by Annie Seaton
“Your chariot awaits, madam.”
This time her stomach did a triple somersault. His face was alight with laughter and his hair had gotten mussed in the light wind. He’d loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He looked like a movie star.
“What?” Her mind was no longer focused on her trip. When he looked at her like that, she couldn’t focus on anything apart from how good he looked.
“Grab your gear.” A whiff of his cologne added to her bemused state as he reached across her and picked up her jacket. “It’s my turn to drive you.”
Liam took the keys from her and locked the truck, before he led her around to the back of the hotel. The concierge stood next to a low-slung silver Porsche and Liam handed him the truck keys, before opening the door for Georgie to climb in.
“I’ll drive you to the travel agent and then we’re going to see the sights of San Francisco.”
“Oh wow! In a Porsche, no less. Just as well I dressed up.” Georgie shot him a grin. She was going to enjoy the day.
…
Georgie had been quiet when Liam had met up with her in Union Square. He’d dropped her off at a travel agency and parked the Porsche in a garage near Chinatown before walking back down the hill. He’d filled up the hour by browsing in an antique book store near where he was supposed to meet her at noon. She’d been waiting on a bench on a patch of lawn at the Macy’s end of Union Square and had slid a blue travel wallet into her bag when he strolled across to her.
She’d looked up at him with a smile but he could have sworn her eyes were sad.
“So where to now?” he’d asked. He’d never visited San Francisco apart from the airport. Georgie had told him he was in for a treat. Since then he’d had the whole tourist experience and he’d enjoyed letting her show him the San Francisco she knew and obviously loved. She’d laughed with delight as they’d caught the cable car down to Fishermen’s Wharf and he knew his eyes had widened as it had careened around the corners before gliding down the hill with the bell clanging.
They’d strolled along the waterfront through the tourist crowds, and the smell of the fishing boats, the sea lions, and the harbor surrounded them. When she’d heard that Liam had never experienced San Francisco as a tourist, she’d insisted that he hadn’t lived until he’d eaten ice cream from the Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop on Fishermen’s Wharf.
As they sat outside, it seemed as if whatever had been on her mind had disappeared and she was smiling at him as he put the napkin down.
Liam grinned when the ice cream creation began to topple.
“Quick, catch it,” Georgie squealed.
Now he grabbed for his spoon as the Earthquake they were sharing teetered precariously. Eight scoops of ice cream and eight different toppings including fresh bananas, whipped cream, chopped almonds, decadent chocolate chips, cherries, and more were tilting as he tried to hold them.
“Give me your spoon, too.” He glanced up at Georgie as she handed over her spoon and he placed it strategically to balance the melting ice cream. “Now what?”
“We keep eating it. I’ll go get another spoon…or two.” Georgie had a smudge of ice cream on her lips and he stared at it. She headed for the counter and came back with two long-handled spoons and a handful of napkins. He smoothed the pile of ice cream down and slowly lowered his two spoons as she picked up one of the others.
“You’ve got strawberry ice cream on your mouth.” Liam reached for a napkin, dabbed at her top lip, and grinned as the color shot into her cheeks. “Are you really going to eat all that ice cream before it melts?” They were sitting out in the courtyard in Ghirardelli Square and the midday sun was warm on their heads. Georgie’s sunglasses were holding her hair back from her face and she reached up, dropping them down over her eyes.
“You’ll have to help me.” She filled a spoon with banana and whipped cream and placed the last cherry on top before lifting it to his lips. Liam opened his mouth and she slid the spoon between his lips and stared at him, but he couldn’t see the expression in her eyes.
“Your turn.” Before he picked up the spoon, he lifted her sunglasses back onto her head. He wanted to see her face. Her green eyes held his as he filled the spoon with more ice cream and held it to her lips. The noise of the crowds faded around them and it was as though they were in their own private world.
Georgie licked the ice cream from the spoon and looked away as she reached for a clean napkin. “No more. I’ll burst.”
Liam leaned back and folded his arms waiting for his heartbeat to go back to normal. “So what have you got for me next?”
Georgie glanced at her watch. “You’re not in a hurry to go home?”
Liam laughed. “After the amount I had to pay to rent the Porsche, I’m not taking it back till midnight, so you’d better find something to entertain me for another twelve hours.”
Georgie’s fair skin colored and his heart skipped a beat. She was obviously thinking the same thing he was.
“We could go for a drive or we could take a cruise past Alcatraz?” She pointed across the harbor to the famous island.
“How about we do both?” He pushed the plate with the mess of ice cream to the middle of the table and stood. Georgie picked up her bag and walked along beside him. Liam reached for her hand and smiled as her fingers curled in his.
They filled in the afternoon by walking around the wharf and taking another cable car ride before coming back and joining the sunset cruise that was going past Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge. Liam laughed as she dragged him into the magnet shop and they pored over the thousands of varieties of magnets on display.
“You’re full of surprises. All the women I’ve ever taken shopping wanted to go to clothes and shoe stores.”
She sent him a glance from beneath her long lashes. “And I suppose there were lots of women? All in the name of research, I’d guess.”
It was the closest she’d gotten to asking him about his past. They’d both steered clear of personal questions.
