by Layla Hagen
“Hey, Sis,” he greeted.
“Hey!”
“I have a question for you, and you can of course say no.”
“That’s a strange way to start a conversation.”
“As you know, Laney and I finally set a wedding date. We’ve also found a wedding planner, but we’d love your input in the organization. You did such a great job with Josie and Hunter’s wedding—”
“Yes, yes, yes! I accept your invitation to be your secondary wedding planner,” I practically screamed into the phone. That was me, the perpetual planner, and I loved it.
“I knew you’d be psyched.”
“I don’t know if you can hear me grinning, but I’m grinning.” I strutted deeper inside my entrance hall with a little shimmy in my hips.
“You have great taste, and I know your organizational skills are the best. We would have asked you to oversee everything, but you have enough on your plate as it is.”
I pouted. “I really do, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”
My brother proposed to his fiancée on the Fourth of July, and they’d recently decided on the wedding date.
“I’ll discuss some things directly with your wedding planner so you don’t have to explain things twice,” I said.
“Thanks for doing this.”
“My pleasure.” Did I mention that I loved planning weddings? I helped with our cousin’s but had been too caught up with the store when Ryker got married. That one ended up being a double wedding, because Skye had just discovered she was pregnant, so I was even more upset that I hadn’t been involved in the planning. I had plenty of experience in organizing events, because my family hosted a few charity events each year. They were elaborate galas we held in a ballroom, and weddings were similar, except there was so much heart in them. I couldn’t wait for Cole’s.
After ending the call, I took out my laptop and made myself comfortable in the chair in my living room. I loved my home. The apartment was nothing special except that it was the right size for me and had become my very own relaxation oasis. It was a mix between bohemian and hippie, with bamboo coffee tables and dining set and frilly, colorful pillows stacked on the couch and the armchair. I had a huge bow lamp hanging right overhead in a mix of brass and silver. My armchair was one of those fancy ones with a remote. I lifted my legs, leaning all the way back and starting the massage function while I searched for wedding locations online.
I was startled when my phone vibrated on the armrest. Glancing down, I saw it was a message from Liam.
Liam: Tess, I can shift things around in the afternoon. Does five o’clock work?
I double-checked with Skye first, who replied instantly that it was okay.
I texted Liam next.
Tess: Yes, five o’clock works for both of us. How much time do you have? I think we’ll need two solid hours.
Liam: I’ve cleared the whole evening. We can go to dinner after that.
Hmm. Did he mean this as a business dinner...or not?
Tess: Skye has to be back home right after the meeting.
Liam: You and I can go. I know a great place for dinner. And another kiss.
And just like that, my whole body was on fire. I smiled, pressing a fluffy pillow against my chest.
Tess: I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Liam: The dinner or the kiss?
Tess: Both.
The next time my phone buzzed, it was with an incoming call.
“If I take the kiss out of the equation, is that a yes to dinner?” he asked.
“My God, you’re a great negotiator.”
“I know.” The sudden roughness to his voice did nothing to help me stay strong.
“Liam...let’s just focus on getting to an agreement tomorrow, okay?”
After a brief pause, he said, “Whatever makes you comfortable.”
“Thanks.” I kind of hoped he’d press me more, because I knew it wouldn’t take much to make me say yes, but honestly, this was for the best. I still wasn’t sure how we could work together and date. But I wanted it so, so much.
“What are you doing right now? I can hear you clicking. Tell me you’re not adding more comments to the document.” His tone changed to teasing, and I had to chuckle.
“I’m not. Just clicked on an article that claims it’s the ultimate source for wedding planners.”
“You double as a wedding planner?”
“Only for my family. My brother asked me to oversee the preparations for his,” I explained, bursting with pride. “I can’t wait.”
“You’re a fascinating creature,” he said softly. “See, details like these just make me want to take you out to dinner even more. And ki—"
“Liam!” I interrupted before he finished that word. I was smiling from ear to ear. Could he hear that in my voice? “No talk about dinner or our breakfast or any other activities tomorrow, okay?”
“Activities,” he repeated in an amused tone.
“Yes. I’m not big on rules, but I think it’s sensible to just focus on one thing at a time.”
“I agree. And as you know, I’m all about rules. The problem is I keep wanting to break them when I’m around you.”
Chapter Ten
Tess
The next afternoon, I arrived first at the brownstone, and one of the interns showed me into Liam’s office. He wasn’t inside, though.
Skye came in two minutes later, winking at me. We sat in front of his desk waiting. My nerves were already stretched thin, and this didn’t help. I kept tugging at the hem of my black dress. It must have shrunk in the wash—or maybe I’d been eating too many scones.
The second he entered the room, I felt a shift around me, as if the air charged. I turned around slowly. My heartbeat intensified when our gazes met.
Skye was closer, and he shook her hand first.
“Skye, I’m glad you could make it today.”
“Life with kids is just one surprise after another.”
He extended his hand to me, and I shook it.
