Played by the Billionaire Read online

  “No need, I’ll expense it. I work for a mega-rich company. They can afford a drink and a meal.” He handed a couple of bills to the waitress and waved the change away.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be dining with a client?”

  “Do you own a computer?”

  “Yes.” She wondered at the non sequitur question.

  “Well, I’m in the computer industry. If you own a computer then you are, in effect, a client as well.”

  “Don’t you think that’s stretching it a bit?” She stood next to him. He put an arm out inviting her to lead the way through the crowd, taking up a protective stance behind her.

  “Not for you,” he murmured so softly she wasn’t positive that was what he said.

  Chapter Four

  The cool night air cleared the slight wine buzz that had fogged Lorelei’s brain. It did nothing to the buzz of attraction, which drew her to the man next to her. She hadn’t even felt that way when she’d first met Barry; it had taken several dates before she’d felt anything for him.

  “Before we take another step, I have to ask, are you married?”

  Liam held out his left hand; his ring finger was bare, with no sign of a tan line. “Nope. No girlfriend in the background, either.”

  “I find that hard to believe. After all, you’re not exactly ugly.” Heat coursed through Lorelei’s face. Well, the man must own a mirror, he had to know.

  He smiled again and the dimple reappeared. “Thanks, but it’s been a tough year.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  He turned and peered down the street. Obviously, he wasn’t a man who talked about his feelings. “Doesn’t matter. The restaurant is about five blocks away. Do you want to get a taxi?”

  “I’m all right walking if you are.”

  “Sure.” He seemed about to reach for her hand but shoved it into his pocket instead.

  “So, were you born in San Francisco?”

  “A little farther down the coast, but I’ve lived here for the past twenty years so I consider it home. What about you? Where are you from?”

  “Buffalo. I lived there until about a month ago. Then I decided it was time for a change.”

  “Would the question about whether or not I’m married have some bearing on your decision to move?”

  “Yeah.” The heat was back in her face; hopefully Liam didn’t notice. She’d come all the way to San Francisco to distance herself from the Barry debacle. Making the same mistake with the man beside her was unthinkable. Her boss had overlooked one misdemeanor in her personal life. Two blots on her reputation and she’d be out of a job with little chance of securing another in the charity field.

  “Here we are,” he said as they stopped in front of an Italian restaurant.

  He held the door while she entered and then spoke quietly with the maître d’. The older man looked her up and down and then led them over to a booth at the far back of the restaurant, in a secluded corner.

  Liam held her chair while she sat. “This is the table you reserved for your dinner with a client?” She raised an eyebrow as he sat next to her. She couldn’t imagine a more romantic setting.

  “Of course,” he said, straight-faced. “The seclusion allows for a frank business discussion without fear that a competitor will overhear.”

  “Ah,” she said, not convinced at all.

  He smiled and she forgot what her objection was to the quiet table. Her companion was charming and the meal passed quicker than any other she’d had in recent memory. Several times her phone had vibrated in her bag against her ankle but she ignored it. By the time the server cleared the table she was full, yet she didn’t want the evening to end.

  “Can I tempt you with dessert?” The waiter hovered at their table.

  “Not for me,” Lorelei said with genuine regret.

  “I’ll pass as well,” Liam said. “Please give our compliments to the chef, the meal was excellent.”

  “I will, sir. The check?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Lorelei reached for her bag.

  “Don’t even think about it. This is a business meal. I told you I’ll expense it.” Liam put his warm, strong hand on hers where it rested on the table. The innocent touch had her wanting more. She fingered her necklace again to bring herself back to reality. They were strangers, no matter how her skin tingled when he touched her.

  “But we didn’t even discuss computers,” she said.

  “Because computers are boring. You Mac or PC?”

  “PC.”

  “Then you need me. I can make sure your virus protection and firewall are up to date and there are no malware, spyware, viruses, or bots on your system.”

  “What would you have replied if I’d said Mac?”

  “The same thing.”

  The grin was back and a little more of Lorelei’s resistance melted. God, he was gorgeous. Lorelei was imagining what his lips would feel like on hers when she realized he was speaking again.

  “…tomorrow?”

  “Sorry?”

  “I asked what you’re doing tomorrow? It’s supposed to be one of those rare sunny, warm summer days. As a native Californian it is my sworn duty to show you the sights.”

  “Really?”

  “Yup. When we get our first voter registration card we have to promise to show at least one East Coaster what living is really about. You’d be doing me a great favor, ’cause this responsibility has been hanging over me for a while now. And I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather spend the day with.”

  “I’d love that—helping you out, that is. It’s the least I can do to repay you for tonight.” Despite the left side of her brain telling her it was just a friendly invitation and meant nothing, the right side was sending all kinds of conflicting signals through her body, and a slow-burning heat began to smolder in her belly. He wanted to see her again.

  “I hoped you’d see it that way.”

  He waited while she gathered her bag and the jacket she’d discarded after the second glass of wine. Following her out of the restaurant, he placed a hand on her back. She knew it was simply a support as she wobbled a bit as she walked, but couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to have Liam holding her for another reason.

