

The Fall

Caught Off Guard

Series #1

Author: Lisa Sommers

Published by Lisa Sommers

Copyright © 2014 by Lisa Sommers

Smashwords Edition

Discover other titles by Lisa Sommers:

The Fall #1

The Hidden Truth #2

Her Salvation # 3

Twelve: Emily's Story #4

Charlie : Charlie

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are completely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission.

Warning: This work contains sexual content and is written for adults only (18+). All characters depicted in this story are over 18 years of age.

ISBN-9781310932359

# Chapter 1

I fumble trying to find the exact change to pay for my coffee. I don't know why, but I always do. I guess I just hate having a pile of loose coins weighing down the bottom of my purse, not to mention that I don't have any cash on me. I practically spill all the contents in the process of looking for two more quarters. As my lipstick rolls away, I still come up fifty cents short. I guess I'll just have to charge my coffee today. Sighing, I hand the cashier my credit card just as a masculine hand juts in front of me, holding my lipstick.

"Sassy Cinnamon?" The low timbre of his voice brushes across my skin, making me shiver.

Sassy Cinnamon is the name of my lipstick. I reach out to grab it, swiping my fingers across his skin in the process. It feels like an electric current searing through my veins from that small contact. I look up into the bluest eyes I've ever seen, somehow managing to say, "Thank you."

I can't take my eyes off of him. He catches me completely off guard, making me take a few steps back to retreat to a spot by a narrow display case housing mugs and other trinkets for sale while I wait for my coffee. I finally manage to tear my eyes away from him, but can feel his gaze on me, the warmth of it like a caress. I fidget, wondering why he would keep looking at me.

Blushing, I look down at my clothes to see if, by chance, I spilled something on them. Nope, looks good. Next, I finger comb my hair, thinking maybe I forgot to brush it. I was in such a hurry to get out of my apartment this morning that maybe I mismatched my shoes. I seem all put together. I look everywhere possible just to keep from feeling flush. Why is he staring at me? I bite my lip and look up into his stunning blue eyes. Just then, he flashes me a sexy smile and slowly turns away and is gone in seconds.

"Desiree!" the Barista calls my name snapping me out of my stupor.

Still thinking about that man I manage to mutter the words, thank you, to the barista. I take my coffee and make a mad dash to work. Even though I own my own business, I still like to be present when the doors open. I walk a fast two blocks, mumbling out quick apologies as I bump into each person as I pass.

Becoming a successful pastry chef in an industry profession predominantly made of women in one of the nation's biggest city takes a lot of work and not just in the kitchen. Studies show that nearly eighty percent of the U.S. Pastry chefs are women and nearly eighty-four percent of the cooks that work in pastry beneath them are women as well. As the pastry chef of my own company, I make it a habit to chit chat with my customers as they come in for their morning sugar fix. It tends to bring repeat business. The bell over the door rings as I enter my shop and I make my way from the lobby, down the corridor to my office.

"Desiree!" Emily says as she walks through the double doors from the kitchen. Emily is my head pastry chef and my best friend. "We have a small problem. Robert called and said the gluten free flour has to be back ordered due to some accident at the distribution warehouse."

I blow out a breath as my mind races, trying to come up with a way to fix the problem. "Thanks, Emily. Let's just use what we have left for our usual projected batches for the week. We should have enough for the next few days, and I'll order the flour from another contact I have on reserve." I put on my white pastry jacket and continue to head for my office down the hall, already dreading the call I'd have to make to a local bakery supply distributor. Lucky me, it also happens to be my ex-boyfriend. I can hear her walk back into the kitchen to direct the staff of the situation, then head to the main lobby to unlock the front doors. I sit behind my desk, my hand hovering over the phone as I brace myself to see if my ex can provide us the gluten free flour by the end of the week.

"A favor for a favor?" Alex asks. I frown, not liking the almost happy tone in his voice. Alex is the type of ex that just doesn't seem to want to give up.

I hold back my growl, trying to balance my annoyance with what my company needs. "What is it this time Alex?" I thumb through a stack of special pastry order requests for the week, trying to hide my annoyance.

"Dinner, Friday." I knew he never wanted the relationship to end, but it just wasn't meant to be. Alex and I were just not good together, and if Emily knew I had called him for a favor she'd be pissed.

I blow out a breath, shoving the order requests to the edge of my desk. "Alex . . . I don't think that's a good idea."

"Just dinner, it's all I'm asking. Nothing more, I promise." I could hear the begging in his tone and feel myself waver.

"Fine, dinner." I huff. "Call me in a couple of days and let me know the time and place and I'll meet you there. I've got to go. Oh, and thanks for the flour on such short notice." I hang up the phone, thinking that if Emily knew what I was doing to get the flour she would kill me. I can't say that I blame her.

I walk out of my office and head to the lobby to greet the locals and chat with regulars, trying to push the thought of dinner with Alex out of my mind. After an hour, the mad rush has finally slowed down to a steady pace.

"Desiree, can I see you for a minute?" Emily calls.

I look over and see her giving me a glaring look. "Sure, Em. One second." I finish my conversation with a customer and walk up and around the front counter, leaning my back against the edge of it, bracing myself for whatever Emily has to say. I know that look, and it doesn't bode well. Normally we'd catch up on our daily gossip at this time of day, but I know that that isn't going to happen if Emily's glare of death is anything to judge by. "What's with the look?"

"You didn't just call Alex, did you?" Frustration laces her tone, making me fidget. She already knows the answer.

My eyes drift to the floor as I tap the heel of my shoe nervously against the top of my other shoe. "Well, sort of." I can't help but wince.

"Desiree! How could you?" she shoots back.

"It'll cost just one dinner. Nothing more, I promise. He promised." I hold up both of my hands and return to the lobby, feeling her glare follow me the entire way.

She is pissed, but I know deep down that she just wants to protect me, just as she has done in the past. She knows better than anyone that my relationship with Alex was too volatile to continue. Emily and I moved from California after we graduated. I wanted to make a fresh start and Emily agreed to make the move with me. Luckily, she had nothing to tie her down to California because I don't know if I would have been able to do this without her. She was the only one that knew what happened. My nightmares were happening on a daily basis, and she was the only one able to help me get past what I had done. So when Alex came into the picture, she was happy that I was finally able to move on, but as time went on we both realized Alex and I couldn't agree on anything. If I said black, he'd say white. If I wanted Italian food, he'd want Chinese food. He would always get his way too. He never let me do something my way. He was the most-selfish man alive, but there was something about him that kept me coming back. But not anymore, I think as I wipe down the counter. It will just be dinner, and nothing more. I am through with him, but since he did me a favor with getting me the supplies for the shop, the least I can do is agree to have dinner with him.

We close the bakery for the night, and I join Emily for a glass of wine before heading home for the evening. Finally, calm, she fills me in on her latest escapade with Will. Last week it was John.

"I just can't figure out which one I like better," Emily whines. "Will has a good job, and we have lots of fun together, but I think he wants to get serious. I'm not sure I'm ready for that. Then, there's John. John is in a band. He's sexy, and we definitely have lots of fun together."

I shake my head, holding back a laugh at her look. "I don't know how you do it Emily. How do you keep track of two different guys at the same time?"

Emily and I are both twenty-five and met at the San Francisco Baking Institute that we both attended, and we quickly became friends. We've been inseparable ever since.

I stand up and smile down at her. She seems lost in thought about the men in her life. "I'm going to take off Em; I'll see you in the morning."

# Chapter 2

I retreat to the shelves that hold a large variety of magazines after placing my morning coffee order. It seems busier than normal in here so I waste a few minutes looking through some magazines. I skim through a copy of Forbes magazine, not paying attention to the words as I wait for my coffee. Suddenly, a soothing voice in my ear makes me jump, and I nearly drop the magazine.

"What?" I ask as I turn my head around.

"I said, do you see anything interesting?" I look into those deep blue eyes again. It's the same guy that handed me my lipstick yesterday. Oh man, he's staring at me again. My eyes do a double take. He looks sexy in that black suit and red tie. Those piercing blue eyes just adds to the appeal, and that voice, oh my god that sexy voice.

"Liam!" the Barista calls. He smiles at me once again and picks up his coffee and leaves.

I stare after him, enjoying the sight of him walking away. "Desiree!" the Barista calls. I blush furiously, feeling like I just got caught checking Liam out. I close the magazine and go to put it back on the shelf. "Oh my God!"

I drop the magazine on the floor. All I can do is stare at the cover. It's him! On the cover! I stand there looking down at the magazine, completely speechless. I quickly pick it up and grab my coffee before walking back to the register to purchase the magazine. My heart thrums in my chest as I look at the cover again, anxious to read about the man that has somehow crossed my path not once, but twice within the past twenty-four hours. Curious, I rush to get to the bakery; nearly running into Emily as she opens the front doors right as I show up. I run past her, down the corridor and close myself in my office. I put my purse and coffee down on my desk and stare at the cover for a minute when I hear Emily knock on the door.

"Desiree, are you okay?" Concern laces her voice, making me wince.

"I'm sorry. Yes, I'm fine," I say as my eyes stay glued to the cover.

"You rushed in here as if someone were chasing you. What are you looking at?" I guess my not looking up from the magazine caught Emily's curiosity. She rounds my desk and peers over my shoulder. "Forbes? Since when do you read Forbes?" I can hear friendly sarcasm in her voice.

"I don't normally, but the man on the cover . . ."

She interrupts me. "You bought a magazine because you like a man on the cover?" Her giggle cuts through my thoughts, making me blush. "I haven't done that since high school."

"No, I bought the magazine because I ran into him twice within the past twenty-four hours. Each time he's said something strange to me, and he keeps staring at me as if I were someone he knew or . . . wanted to know." I am definitely feeling a little foolish.

Emily's eyes widen as she looks at the cover of the magazine. "You're saying this God-like man who is on the cover of Forbes magazine has hit on you not once but twice and you never bothered to mention this to me? Are you kidding me?" She's looking at me like I have three eyes.

"Well, I don't think he was hitting on me but . . . I don't know. Forget I said anything." I shake my head, still feeling foolish for bringing it up, let alone for purchasing the magazine. "It's not like I'll run into him again, anyway. I just think it's interesting that we crossed paths. Forget it. Let's just get back to work." I put my pastry coat on and head to the kitchen to check on the staff, and then make my way to the lobby, trying my damnedest to get those sexy blue eyes out of my head.

The day seems to creep by as my mind keeps drifting back to Liam, the man on the cover. "Do you see anything interesting?" That's what he asked. Not only did he say it, but he whispered it in my ear as if wanting to get a reaction out of me. What kind of reaction? Was he asking if I thought he were interesting? I hadn't even noticed the cover until he left. But that whisper . . . it sent chills down my spine and made my knees go weak.

Emily turns to me after we finish closing up shop. "Want to grab a glass of wine before heading home?"

"No, I think I'm just going to go home. I've got a few things I want to do before I go to bed." I actually want to go home so I can read the magazine article, but I don't tell her that.

Arriving at my single-story Manhattan apartment I toss my keys, purse and the magazine on the kitchen island before making my way to the bedroom. Kicking off my pumps in the closet, I make my way into the bathroom to start filling the bathtub with water. I love my bathtub. It's a porcelain Victorian Slipper Clawfoot tub with Imperial feet. I had the tub specifically picked out and delivered to the apartment when I bought the place six months ago. I had to order the faucet separately, which was designed to match the scalloped look of the Imperial feet.

My bathroom is my sanctuary. After a long hard day at work, I make it my nightly ritual to relax in my bathtub. It is the one moment of my day where I can cleanse the daily grind from my body and soul without interruption. I also got the best deal on my apartment. Apparently, the previous owners decided at the last minute that they needed to leave the country and to drop the price to the next available buyer would just be one less thing for them to deal with. Before I purchased the apartment, Emily and I shared one, where she currently lives, but I needed to move out. Not because I had too, but because it was time for me to get back up on my feet. As I said, Emily has helped me overcome some personal baggage and being on my own again was step one.

I drizzle in my favorite Cucumber Melon bath gel, into the water and make my way back to the kitchen for a glass of wine. Glancing at the magazine on the counter, I pick it up and head back to the bedroom to undress. I turn off the water and slide into the tub, leaning my head back to relax in the froth of bubbles. I take a few sips of wine before I pick up the magazine.

"Liam Hunter, Cofounder, President and CEO of Hunter Holdings." I stare at the picture for a moment, still in disbelief over what he said to me this morning at the coffee shop. I flip through the pages and start reading about the millionaire that has so recently become a fixture in my mind. There is a two-page spread that spoke about his company and his arrival into the realm of becoming one of the up and coming Fortune 500 millionaires. The article spoke of his inheritance, but it also mentions that he is one of the most-powerful men in the bond market industry at the moment. It also mentions his company has a real estate division that increased his net worth by one billion since last year due to rising values for apartments and commercial properties. The real estate portfolio for Hunter Holdings includes nearly one-hundred and fifty office properties, forty-five apartment communities, two restaurants and one hotel. It wasn't his inheritance that brought him to where he is today though. Receiving his Bachelors in Arts and Science and getting his Master's in Business from Duke University and a lot of hard work put him where he is. The article states that he is twenty-nine and single.

I put the magazine back down and reach for my glass of wine while laying my head back and closing my eyes. Soaking up the last bit of warmth in the water, I think back, remembering that spark that went through my veins when he handed me my lipstick the other day. The soft, sexy whisper in my ear the next day sent chills down my spine. I need to get a grip. This is completely insane. What would a man like that be doing with someone like me? Draining the bathtub and slipping into my hotel-soft bathrobe, I make my way to the kitchen to refill my glass of wine.

# Chapter 3

My sub-conscience got the better of me as I dress in a gray knee-length, tight-fitted pencil skirt and a cream silk blouse. I stare at myself in the mirror feeling good about myself, but something's missing. I put on my higher-than-usual heels and silver looped earrings to complete the look. My feet are going to regret it by the end of the day, but I want to put on a more desirable look just in case I run into the mysterious Liam Hunter again.

I sigh as the Barista calls my name. Liam is nowhere to be seen. I pick up my coffee and walk the couple of blocks to work, thinking about how foolish I was to try to dress and impress for a man I know nothing about; except for the fact that being around him makes me feel electrified. Who was I kidding?

"Wow, somebody is dressed to impress today," Emily says as she follows me into my office.

God can she read my mind? "No, just thought I'd dress the part of owner today."

"Bullshit! You dressed up for Mr. Hunk at the coffee shop didn't you?" She knows me so well.

"He wasn't there," I say grumbling, sounding pathetic.

"I knew it! Desiree, you clearly don't need to dress up to get noticed by the sexy millionaire. He was hitting on you before today. So, what happened? You got your courage worked up, but he wasn't getting his usual caffeine fix this morning?"

"Something like that," I grunt.

"Let's Google him." I don't like the cheerful tone in her voice.

"No, I'm not going to stalk the man. Come on, it was just a coincidence that I happened to run into a man that covered a global magazine. I'll never see him again."

She doesn't listen to a single word I say as she rounds my desk and starts typing on my laptop. "What's his name?"

"Fine . . ." I huff. "It's Liam Hunter." I sound exasperated, but I am still a bit curious.

"L-i-a-m H-u-n-t-e-r," Emily sounds out each syllable as she is typing. "Here we go. Wow! That's some serious man you got there."

"He's not my man!" Suddenly, my phone starts ringing. "Hello? Hey, Alex . . . sure, seven o'clock at Hoffman's Friday sounds fine. Yes, see you then." I close my eyes and hold my breath waiting for my best friend to scream at me.

"I'm not even going to acknowledge the conversation I just heard. You know my feeling towards Alex," she says as she walks out of my office; not giving me the satisfaction of trying to redeem myself.

"It's just dinner!" I yell, but she would not acknowledge me.

I sit at my desk and stare at Liam's picture on my computer screen. There is article after article of him embracing a different woman on his arm, attending different charitable events. Not one picture reflects the same woman. One article titled, "New York's Most Eligible Bachelor" has a picture of him by himself wearing a black tuxedo. Wow, is right. Way out of my league, I think and close the lid on my laptop. I need to get a grip here.

Friday came, and as I am walking into Hoffman's, I notice Alex right off the bat. I didn't want him to get any ideas about us. It's just dinner and dinner only. I know that he wants to get back together, so I don't want to lead him on any further than this dinner. He stands up and kisses my cheek. I immediately feel him linger a little too long so I quickly pull back not wanting to give him any ideas.

"It's nice to see you again, Desiree. You look beautiful." His eyes pierce me, making me flinch. Alex is a good looking man. A little shorter than I usually like but all-in-all he is an attractive man. He clearly has nothing on Liam though. Visually, they are two polar opposites. We had chemistry, but it was only in the sheets, and that was it. It was never going to work between us.

"Alex, it's nice to see you too. How are you?" I say while taking a seat opposite of him. We make small talk for a short period-of-time before Alex starts in on the "we" talk.

"Alex, there is no, we," I say using two fingers resembling quotation marks in the air as I said, we. "As we both agreed, this is just dinner and nothing else."

"Just thought I'd try. We were good together, Desiree."

I start to laugh, "No, we were not good together, Alex. Drop it, or I'll leave."

"Okay, okay I'll drop it. So, tell me how's the bakery doing?" I can hear the reluctance in his voice.

"The bakery is doing just fine," I say. I heard a lot of loud chattering in the restaurant, so I glance over Alex's shoulder to see a few businessmen talking amongst themselves. I turn back to Alex and immediately do a double take on the men behind him. The recognition is instantaneous. It is Liam, and he is staring directly at me. My face instantly flushes as our eyes lock.

"Desiree, are you okay? You look a little . . . dazed." Alex must have noticed the direction I was looking, so he turns around. "Do you know him?"

"Yes. No! I mean no, I don't know him." I don't know how to respond to Alex's question.

"Well, he seems to think he knows you. Not that I blame him. But, he's still staring at you," Alex says as he glances back at him again.

I harshly whisper to Alex, "Quit it, already. Quit looking back at him."

He sighs, sitting straighter in his seat with a look of defiance on his face. "Really, Desiree? You're going to flirt with a man while you're on a date with me?"

"I am not flirting with him, and this is not a date and you know it!" A growl grew behind my words, startling him. I couldn't stop shifting my eyes in Liam's direction, and yes, he is still staring at me with those damn smoldering blue eyes. I can feel my face reddening by the second. "Excuse me for a moment, Alex. I need to use the ladies' room." I take the white cloth napkin off my lap and sit it on the table as I stand.

"I'll order us a bottle of wine," Alex says as I walk away.

Staring into the mirror, I wash my hands with cool water and dab my forehead and cheeks as well. "This cannot be happening," I tell myself. I pull my phone out of my purse to send a quick text to Emily.

"He's here!"

Emily quickly responds, "Who's where?"

"Having dinner with Alex and the mysterious Liam is at another table staring at me!"

"O.M.G!" I could practically hear the shock and excitement in her response.

I shut my ringer off and throw my phone back in my purse. I know Emily will be jumping out of her skin while waiting for my reply, but I can't stay in the bathroom forever. I rest both hands on the granite sink countertop and lower my head. I need to calm down and quietly walk back to my table without looking in his direction. I lift my head, smooth out my skirt, straighten my blouse and freshen up my lipstick with my favorite color, Sassy Cinnamon. I open the bathroom door and nearly stumble to the floor when I see him leaning against the opposite wall. He wraps his arm around my waist to catch me before I make a complete fool of myself by falling.

"We meet again." His sexy voice stole my breath, making my heart stutter. He said nothing else, but kept his gaze on me and his arm around my waist. Oh my God, I need to get out of his grasp before I do something completely stupid, like lean into his chest and breathe in the sweet masculine smell that is emulating from his tall, muscular body; possibly even kiss those full lips.

"I'm sorry. I must have . . . tripped on something." My words come out slowly as I stare at his mouth. "You can let me go now." He slid his arm out from around my waist but not before slowly swiping his fingers across my lower back. Oh crap, I think as the sensation burns across my skin, making me want to melt into him. I tear my gaze away from his mouth, focusing my eyes on the wall right behind him.

"I need to go," I whisper.

"Yes, I suppose you should get back to your date." Even though his voice is soft, it still carries a heat that sets my blood on fire.

"Yes. No! He is not my date. Just a friend." Why did I just feel the urge to tell him that?

"Oh?" His voice is low and seductive. His mouth curls up in that sexy grin that I am sure he shows to every female that makes them weak in the knees. "What's your name?"

"Um, Desiree." I take a few steps back, hoping the distance would lessen my reaction to him.

"Desiree," he says slowly as if devouring each and every syllable. Oh my God, the way he says my name even makes me weak in the knees.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I must go." I have to break away from his hold. Turning around, I make my way back to Alex.

"What the heck took you so long?" Alex looks at my face and as quickly by my side. "Desiree, you don't look so well." He pulls out my chair for me to take a seat.

"I'm . . . I'm fine. I just need to sit for a minute," I say, feeling a little flush from my encounter with Liam.

"Maybe I should take you home."

"No, no I'm fine. Besides, you are not taking me home!" I glare at Alex, knowing that if he took me home he would try to work his way into my apartment. "Not happening," I tell him. I am feeling a little better now that I am able to concentrate my need to fight Alex off.

"Just worried about you is all."

"I'm fine, really."

Finishing our dinner and a bottle of wine, we chat more about what has been going on with work and life. It has been four months since Alex and I broke up. It was a mutual split, but once Alex realized I didn't just want a break for the weekend, he quickly tried to get back together with me. We're trying to be just friends now, or at least I am. Sometimes it seems like Alex has other plans. I manage to keep my eyes from looking in the direction of Liam, even though I can feel his eyes burning through me.