“Good to see you again, Tess.” The way he said my name made me even more aware of him. Damn. I refused to react to him this way.
Liam went on. “As I told Tess last time, the contract is open to negotiation, but discussing every line you highlighted wasn’t a productive use of our time. I appreciate that you narrowed down the list of questions.”
“We like to be thorough and wanted to bring everything to your attention,” Skye said.
“The questions we removed, we reviewed with a lawyer, and we’re now fine with those items,” I added.
He nodded. “It’s good to cover your bases.”
“We have a question about your silent partner. What is his involvement?” I asked.
“Zero,” he said immediately. “He’s just that, a silent partner. We pay him, but he isn’t involved at all.”
We began discussing every point after that. Liam had printed a handout for each of us. I took a pen out of my bag, making notes in the margin. Skye did most of the talking until we reached paragraph seventeen. I was carefully avoiding Liam’s eyes, because I wanted to focus fully on this, and I happened to lose track of my thoughts when our gazes crossed.
“It states here you want us to decide on the number of designs we want to develop at the start of every quarter. This is not how we do things,” I said.
He leaned back in his chair, looking between the two of us. “Okay, walk me through your process. I want to know.”
This was encouraging. “We always keep in mind what excited our customers the previous season, as well as what brought in the most sales, and we build on that. But we can’t tell beforehand how many products we want. We may have a general idea, but that often changes. What if we just decide the overall budget together, and you leave the number of designs to us?” I asked.
“That could work.” Those deep blue eyes pinned me without mercy. I became hyperaware of every inch of my body. Not even Skye’s presence seemed to help diffuse the strange
tension in the air.
We went through the next few paragraphs with a fine-tooth comb. Liam was calm and collected, explaining the reasoning for every demand and agreeing to discuss the changes we wanted with Becca and David.
We finished the document hours later. Skye clapped her hands, checking her watch.
“This is perfect timing. I’m just going to step outside really quick to call and check on my son, okay?”
“Sure. Take your time, Skye.”
My sister stepped out of the room, and I suddenly realized I’d been wrong. The tension instantly magnified until it was so thick I didn’t know how to act.
Liam’s eyes were trained on me. They were dark, sinful, demanding. He watched me silently for a few seconds. My skin simmered under his focus. My mouth suddenly felt dry.
“You seemed very opposed to this partnership last time.”
“No, I’d just been a bit overstressed reading the contract, but now Skye and I are on the same page.”
“You shouldn’t agree to this just for your sister’s sake. You have to want this too.”
“I know. I do.”
He tilted his head, as if he wasn’t quite convinced.
“You have very good arguments for everything you want,” I said. “Besides, you grew on me a bit yesterday during that delicious breakfast. I liked that you were open and didn’t mind sharing personal details.”
“I liked our breakfast too. And the kiss.”
My breath caught and my pulse went into overdrive.
“Liam...we set rules, remember?” I whispered.
“You broke them first.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I just brought up breakfast.”
“Really? And I thought breakfast was code for kiss and you were paying me a compliment.”
He stood up from his chair and moved around the desk until he was just a few inches away from me. His eyes were relentlessly trained on me.
I searched my brain for a safe topic. “When will we receive the revised contract?”
“I’ll discuss all your comments with David and Becca, and draft a new contract by the end of the week. I’ll send it to you as soon as I have it.”
“Thanks.”
“Tess...don’t sign anything if you’re not 100 percent sure it’s what you want. Not even for Skye’s sake.”
“Don’t worry; I won’t.”
“By the way, I’m still waiting for your assessment of our...breakfast.”
I laughed even though my heartbeat was intensifying again. “You just can’t stick to the rules, can you?”
I rested one hand on the back of a chair. He leaned in slightly, covering my hand with his. Oh my God. My skin was on fire. My mind just went blank. This slight touch was enough to remind me how delicious the kiss had been. It made me long for more. All I wanted to do was touch and kiss him.
But one thing at a time. This was a business meeting.
“I could...but why do that when the alternative is so enjoyable?”
A knock startled me. Skye opened the door, poking her head inside.
“Call is over. Did I miss anything?”
“No, Liam was just telling me that he’ll send us the modified contract soon,” I said. Skye nodded before tapping on her phone, probably ordering an Uber. I turned to Liam, asking, “Is there anything left to discuss?”
He gave me a knowing smile. Stepping closer, he said in a low voice, “Many things. But I know how to bide my time. Strike at the right moment.”
***
Liam
“You cheater,” my grandmother exclaimed later that night. “You’re letting me win. How long has this been going on?”
She’d just declared checkmate before her outburst. Instead of coming up with a smart answer, I asked, “What gave me away?”
“Liam Harrington, I raised you better.”
“You didn’t, though. Remember how you always pretended to need more time than me for puzzles?”
“You were seven.”
“True.”
We were in the winter garden of her penthouse, our usual place for chess. She drummed her fingers on the marble table, shaking her head.
“Something’s up with you,” she said.
“How can you tell?”
