My Secret Life Read online

  His lips hummed with strength and go-getter magnetism. His kiss whispered of all that could exist between them if she just had the courage to close her hand and make a fist. To take a tentative step toward something more than fun and frivolity.

  She wished she could frame this moment in time, hold on to it like a snapshot. Kiss him on and on and on forever.

  The thought jolted her. This quick jog on the wild side had landed her in mental quicksand. Should she flail around and try to get free? Or should she embrace the fall?

  Suddenly, the struggle was taken out of her hands.

  Liam broke the kiss, pulled back, stared down at her.

  “What?” she whispered, peering up into his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  He stroked his index finger down the length of her jaw, then stopped and pressed his thumb against her lips. “We have to stop now, or I won’t be able to stop.”

  “Why stop?” she asked as the weight of his thumb caressed her cheek.

  He drew in a ragged breath. “Our first time together was sex-crazed and anonymous. I want us to take our time and to get to know each other before we do this again.”

  “But I like sex-crazed and anonymous.”

  He had one arm around her waist, one hand tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. He was looking at her as if she were special, like something to be treasured. No man had ever looked at her like that before. Katie held a breath.

  “That might be the case,” he said. “But you deserve so much more. No matter how much I might want to, I’m not going to have sex with you again.”

  “You’re not?” Why did it feel as if he were denying her keys to Shangri-La?

  “No.” He shook his head. “Not now. Not yet. Not until I know everything there is to know about you.”

  She laughed because she didn’t know what else to do.

  “I’m serious,” he said.

  One look in his eyes told her it was true. She felt a rush of panic so strong that if she hadn’t been naked underneath his bathrobe, she would have bolted straight out the front door.

  But the ringing phone saved her from replying.

  He let her go, easing his arm from around her waist and stepped to the cordless phone docked on the glass end table beside his leather couch.

  “Yes,” he answered. “Okay, thanks. Please send someone up with them.” He ended the conversation, turned back to her. “That was the dry cleaner’s downstairs. Your clothes are ready.”

  Yes!

  “Here’s what’s going to happen,” he said with the same take-charge manner she assumed he used to run his real-estate empire. “You’re getting dressed and I’m driving you back to Sharper Designs. Because I have an appointment at three, I won’t be able to review your designs for the ad campaign. With that in mind, I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at eight for a business dinner meeting. So have your proposal ready.”

  “I have plans,” she said, just to be ornery. She didn’t have any plans beyond her usual Saturday-night clubbing, but she balked at being ordered around. Even if it was by the most eligible bachelor in Boston.

  “Then cancel them.”

  “I ACTED LIKE a self-important, arrogant ass,” Liam confided to Tony as they jogged together in the park on Saturday morning.

  “She got to you, so you reacted out of instinct. Doing what you do best. Taking charge, bossing people around. It works on the job, not so great when it comes to romance.”

  “I can’t explain it, but something about that woman brings out the caveman in me.”

  “You feel protective of her.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you can’t stand the thought of her dating someone else.”

  “Yes,” Liam admitted through gritted teeth. The mere thought of some other man touching Katie twisted him inside out.

  “She drives you so crazy you can’t think.”

  “Exactly!”

  Tony chuckled.

  “What? It’s not funny. It’s irritating.”

  “You’re falling for her.”

  “I’m not,” he denied hotly. “It’s just that she’s so damned sexy.”

  “So have a casual fling with her.”

  “I tried. I couldn’t go through with it.”

  “Why not?”

  “She looked so vulnerable. Like she trusted me completely. She doesn’t know me. She shouldn’t trust me so easily.”

  “Why do you care?”

  “She has no idea how terrific she is,” Liam huffed as they rounded the home stretch of their five-mile run. “As an artist and as a woman. You should see her graphic designs. Amazing.”

  “What’s she like?”

  “She takes chances. I like that about her. She’s upbeat and energetic and full of surprises. Lively, spontaneous, freewheeling.”

  “In short, all the things you aren’t.”

  Liam dodged a park bench. “Yeah.”

  “So what do you want from her?”

  Good question. One he’d spent the night pondering as he’d tossed and turned and remembered their incredible kisses.

  “Sex?” Tony asked.

  “For sure.”

  “But you want something more or you would have just done that again.”

  “Maybe,” he admitted.

  “Commitment?”

  “Hey, wait, slow down. Slow way, way down. All I’m saying is that she’s interested me more than any woman has in a long time.” If ever.

  “So you’re looking for a little romance? Nothing more than a good time.”

  “Yeah, I suppose so.”

  “But you don’t really know how to romance a girl because you’ve spent your entire adult life getting ahead, amassing your fortune. And when you’ve had relationships in the past, it was up to the woman to put forth all the effort to keep you interested.”

  “Something like that.”

  Tony hooted. “I love it. Now you’re sweating because you’re scared that you’re not exciting enough for her.”

  His best friend had seen right through him, but he was loath to admit it. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Wanna know how to keep her interested?”

  “No.” Yes, yes!

  “I’ll tell you because I know you’re only saying no to save face.”

