High Stakes (4 page)

“One night, huh?” He smiled. “Listen, if
you’re interested in stepping outside of your comfort zone, I happen to know
that the new chef at Bryson’s is terrific.”

“Bryson’s, that’s where you’re staying?”
She’d heard great things about the exclusive boutique hotel chain and had to
admit she was curious to find out what the hype was all about.

“Yeah. You’ve heard of it?”

She rolled her eyes. “Who hasn’t heard of
it?”

“Good things?”

“Sure, it’s supposed to be lovely. But I’m
sure they’re booked.”

He grinned. “Does that mean you’re willing
to consider changing your plans so we can have dinner together?”

“I shouldn’t, but…”

“But you will?”

“Why don’t you find out if they have any
rooms available while I visit the ladies’ room? If they do, we’ll take it from
there.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

Liam watched her walk away before he
reached into his briefcase to pull out his Blackberry. He scanned his contacts
for the number for the reception desk at his Las Vegas hotel. Connecting the
call, he waited, hoping she wouldn’t come back before he’d had a chance to
speak to one of his employees.

He wasn’t ready for Alisa to know that he
was
that
Liam Bryson just yet. He trusted his instincts, but he’d like
to get to know her better before he told her who he was. Women inevitably got
that glazed look in their eyes when they met him and he knew they were mentally
calculating his net worth. That was the reason he was so selective with the
women he took to bed. Dating models and actresses was fun, but since one
reckless night resulted in an unplanned pregnancy fourteen years ago, he’d been
much more careful. He loved his daughter too much to expose her to a woman
willing to use her just to get into her wealthy father’s good graces.

“Good evening. Bryson’s. This is Tiffany
speaking. How can I help you?”

“Tiffany, this is Liam Bryson. How are
you?” He’d never met the young lady answering the phone personally, but he
believed in treating all of his employees, from the housekeeping staff to his
CFO, with respect until they gave him reason not to.

“Hello, sir. I understand you’ll be staying
with us for a couple of days?”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.” Liam had
never been in the awkward position of having to ask one of his employees to
exercise discretion before, but he didn’t see another option. “Listen, I have a
friend joining me this evening.”

“Of course, sir.”

“She’ll need her own suite.”

“Oh, I… uh, I’m afraid we’re booked, sir.”

Liam pinched the bridge of his nose. He was
tired and frustrated after an exhausting week, and dinner with a beautiful
woman was exactly what he needed to take his mind off business for a while.
“Give her half of my suite.” His was a three-bedroom, two-bath suite with bedrooms
and bathrooms on either end and an adjoining door between. It was ideal for
families traveling together, long-term guests, or people who preferred more
space than the standard suites provided.

“Of course, Mr. Bryson. I’ll see to it
right away.”

“One more thing, Tiffany. My friend doesn’t
know I own the hotel, and I’d rather she not. Can you let the rest of the staff
know I’d like to keep a low profile tonight?” He knew that was no small order,
since each of his hotels employed nearly a hundred people on any given night.

“Um, of course, sir. We look forward to
seeing you soon.”

Liam looked up just as Alisa exited the
restroom. He watched the appreciative stares from men as she passed, but she
seemed oblivious. He admired the fact that she seemed so unaware of her obvious
effect on the opposite sex, whereas most women who looked like her would enjoy
playing it up.

“So, what’s the verdict?” she asked,
smiling up at him.

“We’re all set.”

“I’m impressed. You must have some clout at
that hotel to get a room on such short notice.”

She had no idea.
“You could say that.” He reached for her
hand. “You ready?”

“Don’t you have any luggage?”

“My things are already at the hotel.” He
was supposed to take his private jet today, but he’d let his brother take it instead.
Matthew wanted to surprise his wife with a romantic getaway to Liam’s vacation
home in Barbados, and since there was very little he wouldn’t do for his
younger brother, he agreed to fly commercial so Matt could take the company
plane. Given the turn of events, Liam would have to remember to thank his
brother later.

“Oh, okay then.”

He slipped his hand through hers as he led
her outside to the pick-up zone. A familiar silver stretch limousine waited for
them at the curb, and his usual driver, Ted, jumped out.

Liam ushered her into the car without
waiting for Ted to open their door. If Ted used his last name, Alisa was bound
to put two and two together. He held his finger up to Alisa. “Just give me a
minute.”

She smiled. “Of course, take your time.”

He glanced at the older man, comfortable in
the knowledge that the enormous tips he always provided should be enough to buy
him the favor he intended to ask for. “I’d prefer if you didn’t use my last name
tonight, Ted.”

He raised a bushy gray eyebrow as he tried,
unsuccessfully, to suppress a smile. “As you wish, sir.”

Liam scowled as he slid inthe backseat to
join her. He knew this ruse was ridiculous. It was only a matter of time before
she figured out he was worth hundreds of millions of dollars, which would
inevitably color her opinion of him. He wanted a few more hours of just being
Liam before that happened. He liked her already, and he wanted her to like him,
too. Just because he was a decent guy, not because of his bank balance.

“Are you okay?”

Her gentle question tugged at something
deep inside of him. When was the last time someone outside of his family had asked
if he was okay? “Fine, thanks. I just needed to have a word with Ted about
something.”

He suddenly felt guilty for keeping secrets
from her, for lumping her in with the legions of women who’d come before her.
His instincts told him that she was being genuine and she deserved the truth,
but he had no way of knowing whether he was being played until he got to know
her better. Perhaps she recognized him the moment he sat down next to her, and
she’d been playing this game ever since, just to keep him interested. He had to
admit it was working. He was definitely interested.