"Alex, I think I'm going to call it a night and head home. I appreciate you coming through with getting me my work supplies on such short notice," I say trying to stifle a fake yawn. I just need to get out of there and away from Liam. I am not sure what he wants from me, but he is definitely out of my league. I don't compare to any of those women in those pictures. I just need to get out of here and get home before I make a fool out of myself again. What am I thinking? But damn, those eyes, those hands, and those lips. I can't keep my eyes off those lips. His smile alone makes me weak.

"Okay, well, at least let me walk you home," Alex says as he begins to stand up, his voice sounding a little concerned.

"Really, Alex, I'm fine. Just a little tired is all. I'll call you in a couple days." With that said, I thank him for dinner, pick up my purse and head for the door. He walks with me before he proceeds to his car and leaves. I clutch my purse, take a deep breath of fresh air and begin walking home. I don't make it a block before a hand appears from behind me.
Chapter 4

"Apparently you have a habit of losing your lipstick, Desiree." Liam swings around me and continues to walk backwards as I keep my stride even with his.

"How did you get that?" My voice sounded harsher than I meant it to be.

"You dropped it when I caught you near the bathrooms. You know; it must be fate that we keep running into each other like this." A grin flashes across his face, drawing my attention to his mouth.

I clear my throat, trying to take my gaze away from his lips. "Fate? What are you trying to say Mr. Hunter?"

His mouth curves up into a grin. "I see you know who I am. I'm flattered." Damn that sexy smile of his.

I need to dig my way out of this hole. Shit! "The magazine from the coffee shop; when you asked me if I noticed anything interesting. Clearly it was you, was it not?" I stop dead in my tracks and face him head on, trying my best to look calm and collected when I am feeling anything but.

Liam stops as well, the grin still firmly in place and wreaking havoc on my nerves. "It was me. Come; let me take you to where you need to go." He reaches for my hand, but I don't take it. Suddenly, a black town car pulls up beside us, momentarily startling me.

"I don't know you. Besides, I don't live far. I can manage on my own." I try not to sound defensive but really? Does he want me to hop in a car with him? I don't care if he is the best kind of sexy, or if part of me is chomping at-the-bit to go with him, it still seems wrong.

"Have dinner with me. Then you can get to know me."

"No! I mean, I can't." He's so out of my league. What is he doing?

"Why not? I won't bite." He sounds almost hurt, and I feel myself waver. Then his eyes turn a darker shade of blue, almost black. They seem to burn into me, through me. "Unless, you want me too."

My mouth drops open; I am too stunned to speak. He lifts my chin with one finger, leaving our faces mere inches apart. My heart races as his eyes slowly drop to my mouth. I want to kiss those lips of his.

"Dinner. Tomorrow night. Seven o'clock. I'll pick you up outside the coffee shop." He is inside the black town car before I have a chance to protest, and in a moment, he is gone.

I lean back against a brick building to hold my balance as my legs shake beneath me. I can barely stand as traces of his heat, burn into me from that small caress. I manage to pull my phone out of my purse to text Emily to tell her to meet me at my place in ten minutes with a bottle of wine.

Her response is immediate. "I have been on pins and needles waiting to hear back from you. I'll be over in a flash."

She shows up right on time with a bottle of wine in-hand, coming through my front door like a bat out of hell. "Tell me everything!" She can barely keep her enthusiasm under control.

I tell her the whole story, not leaving anything out. Every detail. I did not want to go on this date, but I know without a doubt that Emily would not let me avoid it. I wonder if that is why I want her here when my nerves are so frayed, so there won't be a way I could back out.

"Are you serious?" Her excitement bubbles over, making her bounce up and down on my couch. "He seriously said he wouldn't bite unless you wanted him too?" She throws her head back and laughs, clearly having fun at my expense.

I frown, her levity making my irritation rise. "Emily, are you listening to me? The magazine said he is one of the most-powerful businessmen out there right now; not to mention one of the most-eligible men too. Women, I'm sure, flock to him. What does he want with me?"

She flashes me a puzzled look. "What wouldn't he want from you, Desiree? My God, you're gorgeous! He would be lucky to have a woman like you on his arm." She is a good friend and someone I can count on when I need her, but at the moment I think she is delusional.

"Emily, that's just it though. I don't want to be just another woman on anyone's arm. All those pictures of him on the Internet showing him with a different woman at every event. What if he just wants to take me to dinner just to expect a roll in the hay afterwards? After all those women? I can't hold a candle next to them." Panic, mixed with a healthy dose of desire, burns through me. Emily sits back, a dreamy look on her face.

"Hmm, a roll in the hay with that guy? Can I go on the date?"

"Emily!" I laugh along with her. "Okay, I will go but only if you come over tomorrow and help me get ready."

"Deal," Emily says, giving me a hug. "I'm gonna take off now. I told Will I'd stop by on my way home. I'll come back here tomorrow, say around . . . two o'clock?"

"Two sounds great, thanks Em." I put the empty bottle of wine in the trash and the two wine glasses in the sink after she left. Walking to my bedroom, I slip on my nightie and sink into my bed. I pull my large body pillow against me and try to fall asleep. With practically a full bottle of wine in my system, you'd think that falling asleep wouldn't be an issue, but clearly it is.

All I keep thinking about is tall, dark, and handsome. I just know that I will do something completely embarrassing tomorrow night. His thick dark wavy hair, broad shoulders, long legs, the bluest eyes and not to mention that mouth of his. My God, those lips are so damn kissable. My legs get weak just thinking about them. This is not going to be good. I just need to get some rest, or I'll be yawning tomorrow night and that will be a definite turn off.

Not that I want to turn him on. He clearly has enough women in his life to keep him company. "One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four sheep," I say out loud, trying to put myself to sleep. "Not working, ugh!"

Eight am came way too early. Frustrated, I roll over and hug my body pillow, resting my eyes for another hour. Groaning, I get up and thank God for my Keurig—the perfectly brewed cup of coffee in a moment's notice. I am not sure why I always end up at the coffee shop on my way to work. But honestly, I know what it is. The Pumpkin Spice latte is my one guilty pleasure.

Slumming around my apartment in my nightie; a headache grows as I search my closet for something to wear tonight. I have nothing. Sure, my walk-in closet is packed to the gills with stuff, but there is nothing I can imagine wearing on a date with Mister Rich. I need to go shopping. Calling Emily, I tell her to meet me at noon at the Manhattan Mall. She agrees without hesitation. She is more into this date than I am. I throw on some sweats and a t-shirt, slip on my flip flops and head out the door.

I walk into the food court to meet up with Emily, and we grab a bite to eat before venturing off on our shopping excursion. I eat a Caesar salad and drink a bottle of water. Emily orders Chinese food. That is one good thing about eating at the mall; you can always choose what you want. Cleaning our table, we make our way to some of the department stores, trying on numerous dresses until we find the right one.

"I don't even know where we're going. How do I know what to wear?" I ask Emily.

"Well, I'm sure wherever it is; it'll be nice, so we need to dress you into something gorgeous. Maybe even something sexy," Emily chants as she held up two different dresses.

One of the dresses has a halter style top that is slim-fitting, its length stopping at my knees. It's cream colored with a line of sequins along the top hem of the halter. The second dress is black. Also, knee length and slim-fitting but the top has a V-neck with cupped sleeves. Both of the dresses are elegant and will fit-in with any nice restaurant he takes me too. I decide to go with the cream colored dress because I think it would be a nice contrast with my long honey-brown hair, but I also decide to purchase a shawl to cover my shoulders.

Nervousness fills me, making me have second thoughts about the dress. "Do you think it's too dressy?"

She looks at me like I'd lost my mind. I'm starting to feel like I am. "Desiree, are you kidding me? He's not going to be taking you to a drive-thru or even a place like Hoffman's. Trust me; you are going to knock his socks off. You'll look gorgeous!"

"Thanks Emily, I'm not sure what I would do without you."

"And you won't have to. But, you have to promise to call me with all the juicy details." I can't help but smile at her cheerfulness as she grabs her purse.

"Deal," I say, giving her a hug before we both go our separate ways.

# Chapter 5

I'm getting ready for the big date. I make soft flowing curls in my hair and pull the sides of my hair back and clasp it with a silver clip. I make a gas fog in the bathroom as I spray hairspray on to keep the curls from falling out too fast. Now that my make-up is on, I stay in my bathrobe till it's almost time to leave. I go to the kitchen and pour myself a half glass of wine to calm my nerves then head to the living room to relax for a few minutes before it is time to get dressed and go.

It's six o'clock, so I decide to walk back to my bedroom to put on my new dress. It fits like a glove. I stand in front of the mirror to evaluate myself. I try on a silver necklace but quickly realize that the sequin will do just fine, so I remove it. I pull on a simple thin silver bracelet and silver strappy heels that match perfectly. I put on the shawl that I bought earlier today, then I walk back to the mirror to reevaluate my look; pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. I let out a little giggle at my internal reference. Just then I hear a knock at my front door, and my heart immediately starts racing at the thought of seeing Liam. It can't be him. I hadn't given him my apartment number. I walk out to the living room and hear Emily pounding on the door. Relieved, I rush out of my bedroom to open the door to find Emily standing with her jaw practically hanging on the floor.

"Oh my, Desiree! You are going to give him a heart attack. Come, do a one-eighty for me. Oh Desiree, you are beautiful. I just had to see you before you left."

"Well, since you're here you can walk with me to the coffee shop. That's where we're supposed to meet," I say as I pull my long black coat out from the hall closet. We walk out of my apartment building and down two blocks to the coffee shop. "Emily, my knees have not stopped shaking all the way over here. What am I thinking? He is so out of my league. Why would he want to go out with me?" I look at Emily with regret in my voice.

Emily gently situates her hands on my shoulders and in a calm voice she says, "Desiree you're going to do fine. Everything will be fine. You look gorgeous. Like I said, you are going to knock his socks off. Here, give me that coat so that he can see how gorgeous you are underneath."

Just as she takes a step back from me with my coat in-hand, a black limousine pulls up. My heart is racing. It might just pound right out of my chest. The driver steps out, walks to the rear door and opens it. Right then in front of my eyes exits the most-gorgeous site I have ever seen emerging from the back seat. Just as Emily had said, he looks more than just pleased to see me. Liam's jaw falls wide open. I feel weak in the knees, so I grab Emily's arm to steady myself.

His words are heart-felt as he says, "Wow, you look absolutely stunning. Not that you weren't before, but you look absolutely gorgeous." Liam is clearly taken aback by my appearance, and I have to say, the flattery is a definite turn on. I'm sure he says that to all the women he dates but none-the-less it is nice to hear; more than nice.

"You clean up quite well yourself," I say with a smile. I turn to Emily whom I almost forgot is standing next to me. I do a quick introduction then I mouth the words, "thank you" to her. I turn back to Liam, who is holding out his hand for me to take. I resist for a moment staring at his strong masculine hand before I gently take it. Liam jerks his arm slightly as I touch him, and his eyes become wide. He quickly looks down darting his eyes to our now conjoined hands. I'm hoping he felt the same electric current shoot through his body as it did mine. We both stare at each other for a moment with puzzled looks on our faces. He lifts our hands to guide me first into the back seat of the car before he slides in right next to me. Then the chauffeur shuts the door, and we're off. Chauffer? I guess that is what you would call him.

The drive is a little awkward as Liam seems a little preoccupied. I ask where we're going, but he glances at me from the corner of his eye and says it's a surprise. Trying to break the silence, I ask, "Am I at least wearing the appropriate clothes to where we're going? I wasn't sure how to dress."

"Desiree, you are absolutely gorgeous. No worries." He gives me no hints to our planned date. Twenty minutes later we arrive at the 79th Street Boat Basin. It's where some of the rich and famous dock their boats. Or, should I say, yachts?

I give him one of my playful smiles and ask, "You're taking me fishing?"

Suddenly, the sound of his deep sultry laugh made me want to hear more. "No, we are taking my yacht out for the evening." His eyes graze over me as if he has something in mind makes my heart sink. On one hand, I can't wait to find out what he has in store and on the other... I am scared to death.

Just then Liam's door opens, and he steps out. He stands at the door and offers his hand once again for me to take. Raising my hand to meet his, I grasp hold and step out. My tight-fitting dress shimmy's up my thigh giving him a clear view of my legs. I hear a deep growl, so I quickly stand pulling my arm back to smooth out my dress. He looks into my eyes, and I feel my cheeks redden. I lower my head to try and hide my embarrassment. With two fingers he lifts my chin, leans down, and gently lingers a kiss on my cheek. I lose all train of thought, and my legs suddenly do not feel like cooperating. He tugs on my hand, and we walk down the dock leading to where the yachts dock. We stop at the fourth one on the left. We stand for a moment as I try to compose myself once again. It's beautiful and enormous. It has to be at least a hundred feet. Liam leads me to the side of the big boat as we step up onto the ramp. Without taking his hand from mine, he walks me up the short distance. I moderately raise my skirt so that I can walk the slightly raised ramp in comfort. He turns back, and I see that grin on his face again. He lets out another small but silent growl. It is faint, but I still hear it.

He leads me to the front of the yacht and turns me around to face the bow. He tenderly slides my shawl off my shoulders, takes my clutch, and lays them both on the padded bench that wraps around the whole front of the large boat. Being July, the night is warm, so I do not need my shawl. I turn to look at my surroundings, and I feel his soft touch on each of my shoulders and I stiffen. How am I going to make it through this evening if he touches me like this? I think to myself.

Liam leans forward, and I feel his front press against my back. He whispers in my ear, "Stay right here. I'll be back in a moment." With that, he slowly slides his hands from my shoulders but not before he makes a gentle squeeze.

I'm left feeling weak in the knees. My heart is pounding out of my chest. I gather myself together before I make my way to the front of the yacht. I look at the beautiful lights of the city surrounding us. All the colors are being reflected into the water. "It's absolutely breathtaking," I say out loud to myself.

"Yes, you are." Startled, I turn around to see Liam holding two glasses of red wine. He reaches out to hand me one. "I've also instructed the Captain to leave the dock so we'll be taking off shortly. Not far, just a slow cruise around Manhattan and New York City." Just then I hear the engines turn on. It's quite silent I must say; more of a humming noise. Not what I expected at all. "The chef is also preparing a Tapas style menu. I hope you're into sharing . . . your food that is."

He is now staring into my eyes. Trying to gauge my reaction, I'd assume. "I have no problems with sharing . . . my food that is." I try to maintain an even toned voice. I want him to know that I do not share my men but since this is only our first date, and probably our last, I won't make a spectacle of myself by saying such a thing. I'm not sure where he thinks this date is heading, but I'm not into the 'bag 'em and leave 'em type.' I try to make the mood lighter somewhat by asking him random date-like questions, but it's hard when he keeps those mind-melting blue eyes on me. I look away and stare at the lights bouncing off the water.

Suddenly, his hand is on my lower back. "Come, and let me show you around while our food is being prepared."

He is guiding me to the rear of this big boat and into the main hall. It appears to be the main entertaining room consisting of a dining area, bar, and dance floor. The walls are nothing but windows that provide endless views of the city. The lights emulating from the city are casting beautiful colors onto the rippling water. The ceiling has crown molding with hidden lights that accentuate a romantic feeling. It only adds to my suspicion of what is going to go down this evening.

The wooden dance floor is sunken by two more steps giving it its own private space. The dining area is gorgeous with a rectangular dark cherry wood table that would seat ten. Below the windows is an elegant bench with a cream colored fabric that encompasses the whole of the room on both sides. Once again, I am in awe of such beauty. I try not to show my reverence, but it's hard not to. I am at a loss-for-words. Is this how he seduces all his women? I need to maintain my equanimity. I am not falling for this man. I've been hurt too many times to let it happen again. Besides, if he were ever to know my past, he'd be running for the hills. Emily is the only one that knows the real truth, and I plan on keeping it that way. I slowly walk around the large room taking it all in.

Once again his eyes are gauging my reaction. After a few moments, he walks over to me and in a low seductive voice he says, "Come, and let me show you more." Taking my hand, he leads me down a spiral staircase. His arm is now trailing behind his back not letting go of our laced fingers. His sweet demeanor is making it hard for me to steady myself down the stairs. I try to hold on to the railing with my other hand, but I still stumble on the last step. And once again, I am steadily wrapped around the waist by his strong muscular arms. "Are you okay?" His voice is sexy but filled with concern. Concern? Not something I am expecting. For what seems like minutes has now passed, I'm sure it has only been a matter of seconds. His muscular arms still linger around my waist; his full gaze into my eyes and then my lips. My eyes once again drift to his beautiful mouth.

I bow my head, so he doesn't see my face blush. "Yes, sorry I guess I should be using both hands to hold onto the railing next time."

"Next time," is all he says. Desire fills his statement. How do I know? Because, the sound of his voice has completely made me weak, and everything in me wants to melt right now.

I look up at him trying to regain some composure. "You sound so sure of yourself, Mr. Hunter. What makes you think there will be a next time?" I'm not sure why I'm so blunt, I guess my nerves are getting the best of me.

His smirk at my comment caught me off guard. It's clear that my bluntness does not waver him. "I am only repeating your words."

"Your're right, I did say it but I merely meant as we retreat back upstairs," I counter back.

"Are you saying you do not want there to be a next time, Ms.?" He draws out the 'Ms.'

"It's Ms. Parker and that all depends on what you are looking for from me. I have to be honest with you. The tabloids show quite a colorful array of different women in your arms Mr. Hunter. Do you not stick to just one woman?"

"I haven't found the right woman yet. Doesn't make me a bad person."

I don't say anything else. I turn to look around the room, and it appears to be his private living area. The living room is much bigger than I would have expected. It's cozy. It has a tan suede overstuffed couch facing a wall with a very large television. It has a private dining area and bar. The walls line with tons of elegant wood cabinets and shelving. It's a comfortable looking room, and I could tell that traveling on this yacht would be very relaxing. I can see a private bedroom down the end of the yacht, but I don't walk over to it. I can tell it probably has a king size bed with elegant earth tone colors displayed throughout the room. I can also see what looks to be a private balcony straight off the master bedroom.

I finally turn back to Liam, who has been quiet. "It's gorgeous; do you travel much on your yacht?"

"Some, but not as much as I would like. It's not as exciting as it looks when you're by yourself." He turns away as if not wanting me to see his reaction to his own comment.

I wonder why he hasn't had a companion to travel with. Clearly, he can have any woman he wants.

"Come, dinner should be ready."

He reaches for my hand, but I reject it. "I think I should use both hands this time." With that said, he flashes a small sexy grin on that beautiful face of his. He holds out his arm directing me to the spiral staircase, gesturing me to go first. Damn, I say in my head. I don't want him walking behind me watching my ass walk up those stairs. Or, do I? All of this confuses me.

We reach the dining area on the main floor. Apparently, someone was here when we were downstairs. An elegant table is set for two. Candles are lit and not just on the table. Candles are everywhere. Once again, I am in awe of the beauty at how this room is transformed. The lighting is still on, but it clearly has been dimmed. There is background music, and it's one of my favorite singers, Michael Buble. There must be at least six or seven different kinds of foods on the table, and they all look so yummy. A gentleman enters the room. The chef I'd presume. He explains what each dish is. Each plate consists of four items on each. There are skewered chicken bites, beef tenderloin, fried calamari, salmon and several kinds of sushi rolls and sashimi. Liam pulls my seat out for me, and I sit. We still have our wine, but a new bottle has been left for us on the table. We each take a few items and put them on our plates. I first try the salmon and calamari.

"Mmm, this is delicious!" I say as I draw out each word. Somehow, sharing items tapas style is very sensual. Or, it could be just the company; because I can't imagine sharing food like this with someone who might have stained black greasy fingers. It might be a turn off.

"So Ms. Parker, what will convince you to think otherwise of me? You make it sound like I'm a womanizer," Liam says in a calm but curious manner.

I'm trying to think of the best-possible way to put this without having him think I've been Googling him on the internet. "Well, I guess it has to do with the way the media portrays you. Every picture they publish shows you with a different woman on your arm at all the charitable events that you attend. Has there not been any one steady woman in your life? You never did answer me."

Liam is poking at the food on his plate and doesn't look up at me when he says, "I think the media likes to portray only the worst in people. I'll be honest with you. I have been with a few women, and I have been in some short term relationships. But, I have never led anybody on. I am always upfront with what I expect from them, and they in-turn know what to expect from me. Just because I attend these events does not mean I sleep with them either."

Picking up my chopsticks, I clasp onto a sushi roll that I believe the chef called a sexy dragon. Before sliding the delectable roll into my mouth, I daringly ask, "What is it you expect from me, Mr. Hunter?"

"Let's just see where the night takes us Ms. Parker, shall we?" The slight smirk on his face melts my insides.

"Deal," I manage to mutter. We end up talking more throughout the evening about our lives. I tell him that I am a pastry chef and about my company. I tell him that Emily and I are business partners and how we became friends at pastry school. Liam tells me about his company and his friends. He doesn't mention anything about his family. Maybe he doesn't have any. He seems pretty vague as if he is intentionally leaving something out, but I don't press. I'm sure a man with his power and stresses have many secrets. We finish dinner, and Liam refills our wine glasses. The music is still playing. The next song that comes on is, 'How Does It Feel' by D'Angelo. It's a slow, sexy song and even sexier song to dance to. He must see my physical response because those sweet lips of his curl up into an irresistible grin.

He stands, holds out his hand and says in the most-seductive voice, "Dance with me, Desiree." I look up into his blue eyes, and reach my arm out to lay the palm of my hand onto his. He leads me onto the wooden dance floor. Pulling me close, my body stiffens but my knees go weak as they always seem to do when I am near him. He lowers his head and gently lays his cheek against the side of my head. His mouth close to my ear. His soft, warm breath sends chills up and down my spine. He whispers, "Relax, Desiree." I try to loosen up, but the scent of his cologne and his breathing in my ear is so distracting. Just when I finally relax he pulls me closer to where our bodies mold into one. I can feel his hard chest against mine. I can tell he takes good care of his body. My muscles go limp, and his arm tightens around my waist as if he knows he has to hold me up. If he were to let go, I'm sure I would fall into a heaping mess onto the floor. "I want to see you again, Desiree." It isn't a question and nor would he probably let me try to get out of it again. Not that I want to.

