Revenge in Room 426

by Michelle Conder

  Chloe was still shocked that she’d even confided her story to the stunning model but there was something about her that had gained Chloe’s confidence. Or maybe she had just needed to talk to someone. Get some advice. She wasn’t exactly the vengeful type and what if he laughed at her inexperienced attempts at seduction? Fortunately Cara had given her plenty of ideas and added stiletto heels to her purchases so she could be sure to really leave her mark on Liam Hunter as she used him as a doormat on her way out.

  Yet even as she’d told Cara how much she disliked Liam, Chloe could still feel the way his long fingers had felt wrapped around her own. Still see the chiselled perfection of his face, still smell his woodsy male scent. Part of her obviously did like him. Very much. And it had nothing to do with her brain.

  Did he really find her attractive now or had it all been in her imagination? And was it pathetic of her to feel just a little thrilled at the prospect?

  Chloe swallowed. The more she thought about her marvellous plan for revenge the sicker she felt.

  Chapter Four

  She wasn’t coming.

  Liam paced around his vast hotel living area taking no notice of the lavish furnishings which were currently draped with a throng of party goers he didn’t know. When he’d first made it big in Hollywood he’d soaked up parties like this one. Parties strewn with near naked girls who were more than willing to put out even in a room full of people, and guys who wanted to bask in the glow of his overnight success.

  What would they all think if they heard about the horrible prank he’d been a part of five years ago? His father would be ashamed of him if he knew the full extent of it and while Liam hadn’t been personally responsible for the romantic banner pinned to the wall asking Chloe to marry him he’d been responsible for leading her on. He’d been responsible for letting her wrap her arms around his neck and for letting her say she loved him when he could have prevented it. Yes, he’d been dumbfounded by the joke. Dumbfounded that his friends had taken things to that level. But he’d done nothing to stop it and he still hated himself for that more than anything.

  His ex-friends had uploaded the secret video straightaway, calling Chloe the plain pony to his sexy stallion. A frown marred Liam’s brow. She might not have been one of those girls who played on her looks but that didn’t make her plain. Not with those striking blue eyes and wavy red hair. That lush mouth that she’d nibble on in between explaining verb conjugations and negative infinitives. The fact that he’d been able to retain half the stuff she was telling him was thanks to that mouth and the amount of time he’d spent watching it.

  And she wasn’t coming.

  ‘Hey, dude, great party.’

  Liam studied the public school guy who looked like he’d had too much to drink and whom he didn’t know. Noelle had handed him a guest list at the start of the night but the only name he’d looked for was Chloe’s – aka Candy Lane. Married or a pseudonym? He hadn’t had a minute to himself all afternoon to find out. ‘Thanks, man.’ He nodded. ‘Say, you got the time?’

  Preppie swayed on his feet as he pulled his phone from his pocket. ‘Quarter past twelve. Hey man, we should totally do a selfie.’

  Liam obliged and pasted a smile on his face. He was learning to manage the fame aspect of his life and he certainly didn’t resent having fans. It was just that the more people who wanted to be around him because he was famous the more disconnected he felt from them.

  And now he was ridiculously close to feeling sorry for himself and – there she was. Standing just inside the main doorway looking like a vision. The sight of her made Liam’s entire being rise to full alert. Damn she was pretty.

  His eyes skimmed over her curvaceous figure in a pale dress that clung in all the right places. Her hair was loose and rippled down her back like a thick blanket, the overhead lights making it look as if it was on fire.

  No, she’d never been plain and if his friends pinned that corny banner up now asking her to marry him everyone in the room would think it was real.

  God, he had to apologise for that. But first he had to get rid of his suddenly sweaty palms, get her a drink and just talk to her. Find out why she’d changed her name to something that sounded like it belonged to a pop star and whether she was single.

  For some reason that information seemed vitally important as he crossed the room to her before some of the other men checking her out got there first.

  Her eyes widened as he approached and he glanced at her ring finger. Bare. That meant she was single because he instinctively knew she wasn’t the type to play games with men. The type who thought loyalty meant dumping someone right after they’d slept with someone else. And he only just realised how sick of that type he was. ‘I’m glad you could make it.’ He grinned. Somehow he felt like a weight had been lifted now that she had arrived.

