by Cat Schield
“I remember hearing that someone had been hurt, but I didn’t realize how serious it was.”
“After that I just couldn’t race anymore. It was my fault that she rode the way she did. If I hadn’t... She really wanted to beat me.” Hadley let out a shaky sigh. “After it happened she refused to talk to me or see me.”
Liam sensed there was more to the story he wasn’t getting, but didn’t want to push deeper into a sensitive issue. “I don’t want to downplay your guilt over what was obviously a tragedy, but don’t you think it’s time you forgave yourself for what happened?”
Hadley gave a bitter laugh. “My best friend is constantly getting on my case for not letting go of mistakes I’ve made in the past. She’s more of a learn-something-and-move-on sort of a girl.”
“Maybe if you start riding again you could put it behind you?”
“I’ll think about it.”
Which sounded like a big fat no to Liam’s ears. As soon as they entered the front door, Hadley took Maggie’s carrier.
“Thank you for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’d better get this one into bed.” She paused as if having more to say.
“It’s still early. I’m going to bet there’s some seriously decadent desserts in the kitchen. Ivy knows my guest John Barr has quite a sweet tooth, and she always makes sure it’s satisfied.”
“It’s been a long day, and I’m dying to finish the mystery I started on the plane. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Liam watched her ascend the stairs and considered following, but decided if she refused to have dessert with him, she was probably not in the mood for his company. He’d ruined what had been a promising evening by asking about matters that were still painful to her. Well, he’d wanted to get to know her better, and he’d succeeded in that.
Pouring himself a scotch, Liam sat down in front of the enormous television and turned on a hockey game. As he watched the players move about the rink, his thoughts ran to the woman upstairs. Getting to know her was not going to be without its ups and downs. She was complicated and enigmatic.
But Liam hadn’t won all his reining titles because he lacked finesse and patience. He thrived on the challenge of figuring out what each horse needed to excel. No reason he couldn’t put those same talents to use with Hadley.
He intended to figure out what this filly was all about, and if he was lucky—the news reports were already talking about airport shutdowns all over the Midwest—it looked as though he’d have four uninterrupted days and nights to do so.
* * *
After a restless night pondering how some inexplicable thing had changed in her interaction with Liam, Hadley got up early and went to explore the gourmet kitchen. Up until last night she’d characterized her relationship with him as boss and employee. Maybe it had grown to friendship of a sort. They enjoyed each other’s company, but except for that time she’d gone to retrieve Waldo from his bedroom—which didn’t count—he’d never given her any indication that the physical desire she felt for him was reciprocal.
Because of that, Hadley had been confident she could come on this trip and keep Liam from seeing her growing attraction for him. That was before they’d had a romantic dinner together and then walked home in the snow. Now a major storm system had stalled over the Midwest, stranding them alone in this snowy paradise, and she was in trouble.
“I’m sorry your clients won’t make the skiing weekend,” she said, her gaze glued to the pan of bacon she was fixing. Nearby a carton of eggs sat on the granite counter; she was making omelets.
“I’m not.” Liam’s deep voice sounded far too close behind her for comfort. “I’m actually looking forward to spending the time with you.”
She should ignore the lure of his words and the invitation she’d glimpsed in his eyes the night before. Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Noah? Getting emotionally involved with clients was never smart. She couldn’t lie to herself and pretend the only thing she felt for Liam was sexual attraction. Granted, there was a great deal of lust interfering with her clear thinking, but she wasn’t the type to lose her mind over a hot guy.
What Liam inspired in her was a complicated mixture of physical desire, admiration and wariness. The last was due to how she wanted to trust his word when he claimed he wasn’t Maggie’s father. Obviously the man had a knack for making women come around to his point of view. She was back to pondering his apparent sincerity and her susceptibility. What other outrageous lie could he tell her that she would believe?
Liam had propped his hip against the counter beside her and was watching her through narrowed eyes. “What can I help you with?”
“You never offer to help Candace.” The statement came out sounding like an accusation.
“I’ve given up trying. Haven’t you noticed she doesn’t like anyone interfering in her kitchen?” He reached across her to snag a piece of cooked bacon off the plate where it cooled. His gaze snagged hers as he broke the piece in half and offered part to her. “I’m completely at your disposal. What would you like me to do?”
Hadley told herself there was no subtext beneath his question, but her body had a completely different interpretation. She wanted to turn off the stove and find a use for the kitchen that had nothing to do with cooking.
“I’m going to make omelets. Can you get the ingredients you want in yours from the fridge?”
Liam’s lazy smile suggested that he’d heard the unevenness of her tone and had an idea he’d put it there. But he didn’t push his advantage. Instead, he did as she asked, and Hadley was left with space to breathe and a moment to cool off. Almost immediately she discovered how this had backfired. The gap between them didn’t bring relief from her cravings, but increased her longing for him. She was in a great deal of trouble.