It is unexpected when I whisper, "I'd like to see you again, too." Oh man, what have I done? I told myself I would not fall for this. In all of a matter of seconds and not realizing what is happening, Liam lowers his head and kisses my lips.

It's more than just my buckling knees now; my whole body immediately goes frail. He grabs my waist even tighter to hold me up. Suddenly, his lips are trailing down my cheek and neck. I can barely breathe. A moan accidentally seeps out from my throat. I can't help but feel the pleasure; it feels so good. Without thinking I lift my leg up, slide it up and around his calf and the kisses get more demanding by the second, and not only on his part. He grabs my upper thigh and slowly slides it further up his leg, resulting in the hem of my dress easing its way up my thigh as well. What am I doing? This is so not like me. I drop my leg, and he brings both of his hands up to cup my cheeks and returns to kissing my mouth. I part my lips, and he sweeps his soft tongue into my mouth. I've got to stop this before it gets any further. I hastily pull back, and I press my hands flat against his chest. I need to break away from his embrace. I nervously bite my lower lip, and as I start to taste the copper tang of blood, Liam looks down at my mouth and I abruptly stop. Ever since the incident years ago, biting my lower lip has been my nervous twitch when I begin to panic. He doesn't say anything though.

"I'm sorry. I've got to go. Please take me home." The words are unexpected, and I can sense the confusion in his face.

"Why, Desiree?"

"Like I said, I'm sorry, but . . . this isn't me . . . I don't do this." For so many reasons tonight, I cannot seem to control my actions when I am around this man.

"What are you sorry for? You seem to be attracted to me, and I am clearly attracted to you."

"You caught me off guard is all. This whole evening has caught me off guard. Not to mention the whole week." My voice escalates, and I cannot seem to look him in the eyes. "I just need to go. Can you please take me home?"

"Yes, of course. On one condition, that you agree to see me again. I need to see you again." His words sound desperate. Why does he need to see me again? I don't understand what he sees in me.

I look up into his pleading face, "Deal," is all I can come up with. Like we've just made some sort of transaction. His grin tells me that he is satisfied with my short answer.

My mind just does not seem to function properly when I am around him. With that, he gently grabs my hand and kisses my open palm. We proceed to the deck to retrieve my shawl and clutch. The yacht must have docked while we were dancing. We walk down the boat ramp and onto the wooden planks that lead us to the limousine that pulls up just as we get closer. He holds my hand as we walk to the vehicle. The driver appears and opens our door as I am led first into the backseat. Liam enters the limo after me and sits right next to me. Our thighs are practically touching each other. I can feel the warmth radiate from his body. He is still holding my hand as it rests on his upper thigh. I glance down at our conjoined fingers and back up into his face. He looks as if this is the most-natural thing. He looks so confident, and I feel like my nerves have gotten the best of me. I can't shake this feeling . . . like I'm setting myself up to walk the plank. I give him directions to my apartment. We arrive within fifteen minutes. The driver parks at the curb but does not get out. Liam must have given him a signal to not get out yet. His grasp on my hand tightens as if not wanting me to leave, but he does not say a word.

My heart is beating fast. I'm not sure what to do. I'm not even sure if I want to let go of his hand. I whisper his name, "Liam . . ." It's all I can manage to say. He suddenly swoops in for one last desperate, mind-blowing kiss. I don't pull away. I accept the kiss and giveback just as much force as he gives. Without letting go of each other, I turn my body to face him. One of his hands is on my lower back, and the other is on the nape of my neck pulling me close to his warm body. Suddenly, he swoops me up and sets me in his lap; legs dangling to the side. I am being cradled in his arms. He doesn't seem to want to let me go, but my body doesn't seem to be fighting him off either.

He pulls back and says, "I have to go out of town till Wednesday, but I want to see you when I return."

"Wednesday? You want to see me on Wednesday?" I ask, and he nods.

"I will send for you. Six o'clock." It's not a question rather a demand, and I nervously nod my head in acceptance. He gives me his private number, and I give him mine in exchange. My door opens, and I step out into the warm night.

I stand for a moment and watch the black limousine drive off. I walk through the lobby of my apartment building and notice a flash from behind one of the pillars. Suddenly, a young man is running from the lobby and out onto the sidewalk. Strange but I think nothing of it.

# Chapter 6

I make my way to the elevator while pulling my phone out from my purse to text Emily.

"I'm home now."

Emily's response is quick. "I'm on my way over."

I can predict that her excitement will be uncontainable when she arrives. Within minutes, she is at my doorstep.

"Okay, now spill! Don't leave anything out." Her eyes are wide and full of questions. She gives me no time to answer. "Come on, don't leave me hanging!"

"It was . . . it was unreal." Here I thought Emily was going to be the one to not contain her emotions. My feelings, when it comes to Liam, apparently come out full force. "We boarded his private yacht and sailed around Manhattan and New York City. I mean; I walked into this date with the full intention of not letting him get close to me but . . . I failed. I don't know what came over me, Emily." I tell my best friend everything. "Em, am I crazy for letting it get this far? Should I not see him again? I'm only going to get hurt, right?"

Emily knows my concern, but she still sounds exasperated at my words. "Desiree, it was a kiss. Well, a big, long, fat kiss but so what! If it were any normal non-rich guy then, you wouldn't be second guessing yourself, right?"

"I guess." So many things are going through my head right now. "I had a good time; I guess. The passion...the passion is certainly there." I let out a giggle. "This is crazy, but you're right, I guess I'm just over reacting."

"Desiree, I get why you're concerned, and you have every right to be, but you can't let the past ruin your life. It's time." Emily is holding me at arm's length by each of my shoulders. I nod as I accept her words. She's right; I cannot let my past predict my future.

~~~

Monday morning I walk to my usual coffee shop and get my favorite morning fix. Pumpkin Spice Latte with whip cream. I wear nothing special since I know I will not be running into Liam. I am waiting for my coffee as I look through some of the merchandise for sale on a small shelf. I keep noticing stares, and it also appears that people are chatting with one another and making strange glances in my direction. I smile politely.

A woman probably in her early thirties walks over to me and shows me the front page of the local newspaper. Excuse me ma'am, but is this you?" she asks. I look at the newspaper that she holds in front of me. My jaw drops and once again I am caught off guard. There are two photos side-by-side. One of me in my new cream halter top dress. I'm walking through the lobby of my apartment building. I was clearly caught off guard when this photo was taken. That must have been that flash I saw when that young man ran out of my building, a tabloid photographer. The other photo is of Liam. It looks to be one of his head shots used mainly in business publications. The caption over both photos reads, "Is Manhattan's Sexiest Bachelor Taken off the Market?" I stare at the newspaper, shaking my head, trying not to lead on that yes; I am the girl in the photo. She doesn't seem to believe me though. "Are you sure? She looks just like you," the woman asks.

I hear my name being called by the barista. I hand the woman back her paper, grab my coffee, and immediately leave. I walk fast to my bakery, trying to gather what in the heck just happened. People are everywhere; lines and lines of people consume the bakery. I look around in disbelief as Emily pulls me into my office.

"Desiree, I wanted to call you earlier but by the time I was able to make my way through all the people . . . Des, they're asking question after question. Did you see the paper?" Her voice is frantic.

I sigh. "Yes, a woman at the coffee shop showed me. What am I going to do? I don't want this. I can't have this. What if the newspaper reveals . . . I haven't told Liam . . . what am I going . . ."

Emily cuts me off mid-sentence, "It's okay Desiree. He's gone, and he can't hurt you anymore. It's the past. At some point, you will have to tell Liam though if you continue to keep seeing him." Emily is reassuring my already shaken body. Now she tries to divert the conversation elsewhere. "The good news is sales are up. The bad news . . . you might have to call Alex again if we keep selling this much. Our current distributor is still having issues. We might have to switch altogether." Emily sounds both excited and annoyed. She doesn't want me involved with Alex again.

I peek out of my office and glance down to the lobby. "Maybe it'll die down tomorrow. I'll call the distributor to make some arrangements. Maybe they can comp us on some products if we keep them. I'll call Alex to help with our immediate needs though." My cell phone is beeping, indicating that I have a text. I pick it up and notice it's from Liam.

His text reads, "I'm sure you've seen the papers. Desiree, I'm sorry. I'll make this up to you."

I don't know how to reply to his text, so I don't. This is so out of my element. I don't want any of this. I don't even have time to think of a response, so I put my phone back down on my desk and make my way to the kitchen. My staff fills me in on what we are low on and what we have already run out of. I make the decision to call all available staff in and just start baking non-stop. I guess Emily is right; the good news is . . . sales are up. This is not my idea of ramping up sales though. Being fortunate enough eighteen months ago for having this great space open up for my shop was beyond exciting. I somehow scored a killer deal on the space. For some unknown reason, the lease had suddenly dropped half the price after I put a bid on it. Any normal person would have been skeptical and walked away, but I didn't. I went out on a limb and took it anyways. It seemed like a dumb idea at the time, but I was bound and determined to make it work. It was my dream to own my own bakery. Clearly it worked out. The shop has been open now for nearly eighteen months. Being in the heart of Manhattan gave us the best exposure too. Advertising was not a budget we had to invest in. Thank God, because I didn't have money for expenses.

It's nine o'clock Monday night, and I am just saying goodnight to my staff. I owe them big time. They really pulled through for me today. We sold enough pastries that we normally would project out for a week. Not to mention, the retail merchandise that once lined the shelves. I will have to call those distributors tomorrow to see if we can refill with more products. If tomorrow is just as busy as today hopefully, we should have enough pastries ready for the crowd. Emily and I close up shop, and we both walk on the sidewalk carrying our shoes in-hand. The day was busy, and we want nothing more than to just go to our respective apartments and soak in warm bubble baths.

I lie in my bubble bath relaxing with a glass of red wine. Just then, I realize I have not had a chance to respond to Liam's text from this morning. Let alone think about him. This is probably a good thing. My loyal customers came in today whom I've gotten to know over the past year, and a half from when I opened my shop, and all of them had a million questions. But honestly, I was too busy dealing with the panic of the pastry shortage to give them any attention. I either just nod my way through it, or I completely shrug off the possibility of that being me in the photo. Clearly, they all know it is me though as the pastry business doesn't normally quadruple in sales in just one day. Unless, like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a golden ticket were stuffed into one of the pastries. Once again, my day is completely caught off guard.

I towel off, wrapping my big fluffy hotel style bathrobe around me, and head to the kitchen, grabbing my purse and phone from the counter. I have not looked at my phone all day. Three unread texts and twelve missed calls. Two of the texts are from Liam, and one is from my twin sister, Gabriella. The majority of the missed calls are from my mom, Gabriella, Alex and one from Liam.

I listen to the messages from my mom and Gabriella, and they are both asking the same question, "What is going on? Call me!" Each message sounding more agitated. The message from Alex is pretty much the same question, but he sounds more protective or jealous. I'm not sure which one. I send them all a quick text telling them that it's late, but I will call them tomorrow and that there is no need to worry.

I then read the two texts from Liam. I start to feel bad for not getting back to him sooner. He apologizes for the unwarranted intrusion from the paparazzi. I'm not sure how he would know about the paparazzi invading my shop. Listening to his voice message is tough though. It's a plea to not pay any attention to the press, and he says he will make it up to me on Wednesday evening. His voice is strong and sexy, but still laced with concern, for me. I truly don't know what to do. I'm just not sure what to say to him. I decide to not text him back tonight and head straight to bed. Exhaustion has taken over.

# Chapter 7

Tuesday turns out to be a repeat of Monday. Luckily, the staff and I planned accordingly, so we make it through the day with no major catastrophes. I call my mom and Gabriella on my way to work. I explain the whole story, but it still doesn't seem to ease my mom's mind. She is on the brink of losing it. Raising a set of twins as a single mom was never easy on her. She did everything she could to make sure Gabriella and I had everything we could want. She's just scared for me, but I assure her that this is just one date and nothing more. Gabriella, on the other hand, can sense my fear. I tell her the same thing I told Mom, but I don't think she believes me. It's just that Gabriella and I have never seen eye-to-eye when it comes to boys. She is always a free-spirit and always goes after what she wants. I, on the other hand, am always more cautious. I am always afraid of getting hurt. Maybe it has something to do with not having our dad in the picture; I don't know. Honestly, I know what it is but that's just something that I am still coming to grips with. I never told Gabriella the real story, and I'm not sure if I'm ever going to. I'll wait to call Alex. It's nice to hear him worry but I don't want him to play the jealous ex-boyfriend card. This has nothing to do with him, but I guess I better make amends if I need him and his pastry distribution company to help me out.

By the time I get to work on Wednesday there is a huge bouquet of flowers on my desk. They're from Liam. The card reads, "Please accept my apology. Tonight, six o'clock." I send a single text back saying, "Thank you for the flowers." I am still not sure what to do about him. I don't think I want to pursue this. It's not because I don't want to see and touch that gorgeous body of his, his thick dark wavy hair. The smell of his cologne, alone, sets me off edge. Those intense blue eyes and that mouth, those lips . . . it's all too much. I just don't see what he wants from me. My breath is taken away by just thinking about him. He can clearly have any woman he wants and probably has, so why me?

Wednesday ends up being another rendition of Monday and Tuesday but a little more toned down. I send a text to Liam at five o'clock saying, "I'm sorry, I can't do this."

I decide to call Alex to meet me for dinner so I can be out of the apartment just in case Liam decides to show up. I'd rather meet up with Emily, but she has plans with Will. Alex seems all too delighted to receive my call and has agreed to meet me for dinner. I know I will have to explain things to him more, but this will at least get me out of the apartment for now. My phone immediately rings after I hang up with Alex. I look at the incoming call. It's Liam, but I don't answer it. Once I hear his voice, I know that I will change my mind, so I don't answer it. I wash up, quickly change clothes, and leave to meet Alex. I'm wearing my knee length floral sundress. It's a flattering tank top style A frame dress that will give me what I need to achieve from Alex. With business being at an all-time high, I need to make sure the bakery has enough products and Alex's distribution company has just what we need, and we need it fast. I put on my three-inch heels and head out the door. I throw my hair into a loose ponytail. Dashing out of the lobby, I nod at the doorman who has asked me if I need a taxi. I step out onto the sidewalk and am able to hop right in one. This is highly unusual in Manhattan. I give the name of the restaurant to the driver and he politely nods and smiles. I think nothing of it until we pass the restaurant. I lean forward to say something when he hands me a note.

Looking confused, I read the note. "Are you kidding me?" Liam has already sidestepped someone . . . I'm not sure who; my doorman, the taxi driver, me . . . all of the above. The note reads, "Once again, please accept my apology but I must see you." I ask the taxi driver where he is taking me.

He looks in his rear view mirror and says, "Mi Dulce Angel, Ms. Parker."

"What is that?" My perturbed voice tells him that I am not happy. How does he know my name? Am I being abducted? My body begins to shake, and I feel like I want to faint.

"It's Mr. Hunter's home, ma'am," the driver says.

Oh hell no! This is not happening. Just then, we pull into a private parking garage. The driver speaks into an intercom, and the gates open up. The car comes to a stop, and a tall, large man with dark sunglasses greets me as he opens my door. "This way, Ms. Parker." I glance at him perplexed as to how everybody seems to know my name. I am led to an elevator. We enter the cart and proceed to the penthouse suite. Once we reach the top, I step out of the elevator where I am lead directly into a spacious, yet gorgeous oval foyer. It's beautiful. The floor is made of white marble with black swirly streaks in it. A large round wooden table acts as the centerpiece for the room. A huge vase with the most-beautiful irises centers the table.

The door opens, and out he walks. I cannot gauge from his facial expression if he is mad or not. My knees start to weaken at just the sight of him. He reaches his hand out for me to take. Like a spell has been cast over me, I take it. He leads me into his home not saying a word. I look around and am in awe of the beauty and not just from the room. His six foot, three-inch body towers over my five foot three-inch small frame. Liam is wearing loose-fitted, faded jeans with no socks or shoes. A dark gray t-shirt stretches on the bulging muscles on his arms. I am caught off guard when I notice a large tattoo on his right arm. It appears to be some kind of tribal tattoo that runs from his forearm and up his bicep. It is nothing short of sexy. I've always had a weak spot for a man with a tattoo and seeing Liam with one only intensifies my attraction to him. He draws me in. In a trance-like state, I lift my other hand to trace my finger along the black lines of the tattoo. Just then, I am being pulled to a floor-to-ceiling window that over-looks the city; not giving me a chance to touch his arm. Neither of us has spoken a word. The silence is unnerving. I don't know what to do or say, but I've got to break the silence since he doesn't seem to be willing to do so.

Finally, he sighs. "I'm sorry." Letting out a deep breath.

I am brought back to reality when my phone rings. I look at the caller id and abruptly say, "Alex!" I take the call because I realize I am supposed to meet him for dinner. "Alex, I am so sorry; something came up. I need to reschedule. Yes, tomorrow sounds fine. I'll see you then," I say as I am looking up into Liam's gazing eyes. I'm not sure why, but he looks jealous. It's not like this is a relationship or anything. He has no right to be jealous, and I have every right to see who I want to see. Not that I'm seeing Alex.

"Are you sure he's just a friend?" Liam asks as his gaze now lingers on me.

I have to look out the window and into the city of lights to regain my composure. With a firm stance I say, "That is none of your business." I'm not sure, but I get the feeling that he is going to make it his business. "Besides, I wouldn't have to see him if it weren't for you."

"Me?" His voice sounds puzzled.

"Yes, since our date last Saturday, my shop has been going crazy with the paparazzi, reporters, and customers. We've completely run out of pastries and products. Our usual distributor is having issues which have led me to lean on Alex to help deliver product we've run out of," I manage to say all in one breath.

Liam lets out a chuckle but quickly turns serious again. "Why did you back out of our deal, Desiree? Why did you cancel our plans? Is it because of your friend, or are you scared?" I look up at his face as he now seems to be lost in a daze while looking out into the dark of the night.

How would he know that I'm scared? Does he know? It wouldn't surprise me since he seems to know how to retrieve information rather quickly. I swallow the lump in my throat, and in a low voice I say, "I don't know what you want from me, Liam. I mean, clearly you can have any woman you want. Why me? You don't even know me."

Just then he drops his head, pulls me close and passionately kisses me. His arms wrap around me, and the kiss quickly becomes fierce and demanding. I cannot seem to break away; not that I am trying. I drop my purse, and my body is drawn into his. One of his hands tugs on my ponytail, as he pulls my head back to kiss my neck. His other hand is on my lower back pulling me closer to his abdomen. His hot tongue is now trailing down my neck leaving my skin on fire. I slide my hand up his arm and into the short sleeve of his t-shirt. The flexing of his muscles is leaving me to grip his upper arm to hold myself up. He lets out a deep growl, and it sends shivers down my spine. My other hand wraps behind his neck, pulling on his thick wavy hair.

Liam pulls back and leans his forehead against mine and whispers, "This is why." He's panting the words, and it makes me want to pull him back to me to finish what we started, but I don't.

I am breathing fast, but I manage to push him away with both hands against his chest. "Damn you!" I yell. "Is this what you want from me; a quick roll in the sheets?" I bend down quickly to pick up my purse and dart for the door and into the foyer. I get to the elevator and realize I cannot leave without a password. I start to make my way to the emergency stairwell, but I hear him calling my name and I freeze.

"Desiree, stop!" Liam's voice is raised, and I'm caught off guard by how possessive and demanding he sounds. I stand facing the door that leads to the stairwell. I wrap my arms tightly around my body. Suddenly, he grabs my shoulders from behind me, and I let out a quiet sob. But it doesn't seem to go past him. He pulls me into his chest. His lips press against my shoulder, and he whispers, "Desiree . . . you have it all wrong. I don't want a quick roll in the sheets with you. I need you. I want you, yes, but I don't mean for just one night." My body sways as if I'm about to fall, and Liam catches me and lifts me up into his arms. He carries me back through the foyer and into his living room. My head is lying on his chest, and I feel like I'm in a complete fog. He places me on the plush, over-stuffed couch. He bends down on his knees next to me.

"Can I get you some water?" he asks.

I shake my head. "I think I need something stronger."

He chuckles. "A shot?"

"Please?" I beg.

He returns with two highball glasses; brown liquid filling each. He lifts his glass and drinks the contents. I take the other and down it in one gulp. I clench my teeth together as I exhale the air exposing of the potent taste of alcohol. I hand Liam the glass back. "Thank you," I say.

"That's another reason," he says through another chuckle. Apparently, he likes a girl who knows what she wants.

At this point, I am sitting upright on the couch with my hands resting on my knees. "When you broke our kiss, what did you mean when you said, "this is why"?

"I meant . . . the passion . . . the need . . . the want. I knew from the moment I saw you I had to have you." He stands up, holds out both of his hands for me to take. I take hold, and he pulls me to a standing position. "Desiree, if you tell me right now that you feel nothing . . ." He shakes his head but continues, "then I will walk away. If you tell me that you don't feel that electric current every time, we touch . . . then I will let you go." I may have only met Liam a short week ago, but I can tell by the look in his eyes that he has no intention of backing away whether I ask him to or not. I know he feels that shock too. I just know it.

# Chapter 8

"So, you mean to tell me that you went through all the trouble of kidnapping me tonight only to walk away if I say the word?" Liam nods as he awaits my answer. Two can play at this game.

I let my hands slide out of his. Slowly I start walking around his beautiful penthouse apartment. I glide my fingers along the edge of a long wooden table against the wall. I have no idea what I am doing. I'm just buying my time before I can figure out what just happened tonight. I feel his gaze on me, but I'm trying to act like I have the upper hand. Only we both know that I do not. I walk around the couch and pause when I am next to him. I bring my fingers up to trace the solid black lines of his tattoo that I've wanted to touch since the moment I saw it. I stop once I reach his bicep. I feel that damn electric shock again. I jerk my hand away when I see his muscle twitch. He felt it too. I start walking some more when I make my way into another area of his penthouse. It looks to be a bar area. There are five barstools that I pass. I come around the hand-carved bar top and grab another highball glass. I look at the various bottles of liquor. Grabbing a bottle of whiskey, I fill my glass a quarter of the way full. I've never been much of a whiskey girl but, I think I need something strong enough for what I'm about to do. I can still feel his eyes on me; burning right through me. He is watching my every move. I walk to the wall of windows that face the city. Still not making eye contact with him, I walk so that my A frame dress is swaying with each move I make. Releasing my long hair from its loose ponytail, I tousle it around with my free hand. I hear Liam let out a pent up growl, and it entices me to do something further. I have no idea what has come over me, but I cannot seem to stop. I've gone from trying to figure out how to get out of this place, to weighing my options, to seducing this man. I face the city with my back to him. The city from this view is a beautiful sight. Liam is silent. I slowly tilt my head to one side and roll my neck from shoulder to shoulder so that my long hair tickles my lower back. I spread my legs apart but still close enough that I am at a comfortable stance. My calf muscles are straining in these three-inch heels, making my legs look extra-long and sexy. I place my left hand above my head, flat against the glass window. I raise my other hand to bring the highball glass to my lips when I tilt my head back to finish the remnants of the drink. My mouth burns from the alcohol. I finally turn around to face Liam. Licking my lower lip, I slowly glide my tongue along the rim of the drinking glass so that he can see me.

Lust fills his beautiful face, and I can see that his eyes turn a blue-black color. He quickly hops over the single chair between us. He's suddenly bolting to me and is on me in seconds.

"Deals off, you're mine." His voice is fierce and possessive.

I don't even have time to put the glass down. I am hoisted up by his strong arms. My legs instantly wrap around his waist. His kiss is demanding and full of force. I lock my ankles behind his back to get a tight grip around him. He takes the glass out of my hand and throws it across the room, and it shatters. His kisses are deep, and the heat from his tongue is making me hot. My hands are pulling and tugging on his hair. Liam is holding me up by one arm under my ass. He takes a few steps forward and now my back is pressing against the glass window. The window is cold, and it makes me arch my back, bringing my chest towards him. I let out a little squeal. Liam bites my left breast through the thin material of my dress. I try to untuck, and lift his shirt, but it's hard while my legs hold tight around his waist. I'm getting antsy at wanting to touch his skin. I unlatch my ankles and drop to my feet. I pull up the hem of his shirt and slide both of my hands up and under it. The feel of his skin is unbelievably hot. He suddenly pulls his shirt up and off in one rapid movement; tossing it to the floor. My eyes are staring at his perfect form; his rippling chest and his lean waist. I can tell he is a man who takes care of his body. But all I want right now is to take care of him. I am in awe of his perfect form and cannot take my eyes off him. Liam swoops me up once again and walks us into his bedroom. The room is dark, but the city lights leave an ethereal glow in the room. We stand only inches apart from each other at the foot of his bed. His body stills, so I look up into his face and notice his gaze staring deep into my eyes.

I whisper his name, "Liam . . ." is all I manage to say before I feel like I am under his trance once again. My mind trails off with thoughts of . . . well . . . thoughts of nothing but wanting to be in his arms again. Suddenly, he takes a few steps around me and I feel his fingertips graze the edges of my dress. He gently moves my long hair to one side, and I tilt my head in the same direction. He lingers a kiss on the curve of my neck leaving my body to shiver with goose bumps from head to toe. I kick off my three-inch heels when I feel the zipper of my dress slowly being pulled down. I close my eyes and quietly thank God for the yoga classes that Emily has been making me attend with her.

Liam puts the palms of his hands on the tank top straps of my dress and slowly slides them off my shoulders. He stops once they reach my forearms. A trail of kisses and nibbles are an exquisite feel on my burning skin from his perfect mouth. I turn around to face him as I drop my arms to my side so that my dress falls to the floor. Liam lets out a bloodthirsty growl, and suddenly I am backed against the foot of his bed. I am only in my white lace bra and panties. I sit on the edge of the bed and lean back to rest my weight on my elbows. Liam leans down to place a gentle kiss on my belly, and I squirm at just the thought of him making love to me. He is so gorgeous. I am still at a loss as to what he sees in me but at this particular moment I don't care. I do as Emily says, and I push my thoughts aside and just live in the moment. I reach up to wrap my hand behind his neck pulling him up to kiss me. I am at the point where I am in so much pain. I need him. "Liam," I beg. "Liam, please." I have no shame. "I need you," I say without hesitation. And at that, he frantically slides his fingers under the sides of the elastic waist band of my panties and slides them down my legs. He stands looking at me, and it briefly makes me nervous. Clearly, I don't stand up to any of those women in the pictures. I'm not sure what he thinks while he gazes at me. But then his voice breaks my concentration.

"You are so beautiful, Desiree; even more than I imagined." His voice is soft and full of meaning. It makes my insides turn to jelly to think he might see me just that way.

What woman doesn't want to be the most-desirable woman to a man? It makes me want him even more if that's even humanly possible. I lift my arm to make a gesture with my in index finger, suggesting that he come to me. Liam unbuttons his jeans and they drop to the floor. He reaches into his nightstand and grabs a square foil package. At least he's thought of that when it hasn't even crossed my mind. I'm sure he's more used to this sort of thing than I am. Again, I quickly push the thought of other women out of my mind. I slide up to the top of his bed when he climbs up and over me. He kisses me with deep lip bruising kisses. I clasp both of my hands on his biceps. Within seconds, Liam is pushing into me. He starts off slow; inching his way deeper and deeper, taking his time. It's almost too much to handle. I wrap my legs around his waist and arch my back up. I am panting as I need to feel him closer, deeper. I tilt my head back, and he kisses my neck. I let out a moan that exudes from deep inside my throat. Suddenly, he goes from sweet and slow to fierce and fast. My breath hitches, and my body overcomes with a need for release. I close my eyes soaking in the pleasure.

"Desiree, look at me," he demands. I comply and open my eyes to look into his eyes. I am overcome with the look of his gorgeous face and the feel of his beautiful body. I shudder in sheer ecstasy. Liam seems to reach his high too as he closes his eyes and pounds into me until his body stiffens. I release my breath, not even realizing I am holding it. Liam falls next to me and rolls onto his back. I roll onto my side and stretch my arm across his chest. I wrap my leg over his thigh, while we both try to catch our breath. My body is spent. I lay my head on his chest and close my eyes and listen to the sound of his beating heart.

"I'm sorry," he says through pants. "I couldn't help myself. I didn't want it to be this way. You didn't deserve for it to be this way."

His confiding statement leaves me motionless. Is he regretful for what just happened? "Did you not want me?" I ask. I don't understand his comment. He clearly seemed to want this as much as I did.

He urgently lifts me by my shoulders and it makes me flinch. Looking fiercely into my eyes, he says with confusion in his voice, "Are you kidding me? There isn't anything or anyone that I want more. But, this was not how I imagined it to be."

What? He imagines having sex with me? The thought of Liam thinking about me this way is making me blush. "What did you imagine?" I ask timidly.

"I imagined taking my time. I imagined devouring every inch of you. I imagined watching your face while you were seeing stars." Liam's fingers twine in my hair pulling me closer to his lips. The kiss is short but sweet. I pull back and lay my head back on his chest. I am silent because I cannot comprehend all that he has just told me. We lie in this position for a while before we both fall into a deep contented sleep.

