Liam set down his pair. “Well done.” Apparently playing with the chain on her neck was a good thing? Maybe she was hoping to distract him with her low neckline.
She leaned forward gathering up her winnings. “I don’t mind losing to you, honey,” he said before he could catch himself.
Hansen cleared his throat failing to cover the laugh he was struggling to hold. Cole who was standing behind Joan and watching her kick Liam’s ass and having gone all in on a crap hand shook his head in disbelief. “Do you think she’ll beat Hansen? No one ever beats Hansen.”
“Oh that’s just because he hasn’t ever played against a nurse.” Joan smiled at Hansen, flashing her dimples.
“Everyone knows a butler has to have the best poker face. I just lock all the emotion out of my face. I’m a blank canvas, Joan. Get out while you still can.”
Joan’s beautiful smile widened. “Woo that sounds serious. Try keeping a straight face when a patient calls the doctor you despise Miss Piggy, which he did by the way.”
Liam shrugged. “You want some help? I’ve never seen Hansen lose.”
“No way. You have too many tells.”
I have tells?
“Is that right?” he asked laughing at her audacity. “I’ve never been told that before.”
Joan wrapped her arm around him giving him a friendly squeeze. “I read people for a living. No one wants to tell the whole truth about their stupidity that landed them in the ER. I’ve been trained to read between the lines.”
She smelled of the soap in his shower – lavender. Catching himself inhaling her scent, he straightened. “Your estimations about my character have been off by a mile. Are you stashing cards in your fro? Is that what’s going on?”
Joan laughed hard wiping at her eyes. “Shut up. You’re just a poor loser.”
Cole sat down and began shuffling the cards. The lights flickered and went out. A loud pop made them all jump. Joan reached for him as he leaned instinctively toward her and took hold of his erect member instead of his leg.
Her blue eyes widened at him in the dimness of the room. The only light came from the next room where there was a large window.
He knew he should avert his eyes, lessen her embarrassment. He should remove her hand and put it on his leg where she had clearly intended. Liam knew he should, but he didn’t do either of those more gentlemanly things.
Instead, Liam smiled looking at Joan right back in the eyes. Watching with curious, carnal delight as the realization of what she was holding hit home.
CHAPTER NINE
Why is he smiling like that? What does he have in his pocket? It’s huge. Is he walking around with a camera lens in his pants? Oh shit. Oh shit. I am holding his cock. I’m still holding it. Shit. Joan let go. Let go. Do it.
It was like she was paralyzed under his gaze.
Finally, she removed her hand and quickly folded her arms. “I’m so sorry,” she said unable to look at him.
“No problem.”
Of course the generator kicked in and the lights came back on in time for everyone to see just how red in the face she was.
“Tell me again, Joan. How good is your poker face?” Liam asked still grinning.
“Well, I guess it comes and goes.”
Hansen and Cole were both looking at her with concern. “Are you feeling okay?” Hansen asked.
“I think I just need a little air.” The guilty smile on her face was too large. Joan knew she looked silly, probably clown like even, with her fro and joker smile.
“What’s funny. We’re missing something here, Hansen.” Cole started.
Joan dashed out of the breakfast room, crossed the living room, trotted down the stairs into the entertainment room and took the hallway to the right finding herself in a library. “How big is this place?”
“It’s big,” Liam said from behind her. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” he said when she turned to face him. Of course her eyes disobeyed her and dropped to his crotch. “I couldn’t resist teasing you a little.”
“I don’t blame you, but I promise it wasn’t on purpose.”
He nodded. “I know.”
Joan pressed her palms to her burning cheeks. “I’m so embarrassed. I don’t know why. I’m a nurse. I’ve seen my share of… you know what? I’m just going to shut up. I’m just sorry. Okay?”
“I could grope you in return if it would make you feel better.”
Finally, Joan laughed. “That’s kind of you. I think I’m good.”
“Liam. Ugh, gross. That’s how you hit on women?” Cole said from the doorway.
“I’m not hitting on Joan,” Liam said with a firm voice.