  “I am not,” he lied.

  “You keep her guessing.”

  “Guessing?”

  “I know it’s hard for you to wrap your one-track mind around this concept, but to keep a fun-loving woman like Katie entertained, you’ve got to be unpredictable.”

  “Unpredictable?”

  “You know, do something impromptu, unexpected. Send her a gift no one else would ever send her. Something that would have special meaning for her. Take her someplace you would normally never go, like to a monster-truck rally.”

  “A monster-truck rally?” Liam snorted. “That’s the best you have to offer?”

  “Okay, that was a stab in the dark, but use your imagination. Take her salsa dancing. Or kayaking. Or ice skating. Have fun.”

  “Fun?”

  “You know, the thing you haven’t done since you were a kid.” Tony eyed him as they jogged side by side. “But this isn’t the kind of woman who’s going to be impressed by fancy French restaurants or long-stemmed red roses and boxes of chocolates.”

  “Too predictable?”

  “By far. Convincing her you’re good for anything more than a hot time between the sheets is going to take some thought and effort on your part.”

  Liam blew out his breath. “You make it sound like I don’t stand a chance.”

  “She’s going to be a challenge for you, but come on. When have you ever shied away from a challenge? Just put the same effort into pursuing Katie that you’ve always put into buying and selling property then you’ll be A-OK. Throw the woman a curve ball or two.”

  Easy enough for him to say, Tony knew how to chill out and have a good time. Liam was fighting against thirty-one years of hard work and determination to
get ahead at all costs.

  Think, think. What can you do to delight Katie? What will keep her guessing?

  Just as they finished the last leg of their run, inspiration hit. Liam knew exactly what he was going to send that would both intrigue and surprise her.

  MAKE LOVE in a forbidden place.

  Katie read the Martini dare she’d tucked into the corner of her dresser mirror as she sat at her vanity wrapping her hair around a curling iron.

  She’d been anxious all afternoon getting ready for this business dinner with Liam. She’d gone to the mall, bought a new dress and new pair of shoes. She’d had a manicure and a facial. She skipped both breakfast and lunch because she was too nervous to eat. She was acting as if it were a date.

  It is a date.

  No, it was a business meeting.

  So then how come no one else on the creative team was invited?

  Yeah, why was that?

  He wants you, you want him, go for it.

  “But I’m turning over a new leaf. Giving up casual sex, going cold turkey,” Katie said aloud to her reflection.

  And then her gaze strayed to the parchment again. Make love in a forbidden place.

  Why did it have to be cold turkey? Why couldn’t she sort of taper off? Plenty of people used the patch to wean themselves off smoking. Couldn’t the three Martini dares serve as Katie’s swan song for casual sex?

  Liam was the perfect person to perform her dares with, she convinced herself. They were attracted to each other. He was temporary, only in her life for as long as it took to oversee the graphic designs for his campaign. Plus, they’d already made love, so by continuing their affair she was actually taking it out of the realm of one-night stands.

  She loosened her grip on the curling iron and the warm curl escaped to fall gently across her cheek. She picked up a second strand of hair and twisted it around the heated rod.

  The memory of what had happened in his apartment the afternoon before popped into her head. She remembered the feel of his lips, the pleasure of his tongue.

  And then she thought of the way he’d looked at her. No, not at her…into her, as if he could see straight to her soul. Past the wild-child image she projected. Past the carefree persona she’d perfected. Past the clothes and the parties and jokes to the wounded woman who’d lost both her parents before she was twenty-five. To the girl who’d always felt as if she had to show others a good time in order to be loved and appreciated.

  Katie shivered and pushed that disturbing thought away. She didn’t want to examine it too closely. She had other things on her mind.

  Make love in a forbidden place.

  “I’ll do it,” she whispered to her reflection in the mirror. “I’m going to use Liam to complete my Martini dares.”

  Just saying the words made her feel empowered. Yes. This was good. This was exactly what she was looking for.

  But is it fair to use Liam for your own personal empowerment?

  The doorbell rang, interrupting her internal seesaw. She turned off the curling iron, got up and padded to the door. She peered through the peephole and spied a bike messenger standing on her front step. She put the chain on and opened the door a crack.

  “Special delivery,” he called. “You gotta sign for it.”

  What was this? Katie was a city girl who knew how to take care of herself. “Who’s it from?”

  “Mr. Liam James.”

  Magic words.

  Katie signed for the package, then almost ripped it out of the delivery guy’s hands. Her curiosity was piqued. What had Liam sent her?

  She tore off the brown paper to reveal a rectangular white box with the name of a famous jewelry store embossed in red letters on the lid. Her heart thumped.

  Jewelry? The gift was presumptuous. Jewelry implied strings were attached to their relationship and she certainly wasn’t interested in getting tied to anything. She suddenly felt claustrophobic, as if the walls of her condo were closing in.

  Maybe she should reconsider her decision to use Liam as the means to complete her Martini dares.

  Tentatively, she slid the lid off the box and peered inside to find…

  A dog collar?