~~~

I bolt upright when I feel something or someone move a strand of hair away from my face. Where am I? "Oh shit! What time is it?" I must have fallen into a deep sleep. "Relax; it's only five-thirty." I look over to see Liam lying on his side with his head propped up on his hand looking at me. He has that sexy smirk on his face again. I can't believe I just stayed the night here, at Liam's place.

"I have to go!" I scramble to my feet pulling the sheet from the bed to wrap around me. I pick up my dress, bra and panties making my way to the bathroom. I quickly get dressed and smooth out my hair. Splashing my face with cool water, I stare at myself in the mirror. I can't believe I fell asleep and stayed at Liam's place, all night. I stay standing here for who knows how long, when I finally work my courage up to walk out of this bathroom door.

I slowly turn the door knob realizing I am about to do the walk of shame. As I open the door, Liam is standing just outside of it leaning against the wall. He looks nothing but delicious in just his faded blue jeans and bare chest. I stand and stare in awkward silence. He flashes those blue eyes and that gorgeous smile that I'm sure is meant to lure any woman into his trance and his bed. I look at his chest then his tattoo. I resist the urge to trail my fingers on the dark lines. I start to bite my lip, so I bow my head and try to walk past him when he gently grabs my arm.

"Desiree . . ." He pulls me close, and I look up into his eyes. With a wistful swipe of his thumb along my lower lip, he says nothing.

"Liam, I'm sorry but I have to go."

"On one condition." he says in a deep, husky voice.

I lean my head sideways and smirk at him. "You sure do come with a lot of conditions." I smile, and he lifts my chin with two fingers to look into my eyes.

"You agree to see me again; this time, no running away. Again." This time there is no smile exuding from his beautiful face. He is serious about wanting to see me again.

My eyes search his face as if I'm looking for some secret answer. I exhale, "Liam . . ." I have no doubt that I want to see him again, but I have to make it clear that this whole situation is unnerving. "I'm scared," I blurt out. I didn't mean to say it. I want to keep the upper hand on the situation.

He reaches out his hand. "Come, I will take you back to your place and will call you later today." He doesn't seem to acknowledge what I just said, and it only scares me even more.

# Chapter 9

I run through my apartment door and quickly take a shower. Within a matter of minutes, I am dressed, hair done, makeup done and am running the couple of blocks to work. I don't have time to stop for coffee as I'm already late.

"Desiree, did you talk to Alex about getting more supplies? I think we need to add . . . Des, what's wrong?" Emily starts toward me. "Oh no, what happened? What did Alex do to you this time? You didn't sleep with him, did you?"

"No, God no! I didn't get a chance to see him last night. I'll see him tonight though, and will talk to him about what we need." I try to look the other way, so she doesn't notice my blushing cheeks.

"Desiree Parker, what have you done? I know that look." Emily squints her eyes, glaring at me.

There is no hiding from this. My face says it all. I just need to come clean. "Oh God, Em!" I nearly screech. I can't hold it in any longer. I pull her by her arm, back to my office and close the door. I don't want the whole bakery to know what I just did. "It's a long story but, Liam. I've done, Liam!" I search her face for help, but she gives me none.

"You finally gave in, huh? Good for you! So, tell me . . . how was it?" Emily looks like she is about to burst with excitement.

"Emily, this is not good. I can't do this. I am completely helpless when I am with him. My mind doesn't work straight when I look at him. God, if only he weren't so damn gorgeous! Emily, I don't know what came over me. One minute, I was mad and was trying get out if his apartment then... the next thing I know... is I'm ripping his clothes off." Emily is laughing and not just any laugh, a gut wrenching laugh. "Emily! This isn't funny. I don't know what to do. He wants to see me again!" I am nearly yelling the words as panic takes over my body.

"Then see him again! What's the big deal? Listen, between the stuff that happened at school, starting this new bakery, and dealing with Alex, you need some fun in your life. Take it for what it's worth and have some fun for once." Emily is holding me at shoulder length trying to keep me from falling apart.

"I'm scared. What if he finds out?" Just then, there is a knock on my office door.

"Desiree, there is a delivery here for you," Sue, one of my pastry chefs yells through the door. Maybe Robert can send the backorder. I stand up and open the door. All I see is a huge bouquet of flowers and a styrofoam cup of coffee. I open the door a little more and tell the delivery person to set them on the desk. I have yet to see the person holding the cup and flowers. I reach for my purse to tip them, but I am suddenly whisked around and pulled into a tight embrace. I am swept up off the floor and am being held and kissed by those soft lips I have oh so recently been introduced to. It's no small peck either. I am paralyzed by his arrival. Just as I am being lowered back to the floor, my hips arch and mold into his body. I am being held up by just the palm of his hand on my lower back. Just then, I hear Emily clearing her throat.

"Damn! Where can I get me some of that?" Emily chants as she makes her way out of my office.

I give her the stink eye and return my look back to Liam. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you." He hands me the coffee. "I didn't think you'd have time to grab your morning coffee, so I thought I'd bring it to you."

I take a sip and realize it is my favorite. "How did you know?"

"I asked the Barista at the coffee shop what you normally order," he says with a smile and grabs one more kiss from me.

"Oh God, I guess I better prepare for another busy day at work again," I playfully say with an exasperated voice.

He laughs and says, "I'm sorry."

"You know, the more you're around, it's going to lead to you needing to buy me a bigger shop to house more staff and equipment. Sales are going through the roof, and I can't keep up," I say teasingly.

"Deal," he says with a straight face. I shrug it off and take another sip of my coffee.

"Mmm." I close my eyes and moan the tastiness of the coffee as it goes down my throat.

He grabs me, pulls me close, and nuzzles his mouth into the curve of my neck. "Don't make those noises Desiree if you don't want me on you."

I jokingly make the same noise again. "Mmm."

"Desiree . . ." he warns me. He says my name in a deep, slow, and sexy voice drawing out each syllable. "One more time and every piece of paper on your desk will be on the floor." His lips are pressed against my ear. "The thought of taking you right here on your desk is making me hard just thinking about it." I can feel him pressed against my stomach as he leans me back against the edge of my desk.

"Saturday," I say out loud. "I can see you again on Saturday. If you're free, that is." I have no claim on this man, so the thought of me picking a day to see him next thrills me.

"Tonight," he counters.

"Saturday." I make my stance.

"Tonight." His voice is demanding. So I ease it up a night.

"Friday."

"Tonight." He is not giving in.

"Tonight." I give in. He kisses me with full force; an untamed, uninhibited, soul-claiming, mind-blowing kiss. I am once again left weak in the knees. "After I meet with Alex; I owe him that dinner."

"You don't owe him anything."

"Actually, you owe him. You're the one who kidnapped me."

"Fine, I'll go with you," he says smugly.

Suddenly, I am feeling sick to my stomach. Having two guys that I've been intimate with, together in the same room, is not my idea of fun; let alone having dinner together. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea."

He squints his eyes and glares at me. "Mind telling me why?"

Not sure why I am feeling nervous, but every muscle in my body is tensing. "Alex owns the distribution company that I told you about last night. Well, I used to buy from him."

"But, you don't anymore?"

"Umm, no. We started dating, and it ended."

"Who ended it?"

"I did."

"And he still wants you." It's not a question but a statement.

I smile. "But, I don't want him." I squeeze his biceps; wanting to feel his smooth skin beneath my fingers. He is in a suit, so I settle on feeling the firmness through the soft material. I look up into Liam's eyes, and I can tell he is perturbed. Maybe a little more than perturbed. His fist is flexing, and it's beginning to make me uncomfortable.

"Liam . . . what is going on here?" I wave my hand back and forth between us. "What is this between us?" I suddenly hear commotion in the bakery. "I need to get back to work. I'll come over after my dinner with Alex," I say, holding my ground.