“Hundreds,” he said. He put his hand on Georgie’s arm and dropped his voice. “I’d like to sit down and tell you about my…about me…one day.”
“If you want,” she said slowly, but she looked uneasy. He wanted to open his heart to her, to tell her about the grief and the disappointment of not being able to make his marriage work and the shock of Vanessa’s death after they’d split up and how hard it had been to deal with the lies the media had told. The heaviness that had filled him until the last couple of weeks and the reason he had been so rude to her on the beach when he’d fallen from his kayak. Why he’d thought he wanted to be alone.
Liam picked up a magnet depicting a Viking woman with long red hair holding a hammer. “This reminds me of you.”
“Thanks, not.” She looked at the wall in front of them and giggled and the panic faded from her expression. He wouldn’t go there again.
“So if that’s me, this is you.” She held out a little man with a long beard hunched over a pen with a pile of books surrounding him.
After purchasing their souvenirs, Liam handed her one of the small bags as they crossed the square to the wharf where they were to pick up the cruise.
Georgie stopped walking as she took it and held his gaze steadily. “You can put yours on your desk and it will remind you of the redhead who built your bookshelves, since I’ll be gone.” He opened his mouth to speak, but Georgie put her fingers against his lips.
“Don’t say anything. When you tell me all about you later, I’ll tell you all about my trip and why I’m going away. Deal?” Her voice was soft and he reached up and held her hand against his face.
“Deal.”
…
The sun set in a flash of color as the red-and-white tourist boat cruised beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. The breeze had dropped and the night was still, as the sky filled with streaks of purple- and gold-edged clouds. It was one of the most amazing skies Georgie had ever seen
and most of the passengers on board were all rushing to the upper deck to get a clear shot with their cameras, phones, or iPads. She stood at the side of the deck and sighed softly as a guitarist strummed his Spanish guitar from the center of the boat. Liam was behind her with his arms loosely draped around her waist and he rested his cheek on her hair.
“Tired?”
“Mmm. A little.” She leaned back against him and closed her eyes as the warmth of his body pressed into her back.
“I am. You’ve worn me out with your knowledge of this city.” Liam’s voice was quiet and his breath brushed her cheek gently as he spoke. “I’ve seen most of the attractions in one fell swoop. But I’ve had a great day.”
“Me, too.”
“There’s only one more thing that will make it perfect.”
Georgie straightened and she wondered what he was going to say. She knew what would make the day perfect, but she wasn’t going to go there.
“How about we have dinner at the Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay when we take the Porsche back?” Liam smiled down at her.
“Now that would be a perfect end to a wonderful day.” Georgie almost jumped into his arms with excitement. “I’ve wanted to go there for years, but staying there is definitely out of my league. When I was a teenager I used to dream of having my wedding there in a marquee on the lawn on top of the cliff.” Her face clouded as she looked away, but she kept talking. “Going back home in Ana’s truck is going to be a bit of a change after driving around in that fancy car all afternoon.”
The drive back to Half Moon Bay was quiet. Liam closed the soft top and the luxurious car cruised the miles silently. Georgie closed her eyes and listened to the soft music coming from the stereo, trying not to think of this perfect day coming to an end. She knew when she got home that she needed to study the itinerary that Sandy had printed off for her. Her bank account was also several thousand dollars poorer, but if the truth be known, she was more excited about having dinner at the Ritz-Carlton than about her planned trip.
“Georgie?” A light touch on her arm roused her from sleep. “We’re here.”
She opened her eyes slowly and smoothed her hair back.
Great, I was probably drooling.
Georgie headed to the ladies’ powder room off the foyer as Liam handed the Porsche keys over. She stood in front of the huge mirror and brushed her hair until all of the tangles were gone before she swept it up into a French plait on the back of her head and secured it firmly with a clip she’d found in the bottom of her bag. Washing her face with warm water, she patted it dry with one of the soft warm towels put out for patrons’ use and then reapplied her makeup. A final glance at the mirror to straighten her clothes and Georgie was satisfied she looked ready to dine in one of the most upscale restaurants on the coast. Her eyes were sparkling and there was a rosy flush on her cheeks. It wasn’t from anticipation; it was a touch of the sun from today.
She looked good and she stepped into the foyer with assurance as Liam smiled appreciatively and took her arm. He’d done his shirt buttons back up and knotted his tie. She handed him his jacket and when he slipped it back on, he was the epitome of elegance.
Georgie’s mouth dried. Was she really about to have dinner at the Navio restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton with Liam Wyndham, famous author? She shook her head and Liam looked down at her.
“Is something wrong?” His voice was concerned and she loved him for it.
Oh heck, don’t say the L-word. Don’t even think it.
“No, I was just pinching myself. This is like a dream come true for me. Maybe I’ll wake up in a minute?” She shot him a grin as the maître d’ led them to a table by the window, and when Georgie was seated, he flicked a snow-white napkin over her lap.
“I’ve been a bit presumptuous.” Liam watched her as she lifted her water glass and sipped.
“Yes?” She tipped her head to the side. He had a flush on his cheeks and she wasn’t sure if it was from the sun or if something was bothering him.
