Chapter 6
The chauffeur came around to open their door. Liam stepped out before he reached inside, to take Emma’s hand. Her cheeks turned rosy as she squeezed his palm and got out. He pulled her into his body, her breath caught in her throat as she looked up with large blue eyes. “T-thank you.” She stammered.
“It's my pleasure, my dear.” He said smoothly. Their faces were close together as his deep-set eyes danced over hers, they took control of her body, wrapping around her spine, taking away her mobility, making her weak, until she could barely stand on her own. Her legs felt alien to her and she had no idea how she would walk up to the large function hall that now loomed in front of her.
Spotlights decorated the façade of the building; they illuminated the long colonial beams that framed the entrance of the marble steps all the way to the gothic style doors.
“Where are we?” Emma asked, taken aback by the building’s beauty. The architecture had an ancient look to it, from its doors to the metal chandeliers that hung off the porch, but at the same time, there were modern twists added here and there. An eagle statue decorated the roof; it replaced the iconic gargoyles of times past. Recessed lighting illuminated the stairs.
“This is McKinley Palace,” Liam answered as he pulled Emma along; they joined the other couples that waltzed inside. Women in fancy dresses and sparkly shoes walked about with an air of importance. Men in designer paraded pompously through the crowd with mysterious smiles on their faces.
“Does someone live here then?”
“No. They used to. Now it’s just a building the owners rent out for certain functions. My high school prom was held here.” Liam chuckled at his own comment.
Emma glanced at him; she wondered what Liam looked like when he was eighteen. Her mind wandered, as she imagined a youthful face and a maturing body. “I bet you and your date were chosen Prom King and Queen.”
“I didn’t go.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t interested at the time. I stayed home and watched horror movies instead.” His eyes crinkled as his chuckle grew louder.
“You’re kidding.”
“Not at all.”
“Don’t you regret not being there? After all, it’s the last time you can celebrate with your classmates.” Emma inquired, as she remembered her own prom. It had been one of the best nights of her life. She had enjoyed the flirtatious grinding on the dance floor, the food, and more importantly, the adrenaline filled after-parties that followed. Prom hadn’t been the pinnacle of her sex life like she thought it would be, but it was still fun and that was all that mattered.
“Not really.” He shrugged. “It was just prom.” He smiled at her. “But enough about that. Let’s enjoy ourselves tonight, okay?”
Emma studied his mischievous expression. His thin lips curved into a smirk as his arm wrapped around her waist, to pull her closer. Emma blushed and looked away; she admired the decorations that lined the room. Streamers hung from the ceiling. High-end tablecloths covered the tables, white upholstered chairs surrounded them. A grand feast of a buffet lined the back of the room.
Liam guided them toward a group of merry individuals. Each one of them had a glass of champagne in their hand. The women had their hair pinned in tight buns to show off the expensive jewelry that dangled from their earlobes. As Liam approached, the circle parted, and granted them entrance.
“Liam! It’s great to see you.” An older man with a salt and pepper beard stepped forward, and held out his hand. “We’re so glad you could make it.”
“Of course. It’s my pleasure.” Liam answered with a leveled politeness.
“And who’s this beautiful gem of a woman?” The man inquired, as he turned his attention to Emma.
“I’m Emma Brooks.” She answered quickly, as she also held out her hand to give him a rather firm handshake. By her side, Liam looked impressed by the way she conducted herself. He had half-expected her to stammer or shy away from the sudden introductions, but she managed to hold her own yet again.
“My, that’s quite a handshake.” The man laughed, the sound bubbly and full of life. He leaned in close to Liam, his hand on his shoulder. “She’s a keeper.” He whispered before he pulled away, and winked . In response, Liam pulled Emma even closer, a grin permanently etched on his face.
For the rest of the night, everything went flawlessly. Emma had no problem trying to maintain a conversation with the highbrow aristocrats who attended the party. It was almost as if she had been a part of the upper class all her life. She glowed with enthusiasm and laughed at all the right times. By the end of the night, she was the highlight of the party and together with Liam, they dominated the gala.
Rumors about Emma quickly started to spread as people wondered who she was. They had never seen Liam with her before, and yet, it seemed like they had been a couple all their lives. Their bodies naturally gravitated together. Their light touches and secret glances was the secret language of their affection. They seemed perfect for each other. No one was aware that Emma was nothing more than his personal assistant.
As the clock tower struck midnight, guests started to filter out of the room. The buffet had been picked clean. The floor was littered with scraps of paper and various other debris. Dresses trailed against the ground, now dirty from the night’s events. The lights dimmed and the music died down.
