A Not-So-Innocent Seduction

Sixteen


Zoe freshened up and donned the soft, comfy robe, flipping her hair over the collar. One look in the mirror told her she looked exactly like what she was...a woman who had spent several hours in bed with her lover.

She was sore in more places than her wrists, but it was a good kind of sore...the sort of feeling that curved her mouth in a smug smile.

After splashing her face with water and brushing her hair, she spritzed her wrists with perfume and used a bit of gloss on her puffy lips. Now, her reflection was more like the usual Zoe.

When she entered the living room area of their suite, Liam was clearing a spot by the window for their meal. He looked over his shoulder as she entered. “Should be here soon.”

She perched on the arm of the sofa, enjoying the view. Liam in that robe was only slightly less yummy than naked Liam. But before she could go too far with that particular fantasy, a knock sounded at the door.

The young man who rolled a serving cart into their room and uncovered the dishes never batted an eye at their dishabille. Presumably he was used to the eccentricities of hotel guests. But Zoe couldn’t help feeling a bit embarrassed. With the do-not-disturb sign on the door and the robes she and Liam were wearing, the guy had to know they’d been having sex.

Even a more seasoned employee would have goggled at the tip Liam handed over. The kid’s effusive thanks were still bubbling when Liam eased him out the door and shut it behind him.

“How much was that?” Zoe asked.

Liam shrugged, his grin wide. “A couple hundred. I’m in a good mood. Come sit down before everything gets cold.”

The meal was a hodgepodge of delights. Thinly shaved prime rib on homemade rolls, fresh asparagus and cinnamon apples were Zoe’s favorites. “You’ve been paying attention to what I order at the Silver Beeches,” she accused, suddenly realizing that such appealing choices couldn’t have been entirely random.

Liam nodded, entirely unrepentant. “Of course. It’s my job to make you happy.”

“I like the sound of that.”

With tousled hair and the shadow of a late-day beard darkening his chin, Liam was the epitome of a lazy, satisfied predator. A lion maybe, relaxing in his domain before his next hunting mission. He ate with gusto, devouring twice as much as she did, and draining a bottle of wine with a little help from her.

Over dessert, chocolate cake filled with dark-chocolate ganache, they chatted lazily of this and that. Silver Glen. Dylan’s bar. Politics. The books they had read and liked.

When she was feeling completely mellow and utterly content with life, Liam dropped an unexpected bomb. “May I ask you a personal question?” he said.

She stiffened automatically. Though she knew intellectually that he had no wish to harm her, her shields went up. “I suppose.”

“You’re an only child...right?”

“Yes.”

“So when your father dies, his company will go to you and your mother...or only you if she is gone.”

“Yes. What’s your point?” She was not happy that he had decided to introduce this topic in the midst of their romantic idyll.

Liam sipped his coffee, his eyes meeting hers over the rim of his cup. “Has it ever occurred to you that if you cooperate with him now, you might be able to shape the company and help steer it in the direction you want it to go?”

A knot of hurt formed in her stomach. Clearly Liam hadn’t understood the full measure of her father’s ruthless determination. “I don’t want the company,” she said flatly. “And no. I have no wish to cooperate with him. I tried plenty of times when I was younger, believe me.”

“I know it’s hard, but he’s your family, no matter how much you dislike his methods. Are you sure you want to permanently sever that tie?”

Her fists were clenched in her lap where he couldn’t see. And though his perspective was understandable, she wished that just once in her life someone would take her side.

“You don’t understand,” she said quietly. “You come from a family where support is freely given, where you all love each other despite your differences. My father is not like that. My mother and I are little more than chattels to him, incidental pawns in his game.”

“That’s a pretty cynical view.”

“And you’re being presumptuous. You know nothing at all about my life. So I’d appreciate it if you would resist the urge to pass judgment.”

“For God’s sake, I’m not judging you.”

“You are,” she cried passionately. “Your father was a disappointment to you, but instead of writing off the Kavanagh empire, you sacrificed your dreams on the altar of filial responsibility. That was your choice. But it’s not mine. I’ve seen the world and had some amazing experiences. I haven’t allowed my father to dictate who I am or what I make of my life. I’ve been free.”

“You call roving from town to town, always looking over your shoulder being free?”

* * *

Zoe’s face went white, and Liam knew he had gone too far. Her family situation was not his business. He understood that. But she wore loneliness like a hair shirt, and it hurt him to see her that way. “I’m sorry,” he said.

She stood up, her eyes bleak. “Me, too. I’m going to pack and catch a late flight back. You can call and cancel the dress order.”

“Now wait a damn minute.”

Though she had been halfway to the bedroom, she stopped. “There’s nothing more to say.”

“So we disagree about something and our relationship is over? Is that it?”

“There’s no relationship, Liam. You’re in charge of your realm and I’m passing through. It was never going to be anything else.”

He approached her slowly, knowing it was going to take a miracle to make her to stay. “Then give me this interlude to remember you by...two more days. I swear I won’t say another word about your father.”

