Iroll my eyes at Becca before turning and entering the conference room. Hot? Pfft! He’s going to be downright rude, a little overweight as many of these men are, and I already know he’s annoyingly demanding! Thankful that I chose my killer black Louboutin’s today, my straight pencil skirt that fits me like a second skin and a simple, cream flowy blouse. My hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail, I feel every bit the business woman I am. And the Louboutin’s, well they make me feel fierce, I can do anything in these babies. I inch the door closed, keeping my body turned towards it and willing away any uncertainty I might have, I forget where I came from, and how I ended up at the top. It doesn’t matter. I’m here and no one is going to change that.
I take a deep breath before turning to face my annoying colleague, I’m aloud to call him that, now right? We are both CEO’s of the new company.
“Liam” I say, my voice coming out strong and confident of which I’m glad. I shut the door tightly and turn to face with him. Any breath I had in my lungs quickly evaporates, my chest constricts and all the hairs on my body stand on edge. My mouth goes dry and I force myself to swallow the lump that has formed in my throat. The man stood in front of me is nothing like the arrogant, dickhead I had painted in my head. The floor to ceiling windows allow the twinkling lights of London to sparkle onto his dark suit clad body. The bright low hanging light in the center of the room lights him up as if he was center stage, and Jesus does he just demand that attention. His hands are shoved into his trouser pockets, making his shoulders appear broader and oh so defined. Dirty blonde hair or is it brown? curls slightly at his forehead and around his white shirt collar, his hands have obviously been raked through it at some point, making the longer strands on top stand up here and there. I wonder if it’s as soft as it looks? My eyes unashamedly run down his face, coming to his huge sea blue eyes. Long thick eyelashes rim them, making them appear darker in color. His jaw is set, cleanly shaved, the muscle ticking annoyingly, and his lips look slightly plump and kissable. My eyes wander down his body even more, his shirt is pulled tightly against his muscled torso and abdomen. Once I reach his groin area, oh my…, I realize what I’m doing and snap myself out of it. I cough and walk towards him, extending my hand, hoping that my cheeks aren’t flushed. Shit! What the hell was I thinking! Becca was right, why the hell didn’t I listen to her! I’m in so much trouble and he hasn’t even spoken yet.
“It’s nice to finally meet you. Couldn’t this have waited until our meeting tomorrow?” my voice comes out a little shaky and I hope we can move past my clear ogling. I will myself to remember the horrid emails I’ve had off him, and not what lies behind his suit trousers. Liam takes my small hand in his large one, the electricity sparks as our skin connects and sends currents all over my body, only confirming what my body was already feeling. Liam’s eyes meet mine when I look up at him. Even at my height of 5’7 he towers over me by at least a few inches. His face remains expressionless, like he isn’t fazed by our meeting at all, yet I can’t budge the need that’s growing between my legs. It’s been so long since I’ve felt it, but I can’t stand the way he’s looking at me anymore, so I look away and remove my hand from his. I walk towards the corner bar, pulling out two bottles of water, placing one on the large black glass table in the center of the room for Liam. He doesn’t move to grab it, still standing with his hands firmly back in his pockets and starting at me intently.
“What can I do for you Liam? I have a case I need to get back to” I take a sip of my water, desperately trying to remain calm in this awkward silence, while I wait for him to reply. Avoiding eye contact at all costs, I’ll give myself a pep talk later about that. I’ll be damned if a pair of baby blues and rock-hard muscle is going to get me to back down. I have dealt with men like him before, granted none of them where this fucking beautiful but still. I will my business woman to come out in me. Come on Mia, you have this. Liam lets his eyes travel over my body, from the top of my head to my eyes, my lips, my breasts all the way down to my Louboutin’s. Nope! I narrow my eyes at him when he raises his chin in defiance. I can’t say much can I?