  She nodded but didn’t catch his eye. Okay, so this wasn’t going to go as easily as he had hoped. ‘Champagne?’ he asked.

  ‘No thanks.’ She smoothed her hands down her skirt. ‘I’m not really thirsty.’

  Liam felt his grin widen. The last time he met a girl who drank because she was thirsty he’d been in grade school.

  ‘Oh, you mean alcohol.’ She blushed as she realised her gaffe and something inside his chest pulled tight. ‘Um, I probably shouldn’t anyway. I’ve already had some wine.’

  Unfortunately that bit of information made his mood instantly darken. ‘So you’ve been out already?’ He knew his voice sounded sharp but he wanted to know where she had been and who with. The bite of jealousy as deep as it was unexpected.

  ‘No, not really.’ She glanced around and he realised he’d made her nervous. Way to go, Casanova. ‘Great crowd you have here.’

  Liam scowled. He couldn’t give a damn about the crowd. If he had his way he’d clear it at once. No doubt that would piss off his PA who had worked her tail off at the last minute to put it together. Right now he didn’t care. He just wanted to be alone with Chloe.

  ***

  Chloe pretended rapt interest in the milling crowd to try and steady her nerves. She still didn’t really have a plan as to when she was going to reveal her big ta-da moment but Cara had proposed that she lead up to it. ‘Flirt with him first. Flatter his ego and flash your amazing cleavage and make him so hot that when you deliver your “not interested” punch line it takes him a moment to register it. Then turn away and swan out the door.’

  Easy peasy, Chloe thought. Only when you had paddles for feet swanning wasn’t really something you could do that well – it would be more like clomping – and she wouldn’t know how to flirt if instructions magically lit up above Liam Hunter’s head.

  There was also the not so small problem that she found him so incredibly attractive in a black shirt stretched over his torso and denim jeans riding low on his lean hips; the casual slouch in his broad shoulders that had been there even before Hollywood had scooped him up adding to his sex appeal.

  He’d always been too cool for school and it made her blush just to think that she could have imagined that someone like him could have ever been interested in someone like her.

  ‘I didn’t think you were going to turn up.’

  Chloe’s eyes cut to his. Was that apprehension she heard in his voice? For a moment she couldn’t think how to respond and then her head said ‘Flirt, flirt’ and she said, ‘Oh, really?’ and ran her hand oh-so-casually through her hair.

  ‘Yes,’ he said gruffly.

  Wondering at the sudden roughness in his voice, Chloe decided it was a lot easier to look at the crowd than at him. ‘Why wouldn’t I? You’re a famous actor.’

  ‘Is that why you came? Because I’m famous?’

  No, she had come because he was horrible and needed to be taught a lesson, but she could see that her attempt to lull him with flattery had fallen way short of the mark. ‘I’m here because you asked me.’

  Frustration shone from his green eyes. ‘Tell me about Candy Lane.’

  Chloe blinke
d. Tell him about Candy Lane? ‘Well, she’s a journalist and she lives in London.’ All true. ‘And she went-’

  ‘I meant what’s behind the name.’

  He sounded churlish and Chloe had a moment’s fear that he knew who she was. ‘Do you think I could have a glass of water?’ she croaked. ‘I am quite thirsty come to think of it.’

  Liam hesitated and her smile felt frozen as she waited for him to tell her that the jig was up. ‘Of course.’

  Chloe felt her shoulders sag as she followed him toward the makeshift bar against the back wall. Lucky she’d never wanted to be a double agent, this whole lying business was far too stressful.

  And it was lucky that Liam was interrupted by every person he walked past either with a pat on the back or an attempt to engage him in earnest conversation because it gave Chloe a chance to pull herself together. She was completely out of her depth trying to play some sexy seductress who could handle a man who was so potently, so dangerously, male he made every one of her feminine hormones sit up and beg for his attention.