"Fine, after your dinner with Alex." He reluctantly gives in. He slides the back of his fingers down my cheek and plants a sweet kiss on my lips. "I may need to take an alternate exit. Do you have a back door?" Just then I realize what all the commotion in the lobby is about. Liam.

~~~

"Well, sales are still up," is all Emily says as I walk into the kitchen. "Desiree, we need to do something about our inventory if Mister Sexy decides to stick around." I smile at the thought. "By the way, don't even think about not telling me what went on behind those closed doors." She points in the direction of my office. "What I saw before I walked out was no, "maybe I'll think about it" kind of greeting. This is some serious shit. Does he have a brother?" I laugh and suddenly realize I have no clue if he has a brother. He was pretty vague when he spoke about his family. I shake my head at myself knowing that I just slept with a man while not knowing much about him.

# Chapter 10

Knowing that I am meeting up with Liam after my dinner with Alex, I decide to wear something a little sexy. I am still undecided as to what I am going to do with Liam. My mind sways back and forth deciding if I can physically pursue something with him. Maybe I am getting ahead of myself. Maybe he doesn't see much more than a casual fling with me. But just in case, I decide to wear a tight black pencil skirt, my sheer white blouse, with a white camisole underneath it. I complete the look with my black three-inch heels. I throw on my long black button-up cardigan to cover up before I leave the apartment. I don't plan on taking the cardigan off until I get to Liam's though. I don't want to give Alex any ideas.

I meet up with Alex at Tony's restaurant in Manhattan. It's an Italian restaurant that was the one place we both actually agreed upon when we fought about places to go out for dinner at. I have the three-cheese spinach tortellini with a Caesar salad, and Alex has the spaghetti with marinara sauce and tossed salad. We both share a bottle of red wine. Alex tries to play twenty-one questions with me about my relationship with Liam. I give him the simplistic version, if there is one. I chuckle inside, knowing there is definitely nothing simplistic about being with Liam. No need to get him all riled up though. Alex still feels he has a chance with me, and I just don't want to hurt him. Besides, it doesn't hurt to have him around when I need him. For work related issues, that is.

"Alex, I've got to go. Work has been crazy this week, and I've got a ton of stuff to do to prepare for tomorrow." It's a little white lie but the truth all the same. My plan is to meet Liam at his place to talk. Agreeing to meet at his place probably wasn't the best idea. I think that being in his presence just might persuade things to go only one way, and I'm not sure if that's the way I need to be going. "I really appreciate what you've done to help me out this week, Alex. I couldn't have made it through the week without you." Alex agrees to provide the bakery with the current ingredients we need a rush on. I'm not sure how long I can keep this up, so I need to have a heart to heart with my current distributor.

"Desiree, I want you to go away with me next weekend." Alex looks at me with a dead serious gaze in his eyes.

"Alex, don't start this with me. You and I... we were not a good match and you know that."

"Come on, one last weekend," he pleads. Do I have slut written on my forehead this week? What is going on?

"Good night, Alex," I say while standing up and picking up my purse to walk out of the restaurant.

I make my way out, and stand at the curb to hail a cab. It takes a couple of minutes before one actually stops. I get in and realize I have no idea how to get to Liam's place. "Hold on, please," I tell the cab driver. He looks at me, rolls his eyes, and starts the meter. I roll my eyes too, but I guess it's my fault for not knowing where I need to go. I quickly call Liam, and he laughs and says just to tell the driver to take me to the 'Mi Dulce Angel' Manor. I reluctantly tell the cab driver thinking; he is also going to laugh at me too because, really? Who has ever heard of that?

Suddenly, he looks back at me and says, "Yes, ma'am. I should have you there shortly." His voice has changed, and his composure has completely done a one-eighty. I am suddenly being treated like royalty. Well, apparently I am the only one who has never heard of the 'Mi Dulce Angel' Manor. On the drive over, I think about the English version of 'Mi Dulce Angel.' It means, 'My Sweet Angel.' I wonder if it was already named that when Liam bought the place, or if he named it himself. A twinge of stupid jealousy pokes at my heart just by thinking that he possibly named it after some girl. Quickly, I push that thought away. I have no claim on this man.

We pull up to Liam's building, and the same tall man with dark sunglasses greets me. He leads me to the elevator, and we head up to the penthouse. I walk into the foyer and notice Liam pacing back and forth while on a call. He is staring at me while he talks on the phone. I am trying to not listen to his conversation because he doesn't sound pleased with whomever he is talking to. I hear him say, "He has to be bluffing. Find him. Yes, whatever it takes." He ends the call and flashes that gorgeous smile at me.

"How was your dinner with Alex?" He tries to sound calm, but the clenching of his jaw muscle shows otherwise.

"It was good. Alex agreed to provide my bakery with our immediate needs." He takes my hand and leads me to the living room. I sit on the single chair that is opposite of the couch. It would clearly fit both of us, but I need to keep my distance to keep a clear head.

"What can I get you to drink?" he asks.

"Water, please." I need a clear mind tonight. Besides, the two glasses of wine I had at dinner tonight were probably way more than I should have had before coming over here. Liam returns with a glass of water for me and a glass of something else with a brown liquid in it for himself. "Thank you," I say as he hands me a glass of water.

"Liam, I think we need to talk."

"We tried that last night but didn't get very far . . . talking that is." A smile creeps up on his face, and I swear his eyes just changed colors. My cheeks flush in remembrance of last night.

"Liam . . ." I cannot look at him. "Liam, I can't do this," I whisper. I immediately look at the large area rug that is under the triangular shaped coffee table. I'm so nervous that my eyes start tracing a pattern on the rug, which is strange because it's a solid white plush rug. But, if I look in his direction, I know I will crumble under his trance-like gaze. I cannot resist, so I barely lift my eyes, just enough to glance at him through my eyelashes. I need to know what he is thinking. He's sitting on the couch with his elbows on his knees. He's rubbing both of his hands through his hair looking frustrated and confused. I have to break away from him. I can't fall for him. I can't fall for him. I keep telling myself. It will never work. Not once he finds out what I've done.

"What can't you do, Desiree? Here, come sit next to me." Liam pats the seat next to him. I shake my head. "Tell me what's wrong, Desiree." His voice is deep, and I can sense his frustration. I'm sure he's frustrated with my decision, but suddenly I'm marked with the reality that he is not going to make this easy on me. I think he knows the effect he has on me, has on all women. I am silent because I don't know what to say to him. It's not like I don't want him because I do. I voiced my concern this morning, but he didn't seem to want to acknowledge it. He stands, and I return my gaze back to the white rug. He walks over to the wall of windows and appears to be thinking for a moment before he returns to stand behind the chair I'm sitting in. I tense at not knowing what he is about to say or do. Suddenly, his hands are on me, tenderly touching my shoulders. He bends down so that his chin is resting on the top of my head. I close my eyes knowing that if he makes any further moves, I will not be able to take it. Then, I feel him slide his head down to where his mouth nuzzles close to my ear. I can feel his breath on my neck, and it's giving me goose bumps. I bow my head even more to try and mentally escape what he is doing to me when a moan accidentally seeps from my mouth. Damn it! I say silently to myself. I exhale the breath I have apparently been holding; giving him the complete opposite intention. Or, am I? I want nothing more than for him to touch me again. His large hands slide down my shoulders, caressing my arms. I am truly a big heaping mess in his presence. I melt. I close my eyes and lean back to rest my head on the back of the chair when my mouth is completely taken over by his soft kisses on my lips. He bites and pulls at my lower lip then licks his way to my earlobe. My insides are like jelly, and I probably couldn't move from this chair if I tried.

"I don't want you to leave. Please." He whispers the words. His words sound desperate, and at this very moment, I don't want to leave. Once again, I have fallen under his spell. And I fall for it.

"Come, I want to show you something." He takes my hand, but I remain seated before he makes a gentle tug. I already know that my knees will be weak if I try to stand up. Eventually, I stand but I can barely walk. My legs are like limp noodles. He smiles. Damn him! He knows what he's doing to me.

We slowly walk back to the foyer and through another door that leads to a flight of stairs. We reach the top, and he opens a large door that leads to one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen of the city. We are on the rooftop of the penthouse. I gasp at its awe. It really is breathtaking. I let go of his hand and start walking around, taking in all the views. Liam continues to stand from where I left him. I can feel his eyes watching my every move.

# Chapter 11

"It's amazing! It's so beautiful." I am standing in the middle of the rooftop looking out into the city of lights. I wrap my arms around my body. It's the middle of summer, so the air is still warm. But, I feel like I need to brace myself for what is about to come. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I continue to face the city with my back to Liam.

"Just like you, amazing and beautiful." His words are soft, and he is now standing behind me with his arms wrapped around my upper body. His chin is resting on my shoulder. I tilt my head back to lean against his chest.

I sigh and whisper the words, "I'm scared." I drop my arms and remove myself from his embrace. Turning around, I look up into his blue eyes and repeat my words, "I'm scared, Liam."

He shakes his head. "Don't be scared." His hands are holding my cheeks, and his eyes are searching my eyes. "Don't be scared." And then he plants the sweetest kiss on my lips. "Please tell me what scares you," he insists.

I rest my hands on his forearms and say exactly what scares me. Almost. My head is shaking back and forth. "I don't want to be the next girl on your arm, Liam. I don't want to be the next picture in the media talking about your newest conquest. I want one-on-one. I don't want to compete. I don't want to share. I want simple and uncomplicated. I've done complicated before, and it led me in directions I've never imagined myself getting into." I pause for a moment and look down before I continue. "I'm not sure it's worth it," I say quietly. I pause to see if I've gone too far. I'm now looking into his eyes and saying all of those things have made me even more scared. But, I'm glad I said them. What if he doesn't want me? What if I just ruined everything? I know I went into this night trying to end things, but it would still hurt to know that he can simply walk away from me at this point-in-time. I know I sound confused and probably a little crazy, considering I've only known him a couple of weeks. However, there is so much more I could say, I should say, but I need to gauge where he is with all of this. I need to tell him about my past, but the words are unable to come from my mouth.

He lets out a sigh, "Desiree . . . I don't make it a habit of bringing random women here to my home. As a matter of fact, I never do. I cannot promise you simple, uncomplicated, or what the media might say about me or us, but I can promise you that sharing is not something that I want either. I only want you. Only you." My mind is soaring; my knees are weak, all the while, and I'm doing the happy dance, in my head, of course.

I'm still looking into his soft blue eyes but in disbelief. "Okay. I didn't see that coming. I need to sit."

Liam flashes me that sexy grin and lightly grabs me by the elbow and leads me to a beautiful patio setup on the rooftop. He sits next to me and puts his arm around my shoulder. I lean into him and lay my head against his chest. We sit in silence for a while taking in the beautiful view of the city. Well, at least he is, I think. I, however, have my eyes closed just listening to the beat of his heart. Maybe, ten- or fifteen minutes have gone by when Liam breaks the silence. "What are you thinking, beautiful?"

What aren't I thinking? I say to myself. "Well, it's so much to take in. I mean, I think I understand, feel and think a certain way, and then you say and do everything that completely changes my train of thought."

He pulls my chin up with two fingers so that I can look into his gorgeous face. "All I care about is what you think about me right now at this very moment." His face shows complete and honest sincerity.

"Well, what I guess I'm trying to say is that before tonight, I was convinced that you were just some arrogant guy who was a player, and I was your next conquest. But, when I think about everything you've said and done the past couple of days, it leads me to believe the exact opposite. You honestly seem to care about how I'm feeling and what I'm thinking. You also seem so down to earth, not what I expected at all. You don't seem to go for all that hoity-toity crap. Which would totally turn me off," I say with a grin on my face.

Liam chuckles, "Hoity-toity crap?"

"You know, rich Italian imported leather couches, big gold framed picture of yourself hanging over the mantle. You know, crap that rich guys would normally buy to show off to their so called friends and clients."

Liam throws his head back laughing. "No, I guess I'm not one of those rich hoity-toity types." He leans his head down to mine and says, "So, I guess that means I turn you on, huh?"

Now it's my turn to laugh. "This doesn't mean you're going to start turning into a slob now or anything does it?"

"Only if that turns you on, baby."

I lean in to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. "It wouldn't, but thanks for asking."

"Does this mean you're going to give me a chance?" Liam gives me a pouting puppy dog face.

"You leave me no choice. Those puppy dog eyes have done me in." Liam picks up my legs and lays them over his lap. He wraps one arm around my back to hold me up while the other hand is caresses my cheek. He leans in and fervently kisses me. I accept each kiss that only intensifies my need for him. I have quickly accepted the fact that I need for Liam to touch me, to feel me and vice versa. He needs for me to touch him, feel him, as much as I can. It's a feeling of reassurance that we both need. We need each other. We crave each other.

# Chapter 12

It's Saturday afternoon, and I'm cleaning my apartment. I just got home from another busy morning at the bakery. I still have most of the staff showing up, as business has not slowed down since Liam entered my life. People seem to be coming from all parts of the city. Not to mention, all the phone orders and internet orders that we've have to turn away. We've never had a big revenue intake on internet orders because we just aren't big enough to support that type of business yet. But, one day we will. We just can't seem to keep up with all this new drummed up business though.

Dirty laundry has completely taken over my bedroom, and dirty dishes are sitting in the kitchen sink. I start vacuuming when I hear a knock at my front door. I look through the peephole, and I see Liam's gorgeous face peeking back at me. My heart starts to flutter just at the sight of him. I open the door, and he immediately grabs me, lifts me up, and spins me around in a circle.

"Hi beautiful." The smile on his face is contagious.

"Turn around! I'm a mess. I've had to work all morning then I've been cleaning my apartment for the last couple of hours. Let me go clean up real quick," I say because I truly am a mess.

"Nonsense, you're absolutely gorgeous." He puts his hands on my hips and leans his head down to give me a kiss that makes me melt. I give in and wrap my arms around his neck accepting all that he has to offer. He pulls his head back a few inches and says, "I want to take you away for the rest of the weekend; just the two of us, no reporters, no sneaky photographers, just us. What do you say?"

"I really shouldn't. We've been so swamped at the bakery and . . ." Liam cuts me off in mid-sentence.

He's flashing me that sad pouty puppy dog face again. "Pleeease."

"That is not fair. Liam, I'm getting worried about the shop. We need to expand and hire, but I just don't have the money for it right now. I'm sorry; I guess I shouldn't bore you with this, huh?"

"Let me help you," Liam says.

"Don't even go there. I didn't say all that for you to offer. I should never have said anything."

"Well, then let me just spoil you for the rest of the weekend. Come on!"

I start tapping my finger on my chin and say, "You all to myself? Hmmm, let me think . . . umm . . . okay! Where are we going?"

"I have a cabin up in Bear Mountain. I think you'll love it."

"Okay, but you have to let me shower first and pack a few things." Liam is at my side in seconds. His lips are on my neck, so I tilt my head to the side. "Liam," I whisper his name softly. I can't get enough of him. "The weekend is going to be gone before we even leave if you keep this up." Just then he slaps my bottom and pushes me towards the bathroom. "Here's the remote, watch some television till I get out."

I jump in the shower, shampoo my hair, and lather up my body with soap. My mind is going in a million different directions. This is all still too surreal to me. I try to push the feeling from my mind just as Emily told me to do. Just go with the flow, have fun. I rinse the shampoo out, put conditioner in, and shave my legs.

I step out of the bathroom and tip toe across the hall to my bedroom to get dressed. I hear Liam on the phone. "What do mean he's changing his story? I know . . . I know a reporter already contacted me this morning. Yes, we're taking off for the rest of the weekend. You need to handle damage control before we get back. Yes, keep it quiet. She can't find out."

What can't who find out? I'm sure he's not seeing someone else. I mean, he practically begged me to go out with him. It has to be work related issues. Maybe it's another merger or something. He does own a billion-dollar company, after all.

I'm dressed and packed for the short weekend. We head down the elevator, and through the lobby of my apartment building. Two photographers are snapping photos as we try to exit. Liam grabs my hand and pulls me close. "Just ignore them," he whispers in my ear. He redirects us to another door that is a private exit into the parking garage. I don't see the black town car, but we continue to walk through the parking garage.

"What are we driving to Bear Mountain?" I ask.

"We're taking my Audi RS4." He turns to me and flashes that heart-melting smile.

"I didn't know you owned an actual car, other than the limousine and town car that drives you around town."

"Just around town, baby. I have several cars, as a matter of fact. But, I thought the Audi would be fun to take up to the cabin."

Liam puts the bags in the trunk, and we head out. I'm wearing a knee length summer dress so when I sit in the car, the hem of my dress slightly pulls up. Liam's right hand is resting on my bare thigh as we drive out of the city, and the heat radiating from his palm on my skin is making my insides quiver. I lace my fingers with his, and he glances over and flashes me that smile, and eyes penetrate me, making me melt. I turn my head to look out the window at the scenery and try to relax. It's hard though. I'm nervous, and I'm still scared. I still have not told Liam about my past. I close my eyes and try to block out the pain . . . the images. I relax into a state of exhaustion, and just as I am about to dose off, Liam says, "We're here, beautiful."

I open my eyes and notice we are driving down a dirt road. Big beautiful green trees line both sides of the road. We come around a bend, and I see a two-story log cabin along the banks of a river. "It's beautiful, Liam."

"I'm glad you think so." Liam parks the car next to the cabin, and I get out and wander over to the river's edge. I see Liam take the bags out of the car, and he brings them into the cabin. I take a deep breath of the fresh air and look at the beautiful scenery before my eyes. Suddenly, I feel warm hands wrap around my waist. I lean my head to the side, and Liam places a trail of kisses along my neck and collar bone. I turn my head to look into his eyes, and I immediately feel weak in the knees. His grip gets tighter around my waist to hold me up.

"You know, if this continues you're going to have to start carrying me around everywhere we go," I say teasingly.

"I have no problems with that, beautiful." Suddenly, he lifts me up, and I cradle myself in his arms. He is carrying me up the stairs leading into the cabin. I look around the cabin, and rustic but elegant cabin-style furniture fills the area. The living room is large with a huge fireplace surrounded by beautiful stones that lead up to the ceiling, of which is encased by long rustic wood beams. It's big, but the warm colors and cozy looking furniture gives it a comfortable feeling. Liam breaks my concentration, "Are you hungry?"

I am still in Liam's arms when I look up into his eyes and say, "I'm starved . . ." I pause for a moment and continue to say, "but not for food." I run the palm of my hand alongside his cheek without taking my eyes off his. I am hungry as I haven't eaten all day, but at this moment I want nothing more than to be intimate with Liam.

"Hmm, I think I can take care of that," Liam says and I swear I see his eyes change colors. My heart is racing in anticipation of Liam touching me, caressing me, and making love to me. He continues to carry me upstairs to the bedroom. Our eyes do not leave each other as he sets me back down on my feet on the plush, brown and cream colored rug in the master bedroom. I do a quick glance around the room. This room is also very inviting. I see lots of reds and browns. Just like the living room, the bedroom also has a fireplace. It gives off a romantic feeling, and I can quickly picture myself with Liam in this very cabin during the winter months with a roaring fire.

My thoughts are quickly brought back into the moment as I am standing in front of him. I leisurely begin to unbutton the top two buttons of his dark blue polo shirt. I pull the hem out from being tucked in his slacks so that I can slide my hands up the inside of his shirt. I want to feel his soft muscular chest. I pull his shirt up and over his head and toss it on the floor. He stands still, allowing me to take control of the situation. I walk behind him trailing my fingers along his bare chest and back. He stands with his arms to his side. I wrap my arms around his waist from behind and place light kisses along his back. I am in complete awe of his gorgeous body, so I want to take my time. I hear him release a deep moan. It makes me happy to know that I can make him feel the same feeling that he always makes me feel. I need him, and I want him.

"Desiree . . ." He says my name in a long and drawn out husky voice. "Do you understand what you're doing to me?" He exhales a deep breath.

I try to ignore him because I know he is not going to let me stay in control for much longer. I know he can't help himself when it comes to this.

"Hmm," I murmur and continue to walk back slowly around to the front of him, still placing gentle kisses along his whole upper torso while my finger-tips trace invisible lines along his chest. "I want you, Liam," I whisper as I nip at his peck with my teeth. I am quickly lifted, and I instantly wrap my legs around his waist. The kisses are intense and heated. Liam walks a few steps, and we both fall on top of the bed while never leaving each other's arms. I know I won't have much time before he takes over. His carnal instincts are exactly what I need anyways. We take our time relishing in each other's touches. We can't get enough of each other.

I don't know how much time has passed, but we end up making love until we are both weary and spent. We lie tangled in each other's arms in silence. Liam has his arm wrapped around me caressing my back as I lie sideways against his long, lean body, running my fingers along his chest.

"I think I can go for some actual food now," I say looking up into his eyes.

Liam chuckles, "Okay, baby. Stay here, and I'll throw some food together." I watch him roll out of bed, and slip into his black boxers. He's barefoot and gorgeous. I let out a whistle, and he turns around and winks at me. It makes my heart flutter. He leaves the bedroom, and I hear his feet patter down the stairs. I lie on my back and smile to myself. A few minutes go by when I decide to head downstairs to help. I throw on Liam's dark blue polo shirt and my panties and walk down stairs.

Before I come around the corner, I hear Liam talking on the phone. I try not to eavesdrop but when I hear, "She can't find out. No, I will sign the paper... that's correct. I will do whatever it takes to protect her. Right, she must never know."

I guess it could be business, but it sounds more personal than anything. Blackmail? The thought of him with someone else makes my heart sink. Although, we never have defined what our relationship is. Who is he protecting? Do I confront him? Then, he would know that I am listening in on his telephone conversation. I decide to not say anything. I have no claim on this man, but it still hurts. I don't even know why I'm getting so worked up about this, I'm sure it's work related. Maybe a hostile takeover of another company? I hear him end the call, so I step out from around the corner.

Liam sees me and lets out a low growl and walks towards me. "I think my shirt looks better on you than it does on me." He wraps his arms around me and plants a sweet kiss on my forehead. His lips linger longer than I would expect. I really hope he is not seeing anyone else. My mind wanders back to his phone conversation.

"Is everything okay, Liam?" I ask.

"Yes, why do you ask?

"When I walked in you said you were protecting someone. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"Yes, everything is fine. Just work stuff. No need to worry."

"Ok. Well, it smells good in here. What have you got?" I ask as I look over at the table. I see so much food. "Wow. Where did you get all this? It looks wonderful."

"I had my cook stock the cabin with food before we came up. Come, sit down," Liam says as he pulls out a chair for me to sit. I see smoked salmon, fresh fruit, an assortment of cubed cheeses, crackers, and a bottle of wine.

"This looks amazing. Thank you." We both sit at the kitchen table next to each other. Our legs are touching one another, and it amazes me that I feel like I can go another round in the bedroom with this man. He feeds me a strawberry, and I return the gesture with some grapes. We both flirt back and forth not delving into any real conversation. We also banter back and forth, but it usually just leads back to a playful tease, which leaves us both sensually touching one another. It's all too much, but not nearly enough for me to willingly stop what's happening between us.

We spent the rest of the evening lying in each other's arms on the couch watching movies. My mind frequently drifts back to that phone call. I want to ask if I'm the only one he is seeing, but I don't want to tarnish this perfect night. Besides, if he is seeing someone else, tonight is not the night to find out. I have no place to retreat if I don't hear what I want to hear. I will just try and relax for the evening. My head is lying on his chest with his arms wrapped around me. My mind is racing. I need to know. I told him in the beginning; I don't want to share. I am not about to be the other woman.

"Am I the only one?" I blurt out. I can't look at him, so I keep my eyes focused straight ahead on the fireplace, which is not even burning anything.

He shifts his body so that we are face-to-face. "Yes, why would you ask me that? I told you I'm not willing to share you." His eyes are burning into mine.

"I just needed to hear you say it. I don't want to share you either, okay?"

"I wouldn't be here with you now if you are not the only one. I only want you, okay? Please don't think otherwise."

"Okay. I'm sorry I asked," I whisper and give him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Don't be sorry." He scoots down on the couch, and I snuggle my back to his front and we continue to enjoy an evening in each other's arms.

I must have fallen asleep because at one point during the night, I woke up, and we were lying in bed together. Liam must have carried me to bed. I feel content. I haven't felt this way in a long time with a man, if ever. I scoot closer to Liam and snuggle into his side. His arm instinctively wraps around my shoulder and pulls me close.

The next day, we spend our time walking the trails on the hillside, lying on the warm boulders next to the river, and just enjoying each other's company. No photographers, no reporters, just us. By early evening, we pack up the Audi and head back to reality. Liam brings me back to my apartment but not without first trying to persuade me to stay the night at his place. "I really do have a lot of things to do around the apartment Liam, I'm sorry," I say as I wrap my arms around his neck. He leans down to lift my light body against his. "Thank you for this weekend," I murmur into his mouth as he kisses me goodnight.

"We'll do a longer weekend next time." He kisses my forehead, my nose, and then my lips, and lets me slide down the front of his body. "I'll call you tomorrow," he whispers into my ear, sending goose bumps down my body, and then he is gone.

I begin to fill my bathtub with warm water as I sit on the edge waiting for it to fill. I keep thinking about what Liam said. "We'll do a longer weekend next time." He is so not what I thought going into this. I'm surprised. But, I'm still scared. He can't be this perfect and not be taken. Something is going to give. I'm not sure what or when, but one way or another, I feel that this is going to end badly for me. Very badly. I still need to talk to him about my past, but I'm not sure how he will react. Later, I tell myself. There is no need to say anything yet as this relationship will most likely not last.

# Chapter 13

I'm going through the mail in my office, and I come across a letter from the bank. "No, no, no, this can't be happening! Emily!" I scream. "Emily!" I scream even louder as she is not getting here fast enough.

"Desiree, quit screaming we have customers. What's wrong?" She sounds annoyed with me.

I hand her the letter. She reads it and says, "Oh shit, can they do this?"

Termination of Commercial Lease Termination Upon Sale of Premises

You hereby have 30 days to be fully removed from said property.

"I don't know. I will go to the bank this morning to discuss the terms of our lease. Emily, if you wouldn't mind handling the shop today I'll see what's going on with the building. Just don't say anything to any of the employee's just yet."

"Sure, no problem. Let me know immediately what they say." Emily's concern is just as much hers as it is mine. I hold the majority of the company's equity, but we both came up with the money to open the shop.

I gather my copy of the lease, and the letter, and head straight to the bank.

~~~

"Yes, Ms. Parker, it appears that the owner of the building has decided to sell, and according to your lease, upon sale of the premises, you are to be given thirty days' notice to evacuate." The bank leasing officer appears to show concern for me, but there is nothing she can do.

"Who is the owner? Maybe I can talk to them to see if they would consider keeping my bakery as part of the sale."

The loan officer is thumbing through the contract. "Well, it appears that the owner is what's considered a "silent owner." But, the third party is a property management company by the name of, Corset Real Estate and Management Systems, Inc. I wouldn't normally suggest renters to do this but, maybe you can contact Corset to see what they can do."

"Thanks," I say with defeat in my voice. I pick up my papers and leave. I head back to the bakery and enter through the back door so that I don't have to deal with the crowd of customers. I just can't deal with anyone right now.

"I thought I heard the back door. So, what are our options?" Emily asks.

"Apparently, they do have the right to do this. It's in the contract. I knew the deal was too good to be true when we got the place eighteen months ago." I open my computer and Google, 'Corset Real Estate.' The owner is a silent owner so I cannot get access to who they are, but maybe I can contact the third party involved and find out what we can do." My voice is low and vanquish.

Emily walks around my desk and looks at my computer screen. "Corset? I think that's where Will works."

My eyes pop up. "Really? Call him! See if he can help us."

"I will but he is at a conference till Wednesday. I will send him a text this afternoon though. Not sure if it will help, but it's worth a try."

Before Emily and I close up shop for the evening, we stand in the middle of the kitchen and silently stare at everything. Everything that we created . . . what we built. What we poured our heart and soul into. Tears are streaming down our faces. Emily puts her hands on my shoulders and says, "We'll figure this out." I just nod and we both head for the door to lock up.