“Why? What’s the point?”

“Because I won’t let you go. Not now. Not tonight.” Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her to their bedroom. Something eased inside him when he felt her arms loop around his neck. “I can make you happy, Zoe. I promise.”

* * *

For the next forty-eight hours he did exactly that. With a mutual unspoken agreement between them not to delve into sensitive topics, they set out to enjoy one of the greatest cities in the world.


First on the agenda the following day was his luncheon keynote. Zoe sat in the audience looking prim and perfect in her new black dress while Liam struggled to keep his mind on what he had to say. People seemed to like the speech. There were cordial handshakes and a few hugs, and plenty of hearty congratulations. At least half of the group lingered to be introduced to a blushing Zoe.

She was charming and funny and perfectly at home in this world of movers and shakers. After everything she had told him, he knew his initial assessment of her background had been comically off the mark. Zoe might have spent some time living in her van, but it wasn’t because she came from impoverished beginnings.

During the afternoon they returned to the hotel for another round of sweaty, wonderful sex followed by a shower and a nap. He lay with her in his arms, trying to wrap his head around the sea change in his life. In a dramatically short time, Zoe had shattered the notion that his life was complete.

She had danced into his world like the brightest of butterflies, the most brilliant of flowers, showing him by sheer virtue of contrast what he had been missing. His brain whirled with possibilities, but he knew in his heart that until Zoe settled things with her father, either a reconciliation or a total break, she would never be able to settle down.

And what about her mother? The questions went on and on.

The following day was much like the day before, except that instead of the luncheon, he dropped Zoe at the Met while he pursued a very important errand. Once he returned, he spent another hour with Zoe wandering the museum before they finally went in search of food.

The day was sunny and bright, so they bought hot dogs from a vendor in the Central Park and watched dads and kids sail model boats on the lake. Zoe’s face was wistful. “They look so happy.”

He wanted to ask what her childhood had been like, but he had promised not to talk about her father anymore. It was hard to imagine any parent not being delighted with the child Zoe must have been.

“Come on,” he said, linking his hand with hers. “You look sleepy.” They had been out late the night before, taking in a Broadway show and dinner afterward.

They caught a cab and were back at their hotel in no time. As soon as the door to their suite closed, Zoe threw herself into his arms. “I want to make love to you,” she said, her expression cajoling.

Didn’t she know that no persuasion was necessary? Intimacy with Zoe was never far from his mind.

Allowing her to take him by the hand and lead him to the bedroom, he hid a smile when she began unbuttoning his shirt with sweet concentration. The touch of her hands made him inhale sharply. Would it always be like this? She had woven some kind of magic, invisible chains around him, and he was a willing victim.

When they were both naked, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said, resting his forehead on hers.

As he bent to deposit her on the mattress, she scooted over to make room for him. They came together in mutual accord, silently, slowly, the moment filled with yearning and poignancy. Somehow he had to get through to her. But that could wait.

Her slim legs tightened around his waist as he canted her hips, deepening the penetration. Her golden hair fanned out across the pillow. This room had become their haven, their escape from the realities of a world that was not always kind to hopes and dreams.

The end this time was more of a gently rolling wave, sweeping them onto a distant shore of contentment. Zoe curled into his embrace. They dozed for half an hour. Liam slipped in and out of sleep. He didn’t want to miss a moment of what might be his last time with her.

When she roused, he brushed the hair from her face. “I want to ask you something.”

Yawning, she ran her toes down his shin. “Okay.”

“I want you to stay at the hotel for longer than six weeks. My treat. Better yet, in my apartment. And if you like, we can move your mother to Silver Beeches as well. Perhaps a change of scenery could help her see that she needs to leave your father.”

Zoe played with the hair on his chest. “I don’t know if she would come.”

“And you?”

The silence was long. Scary. But finally, she nodded. “I could do that.”

“Good. I’m glad.” He left it at that. He was afraid if he made too big a deal of her consent it would spook her.

* * *

By the time they returned to Silver Glen, he and Zoe were comfortable with each other in a way he wouldn’t have been able to manage with her as a guest in his hotel. They had created a special kind of intimacy in New York. When she wore the blue dress the final night, he had taken her to a gala fund-raiser for a charitable foundation. They had danced until 2:00 a.m. and had gone back to their hotel to sleep and make love and sleep again.

Now, on the plane back to North Carolina, he began to feel a sense of dread. He couldn’t quite say why. Zoe sat in the seat beside him sleeping peacefully, her head resting on his shoulder. Nothing had changed. Perhaps it was a taste of regret for having to leave the city where they had forged a tenuous accord. That and the realization that he still had unanswered questions about Zoe’s father and how she intended to handle him.

Because their flight had been delayed indefinitely in Charlotte, Liam had called Pierre and told him not to bother meeting them. After they deplaned and claimed their luggage, Liam rented a car and soon they were on their way home.