  He turned towards her as she was berating herself for being so affected by him and handed her a highball glass. ‘Sorry about all the interruptions. Maybe we should go somewhere more private.’

  Oh, yes, they definitely should.

  ‘No.’ Chloe cleared the squeak out of her voice and sipped her water. ‘I love parties.’

  His gaze was penetrating. ‘Really? You don’t look like you’re enjoying this one. You look like you’re waiting for someone to pounce on you.’

  Chloe swallowed and tried to come up with some witty repartee about him pouncing on her when she was jostled from behind. Her hand came up as she tried to stop herself from falling and somehow it managed to mould itself to his hard, muscular chest. She could feel the outline of his powerful pecs and a flat male nipple beneath the fine fabric of his shirt and when she brushed over it she heard his swiftly indrawn breath and felt her own body tremble in response.

  The beat of his heart was like a jungle drum beneath her palm, matching her own, and in an instant the world shrank to the tiny space they occupied in the buzzing room. When her eyes rose up to meet his she completely lost her train of thought at the fierce expression she found there. Sexual desire hummed between them and in that instant Chloe knew for sure that Liam Hunter wanted her. The knowledge was heady. Intoxicating.

  Who was to say she had to dump him before she’d seduced him anyway?

  His hand clamped around her wrist, pressing her palm harder against his body and her brain went into free-fall. She’d never had sex before, but she wanted to. She wanted to know what all the fuss was about. So far she’d never met a man she could trust enough to give her body to. But trust wasn’t an issue between her and Liam Hunter because she already knew he couldn’t be trusted. She also knew that the sex would be phenomenal. There was just something in the way that he moved – the innate grace of a man comfortable in his own skin. Of a man who knew his way around a woman’s body. But could she do it? Have sex with Liam Hunter and walk away? It would no doubt be a bitter blow to his ego if she announced who she was right after. Oh, yes, then he would feel like an idiot. He would know she had used him as he had used her. That–

  His chest muscles flexed beneath her hand drawing her eyes back to his. The predatory intent she saw there made her feel like Red Riding Hood facing down Mr Big Bad I’m-about-to-devour-you-in-one-bite Wolf.

  Chloe took a gulp of her water. Maybe she was out of her cotton-picking mind to think she could go through with something like this.

  Chapter Five

  Liam knew if he moved a muscle right then every person in the room would have their phone cameras out snapping pictures of him having sex with Chloe Tyler against the bar. Come to think of it they probably already did have their phone cameras out and he took in a long, fortifying breath and reluctantly dragged Chloe’s palm from his overheated chest.

  He knew he’d deluded himself that he’d only invited Chloe to a party to connect with her and to ease his conscience. He wanted to ease a lot more than that and he wanted to do so inside her hot body. And if he wasn’t mistaken she wanted the same thing. He’d always sensed that there was something special about Chloe Tyler and it was all he could do not to kiss that plump lip she kept gnawing on as she gazed up at him with those big innocent blue eyes.

  When her fingernail raked across his nipple again he nearly jumped out of his skin for the second time. Okay, so maybe she wasn’t that innocent after all.

  His eyes dropped to her magnificent breasts and he almost groaned out loud when he saw that her own nipples were hard little points like his. God he wanted to touch them. Lick them. Suck them. Taste them.

  He wanted to tease her sweet mouth until she opened for him and let him take whatever he wanted. Everything, his brain whispered. Yes, he thought, he wanted everything from her and he didn’t care if that had never happened to him before. It was happening now and it felt right. Liam had never ignored his gut instincts except that night he’d completely failed her. He hadn’t meant to hurt her back then but would she believe him and, more importantly, would she forgive him?

  I thought you were going to apologise, his conscience reminded him. Show her you’re not a grade A asshole anymore. Show her that you’ve changed.

  Yes, good point. Apologise first. ‘We need to talk.’ His voice sounded like it had been coated in gravel and now that he’d given free rein to his feelings he was so hard he wondered if he wouldn’t break the zipper on his jeans. He took her half-drunk glass and dumped it on the bar. ‘Come with me.’

