chapter Eight
Liam had wanted to escort Francesca to the gala, but she’d insisted she had to go early and that she would just meet him there. He anticipated that she would be running around for most of the evening. That meant loitering on his own. Normally that wouldn’t bother him, but lately being separated from Francesca brought on an awkward tightness in his chest. The only thing that would cure it was holding her in his arms.
As he walked through the front doors of the hotel’s grand ballroom, he was greeted by the sound of a ten-piece orchestra accompanied by the dull roar of several hundred people mingling. The light was dim, but his eyes quickly became accustomed to it. He searched around the room for Francesca, but he began to think it was a lost cause. She was a needle in a haystack.
Despite the fact that he’d paid for the outfit she had chosen for tonight, he had no idea what she would be wearing. She had been exceedingly pleased with the gift and had thanked him in several ways over the past week, but the only details she would share was that it was a Marchesa and “molto bellisima.”
Then the crowds parted near the bar and he saw her. There was no mistaking this needle in any size haystack. The personal shopper from the department store had certainly taken Liam’s requests into consideration. Francesca was the most stunning woman in the room tonight. He didn’t even have to look around to check. He knew it in his gut.
The gown was black and gray with a swirling design. It was off the shoulder and clung to each curve all the way to the knee, where it fanned out into a delicate cascade of black marabou feathers. Her breasts were tastefully showcased by the neckline of the gown, which was trimmed with more feathers—there wasn’t so much showing as to make him jealous of other men looking at her, but it was enough to make him notice. Her hair was swept up, making her neck look impossibly long and ready for his kisses. Her only jewelry was a pair of sparkling diamond dangles at her ears and a bracelet on one wrist.
When she turned to speak to someone, he noticed the feathers continued into a short train that draped behind her. It was grand, elegant and extremely sexy. And the best part was that his fiancée was wearing it.
He’d tried not to think too much of her that way. It implied more than there was between them, but he felt a surge of territoriality rush through him when she started talking to another man. He had the urge to rush to her, kiss her senseless and stake his claim before anyone got any ideas.
Then she held up her hand to show off her engagement ring. Even across the room, he could see the massive gem sparkle as her hand turned and she smiled. At long last, she radiated joy like a future bride should. The man said a few things, then they parted ways and she started walking in his direction.
The second her eyes met his, she stopped in her tracks. With a seductive grin curling her ruby lips, she held out her arms to showcase the gown and did a little turn for him. Lord, he thought, curling his hands into fists at his side. It was even more incredible from the back, where it dipped low to showcase her flawless, tanned skin.
Liam closed the gap between them as fast as he could without running across the ballroom. Up close, the dress sparkled as the lights hit little crystals sprinkled across the fabric, but it didn’t shine as radiantly as she did.
“What do you think? Did I spend your money wisely?”
Not caring if he ruined the look she’d so carefully crafted, he leaned down and kissed her. He couldn’t help it.
When he pulled away, Francesca smiled. “I guess so.”
“Incredible,” he said.
“Thank you for buying it for me. Having the woman from the department store just show up with gowns was perfect. I felt like I was an Oscar nominee with designers fighting for me to wear their looks on the red carpet.”
“Hollywood is all the poorer for you not being on the big screen.”
“Oh, stop,” she said, smacking him lightly on the arm. “There’s no one around to hear us, so you don’t have to lay it on so thick.”
Liam shook his head. “I mean every word. It wouldn’t matter if we were all alone. I’d say the same thing. Of course, I’d be saying it as I unzipped you from the gown.”
Francesca smiled and slipped her arm through his. “Let me show you where we’re sitting. People are still milling around the silent auction tables, but the event should be starting shortly. You’ll give your speech after the video plays about the youth facilities.”
The speech. He’d almost forgotten about that weight dragging him down when he saw her looking so stunning. “Hooray,” he said flatly.
“Did you bring it?”
He patted his lapel. “Got it right here. And I wrote it myself, I might add. No bribery was involved.”
“I’m looking forward to hearing it.”
