High Stakes

by Cheryl Douglas

  “Don’t go,” she whispered, reaching for his shoulders to pull him back against her naked torso. She slid her hands inside his open shirt as she dipped her tongue inside his ear.

  As quickly as his arousal had surrendered to an early demise, she stoked it again. Damn his traitorous body. He grabbed her wrist. “This is a bad idea.”

  She turned him toward her.

  He braced his knee on the step in front of him as he grabbed the hand railing. He needed something to hold on to, something other than her soft curves.

  Her full breasts were perfectly aligned with his mouth as she threaded her hands through his hair. “Please, don’t leave me like this.”

  There was no way he could leave with that kind of temptation staring him in the face. The rational part of his brain was still warning him to get the hell out of there while he could, but his body already belonged to her. He cupped her breasts in both his hands, kneading the plump flesh as his tongue flicked over her nipples, drawing them slowly into his mouth.

  “Liam…” His name sounded more like a soft plea as she held his head in place. “That feels so good. Oh… I…”

  He walked her backward toward the bedroom, cursing his weakness with every step he took. This woman was obviously destined to be his poison, the one thing he couldn’t resist, no matter how harmful she may be. “I hate that I let you do this to me,” he admitted, arching to kiss her neck. “I should be able to walk away, to…”

  She was already tearing at his clothes, leaving a trail in their wake by the time she dropped to her knees in front of the bed.

  “No, hell no,” he muttered, grabbing her upper arms and flipping her onto her back on the bed. “You already have me where you want me, in your bed. Now it’s my turn.” He reached into the pocket of the pants lying on the floor, never taking his eyes off of her as he sheathed himself. He dipped a finger inside of her, not surprised that she was more than ready to take him.

  For him, last time was all about forging a bond with her, but this time, it would take all of his self-control to take her body without giving her any more of his heart. Every time he heard her ex’s name, it shredded him, knowing that he could be the warm body she needed to fill her bed until she decided to take the love of her life back.

  He’d give her what she needed physically, but until she could give him what he needed emotionally, this marriage was one of convenience, and he hated that. He never intended to fall in love with her, never intended to give her the weapon to destroy him, but he had, and he didn’t know how to retreat without putting some physical distance between them again. He kept telling himself he just needed some time to regroup. Once he returned home, to his daughter and his business, his life would resume as though Hurricane Alisa had never blown through.

  Chapter Fourteen

  A feeling of dread claimed Alisa as she felt him slide home. She was losing him; she could feel it. This was nothing like the last time they made love. It was almost as though he was holding back to punish her for making him feel too much.

  She knew she could only do or say one thing to get him back. “Look at me,” she said, seizing his chin. His eyes were glazed with arousal, but she feared he may already be too far gone. “I’m falling in love with you.”

  His violent thrusts slowed to a gentle slide as he stared into her eyes. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me. I’m falling in love with you.”

  He closed his eyes as he lowered his head, and she could tell he wanted to believe her, but he wasn’t ready to allow himself to surrender to hope. “Alisa, please—”

  “What I felt for him was nothing compared to the way I feel about you.” She felt the hot burn of tears slide down her face and into her hairline, but she didn’t care about exposing herself to heartache anymore. If he left here tonight believing she was still in love with her ex, it would be the biggest regret of her life. She reached up to pull him down on top of her, needing the physical connection to prove to her that he wasn’t ready to give up on them yet.

  “This isn’t the time to—”

  Alisa swallowed his protest by claiming his mouth as she felt the burgeoning evidence of his arousal filling her. She felt the shift, that second when she knew he was ready to believe her, and she could finally breathe again.

  He made love to her, slowly, thoroughly, with everything he had to give before they finally surrendered to the intensity of a climax that left them both speechless as they stared into each other’s eyes trying to make sense of what had happened.

  “I love you,” he whispered, kissing away the tears sliding down her cheeks. “No doubt in my mind. I don’t care what people say. I don’t care that it’s too soon to feel so much. Hell, I don’t even care that I’m giving you the power to ruin me…”

  She sobbed as she absorbed his heart-felt words. “I don’t want him.” It was suddenly imperative that she obliterate the biggest obstacle in their path to happiness. “I only want you. Please tell me you believe me.”

  “I do,” he said, kissing her shoulder. “I do.”

  “You’re in San Francisco and he’s here. I don’t want you to question what I’m thinking or how I’m feeling when we’re not together. It’s you I want to be with, not him.” She kissed his neck, ear, and jaw, before finally settling on his lips.

  “I believe you.” He slid off of her, pulling her on top of him so she partially covered his chest with her body as he stroked her hair. “I can’t promise you it’ll be easy to forget that he’s here with you while I’m not, but…”

  “I’ll call you every night,” she said, kissing his chest. She propped her chin on his chest and looked up at him. “To tell you I love you and I’m thinking of you. Just so you’ll know I’m not here with anyone else.”

  He winced. “Jesus, Alisa, I never questioned whether you’d be sleeping with someone else. I know you wouldn’t do that.”