  Fortunately she didn’t argue as he grabbed her hand and all but dragged her towards the only room in the suite he could be guaranteed privacy.

  Pushing open the door to his bedroom he nearly changed his mind when he saw the romantic setting that confronted him. Softly lit lamps beside the turned down bed. Champagne in a silver ice bucket with two flutes and a large bowl of chocolates beside it. And were those… his eyes narrowed. Shit, Noelle had left condoms on the bedside table. Liam grimaced. His PA wasn’t known for her subtlety and by the tension radiating off the woman beside him she didn’t appreciate it either.

  ‘Nice touch,’ she said in a voice that could have restored some of the ice caps in the Arctic Circle.

  ‘This isn’t what it looks like,’ he said, wincing at the lameness of that statement. This was exactly what it looked like and more.

  ***

  Chloe wondered if this romantic scene was really set up with her in mind or whether, from Liam’s earlier comment about wondering if she was going to turn up, he had in fact picked up someone else at the party and intended to bring them in here. The thought was an immediate dampener to her overheated system. ‘Really? What does it look like?’ she asked archly.

  He ran a hand through his hair and left it gorgeously rumpled. Chloe walked over to the chocolates and… condoms? ‘Nothing like being prepared,’ she said more determined than ever to go ahead with her original plan.

  ‘I told my PA that I might bring someone back after the party and she… well, she’s a frustrated event manager and she tends to run with an idea until she gets to the next city.’

  Chloe stifled a surprised laugh. She was so not going to find him amusing. ‘I’m sure she’s done this before,’ she said, ‘and she has great taste in chocolates. You should think about giving her a raise.’ She had wanted her voice to sound light and mysterious – as if this whole seduction scene was exactly what she wanted from him – but somehow the words sounded choked and unsure as her nerves once again set in.

  ‘I’ve never asked her to do anything like this.’ His smile was a little self-mocking. ‘I’ve never thought that I might need champagne or chocolates as props before.’

  Of course he wouldn’t need them and they both knew it.

  Chloe pressed her feet more firmly into her stilettos and felt them sink further into the plush carpet and tried to imagine it was a certain part of his anatomy. She could
hear the faint sounds of partying beyond the closed bedroom door and prayed that no-one would come in and find them together. Being humiliated by Liam Hunter for the second time was not on tonight’s agenda.

  Which brought her mind back to what was on tonight’s agenda which had nothing to do with the hot sex that kept replaying inside her head. And maybe now would be the perfect time to reveal who she was and reject him. But somehow the words wouldn’t come and before she could take another breath Liam was directly in front of her.

  She was nearly at eye level with him thanks to her heels but he was just so big and broad he still made her feel small. Feminine. She met his gaze at the same time as he took her face between his warm hands and brought his mouth to hers.

  Shocked, her heart beating ten to the dozen, Chloe didn’t move, her whole body alive to nothing but Liam Hunter’s sweet, soft kiss.

  Before she could lose herself in it he pulled back, his tongue gliding over his lower lip as if savouring the taste of her. Dazed, she let him take her hand and tug her forwards until he was sitting on the great bed with her stood between his spread thighs. They weren’t touching but the chemistry was like a buzzing force field between them and when she looked behind him she saw the line of his broad back in the full length mirror with her hovering before him. Her eyes fell to the back of his head and the broadness of his shoulders until the stroke of his fingers over her knuckles brought her attention back to his face.

  ‘I wasn’t going to bring any other woman back here. I wasn’t even sure I would bring you back here but I’ve wanted to kiss you since I saw you in the interview room and I couldn’t wait any longer.’

  Chloe felt dizzy and wished she had the courage to plunge her fingers into his thick hair and test its weight, its springiness. This close she could smell him and when he inhaled deeply she realised he could scent her as well. The sexual attraction that had betrayed her when she was eighteen seemed to have doubled and her heart fluttered as she tried to block out the emotions urging her to once again throw caution to the wind. And she might have even succeeded if Liam hadn’t placed his large hands either side of her hips. ‘I know we should talk first, Specs, but I feel like I might die if I don’t touch you. If I don’t see you.’