I sent Liam a text asking him if we can move our date to tomorrow night. I just don't want to be around anyone right now. I need to wallow for just one night before I get back up on that horse to figure out what I am going to do. I am lying in my bathtub when I hear a knock on my front door. I ignore it. I am in too much agony to deal with whoever it is. The knocking continues, but I still ignore it. My phone makes a chirping noise indicating that I have a text. It's Liam. His text says, "Open the door." I sigh. I stand up and do a quick towel dry, and I put on my plush hotel bathrobe. I slumber over to the front door and open it. We stare at each other for a moment then Liam holds out his arms, and I fall into them.

"Rough day?" His voice is soft and caring.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm going to make for good company tonight," I say as I sag against his masculine body. He smells so good. His arms tightly wrap around my small body. He places a soft kiss atop of my head and squeezes tight.

"I'm sorry." His voice is deep and distant.

"It's not your fault. It's the bastard that is selling the building my bakery is in. I have thirty days to get out. What am I going to do? I've poured everything I had into that shop. I love my shop." I had already told Liam about the sale of the property earlier today. Tears are streaming down my face. I completely lose it. Liam picks me up and cradles me in his arms. He carries me over to the couch and lies my limp body down. I roll onto my side and sulk. Liam walks to the bathroom and returns with a tissue to sop up my tears.

"What can I do to make it better?" The corners of his sexy mouth begin to turn up. I just can't seem to muster up the strength to touch his face which is what I so want to do. My eyes are burning with the tears that I've been shedding all evening. "I will buy you a new building," he says with certainty.

I start laughing. "No! Not happening."

Could you imagine? The press would be all over that. I can see the headlines now, 'Lone Baker Sleeps with Millionaire to Fund Her New Bakery.' Besides, I can't afford a new one. I had scored an impossible location, and the lease was ridiculously low. There is no way I can afford a new shop here in Manhattan. It will be at least double if not triple the amount I'm paying now."

"Well, like you said, sales are up."

"No offense Liam, but I am not banking our three-week relationship on the future of my bakery."

He leans forward, kisses my forehead and says, "Screw the press and what people think. Let me buy you a new shop. Then you won't have to worry about any lease or monthly payments."

"Don't you dare!" I say with conviction. But he just flashes me that grin like he's up to no good. He starts tugging on the sash on my bathrobe. I can't resist that grin. Liam has a way with me that I cannot seem to resist. And, I think he knows it. Damn him!

He slides the sash off my robe and throws it over his shoulder. "We'll need this," he says as he picks me up, and once again, I am cradled in his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck and nuzzle my face under his chin. He carries me to my bedroom and positions me on my back in the center of my bed. Without taking our eyes off each other, I watch as Liam pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it on the floor. Every muscle in his body flexes and it makes me wonder why I want to be alone this evening. "Let me take your mind off things, Desiree." His voice is deep and seductive. "Let me take care of you. Let me love you."

I sit up, and he slides the robe down my arms while trailing a line of kisses down my arm then across my shoulder, my neck and then continues down my other arm and all the way down to the inside of my wrist. My mind is going crazy with his words. 'Take care of me? Let me love you?' I am too weak to speak in his presence at the moment to question his words. He seems to know just the right words to get me to where he wants me. Heck, he doesn't even need to speak to make me feel this way. I do want him. I need him. This can end very badly for me, but I'm so lost in his aura, his charm. I don't want to fight this. I am completely naked in front of him on my back. The look of animalistic hunger is radiating from his eyes. Liam walks closer to the bed, and my eyes drift to his tribal tattoo. I reach out to touch the dark lines. He is so sexy. I could look at him twenty-four seven and still not be tired of him.

"Relax, Desiree." I do as he says. "Now put your arms up over your head." I comply. He kneels down next to me on the bed and grabs the sash from my robe that he had previously thrown over his shoulder. He wraps it around my wrists and in between the rungs on the headboard of my bed. I am completely at his mercy. I feel vulnerable. I feel scared. I feel need, want and lust. I feel anxious. I need to feel him on me... in me. Liam has taken his jeans off and is now straddling me. He is gliding his tongue over my nipples and nipping at my flesh. Not being able to touch him is unbearable. I need to touch him. I writhe around on my back. "Relax, Desiree." His sexy voice is damn near killing me. I thought I was relaxed, but it isn't until he mentions it that I feel the tension in my body.

"Liam . . . I need you." My voice comes out all broken. I am panting. He still continues with his plan of attack, so to speak. "Please . . . Liam." Finally, he kneels between my legs and slowly penetrates me. It's almost too much to take. He enters deeper and deeper. I let out a gasp. My breathing is ragged. I bite my lower lip. Liam bends down over me and licks where I bit myself. It doesn't cool the sting though; rather it makes my skin burn.

"I need to touch you, Liam." I know he hears me, but he will not untie my wrists. I reach my neck up, and I bite his right peck before I lick it. Not hard but it makes him groan none-the-less. His breathing is just as ragged as mine. "Liam, untie me. I need to touch you. Feel you. Please!" My last word comes out as a plea. Finally, I feel his hands trail up my rib cage and lightly over my spent arms. It tickles, but it mixes with all the other sensations making it feel more sensual than anything. He unties me, and I whirl my wrists around before I grab hold of his biceps. I pull his head down to me, and I kiss him fiercely on the lips. I can hardly breathe as my body is craving its release. Suddenly, my body tenses around him and his body instinctively reacts to mine. I am beginning to soar high as I reach my limit. Liam lets out a deep, masculine groan, and we both meet our high together. I see stars. It takes a few moments before we both come down from our happy place. Liam plops down beside me. I roll onto my side and entwine my limbs around his. I still need to be close to him. Feel him. Touch him. I am so hooked on him. He's like a drug.

I wake up to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, and I smile. It was late last night when Liam came over so it must have been late when he decided to take my mind off things. This brings another smile to my face. Being Saturday, my shop is only open till noon so I must get up and get ready. I sit up and grab for my bathrobe. I cannot find the sash until I remember what it was used for last night which brings another grin to my face. I grab it and tie it around my waist. I walk out into the kitchen to find Liam holding a cup of coffee midstream to his mouth. Our eyes lock, and I stop in mid-stride as I am overcome with his smooth masculine body. He is sexy with clothes on but with no shirt on its darn near impossible to not want to touch every inch of him. His slacks are hung low on his hips exposing the sparse hairs that make up his happy trail before it disappears below the button of his slacks. He is barefoot. I never thought a man could look this good without even trying. He is sexy as hell. He flashes that grin at me. Clearly I am caught drooling over him. Putting his cup of coffee down on the counter, he finishes the gap between us. I lift my gaze to his, and my knees buckle. He quickly grabs me around my waist to hold me up.

He lets out a chuckle and says, "Nice to know I still have that effect on you." He knows exactly how he affects me. Damn, I hate feeling this vulnerable.

"I'm sure it'll fade, just give me time to catch my breath in the meantime." He pulls me close, and I smooth the palm of my hand from his stomach to his chest.

"I hope it doesn't," he whispers and gently kisses my forehead. "Just so you know, you have the same effect on me."

"Really? I hope not because you'd be a little heavier for me to hold up if your knees buckled," I say and he laughs a little harder. "Not funny! Could you imagine? You'd fall on top of me, and I'd be crushed." I swat his arm as I giggle.

"Come, I made you a cup of coffee. You have to work, right?"

"Normally, no but yes today I need to go in. Usually, I have enough employees to take over on Saturday mornings so that Emily and I can take the weekends off. But, with all the new drummed up business being your fault . . ." I poke my finger at his bare chest. "we have to go in and make sure we have enough baked goods for the customers." Suddenly, with those words I am brought back to the realization that I might not have a business at all in only 29 days. A frown appears on my face.

Liam must recognize my sudden sadness as he reaches down, lifts my chin to look into my eyes and says, "I meant what I said; I will make sure this all works out for you. So, please don't worry. I don't like seeing you sad."

"I meant what I said too. There is no way I am letting you buy me a new bakery. This is my baby, and Emily and I will figure this out." I have no problem sounding stern, and he just glares at me. I have a feeling he is not going to let this drop.

"Listen, I have to leave town on an unexpected business trip and will not be back till Friday. However, here is a business card from one of my commercial real estate agents that I use. Please call her and have her show you some properties."

"Thanks, although I'm not sure it'll do any good."

"Call her; she may be able to help you out," Liam demands.

"I will. Now, let me get ready for work before you make me want to take you back to my bed . . . again." Liam tugs on my bathrobe tie. I wave my index finger back and forth at him as I am walking backward. "Now, now mister I am going to be late the way is it." He doesn't follow me but lets out a deep chuckle and reaches around to smack my ass.

"This weekend." He's not asking.

"This weekend." I agree with a wink of my eye. It's going to be a long week without him as I have become completely addicted to him.

# Chapter 14

Emily and I decide to meet with the commercial real estate agent that Liam suggest we speak with to view vacant properties for potential new bakery locations. I have scheduled for the tours to begin on Thursday. We have a list of four locations we're off to visit. The first two are in walking distance, so we walk the few blocks since the weather is still nice out. The first one we visit is way too small, but it's in really nice and in almost move-in condition. It's about half the size of our current shop but in a prime location.

The second one is perfect but way too expensive. "Emily isn't it gorgeous?" I say as I am standing in the center of the wide open space twirling around like a little girl.

"It is but . . . it's so expensive; way out of our range. There is no way we could ever afford this place," Emily says, and she's right, its way over our budget. It is nice though. It's nearly double the size of our current location, and it would be perfect for all the new drummed up business we've been getting. I sigh as we make our way back to the real estate office, and the three of us drive to the remaining two locations.

The third location has potential, but it's too far from the mainstream of the locals that walk to and from work on an everyday basis. We need to be centrally located so that people can see us as they pass by. It's how we saved so much money on our current place too. We never had to spend much on advertising since we were in the heart of the city. The last location we look at has a big health code sign on the window. It's the letter 'F.' This is not a good sign. It usually means the last time the health inspector inspected the location it was not deemed healthy. Just the thought of rats and mold and fungus start running through my mind. I take one step through the door and retreat back out. It has a stench that can not be redeemed. This place will always be known for that letter 'F.' "No way," I say. The fourth location is immediately crossed off our list.

The three of us head back to the real estate office, and we tell the real estate agent that we will be in touch, but honestly the only one that really caught my eye was way too expensive; leaving us to keep looking. Emily and I then make our way back to the bakery.

~~~

Emily and I discuss our options for a new bakery. "Desiree, I know you have your heart set on that big beautiful shop we looked at, but honestly, it is way too expense for us. I think we need to go with the first one the agent showed us. I know it's small, but the location will be perfect for us for the meantime."

I let out a sigh, "I know you're right. It's the only one we can afford, too. That second one was everything that I had ever dreamed of ever since I knew I wanted to open my own bakery." I'm sitting at my desk with my elbows propped up with my head buried in the palms of my hands, and I'm sulking. "But, you're right at least for the meantime. One day though, I will own that other shop, you'll see."

Emily is standing behind me rubbing my shoulders trying console me. "You will, I know it. Well, let's call the agent back and make a move on the smaller shop before it gets snatched up. The good news is that it's close enough to keep our regular clients, but still and cheap enough that we could save the money and hopefully get you that bigger shop within the next year or two. Especially if you keep seeing Mr. Sexy. You know; sales are skyrocketing," Emily says with a smile.

I smile back. "Okay, let's do it. I'll call the agent right now." I left a message with the agent explaining how much I would love to have the larger more beautiful shop but in the interim what we need to go with is the smaller location we first looked at.

I send a text to Liam to thank him for recommending the nice real estate agent to us. It's already Thursday evening, and he is not supposed to come back for another day, but I can hardly wait. I want to talk to him about Emily's and my decision on the bakery. I miss him, and I need to see him. I decide to send him another text saying, "I miss you!"

A few minutes pass and Liam texts back saying, "I miss you too, baby. Stay home this evening; I have a surprise for you."

"Surprise?" I have no idea what Liam could possibly surprise me with since he is out of town.

"Patience, baby."

After work, I decide to walk the long way home. I want to walk past the new building again to see if I can get any decorating ideas. Maybe get some organizing ideas too to make the lobby look more spacious. Maybe, wall-hanging shelves instead of freestanding shelves to make more room for tables and chairs for the customers. The idea of opening the smaller shop has potential, I guess, and now I'm starting to get excited about the idea.

I continue walking again as I make my way to the other bigger more beautiful shop down the road. I'm staring through the window daydreaming. I'm thinking about all the spacious room in the lobby and thinking about the kitchen that would be any bakers dream. It's big enough to store all the big beautiful ovens I would love to have one day and enough counter space for all the employees I could employ too. All of a sudden I see Linda, the real estate agent walk out from the kitchen area. I sigh. She doesn't see me though. She must be showing the space to a potential buyer. I hang my head down, turn and walk away. I don't want to see the face of someone else in my dream shop. It would be too heartbreaking. I decide to stop at the wine and spirits store for a bottle of red wine to drown in my sorrows, once again.

I'm pacing my apartment with a glass of wine in-hand trying to figure out what Liam is up to when I hear my phone ring. I look at the caller id and see that it is Emily. "Hey, Em."

She asks if I want to go out to grab a bite to eat. I explain to her that I am impatiently waiting on a surprise from Liam and cannot leave my apartment. Instead, I ask Emily to come over to keep me company and take my mind off Liam. I also suggest that she bring some food because I am starved. I've not had time to do any grocery shopping since Liam and I were gone last weekend. Not to mention that the shop has been too busy, so I have not been getting home till nearly eight o'clock every night. Emily agrees and says she'll be over in thirty minutes.

As promised, Emily arrives thirty minutes later with submarine sandwiches from my favorite deli just as my stomach starts to growl. She also has a bottle of red wine too. "You're the best, Em. I'm so hungry." I take the bottle of wine from Emily and head to the kitchen. Grabbing another wine glass from the cabinet, I fill her glass from the bottle I already have open. Emily sets out the sandwiches on the living room coffee table. We sit cross-legged on the floor to eat.

"So what's the surprise from Liam?" Emily asks, "Are you sure he said, tonight? How long are you supposed to wait?"

I take a sip of my wine and start clearing the coffee table off from our sandwiches. "I don't know Emily. I guess he forgot whatever it was." I can't look her in the eyes. My heart starts to sink at the realization that it's been three hours since I've heard from Liam. My mind drifts back to that phone conversation I overheard in my apartment before we left for Bear Mountain and the other phone conversation at the cabin. Thoughts of 'this is too good to be true' start to creep up in my mind.

My eyes start to well up when Emily must notice and says, "Des don't go there. I can see the wheels turning in your head. It's Thursday, and Liam is out of town. I know he said he had a surprise for you tonight, but . . . really? What could he possibly do when he is out of town? I'm sure something just came up. He'll call you soon; I'm sure of it." Emily is trying to reassure me just as we hear a knock at the door. Emily and I both look up at each other in surprise. It's late, and we have no idea who could possibly be at my door.

I jump up and walk to the door and look through the peephole but see nothing. "That's strange," I say to Emily. "I don't see anyone." Emily walks over, and we put the chain lock on then we both crack open the front door together. My heart literally stops at who I see before my eyes.

# Chapter 15

My knees go weak, and I'm quickly whisked up in Liam's arms before I hit the floor. "Hi beautiful, surprise!" His soft whisper in my ear makes my body shiver with need. Need to be close to him.

"What are you doing here?" I ask as I wrap my arms around his neck.

Emily pats Liam on the back and says, "Good job, Liam! Are you sure you don't have a brother?" Liam laughs, but we don't take our eyes off each other. "Umm, I think I'm going to head out now. Have fun guys," Emily says as she picks up her purse and leaves.

"Thanks Em for staying with me," I say as she exits my apartment.

"I thought . . . what are you . . . how are you . . ." Liam stops my babbling with a passionate kiss. I grab each side of his face with the palms of my hands. "I thought you were out of town?"

"I was, but I wrapped everything up the moment you said you missed me."

"Liam, you can't do that!" I say sounding astounded that he would do such a thing.

"I'm the owner; I can do what I want. Besides, I had to see you. I missed you, too." Liam carries me to the couch, and I'm sitting across his lap.

"Oh Liam, what am I going to do with you?"

His face nuzzles in my neck kissing the sensitive spot just below my earlobe, and he mumbles, "Hmm, I think I might be able to come up with a few ideas."

I throw my head back and laugh. "Oh yeah? Come here, you." I lean back on the couch and pull him down to me. "Kiss me," I say. Liam leans his long muscular body over mine, and I pull him close. It's late, and I'm tired and I can tell that he is exhausted as well.

Liam stands and offers his hand to me. "Come, baby, I just want to snuggle with you tonight. Be close to you."

I reach out for his hand, and he pulls me up from the couch and we walk to my bedroom. I am already wearing a cozy over-sized t-shirt, so I just lie down on my bed watching Liam disrobe. He pulls off his shirt in one quick movement. Kicks off his shoes then unbuttons and unzips his slacks and slides them down his long muscular legs. He leaves on his black boxers. He is so gorgeous.

I lift up the comforter and sheet, and I pat the mattress next to me. He smiles and slides right in next to me. I snuggle up under his arm, and lay my head on his chest to listen to the rhythmic sound of his beating heart. Liam runs his palm up and down my back as we end the night by lying in each other's arms.

~~~

Morning has come, and I roll over to find Liam's grinning face looking over at me. "Good morning, baby." He smiles.

I am over-whelmed by his presence. Apparently, you can get weak in the knees even though you are lying down in bed. I smile back at him. "Good morning to you, too." Liam reaches out and brushes the back of his knuckles alongside my cheek. I grab his wrist and kiss the palm of his hand. "Thank you," I murmur.

"For what, beautiful?" Liam says.

"For surprising me."

"You're welcome. Whenever you need me, you just ask, and I'll be there."

"Well, at the moment I need to get ready for work." I look at his gorgeous face and ask, "Can we resume this weekend where we left off?" I pull him close for a small kiss. I haven't brushed my teeth yet otherwise I would have gone in for a full-blown kiss.

"Of course beautiful, Saturday?" he asks. "Do you like dancing?" Liam murmurs then kisses the top of my head.

"I do. Do you want to go dancing?"

"I thought maybe I can take you out for a night out on the town. Get your mind off things. We can dance the night away." His perfect lips draw me in for another kiss.

"I'd love to. Eight o'clock?" I say in his mouth between kisses.

"Let's make it six o'clock and I'll take you to dinner beforehand."