  She shook her head. This was her whole problem. One nice guy, who hadn’t spent the entire evening talking about himself, and she was already picturing them together. What she needed was to take a step back and listen to reason and not her heart. There was a first time for everything.

  Standing on the street, Liam helped her into her jacket. The cool breeze off the ocean sent a shiver up her spine. Or was it another whiff of his cologne as he straightened her collar?

  He scanned the street, then pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll get taxis for us,” he said as he waited for the call to connect. “So, what do you want to see tomorrow?”

  “You’re the native. I’ll let you choose where we go.”

  “Sure, put all the pressure on me. There’s an Italian coffee shop on Vallejo Street just east of Columbus Avenue. Why don’t we meet there at nine o’clock?”

  “I know the place. What should I wear?”

  “Comfortable shoes. Anything else is optional.” The dimple was back.

  A taxi pulled up and Liam opened the door for her. “The taxi is on my company account so don’t worry about paying him. I’ll see you tomorrow, Lorelei. I’ve really enjoyed this evening.”

  “I have as well, thank you.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and dug her fingernails into her palm. She wanted to kiss him. Should she kiss him? After she climbed into the taxi, she opened the window in case he wanted to bend down and kiss her.

  Liam handed the driver a couple of notes and instructed him to take her wherever she wanted to go. He stood back as the taxi pulled away from the curb. It probably wasn’t cool, and it definitely appeared desperate, but she watched him out the back window until the taxi turned the corner.

  …

&nbs
p; A second taxi pulled up in front of the restaurant and Liam climbed in, giving the driver his address. He leaned back in the seat and let a self-satisfied grin cross his face. Tonight had gone exceptionally well. And he had a date for tomorrow. If that went anywhere near as smoothly as tonight he’d have this romance sewn up and the book finished within the month.

  He still couldn’t believe he was doing this. It was sheer stupidity taking a leave of absence from the company he founded to write a novel for his brother. Marcus had been the writer in the family; what did Liam know about fiction? He wrote security programs, not romance novels.

  The whole thing had disaster written all over it. But he’d promised Marcus, and his brother had been the only person in his life to love him, so he had to do it. His heart wrenched again, thinking about Marcus’s last breath, his grip weakening until his hand was limp in Liam’s…the inconsolable sobbing of Marcus’s wife as the nurse pulled the sheet over her husband’s face…

  To stop the memories from overwhelming him, he stared at the taxi’s ceiling and remembered Lorelei’s green eyes, which crinkled at the corners when something amused her. His fingers longed to run through her hair, to scatter the pins that had welded it to the back of her head and see it tumble down her back, preferably her naked back. He gritted his teeth. No, he couldn’t go there. No sex. It was one thing to lead her on and romance her for the sake of his brother’s book—he couldn’t go as far as sex, as much as he wanted to. He’d seen a flash of vulnerability in her eyes that had nearly made him tell her right there the whole thing was a sham.

  But was it? So far they’d had a meal together. Tomorrow they’d do some sightseeing. It was no big deal. Except he had a sinking feeling it was about to be. What had David said? He was so screwed.

  Ten minutes later the taxi pulled up in front of his building. Climbing out, he handed a twenty to the driver. Near his door he could hear the subwoofer throbbing to some action-adventure film. He turned the key, and sure enough only the bottom lock was latched. He heaved a sigh. It was like living in the frat house again.

  College was long behind him—as was the fool he’d made of himself there. If it weren’t for David he probably would have told Diana, his second girlfriend, all about his new security program. As it was, David had seen her being overly friendly with a rival programmer, and alerted Liam to the fact that she was another corporate spy. Twice was more than enough to learn not to trust women.

  Yeah, he owed David a lot, but there had to be some boundaries.

  “Hey man, you’re back early,” David said as he popped his head over the sofa.

  “Is it? It’s after ten o’clock.” Liam grabbed a handful of M&M’s and dropped into the armchair, his back to the TV. Helen straightened from where she’d been lounging on the other sofa and ran a hand over her hair.

  “How’d it go?” David turned the volume down on the film.

  “Good. I’m seeing her again tomorrow, taking her on a tour of San Francisco. Any ideas on what we can do?”

  “Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, cable car, the normal tourist fare,” David said.

  “Sounds mind-numbingly boring,” Helen said.

  “What would you suggest?” Liam turned to Helen. She didn’t meet his eyes. Odd, she’d never been shy with him before.

  “A baseball game,” she said in a rush.

  “Really? I thought that would be at the top of the boring list.”

  “No, women love it. Three hours, at least, to talk and get to know each other. Plus, they think they’re doing something the man likes so that makes them even happier. It’s a win-win situation.”

  Liam shook his head. “I hate baseball.”

  “But it’s a regular guy thing,” David said.

  “I guess.” Liam wasn’t convinced. Even with Lorelei for company he wasn’t sure he could sit through the tedium.

  “So, did you make a move on her?” David leaned forward.

  “No. Don’t be an idiot.”

  “I’m not an idiot. A woman that hot must know how to do all kinds of wicked things to a man. I thought she’d be all over you with this new look of yours.”

  “Shut up.” Liam heaved himself out of his chair. “Time to go home. I want to lock up and hit the sack.”

