Chapter 5
Liam
Before coming here tonight, I’d been determined to be on my best behavior, and yet within minutes of seeing her, I was flirting.
I had to make an effort. A real effort.
“What made you decide to open an investment firm? Why not enjoy all that money you got when you sold the InvestMe app?” Tess asked.
The question was unexpected even though it was all out there for everyone to see. Our background was listed on the Harrington I just knew it.
I cleared my throat, pointing to one of the tables.
Servers circulated with trays of drinks, and one approached us as we headed to the nearest table. Tess took a glass of water. I did the same.
“What do you do in your free time?” she continued.
I felt like I was in a college interview, but one I was especially interested in nailing. No pun intended.
“I go for a run.”
“Do you see your grandmother often?”
“Every two weeks.”
Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and her smile widened. That was clearly important to her. I was learning more from the questions she asked than she did from my answers. Not many people would even have the guts to ask about such personal matters.
She pressed her lips together. I was betting that not only did she have a whole lot more but that they were even more personal.
But I had my own questions too. I had a standard list of them I used for all business owners. Usually, I liked to go with that, but now all I wanted was to deviate from the standard and go as personal as possible.
“Why did you two decide to open up a business?” I asked, proud that I’d stuck to the list…for now. “Per your résumé, you were both in mid-management in your previous jobs. You’d done very well for yourself in the corporate world.”
Business owners usually fell into two categories.
The first was young professionals, who were dissatisfied with their jobs, feeling like they could make more money on their own.
The other end of the spectrum was those in very senior positions who had a lot of cash and wanted a change.
Tess and Skye didn’t fit in either category.
Tess was only one year younger than me and had been in a well-paid midlevel management position.
“We like working together, so that part was easy,” Tess said.
“But I think the interest came about because I’ve always struggled to find the right lingerie for me.
It’s a tricky subject, because it’s tied to self-esteem.
Anyway, the right lingerie gives women confidence, and we love that we can do that for our clients. ”
I liked the passion in Tess’s voice, and her body language.
She fascinated me. There was no denying it anymore at this point.
I just couldn’t look away from her neck.
I wanted to nuzzle into her warmth; I wanted to kiss her hard and deep, pulling her bottom lip into my mouth.
I barely kept from looking farther down.
She was a gorgeous bombshell in her dress.
The belt accentuated her curves, and it all messed with my focus.
Back to the list of questions, Harrington.
“Do you plan to keep it indefinitely or sell at some point?” I asked.
“We’re not planning on selling. Is that a problem?”
“Not at all. Just wanted to know where you stand on this.” I liked working with entrepreneurs who wanted to do this long-term.
My colleagues often wondered why I didn’t ask about it directly in the initial application the business owners had to fill out, but it was such a personal yet important question that I wanted to look them straight in the eye when they answered.
We needed time with each investment in order to make back our money, and a sale early on was not a good return for us.
And knowing a client’s commitment meant they’d work damn hard for everyone involved.
I nodded, fighting to not fixate on her mouth as she brought her glass up to it. Behind the rim, I noticed the corners of her lips lifted.
“You’re trying to hide a smile,” I said.
“Guilty.”
“Why?” I moved closer to her, enjoying the way her pupils dilated.
“I thought tonight was about getting to know each other, but the questions you ask are very…stiff.”
She was challenging me in a way no one else dared, least of all an applicant. I realized she did things her way. I liked that.
“Would you rather I go back to telling you all the reasons I can’t stop flirting with you?”
Her eyes bulged. “Is there no middle ground?”
“When it comes to you and me, apparently not.”
She exhaled sharply. On instinct, I touched her lower back, leading her toward a darker corner of the room. I couldn’t miss the light shudder in her body. It made me want to pin her against a wall and kiss her until she was shaking.
“I have a list, Tess. Sticking to it is best for both our sakes. You have no idea just how personal I want to get.” I looked her straight in the eyes so she wouldn’t mistake my intentions.
She licked her lips, raising her glass to her mouth again as if it were a shield.
“Oookay. So, let’s get on with that list, then.”
I couldn’t help but lean in and tease her. “Not too stiff for you?”
“Liam…”
All I could think about was how good her full lips would feel against mine. But I pulled myself together, focusing on what I needed to do.
Once I was done with my questions, I was supposed to mingle with all the applicants tonight, but all I wanted was to find out more about this fascinating woman. I wanted to lure her to someplace where we could be alone.
Becca waved at me from across the room. She was looking at me with raised eyebrows, so I knew it was time to switch conversation partners.
“Tess, I need to catch up with the rest too. It was great talking with you.”
“Informative?” she teased.
“Very. Look, the servers brought food while we talked.”
I put a hand at the small of her back once more, guiding her to the buffet table. She straightened, licking her lips. Damn, the way she responded to the simple touch was driving me crazy.
“Wow, you went all out,” Tess murmured when we reached the table. She placed her purse on it while she grabbed a plate.
It was open, and her phone was right on top, so I didn’t miss the screen lighting up with a message from a guy named Kevin. I looked away, not wanting to intrude in her personal sphere, but I couldn’t miss some ridiculous heart-shaped emojis. Was she already taken? I didn’t like that at all.
“We wanted to make sure there was something for everyone. Have fun, Tess.”
I squeezed her arm before letting her go. I wasn’t usually a touchy person, but when it came to Tess Winchester, I seemed to want to do everything differently.