by T. C. Clark
Liam laughed. They finished their plates and paid for their food. Irene wished she weren’t having such a good time with him. He would be much easier to walk away from if he was an asshole.
As it stood, Liam was just as he seemed—charming and fun. But Irene knew better; Liam was part of a world she’d vowed never to go back to. She preferred the blissful quiet of a normal life.
He may joke that he was a B-list celebrity, but nearly everyone they met knew who he was. Liam was sexy as hell, and right now, she was one shot of tequila away from showing him her panties. It was time to head back to reality.
“It’s getting late, Liam, and I have an early flight.”
“Okay, let’s head back.” Liam held out an arm, and she took it. They walked back up the strip slowly. She loved the feel of his arm beneath her hand. Liam felt strong and steady. If she had met him five years ago, she wouldn’t have hesitated. She would have pursued him.
He made her feel things she hadn’t felt in years. But Irene no longer trusted her instincts about things like this.
By the time they got to her hotel room door, the sexual tension that always hummed around them had increased tenfold. She had a decision to make. She knew Liam wanted her; he’d never hid his desire.
Honestly, she wanted him as well. Every instinct inside of her screamed at her to invite him in. But Irene knew better than to trust herself on that score. Her instincts had led her astray once before. She stood on her toes and kissed Liam on the cheek.
Better to end this now before her vagina took over. “Goodnight, Liam.”
He hid his surprise well, but not his hunger. Irene could see it in his dark eyes. He wanted more, but surprisingly, Liam Campbell was a gentleman. He wouldn’t push her. Hell, that only added to his appeal.
“Goodnight, Irene.”
* * *
Liam looked down at his watch for the third time. For once, he was on time for his flight. He’d had a rough night—a beautiful brown-skinned siren haunted his dreams. He had every intention of looking Irene up soon. The sparks between them were too hot to ignore, and he needed to figure out if those sparks led to anything else.
Walking away from her last night hadn’t been easy. He’d had a feeling that if he’d pulled her into his arms and kissed away her fears, they would have ended up in her bed. But he didn’t want Irene to regret being with him.
He looked around the terminal at the crowd hustling around him. Everyone was rushing. It was odd—a few weeks ago, that would have been him. Now he’d closed that chapter of his life.
Liam finally wanted to take some time off. No more reality cooking shows or opening new restaurants. He’d set up his business to run autonomously so that he could travel a bit more.
Ever since he was a teenager, he’d worked every day. That hard work and determination had fueled his journey to the top. But now he wanted a different kind of adventure.
Automatically, his mind drifted back to Irene. Last night with her was terrific. He was lucky he trusted his instincts. He’d known from the start that she could be important to him.
Right now she didn’t see it that way. When she’d told him goodnight, for just a moment, he’d wanted to kiss the worry from her face. He could see the need there in her eyes. It was apparent in the way her gaze lingered on his lips. They both felt the same strong pull. Yes, he’d walked away but that was because this was too serious for him to mess up. He knew he shouldn’t move too fast with her.
Luckily, that didn’t mean he was giving up. He wasn’t a man prone to quitting. She couldn’t possibly believe this would be the last time they saw each other. No, Liam Campbell was a lot of things, but a fool wasn’t one of them.
Liam looked back down at his itinerary and they announced boarding for his flight. He stood up and noticed Irene sitting on her bags against the wall. She was murmuring into her phone.
Irene should have already left. She’d told him that she had an early flight.
“What’s up? I thought you had a seven a.m. flight?” Liam asked. Her brown cheeks flushed when she realized he was standing in front of her.
Liam smiled with satisfaction. It was good to know he had the same effect on her.
She was wearing a white cotton V-neck T-shirt and fitted khakis. Somehow she looked elegant even sitting on the ground of the dirty airport.
Irene sighed and put her phone down. “My flight was canceled because of the weather, and they don’t have any room left on any other flights for today. They offered to put me up at a local motel, but I just checked their ratings, and I am not sleeping there.”
“That’s funny. I just found out my flight was delayed, too,” Liam lied.
He ignored the person calling out his flight number. He could book another one for tomorrow and still make his date with his niece with no problem. The cost of the flight didn’t matter to him if it meant spending more time with Irene.
“Really?” she asked with a frown. Irene didn’t like the grin on his face, but there was nothing he could do about it. This was perfect. Fate was working in his favor.
Liam tried to keep his expression innocent. “Yep, I was just trying to figure out what I should do for the day. It’s not so bad, and there are worse things than being trapped for 24 hours in Vegas.”
“Well, you’re not wrong. I’ll call Deshaun and tell him I need him to watch the shop for another day. Honestly, I guess I can’t be that mad if I’m getting one more day of vacation.”
Liam reached out and helped her up. Irene dusted her pants off before she picked up her bags. Each movement drew his eyes to her full curves; he was so distracted that he didn’t hear her next question.
“So, what were you going to do today?” she asked as she turned to face him.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” he asked. Damn, he needed to get control of himself. He wasn’t a teenager anymore.