“Amelia” his voice is hoarse, it’s deepness surprises me a little. I cock my perfectly arched eyebrow at him, Becca dragged me to the salon last weekend, so I know my beauty regime is on point. He takes a deep breath; his shirt pulling against the taught muscle clearly visible underneath. He doesn’t have a tie on, the top few buttons of his shirt are undone, giving way to a glimpse of the skin beneath. I lick my lips absentmindedly and I’m sure I hear him growl. It’s just skin, I scold myself. I meet his eyes again, willing him to talk! A few seconds pass before he raises his chin and swallows, his Adams apple bobbing as he does.
“We need to sort this, and I wanted to meet with you personally first.”
“Okay, finally” I mock rolling my eyes, not quite sure why he had to see me today.
I take a seat at the head of the table, purposely showing my stance in this company. I didn’t anticipate Liam taking the opposite head seat. I small smirk spreads across his lips, and I raise my eyebrow in a silent question.
“Two can play this game Amelia”
“Mia is fine” I hiss at him. His eyebrows rise slightly in question or shock I’m not quite sure. Liam clears his throat before bringing his hands in front of him on the table, clasping them together.
“We need to agree on a name for this new company Amelia” he drawls.
I glower at him, fucking prick. I don’t like anyone calling me Amelia. The woman who gave birth to me called me that, and I’m no longer that girl. Amelia was weak and a pushover. Mia is strong and determined. I push the memories aside and smile at Liam. He thinks this is a game? Fine. I’ll Play.
“Yes, we do. I’ve given you my suggestions. However, you keep shooting them down. And since you have been unavailable to meet with me we haven’t rectified the problem”
“All of your suggestions include Bellucci and I don’t want that”
“Well that’s not your decision. It’s ours” I say with a smile that means business. Fuck this crap! A flicker of annoyance passes through his gaze, but he remains silent. I take the opportunity to lay it on the table.
“Listen, I built this company from the ground up” I declare, smacking the table with a pointed finger, my need for this merger and the anger at not being able to complete this on my own bubbles into a broth in my stomach. “I will not merge with you unless the name is included. I’m sorry if that’s annoying for you, but I will not let you push me into another decision” I hiss before standing. I wanted to keep my cool, but all the emails Liam had replied to have been filled with nothing but demands and arrogance. Never once did he include a ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. One-word replies, or if I was lucky, maybe two or three. I let that fuel my lecture towards him, I glance towards the window and the dark city, lit up by millions of lights, before turning to face him. His features are taught and he’s smirking at me. Fucking Arsehole! “I’m sorry if you don’t understand it. I built this, not my family. I didn’t get my position from my father, so I sure as hell am not going to bend to daddy’s boy over the sake of a company name!” I almost shout that last part. Crossing my arms over my chest, feeling slightly vulnerable under his stare. Willing my big girl knickers on, I tilt my head up, I’m not cowering from him. Politeness costs nothing, and in a world where money is in abundance he should have plenty of it.
“Daddy’s boy?” he asks, his dark eyes narrowing, and that stupid smirk and tiny dimple disappearing. The muscle in his jaw ticks away and I know I’ve pissed him off. I scoff in his direction before averting my gaze to the window again. Everyone always looks so carefree from up here. The way they walk, sometimes hand in hand, enjoying the crazy that is London. I hear Liam sigh, and turn my face back towards him.
“Fine” Liam says meeting my gaze. What?! Did he just say Fine?! I furrow my brow and my mouth drops open. Is this man for real? I’ve had weeks of nonstop demands from him, is he agreeing to this finally?
“Did you…” I narrow my eyes at him before tightening my arms across my chest and taking a deep breath.
“I said Fine Amelia. We can incorporate Bellucci into the new company name”
I stare at him for a while longer, snapping my mouth shut when I realize it’s still hanging open in shock. After a while Liam’s face breaks out into a small smile. The bastard is smiling at me!