They approached a round banquet table front and center, just beside the steps that led up to the stage. He helped her into her seat and took his own just as the orchestra music increased in intensity and the lights on the stage shifted to indicate the program was about to start.
Salads were brought to every place setting as the director of Youth in Crisis welcomed everyone and introduced the short video about their program.
Liam could only pick at his salad. With every minute of the video that went by, he felt more and more nauseated by the idea of speaking to three hundred people.
When the credits started rolling, Francesca sought out his hand and squeezed it gently. “It’s time,” she said, looking over to him. “You’ll do great.”
Liam took a large sip of wine and got up from the table. He made his way to the stairs and up onto the stage, where he was bathed in blinding white lights. He reached in his pocket for his speech, adjusted the microphone and tried to keep the frantic beating of his heart from being audible to the crowd. It was now or never.
“Thank you and welcome, everyone, to the eighth annual Youth in Crisis charity gala. As some of you may know, I recently bought the ANS network, which has a longstanding commitment to this organization. It’s a partnership I’m proud of, and there are many people who work hard to make it possible.”
He looked down in front of the podium, where he could see Francesca’s dim silhouette. Her excited expression fueled his courage to continue. His heart seemed to slow and the subtle shaking of his hands subsided. He just might make it through the speech with her sitting there, silently cheering him on.
“First, I would like to thank ANS’s Executive Vice President of Community Outreach and organizer of tonight’s grand event, my beautiful fiancée, Francesca Orr. For those of you that don’t know Francesca, she cares so deeply about this cause. With everything that has happened with our network in the past few months, there was some uncertainty about whether or not we could sponsor this event like we have for the past seven years.
“Well,” he corrected, “I should say everyone but Francesca had some uncertainty. Come hell or high water, this gala would go on as far as she was concerned. The woman would give back her own salary to fund this event if she had to. I hope everyone rewards her determination by writing a big, fat check. I have agreed to match the largest private donation tonight as an engagement present for my bride, so feel free to stick it to me for a good cause.”
The crowd laughed and Liam felt his confidence boost. He shuffled to the next index card, gave Francesca a wink and continued in his bid to get the attendees to part with their money.
*
Francesca loved her dress. She really did. But after a long night, she was just as happy to change into a breezy slip dress and zip the gown into the garment bag she’d brought with her to the hotel. She couldn’t stuff all those feathers into her little BMW and drive around. With that done, she stepped into the comfortable black flats she’d stashed away with her change of clothes and sighed in relief. Not only did her feet feel better, but the gala was a roaring success and—more important—it was over.
The ballroom was nearly empty by the time Liam found her gathering up the last of her things. “That was a very painful check to write,” he said. “Remind me to kick Scarlet’s fiancé for donating that much the next time I see him.”
She smiled, standing and turning to look at him. His bow tie was undone, his collar unbuttoned. He managed to look casually sexy yet elegantly refined at the same time. “Daniel knows that it’s for a good cause, as should you. And an excellent tax deduction,” she added.
“It was worth it to see the look on your face when they announced how much money we raised.”
“I can’t believe it, really. We blew last year’s donations out of the water. Everyone was buzzing about ANS tonight—and for a good reason.” Francesca slipped her bag over her shoulder and took Liam’s arm.
“It’s about time,” he said, leading them back to the front of the hotel where the party had been held. He approached the valet and handed him his ticket.
“I parked over there,” she said, pointing to an area she didn’t really want to walk to.
“We’ll get your car in the morning,” he said. “I want you to come home with me tonight.”
That was an interesting development. Liam had yet to have her over to his place. She figured that it was a personal retreat for him. They’d always gone to her town house instead. And tonight, she really wished they were sticking with that arrangement. She had no change of clothes. She had what she had worn to the hotel and her dress. The designer gown, while fabulous, would look ridiculous in the morning.
“I don’t have any clothes for tomorrow,” she said.
“You won’t need any,” he replied with a wicked grin as the valet brought the car out.