  David resembled a man who had been sucker punched. Liam had never kicked his friend out of his place before.

  “What’s up, bro?”

  “Nothing. I’m tired and I have another date tomorrow so I need sleep.”

  “Two dates in twenty-four hours. Must be good.”

  “Yeah. Good night, Helen.”

  Helen gave him a watery smile, like she might burst into tears at any minute. What was going on with her now? What had he done to upset her?

  After his guests left he locked the door and set the alarm. Despite what he’d said to David, he was too restless to sleep. So he poured a glass of whiskey and wandered into his home office. As the array of monitors came to life he relaxed, back in his world now. He did a test penetration into a new client’s system. It took twenty minutes, but he was able to access their core data and financial information. Flagging the weakness, he sent a message to his team working on the project.

  Usually, he experienced a sense of triumph at circumnavigating a system’s security protocols; this time he just felt hollow. He had a knack for finding weaknesses, a knack that had made him a millionaire by the time he was twenty-three and a billionaire at twenty-eight. All his money hadn’t been able to save Marcus, so it was useless as far as he was concerned.

  Closing his eyes, the image of Lorelei’s face was there again, taunting him. Her full lips slightly open, inviting his kiss, her green eyes clear and bright, laughing at something he said. Long, silky brown hair framed her flawless face. He clenched his jaw.

  He thrust his chair back and returned to the living room. A photo of Marcus holding his first published book stood on the mantel. Liam picked it up and stared into his brother’s face. This is for you, brother. I hope you knew what you were asking.

  …

  Lorelei stared at the cracked plaster ceiling above her bed. If she didn’t have a death grip on her grandmother’s hand-quilted bedspread to anchor her to reality, she’d float up to the overhead light. She’d flopped there after arriving home from her disaster-turned-dream date. She couldn’t believe the evening had turned out so well.

  She flipped over and grabbed her laptop from her bag by the bed. She opened it and waited for it to boot up. This time, she was determined to be sensible, not let herself be used just so she wasn’t alone. A friend had once suggested that because she had no relationship with her father, she sought approval from other men. She’d dismissed the accusation at the time, but after the disaster with Barry she had done a lot of thinking. Barry had always made the decisions about where they’d go, what they’d do. At first she’d told herself she liked that he was decisive and manly. Now, she realized he was selfish and conniving. If she wanted a man to respect her, she had to respect herself first.

  The familiar sound of Skype loading told her she’d connected to the Internet. She searched the name Liam Mackenzie only to find a couple sparse social media profiles, a few photos of someone riding a dirt bike with a helmet on, which she assumed was him, and a couple of papers he’d written on security programming. Under “employment status” it said contractor for IWC Security. Maybe if she got a chance she could ask him about William Manning, the CEO. There was no indication of a girlfriend, a wife, or any known criminal activity. She searched Mrs. Liam Mackenzie just to be sure, but nothing came up. Liam had a job and a sense of humor, and he’d treated her like a perfect gentleman. Her mom would love him.

  Lorelei groaned. For Díos’s sake, she was a twenty-eight-year-old woman, not some flighty teenager. Still, her heart raced when she thought of seeing Liam again tomorrow. She needed someone to talk sense into her. Her three close friends from Buffalo were all on vacation. She was supposed to have gone with them
, but it was yet another thing Barry had screwed up. When she’d been offered the lifeline of the job here in San Francisco it hadn’t seemed the time to ask if it could wait until she got back from vacation.

  Rolling off her bed, she found her cell phone and sent a text to Mandy to see if she was still awake. Within a minute her friend replied. Rather than have a conversation via smiley faces, she called her number.

  “How’d it go with the globe-trotting architect? Are you going to have beautiful babies together?”

  “He didn’t show,” Lorelei said. She’d forgotten about Richard.

  “Dog. I’m sorry, sweetie. There’ll be another guy. Maybe a trip to Europe will help.”

  “No need. I met someone else.” She couldn’t help the triumph in her voice.

  “You picked up some guy in the bar?”

  “Technically, he picked me up.”

  “Is he there now?” Mandy whispered as if afraid to be heard by Lorelei’s date.

  “No, of course not. What kind of girl do you think I am?” Actually, since Mandy knew about Barry, she probably thought Lorelei was easy. She wouldn’t be, not this time. Then an image of Liam with a mischievous smile on his face flitted through her mind and her knees went weak.

  “Well, I was hoping one of us might see some action this weekend. So, who is he?”

  “His name’s Liam.” Lorelei caught herself twirling a lock of hair around her finger. Díos, next thing she’d be writing Mrs. Lorelei Mackenzie in her math book.

  “And?”

  “And he works for IWC Security. So I may ask him about William Manning, see if I can get some info on him to use for future reference.”

  “Forget work. What’s Liam like?”

  “He’s gorgeous, and kind and considerate and not married. Definitely not married,” Lorelei said.

  “Sounds too good to be true.”

  “Yeah, he does, doesn’t he?” Maybe her luck had changed. There was the eternal optimist again.

  “Well, I’m glad to hear you had a good time. See you Monday.”

  “Then I can tell you about our date tomorrow,” Lorelei said.