"Perfect, now you better get going before I'm late. I still need to shower." Liam gives me one last kiss and heads out the door. I run to the bathroom, brush my teeth then hurry and take a shower and use the blow dryer just enough leaving my hair still damp. I put on a little lipstick and mascara and head out the door myself. I want this work day to end so I can just get back to Liam's arms tomorrow. However, I did stop for my quick fix at the coffee shop. I haven't been there much lately due to all the press having a field day with playing twenty-one questions. Today wasn't so bad though. No reporters. Just a few customers have recognized who I am and asked some intrusive questions. Where do people get off on asking about someone's personal life, anyway? I quickly grab my coffee and head to work.

~~~

"Well, you look a little too happy for all that's going on with the bakery. Did you find anything out from the real estate company?" Emily says with a big grin on her face while holding both of her hands together in front of her as if she is praying.

"I'm sorry; I know you have just as much to lose as I do. I actually did call the real estate company, and there is nothing they can do. Apparently, the silent owner wants to keep silent. Has Will called you back to see if he can find out any information?"

"He called from his conference. He said he made a few calls to his office, but nobody would give him the information he's asking for. So, since we are not any closer to finding a solution to our problem do you mind telling me why you look so happy? Or should I even ask?" Emily asks with a wink.

I whisper my answer to her so that nobody else in the kitchen can hear me. "Liam stayed over last night after you left and took my mind off the bakery."

Emily threw her head back and let out a gut wrenching laugh. "Ohhh." She draws out the letters. "Is it too juicy to spill the beans?" I just wink at her one more time, leading her to throw her head back and laugh. "By the way, I have an idea. Since the real estate company will not give us the name of the silent owner, I thought maybe we can write a letter expressing our concerns and ask if we could continue to keep the bakery under the new contract with the new buyer. Then maybe the real estate company can deliver the letter to the silent owner.

"That's a great idea. I'll write one up today and hand deliver it this afternoon. Thanks Emily."

I only have a few more weeks to figure out what I'm going to do. Emily and I have discussed with our employees the situation with the bakery. So far we have lost one employee but I don't blame her. She has bills to pay and since I cannot offer her a permanent long term job she had to move on.

My cell phone rings and I look at the caller id. "It's Gabriella! I wonder what she wants." I let it go to voice mail as my hands are deep in pastry dough. Once I am back in my office, I grab my phone to listen to my voice mail. Gabriella says she is coming for a visit, tomorrow! She left me the flight info and asked that I pick her up. Her plane lands at two o'clock. That should give me enough time to get back and get ready for my date with Liam. I'm sure she'll want to go dancing, so I text Liam to ask if he's okay with it.

"Is it okay if my sister joins us for dancing tomorrow night? Sorry, she just called and said she is flying in tomorrow."

His reply is quick. "Absolutely, I will pick you both up at five forty-five."

"Thank you! But it'll be just me for dinner. She will meet up with us after dinner," I reply back.

"Sounds good, I'll see you then," Liam replies.

I text Gabriella, "Can't wait to see you, I'll pick you up. Then you can join Liam and me for dancing tomorrow night."

Gabriela responds cheerfully, "Yay! I get to meet the gorgeous newly off-the-market bachelor."

"LOL see you soon," I reply.

One last text to Gabriella, "p.s. he knows I have a sister, but no clue that we are twins. Let's play a joke on him."

"O.M.G, this is going to be so much fun." Gabriella responds. Gabriella and I have had our rough spots. She has been known to steal a boyfriend or two from me in the past. Tomorrow, I am going to test the waters with Liam.

# Chapter 16

"Yay, it's so good to see you!" I say as I am running towards my twin sister. We give each other huge hugs. "It's been way too long, sis." We are walking through the La Guardia airport arm-in-arm. It's been months since I've seen my sister. We grab her luggage from the carousel before we exit the two sliding glass doors and slide into the back of Liam's town car. Liam insists that we have Joe, his driver, take us wherever we need to go.

"I know crazy huh? So, when do the festivities begin tonight?" Gabriella asks as she is sliding both of her hands together up and down with a devilish look in her eye.

"At eight o'clock. Liam and I are going out to dinner first then we will send a car for you to meet us at the club. But, no funny business tonight. I like this guy. Let's just have a little fun at his expense for a little while then you can find your own man.

We get back to my apartment, and I get Gabriella settled in my guest room. However, on our way home we stopped at Macy's and bought matching sexy dresses. Since we are both identical twins, I want to see if Liam can tell us apart. Gabriella's hair is a tad bit shorter than mine but not too noticeable if we pull our hair back. The dresses we choose are a dark royal blue color. They're tight enough to show off all our curves which I'm sure will drive Liam crazy. The dresses are mid-thigh length and the back swoops down half way to the middle of my back. We also bought Gabriella three-inch black heels to complete the package. I already have a pair, so I didn't need to purchase any.

I take my shower then Gabriella jumps in after me. I smooth lotion all over my whole body. I brush my teeth and put on my makeup. I blow dry my hair to make it nice and full and use my big curling iron to make big swooping curls to pull back into a loose ponytail. I slide my new dress on and slip on my black heels. I stand in front of the mirror and make a dash for my jewelry box to look for my dangly earrings and return to the mirror. I am pleased with what I see. I hear my phone chime. It is Liam sending me a text letting me know he is just pulling up to the curb of my apartment building.

"Gab, I'm leaving. Come take a look at me so you know how to look when you show up at the club. Remember, our plan okay? And no funny stuff until I tell you otherwise." I glare at her.

"I get it! By the way where are we going dancing?" Gabriella asks.

"A place called 'The Black Iris. I'll text you when the car comes for you."

"Okay, see you in a bit. Have a nice dinner."

I run out the door to meet Liam downstairs. I walk out of the elevator, and I notice Liam looking out the front window. I stand for a moment drinking in all of his sexiness. His back is toward me until he senses that I must be coming near him. He turns around and stands lock-jawed. I swear I can see the irises of his eyes change color immediately from his smoldering blue to that dark blue-black color. I've noticed they usually change color when I see him go from his casual look to a more passionate lust filled demeanor. It pleases me to think I can do this to him. He doesn't move from where he is standing and neither do I for a moment while I take in how sexy he looks in his loose fitting black dress slacks and white dress shirt. He is wearing a black sports coat and a dark blue tie that just so happens to match my dress. I drink him in. He is absolutely stunning and sexy as hell. I start walking slowly to him all the while keeping my eyes directly on his. I sway my hips from side to side and just before I am about ten feet from him I hold my arms straight out to the sides and do a one-eighty. Once I am facing him again, I notice him stumble.

"Don't you dare!" I yell. I run to him, well as much as I can run in high heels. "I would never be able to hold you up." I hold my arm out to him, and he seems speechless.

He holds me tight, and a moan seeps out from the depths of his throat. "We don't need to go out, do we?" His voice is soft. I slap his arm lightly and lift up on my toes to kiss him on the lips. My body is molds against his. I deepen the kiss by tilting my head sideways, and I part my lips to accept his soft silky tongue into my mouth. Liam pulls back and in a husky voice he says, "You need to stop Desiree, or we aren't going anywhere." I grab his hand, and I tug him towards the awaiting car. If it weren't for my sister being upstairs, I would take him up there right now and forget this whole night out. Although, tonight should be fun. I'm looking forward to it.

We arrive at the restaurant. It's called, Sparks Steak House. "How did you get us in here? I've never been here because you have to make reservations at least a month or two in advance." The restaurant has a main dining room as well as separate private rooms which are all named something different. They usually reserve them for larger parties, but the room we are in is called the 'Iris Room.' It's beautiful, and we are the only ones in it. I'm assuming he somehow reserved the whole room for us.

"I own it," Liam says with a grin.

"You own it?" I ask giving him a look of, yeah right.

He arches his eyebrows up. "I do. So, tell me about your sister I am about to meet."

The waiter suddenly comes and brings us a bottle of red wine. He holds the bottle with both hands at a slant to show Liam the label and Liam nods in acceptance. He pours one glass and hands it to Liam. He swirls it and takes a sip and nods again in acceptance. The waiter then fills both wine glasses and sets them in front of us. I take a sip, and it's lovely.

"Well, Gabriella is just a little younger than me." I don't tell him that she is only eleven minutes younger. "She is fun, adventurous and outgoing. She has a free spirit kind of attitude. We have gone through a few rough patches in the past, but we are through that now."

"What type of rough patches?" he asks out of curiosity.

"Well, to make a long story short she has been known to steal a boyfriend or two from me. But that was a long time ago. We worked it out. You know; blood is thicker than water, that sort of thing," I say casually but in all honesty, I don't think I could go through it again with her especially if it involves Liam.

"Well, I guess she did you a favor then. You don't need a guy to treat you that way," He murmurs.

"I guess. I mean at the time I didn't see it that way but now that I look back on it . . . I guess you're right. Better to find out sooner than later, right." I look up at his blue eyes and see nothing but compassion. He nods and winks at me.

The waiter returns and puts a basket full of hot breads with a side of honey butter on the table and takes our orders. We each order a shrimp cocktail for an appetizer. I order a Caesar salad and Liam orders the mixed green salad. For the main entree, I order the crab cakes with bay scallops and Liam orders the Chilean Sea Bass. The waiter refills our wine glasses and leaves.

"Ok, so you told me a little about Gabriella. What else? Does she look like you?" he says, and I look up to his eyes to see if he knows she is my twin. I don't think he does. He's just asking out of curiosity.

"A little. You can definitely see the resemblance. I don't know who looks like whom. I mean, we didn't have a father growing up. He left us when I was only three." I hear Liam gasp.

"Your father left all three of you when you were just three years old?" Liam is shaking his head in disbelief but says nothing else.

I nod my response and continue. "We were living in Oakland, California. My mom raised us as a single parent and never remarried. It was hard at times, but she made sure we were taken care of. At one point, she worked two jobs just so we could have things we wanted." I take another sip of my wine and decide to change the subject. "So, what about you? Sisters, brothers, mom, dad?"

"I am an only child. I grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My parents passed away in an unfortunate car accident in Europe when I was twenty-two." He takes a sip of his wine. I'm not too sure if he wants to talk about it or not so I don't press.

I gasp. "I am so sorry; I didn't know."

"It's okay. They were good people, and I was lucky enough to live and learn from them. They put me first in their life and if it weren't for them then I wouldn't be where I am today. My father was an investment banker, and my mom was your typical soccer mom. She took me to all my sporting activities and usually had dinner on the table by six." Liam lowers his head as if trying to hide his feelings. "I'll tell you more about them later when we have more time."

I smile. I feel a sense of tranquility right now. I don't know why but in just the few words that he used to describe his parents... I'm not sure what I expected him to say, but I am happy to know that he was brought up in a loving environment. It was much different from my upbringing. But we made the best with what we had. Our appetizers come and we both dive in.

"Mmm, this is so good," I say between bites.

"I'm glad you like it," Liam says.

Over the next forty-five minutes, we are served the remainder of our food and everything is wonderful. We finish and Liam stands and reaches for my hand. I take it as I begin to stand. "Have I told you how absolutely gorgeous you look tonight?"

"Not in so many words but the buckling of your knees in my apartment lobby was good enough." I smile.

"I told you; you have the same effect on me." He pulls me into an embrace and kisses me tenderly on the lips. "You are stunningly beautiful, Ms. Parker. Thank you for coming to dinner with me. Now let's get this night started so I can have you all to myself later tonight." The corners of his mouth turn up, and I am feeling weak again. I can't move. I feel content in his arms. He is absolutely irresistible.

"Yes, I suppose you're right, we better go. We don't want to keep Gabriella waiting." He puts his hand on my back where his flesh meets my flesh. His touch alone makes my skin burn. It sends shivers down my spine. We get to the limousine and on the way over to the club, I text Gabriella that we are on our way and that a car should be waiting outside the apartment for her.

# Chapter 17

Liam and I arrive at The Black Iris. Paparazzi are everywhere taking pictures of us. Liam pulls me into his side and holds me tight. I lower my head feeling a little overwhelmed. Lights are flashing everywhere.

A man yells out, "Mr. Hunter, it is true? Are you off the market now? Is this your new girlfriend?" Another photographer bumps into me. I think it is an accident, but none-the-less Liam reaches out and pushes the man away from me.

We are led through a private entrance while we pass a ton a people in line to get in through the main entrance. Liam leads me to a private stairwell, and we go up. Once we reach the top we enter the second level of the club that overlooks the main floor. There is a stage down below, and we have the best seats to view the band. We walk to a large romantic booth. Liam holds his arm out gesturing for me to slide in first. The seats are soft and velvety. The dark blue color of the seats with the high backs is a nice contrast to the dark wooden table. It's a U-shaped table setting, and it's elegant and stunning. The music is loud but not too loud on this level. This will be nice not having to yell over the music to talk to one another. We sit, and a waitress immediately comes from out of nowhere.

"Hello, Mr. Hunter, what can we start you with tonight?" I look at Liam with a surprised look on my face. He must be a regular. The waitress is eyeing him up and down clearly undressing him with her eyes. I feel a tinge of jealousy but say nothing. She is absolutely stunning, and I clearly cannot compete with her. I wonder if they dated or worse yet had a one-night stand. My heart is in my throat, and I suddenly feel out of place. This is so strange for me because I am normally not a jealous person.

"I will start with a whiskey on the rocks," Liam says.

The waitress nods and turns to me and politely asks, "What would you like ma'am?"

Liam cuts in and says, "Victoria, I'd like for you to meet my girlfriend, Desiree."

My cheeks immediately blush. I can't believe he just said that to her. Maybe he is trying to keep her at a distance. Also, I guess we never clarified what we are to one another and once again, I am caught off guard. "Nice to meet you, I will have a glass of Cabernet, please," I say.

"Victoria, Desiree's sister will be joining us shortly, make sure she is led to our table upon her arrival. Also, please have our best champagne sent over as well with four glasses."

"Yes sir, right away," Victoria says and leaves our table.

Liam looks at me and smiles. He leans over and pulls my chin over to him and sweetly kisses my lips. "Are you okay with me calling you my girlfriend?"

My cheeks quickly turn bright red. "If that's what we are, then yes." My voice is trembling. I place each of my hands on his cheeks and kiss him deeply; tongues tangling. I'm getting hotter by the second. I moan his name into his mouth, "Liam . . ." And it's all I can get out.

He leans his forehead against mine and says, "It's okay, baby. I feel the same way," he says tenderly. "Later, okay?" He nods his head. "I'll show you how much you mean to me, later tonight." My heart is pounding, and I feel like I am falling for this guy; falling hard. I'm scared. I need to tell him.

The waitress returns with our drinks including the bottle of champagne and the four glasses and asks if there will be anything else. "Not at the moment, Victoria," Liam says. Victoria leaves us alone.

"Let me guess, you own the club too," I say not as a question rather a statement.

He smiles and says, "Good guess."

I shake my head and laugh. I turn to Liam and shyly ask, "She seems friendly. Was there anything ever between you two?"

Liam turns to me; eyebrows scrunched together and asks, "Never, why do you ask that?"

"She couldn't take her eyes off you is all."

"Just an employee, that's all. Anyway, I only have eyes for you, beautiful."

I smile, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound jealous. It just brings me back to my original insecurities is all." I've never been a jealous person but then again I've never been this into a guy before. However, he can't be that clueless to the fact that she was completely undressing him with her eyes could he? I sigh, and Liam reaches his hand out and pulls me close and passionately kisses me.

"Oh, I meant to ask you. You told Victoria to bring over four champagne glasses. Is someone else besides Gabriella joining us?" I say with squinted eyes.

"Yes, James her driver is a good friend of mine. James is single. I thought Gabriella would have more fun if she had someone to dance with." He smiles but this is going to blow my plan up in smoke. Although, this might be quite funny. Neither Liam nor James knows we are twins. I nod my head and silently laugh to myself.

Moments later Gabriella shows up with a tall, handsome man who is standing behind her. I look up at Liam, and his jaw has practically dropped to the floor. He continually looks at me then Gabriella. Me then her. Me then her. Maybe three or four times. He throws his head back and lets out the deepest laugh ever.

"How much younger did you say Gabriella is than you?"

"I didn't say. But, she is eleven minutes younger." I smile and start laughing myself.

"This is going to be one hell of a night. And, you just so happen to be identical twins." It's not a question but a comment.

"Gabriella, this is Liam. Liam, Gabriella. And you must be James," I say, holding my hand out to him. And I see that you have met my sister, Gabriella." James lets out the same belting laugh as Liam.

"This will be interesting on the dance floor. I can't even tell you ladies apart," James says while still laughing.

Liam pats the booth. "Come sit down you two. Let's make a toast." Liam pours the champagne in all four flutes and sets the bottle down. "To one crazy night and to the most-beautiful woman I know my new girlfriend." I smile, and Liam leans down to kiss my cheek.

"Don't forget about us!" James speaks up with a chuckle.

"I guess I must be beautiful too since you can't tell us apart," Gabriella says jokingly.

We all start laughing then we clink our glasses together. The bubbles tickle my nose, but the champagne is really good. Suddenly, the song changes to 'I've Gotta Feeling' by the Black Eyed Peas. Once again we all start laughing. It couldn't get better than this. I stand up and grab Gabriella's hand.

"Sorry guys but we are hitting the dance floor." We make our way back down the stairs and onto the dance floor. People from every direction are staring at us. I'm sure everyone is expecting us to pull off some sort of rendition from the movie, 'Night at the Roxbury' dressed the way we are but we don't care. We ignore them and have our fun. "So Gab, what do you think of Liam?"

"He is just delicious. But, I will say, he did good by sending James my way. He's hot too." We both laugh.

I look up at Liam, and he is staring down at me with a smile. I return the smile as Gab and I are flailing our arms around in the air. I can feel his heat from here, and it makes me want to go grab him and bring him down here. I want to be in his arms again . . . to be close to him. I return my conversation back to my sister. "Gab, I'm scared. I'm happy, but I'm scared."

"Des, don't go there! I know you; you've always been scared of getting too close to guys. Is it because of dad?" Gabriella asks.

"I don't know, maybe I'm just scared because this time I'm afraid I'm setting myself up for a fall. He seems too perfect; except his past leaves a long line of beautiful women. How can I compete with that? Gab, I know it's only been a few weeks, but I think I'm falling for him, big time. It's scaring the crap out of me."

"Des, you don't need to compete. He totally seems to be into you. Just ride it out and see where this all leads. Have fun!"

"Emily said the same exact thing. I'll work on trying to relax. Thanks Gab! I love you."

"I love you too." Gabriela suddenly leaps on me throwing her arms around my neck and gives me a big hug, and I hug her back. "Now let's get our men down here to dance, shall we?" I look up to get Liam's attention, but neither he nor James is at the table anymore. Suddenly, a pair of hands is on my shoulders but it's an unfamiliar touch to me. Just as I am about to turn around to tell whomever it is to get lost, I hear Liam's voice through the crowd.

"Get your hands off my girl, James," he says.

"Oh shit, sorry man. I thought it was Gabriella." I swear I see his cheeks blush. Gabriella and I burst out laughing.

# Chapter 18

The next song that comes on is, 'Blurred Lines' by Robin Thicke. Liam is standing behind me, and he pulls me back so that I am leaning against his chest. My arms fall to my side as I start swaying back and forth against him. Liam lifts each of my arms, and I wrap them up and around his neck before slowly sliding them back down lightly grazing his cheeks, neck and biceps with my fingertips. He grabs my wrists and holds my arms out for a moment before wrapping them around the front of my body. He relaxes his arms over mine and entwines his long fingers with mine. I close my eyes and let my head fall back into his hard body. He nuzzles his face into my hair, and whispers, "You are so sexy. God you take my breath away."

I turn around and pull his face down to mine to kiss him. He pulls me close, and our bodies meld as one. The rest of the room seems to fade away. I see and hear no one but Liam in my arms. I cannot get enough of him. Suddenly, I hear the clearing of throats to get our attention. I turn to look and its James and Gabriella.

"Get a room guys, you're making us a little uncomfortable over here." Gabriella throws a smile at Liam and me.

When the song ends, the four of us head back up to our table. I whisper to Gabriella to follow my lead, and she seems to get the hint. I slide into the booth first, and James sits next to me. Liam goes around the other side and slides in next to me as well and Gabriella slides in next to him. Gabriella and I have switched spots, and I want to see if the guys notice. James seems to have no clue. I see Gabriella laid her hand on Liam's thigh, and I start to feel a twinge of jealousy run through my body. Liam leans over and whispers something in her ear and I almost want to leap out of my chair but I don't. The next thing I know, Gabriella is pulling her hand away and sets it in her lap.

Liam leans over to me and whispers in my ear, "You can't fool me, baby." My mouth drops open, but my heart is full. I thought for sure he was going to start making out with her right then and there. He knew it wasn't me. I leap onto his lap straddling him, and I start kissing his gorgeous mouth right in front of everyone.

"Umm James, why don't we go grab some more drinks then head back to the dance floor again? Let's leave these two alone for a bit," Gabriella says. I can tell she's smiling, but I don't look up at her. I can't seem to want to break away from Liam. I am falling for this man, and it's completely uncontrollable. Gabriella and James leave the table.

I pull back a couple of inches leaving the palms of my hands on his cheeks and ask, "How did you know it wasn't me?"

"Baby, I'd know your touch anywhere. I only want you, Desiree." His face shows no expression other than love, and that's all I can explain. I see his heart on his sleeve, and it makes my walls start to crumble. He pulls my face to his and lingers a long sweet kiss on my lips.

"I'm glad you knew it wasn't me. You know . . . you could really make a girl fall for you." I say, batting my eyes as I trail my fingertips up his arm. "I am completely addicted to you."

Liam looks at me with intense eyes and says, "I hope so but . . . I only want one girl falling for me." He pauses for a moment searching my eyes. "And I'm looking right at her." My heart is ready to burst, and a single tear falls from my eye.

"Come on, let's get one last dance in and head home. And, by the way, I'm addicted to you too." He smiles. I climb off his lap, and we slide out of the booth and head downstairs to the dance floor. Liam walks over to the DJ then returns back to my side and pulls me close. The next song that comes on is 'Nothin On You' by B.o.B. and Bruno Mars. Liam grabs me by the waist and lifts me up so that we are face-to-face. My legs are dangling, and he holds me close and rests his head in the crook of my neck. His breath on my neck is almost too much to handle, but I just close my eyes and lean my cheek on his head. Liam starts repeating the words of the song in my ear.

We continue dancing as he sings the rest of the song to me. I'm silent as I just mold my body into his on the dance floor in his arms soaking up the words that Liam is transcribing into my heart. I have completely fallen in love with this man.

When the song ends my heart beat has finally leveled out. Liam slowly slides me down the front of his body but not before sweetly kissing my lips. He remains holding me steady on the floor for a few moments as he has accustomed himself to knowing that he always makes me weak in the knees. I am grateful for his consciousness towards my body. I smile up at him and say, "I'm fine now; I think my sea legs have returned to land. Thank you."

He returns the smile and kisses my forehead, nose and mouth.

The four of us are in the back seat of the limousine, and it's clear that James and Gabriella have hit it off tonight. James left his car at the club since everyone was drinking. They have also asked that the driver drop them both off at James' place. I smile at Gabriella, and she winks at me. I don't give her any slack because I have no plans on heading back to my apartment, anyway. I tell Gabriella that we'll do lunch tomorrow and that we'll discuss our plans for the week while she is out here. Once we drop off James and Gabriella, Liam leans over and plants a seducing kiss on my lips . . . then my jaw and down my neck.

We arrive at Mi Dulce Angel, and I ask Liam, "Where did the name of your penthouse come from? Did you name it or was it already called that when you bought it?"

His eyes glance at me, and he says, "I named it." He does not elaborate any further. That stupid jealous streak is rearing its ugly head again, but I don't say anything. I just nod in acceptance.

"What did you think of my sister? James and Gabriella seem to have hit it off."

"She seems nice. By the way, what was that test in there? Did you honestly think I wouldn't be able to tell you apart?" He pulls my legs up into his lap and grins.

"I was just checking. How do you know James anyways? Is my sister okay with him?"

"James and I have done some investments together over the years. And, it's not Gabriella that I'd be worried about."

"What does that mean?" I look at him questioningly.

"Let's just say . . . the dresses that you two are wearing tonight are liable to give any straight man a heart attack, and we both know that they did not go back to James' apartment to play a game of Monopoly." He chuckles.

I scoot closer to Liam and run my thumbs and forefingers between the lapels of his jacket. "You like my dress, huh?" My sexy grin and my playful voice tell Liam that I no longer wish to talk about my sister and James.

Liam quickly lifts me off my seat and puts me in his lap and says, "You know you can't do that to me unless you are ready for me to take you right here and now." Just as he says that we pull into his penthouse apartment parking garage.

I reluctantly slide off Liam's lap and quickly jump out the door as his driver opens it. "Only if you can catch me!" I say teasingly as I run to the elevator door.

Liam jumps out of the Limo and slows down to a snail's pace about ten feet in front of me. He's slowly making his way to me with a sinfully sexy grin on his face. "I guess you have nowhere to run now, do you?"

"I don't want to run anymore. I want you," I whisper.

We enter his penthouse suite, and not a minute goes by that I am in Liam's arms, and I'm ripping every bit of his clothes off him. I can't help it. It's been a long anticipated evening, and I've been waiting for this moment for far too long. We end up in his bedroom, and we make love till the wee hours of the morning.

# Chapter 19

I wake up Sunday morning to the sound of my phone chirping. I roll over finding my phone on the night stand next to Liam's bed. I grab it trying to answer it quickly before it wakes up him up.

"Hello?" My voice is low and groggy. "Hey Gab, hold on a second," I whisper while rolling out of bed. I throw on one of Liam's t-shirts that are sitting on top of his dresser. I quietly walk out of the bedroom and close the door being careful not to wake him. I walk out into his living room and plop on the couch.

"Sorry about that. We're still in bed, and I didn't want to wake Liam, so I came out into the living room. So, tell me about last night. You and James seem to be quite the cozy couple. What? You're kidding me?" I start laughing. "You can't leave me in suspense! Fine . . . over lunch." I huff. "What time is it, anyway? Okay, meet me in the lobby of my apartment at eleven o'clock. We can shower and change at my place then we'll go to lunch, and you can tell me the rest. Okay, love you. See you in a bit." I hang up and wander through Liam's kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

I make my way back to Liam's bedroom and notice he is still tight asleep. I decide to go to the bathroom to brush my teeth first before joining him in bed again. Oddly enough, I see that Liam has stocked his bathroom with some of my favorite lotions and creams. An extra toothbrush and hairbrush too. I brush my teeth and make my way back to the bedroom. Slowly, I peel the covers up and slip back into bed to snuggle up in the crook under Liam's arm. He instinctively pulls me close, and I wrap my leg over his and drape my arm over his chest. I lie there thinking about the night's events. I don't know how it happened, but I'm finding it hard to picture my future without him in it. I need to find a way to tell him about my past before he finds out from someone else.

Liam's breathing sounds different. His heart is beating fast. Suddenly, he rolls me over in a quick movement. Liam sprawls out on top of me pinning my hands above my head. "Good morning, beautiful." His voice is cheery and upbeat but still laced with desire.

"Were you up this whole time?" The smile on his face tells me he was. His breath smells minty. He must have gotten up to brush his teeth while I was talking to my sister.

"Maybe," Liam is pinning both of my hands with one of his large hands and trailing his other slowly down the inseam of my bare arm, and it's making me squirm. He dips his head down to my breasts and starts lavishly licking and sucking each nipple. "I love every part of you. You are so damn sexy," he says between breaths. I love the way he makes me feel.

"Mmm, that feels so good," I say through moans. He lifts his head, and I whimper at the loss of his touch. "More," I demand.

"You don't have to ask me twice, baby." He lowers his head again, and his lips glide down my neck as his tongue sensually explores my sensitive skin. Slowly, and gently he takes his time. The need to touch him is overwhelming. His mouth works its way down my stomach, and his free hand trails his long fingers oh so delicately against my inner thigh. I am overcome by the way he is making me feel. My body quivers in anticipation of what is to come. "Liam," I whisper.

"Please," I beg. "I need to touch you. I need to feel you." He is driving me crazy. I writhe under his body. My insides are going to burst. "Please, Liam." I hear him groan then he reluctantly releases my hands. My arms are weak, but I manage to reach slowly down and greedily entwine my fingers in his thick hair. I pull him up to kiss me. "Liam, I need you," I demand between kisses.

We gaze into each other's eyes for a moment before we are both overcome with the need to have each other joined as one. What was once a long seductive tease of pleasure has now become a fierce and powerful yearning to please one another. I have never felt this kind of passion before. What we have is a no-holds-bar need to have one another. No inhibitions, no lack of ardor; just a crazy infatuation to be bridled by one another. There is no turning back now. Nobody has, and nobody can ever compare to him. I am so in over my head that I can barely recognize who I was before Liam came into my life.

After a gratifying morning spent in Liam's bed wrapped up in his love making, I am now off to spend time with my sister. Gabriella is only in town for a couple more days and as much as I miss the heck out of her, I feel like I have to rip myself from Liam's embrace. I try to tell Liam I would just catch a cab back to my place, but he insists on personally dropping me off at my apartment. Stepping out of Liam's Audi, I head for the lobby of my apartment building but before I realize what is happening I see Liam jumping out of his car. He creates a barrier between me and the mob of reporters and photographers. I hear the words two-timing and bachelor back on the market. It's scaring me, but we quickly realize it's more than just me and Liam that they are tormenting.

Gabriella and James arrive before us, and the paparazzi think it's me. They think I am two-timing Liam with James. Suddenly, I am laughing. Once again, the press leaks false information, and it makes me think back to the conversation that Liam and I had the night on his yacht. He told me that the press always likes to portray the worst in people and to not believe everything you see or hear. Liam is looking at me with concern then he realizes that the situation is laughable. He tosses his keys to the valet attendant and enters the lobby with me. We squeeze our way through the press and make our way to Gabriella and James.

James is used to the press and surprisingly, Gabriella doesn't seem too bothered by it either. I link arms with my sister and the four of us make our way to the elevator. Once inside the cart Gabriella apologizes for the inappropriate judging from the press.

"I'm so sorry, Des. I wasn't thinking. I guess I should have known they would think I am you," she pleads.

"It's not your fault Gab. I'm sure you didn't plan for the press to be here. It just seems to come with the territory of being with this man," I say as I'm poking my index finger into Liam's chest. I say it teasingly but I know it's just a matter of time before something leaks about my past. I'm shocked it hasn't come out yet. I never did tell my sister the truth about Chris. I need to tell her too.

We reach my floor and the four of us step out of the elevator and walk a short distance to my apartment. Liam and James did not plan on coming up with us, but they want to make sure the press doesn't follow and badger us any further. I offer everyone a drink but they all decline.

"I don't want you two back outside with the paparazzi snooping around," Liam demands.

"But Gab and I are going to go out to lunch," I cry.

"I agree with Liam. The paparazzi can get pushy. It's not safe," James adds.

"I'll tell you what. I will call my driver to come pick you two up and take you to The Plaza for lunch. I will call and make sure you have a private area setup with no interruptions," Liam states.

"The Plaza?" I ask. He smiles, and it dons on me. "Let me guess. You own that building too." It's a statement, not a question.

"Good guess. No one will bother you there. It'll be safe." Liam is rubbing his hands up and down my arms.

"Okay, The Plaza it is. Thank you." I give him a light kiss on the lips.

"You're welcome, beautiful. Have fun, you two," Liam says as he heads for the door.

I realize the room has gone quiet, so I look around for Gabriella and James. I pull Liam's arm towards me as I see that my sister and James are in a world of their own. James has Gabriella pinned against the wall in my kitchen with his hands on both sides of her face. They're locked in a passionate kiss. I hear her whisper, "tonight" to James. It brings a smile to my face to see her happy. Although, it will be short lived. Gabriella flies back to Denver in two days. James backs away and slaps Liam on the back all the while still looking my sister in the eyes. "Want to grab some beers and watch the game at the pub, man?" James asks Liam.

"Sure James, let's go," Liam responds. "Babe, the car will be here in an hour to pick you both up." I smile at him acknowledging his statement. Then the boys are gone.

I wink at my sister and say, "Come on, let's get ready, and you can fill me in on all the juicy details over lunch." She doesn't say anything but I notice her eyes close, and she puts her right palm over her heart making a fluttering motion with her hand. Oh no, nothing good will come of this, I think. I'm glad she's happy, but she leaves in two days. I don't want to see her heart broken.

Chapter 20

Arriving at The Plaza, Gabriella and I make our way past a couple of photographers. We enter the building and immediately we are escorted to a private dining area. We are being led through double doors and as we enter the room the aroma of flowers quickly enter my endorphins. We both stop in disbelief of how gorgeous the room is. It's filled with dozens of flowers on pedestals and a smaller bouquet on a beautifully set table made up for three people. Not saying a word to each other we slowly walk around the room taking it all in.

"This has got to be a mistake," Gabriella whispers.

I walk to the table and notice three cards. One is addressed to me, one for Gabriella and another one that says 'special guest' "I don't think it is," I say as I hand Gabriella her card. She takes it, and we both open our cards at the same time. When we're done we look up at each other with our mouths hanging open.

"What does yours say?" she asks quietly.

"Roses are red; violets are blue, this day is made for you. Liam," I say. "What do you think it means?" I ask.

"I don't know but mine says, "A beautiful girl with beautiful eyes. I grant you this day. I hope you are surprised. James," she reads and looks up to meet my gaze.

We are both surprised but still a little unsure as to what this all means. We quietly sit down at the beautifully decorated dining table. "I wonder who the special guest is," I say.

Next to the bouquet of flowers is another envelope but it's much bigger than the other three cards. I pick it up and read it out loud so that Gabriella can hear me. The outside of the envelope says, "Enjoy lunch and relax as the three of you have full access to the spa for the day." I open it and inside is a list of the services the spa offers. I hand it to my sister, and she nearly screams with excitement.

"Holy shit!" she says then quickly covers her mouth. We don't want to offend any of the staff here at this way too expensive hotel. "When did they do all this?" she asks. I shake my head in disbelief.

"I guess when you own a hotel the staff jumps to your every request," I say. But still, I can't believe they did all this within an hours' notice. I decide to send Liam a quick tease text to thank him. 'Roses are red; violets are blue, and when I get home, I will take care of you. Thank you!' He quickly sends a reply saying, "I like the sound of that. Enjoy your day."

"I guess so," Gab responds. I also see her sending a text presumably to James. I few seconds later she starts giggling. I ask her what's she laughing about, and she says she thanked James, and his response was something a little too racy to say out loud. Then she gives me a wink.

"You know you're leaving in two days, right?" I say.

She sighs and says, "I know." She looks down at her lap and sighs again. "Desiree?"

"Yes."

"Did I tell you I'm seeing someone? In Denver." She looks up at me but doesn't lift her head.

"No, Gabriella! The disappointment in my voice sounds as if I am scolding her, and maybe I am.

"It's not serious and I know that it's not going anywhere. Honestly, I've been trying to end it but I didn't want to be alone again. Now I've got a taste of what else is out there, and I don't want to go back to him. He's not a good guy, Desiree." I see her eyes start to well up, and suddenly tears start trickling down her cheek.

"Has he hurt you?" I ask because I know what it's like to be hurt by a man.

"Once," she says. I quickly jump up and am at her side immediately.

"Once is enough! You're not going back. Is this why you are out here visiting me right now?" She nods her head. "You are not going back there. You can stay with me." I've been through it, and I will not let Gabriella go through any more than she has already endured. I give her a hug and rub her back ensuring her that everything will be okay. "Let's dry those eyes and order some wine. We deserve to have this day." She nods again and mouths the words, 'thank you.' Suddenly, the double doors open and in walks our special guest.

"Emily!" I scream running over to hug her.

"What is going on?" She has a puzzled look on her face.

"Liam and James arranged for a girls' lunch and spa day for us," I respond.

"When? I mean, I get a call like an hour ago from Liam saying to meet his driver at the curb of my apartment building for a day with the girls. And, who's James?" Emily's voice displays puzzlement. She is wondering what is going on.

"Well, apparently you know more than we do. I just thought I was having lunch with my sister. We arrive to find this beautiful room with a note saying we have full access to the hotel's spa. James is a friend of Liam's that he introduced to Gabriella last night," I say.

"Hot damn! You've got to hold on to this guy," Emily says. Then she has another puzzled look on her face and asks, "Wait a minute. How come the single friends aren't being sent over my way?" Emily has a straight look on her face, and her hands are settled on both of her hips. Gabriella and I both burst out laughing.

Chuckling I say, "I'll work on having Liam do just that." I link each arm into both Emily and Gabriella's arms, and we walk back to the table and say, "Come on, let's go chow down and get our spa on."