Francesca gave up the fight. She was too exhausted after a long day to argue. They loaded her things into his convertible and she sat back in her seat, going with the flow. It wasn’t until they reached his place that she perked up.
Liam had described where he lived as a town house, just a little bigger than hers, but he’d lied. As they pulled up the circular brick driveway, she found herself outside what looked like a two-story home. It was detached with a courtyard out front. Two stories of red brick with an elegantly arched front doorway and dormer windows on the roof.
“I thought you said you lived in a town house.”
Liam shrugged and pulled the car into the attached garage. “It’s close.”
He came around the car and opened the door for her, escorting her toward a few steps leading up into the house. They entered through the kitchen. The cabinets were a stark white with glass fronts, set against stainless appliances and gray granite countertops. There wasn’t a single dish in the sink and not a piece of mail sitting on the counter.
Liam took her garment bag and led her through to the front entryway, where he hung it in the closet. She set her bag containing the other items she’d needed tonight on the floor beside the door and wandered into the living room.
“It’s a beautiful place,” she said, walking over to the staircase and running her hand along the wood railing. The space had so much potential. It was a stunning home, but as he’d said before, it was probably just as it was when he’d moved in. White walls, hardwood floors, minimal furniture. There wasn’t a single piece of art on the walls or personal item on a shelf. It looked like a model home or one stripped to sell. “But it does need a woman’s touch,” Francesca admitted.
“I told you I needed you to help me decorate.”
“I didn’t realize it would be such a large task.”
Liam shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and laid it across the arm of the couch. “Not what you were picturing?”
“I guess I was anticipating this place as more of a reflection of you. You seemed to guard it so fiercely that I thought coming into your home would give me some insight into who you are as a person.”
“You don’t see me in this place?”
Francesca glanced around one last time. “Not really. But I see what I should’ve expected to see. A house owned by someone too wrapped up in his work to make it a home. That speaks volumes about you, I think.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed at her. “My work is more important to me than the color of the walls.”
“My work is important to me. But I make time for other things, too. I want to get married and have a family someday soon. When I do, I want not only a successful man, but also one that can take a step back from his job to enjoy family life. You’ll burn out without that.”
As Francesca said the words aloud, she realized she may have made a grave tactical error with Liam. He might not read much into what she’d just said, but it struck a painful chord with her. When she’d said the words, when she’d mentally envisioned getting married and having a family, she’d seen Liam in her mind. She had pictured this place filled with color and life and toddlers who looked like him.
She had let her heart slip away, piece by piece. It had happened so slowly over the past few weeks that she’d barely noticed the change until it was too late. Liam didn’t know it, but Francesca had given her heart to him.
The man she could never really have.
It was unexpected, really. She was passionate about everything she did, but she knew from the beginning that this was business. There was no future for her with a man like Liam.
And yet she could see more now. Their future together was as crystal clear as the illuminated swimming pool she caught sight of from his living-room window.
“There’s plenty of time for all that,” he insisted.
This man, this workaholic, had so many layers to him she was anxious to explore. She knew there was more to him than he showed the world. The way he cared about his employees. The way he was handling the interview with Ariella. He had an attention to detail that went beyond just doing quality work. He was just as passionate about what he did as she was.
How could she not love that about him?
Love. Francesca swallowed hard and turned away from him to look out the window at his darkened yard and glowing turquoise pool. She couldn’t look him in the eye with these kinds of thoughts in her mind. He’d know. And he could never know. Because it would never work between them.
Despite the future she could envision, there was a critical piece missing between them. He didn’t love her. He wouldn’t even be with her right now if it wasn’t for his aunt and her demands. That was a bitter dose of reality to swallow, but the sooner she reminded herself of that, the better off she’d be when this “arrangement” came to an end.
“Would you like to see the upstairs?”
Pulling herself together, Francesca turned and nodded with a smile. Liam led the way up the stairs, showing her his home office, the guest room and finally, his bedroom.