Joan laughed harder as Liam’s dark blue eyes widened. Cole left the library shaking his head in disapproval.
A blush was creeping up his neck. It was an endearing shade on Liam, who seemed so cold at times. “You look very beautiful. I mean no offense.” He laughed a nervous sound, and it was a glimpse of a vulnerable Liam. One she never thought she’d see.
He’s nervous around me? No. He couldn’t be.
“Thanks.”
“Were you joking about beating Hansen? I would really love to see that.”
Joan bit her lower lip trying not to melt at his feet. He was just all kinds of sexy with his admiring smile, tight polo, and there was no way she could forget the feel of his huge manhood in her hand. She’d never felt so sexy herself in the exquisite blouse and shorts. The way he’d looked at her all through the poker game had her feeling confused.
What are you doing, Joan? He’s trouble for you. Stop looking at his crotch and his sexy smile.
“Let’s find out.”
Liam led the way back to the game and she took the time to get her mind back on track. She didn’t like Liam. He was an arrogant man with no care for people who were outside of his realm of life. Clinging to his comments about her luggage and the way he’d cut her off twice, she dismissed her admiration of his physical prowess.
“Better?” Hansen asked when she sat in the chair Liam pulled out for her.
“Yes.” Joan smiled biting her lip again.
Hansen’s mouth curved up in a half smile as he shook his head. “I’ve got my eye on that Madeline Truffle.”
“Good luck,” Joan said plucking the gold box from the table top that contained the two hundred fifty dollar truffle. “Chocolate at this price has to be so good that I’ll hallucinate the gates of heaven when I eat it.”
Hansen and Liam laughed as Cole dealt out the cards. “You’d have to ask Master Liam. He’s eaten his fair share.”
“Why call him Master? I thought that was for young men and boys.”
Liam nodded with his arms folded at Hansen.
“I began working for the Wainwright’s when Liam was thirteen. He has always been Master Liam. I don’t know that I’m ready to let go of that title.” Hansen smiled fatherly toward Liam. “Stop trying to distract me, Joan. It won’t work.” He added shaking a finger at her.
Joan picked up her cards. Liam leaned in to look at them. His breath tickled her neck as his nearness warmed her left side. He was probably trying to distract her and she was letting him.
He pulled away as he scooted around the table to look at Hansen’s cards. Once he’d seen both, he stood up and walked away from the table striding into the kitchen, probably to hide a smile or some other tell.
“I read people too, Ms. Taylor,” Hansen said reverting back to her surname. “I see a strong woman in you. I wonder if you know how much power you have.”
Joan laughed. “Flattery will get you nowhere. I’m in.”
“Me too,” Hansen told Cole, and he turned over a card.
“Liam, Tatum, and Cole. They are like my sons.” Hansen picked up a package of gourmet beef jerky that probably cost as much as the rent on her two bedroom apartment in Phoenix. “Don’t hurt him.”
Him, being Liam? You’re worried about me hurting a billionaire? Didn’t Tatum fill you in on the easy q
uantity of women they have ready access to?
Joan lifted a bottle of liquor from her stack and set it in the middle. “I am a nurse, a healer. I’m not going to hurt anyone. Besides, I won’t be around long enough to even warm this seat.” She winked at Cole, who was watching and listening carefully to her response.
Cole looked up toward the kitchen doorway. He lowered his eyes quickly so Joan knew Liam was standing there, hearing the conversation as well. Cole turned over the last card.
Two pair. Not bad, Joan.
“All in.” Hansen smiled at her.
She studied him looking for a chink in his armor. His confidence was quite high, but that didn’t mean what he had was better than what she held in her hand.
What have you got, Hansen?
Joan looked at the gold box with the truffle in it with longing. She was pretty sure Hansen had a good hand. Two pair was a good hand too. Maybe not great but decent.
“Hell, you only live once right? I’m all in, Hansen.”
His eyes twinkled at her across the table. “I like to see a woman who isn’t afraid to go all in.”