“Fuck you” I whisper before turning back towards the window. I hear Liam stand behind me, before I notice his reflection in the window. As far as I can tell by the foggy image in the glass, he doesn’t take his eyes off me but rather shoves his hands into his pockets and waits for me to speak. I throw my head back with an exasperating sigh and will myself to calm down. I don’t know why I let him get to me so much, but I do know that all the stress of the past few weeks over the new name has just been evaporated. I turn to face him, but don’t meet his eyes.
“Thank you” it comes quietly in this huge room.
“I didn’t realize this company meant so much to you” he remarks before looking down at me.
Stepping towards me, I step back only to meet the window. The cold glass cuts through the fabric of my clothes, searing right into my bum cheeks. I look up to meet his eyes, and he steps closer towards me. Long legs bring his body closer to mine in two strides. My breath catches in my throat and I reach out behind me for the window, as if it’s going to give me any sort of grounding.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” my voice comes out a little shaky.
“Most of the people I work with are idiots” he seethes.
“Like you then?” I question with a raised eyebrow.
“I didn’t realize you would be like this” his voice is low and gravely. His eyes are twinkling in the street lights, and I see they’re a lighter blue than I originally thought. The light swims in them making them look like the rock pools I seen on the beach. I furrow my brow as he invades my space even more. My chest is rising and falling of its own accord, and the hairs at the back of my neck stand to attention, either at the cold glass at my back or the heat radiating from him. I regret wearing my long black hair up today, it’s restricting my head from moving away.
“Like what?” I demand.
Liam places a palm on the window beside me, trapping me half way and I have no choice but to tilt my head up. My eyes connect with his lips, they’re slightly parted and I get a hint of his minty toothpaste mixed with his after-shave. His earthy, autumn scent fills my nose even though I can’t seem to catch a breath. Liam lifts my chin with his long index finger, sending sparks over my face, down my neck and through my body. I’m sure my reaction is obvious; my pale skin is never forgiving. I clench my legs together at the intrusion of sensation there before looking at his ocean blues. My tongue darts out to wet my dry lips, is he seriously going to kiss me? Ignoring my question his eyes bore down into mine as they flick back and forth between his baby blues.
“I am NOT a Daddy’s boy. You ever say that shit again and I will put you over my knee” clenching his teeth at the last part, he sends wanton shivers unwillingly across my body, his deep voice making my ears ring. My dark eyes almost pop out of my head and my mouth gapes at his words. His stare never wavered as he spoke, and any breath I had is caught in my lungs. I drop my arms away from my chest, not realizing how tightly I was holding myself, but my chest rises as I inhale, causing my breasts to brush against his chest. Rock-hard pecks brush against my overly sensitive nipples and I wince at the sensation. Why didn’t I wear a better bra this morning? His eyes cloud over, his pupils dilate, becoming a darker shade of blue and in the moment, I want to throw myself at him. I want him to make good on his promise. I haven’t been kissed in so long or fucked for that matter I’m probably a virgin again. A knock at the door startles both of us and Liam pulls away, leaving me wonton and breathless. I clear my throat and straighten my blouse and skirt before heading for the door. Becca stands on the other side, looking sheepishly at the situation. She gives me a once over before noticing Liam standing in the corner, hands shoved into his pockets and looking as nonchalant as possible.
“Sorry…I…uh…”
“What’s wrong Becca?” I demand through clenched teeth. Her gaze immediately lands back on mine before she continues.
“Sorry. I didn’t come by and ask if you needed anything?” she asks with a small smile.
“We’re good. Thank you” I ask before she turns to leave, shutting the door behind her.
“I think we’re done here” I say, crossing my arms across my chest again. Can you imagine if I had kissed him? Way to go Mia! Kiss your new business partner, that will work out well! I grab my phone from the table, avoiding looking in his direction because I know if I look, I’ll find him staring at me. I reach for the door handle, but Liam slaps a strong arm across the door to stop me. I jump a little at his action before looking up at him.