She shook her head. “I asked you what your plans were for the day?” she repeated.
“That depends,” he said honestly.
“On what?” Irene’s head tilted to the side.
“On you,” Liam said softly.
* * *
Irene closed her eyes as the hot rays from the Vegas sun covered her body. What was she thinking, meeting up with Liam like this? She needed to be putting distance between them, not having lunch with him by the pool.
Ever since she’d left him at her door, she’d thought about what could have been. Liam could make her forget everything from her past. He was a good man; she could see that in the way he treated his family.
But he was famous and well known. A relationship of any kind with him would draw too much attention to her. Irene craved a simple, anonymous life. People noticed Liam wherever they went. He was a world away from where she wanted to be.
And still, her stomach did somersaults at the thought of spending another day with him. The man was a charmer. Irene lifted her head when she heard the hotel’s door open. For some reason, the pool was empty. She would have thought it would be teeming with people at this time of day.
A man in a hotel uniform walked over to her with a tray. “A mojito fresh from the bar.”
“Sorry, I didn’t order this.”
“Mr. Campbell asked us to bring it out. We are also serving lunch. Is there anything you would prefer?”
“No, thank you. I’m not hungry, but I did want to ask if Mr. Campbell had something to do with the pool being so empty.”
The man beamed. “Yes, ma’am. He booked the entire pool until this evening. He wanted you two to have some privacy. If you need anything at all, press the red button on this call pod, and I will be out to assist you.”
The server handed her a thick disk, bowed, and hurried away.
Well, Liam was a smart one. It was much easier to relax when they were alone.
The door opened again, and as the server exited, Liam entered. He was wearing black trunks. His muscular physique was on full display, and every inch of Irene reacted to him.
>
She swallowed as he moved closer, not because of how sexy he was, but because of the hunger she noticed in his dark brown eyes. Today, Liam was on the prowl. She could feel the change in the air as he got closer.
Irene looked down at her phone. She had another twenty-four hours in Vegas through no fault of her own. She’d tried to walk away from him, and fate threw them back together.
Maybe it was time for her to stop fighting this and let herself enjoy whatever happened next. There was no way she and Liam would be good long-term. She could see where his career was going. With his charisma and good looks, he would be an international household name soon enough.
No, she never wanted to be anywhere near the media ever again. But maybe just for today, Liam Campbell could belong to her. His grin held all kinds of promises. Perhaps, she should be the pursuer, but first, she needed to be clear about what this was.
Liam Campbell had been on her mind for so long that she didn’t notice other men any longer. Only he could distract her, and just for today, maybe it would be okay to give in.
* * *
Liam forced himself to relax. It was hard enough dealing with his attraction to Irene, but seeing her glistening under the sun was almost too much. He’d taken longer than he’d wanted to get ready, but he knew he needed to prepare himself for seeing Irene in a bikini.
He’d spent many a steamy shower imagining what her curves would look like but seeing her in the flesh… hell, he wasn’t sure how he would keep his calm, but he would find a way to control himself.
He took a deep breath as his eyes took her in. She was wearing a modest red bikini that hugged her curves like a second skin. Her brown skin was starting to turn red under the heat of the sun.
She’d pulled her thick black hair up into a bun exposing her slender neck. Liam shook his head with a chuckle. When the hell did he start thinking throats were hot? What the fuck was Irene doing to him?
“So, you made all this happen?” she asked as he settled into the chair beside her. Her soft voice sent a shiver down his spine.
Well, there was no use in lying. All Irene had to do was ask someone working at the front desk. “I had to. I had a feeling you would open up more to me if we were alone.”
Irene took her glasses off and looked him straight in the eyes. “Why is me opening up to you so important?”
“Because I like you, Irene. I know you know that—I’ve never been one to hide my emotions. I admire how smart you are and how you react under pressure. Of course, I want you to open up to me.”
“Liam, I’m not ready for whatever you’re looking for,” Irene said honestly.
“How do you know that?”
“Because I know me, and I know what I’m capable of. Right now, I don’t want a relationship with someone. I need more time to figure out what I want.”
“Irene, I’m not asking for forever…”
Irene looked away. “I know that. I’m just trying to be clear.”
“At least not yet,” Liam admitted. He didn’t have the hang-ups his brothers had. If Irene was what he thought she was, he wouldn’t let her go.
Irene was quiet for a moment as she considered his words. Finally, she looked up with a serene expression. “So, what do you have planned for us today?”
“Well, I thought we could swim in the pool for a while, and then I signed us up to privately view the new science exhibit—and I know you’re thinking that I keep setting us up to do things privately. But here in Las Vegas, people know my face, and if I don’t pay for privacy, then most of the time, I don’t receive it.”
“I would love to say it’s presumptuous of you to assume I’m free all day, but you know me by now. My plan was Postmates and a book. But I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy this day because of you, and all I can say is thank you, Liam.” Before he could respond, she leaned forward and kissed him.