Liam was back at the table. One hand was draped over his mouth, and he was holding his breath. Cole leaned forward watching as they loaded up the table with all their mini bar loot.
“Let’s make this a little more interesting.” Hansen added. “If I win you will sleep here at the Triple T tonight. In your own room of course.”
“Why?” Joan laughed.
“Because we enjoy your company and more importantly I can tell you like to laugh. Besides, with the streets flooding, your villa on the beach must be as well. I heard on the radio they were shutting down all the hotels on the beach. You’re a Gene Wilder fan, aren’t you?”
Joan laughed again at his quick change in topic. “I am actually. Who doesn’t love Willy Wonka?”
Hansen grinned with a nod.
“And if I win,” Joan tapped her nails on the circular table top, “you’ll take the rest of the day off and we’ll order in for dinner.”
Hansen leaned back in his chair. “Well, now I hope that you win,” he said. “It’s a deal.” He laid down his cards. He too had two pair.
“Oh no.” Joan groaned setting down her cards. “You’ve got the high card.”
“So close.” Cole groaned, sliding out of his seat and under the table.
Liam, on the other hand, was all smiles as though Hansen’s win was his own. “I’d be more than happy to show you where your room is, Joan. You can set down your purse and make yourself comfortable now that you’re staying.”
“Lead the way. I can’t watch my truffle be snatched up.” Joan whined with a weak smile.
“Vote with me on the movie marathon and we’ll talk about the truffle.” Hansen laughed while plucking the gold box from the pile.
Cole came up from under the table then. “That’s cheating, Hansen. No bribery allowed in the movie marathon voting process.”
Liam led her down a different hallway than she’d taken before. “How big is this place? How do they have such a large property just sitting empty?”
“The rate pays for the place. Trust me.”
Joan winced. “Don’t tell me how much. I’ll get heartburn.”
“That’s my room,” Liam said as he pointed to the door at the end of the hallway. “That’s Coles.” He pointed to the other end. “This will be yours.” Liam opened the door in the middle of the hallway.
“And Hansens?”
“Downstairs.”
“Okay.” She walked into the room finding it spacious with fine furnishings in solid oak and white linens. A filmy curtain circled the large bed.
Liam watched her as she set her purse on the table near the window. “There are two bathrooms on this floor, but Cole broke the toilet in his bathroom to keep Hansen busy with the repair guy so he could sneak out.”
“Uh oh.” She searched Liam’s face for any trace of anger but didn’t find hostility or fury.
“Thank you for finding him and for comforting him.” He leaned on the door frame. “I find myself thanking you a lot.”
Joan smiled. “Well, I am pretty fantastic.” She sat on the bed. Her sandals were gorgeous but were hurting her feet. She wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to get them off.
“I’m pleased you accepted Hansen’s invitation to stay.”
Joan had a smartass comment on the end of her tongue, but with the genuine look of thanks he was giving her, she couldn’t push it past her lips. “Thank you for having me.”
Liam’s cellphone rang in his pocket. He silenced the call and looked again at Joan. “I do hope you’ll consider the I.O.U. again.”
“Liam—”
“You did what I couldn’t. I’ve never been so helpless in my life. It was one of the worst moments, the scariest of my life. I can’t repay you enough to thank you for what you’ve done. I insist you accept repayment in some way.”
Hansen cleared his throat from somewhere outside her room. “Master Liam. The phone, sir.”
Liam waved a hand at Hansen. “Please take a message.”
“This is her fifth call, sir. Perhaps if you were to tell Alise yourself that you’re not available to take the call?”
Alise, huh? Wonder what she’d think of me staying in your place.
Joan spotted the red tips of his ears – his tell. She slid the sandals from her feet as she reminded herself how silly it was to be checking him out.
He’s taken. Duh, Joan.
Hansen arrived stopping next to Liam just inside the door. He held out the phone.
“Go ahead and take your call, Liam. I’ve got a Gene Wilder marathon to get to.” She stood and tucked her arm in Hansen’s. They left Liam standing in her room with the phone in his hand so he could speak with whoever Alise was. Probably some chesty blonde with an IQ as sharp as a cotton ball.