  “I’m sorry.” It pained her to see the look of revulsion on his face. Nick Sinclair had already cost her so much. He wouldn’t cost her the best thing that had ever happened to her; she wouldn’t let him. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

  His fingertips trailed up and down her back. “It’s not exactly the visual a guy wants to hold on to when he’s two thousand miles away… his wife in bed with her ex.”

  “It’s never gonna happen. I would never do that to you.”

  “Do you still love him?” he asked quietly, running his fingers through her hair. “Just tell me the truth… Is there a part of you that still loves this guy?”

  “I thought he was my first love.” She threaded her hand through his. “But now, being here with you, it makes me wonder if what I felt for him was even love. It was never like this. What I feel for you is so… different.”

  He chuckled, the sound reverberating through her, making her smile. “Yeah, it’s definitely intense between us.”

  “Does that worry you?”

  “I don’t know. I guess a little.” He held their clasped hands out and the moonlight streaming through the window reflected against the shiny band on his finger. “But I know I sure as hell wouldn’t want to settle for less. I guess I was holding out, hoping to meet someone who would convince me, without a doubt, she was the woman I was meant to spend my life with.” He grinned. “I sat down beside you on that plane, and as soon as I saw you, this voice in my head kept saying, ‘She’s the one, stupid. Don’t let her get away.’”

  Alisa laughed, loving that he didn’t take himself too seriously or mind being the butt of his own jokes. “I never thought it could happen, that whole love at first sight thing. I mean, I’d heard about it happening to other people, but I never thought it would happen to me.”

  He trapped her leg between both of his. “What kind of guy did you imagine yourself ending up with?”

  “I don’t know.” She smiled, loving the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her as she settled into the peace of finally making a decision about her marriage. “I definitely didn’t
think it would be someone like you.” She slid her hand over his chest and abdomen, enjoying the feel of the hard ridges of his abdominal muscles beneath her fingertips.

  “What’s that supposed to mean, someone like me?”

  “You’re strong, driven, successful, domineering…” She couldn’t help but laugh. “Kind of like someone else I know.”

  “If you’re comparing me to your father, don’t. I’m already sensitive about the age thing.”

  “Please,” she said, pulling back to look at him. “Tell me you’re not serious. I don’t care about that. Do you?”

  He shrugged. “I’m getting used to the idea.”

  “How does Abby feel about it?”

  “I heard her tell her girlfriend I had good taste in women.” He grinned. “So I think she’s okay with it.” He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Just give me a sec to get cleaned up, sweetheart. I’ll be right back.”

  After disposing of the condom and splashing cold water on his face, Liam sat on the edge of the tub and tried to focus on the simple task of breathing. The last time he’d let himself believe she was ready for a commitment, she wasn’t, and he was blindsided the next morning. He didn’t want that to happen again, but he couldn’t help but take a moment to imagine what their life could be like if she meant what she said. She was in love with him, not her ex, him.

  He smiled as he rubbed his hands over his face. The nagging voice in his head that he’d learned to despise told him she could pull the rug out from under him again at any moment and that he was a fool to get emotionally invested until they figured out how they were going to merge their lives, but after the week he had, he couldn’t help yielding to hope. She was giving him what he wanted, a chance, and he could grab it with both hands or continue to doubt her. He was determined to give her, and them, the benefit of the doubt.

  When he walked back into the bedroom, she had a huge grin on her face as her nose was buried in his pillow. “You caught me.”

  He laughed. “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to memorize your scent, so when we’re not together I’ll have no trouble remembering.” She fluffed the pillow she’d been mauling before patting the bed beside her. “I’m just being silly.”

  “No, you’re not.” He settled under the covers before pulling her into his arms. “We need to figure this out. Where we’re going to live, how we’re going to find time to be together.”

  She hid a yawn behind her hand. “I’m sorry. Do you think we could talk about this tomorrow night? I have to go into the store for a while during the day. It’s the first day we’re officially open for business and I want to be there to greet people, get a feel for what customers think of the place, ya know?”

  “Of course, I understand.” He kissed her forehead, trying to decide how to break the news that he had to leave town right after he left her parents’ house tomorrow night. “Um, sweetheart, listen, I’ve got a charity golf tournament in Houston on Sunday, so I’m gonna have to fly out tomorrow night.”

  “Oh.” She was clearly trying to hide her disappointment. “I just thought we’d have the weekend together.”

  “If there’s any way I could get out of it, I would. But Bryson’s is making a sizeable donation, and well, this charity is pretty important to me. I hope you understand?” Nothing was more important to him than Alisa, aside from his daughter, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that he ran a huge corporation and people counted on him to keep his word. He couldn’t shirk his responsibilities just because he fell in love with a woman who lived in another state.

  “Um, yeah, sure. We’ll reconnect again… soon. Right?”

  Liam closed his eyes, trying to battle his mounting frustration. Alisa deserved better than a part-time husband, but he didn’t know how to give it to her. He could give her anything she wanted—lavish houses, cars, jewelry, or clothes—but he couldn’t give her the one thing she seemed to want even more… time with him. “Baby, you have to know how much I want to be with you. Hell, if I had my way, you’d be sharing my bed every night, but—”

  She pressed her fingertips against his lips. “It’s okay, you don’t have to explain. I knew how hectic your life was going into this. But, what about Abby? How do you find time for her?”

