She’s our marketing director,” Dad said, a proud inflection in his voice. “Morgan, this is Liam and Simon Powers.”
Both men stood, forcing me to glance their way.
Keeping my expression neutral, I reached out to shake Simon’s hand first. Then, because I had no choice, I turned to Liam and allowed him to slip his hand into mine.
His fingers closed around my hand, warm and firm.
The contact lasted a few seconds, but that spark of attraction I felt the night we met was still there.
I pulled away quickly, refusing to meet his gaze.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said curtly, making it clear with one sentence that we were going to act like we were strangers meeting for the first time. The last thing I wanted was anyone knowing I had slept with this man.
“Likewise,” he said, the familiarity in his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine before I could stop it.
I shook off the sensation. It seemed that I’d come in on the tail end of the meeting because Dad was already discussing signing a contract once our lawyers looked it over.
I didn’t know all the details that had been worked out, but I’d find out later.
Whatever terms they’d agreed on, there was no denying an influx of capital was needed and would help the company grow.
Parker walked up to me, a small frown furrowing his brows as he searched my expression. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked me. “Privately?”
The request surprised me, but I nodded and followed my stepbrother out of the conference room. Once we were down the hallway and out of earshot, he stopped me with a hand on my arm and looked at me with concern in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I assured him.
Despite being stepsiblings, Parker and I had always been close. He was also perceptive, sometimes annoyingly so. I crossed my arms over my chest and did my best to project a nonchalance I didn’t quite feel.
He studied me a moment before asking, “Do you know one of those men? Liam maybe?”
How had Parker even come to that conclusion? “Why would you ask that?”
He gave me a pointed look. “Because you looked like a deer in headlights when you walked into the conference room and saw him, not to mention how tense you were when you shook his hand. Neither of which is your normal confident way of handling yourself in a business setting.”
“You’re imagining things,” I said, keeping my tone even. “I’ve never met Liam before today.”
“Okay, I just wanted to make sure,” Parker said, finally letting it go.
“It’s a good thing that you don’t have a problem with him, because he’s going to be working closely with us here in the office for the next few months.
At least, that’s how long I estimate it’ll take to prepare the new product launch. ”
My stomach dipped. “What do you mean?” Investors were behind the scenes and periodically checked in. They didn’t involve themselves in the business in any hands-on way.
“It’s part of the contract terms,” Parker said, grimacing as if the idea didn’t appeal to him either.
“They’ll invest three million, but only if Liam oversees the launch and works with us day to day until everything is up and running.
We’re having our lawyers look over the contract, but barring any last-minute red flags, Samuel will be signing in the next few days, and Liam will be here in the office starting next week. ”
Anger flared through me at the new stipulation. “That’s ridiculous. We know what we’re doing. We don’t need some outsider stepping in to supervise. This is our family’s business, and we’ve managed just fine without anyone’s oversight. It will change the entire dynamic of the office.”
I tried to sound calm but my voice sharpened anyway. I wouldn’t have been happy about this regardless, but the fact that it was Liam made dread twist in my stomach. I couldn’t imagine working closely with him every single day.
“I agree,” Parker said with a sigh as he rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “But if we want their money, which we do in order to get this portable charger to market, we don’t have a choice.”
We both looked back toward the conference room as my father, Liam, and Simon walked out together. Dad’s enthusiasm filled the hallway, his voice carrying as he shook hands with the two men.
“This is exactly the kind of partnership GalvaTech needs,” Samuel said, obviously excited at the prospect of working with them while Liam—God help me—smiled that same charming, persuasive smile I remembered all too well.
And all I could think was that he was going to be here. Every day. In my office. In meetings. In my space.
The thought made my stomach knot. I’d worked hard to build walls, to keep my life controlled and uncomplicated, and he had slipped past all of that far too easily. Pretending he meant nothing, that I didn’t still feel that pull between us, was going to be its own kind of torture.
By the time Dad turned to me, still beaming, and said something about the exciting months ahead, I had my polite smile firmly back in place.
I didn’t have a choice but to work with him, but I made myself a silent promise. I would never let Liam Powers catch me off guard again.