“I thought by the time we had dinner it would be late…and maybe we would share a bottle of wine to celebrate the end of a perfect day…”
“And?”
“And I’ve asked if there are any rooms available.” His words came out in a rush, as though he were a nervous teen on his first date. “If you’d rather go home, we can.”
Excitement coiled low in Georgie’s belly, but she kept her face bland as she answered him. “Rooms or room?”
She bit back a laugh as the color deepened beneath Liam’s gorgeous cheekbones. It was usually her face that colored up, and it was the first time she had seen him lose his cool.
“Ah…one room?” He held her gaze steadily, and as the waitress came over to hand them the menu, Georgie let a small smile tilt her lips.
“I think that would be a perfect end to the day. But there’s only one problem.” She glanced down at her bag.
Liam frowned. “A problem?”
“I don’t have any night things with me.”
A huge grin spread across his face and when he winked at her, the nervous jolt shot through her whole body. “I don’t think that will be a problem at all.”
Chapter Seventeen
“As good as you expected?”
Liam’s eyes were closed and his expression was one of pure bliss. He opened his eyes and put his fork down on his plate. “I think I can safely say that this steak is even better than that ice cream delight you made me eat for lunch.”
“The purest flavors of the country for the discerning palate.” Georgie read from the card on the middle of the table to keep her attention from straying to Liam’s lips. They had shared a plate of plump, succulent oysters before their main course was brought to the table, and Liam had kept his eyes on her lips as he’d fed them to her. Georgie leaned the card on the ice bucket in the center of the table before looking around the restaurant. No matter how much she was looking forward to spending the night here in one room, she wanted to enjoy every minute of their meal.
The restaurant was elegant and the hushed conversation of a small group across the room combined with the classical music to provide a pleasant background ambience. Georgie glanced across to the window. The lawns on the edge of the cliff were floodlit and the ocean spray was highlighted by the bright light as the waves crashed against the rocks below. She gave a little sigh of pleasure and picked up her glass. “You know, I feel like I’m in a Hollywood movie.”
“So long as it’s not an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Uncle Joe’s house sort of reminds me of one of his thrillers.” Liam nodded to the waitress as she took his plate. He looked back at Georgie and his smile faded. “So if we were in a movie, I guess this would be the time when the two main characters gazed into each other’s eyes and talked about their past?”
Georgie hid a smile. The only restaurant movie that came to mind was that famous scene with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, but she sure wasn’t going to mention that. Embarrassment filled her as she thought of Liam’s reaction if she were to bring that up. Although she didn’t want the happy mood of the day to disappear, if they started talking too seriously. Their surroundings were full of romance, the soft light, the low music in the background, and the private alcove they’d been seated in. It would be a perfect night for a couple in love, but she pushed that thought away. They were a long way from that.
We’re simply two adults enjoying each other’s company. A day spent together, a pleasant dinner in an elegant restaurant. Casual conversation followed by a night of casual… Well…that’s what it was…casual sex.
Or maybe friends with benefits? That sounded better. No big deal.
Act like a grown-up, not a teenager mooning over a movie star. She fought the tremble that consumed her as she thought of the night ahead. Was she being foolish? Was she setting herself up for serious heartbreak?
“Tell me about you. What it’s like to be famous?” She tried to keep her words light and Liam reached over and lifted her hand, staring at her
fingers. He seemed to be searching for the right words. Finally, he broke the silence and she tried to ignore the nervous flutters running along her fingers.
“I’ve been happier these last couple of weeks than I have for a long time,” he said softly. Liam was still staring at their joined hands. “Am I being egotistical to assume you’ve read some of the crap written about my life and my marriage?”
“I know you were married and your wife died while you were overseas.” Georgie waited for him to look at her, and when he did, she looked back at him steadily. “The old dears devour all the gossip magazines and they hinted there was some scandal, but I didn’t read it myself.” She squeezed his hand. “Look, Liam. It’s your business and I’m sure it was tough, but you don’t have to tell me anything.”
His eyes were dark as he looked back at her, and Georgie’s stomach began doing double flips.
“I want to. I want you to know what you’re taking on.”
“Whoa.” Georgie pulled her fingers from his grasp and held up her hand. “Just slow down. I’m not ‘taking anything on.’” She kept her voice even, but her mind was spinning.
Too late. It was way too late. These were the words she’d yearned to hear from a man, but not now. Ahead of her was the trip where the new Georgie would find her independence. There was no longer any need for a man in her life to complete the old girlish dream.
And how foolish would I be to think that someone as gorgeous and famous as Liam would want me?
“You’re kidding yourself, Liam.” Her heart was thudding and Georgie took a deep breath, but the waitress came to take the rest of their order before she could finish speaking. She took the menu from the waitress and read off the first thing she could see. “Pineapple cheesecake. I might as well try the cuisine. I’ll be in Hawaii soon.” She stared at him as he gave the menu a cursory glance before ordering apple pie. He waited for the waitress to leave before he spoke. Georgie’s heart set up a dance beat in her chest as he looked at her. His blue eyes held hers and he reached for her hand again and she let him take it.