Chapter 19
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
LIAM
I walk into a boardroom full of angry faces. “Hello everybody, apologies for my lateness.”
Richard Dawlish, one of my top investors, gives me a sickly smile. “Hey, we’re just glad you’re in the state for once. We thought we’d lost you.”
They’ve clearly made him their spokesman during my absence. Which is fine because I can deal with people like Richard in my sleep. He’s motivated by one thing and that’s money.
And I’ve made him a rich man over the years.
Right now he’s pissed with me because he thinks I’ve been neglecting our business. But he hasn’t quite got the concept of the internet, or the fact that most investments can be monitored over the web.
“I had some concerns keeping me in Charleston,” I say lightly. “But I’m all yours now.” I pour myself a coffee and take a seat. “Did you get the report I sent over the weekend.”
“Well yes,” Richard says. “But we prefer to see you face to face. We have a lot of money invested in you.”
“Not in me, Richard. In companies I find,” I remind him. Because nobody is buying me. “Did you have any concerns with the report?”
He looks down at the paper in front of him, pausing as he tries to find any fault with it. “The Flashman investment isn’t paying out as quick as we’d like.”
My phone flashes and a message pops up on it. It’s from Sophie. And yes I should be assuaging Richard, but I’m way more entertained by the picture she sent of her eating the cake I sent. She’s captioned it “Are you trying to rot my teeth?”
My lip curls. “The Flashman investment is paying out exactly as planned. A little faster, actually,” I say.
“Don’t forget that summer is a slow time for winter sports equipment.
By next quarter we should be seeing a significant profit.
” I look at the others around the table who are silently nodding. “Does anybody else have any concerns?”
“The thing is, Liam, we invest with you because you’re based here in Manhattan. When we need you, you’re here. Or you have been.” Richard clears his throat and looks around at the table, but nobody catches his eye. “But now we have to wait days to see you and ask you questions.”
“I’m always at the other end of a phone line,” I remind him.
“All you have to do is press a button and I’m there.
” I look over at Rachel Cline, one of my earliest investors.
I’ve turned her multi million fortune into a billion dollar one.
“Rachel, did I not talk with you on Friday night when you needed to liquidize some of your investment?”
“Well yes, you did,” she agrees.
“And the money was in your account on Saturday morning?”
“Yes, it was.”
“Do you think it would have been there any faster if I’d have been in the office?”
Her expression softens. “No, I don’t think it would.”
I let my gaze roll over everyone at the table.
“I understand that change can cause anxiety. But there are so many opportunities in Charleston right now. Your New York investments are still being taken care of, but I can offer you more this way. More opportunities, higher returns, and a lot less risk.” I lift a brow.
“Look at what we did with Smith and Carson.” That’s the publishing house that Ava now runs.
“There’s no way in hell we can get that kind of return for your money in New York. ”
A few of the people around the table nod their heads.
“But if you’re uncomfortable with that I understand. Say the word and I’ll have your investments returned to you. I have a long list of people who would like to be part of the future we have to offer here.”
That’s no word of a lie. A day doesn’t go by without someone asking if I’m taking on new clients. Many of them are hugely prestigious. But I have a sense of loyalty and these are the people who have been with me from the start.
“I’m okay with you looking at Charleston,” Rachel says.
“Yep,” Sydney Clark, the man next to her agrees. One by one they all give me the assent.
“Richard?” I ask. His jaw is ticking. He’s a self-made man. He knows the value of every dollar. He’s also proud as hell.
He lets out a long breath. “It would just be nice to see you in New York more often.”
“Noted.” I nod. “And I miss you, too.”
Laughter breaks out across the room, the atmosphere diffusing. Even Richard manages to crack a smile. With their grievances aired, I go on to talk about the companies we’re working with right now, giving them a rundown of where we’re at.
By the time we finish the meeting everything is calm. We stand and talk, while Sam arranges for fresh coffee and pastries.
The irony that I can persuade these hard-faced investors to trust me when I can’t persuade the woman I love to do the same doesn’t evade me. I wish I could talk her around as easily.
But I’m not daunted. I can rise to the challenge.
Because I want her more than I’ve wanted anybody else.
“Do you have any dinner plans?” Rachel asks, touching my elbow. She’s almost eighty but her dinner parties are legendary.
“Actually, yes,” I tell her. “I’m eating dinner with my girl.” Virtually, at least.
“You have a girlfriend?” She smiles at me. “How wonderful. I didn’t know that. What’s her name?”