“You’ve been fake-losing for years, and this is the first time I caught on. Means you’re off your game.”
“I was bound to give myself away at some point.” Gran was very intuitive.
“Trouble in paradise? You, David, and Becca always made such a good team.”
“No, we’re good. We’re in the process of signing a deal.”
“That’s right. And you haven’t talked my ear off about all the exciting companies you’re going to take on. I wonder why.”
Possibly because I’d been too consumed with one particular mentee. I’d been thinking about Tess ever since she left my office.
“We’re just taking on one this year. It’s in fashion.” We already told the others that they weren’t in the running anymore, except our second choice. If Tess and Skye decided not to sign, we were going with DesignPen.
Gran sipped from her glass of wine. “Fashion? You rarely take on anything in that industry. I believe this would only be your fifth investment.”
“That’s right.”
That was one of the things I loved most about my grandmother. She didn’t ask questions just to make conversation. She listened and remembered.
“It’s good to spread risk and challenge ourselves,” I went on.
“Good for you. You know who else likes challenges? I do. Liam, you don’t need to coddle me. I’ve been through a rough time, and I came out on the other side. You certainly don’t have to lose on purpose. I like a good challenge. You know that.”
To a stranger, my grandmother would appear no older than her sixties. Her hair was dyed black and always cut to her chin—it was her Chanel look, as she often told me. She was agile in movements and quick in wit, and if you didn’t know her, you’d think she never had a difficult day in her life, let alone that she lost her husband. But I wasn’t a stranger, and I was observant. She still kept the painting of a sunset in Santorini because he’d liked it so much, even though she hadn’t. She was still adjusting, just as Tess had said. I missed Grandpa too, every single day. He’d been a larger-than-life character, always up for a challenge, always stoic. He was a man of few words and rarely expressed any emotions.
He never shied away from doing handiwork around the apartment. I aspired to be like him my whole childhood. He worked on Wall Street as the director of a bank. I wanted to step into his shoes, which was why I started working on Wall Street right after college. I realized it hadn’t been for me even before we sold the app. I just didn’t fit in that environment. I liked playing by my own rules. I always thought he might be disappointed in me for veering off my original career track, but the day I told him I was leaving Wall Street, he said, “Everyone has to find their own way. There’s no shame in that.”
“No, you’re right,” I said. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that.”
“Because you care about me,” she replied simply. “And now, before you leave, I want another game. A real one.”
“I promise.”
She beat my ass for real this time.
After finishing the game, I headed home. I took out my phone to text Tess about Gran figuring out my chess tactic. I had no idea why I wanted to share it with her, but I just did. I had a dozen messages in the group chat I shared with Becca and David, but I wanted to text her first.
Liam: Gran caught on that I’ve been letting her win on purpose. It’s all your fault.
Tess: Why mine?
Liam: Instead of focusing on the game, I was thinking about you. I still am. Is that crazy? The first thing I wanted to do was share this with you.
Tess: Hmm...this is you biding your time?
Liam: I want to see you. Not in the office, somewhere else.
It was true; I did tell her I’d be
biding my time, but I just needed to see her again. Taste her again.
I watched the phone as the words Tess is typing... appeared. They stayed on for so long that I wondered if she was deleting and typing again. I could push, suggest a meeting point myself, but I wanted this to be on her terms so she’d be comfortable. I just wanted her; the where and when didn’t matter.
Tess: I’m going to a fashion week event in two days. Proenza Schouler. I have one spare ticket, because Skye can’t come. Want to join me?
I would have preferred a more intimate setting, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to say no.
Liam: Yes. Absolutely.
Tess: Great. My goal is to get some inspiration for designs and network a bit.
Liam: I have other goals. Making you blush. Kissing you. Learning you.
Tess: Be careful what you wish for, Liam. You might get more than you’re bargaining for.
I laughed at her unexpected reply. I’d been counting on her telling me I had to behave again, not tease me like this.
Images flooded my mind of Tess and me in a secluded corner, anywhere I could explore her soft skin with my mouth, her curves with my hands. I’d been fantasizing about tasting that perky nipple I noticed on our first encounter. I wanted to please her in every way possible.
Liam: I’m up for anything. Absolutely anything.
Chapter Eleven
Tess
The next morning, I woke up to a text from Liam.
Liam: Morning! How’s the search for panties going today?
I grinned, remembering that embarrassing conversation.
Tess: Hey...I’d been searching for the phone. Which was under the panties. And I don’t start all my mornings like that : )
I didn’t confess that I was still in bed. It felt too intimate.
Liam: So I just got lucky?
Tess: Or unlucky. Depends how you look at it.
Liam: When it comes to you, I’m always lucky.
Over the next two days, Liam texted me in the most unexpected moments, asking me what I was having for lunch or even just what I was doing. He was constantly on my mind.
On the night of the Proenza Schouler show, I was all nervous and jittery as I arrived at Spring Studios on St John’s Lane in Tribeca twenty minutes early.