Without asking, he pulled out a cutting board and began chopping onion and tomatoes. Engrossed in the task, he didn’t notice her stare. Or that’s what she thought until he spoke.
“Candace doesn’t work 24/7,” he commented, setting a second pan on the six-burner stove and adding olive oil. “I have been known to cook for myself from time to time.”
“Sorry for misjudging you.”
“You do that a lot.”
“Apologize?”
“Jump to negative conclusions about me.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?” He dumped the diced onions into the pan and stirred them. “From the moment you walked into my house you pegged me as a womanizing jerk who slept with some random woman, got her pregnant and never contacted her again.”
She couldn’t deny his statement. “I don’t think you’re a jerk.”
“But you think I treat women like playthings.”
“It’s none of my business what you do.”
Liam’s breath gusted out. “For the rest of this trip I give you a pass to speak your mind with me. I’m not going to dance around topics while you keep the truth bottled up.”
“Fine.” Hadley couldn’t understand why she was so annoyed all of a sudden. “Back when I used to show, you had a reputation for going through girls like chewing gum.”
“Sure, I dated a lot, and I know that not every girl was happy when I broke things off, but I never treated any of them like they were disposable.”
“What do you call sleeping with them once and then never calling again?”
“I never did that. Who said I did?”
“A friend of mine knew someone...” Hadley trailed off. Why hadn’t she ever questioned whether what Anna had said about him was true?
Anger faded from Liam’s green eyes. “And because she was your friend, you believed her.”
Liam shook his head and went back to stirring the onions. While Hadley searched for answers in his expression, he added raw spi
nach to the pan and set a lid on it.
“We have cheddar and Cojack cheese,” Liam said. “Which would you prefer?”
“Cojack.” Hadley had finished with the bacon while they’d been talking and began cracking eggs for their omelets. She moved mechanically, burdened by the notion that she’d done Liam a great injustice. “I’ll pour some orange juice. Do you want toast? There’s some honey wheat that looks good.”
“That’s fine. I’ll finish up the omelets.” His neutral tone gave away none of his thoughts, but Hadley moved around the large kitchen with the sense that she was in the wrong.
Instead of eating in the formal dining room, Hadley set the small kitchen table. She paused to stare out the window at the new blanket of snow covering the mountains and gave a small thank-you to the weather gods for giving her and Liam this weekend alone. He was a far more complicated man than she’d given him credit for, and she welcomed the opportunity to get inside his head between now and when they returned to Royal.
A few minutes later, Hadley carried Maggie’s carrier to the table and Liam followed her with plates of omelets and the bacon. Awkward silence had replaced their companionable chatter from the previous evening. It was her fault. She’d wounded him with Anna’s tale. But whom was she supposed to believe? Her best friend at the time or a man who admitted to dating a lot of women?
The delicious omelet was like a mouthful of sand. Hadley washed the bite down with orange juice and wondered what she was supposed to believe. For ten years she’d lived with guilt over the pain her actions had caused Anna. What if none of it had been as her friend said?
“I know you haven’t had any reason to believe I’ve left my playboy ways behind me,” Liam began, his own food untouched. “And perhaps I deserve your skepticism, but I’d like to point out that nothing has happened between you and me, despite my strong attraction to you.”
“Strong...attraction?” Hadley fumbled out the words, her heart hammering hard against her ribs.
His gaze was direct and intense as he regarded her. “Very. Strong.”
What could she say to that? She looked to Maggie for help, but the baby had her attention locked on the string of stuffed bugs strapped to the handle of her carrier and was too content to provide a convenient distraction.
“I wish you weren’t,” she said at last, the statement allowing her to retreat from a very dangerous precipice.
“That makes two of us. And I have no intention of worsening your opinion of me by doing anything that makes you uncomfortable. I wouldn’t bring it up at all except that I wanted to illustrate that I’m done with casual relationships.” He picked up his fork and began breaking up his omelet.
“When you say casual relationships...”
“Ones that are primarily sexual in nature.” His head bobbed in a decisive nod.
“So you’re not...”
“Having sex? No.” He gave her a rueful grin. “I haven’t been with anyone in a year.”
That wasn’t possible. “But Maggie...”
“Isn’t mine. She’s my brother’s daughter.”
Hadley stared at him, saw that this wasn’t a come-on or a ploy. He was completely serious. And she wanted to believe him. Because if he hadn’t been with anyone in a year, that meant he might not be the player she’d taken him for. Suddenly, the speed at which she was falling for him was a little less scary than it had been five minutes ago.
“Why haven’t you...?”
He took pity on her and answered her half-asked question. “When Grandfather died and I inherited half of Wade Ranch, it suddenly became apparent that the women I’d been involved with saw me as a good time and nothing more.”
“And you wanted to be more?” She couldn’t imagine Liam being anything less than completely satisfied with who he was, and this glimpse into his doubts made him more interesting than ever.
“Not to be taken seriously bothered me a great deal.”