  The dude had sent her a dog collar.

  Albeit a very handsome dog collar. Made of black leather and studded with blue onyx and faux diamond rhinestones. When she lifted it out of the box, the stones glistened in the light.

  At the bottom of the box lay a small card. She plucked it out and read the message that had been printed in strong, masculine block script.

  Dear Katie,

  For when you’re ready to claim Duke as your own. Looking forward to seeing you tonight.

  Liam

  P.S. You’d make a terrific dog owner.

  A dog collar for a puppy she didn’t even own? It was a strange gift, but she found the gesture incredibly touching because Liam had paid attention. And he’d understood both her desire to own a dog and her anxiety over such a commitment.

  A wistful feeling swept over her—part longing, and part…hope.

  The fact that Liam had gone to all the trouble to pick out this dog collar and have it couriered over stirred something deep. He could have sent generic flowers or candy or nothing at all. But instead, he’d sent the one thing that said I believe in you.

  She was moved.

  The gift spoke volumes. Clearly, tonight was not just a business meeting.

  Katie had a date with Boston’s most eligible bachelor.

  7

  “THANK YOU for the dog collar,” Katie told Liam when he came to pick her up. “It was very thoughtful.”

  “I wanted to encourage you to get that puppy, if that’s what you really want.”

  “I don’t know that I want a dog that badly, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “Don’t want it? Or too afraid to want it?” Liam challenged.

  Damn, being with this guy wasn’t easy. He didn’t let her slide on anything. She darted a quick glance at him. He was standing in her foyer, gorgeous as all get-out.

  He wore a black pullover V-necked sweater and a pair of formfitting black trousers. The wind had sexily tousled his well-groomed hair, giving him a relaxed look she found appealing.

  Her gaze tracked over his face, soaking up his chiseled cheekbones and strong chin. She noticed that the bridge of his nose was crooked, bent slightly to the right as if once it had been broken.

  Liam looked so different from the pampered playboys she normally dated. His life experience was evident not only in the sharp focus of his intelligent hazel eyes and the out-of-character tattoo at his left wrist, but also in the powerful way he carried himself, in the commanding way he spoke.

  This was a man of substance.

  She was surprised to find the observation made her edgy. Very edgy. Suddenly, all her self-confidence evaporated. What did she know about pleasing a high-powered businessman who’d bootstrapped his way to the top of his profession by age thirty? And she was a woman who’d been born with a blue-blooded spoon in her mouth.

  His standards were high. He was a self-made millionaire, well on his way to becoming a billionaire. He was everything she was not. Logical, responsible, dedicated, driven.

  Was that why he fascinated her so? Because she could never hope to understand what made him tick?

  A smile tipped his lips and as his eyes met hers, his face lit up. He looked as if the Dow Jones had jumped twenty points.

  Katie’s heart fluttered. He had the power to make her feel special. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

  “Wow, you look amazing.” The appreciative expression in his eyes went a long way in reviving her poise and earning him bonus points for noticing the special care that she’d taken with her appearance.

  Approvingly, his gaze traveled from her fresh new hair-style, across the swell of the tight bodice of her aqua dress to the hemline that hit her midthigh to the three-inch stilettos that enhanced the shapely curve of her lean legs.

  N
oticing everything. Missing nothing. Making her feel very desirable.

  “Thank you,” she said, and tried not to blush at his frank assessment.

  “Are you ready to get down to business?” His hazel eyes smoldered with a mesmerizing sexuality that pushed all the air from her lungs.

  “Business?”

  “You do have your designs with you.”

  “Yes, yes,” she said breathlessly. Oh, she’d almost forgotten about the designs.

  “Good,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with.”

  “I hope you like them.”

  “I have confidence in you.” He winked.

  He took her to Carmine’s Ristorante, a quaint family-owned Italian restaurant off the beaten path, but not far from Boston’s north end. It wasn’t the sort of place she expected a real-estate mogul to frequent. That alone impressed her.

  He’d opened the door for her, lightly placing his hand at the small of her back to guide her over the threshold.

  The pressure of his hand had her sucking in her breath. She didn’t know what to make of his proprietary touch or the way her skin tingled.

  Her pulse leaped and instantly a dozen erotic images from the night of the Ladies League ball popped into her head. She heard the clatter of coat hangers, the sounds of their delighted groans. She smelled the scent of their merged bodies, musky and rich. She tasted the sweet flavor of sin on her tongue.

  “Hello, Mr. James,” greeted the attractive, overeager young hostess. “We’ve got your usual table waiting.”

  The hostess led them through the brightly lit dining room to a table in the corner. Katie wondered if he often brought dates here. It didn’t seem like a regular date place. No singing waiters. No candles in Chianti bottles. No private booths to hide away from the crowd. Most of the tables seated six or more and they all seemed to be filled with families or groups of coworkers or friends on an outing.

  Maybe this really was a business meeting.

  The man was sending mixed messages and she wasn’t sure how to read him. Her interest notched higher. Who was Liam James behind his reputation and his stunning success? What had made him the man he was today?