He shifted in the seat, resting his left arm on the top of the steering wheel. “I think that’ll be okay.” He smiled again and her heart fluttered. He was so handsome. What was he doing with her and why wasn’t he already taken? For the moment, however, she was going to revel in the knowledge he wasn’t married and for some reason was interested in spending time with her.
“Would you like to come up?”
He peered into her eyes again. “I would love to, but I have an early flight in the morning. It’s better if I say good night here. What time do you want me to pick you up on Friday?”
“Actually, I have to be there early to supervise the setup. Can I meet you at the Four Seasons at seven thirty?”
“Sure.” Liam reached out and put a hand on her cheek; his dark eyes searched hers in the dim light. He ran his thumb down her nose until it rested on her lips, pulling her bottom lip slightly away from the other. Popping her tongue out, she tasted his finger, eliciting a sharp inhalation from him. His forefinger replaced his thumb and ran back and forth over her bottom lip. “I haven’t had peanuts in a week. Do you think it’s safe if I kiss you goodnight?”
“I’m willing to risk it. I’ve got a new EpiPen in my bag if I stop breathing again.”
“Noted,” he said, his lips a millimeter away from hers.
His touch was gentle at first, but as she opened her mouth and responded, the hand on her cheek shifted to the back of her head, his fingers making short work of her carefully created updo.
Liam slanted her head to get a better angle. He tasted faintly of the whiskey he’d had a few hours ago, and his spicy aftershave was even better close up. It must be a crime the man could look, taste, and smell so good. While he ravaged her mouth, her own hands went exploring. One was wound into the silken strands of his hair. The other was roaming over the contours of his back and shoulders.
His right hand, which had been resting on her waist, found its way under her top and ran over her back, leaving sparks of sensation along her skin. With one deft maneuver he undid the clasp of her bra. His thumb ran along the side of her body until it reached the underside of her breast. A low moan filled the air, and she realized it was coming from her.
He released her lips, trailing a series of kisses across her cheek. She drew in a deep breath, just to make sure she could. It did nothing to relieve the haze of desire that engulfed her body. At least if she was going to pass out this time, it would be from passion and not asphyxiation.
When Liam’s thumb ran over the peak of her breast, her back arched, encouraging his exploration. His other hand left her hair, which was now falling down her back, and joined his first one under her shirt. He teased her breasts, feathering touches over the taut peaks, circling them before rolling her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. His mouth came back to cover hers, ravaging and demanding her surrender. Little did he know she had no intention of fighting this attraction.
He released her lips, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Liam’s breathing was heavy, his heartbeat easily felt through his shirt. His hands moved from her breasts back down to her waist, pulling her shirt back down. Her nipples, still highly sensitized, protested the loss of his touch. Another moan joined the belabored breathing, this one the sound of disappointment rather than encouragement.
“See why I can’t come up?” he whispered into her ear.
“No.” She was dimly aware they were still sitting in his car in front of her apartment. The windows were all fogged up. Any minute, a police officer could come by and knock on the window, demanding to know what was going on inside. And she, for once, didn’t care. All she wanted was for Liam’s assault on her body to continue.
He chuckled. “Temptress. I’ve got to be on a plane in five hours, and that is not nearly long enough to do justice to your incredible body. And I hate leaving things half done. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of guy.”
She moaned again. What had come over her? She sounded like a bad actress in a porn film.
“All right, but you’d better get some sleep while you’re away, ’cause you won’t be getting any when you get back,” she said. Heat invaded her face. Díos mío, where had that line come from? He’d think she was a complete tramp, sleeping with married men and propositioning others in cars outside her apartment. Before she could stammer out some kind of retraction, Liam responded by kissing her again until she was breathless.
“I’ll hold you to that,” he murmured when he finally sat back in his seat. “Oh, and can I make one request for next Friday?”
“What’s that?” Reaching around, she refastened her bra. She took Liam’s retreat back to his seat as an indicator tonight’s lovefest had come to an end.
“Wear your hair down. It’s so beautiful and it’ll remind me of where we left off tonight.” He reached out and ran a hand over her tousled hair.
“All right.” She’d already been planning an elaborate hairstyle, but the desire in Liam’s eyes overrode that idea. Personally, she wouldn’t need any reminders; she’d be replaying the entire scene over and over until she saw him again.
“Until Friday, then.” He picked up her hand and kissed each of her knuckles, staring into her eyes as he did so.
This was going to be the longest week in history.
Chapter Nine
Lorelei surveyed the room, pleased at its appearance. Tall crystal vases containing white roses graced each table. She’d also decided on white tablecloths and napkins. A group of children had decorated each place card, adding a splash of color. Against the walls, tables had been set up with thank-you notes from the children who’d recently had Happy Day experiences, with some background information and photos, showing the work the charity did. A black-clad pianist was playing softly on the grand piano on a raised dais in the center of the room. At such short notice she hadn’t arranged a full theme dinner. Instead she’d aimed for understated elegance. And given the reaction from the staff and early guests to arrive, she’d achieved it.
She glanced at her watch. There was just enough time before the official start for her to run upstairs to one of the rooms that had been reserved for the night and change. One of the benefits of being an organizer was that she could stay overnight if she so desired. And based on the way she and Liam had departed, an overnight in one of San Francisco’s best hotels was definitely in the cards.