Knowing they’d reached their final destination, she slipped out of her shoes and stepped onto the plush carpeting. She ran her hand over the soft, blue fabric of his duvet as she made her way to the window. She watched the glow of the city lighting the black night above the tree line, hiding any stars from her view of the sky. On a night like this, she really needed a sign to help her. Something to tell her she was making the right choices with Liam.
She reached for the corno portafortuna necklace she always wore and realized she’d taken it off tonight. It was in a pouch in her purse. She suddenly felt exposed without it, as though something could get through her protective armor without it. Looking down, she saw a rabbit sitting on Liam’s front lawn. Before she could move, something startled it and the bunny shot across the yard, crossing her path.
A sign of disappointment to come.
Francesca took a deep breath and accepted the inevitable. She was in love with a man she couldn’t have. She didn’t need a rabbit to tell her disappointment was on the horizon.
The heat of Liam’s body against her back was a bittersweet sensation. Just as her mind began to fight against it, her body leaned back into him. His bare chest met her back, his fingertips sliding beneath the thin straps of her dress to slide them off her shoulders.
The flimsy sundress slid down her body, leaving her completely naked with it gone. Liam’s hands roamed across her exposed skin, hesitating at her hip.
“No panties?” he asked.
She hadn’t worn any undergarments tonight. The dress was almost sheer and wouldn’t allow for them. Besides, she knew how the night would end. “I can’t have you ripping up all my nice lingerie,” she said.
“That’s very practical of you. I find that sexy. Everything about you just lures me in. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to get away.”
Francesca closed her eyes, glad her back was still to him. She wished he wouldn’t talk that way sometimes. It was nice to hear, but it hurt to know it wasn’t really true. The minute his aunt let him off the hook, this whole charade would end. At least now she wouldn’t have to worry about faking the heartbreak when their engagement was called off. The tears she would shed on Ariella’s shoulder would be authentic.
“Look at me,” Liam whispered into her ear.
She turned in his arms, wishing away the start of tears in her eyes that had come too early. They weren’t done just yet. She needed to make the most of her time with him.
When her gaze met his dark blue eyes, she felt herself fall into them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to get closer. His lips found hers and she gave in completely. The feel of his hands on her body, his skin against hers, was an undeniable pleasure. She had to give in to it, even if it put her heart even more at risk.
They moved together, still clinging to one another as they slow-danced across the room to the bed. Her bare back hit the silky softness of the duvet a moment later. Liam wasted no time covering her body with his own.
As his lips and hands caressed her, Francesca noted a difference in his touch. The frenzied fire of their first encounters was gone, replaced with a leisurely, slow-burning passion. He seemed to be savoring every inch of her. At first, she wondered if maybe she’d had too much champagne tonight. That perhaps she was reading more into his pensive movements.
But when he filled her, every inch of his body was in contact with hers. He moved slowly over her, burying his face in her neck. She could feel his hot breath on her skin, the tension of each muscle in his body as it flexed against hers. When he groaned her name into her ear, it sent a shiver through her whole body.
Francesca wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him closer. She liked having him so near to her like this. It was a far cry from their wild, passionate encounter in her kitchen. Nothing like the times they’d come together over the past week. Something had changed, but she didn’t know what it was. It felt like…
It felt like they were making love for the first time.
The thought made Francesca’s heart stop for a hundredth of a second, but she couldn’t dwell on it. Liam’s lips found the sensitive flesh of her neck just as the movement of his hips against hers started building a delicious heat through her whole body. She clung to him, cradling his hips between her thighs as they rocked closer and closer to the edge.
When she reached her breaking point, she didn’t cry out. There was only a gasp and a desperate, panting whisper of his name as her cheek pressed against his. His release was a growl against her throat, the intense thrashing of his body held to almost stillness by their tight grip on one another.
Instead of rolling away, he stayed just as he was. His body relaxed and his head came to rest at her breast. She brushed a damp strand of hair away from his forehead and pressed a kiss to his flushed skin.
As they drifted to sleep together, one of Francesca’s last thoughts was that she was totally and completely lost in this man.