High Stakes by Cheryl Douglas Read Free Book Online Page A

and let it linger there while he watched her watching him. He
took a measured sip and said, “Excellent, thank you.”
    “Very well, sir.” He poured wine into each
of their glasses. “Shall I give you a few more moments with the menu?”
    Liam stared at Alisa as he said, “I already
know what I want. You?”
    The temperature in the cozy room seemed to
ratchet up a few degrees as he waited for her response. “Um, I’ll let you
decide.”
    “Let’s start with grilled calamari,
followed by filet mignon, and crème brulée for dessert.”
    “Very well, sir. How would you like the
steaks prepared?”
    “Does medium work for you?” Liam asked.
    “Yes.” Alisa smiled when the waiter
collected their menus and walked away. “Are you always so decisive?”
    “I know what I like, and when I see
something I want, I don’t believe in wasting time.” He leaned forward, grasping
her hand in his. “I like you… I want you… and now that you know my story,
there’s no reason to waste any more time, is there?”
    She knew a man like Liam was used to
getting everything he wanted, which made her want to be the exception to that
rule. She didn’t intend to be just another one of the women who yielded to his
power, content to let him take the lead. “You may know how you feel, but I’m
still trying to figure you out. The physical attraction aside, I’d like to know
who you are beneath the fancy suits and flashy jewelry.”
    He laughed as he glanced at the diamond
Rolex decorating his wrist. “I guess I’m not very good at being subtle, am I?”
    “No, you’re not.” Alisa held the stem of
the wineglass between two fingers. “May I ask you something?”
    He opened his hands in supplication. “I’m
an open book. Ask away.”
    “Who do you love more than anyone else on
Earth?”
    His answer was automatic when he said, “My
thirteen-year-old daughter, Abigail.”
    Oh wow, she hadn’t seen that one coming,
and she didn’t know why it hit her like a blow to the solar plexus that he had
a daughter with another woman. “So, you were married before?”
    He smirked. “No, just involved with a woman
hoping to marry my money. She thought getting pregnant with my child would help
her secure a place in my life.” He looked her directly in the eye when he said,
“She thought wrong.”
    Alisa indulged in a sip of wine as she
tried to decide how best to respond to that. “So your ex-girlfriend isn’t a part
of your life?”
    “Nor is she a part of Abby’s. It turns out
the idea of being a mother was more appealing than the job itself.”
    Her heart went out to him and his daughter
when she thought of how much that betrayal must have cost them both. “I’m
sorry.”
    Liam kissed her hand. “Thank you, but I’m
not. Abby’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I thank God for her every
day.”
    Alisa was suddenly grateful she was only
spending one night in this man’s company. Someone who managed to run a billion
dollar company and love his daughter with his whole heart would be difficult,
if not impossible, to resist. “She lives with you, I take it?”
    “Yes, I have a live-in housekeeper, so
there’s always someone there with her when I’m out of town. My mother lives
nearby as well; she stops by to check on her.”
    Alisa smiled. “That’s so nice. I have a
close relationship with my grandparents as well.”
    “I gathered that when I saw you admiring
the ring earlier.”
    “Do you have a picture of her… your
daughter?” Alisa suddenly had a compelling urge to see the face of the child
he’d helped create.
    He grinned for the first time and his whole
face lit up, making him look years younger. “Of course, what kind of father
would I be if I didn’t?” He reached into the breast pocket of his suit and
pulled out his phone. He held it out so she could see his screensaver.
    “Oh,” Alisa whispered. “She’s beautiful.”
She looked up at the man sitting across from her and tried to