  How could he tell her that he tried to squeeze in quality time with his daughter on the weekend, given the fact that may be the only hope they had of seeing each other? “We, uh, usually try to fit in brunch on Saturday or Sunday, you know, just to catch up. Mrs. Foster tries to hold dinner for me when I’m in town, but it doesn’t always work out. Between the business dinners and charity events, I’m not home as much as I’d like to be.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, rolling onto her back. “I’m taking you away from your daughter now, aren’t I?”

  “No, she’s spending the weekend with a girlfriend at their weekend home.”

  “Oh, that’s good,” she said, burrowing under the duvet. “I’d hate to think I was robbing her of the precious little time she has with you.” She rolled onto her side to face him. “I remember what that was like, when I was younger, wanting more time with my dad, but he always had somewhere else to be.”

  Liam wanted to defend himself, to tell her that he was the best father he knew how to be, but he sensed she needed to relive her own childhood memories before she’d be ready to listen to his story. “That must have been difficult.”

  She nodded. “It was. Don’t get me wrong; my dad was great. He was always there for me when it counted, and I know he would have been to all the dance recitals and school concerts and all that stuff if he could have, but he couldn’t. And neither can you, right?”

  Her accusation hit him hard, because he knew it was true. His mother and brother were always there to be Abby’s familiar faces in the crowd, but sometimes he had to be halfway around the world and miss out on the big moments in his daughter’s life, and he hated that. “No, I can’t always be there. I wish I could, but I can’t.”

  “Do you always bring her some pretty little exotic trinket to try and smooth things over?” She smiled. “My dad used to do that a lot. I had quite a collection by the time I was too old to care.”

  “Jesus, Alisa,” he said, sitting up to rake his hands through his hair. “Like I didn’t feel guilty enough already.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, sitting up beside him to stroke his back. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I just want you to realize that there aren’t enough hours in the day for the first love of your life. How are you going to fit me into that equation?”

  “Don’t say that,” he said, trying to ignore the tightening in his chest. “Damn it, I’ll find a way. When I want something as much as I want you, I’ve never let anything stand in my way.”

  She shook her head as she propped her elbows on her knees. “You’re only one man, Liam. You can’t create more hours in a day just so you can spread yourself a little bit thinner.”

  He suddenly felt nauseous. “We’ll find a way to make this work, baby. You’ve just got to give me some time to sort it all out.”

  “Bryson’s can only have one CEO, and you’re it. It’s not like you can clone yourself. No one knows that business the way you do, and no one loves it as much as you do. Your daughter understands that and so do I. That’s why we’d never ask you to choose, because you do love it, and you’ve spent your life building it.”

  He couldn’t argue with her logic. Of course she was right. Bryson’s was his other baby. Thousands of families counted on him for their livelihoods and he wouldn’t let them down, no matter how much the sacrifice cost him. “Come to Barbados with me next weekend.” He needed her to know they could find a way to make it work. Mentally, he started rescheduling meetings and dinners to accommodate the trip. It was the only way to make her understand that she, too, was a priority in his life.

  “What about Abby?”

  “We’ll bring her along. It’ll give you two a chance to get to
know each other.” He knew they would hit it off once they spent some time together. His daughter just wanted him to be happy, and Alisa already knew that his little girl was his everything.

  “Won’t it be awkward for her, being there with just the two of us?” She held her hand up to ward him off when he started to speak. “I mean, I’d love to have her join us, but I don’t want her to be uncomfortable.”

  “You know what? We’ll invite my brother, Matt, and his wife, Tracey, too. They have a son a little older than Abby and a daughter the same age. They can hang out together. What do you say?”

  She grinned. “Okay, that sounds like fun.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled her into his arms. “I know this isn’t the answer to our problems.”

  “No,” she whispered, “it isn’t.”

  “But it’s a start. Right?”

  She burrowed into his arms and pulled the covers up to her chin. “I’ll take it.”

  Liam waited until she fell asleep before he slipped out of bed to get his Blackberry. He opened his calendar and winced when he saw his schedule for next weekend. He had two hours for Abby carved out on Sunday morning, but beyond that, every minute was accounted for. He was used to working seven days a week. What he wasn’t used to was having a wife who had the right to expect her fair share of his limited time.

  He tipped his head back to look at the ceiling. “How the hell am I gonna make this work?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Alisa wasn’t surprised when they walked into her childhood home and discovered a large crowd of family and friends awaiting their arrival. Her parents didn’t believe in half-measures, and the caterers’ lavish buffet tables, uniformed wait staff, and impressive floral bouquets were evidence of that.

  When Liam claimed he and her father had hit it off, he clearly wasn’t overstating. Alisa knew her father wouldn’t go to so much trouble to officially welcome Liam to their family if he had any reservations about his new son-in-law.