Then he remembered he hadn’t told her about Marcus’s book and hacking into the dating site. Should he delete the book, pretend it never happened? Go back on his promise to his brother? Could he keep the secret from her about their first meeting? No, she deserved the truth—even if she left him after learning it.
“How often do you get out to your place here?”
He cleared his throat, hoping it sounded normal and didn’t show the emotional turmoil of his recent thoughts. “Not often enough. I usually spend the long weekends here, if I’m not working or away. And every six months or so my secretary forces me to take a week off and I either come out here or go to Antigua, depending on the weather.”
“Your secretary forces you to go on holiday? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”
“Probably. But she is such a valuable assistant. When she’s had enough of my demanding ways then she threatens to quit if I don’t take some time off so she can catch up.”
Lorelei’s hand twirled a lock of her hair and her teeth nibbled on her lower lip. What had he said to unnerve her?
“Has your secretary been with you a long time then?” Her voice was quiet, as though she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to hear the answer. Could she be jealous?
“About five years. I dread the day when she tells me she wants to retire.” Gretchen was an incredible assistant, but the thought of being physically attracted to the domineering matron made him laugh.
Lorelei relaxed when she worked out that his secretary was a much older woman. Her gorgeous lips curved in a smile. He thought about pulling over and kissing her, but that wouldn’t get them to Russian River.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled through the iron gates of his home. He stopped on the driveway when the house came into view, wanting to watch Lorelei’s reaction when she first saw it.
Her eyes opened wide and her mouth formed an O before she whispered, “Díos mío, that is the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen.”
Liam couldn’t help the elation that filled him or the grin that spread across his face. He hadn’t realized how much he’d worried about her reaction. What did it matter whether she liked it or not? It wasn’t as if she was going to be living in it. Closing his eyes for a second, he imagined driving up the tree-lined lane, except instead of stopping halfway he’d race to the door only to have it flung open as soon as he shut off the engine. Lorelei would stand in the doorway, a welcoming smile on her lips, and he’d feel at home, at last. He shook his head. Such imaginings weren’t helping him keep focused.
“Glad you like it,” he said after a minute. He couldn’t think about the future until he told her about the book.
…
Lorelei stood in the hallway and surveyed the room. Liam was about ten feet away, watching her reaction. He must think her a complete hick, in awe at her first rich person’s house. Except it wasn’t like any rich person’s house she’d seen on TV. It wasn’t gold and marble, ostentatious or elaborate. The dark wood floor, cream and russet rugs, elegant artwork, and thick, luxurious pile carpets probably cost a fortune, but they didn’t shout “look at me.” The whole place was warm, comfortable, and incredibly beautiful. She was trying so hard not to picture herself living here, a bruise was forming where she kept pinching her arm.
She wondered who had helped him decorate—some other woman who had imagined herself here? That took her back to reality with a bump. How many other women had Liam brought here?
“It’s so beautiful, Liam. Your decorator really knew how to make a place gorgeous and comfortable at the same time.”
“Thank you. I decorated it myself. I wanted the home I never had…”
Before she could ask about his childhood, he straightened abruptly and walked toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Jason packed us a lunch. Make yourself at home, wander around. I’ll go get it.”
Without another word he left the house. Leaving the entrance hallway, she poked her head into a living room. A wall of windows looked out onto a vista of rows of tended vines to a shimmering blue lake and rolling distant hills. The view was breathtaking. A soft thud alerted her to the front door closing.
Lorelei returned to the entrance hall but it was empty. She wandered into a few more rooms. A huge home office took up one whole side of the house. The rich mahogany furniture was surrounded by overflowing bookshelves. Running her finger along the spines of a range of books, she read the authors names—Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov. Never would she have thought Liam would be into Russian literature; maybe it was set decoration.
The next room she found was the kitchen. Expecting stainless steel appliances and black granite countertops she was taken aback to find a room her abuela would be happy to cook in. Pale-cream colored cupboards and wooden countertops were set off by a soft blue paint scheme. Mismatched wooden chairs surrounded a round off-white table. A large blue bowl full of fresh fruit sat in the center. If Liam rarely visited why was there fresh fruit on the table? Of course, he could have a live-in housekeeper. It didn’t solve the mystery of where Liam was now.
She abandoned the heart of the home and wandered up the stairs. What if he was lying naked on the bed, waiting for her? Okay, she may have veered into the realm of fantasy again. After peeking into three very nice bedrooms, she finally found the master suite. A huge four-poster bed dominated the room. And a large fireplace competed for attention with the same amazing view the sitting room had. French doors led out onto a deck with wicker furniture arranged for a private morning coffee to watch the sun rise over the mountains. That was provided a person could be persuaded to get out of bed in the first place.
Running her fingers over the silk bedspread, she was lost in a fantasy, imagining retreating to this room at the end of the day, after putting the children to sleep in the other bedrooms she’d seen. Liam would shut the door, walk over to her, and kiss her until they fell onto the bed, discarding clothes as they went. She closed her eyes, thinking about running her hands over his torso, feeling his quivering muscles under her fingertips.
“I thought I’d find you here. But don’t you think we should eat lunch first? I have a feeling I might need stamina.”
Liam’s deep voice, with a hint of laughter behind the words, interrupted her musings. Her cheeks grew hot and she was sure he could read her mind, knowing what she’d been thinking about.