~~~

A day at the spa is exactly what we all need. Emily and I have been run ragged at the shop not to mention being stressed about losing the shop altogether, and Gabriella has been dealing with abuse issues back in Denver. All three of us end up getting facials, massages and manicures and pedicures. The day is relaxing and is also much needed girl time. Between the three of us, we also share two bottles of champagne. But now I am ready to thank my man personally. The three of us pile in the Town Car that Liam sent for us. Before heading to my apartment with Gabriella, we first drop off Emily so that she can get ready for her date with Will. Gabriella and I arrive at the apartment to get ready for an evening with the guys. The plan is to meet up at The Black Iris for drinks then dinner.

"Desiree, what are you wearing tonight?" Gabriella yells down the hall.

I walk out of my bedroom wearing a red cocktail dress with spaghetti straps and black three-inch heels. "How's this?" I ask.

"Wow, I love it! Can I borrow something from your closet? I didn't bring too many dressy clothes with me."

"Of course; come on, let's find you something." We walk into my bedroom and rummage through my closet. Luckily, we're the same size. I pull out a white cocktail dress with pale blue stripes and hand it to her. It's a tank top style dress with an A frame style flare to the skirt. "This would look stunning on you." Gabriella walks back to her bedroom and returns in a couple of minutes wearing the dress with the same blue heels we purchased yesterday.

"What do you think?" Gabriella has the biggest grin on her face.

"You look gorgeous but . . . I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"Gab, what are you doing with James? I mean, clearly you're stunning, and I know that James will feel the same way but don't you think we need to clear up your other issue back in Denver before you move on with James?"

"Des, I'm just having fun while I'm here visiting you. I swear things are through with Mick. I don't plan on seeing him again. You're right; I need to break away from him. Besides, I think I might take you up on that offer to come stay with you. I'll go back to Denver in a couple of days, but it's just to take care of everything so that I can come back here to stay longer."

"Really? You'll come and stay with me? Oh Gab, I'm so excited but let's not say anything to the guys tonight. I don't want James to get his hopes up with you. You need to take care of yourself for a while before jumping into the swing of things again. Okay?"

"Deal," Gabriella says.

# Chapter 21

Gabriella and I arrive at The Black Iris fashionably late which, of course, has made Liam worry. He texts me twice to make sure we are okay. Once we arrive, we are immediately escorted by a security guard leading us through Liam's private entrance that Liam and I entered through yesterday. This time we are led directly to the bar located on the main floor. The security guard leaves us to return to man the door. "Liam sure does have great security," I think to myself.

Gabriella and I both notice Liam and James sitting at the bar, but they are both facing with their backs to us. I tug on Gabriella's hand to pull her towards the music room. I ask the DJ to play 'How Does It Feel' by D'Angelo. This is the song that played when Liam and I were on our first date on his yacht. We sneak back out and make our way to the opposite side of the bar. I want to see Liam's reaction on his face when the song comes on.

Gabriella and I both order a glass of wine as we wait for the song to come on. The bartender doesn't ask us for money. I'm assuming they must know I'm Liam's girlfriend. A moment later, my song comes on. I lift my glass to take a sip of my wine while keeping a still eye on Liam. Suddenly, he stands up, and his eyes are searching the entire room. He's looking for me. He knows. He knows it was me who requested this song. It makes my heart thump seeing him respond the way he did when I came on. He sees me now. My body stills as I see the look on his beautiful face. It's pure hunger. His eyes look fierce as he makes his way to me. I feel immobilized. He stops when we are standing chest-to-chest; never removing eye contact. We don't say a word as the unspoken passion says it all. He did it again. Damn him. My knees buckle in his presence. He quickly grasps my waist with both hands and I am being held up by his strong arms. Once again I am caught off guard.

"You requested this song didn't you?" I nod. "Do you know what you do to me, Desiree?" His whisper heats my sole as I slowly shake my head. However, I know exactly what I do to him because he does the same to me. But, I want to hear his words. I want to hear him tell me what I do to him. No-holds-bar.

I mouth the words, "Tell me . . . show me." My eyes are transfixed on his. Amidst the music, I've completely drowned out the crowd of people in the club. I see and hear nobody but Liam. I wish we were home. There is so much I want to do to him. I need to do. However, I settle on being pulled against the warmth of his body. Liam's hands settle on my cheeks when he leans down to lightly trace his lips over mine. The soft touch is hot if not damn right threatening. It's too much.

"We need to go home," I mutter. Liam grabs my hand and we walk over to where James and Gabriella are sitting. James is perched on a bar stool with Gabriella standing in-between his legs. I notice his hands are on her hips, and he's whispering something in her ear. Liam pats James on the back and tells him we are leaving but to stay and have a good night with my sister. I hold my hand up to my ear and mouth, creating a makeshift phone, and I mouth the words, "I will call you tomorrow." She smiles and winks at me, and I smile back. I mouth the words, "I love you" and she does the same back.

"Come on, beautiful. Let's go home." Liam tells the bartender to give whatever James and Gabriella want, on the house. Liam hooks his arm around my waist, and we leave.

Once again we barely make it through the door of his penthouse when clothes begin to fly.

~~~

I wake up to find Liam staring at me. His beautiful, lean but muscular body is lying on his side. His arm is stretched out with his head propped up on his hand. "Last night was wonderful," I murmur.

"It was Unbelievable," he whispers.

"I think we both need to get ready for work."

"I guess we should." Our eyes lock on one another with neither one willing to break the spell.

"I think Gabriella and I should stay in tonight. It's her last night in town."

"I guess you should." His monotone voice and his stare are driving me crazy.

The unspoken is so much more telling; it's indescribable. I am so in love with this man that the idea of not having him in my life is unimaginable. We've never spoken the words, but I can tell that Liam has fallen for me just as I have for him.

~~~

I haven't seen Liam since yesterday morning, and it's killing me. Work is still as busy as ever. This is a good thing. It keeps my mind from wandering. I have not heard back from the silent owner so; I have no idea if they have even seen my letter or not. So, I guess we will be going with the smaller shop; at least for the meantime. Gabriella and I got some much-needed sister time before I drop her off at the airport. Her plan is to come back in a couple weeks after she has had enough time to deal with some loose ends before coming back. Mainly getting away from that bastard. I've been there and done that, and there is no way I want Gabriella to go through what I did.

"Emily, I'm going to take a late lunch. I should be back by three o'clock," I say as I walk out the door with a brown bag full of pastries. I'm wearing a knee length trench coat and hardly anything under it. I am going to surprise Liam at work with dessert, and I don't mean just what's in the brown bag.

I arrive at Hunter Holdings and am immediately eyed up and down by two security guards. One of the security guards greets me by name, and I politely nod. I have never been in Liam's place of work before, but he clearly has alerted security that I am welcome here without any questions asked. I am directed to take the third elevator up to the penthouse suite where Liam's office is located. I ride the elevator up, and it comes to a halt and I exit the cart only to be greeted by who I assume is Liam's secretary. I am a bit intimidated for a moment before I am greeted with a pleasant smile from her. "Hello, I'm Ms. Parker, is Mr. Hunter available?" I ask.

"One moment, please." She lifts the phone receiver and calls his office. "Mr. Hunter, Ms. Parker is here to see you... will do sir," she says. "You may go in, Ms. Parker." She points to the frosted double glass doors at the end of the hall.

"Thank you."

Once I reach the double doors I stand for a moment, working myself up to enter. It's like me to do something like this. I cannot see in so I slowly turn the handle to enter. Tilting my head to peer around the door I shyly ask, "Am I interrupting?"

His eyes are already burning through me. "What a nice surprise, no of course you're not interrupting. Come on in." I timidly walk over to his desk and at the same time; Liam stands up and walks around it to give me a big hug and kiss. "What have you got in the bag?" His smiling eyes look down to the brown bag that I'm holding. His arms stay put around my waist.

"Dessert," I say trying to portray my sexiest smile I can muster up without showing my bundle of nerves.

"Dessert huh, thank you baby." He looks me up and down and says, "It's a little warm outside for a coat. Are you feeling okay?"

I lock my eyes on his and say, "I feel great." I start unbuttoning my trench coat while saying, "I was hoping you'd say you like desserts, so I thought I'd bring a little extra." It doesn't happen very often but once again, I've got Liam lock-jawed. He is rendered speechless, and I notice his eyes turn from his distinct blue color to that blue-black color.

He reaches his right arm over his desk and presses a button on his desk phone. "Sara, hold all my calls till I say otherwise." Liam then releases me and takes long, fast strides to his office door and locks it. I turn to put the brown bag on his desk when I notice something familiar. My heart sinks. It can't be. But it is.

"Liam?" My voice is shaking, and I can barely speak. "Where did you get this?" I hold up a letter that should only be in the hands of the silent owner of the building that my bakery is in. "Liam?" My throat is suddenly dry, and I'm trembling.

He looks over at me with stunned eyes. For once, I have clearly caught him off guard.

Suddenly, I am mixed with sadness, fear, anger and relief. I knew this day would come. I knew deep down that all along this was too good to be true. It pisses me off that, once again; I let my guard down. I fell for him. How could I have been so stupid? I just knew this was too good to be true, but now I am losing the only person that I ever truly loved. I am, however, filled with relief that I do not have to explain to him that I killed a man.

The End of Book 1

The continuation of Desiree and Liam's story can be found in, "The Hidden Truth."

# Acknowledgement

First, I would like to thank my family for all the support in letting me pursue my love of writing. To all my readers, I appreciate all the encouragement you offer and giving my books a chance. It is my hope that you love my characters as much as I do. I appreciate each and every one of you. A big thanks goes out to all my Facebook friends and Goodreads followers who keep asking for more. I would also like to acknowledge my friends who has been nothing but supportive in my adventure of being a writer. My friends have truly been amazing and I wouldn't be writing some of this juicy stuff if it weren't for the support and encouragement from them. I have so much fun writing and am grateful for my wonderful and supportive fans.
About the Author

Lisa Sommers resides in a small town just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even though she was born and raised in San Diego, California, Lisa feels that Pittsburgh is her true home. She has a degree in Business Management. She is happily married with four children that fulfill her every day busy life.

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