“Sophie,” I tell her. “And to be honest, she’s not my girlfriend yet. But I want her to be.”
Her eyes twinkle. “Oh my. A woman who can resist your charms. No wonder you want her. It’s like that Groucho Marx saying. What is it?” She frowns. “Oh yes. ‘I’d never belong to any club that would have me as a member.’ Isn’t that it?”
I laugh. “Sounds about right. She has high standards.” And I’m not sure I can meet them.
“Of course she does, dear.” Rachel pats my arm. And then squeezes my bicep, her eyes widening. “But you’ll win her. I know you will.”
SOPHIE
I’m trying so hard to keep my eyes on the television screen, but every now and then I sneak a peek at my phone, just to check that he’s still there.
And he is. He’s set up his phone on his knees, I think, though it’s hard to tell from this angle.
If I’m being really honest, I’m a little too distracted by the fact he’s bare-chested, propped up on some pillows on his bed, his finger tapping his chin as we watch the last episode of the first season together.
“Jimmy and the twins,” he repeats, his lip curling upward. “Good name for the male anatomy.”
“You haven’t heard that one before?” I ask, smiling because he’s smiling. And yep, that makes me a sap, but this is the best part of my day.
Until now I’ve felt like I’ve been barely surviving. With trying to do two peoples’ work and getting my head around the submission Michael wants me to write, my brain feels constantly full. I should be working now, but I promised I’d do this with him.
And I’m so glad I did. There’s something about Liam Salinger that calms me, which is crazy if you think about it. I’ve spent most of the time I’ve known him riled up by his presence. But now all I actually wish is that he was here with me watching the show.
“Nope. I know some others though. Johnson, Wang, Baloney pony…”
“Wait!” I shout out. “Baloney pony? That can’t be a real phrase.”
“Look it up. You want me to keep going?” he asks. “I’ve got more.”
“Just watch the show, Salinger.” I smirk and pull my eyes away from him.
I’ve got my own phone balanced in my hand so he can only see my face and shoulders.
Like him, I’ve changed out of my work clothes and into something more comfortable.
But for me it’s an old t-shirt and a pair of yoga shorts as I lie on the sofa, the flickering of the television lighting up my face.
“I’d rather watch you,” he says, his voice low. It sends a shiver down my spine.
“I thought we talked about this,” I tell him, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling thrilled. I like that he likes me.
I just don’t like that he could hurt me if I let him.
“Yeah, but that was before you decided to lie on the sofa.”
I lift a brow. “I’m not allowed to lie on my own sofa now?”
“You can lay anywhere you want. It’s just that I keep remembering the last time we were on a sofa together.”
Oh. I start to blush. “That was… nice.”
He winces. “Ouch. Damned with faint praise again.”
“Shut up,” I say again, but I don’t really mean it. I just don’t know how to navigate this thing. I’ve never been so attracted to a man in my life. Especially not one I know is bad for me. The memory of his lips on mine as his fingers worked their magic makes me start to feel hot.
I shift on the sofa, feeling my cheeks begin to burn.
“Sophie…” His voice is low. “Are you remembering it, too?”
“Yeah. I am.”
There’s no smile on his face anymore. Just an intense look that I recognize from last Saturday. Maybe before that, too. Liam Salinger does good sex face, and I hate that.
I can only imagine how intensely he makes love. My thighs clench tightly.
He clicks his remote and it pauses for the both of us since we’re on buddy watch. George freezes on my screen and it occurs to me that neither of us have been paying attention for the last few minutes. We’ll have to rewind when we turn it back on.
“Let me look at you,” he says.
“You are.”
“Properly. Pull the phone back. I want to see all of you.”
Heat pools in my stomach. I pull it back and he hums approvingly.
“You look amazing, West.”
“It’s just an old cropped t-shirt and shorts.”
“No, baby. It’s your body. You could be wearing a potato sack and you’d be the most beautiful woman I know.”
How am I supposed to fight against a man who says things like that? There’s an inevitability to this. A thread that’s tied us together since we met and it’s only getting stronger. I’ve tried to break it, to cut it, but it keeps on coming back.
I’m falling for this man I shouldn’t want.
I lift my hand to push my hair out of my face and he actually moans.
“Christ your stomach. Every time I look at it I remember kissing my way down to your sweet pussy. You know how often I think about it?” he asks me. “Every single fucking second. If I was there right now…”