“I’m glad I agreed to this,” she said,
resting her head against the leather seat as she closed her eyes. “I’ve been
working fourteen hour days for months now. This is exactly what I needed
tonight.”

Impulse had him reaching for her legs and
propping them on his. He plucked her sandals off and let them fall to the
floor.

She opened her eyes and looked at him.
“What are you doing?”

“Just helping you relax.” He began swirling
his thumb over the pad of her foot, eliciting a deep moan from her that went
straight through him. “Feel good, sweetheart?”

“God, Liam, that feels amazing.” She moaned
again as she threaded her hands through her hair.

He wanted to take her right there in the
backseat of his limo, in the middle of a crowded city street, with little more
than a sheet of glass to protect them from prying eyes. When she began
massaging him with the heel of her other foot, he groaned.

Her eyes flew open and she glanced at the
bulge in the front of his pants before her cheeks turned a charming shade of
pink. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t be sorry.” If she were any other
woman, he would have made his intentions clear, but he didn’t want tonight to
be about sex. He wanted to know if a woman could like him just because he was a
decent guy. He’d been treated like a money-making machine for so long, he was
beginning to feel like one. And tonight, in the arms of the right woman, he just
wanted to feel like a man again. “I’m not gonna lie, Alisa. I want you. You’re
a gorgeous woman, but that’s not why I invited you to spend the evening with
me.”

She set her feet down on the floor. “Why
did you ask me to join you tonight?”

He moved closer to tuck a strand of hair
behind her ear. He let his hand linger beside her head as he set his arm on the
back of the seat. “I meet a lot of women. Most are beautiful, but few, if any,
make me feel something. You do. I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t explore that.”

Her straight white teeth sank into her
bottom lip as she seemed to consider his words. “I feel the same way. You’re
all wrong for me, but—”

“Why do you say that?” He didn’t want to be
wrong for her, not when he sensed she could be so right for him.

She tipped her head to one side, looking
him in the eye. “How old are you, Liam?”

He winced inwardly. Of course, a young,
gorgeous woman like Alisa probably thought of him as a dirty old man. He rarely
considered age a factor when deciding whether he wanted to date a woman,
because he knew the relationship wouldn’t last past a date or two. He had his
limits. He wouldn’t date anyone
too
young, but he knew Alisa was well
past the age of being legal. “Forty-four. You?”

“Twenty-five.” She smiled. “I can’t say
I’ve ever dated anyone that much older before.”

He prided himself on staying in good shape,
but he didn’t fool himself into believing he had the stamina of a twenty-year-old
anymore. The prospect of aging didn’t usually bother him… until he compared
himself to the twenty-something men Alisa usually dated. “Does it bother you,
the fact that I’m so much older?”

“Me? No. But my father would probably have
a coronary if he found out.”

It pleased him that she was at least thinking
past tonight. “Daddy’s little girl, are you?”

“You could say that.” She looked at the
hands clasped in her lap. “But, um, it kind of goes beyond that. My dad is
financing my business, and I can’t afford to piss him off right now.”

“And seeing me would piss him off, huh?” Knowing
that her father was using his money to try and control her annoyed Liam,
especially since he’d watched his father do that to his mother for too many
years.

“Um, yeah. He’s a good guy, but he’s just a
little overprotective.” She sighed. “He hasn’t had an easy time of it, and he
just doesn’t want to see me make the same mistakes he’s made.”

“Any father would feel the same way.” He
knew he would lay down his life for his own daughter, so he couldn’t blame
Alisa’s father for wanting to protect her. “It sounds like you two are close?”
He slid a strand of her hair through his fingers, marveling at how soft it felt.

“We are. I don’t want to disappoint him.
That’s why it’s so important to me that this business venture is a success.”

He smiled as he slid his hand into her hair
and began massaging the back of her neck. He watched her eyes drift closed as
the craving for a taste of her lips intensified. “I know a thing or two about
business. I’d be happy to look at your business plan.”

“That’s sweet of you. I just might take you
up on that later.”

It seemed so natural to want to help her.
Most people weren’t shy about asking for what they wanted from him, but knowing
that she didn’t expect anything made him want to give more freely. “It would be
my pleasure.” He could feel the tension in the back of her neck and he longed
to ease some of her stress. “Turn around, sweetheart. Let me see what I can do
about some of those knots.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that.”

He reached over to release her seatbelt. “I
know I don’t have to, but I want to. Come on, turn around.”

She shifted her body and slid her long
blond hair around her shoulder. “Thanks.”

He rubbed her shoulders, trying to ignore
the long, smooth column of her neck until he couldn’t anymore. His mouth
hovered just above the creamy flesh as he whispered, “Now would be a good time
to tell me to back off.”

“I can’t.”

Those two simple words summed up his
sentiment more accurately than he ever could have. He couldn’t control what was
happening between them, the overpowering urge to hold her, touch her, taste
her… For a man used to controlling everything, she made him feel powerless.

He skimmed his lips over her collarbone
until she sighed and leaned into him. His tongue was on a mindless quest that
began and ended with giving her pleasure. He nipped, kissed, and licked her
delicate flesh until she was panting and breathless.

“We have to stop,” she whispered.

He hadn’t even tasted her yet, and he was
already greedy for more. “I don’t want to stop.” He slid her tank strap down and
kissed the gentle slope of her shoulder. “I want you. God, Alisa, I
need
you.”

“Please,” she whimpered, reaching around to
thrust her hands into his hair. “We can’t do this. Not here. We just met. This
is wrong. Please.”