Chapter 13
Tess
The rest of the day was a little insane.
Liam texted me right after I left that they all signed, and we agreed on the following morning for the general meeting.
I had Liam on my mind constantly, and there was no getting him out.
I still felt his lips on mine, his hands on my body.
We agreed to meet at seven o’clock in front of the store, and I might have been counting down the hours… and minutes. I was so giddy!
I thought I’d have all day to play around with customization options and reminisce about that sexy-as-hell way he pushed me against his desk and kissed me like there was no tomorrow.
But in the afternoon, I discovered we had one hundred mismatched orders.
Our online shop hadn’t recorded some sales.
The girls had double-checked all of them and inserted any missing items, but I had to repack them.
I was really looking forward to having a better website.
This one often crashed or just registered orders wrong.
Since the orders had to be shipped tomorrow, I only had today to sort them out.
No way was I going to be ready at seven.
I didn’t want Liam to think I was playing hard to get, so I snapped a picture of the boxes and sent it to him.
Tess: I don’t know when I’ll be done with these. Rain check on the celebration?
I smiled when the words Liam is typing appeared in the small box. Was he always so fast to respond, or was I getting special treatment?
Liam: No.
Liam: I want to woo you tonight.
Oh my God.
Tess: Don’t tempt me. Pleeease.
Liam: Hell yes, I will. Cheese? Champagne? A kiss? My naked abs?
I laughed, holding a hand to my belly. I eyed the pile, then the armchair, and then the phone. Okay, so since I was my own boss, I could allow myself a flirting break. Grinning, I sat down, legs up on one armrest, dangling my feet in the air.
Tess: Is this a negotiation?
Liam: Only if I’m winning.
I shimmied in the armchair. I’d only been looking for a little flirting. How was I simmering already?
Tess: Not how negotiations work.
Liam: Tell me your terms.
Tess: Do they have to include kissing?
Liam: Yes. I’m not budging on that.
I was on pins and needles as I wrote three texts before deciding on one. I pressed Send before I could talk myself out of it again.
Tess: What exactly do I get to decide?
I wasn’t just simmering now. I was on fire. I held my breath as the words Liam is typing popped on the screen. What’s taking him so long?
Liam: Where and how many.
Tess: I’ll think about the terms and get back to you.
That’s right; I could tease too. I could flirt.
Liam: Tess…the longer you wait, the more kisses I’ll demand. One for every hour you make me wait.
Holy shit. Clearly, I couldn’t beat him. He was a master at this.
Liam: You’re not working on those orders alone, are you?
Tess: Yes, I am. Skye is meeting a supplier, and the sales associates are busy with customers.
Liam: Okay. I understand.
I laughed, wondering if I should point out that he told me he’d demand more kisses for every hour I took…but perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to remind him. Who knew what other requirements he’d throw at me.
Liam didn’t write anything else, and I was grateful for that, because this man’s flirting skills were dangerous enough to make me forget my tasks.
My hands were numb after the first twelve boxes. I was going to be here even after closing time, and I couldn’t ask the girls to stay; they’d been on their feet all day and were even more tired than I was.
About one hour later, I heard Liam’s voice in the front and jumped to my feet. I told the girls we just signed with him as an investor, so they’d probably send him to me right away.
OhGodOhGodOhGod . My stomach was full of butterflies as I heard heavy footsteps approach. I swear my heart stopped when he entered the back room.
He pinned me with those sinful eyes. Heat flashed through me, and he hadn’t even said anything. The man was simply delicious. He was wearing washed-out jeans, a black shirt, and leather jacket on top of it. His hair was disheveled, as if he’d run his hands through it.
“Hello, Tess.”
“Hi!”
He was carrying a paper bag.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Tacos. And your favorite champagne. We don’t have to go out to celebrate. We can do it here. That way I can also help with the boxes.”
“You want to help me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I’m a partner, remember?” His eyes were playful.
“That’s the only reason?”
That playful glint turned hot in a fraction of a second.
“And to claim all those kisses I negotiated.”
I gasped, covering my mouth. “I forgot to answer.”
He winked again. “I know. Lead the way, Tess.”
He shrugged out of his leather jacket, leaving it on the back of one of the armchairs.
Surveying the room slowly, he frowned at the pile of finished boxes.
“Tell me you didn’t make all of those on your own.”
“’Course I did. Easy-peasy. I just have to rotate my wrists a bit. They’re stiff.”
I flexed them, doing a bit of wrist gymnastics.
Liam put the paper bag on the coffee table in front of the armchairs. I thought he might start on the boxes, but instead he came right for me. He captured one wrist, then the other, pressing his thumbs exactly where I was sore. I closed my eyes, letting my head drop back a bit.
“Mmm, this is too good,” I murmured. My whole body was relaxing even though he was only working my wrists.
With my eyes closed, my other senses became hyperalert.
The faint aftershave smell was wickedly sensual.
The heat of his body was just too much. I blinked my eyes open and almost whimpered when I realized how closely he was watching me.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Let’s sit down and eat. Then you relax a bit, and I’ll get started on the boxes.”