The entertainment room had theater seating with reclining chairs. Cole was seated in the middle row eating a bag of chips. “‘Bout time. Let’s get a movie going.”
“I require popcorn and Liam is on the phone,” Hansen said, leaving to go and make popcorn.
Joan seated herself next to Cole. “Who’s Alise?” she asked, knowing she really shouldn’t. It wasn’t any of her business. Once the question was out of her mouth, she wished she could retract it.
“Alise? Ugh, the latest Liam debutante. She has to be the most annoying one yet. Believe me, that’s a hard title to get too.”
I bet.
Young Frankenstein began as Hansen returned with two huge buckets of popcorn. He seated himself on the other side of Cole. Liam arrived then considered the empty seat next to her from the door. Apparently, a chat with Alise and he remembered he had a girlfriend.
When Liam took the seat next to her, she kept her eyes on the screen. If she said anything to Liam they’d be arguing through the movie. He just seemed to bring out the fighting side of her without any effort on his part whatsoever.
“I didn’t get to vote,” Liam said.
“I won the game, and Joan came in second so we get to choose.”
Hansen shushed Liam, pointing to the screen when he thanked Joan for her offer of popcorn. “We’re missing it.”
Liam smiled, softening the hard edges of his face as he looked over at Hansen, who had his eyes glued to the screen. Joan rerouted her eyes to the screen and away from Liam’s heartwarming smile.
She got caught up in the outrageous characters of the movie, eating handfuls of popcorn and laughing with her mouth open alongside Hansen. Joan was having too much fun to worry about her ridiculous hairdo or how much the outfit she was wearing was going to dip into her savings and set back her plans.
It wasn’t until Frankenstein’s monster was dancing on stage with Gene Wilder that she realized Liam was watching her and not the movie.
“Thirsty?” he asked when she found him watching her.
“I am,” Hansen said smiling.
Liam stood. “Anything in par
ticular?”
“Water for me please?” Joan asked.
“I’ll have my bottle of Fillico.” Hansen wiggled his brows.
“Cole?” Liam asked.
Cole stood. “I’ll come with you I need chocolate.” The two of them left. Joan was trying to remember how hard exactly she’d been laughing.
Hansen patted her hand with a fatherly smile on his face. “You’re good for him,” Hansen said.
Joan smiled, shaking her head. “I don’t know what you’re thinking but he has someone in his life and I’m not in a position to be in a relationship. I’m still getting out of the last one.”
“I’m just saying. I like the idea of you two,” he said and then pointed at the screen. “Gene Wilder is funny. Right?”
“He is.”
CHAPTER TEN
“You don’t know what to do, do you?” Cole grinned sitting on the kitchen counter.
Liam let his annoyance show as he looked at his brother. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Which is?”
“Figuring out what she wants. Once I figure out what it is then I’ll get it for her and we’ll be done with this crazy experience.”
Cole raised his brows. “Why the hurry to be rid of her? If she needs something she has your card.”
“It’s never been a problem for a woman before.” Liam set the bottle of water on the counter. “She’s being difficult for some reason.”
“Apparently, this bears repeating. She’s not Alise. You can’t buy her a diamond bracelet every time you act like an ass.”
Liam nodded. He couldn’t argue that. “Alise is easy to please.”
“That’s not true. She’s expensive to please, and she looks for any reason to get upset so she can get another gift from you.”
“Women are like that.”
Cole shook his head. “This is why I don’t take advice from you when it comes to women.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
The look he received from Cole was not the least bit optimistic. Cole grabbed two bars of chocolate.
Liam returned to the entertainment room with the water. Joan was laughing full heartedly at something Hansen had just said. The scene of Joan with her huge hair laughing and wiping at tears was so real, so beautiful, that he hesitated while drinking in the scene. He’d let himself get caught up watching her before. She’d caught him, and unlike Alise, she had become uncomfortable with his attention.
An I.O.U. from a Billionaire Page 7