“Have dinner with me” he demands, as I glance between his face and his arm on the door. Long, manicured fingers are splayed out against the glass, I wonder what damage he could do to me with those. My baser needs are screaming to be answered by this man, and it’s taking everything in my being to calm the fuck down.
I can’t seem to look away from him, I clear my throat before attempting to speak again. “Liam… no, I … don’t think that’s very professional, do you?” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I feel power coming back to me.
“It’s only dinner Amelia. It’s not like I asked to fuck you” My eyebrows shoot to the top of my head at how brazen he is. I practically gawk at him, what am I supposed to say to that? I let out a small laugh and take a minute to compose myself before answering him. I stare him dead in the eyes and my voice comes out loud and even.
“No Liam. You did not. However, anymore comments like that and I won’t hesitate to kick you in the balls. Now let’s keep this strictly professional, shall we?” I give him my best, all pearly white smile, watching for his response. I feel proud for getting one up on him. His eyes narrow and he looks slightly taken back. I knew he had never been told No! Too bad some women can control themselves! I bet he has a harem of girls running around his feet. Liam stands there and just stares at me with his head cocked to the side for what seems like an eternity before he finally huffs and leans in closer to me. I think I imagine the flash of emotion that crosses his eyes because it’s gone in the blink of an eye. I instantly stiffen only for him to take my phone from my hand and enter his number. His phone starts to ring in his jacket pocket.
“There. If you need anything, give me a call and I’ll do the same” The way he said anything implied he means literally anything. Can’t imagine he’d be happy to do a Ben & Jerry’s run for me. I huff as he shoves my phone back at me, so I take it with a slightly trembling hand. “Business related obviously” he says with a smirk, revealing that tiny dimple to the side of his mouth. Somehow it makes him seem less intimidating, only cute guys have dimples.
“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow” I turn towards the door expecting him to leave, but he doesn’t.
“I want to have you Amelia. And I will, when you’re ready. See you tomorrow” he turns on his heel to leave, but I can’t let him walk out of here thinking he has the upper hand!
“I don’t want you Liam. See you tomorrow.” I manage my best fake smile. Choosing to ignore my statement he turns and walks out, pulling the door behind him. Anger courses through me at my lack of knowledge for this situation! How do you reply to the things he said? Urgh! As the door closes I launch my phone at it, regretting it instantly as it smashes against the luckily thick glass.
“Fucking Daddy’s boy!” I yell, wincing as my phone falls to the floor with a smack. The door swings open and Liam is leaning into the room. One hand is braced on the handle while the other holds the frame.
“What was that?” he accuses, his eyes twinkling with satisfaction he glances at my phone on the floor, before flicking his gaze back to me. His eyes dare me to say something, but his earlier words make me smile. Two can play this game.
“Nothing” I smile sweetly and flutter my eyelashes at him as my voice comes out as innocent as ever.
“Where you just going to stomp your foot?” he asks, grinning and shoving his tongue in his cheek.
“Absolutely NOT!” I hiss, my voice rising as I do. Huffing, he runs his tongue across his teeth before he turns and walks away. Arsehole! I huff back and resist with all my might not to stomp my foot on the floor like a scorned child. What the fuck just happened? I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and play aimlessly with my neck. Am I seriously going into business with a sleaze bag? I want to shout at him, to kick and punch the arrogance right out of him. But that pretty face, I wouldn’t want to ruin that. Gah! Stop it! I’m head strong and I damn sure won’t put up with any kind of sexual harassment from him. I don’t think I’ve ever met a man who’s been so forward about his intentions. It’s kind of nice knowing where his head is at. But I’ll be damned if he thinks he can fuck me and that will change the way I run this company. I know that’s how some people work, and hey, I’m not judging. If that’s how you want to play the game then fine, but it’s not how I plan on playing this one. He is sadly mistaken. Pissed off but mistaken. Glad that my phone isn’t smashed to pieces I collect it and head back to my office.