“Oooh, I won’t say no to that. Let me show you exactly how I do it before we start eating.”
Liam gave me a half smile, pointing to the small piles of unfolded cartons.
I tried focusing on the box and not how close he was, or the fact that his lips would brush my ear if I leaned backward just a smidge.
I finished the demonstration as soon as possible, then watched him do the next one.
“Okay, you’ve passed the test.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said with a laugh.
“Hey, I want our customers to feel important.”
He sat in an armchair, and I took out the tacos. There were three of them each packed on a separate paper plate. I also grabbed the bottle and hurried to one of the shelves where I kept champagne glasses.
He laughed when he saw them.
“What? Skye and I like to celebrate milestones. But maybe let’s open it once we’re done with the boxes.”
“You got it, boss.”
“There’s a thought. Me bossing you around. Hmm…that has so much potential.”
He cocked a brow.
“Oops, did I say the last part out loud?” I teased.
“Yeah you did.”
“Well, I didn’t mean to.” He was still looking at me expectantly, so I added, “Hey, let’s eat fast so you can start on the boxes. No slacking. I’m the boss, remember?”
Chuckling, he bit into a taco. We both ate in silence, practically inhaling our food.
“These tacos are so good,” I said once I was done, putting the empty plate on the coffee table. Liam mirrored my movement, as he finished too. “Kevin’s really talented.”
Liam stilled. “You know him?”
“Yes.”
When I didn’t say anything more, he asked, “Did you two…date or something?”
“No. Why?”
“During the ‘get to know each other’ dinner, I saw a message from him. It had heart emojis.”
I blinked, caught off guard. He was looking at me expectantly. I wasn’t sure what to say.
“So, we didn’t date, but…I did ask him out. He just turned me down.”
“What?”
“Said we’re better off as friends. So…we’re friends, I guess. He keeps asking my advice about how to date other women.”
“He’s a fucking moron.”
I smiled, feeling a bit self-conscious.
Liam rose from his armchair, sitting on the armrest of mine.
“But you asked him out,” he said, more to himself. “Do you still have feelings for him?”
His jaw clenched. His eyes were hard.
“No, of course not. Unless you count feeling inadequate every time he messages me.”
Liam cupped my cheek. “Moron. Forget him. Never buying his tacos again.”
I laughed, shrugging.
Still eyeing me intently, he moved to the floor, finishing the box. By the time he started the second one, I decided I was done resting and crouched next to him.
“I can do this myself, Tess. Rest for a bit.”
“No, no. I’m not a mean boss. I love doing things myself.”
“I know. One of the things I really like about you.”
My stomach somersaulted. “What else do you like about me?”
He leaned into me sideways, bringing his mouth to my ear. “I could tell you, but then we’ll never finish packing.”
“That’s how little faith you have in me?”
“No, in me. I’m hanging by a thread, Tess.”
I was caught up in his spell, unsure what to say.
He pulled back a little, looking me straight in the eyes. “Let’s make a deal. We finish packing, and then I’ll tell you everything in detail. And then I’ll claim those kisses. Every single one of them. What time do your sales associates leave?”
He spoke every word against my lips. I was barely hanging by a thread too.
“Ten o’clock,” I whispered.
“We’ll be done with the boxes by then.” He swallowed hard, looking at me for a few seconds before returning his focus to the task at hand. The next few hours flew by fast, and once ten o’clock passed and the girls left, I doubled my efforts. We only had a few boxes left.
Even though I was bone-tired and my wrists were aching again, I didn’t pause or even slow down.
“Someone’s in a hurry,” Liam whispered playfully.
“You gave me a good incentive.”
“The compliments or the kissing?” Once again, his mouth was so close that we were almost touching. My body was completely on edge.
“Not sure,” I teased just as I glued the red silk bow to the last box. “All done.”
I sat on my ass, legs curled at my side. Liam mirrored my stance. His eyes were pure fire, and I wasn’t sure I could navigate this tension between us anymore.
“So…you were saying something about me asking questions?” I whispered.
“Anything you want.”
“Elaborate on the things you like about me.”
He cupped my cheek. The touch set me on fire.
“How about I first claim all those kisses I want?” he asked.
“You mean those I owe you?”
“No. Those you owe, plus all the extra ones I want.”
Holy hell! I was drunk on this man.
I nodded, leaning in until our lips brushed.
The second his mouth was on mine, I couldn’t even breathe.
Emotions rolled into me, and I couldn’t tell one from the other.
I was consumed by the way his lips felt on my mouth and then the side of my neck.
One of his hands went to my waist, the other down my thigh.
He feathered his fingers at the hem of my dress where fabric met skin.
Pleasure shot right between my thighs. I whimpered, pulling him closer by the collar.
My position wasn’t the most comfortable, so I stumbled onto my knees, straddling him rather clumsily.
I pressed my knee into his thighs before parting my legs a little wider.
His lips curled into a smile while he was kissing me.
I punched his shoulder lightly. His smile widened at the same time he slipped his hands under my dress.
He moved them upward in slow motion until I was trembling in his arms.
Liam was going to rock my world tonight.