Zoe was awake now, but quiet, her gaze trained out the window, though it was dark. It irked him that he never knew what she was thinking. Just when he began to think he knew her well, she threw him off balance in one way or another.

Back at the Silver Beeches, the facade of the hotel was lit up. Liam felt the sensation of homecoming and yet had no real urge to stop by the front desk and check on things as would have been his usual habit. All he could think about was taking Zoe upstairs to bed. His or hers. It didn’t matter.

While he was passing off his keys to the valet, Pierre came rushing out of the hotel. The dignified man never hurried anywhere, so Liam’s radar went up. The concierge lowered his voice as he came closer. “A man who appears to be Ms. Chamberlain’s father is here. He’s in the lobby refusing to leave until he sees her. And he’s threatening to call the police and accuse you of kidnapping.”

“What a load of crap.” Liam debated rapidly. “We’ll go in the side door and head to my office. That will give Zoe a few minutes to collect her thoughts. Is that okay with you, Zoe?”

She was standing on the opposite side of the car, her hand resting on the hood. “Oh, so I get a vote?”

The acerbic words reminded him that she didn’t like to be coddled. “Sorry. What do you want to do?”

“I don’t want to see my father, but I knew this showdown was coming sooner or later. It’s probably for the best, anyway. I’m not going to be afraid of him anymore. I’m an adult woman. It’s time he knows that he can’t use me as a pawn in his games.”

Liam looked at Pierre. “Stall him a little longer. Tell him Zoe just got in and she’s freshening up.”

“Yes, sir.”

Pierre disappeared as Liam took Zoe by the arm and led her into the relative safety of the shadowy side courtyard. Before they went inside, he stopped short, having just had an epiphany that shocked him. “Zoe,” he said urgently. “Is it true that you’ve been living off the grid for the last eighteen months?”

He felt her nod. “More or less. Why?”

“When you came to Silver Beeches, you used a credit card...a traceable credit card.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t have let me check in without it.”

“That’s not my point. Were you somehow subconsciously setting up a confrontation with your father? You had to know that if he hired someone to trace your whereabouts from place to place that he would have no compunction about investigating you in other ways.”

“So?”

“So I’m asking if my theory is true.”

“If it is, I didn’t do it deliberately. Can we please go inside now? I’m getting chilly.”

* * *

Zoe felt as if she were walking in a nightmare. But there would be no waking up from this. The last thing she wanted was for Liam and her father to meet. It embarrassed her that the Kavanaghs were such a wonderful family, and her own father was a bully and a mean-spirited dictator.

In Liam’s office she sat in a chair, her knees wobbly and her hands icy cold. Dealing with her father was never pleasant, but coming on the heels of the wonderful hours spent with Liam in New York, this encounter was going to be particularly bleak.

Liam knelt in front of her, his eyes watchful, but kind. “How can I help?”

She shrugged, not quite able to meet his gaze. “I don’t know. I guess it depends on whether he still plans to arrest me.”

Liam flinched. She saw it and felt it.

“Look at me, Zoe.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Before anything else happens, I want you to know that I love you.”

Shock rendered her boneless. Her legs threatened to collapse beneath her. “Your timing sucks,” she said, staring at him, her voice hoarse with tears. Of all the times she had daydreamed about hearing him say those words, the scenario had never been this. “Why are you telling me now?”


His smile was lopsided. “Well, for one, it’s true. But before you go in to see your father, I want you to know that whatever happens, I’ll be there for you.”

She shook her head, confused and anxious. “I don’t understand. What do you think is going to happen?”

Easing her back into the chair, he pulled another chair up beside her so he could hold her hands, warming them between his. “I know about the money, Zoe.”

She stared at him blankly. “What money?”

Now he looked grim. “You said your father accused you of taking money from him.”

“But I didn’t.” He wasn’t making sense.

“Zoe.” He stopped, looked down at their hands, and shook his head slowly. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You aren’t in this alone. You don’t have to pretend with me. I love you.”

Truly bewildered, she searched his face. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

For the first time, he let his frustration and disappointment show through his mask of caring. “I know about the money, Zoe. I know you have it. Gary found it when he was getting ready to paint the van.”

“And he told you?”

“Yes. He was worried about it. But it’s okay. We’ll tell your father you didn’t spend it. That you took it because you were angry. We’ll give it back. And if necessary, I’ll hire you the best lawyer we can find. I won’t let your father hurt you.”

Zoe stared at him aghast, all her dreams disintegrating around her like hundreds of falling stars. “You think I stole from my father. Even though I told you I didn’t.”

His jaw was granite, his eyes pools of something...regret, maybe. “People do crazy things when they get pushed into a corner. I don’t blame you. Really.”

“How generous of you.” She stood up, no longer aware of any emotion at all. She was encased in ice. “I will see my father now.”

“Wait,” Liam said, lurching to his feet and grabbing her by the shoulders. “I told you I love you. Doesn’t that warrant a response of some sort?”

She smiled at him politely, as she would a stranger. “Of course, it does.... Go to hell, Liam.”