As the darkness grew, Liam pulled Emma into his arms, and pinned her to his body. “You did fantastically.” He whispered, as his lips hovered over her neck, his warm breath caressed her skin. Emma shivered with delight, wishing for more. She could feel her body rub against his. Her large bust was now pressed against his muscular chest. Their hips were locked. It was like she was part of him. Her heartbeat quickened as her arms naturally wrapped around his neck, her fingers tangled in his thick dark hair, tugging on it ever so slightly.
“You asked for a date, I gave you one. I think we had them convinced.” She grinned, a look of pride painted her face. The event had succeeded to entertain. They fooled these aristocrats into the belief that she was some important woman with a lot of money to her name, it somehow felt liberating. It brought back memories of the theater class she had taken in high school. She had never ended up with a lead role back then, but tonight, she had been the star of the show.
“I think you did a lot more than just convince them…” Liam’s husky voice traveled into Emma’s ear as his lips brushed against her lobe. She shivered, her fingers tightened in his hair, as she pulled him a little closer. He grinned, as he nibbled her ear ever so gently before he straightened himself out.
Emma’s arms dropped to her side as she peered into his dark eyes, she wondered what was about to happen next. “Come. It’s late. Let’s go home.” Gently, he grabbed her hand and led her outside, where it had begun to heavily rain.
“Oh no.” Emma eyed the water that rushed down the marble steps. If she tried to walk down in her heels, she would surely break an ankle. Before she could say anything, however, Liam suddenly snatched her into his arms and carried her bridal style down the stairs. His body protected her from most of the rain, but she could still feel the moisture gather on her skin as Liam’s powerful body carried her through the downpour.
Luckily, the chauffeur had waited for them by the limo, an umbrella in his hand. He opened the door as soon as they appeared and Liam ducked inside. He sighed, as he eased into the leather seat. He was soaked to the bone; his suit jacket clung to him.
“You didn’t have to do that…” Emma whispered, as she gently moved a piece of his wet hair off his forehead.
“I didn’t want you to get wet and catch a cold. I need you at work tomorrow.” He said as he ran his fingers through her damp tresses. “But it doesn’t look like I succeeded.” He laughed; it filled the interior of the car with his cheerfulness.
“Oh… I was wet way before the rain…”
◆◆◆
As they drove back, Emma replayed their time at the gala in her mind countless times. Once Liam dropped her off at her small studio, it felt bittersweet to say goodbye. She wanted to curl up in his arms and stay there forever. She didn’t want to go to bed alone, but when the time came, she didn’t have the courage to tell him how she truly felt. So, she had spent the night tossing and turning in her bed as the hours flew by.
Before she wanted it to, her alarm started to blare and she groaned, she knew she had to get ready for work. She trudged out of bed and walked into the bathroom, and then turned on the shower. Luckily, it decided to work this morning and she managed to have a quick rinse down before she put on her clothes and gathered her things. Even though she was exhausted, she was still eager to get to work. She wanted to see Liam again, even if it was just in a professional sense.
Once at work, Emma knocked on his office door. “Come in!” His voice boomed through the door. With a careful turn of the knob, she opened the door; while she carefully balanced two coffee cups on top of each other. She wouldn’t have to perform this crazy balancing act if the coffee shop hadn’t run out of trays. Just her luck.
Liam smiled as he saw her and immediately got up; he helped her with the heavy door. He took his coffee, and inhaled the deep scent of the familiar Columbian blend. “I was hoping you’d come in a little earlier.”
“The bus came early,” Emma said smoothly. She didn’t want to seem too eager.
“Ah.” Liam nodded. “Well, that’s good because I’d like to talk to you.”
Emma sat down in front of his desk, and crossed one leg over the other. Her coffee cup was perched on her knee, her freshly-painted nails made small indents on the foam as she tried not to gawk at the handsome individual before her. Last night she had been so sure he would kiss her, but it never happened. Emma couldn’t figure out if all the flirting he had done was just for show or if he was genuinely into her. But if he was, surely he would have kissed her when they were alone in the back of the limo.
“Some rumors about us have started floating around. The people at the gala were very convinced that you were my girlfriend, so I’m going to need you to continue playing the part for the time being. They like you. A lot. Some of them even increased their donations after meeting you.” He grinned, obviously satisfied. “Of course, like last night, I’ll compensate you for any time you spend outside the office.”
Emma watched his fingers play with the fountain pen he had on his desk. She thought it was odd for him to fidget when his face was so composed. “Alright,” Emma said. She didn’t have anything to lose by being his fake girlfriend after all. Plus, a little extra pocket money wouldn’t hurt either.
“Great. I knew you’d come through.” Liam finally dropped the pen and smirked. “I’ll see you this Friday for dinner then.”
Emma nodded. “Should I wear the same blue dress?”
“No. I’ll arrange something else for you to wear.” As he said this, Emma noticed his eyes as they wandered down her body, and took in her figure. She grinned before she got up and left the office. He might not have kissed her, but there was no doubt that he was attracted to her.