He was unprepared for the fleeting touch, which was the only reason she escaped his hands. She jumped up and pulled off the thick band that held her hair in place and threw it down on the pool chair.
She took a step towards the cold water and dived in. Her curvy body disappeared into the blue water, and without hesitation, Liam followed her in. They spent a couple of hours swimming in the pool.
Liam was surprised at how peaceful it was. There was something different about Irene’s eyes today. He didn’t know what that was, but he had every intention of exploring it.
The unexpected date was a success, and by the time they were done viewing the exhibit, he knew what was different about Irene. The beautiful woman was trying to seduce him. Who was he kidding? Trying was an understatement; she was successfully seducing him.
At first, he’d thought he was imagining it but, no, she was up to something. They were walking hand in hand back down the strip because she wanted to watch the show at Treasure Island—an excellent idea because he needed a moment to find his self-control. This woman could jumble his mind and create havoc with his thoughts. He didn’t stand a chance against her.
“What’s the one thing you’ve regretted in your life?” she asked out of the blue.
Liam smiled; they had been asking each other odd questions all day long. “Just one thing?”
Irene laughed. “If you’re anything like me, there is a whole list of them.”
Liam thought about the question. There was no need to lie to Irene. “My biggest regret was turning down a job to teach a few years back. I had a chance to fill in at a prestigious cooking school in France and I turned it down to do some spots on TV. Don’t get me wrong. I love how much I’ve accomplished at this point, but I do wonder where I would be now if I’d taken the job instead. What about you?”
“I regret being with my ex—that relationship changed how I viewed myself and also made me question my ability to trust my instincts. I wish I knew then what I know now. I wouldn’t have ignored the red flags that popped up during our relationship.”
“Do you want to talk about him?” Liam asked.
Irene didn’t say anything for a moment. The Treasure Island nightly show started, and after a few moments of watching it, she turned back to him.
“No, Liam. I want to talk about us.”
Liam had no idea what brought this on, but he was ready for it. He’d been chasing Irene for months at this point. He’d known the moment he’d shown up to help Cole out with Mel, that Irene was a woman he needed to know.
“Okay.”
“I want you, Liam, but I can’t give you more than tonight.”
Liam frowned. “Why?”
“I still have issues from my last relationship, and I know they will interfere with a relationship between us.”
“Well, I’ll take what I can get, but be forewarned. I’m not just going to walk away afterward. I understand what you’re saying, but trust me, I’m going to change that,” he said confidently.
“You won’t change my mind, Liam,” she said firmly.
“We will have to agree to disagree on that.”
“Liam…” Irene started to warn him but closed her mouth as the fireworks began. They stood still and watched the Treasure Island show play out. Liam wondered what Irene was thinking.
Soon he would figure out what happened to make her guard go up. He had a feeling that was the only way they would be able to move forward. But this was a start; he needed to know if the heat between them was real or enhanced by the chase.
He’d wanted Irene for a long time. Well, to be fair, it hadn’t been that long. The real issue was how much he desired her. The intensity of his need was unique. He’d never felt this kind of craving before.
As the fireworks from the show started to die down, he pulled her close. She didn’t resist, and he kissed her. It was as if the show had never ended. He closed his eyes as he savored her taste.
She tasted just as he’d feared, and he knew his slight addiction to her was going to intensify. Irene reached up and crossed her arms behind his neck. She moaned against his tongue as h
e deepened the kiss, and by the time he lifted his head, he knew he had to have her.
Irene shuddered at the primitive look in his eyes. “Liam?”
“Let’s go,” he commanded. His voice was harsh, but there was nothing he could do about it. He shouldn’t have kissed Irene here. He wanted her now, and his body was making him pay for acting rashly.
As for Irene, she had the same desire in her eyes. A need that only he could relieve. Hands clasped, they moved as one through the crowded street. She stayed close to his side as they made their way back to their hotel.
She’d made her position clear, and it was up to him to change her mind. He didn’t stop walking until they were at his door. He turned to face her and used his thumb to tilt her head back. He needed to see her eyes when she answered.
“Are you sure?” Liam asked. His tone was sharper than he intended. His need for her was slowly starting to override his reason, and he needed to know she was sure before she walked into his room.
Irene bit her lip as she thought about her answer. “Yes, but I’m not guaranteeing anything more than this.”
“Let’s see if you say that in the morning,” he whispered. Before Irene could respond, he took her lips.
Her tongue moved under his, and she gripped his shoulders as he pushed her back against the door. The kiss was impossibly hot; with each stroke of his tongue, his cock jumped. She moved against his body. They fit together perfectly.
A door slamming down the hall snapped him out of the haze of desire. They needed a bed, and Irene was his to protect. No one needed to see her like this, but him.
Irene never lifted her head from his as he opened the door. They pulled at each other’s clothes as they stumbled into the darkened hotel room. Liam wished he could slow down and show some finesse, but nothing mattered more than being buried deep inside of Irene.