Hadley was starting to see his problem. “Maybe it was just the women in your sphere who felt that way. If you found some serious women, maybe then you’d be taken seriously.”
“You’re a serious woman.” His green eyes hardened. “And you’ve been giving me back-off vibes from the moment we met.”
“But that’s because I work for you and what sort of professional would I be if I let myself get involved with my employer?” Again. She clung to the final thought. This conversation had strayed too deep into personal territory.
“You won’t be working for me forever. What happens then? Does a serious girl like you give me a chance?”
* * *
Liam watched Hadley’s face for some sign of her thoughts. Sharing the details of his recent personal crisis had been a risk. She could decide he was playing her. Building up sympathy to wear down her defenses. Or she might write him off as a sentimental fool in desperate need of a strong woman. The thought of that amused him.
“I...don’t know.”
He refused to be disappointed by her answer. “Then obviously I have my work cut out for me.”
“What does that mean?”
“You need to be convinced I’m sincere. I’m up for the challenge.”
“Is that what you think? That I need to be convinced I’m wrong about you?” She shook her head in disgust. “I can make up my own mind, thank you.”
Torn between admiration and frustration, Liam debated his next words. “I seem to be saying everything wrong today.” To his amazement, she smiled.
“I might be harder on you than you deserve. It’s really not for me to offer an opinion on your past behavior or judge the decisions you’ve made.” She glanced at Maggie and then fastened serious blue eyes on him. “You’re wonderful with Maggie, and that’s the man I’d like to get to know better.”
In business and horses, this would be the sort of breakthrough he’d capitalize on. But her next words deflated his optimism.
“Unfortunately, you are also my boss, and that’s a line I can’t cross.”
But she wanted to. He recognized regret in her downcast eyes and the tight line of her lips. With the snow still falling, he would have plenty of time to turn her to his way of thinking. The chemistry between them was worth exploring. As were the emotions she roused in him. She wouldn’t react well to being rushed, but it appeared he’d have several days with which to nudge her along.
“Any idea how you’d like to spend the day?” he asked. “It’s unlikely we’ll be dug out any time soon,”
She gestured to the mountain. “I thought you’d be dying to go skiing. Isn’t all this new powder a skier’s dream?”
How to explain his reluctance to leave her behind? “It’s not as much fun alone.”
“That makes sense.” But her expression didn’t match her words.
“You don’t look convinced.”
“You’ve never struck me as a man who sits still for long. I can’t imagine you’ll be happier here than out on the slopes.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me for some reason?”
“No. Nothing like that.”
“I don’t want to leave you and Maggie alone.”
“We’d have been alone if your guests showed up. No reason anything has to be different.”
Except that it was. This was no longer a business trip. It had morphed into a vacation. And Liam had very different expectations for how he’d like to spend his time.
* * *
That night’s dinner had been arranged for six, but since it was beef medallions in a red wine sauce with mushrooms, herb-roasted potatoes and creamed spinach, it had been a simple matter for the chef to make only two portions.
With the chandelier lights dimmed and flickering candlelight setting a romantic scene, the tension kept rising between them. Liam had dated enough women to recognize w
hen a woman was attracted to him, but he’d never known one as miserable about it as Hadley.
“You are obviously uncomfortable about something,” he commented, breaking the silence that had grown heavier since the chef had presented them with dessert and left for the night.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because you are as jumpy as a filly being stalked by a mountain lion.”
Her brows drew together. “That’s ridiculous.”
“What’s on your mind?” he persisted, ignoring her protest. When she pressed her lips together and shook her head, he decided to talk for her. “Let me guess. Since you started acting all skittish shortly after learning we were going to be snowed in alone together, you think I’m going to seduce you.” Liam sipped his wine and observed her reaction.
“I don’t think that.”
He could see that was true. So what gave her cause for concern? “Oh,” he drew the word out, “then you’re worried you’re going to try to seduce me.”
One corner of her mouth lifted in a self-deprecating grin. “As if I could do that.” She had visibly relaxed thanks to his bluntness.
“You aren’t giving yourself enough credit.”
She rolled her eyes, but refrained from arguing. “I thought you’d given up casual sex.”
“I have. Which should make you feel more relaxed about our circumstances.” He set his elbows on the table and leaned forward.
“Okay, maybe I’m a little on edge.”
“What can I do to put you at ease?”
“Nothing. It’s my problem.”
“But I don’t want there to be a problem.”
“You really aren’t going to let this go, are you?”
He shook his head. “What if I promise that whatever you say will not be held against you after we leave here?” He spread his arms wide. “Go ahead, give me your best shot.”
“It’s awkward and embarrassing.”
She paused as if hoping he’d jump in and reassure her again. Liam held his tongue and tapped his chest to remind her he could take whatever she had to dish out.
“I’m attracted to you, and that’s making me uncomfortable, because you’re my boss and I shouldn’t be having those sorts of feelings for you.”